Chapter 37: 37. Chapter 37 Recording

37. Chapter 37 Recording

Su Cheng was standing outside the broadcast room at this moment, the dim light from the corridor falling onto that door. She had encountered a traffic jam on her way here and had also forgotten to bring money. After arriving at school, she had let Hu Xiao come over to give her money, and after waiting for the driver to let them go, they came up, but Jiang Xiangnan had already started broadcasting.

His deep, magnetic voice resounded throughout the entire campus.

Su Cheng's vision went black; she leaned against the wall and slid down, her hands clutching her body tightly. A buzzing sound rang in her ears, and her whole body felt as if it had fallen into an ice cellar.

She could imagine how everyone would look at her tomorrow, how they would gossip about her behind her back.

Whatever Su Li had once endured, she would have to endure it all once over.

Su Cheng trembled all over from fear.

Hu Xiao and Yu Yangfei stood to the side, neither of them having the spare capacity to comfort her. Only after Su Li reminded them did they realize that this matter would also implicate them.

The more high and mighty and satisfied they had felt when they were bullying her, the more terrified they were now.

Because they had never once thought before that bullying Su Li would have such serious consequences.

They had only felt that they were upholding justice, solving the problem of the younger sister who enjoyed everything at home for Su Cheng.

At this moment, the door to the broadcast room opened, and Jiang Xiangnan walked out.

He saw the three people at the doorway, each of their faces filled with panic and unease. When it came down to it, no matter how high-spirited they were, they were still just High School students.

"If you want to transfer schools, I can take you with me."

Hu Xiao and Yu Yangfei were stunned upon hearing this; no one spoke a word.

This was No. 1 High School. Even if their grades weren't good at No. 1 High School, their future university prospects were secure.

Moreover, they were different from Jiang Xiangnan. Jiang Xiangnan's grades were good wherever he went, but they couldn't do that. Leaving No. 1 High School was equivalent to potentially not being able to get into a university in the future.

Yet if they didn't leave, what awaited them were the strange looks of the entire school.

The two of them didn't know how to choose.

Su Cheng, meanwhile, raised her head and looked at Jiang Xiangnan under the corridor lights, her head buzzing.

She had worked so hard and put in so much effort to get into No. 1 High School, and now she had to transfer?

And Su Li could continue to study, live, and grow up happily without any burden?

"You few, come to our office for a moment!"

At this moment, a scolding voice rang out from the end of the corridor, and they turned their heads to see the Dean of Students standing there with a dark face.

Hu Xiao and Yu Yangfei's faces turned deathly pale in an instant.

Su Cheng's lips trembled incessantly; the Dean of Students had even come. She had never been called by a teacher like this from childhood to the present.

She hurriedly took out her phone with shaking hands and called Fang Lan.

If she were really disciplined, this matter would be set in stone; even if she transferred schools, she wouldn't be able to hold her head up at the new school.

And she had worked so hard to get into No. 1 High School; she had finally managed to make her parents love her a little more, so how could she return to the starting point in an instant?

"Mom, what should I do? Su Li is going to ruin me. Zhao Jiu made Jiang Xiangnan say it; it was Jiang Xiangnan who deliberately bullied Su Li..."

Hu Xiao and Yu Yangfei looked at her in horror. She had previously cried to them about how Su Li had received all the affection because of her, and they had felt sorry for her, so they helped her, but they had never thought she could twist black into white in such a short time.

It was as if they were meeting her for the first time.

Su Cheng said this while crying and trembling, her lips quivering. There was no hard evidence for this matter; as long as they insisted that Zhao Jiu had used his power to force Jiang Xiangnan to lie, there was still a chance for salvation.

No matter what the final result was, at least half of the students in the whole school would believe them by then.

Su Li had a fragile mentality; if she returned to the center of the storm, her grades would drop again.

So as long as they insisted on not admitting it, it would be fine, Su Cheng comforted herself over and over again.

Yu Yangfei and Hu Xiao looked at the somewhat abnormal Su Cheng, then looked at Jiang Xiangnan. Jiang Xiangnan was just leaning against the door watching her, not saying another word.

He had the appearance of someone who would neither intervene nor object.

