After taking a sip of water, Sisi continued, "Furthermore, isn’t Teacher Shen aware of the saying ’do not touch what isn’t yours’? Or was this never taught to you in your childhood? These items were sorted out from my desk, so please, Teacher Shen, immediately take them away from my sight. Also, the things that are missing from my drawer, I will need them returned within three days."
"I didn’t take your stuff," Shen Baozhu argued.
"All I know is that you are the only person who has used my desk. Since you’ve used it, I have to ask you for the missing items. If you cannot produce them, then you need to compensate me at their full value, which is a total of 1568 yuan." Updates are released by NoveI-Fire.ɴet
"It’s just a bracelet and a few hair clips, how could they possibly cost so much? Are you trying to extort me, Mr. He?"
Shen Baozhu couldn’t help but raise her voice, but as soon as she finished speaking, she realized she had made a mistake. Seeing the expressions on the other teachers’ faces, which seemed to say ’so that’s how it is,’ she just wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
She had taken a liking to the bracelet and a few hair clips and brought them home to wear. She thought that He Sisi was so careless with her belongings that she wouldn’t remember these items. Even if she did remember, she could just feign ignorance since no one had seen her take them.
But unexpectedly, this He Sisi was so cunning that she had tricked her into revealing herself.
With a smirk that wasn’t quite a smile, Sisi looked at Shen Baozhu. It seemed that among those playing innocent, Zhong Yuying was the most adept!
Sisi couldn’t help but doubt her own thoughts. If this Shen Baozhu really did have a motive, then how foolish must her patron be? To send such a self-destructive underling, wasn’t that just plain stupid?
"Teacher Shen really has some nerve. You haven’t even seen my things, so how do you know what I’m missing is exactly one water chain and three hair clips? Teacher Shen, there’s no use pretending—nobody here is a fool."
Shen Baozhu stammered for ages but couldn’t come up with a reasonable explanation. Meanwhile, some of the male teachers were also looking at her doubtfully. At this moment, no one had a high opinion of someone with sticky fingers, except for a few die-hard fans who still wholeheartedly supported Shen Baozhu.
After taking another sip of water, Sisi continued, "Alright, it would be best if Teacher Shen promptly returns my bracelet and hair clips. Those were brought back for me by my mother from overseas, and they hold special significance for me. I would prefer to have the original items back, but if they are truly lost and considering we are colleagues, I won’t call the police. Just compensate me for the loss as I mentioned earlier."
"Additionally, let me add, if Teacher Shen thinks I’m looking down on you because my husband is the vice-dean, feel free to find someone with a dean for a husband to rely on; I don’t mind at all."
Having said that, Sisi picked up her bag, bid farewell to the other teachers, and left. She could already feel some dampness on her chest and needed to hurry home to change.
The first teacher to laugh was Ms. Liu Tielan, the school’s physical education teacher. Although she always spoke her mind, she had never been as outspoken as she was today. Shen Baozhu must have really offended her somehow.
Once someone started, the other teachers couldn’t help but laugh as well, finding Mr. He’s words simply too clever.
Overwhelmed by the laughter, Shen Baozhu flushed red and ran out with her face covered. Her die-hard fan, Mr. Wang, said discontentedly to Liu Tielan, "Mr. Liu, don’t think that by doing this you can win me back, hmph!"
Liu Tielan was instantly enraged, stood up swiftly, rushed over to Mr. Wang, grabbed him by the collar, and actually lifted him up.
Mr. Wang was only about 170 centimeters tall, slender, and a frail scholar who couldn’t even truss up a chicken, whereas Liu Tielan had a basketball background, standing at a towering 175 centimeters -- half a head taller than Mr. Wang. With just a lift, she held him a foot off the ground, scaring Mr. Wang until his face turned white.
"Wang Shimin, do you really think you’re some precious commodity?" Liu Tielan spat in disdain. "A good-for-nothing weakling who can’t shoulder a burden or lift a finger, and you expect my sister to change her mind for you? Pfft, you’re only fit to muck around with that unclean Shen Baozhu!"
Liu Tielan sprayed Wang Shimin’s face with spittle, feeling a surge of satisfaction. Loosening her grip, Wang Shimin, unsteady, fell to the ground, landing on his rear. Liu Tielan glanced at him with contempt, snorted, and returned to her seat.
It turned out that Liu Tielan had an elder sister named Liu Yinlan, who had gotten to know Mr. Wang Shimin through her younger sister. The two started a secret romance.
Their families approved, believing that although Wang Shimin was frail, he held a stable job and was an intellectual, which was quite satisfactory.
The couple was talking about marriage when out of the blue, Shen Baozhu showed up and turned Wang Shimin’s head. He spent all day either fetching meals or buying things for Shen Baozhu, pouring his entire monthly salary into her.
Realizing that something was amiss, Liu Tielan immediately informed her sister. Liu Yinlan couldn’t believe it at first, but once she saw her boyfriend and Shen Baozhu together - all sticky sweet - she had her heart shattered. She was a girl who could let go just as easily as she could pick up, and thus she broke things off with Wang Shimin right away.
Liu Tielan felt guilty about this affair, blaming herself for introducing her sister to such a scoundrel like Wang Shimin. Thus, given the chance, she did not miss an opportunity to mock and ridicule both Wang Shimin and Shen Baozhu.
And now, with Sisi’s arrival, Liu Tielan was even more excited; she was no longer fighting alone!
Wang Shimin, from the ground, shot Liu Tielan several hateful glances before getting up to chase after Shen Baozhu. At this moment, all he wanted was to comfort his dear fairy, offering his not-so-broad shoulders for Treasure Bead to lean on as he soothed her wounded heart.
Shen Baozhu ran to a secluded spot in the school’s back garden and sat down, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief until they were red and swollen.
Upon hearing those familiar footsteps, Shen Baozhu revealed a smug smile, but quickly feigned an utterly heartbroken demeanor, burying her face in the handkerchief.
"Treasure Bead, don’t be sad, don’t take their words to heart; they’re just jealous of you."
Wang Shimin looked at Shen Baozhu with pity and hated He Sisi and Liu Tielan with a passion. He cursed his lack of family influence and background, as he couldn’t stand up for Treasure Bead.
"Shimin, you’re the only one who believes in me now. I really didn’t take Mr. He’s belongings, I just glanced at them – how could I have known they would disappear?"
Shen Baozhu was unwilling to compensate or return the items; it wasn’t that she was stingy, but doing so would practically admit to the accusation of theft.
She sneered internally at Wang Shimin’s unremarkable appearance, yet put on a look of shock as she threw herself into his arms.
"Shimin, Mr. He said I have to return the items within three days or pay for them. But where can I get so much money to compensate? Shimin, what can I do?"
Feeling the delicate warmth in his embrace, Wang Shimin felt his blood rush to one place. Seeing the distressed expression of his goddess, his heart ached. He detested his ineffectiveness in resolving Treasure Bead’s trouble.