Liu Fengying did not intend to directly expose the assistant principal's intentions. Was the truth really an effective weapon against someone with such thick skin? To deal with people like that, there are only two options: either beat them until they don't dare open their mouths to speak nonsense, or be even more shameless than they are.
Of course, since Liu Fengying was still far from invincible and had to follow society's rules in public, she had no choice but to choose the second option. Still, it couldn't be said that this posed a major challenge for her—compared to the cultivators hundreds of years her senior she had clashed with in her previous life, the assistant principal seemed like a child. Well, perhaps she also had a natural talent for it.
"So, when is Zhang Mei joining us?", Liu Fengying asked, visibly impatient; it was as if she had been told that this meeting was meant to deliver justice on her behalf.
The assistant principal was caught off guard by Liu Fengying's attitude. Even though she didn't seem emotionally affected by his words, was it possible she hadn't understood his intentions? Considering she was one of the most intelligent students, the assistant principal didn't believe that. Most likely, Liu Fengying had simply chosen to ignore his opinions.
"Well… she's scheduled to come later," the assistant principal said, hoping to recapture Liu Fengying's interest. It was clear that if things didn't appear to be going her way, there was no room for negotiation.
He also found it uncomfortable to be seen as the villain. Holding a high position in education, he viewed himself as a respectable figure. How could he continue in a way that would make him appear contemptible?
Liu Fengying didn't need to see the guilty look on the assistant principal's face to know he was lying. Classes were already over—so when exactly was Zhang Mei supposed to show up?
"No problem. I can wait until she gets here...", Liu Fengying had no intention of making any concessions to the assistant principal; what was there to discuss if the guilty party wasn't present?
The assistant principal realized he had shot himself in the foot. Even if he wanted to call Zhang Mei now, how would that even be possible? She had most likely already left.
It could be said that he made a classic villain mistake—speaking before thinking.
"Um...", the assistant principal cast a pleading glance at Liu Fengying's homeroom teacher. Since she was more familiar with Liu Fengying, he figured things might go more smoothly if she stepped in.
The teacher could barely stop herself from rolling her eyes. When the assistant principal asked her to mediate a meeting with Liu Fengying to discuss her injury, she assumed he intended to propose a reasonable solution for all parties—not to manipulate Liu Fengying into dropping any claims. Did he think she was a first-year student? How else did he imagine such a strategy would work—especially when it was well known how stubborn she was?
She was irritated to have been put in the embarrassing position of appearing complicit in such an obvious setup against one of her students—especially one who had always shown her respect. Why would she be eager to help the assistant principal?
Still, if things continued down the same path, the situation was likely to escalate into a direct conflict between him and Liu Fengying, so she had no choice but to step in. More importantly, she didn't want Liu Fengying to believe she shared the assistant principal's views.
"Student Liu, the school administration does not wish to wrong you, but rather to ensure that the conflict between you and Zhang Mei reaches a peaceful resolution. Since Zhang Mei's family has expressed their willingness to cooperate, we believe it's not impossible to reach an agreement that will satisfy you...", said the homeroom teacher, nearly laying all the cards on the table. As for playing the emotional card with Liu Fengying, the teacher didn't think that was a good idea; with someone smart, only honesty matters.
Liu Fengying had no trouble understanding the implication behind the teacher's words.
'Oh, so it's not the school administration, but Zhang Mei's parents who have started to worry because of me. Well, it was a smart move on their part to use the school to control me; who would risk going against the school with only a few days left until graduation?
Too bad for them, that kind of tactic doesn't work on me. When have I ever backed down from a fight? Sure, I hate wasting time without gaining anything—but that doesn't mean I'm not willing to accompany my enemies to the very end. Or rather, their end...'
Still, the fact that Zhang Mei's family was so eager to resolve the conflict was a good opportunity for her.
'Now that the rabbit has come hopping right under my nose, it would be a shame to let it go without ripping off at least some fur. Besides, this is the perfect time to demand a big compensation—once the rumors about me die down, Zhang Mei's family probably won't see me as a threat anymore...'
Since Liu Fengying no longer saw this meeting as a waste of time, her attitude not only didn't soften, but actually became more aggressive.
"Zhang Mei's family has expressed a willingness to cooperate? Then why hasn't anyone come to apologize to me? And during the entire time I was injured, none of them even tried to reach out. Wouldn't it have been natural to at least offer to cover my medical expenses? I think it's obvious their attitude isn't sincere," said Liu Fengying, fixing the assistant principal with a reproachful look. There wasn't much difference between that and outright saying, "Go tell your masters I'm not pleased".
The assistant principal felt humiliated, being treated like a lackey of Zhang Mei's family—but what could he say? Everyone in the room could see he had taken on the role of lobbying on their behalf.
Naturally, he was also upset with the homeroom teacher, whose words had nearly exposed him outright. But since he had asked her to help both organize the meeting and soften Liu Fengying, he was too embarrassed to blame her.
"Err, I'm sure they'll do everything they can to make it up to you..." said the assistant principal, trying to hide his frustration behind a smiling expression. The only thing that comforted him now was that he no longer had to try resolving this conflict on his own; dealing with Liu Fengying was truly difficult.
"Well, they won't have to put in too much effort to decide how, because I've already come up with two options..." Liu Fengying had no intention of letting the assistant principal act as though this matter no longer concerned him. Didn't he agree to play the role of Zhang Mei's lawyer? Then he should do the job to the end.
