Sheng Mingyuan had already gone to teach the students, leaving Ji Niandong alone in the office.
She stood for a long time, took a deep breath, and then rushed out of the office straight into the classroom.
Everyone was rehearsing a play, and her sudden entrance left them at a loss.
"Teacher Sheng, I call you teacher because I truly hope to learn from you, and it’s also a sign of respect and acknowledgment. But why do you outright deny me and give me an impossible task?" She stared intently at Sheng Mingyuan, her eyes filled with anger.
Sheng Mingyuan shifted his stance, standing casually, "There are plenty of people who want to study under me, I don’t need you to prove my worth. If you can’t take a bit of criticism, why are you still here?!"
Ji Niandong snorted coldly, "Then why didn’t you say so earlier! Why make me water flowers and organize tapes? Oh, when you’re happy, you command me like a servant, and when you’re not, you yell and tell me to get lost?! Your worth is high, sure, but what about your upbringing? Is this how you educate people, with insults?"
She turned her head to look at the stunned trainees, "Do you know what he asked me to do? He demanded a large sum of money from me, and if I couldn’t deliver, I’d be thrown out along with all you dummies! To him, you’re just a bunch of fools! And honestly, is he any better in your eyes? I heard what you called him earlier, a midlife-crisis old man?"
A few trainees exchanged glances, afraid that Sheng Mingyuan would lose his temper.
"Isn’t he just a midlife-crisis old man? Otherwise, why would he lose his temper so easily, unable to control it himself? Why don’t you go see a doctor? Am I right?" Ji Niandong glanced at the trainees, but they remained silent. She went over and tugged on their arms, "Come on, speak up, don’t you have grievances against him too, why aren’t you saying anything?"
Still, no one said a word until a young girl tugged her arm, "Stop talking, if you really want to learn something from Teacher Sheng, just keep quiet!"
Ji Niandong shook off her hand and said, "You’re just afraid to speak up because you want to learn from him, right?"
The young girl looked up at Sheng Mingyuan with her head down, too scared to speak.
Until another girl spoke up, "Ji Niandong, right?! You’re in the spotlight now, signed by Ada, and you’re going to act opposite big names like Qiao Anlu and Lin Ji Yang. You can afford not to care about learning from Teacher Sheng, but don’t drag us down with you. Can you just leave? We didn’t like you from the start!"
"Yeah, exactly!" others echoed.
Only the young girl from before muttered softly, "Don’t talk like that!"
Everyone shifted their focus to her, making Ji Niandong panic. She clenched her fists and stepped back a few steps, unsure of what to say.
Sheng Mingyuan sighed, walked over, and said, "What’s wrong? Can’t keep acting?"
"I..." she stammered, at a loss for words, indeed unable to continue the act.
The trainees realized all at once, "That was acting?"
They glanced at Sheng Mingyuan, who straightforwardly said to Ji Niandong, "You can leave now!"
"Teacher Sheng, can’t I study with them?" Ji Niandong was still reluctant to give up.
Sheng Mingyuan shot her a glance, tilted his head arrogantly, "The task I gave you was to stir them up against me, but the result..."
He raised an eyebrow, the result was obvious.