Five minutes later, the vice dean, panting and with a thick layer of belly fat, stopped in front of Xiang Wan.
Xiang Wan reflexively lifted her hand to wipe the tear stains from her face, standing up straight: "Vice dean..."
The vice dean, gasping for breath, waved his hand with some difficulty at her and then pushed open the classroom door: "Whose... class is this?!"
The English teacher who was in the middle of a lesson was interrupted, her face a picture of displeasure, but upon seeing the vice dean, the presence that intimidated students disappeared without a trace: "Vice... vice dean, it's my class, what's the matter?"
The vice dean pointed at the English teacher, righteousness in his voice: "You're fired! Our institute strictly prohibits any malicious corporal punishment of students. Your behavior in making student Xiang Wan stand outside the classroom, even physically causing her to injure her forehead, is something the institute has zero tolerance for! Your teaching career ends here!"
The English teacher was instantly stupefied, her gaze flickering towards Xiang Wan, her complexion turning first green then white: "Vice dean... I didn't mean to hurt her forehead... A student who isn't disciplined won't become talented. I was doing it for their own good. Besides, it was like this before, and you never said... I'll change, vice dean, please give me another chance!"
Upon hearing the other party still trying to shift the blame and remembering how he was scolded like a dog by the dean, the vice dean became infuriated: "Before, it was because it hadn't come to my attention! If you had any sense, you'd accept the decision and not force the institute to take further action against you!"
The English teacher wanted to say more, but the vice dean ignored her completely, turning his head to look at Xiang Wan with a kind face: "Student Xiang Wan, come, I'll take you to the medical office to have your wound treated."
Xiang Wan hadn't yet understood the situation when she heard the vice dean calling her, and coming back to her senses: "Uhh... thank you, vice dean."
The English teacher refused to give up, clinging to the vice dean: "Vice dean! I've been teaching at this institute for many years, how can you fire me over such a minor issue? I refuse to accept this!"
Knowing when to back off, Xiang Wan followed at a distance, the vice dean turning back with a complex gaze and lowered his voice: "It's not me who wants to fire you, it's the dean's orders! Do you know whom you've offended? Do you really want to drag me down with you? Scram!"
Hearing this, the English teacher dared not persist. Could it be that someone was secretly supporting Xiang Wan? Considering the current plight of the Xiang Family, who would be willing to get involved in this mess?
Once at the medical office, the school doctor treated the wound on Xiang Wan's forehead and carefully applied a band-aid.
The vice dean watched the whole process with a smile, making her feel somewhat uneasy at heart...
Thinking of how her father had made numerous donations to the school in his lifetime, she felt slightly reassured; perhaps the vice dean was showing consideration for the sake of the past.
She spoke up to break the awkward silence: "Vice dean, I took a few days off due to a family matter, and when I returned today I found that my desk and chair were missing... It must have been someone's prank."
"These little rascals, how daring of them to mess around like this! I'll immediately have someone move a new set for you!" The vice dean agreed readily, then suddenly changed the subject: "Student Xiang Wan, I've heard about your family's situation, and I'm deeply grieved. I hope you'll maintain composure through this difficult time. With the college entrance examination approaching, try to regulate your emotions. And... about the standing out of class today, could you please come forward and explain?"
Xiang Wan was a bit puzzled: "Come forward and explain? To whom?"
The vice dean pulled a handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped the beads of sweat on his forehead: "Didn't our institute have a renovation project recently? It's quite expensive, a significant outlay. Everyone was worried about it when suddenly a benefactor appeared wanting to donate, which was a godsend for the institute. Everything was going smoothly, but today, your standing outside the classroom was witnessed, and it caused a negative impression, leading to the donation being put on hold. I hope that the next time he visits the school, you can help us clarify the situation.
No matter the reason for your punishment in class, you are the main cause of the incident. Teacher Emily has already been dismissed, and you were also supposed to be expelled. This has had a huge impact on the institute, so this is a chance for you to make amends, especially with the college entrance exam imminent. We also don't want your three years of hard work to go to waste, do we?"
So, this was what they had been waiting for?
Xiang Wan suddenly felt a sense of irony. If not for this issue, would anyone care about what happened to her?
Whether she had a desk or chair was unimportant, whether she was punished or could attend class was also not important – the money was the focal point.
Looking at the hypocritical face before her, her eyes gradually dimmed: "How do you want me to explain?"
The vice dean's eyes flickered with calculation as he patted her shoulder: "You just need to tell that gentleman when he visits the school again that you weren't standing out of class as punishment, but rather because a sudden family tragedy left you unable to concentrate during the lesson, and feeling emotional, you didn't want to disturb the class, so you asked to adjust your emotions in the hallway."
Deep down, Xiang Wan abhorred lying about such a matter, but on the other end of the lie was whether she could graduate smoothly. The vice dean's use of carrot and stick left her no room to maneuver. Undoubtedly, the scales in her heart tipped towards the lie...
The vice dean very "considerately" granted Xiang Wan leave to go home and rest to adjust her mood, asking her to return to school for classes the next day.
As she left the school, passing by an alley, Xiang Wan vaguely heard a woman's scream.
She was startled for a moment. Although it was broad daylight, the deep alley still looked somewhat eerie.
Feeling a bit uneasy, she listened carefully to confirm, but there was no further sound.
She breathed a sigh of relief; it must have been an illusion...
Shortly after she left with the driver, a man in black darted out from the alley and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
In the depths of the alley, a middle-aged woman in disheveled and dust-covered clothes lay on the ground, no longer the dignified appearance of a teacher. Her fingers were bent into unbelievable shapes, twisted by pain as she sweated profusely.
Blood streamed down her face, and a particularly large wound on her forehead continued to bleed profusely. She trembled as she dialed for emergency services with her distorted fingers, her eyes filled with the horror of a narrow escape.