Chapter 216

Words : 1231 Updated : Oct 13th, 2025

The door burst open as two young men strode in. The lawyer didn’t even glance at He Xiang, his gaze immediately locking onto Gu Xiuyuan instead. His tone softened slightly as he asked, "And who might this be?" Gu Xiuyuan didn’t spare him a look, walking straight over to Ji Nian and Shen Qingtang. "Are you hurt?" Ji Nian waved both her hands at him. Gu Xiuyuan frowned at the sight. "Your hands are red." Ji Nian: "......" That meant she wasn’t injured. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed He Xiang and realized he must have been the one who went to fetch Gu Xiuyuan. She blinked at him and motioned for him to come stand beside her. From the moment He Xiang entered, the lawyer’s gaze had skimmed over him like he was nothing more than a pebble on the roadside, landing squarely on Gu Xiuyuan instead. Even the school principal looked at Gu Xiuyuan first, visibly relaxing. He Xiang had long grown accustomed to being an unnoticed side character in his life. But Ji Nian still noticed him. Amid the tense, sharp atmosphere of the room, her gaze when she looked at him was calm, tinged with faint delight—no different from how she regarded Gu Xiuyuan. He Xiang quietly stepped behind Ji Nian, his dark eyes—the ones she had once praised—fixing on Li Yuan across the room, shadowed and damp, like clinging moisture. There was no oppressive force in that gaze, just something inescapably unsettling. For some reason, Li Yuan’s fierce glare faltered and shifted away. "Student Gu Xiuyuan, what brings you here?" The principal spoke first. Gu Xiuyuan offered a polite, measured smile. "As student council president, it’s my duty to protect students who’ve been bullied." Then his tone shifted. Though still young, his sharp gaze carried a hint of authority as it settled on the lawyer. "Secondly, my two younger sisters were harassed. As their older brother, I can’t just stand by." Hearing his name, the lawyer stiffened. The Gu Family? Tch. Trouble. He hadn’t expected the Gu heir to get involved. And what did he mean by "sisters"? Since when did the Gu Family have relatives surnamed Shen or Ji? The lawyer’s frown deepened—not because of Gu Xiuyuan’s words, but because of his positioning. Instead of standing protectively in front of the two girls, Gu Xiuyuan took his place at Ji Nian’s right. The group of teenagers subtly formed a formation with the green-eyed girl at the center. Looking closer, the doll-like girl showed no trace of panic. When the lawyer’s gaze swept over her, she even smiled sweetly at him—and politely raised her middle finger. The lawyer: "......" What the hell was going on? A bad feeling crept up his spine. "Why so quiet now?" Gu Xiuyuan spoke again. "Don’t like talking anymore?" "What were his demands earlier?" From outside the door, he’d only caught the arrogant tone, not the specifics. Ji Nian and Shen Qingtang held hands. At the question, Ji Nian cast a mocking glance at Li Yuan. "Oh, I said I’d compensate for all damages from beating up Li Yuan. He said selling my entire family wouldn’t cover it, then demanded I kneel and apologize before getting expelled." When Ji Nian mentioned "selling my entire family wouldn’t cover it," Gu Xiuyuan’s expression turned strange, his eyes practically screaming What kind of nonsense are you spouting? at the other side. The lawyer’s unease grew. Something was off, but he couldn’t pinpoint what. The ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍standoff stretched on. Meanwhile, Li Yuan kept throwing a tantrum, growing even more furious under He Xiang’s stare. "I’ll tell my dad! He’ll have them all killed!!" "Why aren’t you doing anything?! Make her kneel right now!!!" "Wow." A soft, amused voice cut through the noise. Everyone turned to see a man standing by the half-open door—one that hadn’t been fully closed after Gu Xiuyuan entered. Dressed in a similarly sharp suit, yet without the lawyer’s arrogance, he knocked politely despite the open door. "Pardon the interruption. I’m the representative for Ji Nian’s guardian. May I come in?" Finally, someone who knocked. The principal gestured for him to enter. Zuo Yi stepped inside, his eyes first scanning Li Yuan’s swollen, bruised face—already calculating the compensation—before walking toward Ji Nian’s group. "You alright?" Seeing Zuo Yi had come alone, Ji Nian relaxed slightly and shook her head. "I’m fine. But he stole something from Shen Qingtang." The moment Ji Nian said it, Zuo Yi understood. "Leave this to me. You all head back first." Zuo Yi smiled faintly. As Ji Nian brushed past him with Shen Qingtang, her pleasant expression darkened. In a low, icy voice, she muttered, "After the apology, make sure he never appears in front of Shen Qingtang again." Zuo Yi’s smile didn’t waver. Just as they were about to leave, the lawyer finally snapped out of his daze. There was something familiar about Zuo Yi, but he couldn’t place it. "Wait, you’re just leaving like this?" Zuo Yi turned back, tone light. "No reason to stay." If our genius young mistress bothered to beat up your kid, you should consider it an honor. Zuo Yi almost said it out loud—like some smug villain—but it didn’t suit his character. With some regret, he held back. "Are you insane?! What kind of lawyer are you?! Just letting them walk away?!!" Li Yuan was still raging, kicking and hitting his own lawyer. "I’ll get my dad to fire you!!" But the lawyer barely registered the blows. Because as Zuo Yi walked over to greet Ji Nian’s homeroom teacher and sign the register, he pulled out his usual fountain pen. The lawyer recognized that brand. Years ago, fresh at the firm, he’d accompanied a senior colleague—one known for his sharp tongue and cold demeanor—to the Ji Corporation’s headquarters for a collaboration. The moment that senior spotted a certain man, his icy expression melted instantly. He’d practically jogged over to greet him. At the time, that man had been signing documents for an employee. The lawyer had instantly noticed the Montblanc "Kangxi" pen—one he could never afford in his lifetime. No exaggeration. Now, as memories sharpened, the face he’d once envied overlapped perfectly with the man before him—the one who’d introduced himself as "Ji Nian’s guardian representative." The lawyer’s face drained of color, pale as a corpse left out for three days. Li Yuan was still screaming. "Fucking hell! When my dad hears about this, you’re all dead! You think you can just walk away?! Do you even know who my father is?!" The lawyer’s pupils trembled. Who’s your father? Your father is the pig bristle stuck in shit that even digestion couldn’t fully break down!!! SMACK. The lawyer suddenly backhanded Li Yuan across the face. Already battered beyond recognition, Li Yuan now looked like something straight out of a horror film. "SHUT UP!!" The lawyer roared it from the depths of his gut. Ji Nian... Ji Nian... His bloodshot eyes reflected Li Yuan’s stunned, swollen face. Nearby, Zuo Yi’s smile deepened. Just like the novels said. Sometimes, the satisfaction of putting someone in their place by subtly showing off is far greater than outright revealing your status. Bringing one of his pricier collectibles along turned out to be the right move. Otherwise, who’d be foolish enough to carry around a pen that looks like it’s clad in armor?

Chapter 216

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