Chapter 124 - Cousin Is Here, Strong But Short-lived

“She is in the right, yet she was still bullied, and she can’t even ask for an apology? Who exactly is the one being mean-spirited and unforgiving here?”

Everyone turned to look at the speaker. The man standing at the door was in his late twenties. He had phoenix eyes and thin lips, and his piercing gaze and stern eyes were as cold and sharp as a hawk’s.

He had both his hands in his pockets. The cuffs of his white shirt were turned out and embellished turquoise cufflinks, looking very stylish. He was tall, slender, and neat. And in his long black trench coat, he gave off a refined and refreshing yet ruffian aura.

They were dressed fairly lightly as the merciless cold wind rushed in.

Song Fengwan saw the person who came and gritted her teeth. Knowing he saw me go from stubborn and aggressive to weak and vulnerable, this feeling… is terrible.

Her gaze had a mix of both embarrassment and stubbornness.

Gao Xue felt that he looked familiar, but she was certain that she had never seen him before.

Mao Yinlan and the two teachers about to escort her out froze on the spot. Before they could come back to their senses, this person had already walked into the office and went straight to Song Fengwan.

“Are you that angry? You didn’t even greet me when you saw me.” His face was dark, but when he spoke to her, his voice seemed to carry the warmth of a spring breeze.

“Cousin,” Song Fengwan called softly.

Qiao Xiyan pursed his lips into a smile and reached out to ruffle her hair. “You were baring your fangs and extending your claws like a little wild cat earlier. But now you’re all quiet?”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming beforehand?” Her voice was soft and a little coquettish. It was completely different from earlier.

“If I hadn’t decided to come on the spur of the moment, would I have been able to witness this scene?” Qiao Xiyan glanced at Gao Xue, and her body suddenly shrunk back.

Only then did she remember that she seemed to have seen this person in one of Song Fengwan’s past homework submissions.

The few people who wanted to mediate and act as peacemakers immediately shut their mouths after seeing Qiao Xiyan. This person had an oppressive air around him, and just one look was all it took to know that he wasn’t easy to deal with. No one wanted to cause trouble for themselves.

“I’ve been listening at the door for a while. This lady and our Wanwan both have their own disagreements. But for who is in the right and who is in the wrong, there has to be a conclusion.

“If you leave now, it will seem like my sister was being overbearing and wrongfully drove you away. You will feel like you’re the victim while the others will scorn her for being mean-spirited and unreasonable. I won’t let that happen!”

Qiao Xiyan went straight to the door. The students watching the show outside hurriedly retreated. He directly lifted his foot up and kicked the door shut.

Bang!

The force was strong, and the sound was deafening.

The people in the room were so shocked that they trembled and didn’t dare to move.

“What… what are you doing?!” Qiao Xiyan was tall, had a strong aura, and a cold voice. Mao Yinlan had never interacted with such a person before, so she felt uneasy and flustered.

“I won’t touch you. I just want to make things clear here. If you did something wrong, apologize. If my sister bullied others, I won’t be partial to her either.

“If you want to apologize with the door open, that’s fine too.

“There are so many students outside. If you’re not afraid of losing face, I don’t mind.”

Qiao Xiyan was clearly mocking her. In other words, ‘I closed the door to save you some face. Don’t further embarrass yourself.’

Mao Yinlan clenched her fists tightly. The flames in her heart surged, and she was so angry that her body was shaking.

“I’ve already heard the gist of the story. Regarding what my sister said just now, do you have anything to say?” Qiao Xiyan only had one aunt and one cousin. He had been protecting them since he was young. How could he let people bully her so easily?

Mao Yinlan’s body stiffened.

“Or should we involve the police to help us settle this? Publicly or privately, you decide.”

What she knew wasn’t the whole truth. There was no way she could defend herself. If they called the police and the matter of her finding trouble with a child spread, it would be even more embarrassing for her.

Mao Yinlan gritted her teeth. “I have nothing to say.”

“In that case, apologize.” Qiao Xiyan crossed his arms and stared squarely at her.

