135 Conflict
She suddenly sat up. When she heard Wang Gang’s moving around in the bathroom, she hurriedly took out her phone.
She wanted to call the police directly, but when she remembered that this person was her direct superior, she decided to call Zhao Mei, who often helped her in school.
When Zhao Mei picked up the call, she knew what was going on after Tan Li had said a few words. She immediately told Tan Li to stay on the line.
Wang Gang came out after making the call. He was stunned when he saw that Tan Li awake. Then, he realized that she was calling someone on her phone, and the caller ID showed that Teacher Zhao Mei was on the line.
Wang Gang’s expression immediately darkened, but in order to protect his image and ensure that this matter did not blow up in school, he squeezed out a concerned smile and said worriedly, “Little Li, don’t misunderstand me. I saw that you were drunk, so I booked a room for you to sleep it off. Since you’re already awake, I’ll leave first.”
After Wang Gang left the room, still smiling fakely, Tan Li collapsed. She curled up dispiritedly. The humiliation and grievance turned into tears that poured down her cheeks.
Zhao Mei sighed on the other end of the phone and said, “Don’t cry. Which hotel are you at? Tell me the location and I’ll pick you up. You can stay at my house tonight. My husband and son are not at home. I’m alone.”
“Thank you, Sister Zhao.” Tan Li was sobbing uncontrollably. With tears in her eyes, she sent Zhao Mei her location. Half an hour later, Zhao Mei knocked on the door.
Tan Li shrank back in fear. She was afraid that Wang Gang had not given up and had returned. She covered her mouth and did not dare to make a sound.
Zhao Mei knocked on the door again. She guessed that Tan Li was afraid, so she whispered outside the door, “Little Li, it’s me. Open the door quickly.”
Tan Li knew that she was saved. She instantly sat up and rushed to the door. She opened the door and held Zhao Mei’s hand tightly. Only then did she feel less anxious.
Zhao Mei sighed and did not say anything else. She brought Tan Li back to her house.
The little girl had drunk so much and was frightened. She was emotionally very unstable and would startle at the slightest noise.
Zhao Mei quietly brewed a cup of tea for her and comforted her. “Don’t be afraid. You’re safe now. Wang Gang won’t dare to do anything to you.”
Tan Li clutched Zhao Mei’s hand. She was still traumatized. Her eyes were filled with fear and determination. “I want to resign.”
Zhao Mei nodded and let out a long sigh. “Don’t be so silly again.”
Tan Li smiled bitterly. In the end, she blamed herself for being too naive. She was so inexperienced, yet she wanted to be promoted, which had led her to believe Wang Gang’s nonsense.
Tan Li slept poorly that night. When dawn broke, Zhao Mei woke Tan Li up. She was still in a daze.
Tan Li quickly submitted her resignation to the school, but Wang Gang refused to accept it on the grounds that she had not fulfilled the five-year teaching contract.
Tan Li had no choice but to stay in school. Fortunately, Wang Gang ignored her thereafter. Later on, her family had arranged a blind date for her with her current husband, Hu Jin.
The two of them had a happy marriage. The students were very nice to her and, Tan Li, who had remained tense, finally relax. Soon, they heard news that she was pregnant.
Zhao Mei spoke for a long time and was a little thirsty. She sighed and said, “The child had a tough life. She had just started working when she encountered such an unpleasant incident. Her life had just improved, and now…”
She did not finish her sentence, but Shen Yin and Meng Heng understood what she meant.
Shen Yin filled her cup with water and asked worriedly, “Aren’t you afraid that Wang Gang will take revenge on you for telling us this?”
“I’m not afraid.” Zhao Mei raised her eyebrows and smiled smugly. “I’ve been teaching in this school my entire life. Wang Gang can’t touch me. Don’t worry.”
Meng Heng frowned and asked, “This matter should be highly confidential, but from what you said just now, it seems others also know about it?”
Zhao Mei nodded. “Many people at that gathering saw Wang Gang leaving with Tan Li. They’re all adults, of course they knew what the two of them were up to. This matter became public and many people in the school think that Tan Li and Wang Gang had an illicit relationship. However, they don’t know that I saved Tan Li that night and Wang Gang didn’t succeed.”
Shen Yin looked at the time. The teachers and children at the field had already lined up to go upstairs. Shen Yin and Meng Heng stood up and bade farewell. “Thank you, Teacher Zhao. If there’s a need, we’ll look for you again.”
After leaving the office, Shen Yin and Meng Heng had originally planned to leave school and return to the police force to report on the situation. But they bumped into Xia He, whom they had met in the corridor earlier.
The little girl timidly grabbed Shen Yin’s sleeve and tugged at it so that Shen Yin was forced to bend down to her eye-level.
Only then did Xia He smile shyly. “Sister, you have to be careful of Teacher Wang. You’re even more beautiful than Sister Tan Li.”
Shen Yin looked at Xia He in shock. Just as she was about to question her further, the little girl scampered back to the classroom.