YouCheng barely slept all night, his mind consumed with images of HuMing.
Yet, Kang Xin told him that the person he saw wasn’t the HuMing he remembered. How could he accept that?
Meanwhile, the scars on YouCheng's face didn't escape the old director’s notice. Upon seeing them, the old director planned to visit the school the next day to demand an explanation.
However, Kang Xin persuaded him otherwise, claiming she had a way to resolve the matter and reassuring him there was no need for concern.
The old director, who had long since deferred to Kang Xin's decisions, reluctantly agreed, though he still worried about YouCheng’s state.
The next morning, as YouCheng woke up, he found Kang Xin already sitting at the breakfast table, waiting for him.
"Today, I'll go to school with you."
Her words surprised YouCheng. He kept his head down, idly stirring the porridge in his bowl with a spoon.
Kang Xin seemed to notice his mood and let out a soft sigh before continuing, "You must’ve realized what happened yesterday, haven’t you? If it were HuMing, he wouldn’t have ignored you."
"I know..." YouCheng wasn’t stubborn.
As someone who knew HuMing better than anyone, Kang Xin wouldn’t lie to him about such things.
But when he embraced that boy, his instincts screamed that it was HuMing!
Han YunXi ran breathlessly toward HuMing, her expression tinged with urgency.
HuMing turned to her, his gaze calm. "Hm? Han YunXi, what’s the matter? You seem flustered."
"Did you save a boy yesterday?"
"Yes, but how did you know?" HuMing’s face showed a hint of confusion.
Han YunXi exhaled deeply, finally steadying herself.
"Kang Xin told me. The orphanage is funded by our Han family, so we always hear about anything that happens there."
"I see. In that case, I have something to show you."
HuMing retrieved his phone from his pocket and played a video for her. It was footage from the previous night, showing YouCheng being bullied.
Though the video was short, it clearly captured the faces of the boys involved.
Watching the video, Han YunXi’s expression darkened. Her fists clenched tightly as anger flared within her.
HuMing observed her reaction, mildly surprised—it was rare to see Han YunXi so furious.
"Um, Han YunXi, are you okay?"
Han YunXi quickly regained her composure, offering a bitter smile.
"Sorry. My brother cared deeply about the children at the orphanage. If he knew they were being bullied, he’d never let it slide."
Her voice softened as she bowed slightly in gratitude.
At the same time, much of her suspicion toward HuMing dissipated.
If this person truly were her brother, he’d undoubtedly teach those troublemakers a lesson, just as he once shielded her from harm.
Taking the evidence HuMing provided, Han YunXi turned and left.
HuMing watched her retreating figure, a brief silence settling over him.
"Teacher, my son had a tooth knocked out! Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?"
A sharp voice pierced the office. The speaker, an irate woman, directed her glare not just at the teacher but also at Kang Xin and YouCheng.
The previous night, she’d returned home to find her son’s face swollen. At first, he refused to talk, but under her husband’s pressure, he confessed: a man had slapped him and warned him not to reveal the incident. He also implied the matter was linked to a classmate—none other than YouCheng.
Which is why the woman stormed into the school first thing in the morning.
The teacher looked awkward. She knew YouCheng well—quiet, diligent, and always willing to help his classmates when they needed help. His reputation far exceeded that of the woman’s son.
But looking at the boy’s swollen face, she couldn’t outright dismiss the parent’s claim.
"Well… YouCheng is a good student. Could this be a misunderstanding?"
The teacher tried to mediate. But the woman jabbed a finger toward YouCheng.
"Misunderstanding? Do you know how heartbroken I was when I saw my son like that last night? This isn’t over!"
"You’re right; it’s not over." Kang Xin’s cold voice cut through the air.
Her icy gaze locked onto the woman as she retrieved her phone, pulling up a photo of YouCheng from the night before—dirty, bruised, and battered.
"Your son doesn’t look like someone who can’t afford a hundred yuan. So why did he demand it from YouCheng? When YouCheng refused, your son gathered others to gang up on him?"
"My son would never do that! Do you know how much allowance I give him? More than what kids from that orphanage could ever dream of!"
She pulled out her wallet, flaunting a thick wad of cash in Kang Xin’s face.
Her words were so crass that even the teacher winced.
The woman’s arrogance only added to the tension. While the teacher personally believed in YouCheng’s innocence, she hesitated to act, fearing repercussions from the woman’s ties to the principal.
YouCheng’s fists tightened as he stared at the woman’s smug face. Behind her, the boy who had bullied him wore a mocking expression, as if taunting him: What can you do about it?
Just as he was about to explain, Kang Xin pressed her hand on his wrist, signaling him to stay calm.
"What does how much money you give your son have to do with him extorting his classmates? If you can’t understand the logic, I suggest you spend some money to hire a professional and ask them what this kind of behavior from your son is called!"
Kang Xin felt the phone in her pocket vibrate briefly.
Her gaze grew even colder.