She was already feeling guilty, and her emotions and thoughts were a mess. Combined with Qiao Xiyan’s stare, Mao Yinlan was frightened.

An oppressive atmosphere spread throughout the office.

The teachers who had been mediating also fell silent, their mood sullen.

After a long silence, Mao Yinlan finally gave in. She gritted her teeth and reluctantly said to Song Fengwan, “Excuse me.”

Song Fengwan was not an unreasonable or unforgiving person. She knew that Mao Yinlan wouldn’t be able to let go of her pride completely. Seeing that Mao Yinlan had spoken, she planned to let the matter go. But before she could say anything, Qiao Xiyan spoke again.

“When did apologies become ‘excuse me’? Shouldn’t it be ‘I’m sorry’? It’s said that people in the capital are true to their words, straightforward, and easygoing. But it seems that this lady likes to beat around the bush,” Qiao Xiyan ridiculed.

Mao Yinlan took a deep breath. “I was too impulsive earlier and misunderstood you. I’m sorry.”

Song Fengwan responded with an ‘Um’ and didn’t say anything else.

Mao Yinlan opened the door and rushed out. The door slammed heavily, and the room fell silent again.

“Um…” A male teacher came out to smooth things over. “Sir, would you like to sit down and have something to drink?”

“As parents, they send the students here to study. Although this is only a tutoring center, you still have the obligation to protect your students. Don’t you think it’s too negligent of you to allow others to pick on and bully your students?

“I can’t help but suspect that even if the students are bullied during classes, all of you will just sit back and do nothing.”

Suddenly hearing him accusing them of such a thing, the teachers in the office were panic-stricken. “This was all an accident.”

“If it was a soft-tempered student, wouldn’t they have already been bullied to death? Whether this was an accident or not, I have eyes and can see. If there’s a fault with the management, there will naturally be people to take care of it.”

What Qiao Xiyan meant was that he planned to relay this matter to the relevant authorities.

“Please listen to our explanation…” It wasn’t easy to apply for a permit to open a tutoring center in the capital.If someone reported them for a violation, wouldn’t it be over for them?

“Pack your things. Let’s go.” Qiao Xiyan pulled Song Fengwan out.

The moment they opened the door, they bumped into Qian Jiang.

Qiao Xiyan didn’t recognize him. He thought Qian Jiang was a security guard or the like of the tutoring center, so his eyes were hostile.

“Cousin, this is Big Brother Qian Jiang, Third Master’s assistant,” Song Fengwan introduced. “Is Third Master here?” While speaking, she looked around but didn’t see him.

“No.” Qian Jiang shook his head.

“Go collect your things.” Qiao Xiyan gestured to Song Fengwan to return to the classroom. Knowing that Fu Chen had sent someone to protect her, he sized Qian Jiang up.

It was known that Third Master Fu was cold-hearted. After entrusting Song Fengwan to him, Qiao Xiyan had always felt uneasy, which was why he came to visit her without notice. Looking at it now, it seemed that he hadn’t entrusted her to the wrong person. He knew that sending someone to protect her in secret was also a way of caring for her.

He’s a good man.

Qian Jiang was originally standing guard, hidden from sight and waiting for Fu Chen to arrive. He then saw a man closing the door before finally re-appearing with Song Fengwan. Qian Jiang didn’t expect that this person was Song Fengwan’s cousin.

He lowered his head and sent another message to Fu Chen.

Fu Chen’s phone vibrated.

The first message was…

[Miss Song has been accused.]

[She is being scolded badly.]

[Miss Song got angry and slammed a cup in anger.]

…

When Fu Chen heard his report, his heart pounded. There were no new messages for a few minutes. When the next messages arrived, he felt uneasy again.

[Third Master, your cousin-in-law is here.]

Cousin-in-law? Qiao Xiyan?

The phone vibrated twice again.

[He took Miss Song away. Should I chase after them? Do you want me to stop her?]

Qian Jiang’s mission was to protect Song Fengwan. One of his duties was to prevent others from taking her away.

Fu Chen took a deep breath and gripped his phone tightly. I don’t even dare to do that now. Where does he get the courage to grab her from Qiao Xiyan?