At this moment, in the vice principal’s office, eight male students were standing in front of the desk.
Zhang Zhaoyuan was one of them.
After getting drunk last night, he sobered up today and finally realized the foolish things he had done. Not only had he caused a ruckus at the BBQ stall, but he also said those things. Moreover, there were more than just their two tables of classmates eating there. As those words spread, it quickly turned into campus-wide gossip.
Now, the rumors had already twisted into something much worse: claims that Dr. Bai was toying with students’ feelings, that the already-married Dr. Bai was promiscuous, became the mistress of some wealthy man or tycoon, and was even engaging in scandalous relationships within the school.
And so, the eight of them were brought to the vice principal’s office.
Vice Principal Zhao had just arrived at school this morning and heard about these rumors. The moment he took a sip of tea, he spat it all over the desk.
"Which son of a b*itch spread this nonsense?"
"Bai Xiao has been personally watched over by Director Yu! She’s Director Yu’s niece! Does she even need to cling to some tycoon?"
"This isn’t just some international joke!"
"Explain exactly what happened."
This matter could not be allowed to slide, and the rumors had to be quashed as soon as possible.
If Director Yu started investigating, how would they even answer for this?
And let’s not forget, Bai Xiao’s husband is a military officer. It’s right there in their records. If they pursued accountability, these boys wouldn’t be let off easily either. Besides, Bai Xiao herself was a part of the system. Nobody could imagine which idiot had caused so much trouble this time.
The vice principal had already looked into it thoroughly! Supposedly, it was these few boys who had spread the rumors.
The eight of them stared at each other, exchanging nervous glances.
Seven pairs of eyes settled on Zhang Zhaoyuan.
Betraying one of their own? They couldn’t stoop that low.
"Speak up, are you still trying to hide this? Let me make it clear: the nature of this incident is extremely serious. Bai Xiao’s reputation has suffered tremendous damage. Since we’re in my office, if any of you honestly confess now, we can handle this internally. But let me tell you, Bai Xiao and her husband are both in the military. If this matter escalates and gets traced back, the person responsible for starting this rumor will absolutely have to bear the consequences.
This is not a scare tactic. Your parents send you to university with great effort and sacrifice. If you end up being expelled or dismissed, how many years of their hopes and dreams—and your hard work—will just go down the drain? Is it worth it?" Vice Principal Zhao wasn’t bluffing; if the matter spiraled out of control, the consequences would indeed be that serious.
As a school leader, his duty was to nip such volatile situations in the bud immediately.
Zhang Zhaoyuan and the others clearly hadn’t anticipated how big this situation could become. The pressure started breaking the resolve of the other seven boys.
Sure, brotherhood was important, but when it came to their futures, no one wanted to be expelled or dismissed from school.
Getting into university wasn’t easy, and gaining admission into the Medical University was even harder.
Each of them was the pride and hope of their families. To lose their future prospects over something like this? They’d have no face to return home to their parents.
Zhang Zhaoyuan finally stepped forward. "Vice Principal Zhao, this was my fault. I was drunk at the time. I may have said things I didn’t even realize or remember, and after throwing a drunken fit, I forgot everything. But there were so many classmates present at the time, which led to these rumors spreading. I’m willing to issue a public apology."
No matter the reason, Zhang Zhaoyuan never intended to hurt Bai Xiao.
In fact, as he sobered up today, he began to reflect and realized that the Bai Xiao he knew could never be that kind of person.
Even though they hadn’t interacted deeply, he still remembered that day when Bai Xiao, disregarding her own safety, stepped forward to confront a crisis.
How could someone with such character be the type of person whose integrity should be questioned? How could there possibly be any issues with her conduct?
To insult someone recklessly without knowing the truth of the situation was incredibly inappropriate.