The two of them also understood; Jiang Xiangnan had only agreed to Zhao Jiu to clarify things, but Su Cheng twisting black into white was none of his business.

They suddenly didn't know if he really liked Su Cheng, or if it was simply a case of birds of a feather flocking together?

Inside Class Thirteen

Su Li lowered her head and continued to do her homework. The class representative brought the Midterm Exam answers in and wrote them on the blackboard.

Other students checked their answers while glancing at Su Li one after another; she was the one who was truly miserable, an innocent victim of disaster.

And they hadn't expected that Su Cheng was actually that kind of person.

Chen Xue picked up her water cup with extra diligence: "I'll go get you some water."

Su Li wanted to say that there was actually no need for this, but Chen Xue had already rushed out.

She watched helplessly as she went to get water and quickly returned.

Qian Lei leaned over and said: "Su Li, are you hungry? It seems like there are a lot more snacks in Zhao Jiu's locker."

Zhao Jiu raised an eyebrow; using his things to curry favor?

Qian Lei noticed the gaze from the side and looked back blankly.

He had only seen Zhao Jiu staring at Su Li's back the whole time, wanting to comfort her but not knowing what to say, so he had offered to bring her snacks on his behalf.

Zhao Jiu twirled his pen with his fingertips; those snacks were only liked by children. Secretary Su now liked to eat street food from outside.

Xiao Wang walked in, and the students of the whole class hurriedly withdrew their gazes and honestly checked their answers. It was truly the first time they hadn't been so enthusiastic about checking answers.

Xiao Wang's expression was grave and mixed with a bit of pity: "Su Li, come here for a moment."

Su Li was slightly startled and raised her head. Looking at his expression, she was slightly puzzled, but her intuition told her it was nothing good.

Su Li got up and went out. Chen Xue and the others looked at Xiao Wang; was he planning to comfort Su Li?

After all, Xiao Wang cared most about the students' mental health.

Zhao Jiu twirled his pen with his fingertips, pondered for a moment, then got up and followed them out. Outside, Su Li and Xiao Wang were already gone. He was just about to go upstairs when Qian Lei poked his head out and said: "Where are you going?"

Zhao Jiu turned back, took his phone out from under his desk: "Going out for a bit."

Xiao Wang's expression just now hadn't been right.

He went upstairs and looked around the office, but Xiao Wang and Su Li were not there.

"Has anyone seen Wang Laoshi of our Class Thirteen?"

That teacher looked up and said, "The Dean of Students was just looking for him; he should be in his office. If you have a question..."

Zhao Jiu turned and strode away, exiting the teaching building and heading toward the administration building. At this hour, with that expression, being taken to the administration building could not be a good thing.

Could Jiang Xiangnan have gone back on his word and complained to the teachers?

Halfway there, he saw two cars parked at the school gate, and Zhao Jiu frowned.

Just then, his phone rang. He answered it casually, and the confused voice of a middle-aged man came from the other end: "Cub, where did you say you were attending High School?"

Zhao Jiu's father, Zhao Qihe, was sitting in the car, looking at the school gate outside. He had just told the butler he was going to stay there for two days, and the butler had told him the young master was currently boarding at school.

Then the butler sent a location to the driver, and the driver ended up bringing him to City No. 1 High School?

Is this supposed to be the best public school around here?

Zhao Qihe: "???"

How did he remember his son being at Shengde?

Zhao Jiu paused his steps and looked at the school gate again. Under the massive streetlamp, one car looked very familiar, and its headlights were still on.

"Come in, come with me to find the Dean."

Zhao Qihe: "Ah? Come in where?"

Zhao Jiu hung up the phone and walked straight toward the school gate, preparing to pull him inside.

Inside the administration building, because it was night, the whole building was quiet. As they walked, the voice-activated lights turned on one by one.

Xiao Wang said as they walked, "Su Li, there will always be someone in this world worth trusting."

Su Li paused slightly and looked up at Xiao Wang: "Wang Laoshi, have my mom and dad come?"

If it were an unrelated person, he would not be so solemn and sympathetic.

Although Xiao Wang was a fairly average teacher, his heart was simple.

Xiao Wang nodded: "Yes."

