Upon hearing this, Ms. Lin looked up from grading the papers and adjusted her glasses. "There's no need for you, Ms. Liang, to concern yourself with my students. Besides, you should learn what it means to be a true educator. Believing rumors without any concrete evidence does not make one a good teacher."
Her words were quite similar to Qin Sheng's.
Liang Hua was momentarily speechless, her face twisted with a mocking smile. "You should save those words for the Director. Let's see if he believes that Qin Sheng is innocent."
No sooner had she finished speaking than Ms. Lin received a call from the grade director.
"Alright, I'll be right there," Ms. Lin nodded, her brow furrowing slightly.
After hanging up, she was met with Liang Hua's sneer. "Looks like the Director wants to see you, doesn't it? You'd better think about how to explain this."
Ms. Lin gathered the exam papers on her desk and went to the Director's office.
Liang Hua cast a glance at Ms. Lin's desk and noticed the topmost math test paper. Her eyes widened in shock.
Qin Sheng, 150 points!
...
There was no evidence to prove Qin Sheng's innocence, nor was there any concrete proof that she was being kept by an older man. However, the rumors in the school showed no signs of abating.
Worried about the school's reputation, the principal issued an order that no one was to discuss the matter further.
At the same time, he made a phone call to Qin Hai to inform him of the situation.
Qin Hai felt utterly humiliated and repeatedly assured over the phone, "Rest assured, if Qin Sheng has done something wrong, I will certainly discipline her."
Without understanding the full situation, he immediately assumed Qin Sheng was at fault.
The principal put down the phone, his brow deeply furrowed. Qin Hai's reaction was rather unusual, different from that of most parents. A typical parent would first defend their daughter, but even after being told there was no concrete evidence, Qin Hai still assumed Qin Sheng was in the wrong.
The principal was puzzled. Qin Hai was overly doting toward Qin Churou, yet seemed indifferent to Qin Sheng.
The principal also believed that Qin Sheng was innocent. As a member of the Qin family, would she really need to be kept by someone?
Even as an outsider, he could believe in Qin Sheng, while Qin Hai, her own father, did not trust his daughter.
The Qin family, in the flourishing city of H, could only be considered moderately wealthy, but they were certainly well-off enough. The family fortune was substantial, enough for several generations to live comfortably. The Qin family's willingness to donate a sports hall to the school for Qin Churou showed they were not short on money.
The principal shook his head, quickly deducing the reason: it seemed Qin Sheng was an unfortunate child, unloved and neglected in the Qin household.
The rumor that Qin Sheng was being kept by an older man continued to circulate privately among the students, but for fear of punishment, it did not spread outside the school.
All morning, there was no indication that the school would punish Qin Sheng, and Liang Hua, distracted by this, made frequent mistakes in her classes.
As soon as class ended, she called the Director of Academic Affairs to inquire about the situation.
The answer she received was that the principal believed that baseless rumors without any solid evidence should not be taken seriously.
Liang Hua was infuriated. People had seen it with their own eyes—how could it be false?
What was so special about Qin Sheng that everyone seemed to be defending her?
Liang Hua was livid, but Qin Sheng remained unfazed.
After more than a week of school, she had gradually adapted. She listened attentively in class, except during Ms. Liang's English lessons, when she would always lay her head down on the desk and sleep.
Qin Sheng's disrespect infuriated Liang Hua, but she eventually chose to ignore it. She was even pleased to see that Qin Sheng wasn't paying attention in class, thinking it would lead to poor grades.
However, aside from Liang Hua, the other subject teachers had a very good impression of Qin Sheng.
In every minor test, Qin Sheng nearly always scored full marks. She was also polite and well-behaved, excelling academically with a positive attitude—the kind of student teachers cherished the most.
(End of Chapter)