Shangguan Ning was startled at these words. She felt that her brain was almost exploding. Anger was rising in her heart.
She was the victim. How did the entire thing turn out to be like this?
That was why the school had fired her!
However angry she was, she understood that the principal was not the culprit. The man behind Guo Shuai, was.
“Principal, that was a misunderstanding, I never…”
Before she was able to finish her words, the principal interrupted her. “Enough, you don’t need to explain any more. You have caused a terrible impression for the school, but Deputy-Mayor Shangguan has suppressed it for you. He has compensated every loss on your behalf. The newspaper will not report this incident either. School doesn’t need your compensation for the loss. From now on, just behave yourself!”
Shangguan Ning got surprised and annoyed hearing the word Deputy-Mayor Shangguan.
What did he mean by “suppressed it”? What did he mean by “compensated every loss for her”?
Those who framed her, must have come from somewhere and she believed that as long as she looked into the matter thoroughly, she would soon discover the loophole. Luring someone? They better have proof!
She had almost never spoken with any man after she started to teach at University of X, let alone lure someone.
Her father didn’t care about her reputation. He just didn’t want the rumor to affect his name as an officer.
That was why he couldn’t wait to suppress the issue. It didn’t matter who was right and who was wrong, as long as he was able to avoid trouble and rumor by giving away concessions.
He had the ability to carry out the inspection of the matter, but that would push Family Shangguan into the public’s eye.
He was a Deputy-Mayor and was soon going to run for the election of the Mayor. He wanted to avoid any and every mistake.
He chose to sacrifice her again just for his own future.
Shangguan Ning’s heart froze as if being soaked in ice water.
She tried to get back to normalcy before asking with a hoarse voice, “Principal, leaving aside my matter, why was Ms. Zhao Anan fired as well? She was just trying to rescue me at that time. She didn’t mean to hurt the student. Besides, that student was acting very suspiciously at that time.”
The Principal had no idea that Zhao Anan was listening on the other side of the phone, so he snapped at these words. “Zhao Anan? She doesn’t behave like a teacher at all. She is like a gangster who goes around the campus. We have been displeased with her for a very long time. Enough, I’m too busy to chit chat with you!”
He hung up the phone with a loud banging sound, preventing Shangguan Ning from saying anything more.
Zhao Anan, who was already pissed, stood up abruptly with her teeth clenched. “I will get my brother. They are just bullying people around!”
Shangguan Ning took hold of her. “Don’t Anan, please don’t. I will solve my problem on my own.”
Zhao Anan hesitated. Careless as she was, she wasn’t a silly girl. She had guessed that Deputy-Mayor Shangguan must have been Shangguan Ning’s father from her talk with the Principal just now.
Shangguan wasn’t a commonly-seen family name, after all.
But what was her father doing? Didn’t he know that the victim was his own daughter?
Shangguan Ning was also aware that Zhao Anan must have realized the truth. She hadn’t been trying to conceal anything, but she would preferred not having a father like him.
She had never felt her father’s love since she was little. What she had experienced was abuse and hurt.
She was silly to have assumed that he would regard her as his daughter after all. But he was still cold-blooded and ruthless as before.
Did her mother kill herself in such a dreadful way because she, who had loved him so much, was hurt deeply by him?
She had never come home after she went abroad. It was not her home. She lost her home when she had lost her mother.
Shangguan Ning took a deep breath and controlled her grief.
She was quite moved seeing Zhao Anan pissed. She wasn’t a failure after all, because she had at least one good friend standing on her side.
She put down the phone and held Zhao Anan’s hands tightly.
She said guiltily, “It was my fault to drag you down. Otherwise you would have quit rather than be fired.”
“Ning, you don’t need to blame yourself. It has nothing to do with you. As you heard yourself, the school has been displeased with me for a long time and I don’t like staying in that kind of restraining place either. It is good because now I can put my full attention into my western restaurant.”
They exchanged a few words before Zhao Anan hurried away after receiving some calls. Her restaurant was newly-opened and she still had many things to deal with.
Shangguan Ning felt that she was both physically and psychologically tired. So she fell asleep immediately.
Jing Yichen came to check her up and went out again soon afterwards.
“Tiger, has Guo died yet?”
Tiger answered honestly, “Nope, still breathing.”
Jing Yichen had a cold look on his face as he said in a ruthless and determined tone, “Keep him alive. He mustn’t die now. Send him back and keep him under watch. He is going to suffer.”
“Yes, Master.” Tiger answered and left.
Jing Yichen made some calls after he gave the order to Tiger. Then he started to deal with his business. He was going to take over Jingsheng Enterprise within a week’s time and there was a great deal of work left to do.
He had planned to meet some big shareholders at Jingsheng Enterprise. But with Shangguan Ning here, he didn’t want to go out. So he postponed every meeting.
Shangguan Ning slept all the way to the evening. She felt much livelier after she got up. She wasn’t that tired any more.
Mu Qing’s medicine really worked well.
She got out of bed and went down to the living room.
Jing Yichen’s villa had been built on three floors. The establishment was understatedly luxurious. The view was wide, showing beautiful landscape around.
As the evening came, the bright-red afterglow of the Sun shone into the villa through the floor-to-ceiling window, creating a beautiful, dreamy scene.
At this time, only the servant Aunt Wang and a chef were in the villa. The chef was busy preparing dinner whilst Aunt Wang was carefully wiping the white marble table in the living room. She placed a bunch of elegantly fresh white orchids on it.
Seeing Shangguan Ning coming downstairs from the second floor, Aunt Wang asked her courteously with a smile, “Ms. Shangguan, why don’t you sleep some more? I will bring the dinner to you when it is ready.”
Shangguan Ning answered Aunt Wang with a smile too, “It’s okay. I’m much better now. I’m not that weak.”
“Master said that if you feel bored, you can take a tour around the villa. Master almost never brings anyone here. There are many good things in the villa to see!”
Shangguan Ning wasn’t in the mood to tour the villa. She really wanted to leave the place right now and go back to that freezing home of hers. She needed an explanation.
“Aunt Wang, where is Master? I have got something to do now, so I may not be able to stay for dinner. You can skip preparing my portion. Can you please tell him that I’m very thankful for his hospitality?”
Aunt Wang was startled. She immediately stood in Shangguan Ning’s way. “Ms. Shangguan, my Master is in the study upstairs. Why not say goodbye to him, yourself?”
It was not a joking matter. Master was apparently very devoted to this lady and she didn’t dare let her go without his order.