He had not expected Su Li's parents to trust Su Cheng so much.

He led Su Li to the Dean of Students' office and opened the door.

Inside, the Dean was irritably sipping tea. Fang Lan was hugging the red-eyed Su Cheng, softly comforting her. Su Lin had lit a cigarette, his face full of anger. Jiang Xiangnan leaned against the wall, arms crossed, saying nothing, looking as if he would not intervene.

Xiao Wang said: "Dean, Su Li is here."

Jiang Xiangnan opened his eyes and looked at Su Li; she was wearing a ponytail, lively and pretty.

He had done what he was asked to do; now he wanted to see what Su Li would do.

The Dean of Students did not look very happy. The situation was too complicated now; he had never thought such complex matters could arise between students.

"Su Li, now Su Cheng says that you had Zhao Jiu stand up for you, lured Jiang Xiangnan into a bet, and forced him to lie. Did this happen?"

Su Li was startled. She looked at the girl buried in Fang Lan's arms and said: "I did not."

"Su Li!" Su Lin said angrily, "Relying on that Zhao Jiu as your backer, is there anything you won't do now?"

"Distorting the truth and framing your sister—is this how we taught you?"

Su Lin pressed the cigarette into the ashtray. He shouldn't have been smoking in front of the Dean, but the matter was too big; no one cared about details anymore.

Su Cheng pushed Fang Lan away slightly, her eyes red and her voice choked with sobs: "Su Li, I know you hate me, and I know you've been talked about behind your back these past few months and you're upset, but you can't have Zhao Jiu force Jiang Xiangnan to say such things just because you have him?"

Su Li looked at the furious Su Lin, then at Fang Lan, who looked at her with eyes full of disappointment, and finally, her gaze fell on Su Cheng.

"Before Zhao Jiu played basketball with Jiang Xiangnan, Qian Lei was with them the whole time. When they played, there were so many students there, and after they finished, he left with me. When did he force Jiang Xiangnan?"

"And since you say he forced him, then produce the evidence," Su Li said.

Su Cheng did not expect her to calm down so quickly, but fortunately, she was prepared. She wiped her tears: "Zhao Jiu met with Jiang Xiangnan in private."

Su Li clenched one hand, a trace of anger rising in her heart: "Where was it said? At what time?"

"I don't know, but what Jiang Xiangnan said on the broadcast is simply not true; it can only be that he was coerced by Zhao Jiu." Su Cheng looked up. As long as this matter was muddied and people couldn't tell right from wrong, it could end here.

Although the students would talk, they wouldn't look at her with the same eyes they once looked at Su Li with.

They could still continue to stay in No. 1 High School with their heads held high.

Su Li's voice was cold: "So your so-called coercion is based on the broadcast content being false, but how do you prove the broadcast content is false?"

Su Cheng felt slightly relieved; going back to this was fine.

"I told you about my acquaintance with Jiang Xiangnan, and I never said anything like you only being able to live well because I was suffering."

Su Li: "So you still have no substantive evidence for what you told me; everything is still your one-sided word."

The Dean was annoyed. Neither side had evidence, exactly the same as when Su Li was involved in puppy love last semester.

He was just about to have Su Lin and the others take the two of them back home to resolve it.

This matter could not involve Zhao Jiu, or they would have no way to explain it.

Su Li reached into her pocket with one hand and took out her phone; the recording interface was on the screen.

"I have recorded everything you just said."

Everyone in the room immediately looked at her. Jiang Xiangnan opened his eyes to see the girl under the incandescent light, cold and calm, as if no one in her eyes amounted to anything.

"Su Cheng, without any real proof, you and Jiang Xiangnan have ruined my reputation and spread rumors, causing me mental harm. I will sue you for defamation."

Her gaze swept over Su Lin and Fang Lan: "You can continue to speak as well."

"But I hope every word you say has been thought through."

"Because I will hand this recording to Zhao Jiu's lawyer and ask him for help. The lawyers you found, Mom and Dad, probably won't be able to beat him."

The entire office was deathly silent. No one had expected her to use this tactic, and for a moment, no one could react.

"If you have nothing else to say, then I will go back to class."