"The first option is for Zhang Mei to issue a public apology and agree to undergo a psychiatric evaluation as soon as possible, to address any mental health concerns and ensure the safety of those around her. I also expect to be reimbursed for my medical expenses—let's say 20,000 ruans.
The second option is if Zhang Mei refuses to apologize publicly. In that case, in addition to covering my medical expenses, I want 180,000 ruans in moral compensation—specifically to help me cope with the fact that we live in a world where there is no justice. So, the total payment would be 200,000 ruans.
Now, give me a moment before contacting Zhang Mei's family so I can write down the bank account number where the money should be sent...", Liu Fengying stated her terms in a businesslike tone. If not for the sarcastic remark about Zhang Mei's mental health, she might have seemed entirely emotionally detached from the situation. Even so, it was hard to tell which of the two options she actually preferred.
As for the account where she wanted the money sent—it didn't belong to her, but to her cousin Jiang Wei. More specifically, it was the account where he had deposited 50,000 ruans as a birthday gift for her. Since she was still a minor for a few more days, she didn't yet have a bank account in her name that her father couldn't access—so this was the safest option for keeping the money.
"Sure…", the assistant principal had no choice but to agree with Liu Fengying. What if she got upset and withdrew her offer? Then all his efforts up until now would have been for nothing.
But it was truly humiliating for him to take on the role of messenger between Liu Fengying and Zhang Mei's mother. That wasn't hard to understand—after all, no intellectual likes to think of themselves as beneath those with money. On top of that, Liu Fengying's words hadn't exactly been polite. Was he supposed to repeat them word for word? For someone who liked to be seen as a gentleman, that would put him in a very uncomfortable position.
Although Liu Fengying enjoyed seeing the assistant principal flustered, she didn't make him wait too long, as she was more interested in seeing how Zhang Mei's family would react.
"Once I see the money in the account, I'll consider we have a deal…", Liu Fengying told the assistant principal as she handed him a slip of paper with the account number.
The assistant principal had no intention of calling Zhang Mei's mother in front of Liu Fengying; she already seemed to look down on him, and if she saw him groveling over the phone, she'd probably have a good laugh at his expense.
"Well, your teacher wants to have a word with you, so I'll step out into the hallway to make the call…", the assistant principal quickly came up with an excuse and strode toward the door. As for the atmosphere in the office after his departure—he didn't want to think about it. He decided to stick to the principle that what you don't know can't hurt you.
"Bang!", the assistant principal shut the door as if wolves were on his tail.
"....", Liu Fengying and the teacher stared at each other. Not only was Liu Fengying confused about what there was to discuss, but so was the teacher. After all, she had only called Liu Fengying to her office at the assistant principal's insistence.
"So, Professor Wei, do you have anything to ask me?", Liu Fengying decided to take the initiative, seeing that her teacher didn't know how to begin. Although she was confident in her looks, she didn't believe her teacher had summoned her just to admire her.
The teacher had indeed been caught off guard. She wasn't the type to form close relationships with her students, even those in her homeroom class, so she rarely spoke to them unless absolutely necessary.
This wasn't because she disliked her job—more accurately, she was the kind of person who hated wasting time on small talk. So how was she supposed to come up with a topic of conversation on the spot? Remembering how quickly the assistant principal had bolted after pushing her into this situation, the teacher couldn't help but silently curse him. How could she not have seen through his trick?
Still, she couldn't just tell Liu Fengying that she had nothing to say—not to protect the assistant principal, but because it would make her seem like someone who didn't take her job seriously. What kind of teacher didn't even have a single piece of advice for her students? Besides, Liu Fengying had just returned from a two-week medical leave, so at the very least, it was expected of her to check on her condition.
"I just wanted to make sure you've fully recovered…", the teacher finally said, figuring that expressing concern for someone's health could never be taken the wrong way.
Liu Fengying was familiar with her teacher's character—she rarely got involved in her students' personal lives. So why the sudden interest now? Two years ago, when Liu Fengying returned limping and disfigured, the teacher barely remembered to ask about her health, and not on the first day, but during an advisory period later in the week. Then the teacher had acted as if nothing were wrong with her.
Back then, Liu Fengying hadn't taken offense, assuming the teacher was simply trying to protect her pride. In any case, compared to those who feigned concern but whose insincerity was obvious in their eyes, her teacher's indifference was actually preferable.
But after dealing with her for nearly three years and observing how she interacted with other students, Liu Fengying realized the teacher simply disliked emotionally charged situations. It was no wonder she had earned the nickname 'the Ice Cube' from the students. Being over 35, unmarried, and with not even a single rumor of a relationship, that image was only reinforced.
"Well, I think it's pretty clear I'm in good health now…", Liu Fengying replied. She was well aware that she looked better than ever after her medical leave. So what was the point of going into detail?
It wasn't as if the teacher hadn't noticed. The moment Liu Fengying walked into the office, she had been genuinely stunned. Even ignoring the miraculous healing of her face, it was unreal how good she looked.
And now, sitting face-to-face with her with no distractions around, that feeling was even more overwhelming.
"Yes, you really do look amazing…", the teacher blurted out, hypnotized by Liu Fengying's beauty. For a few seconds, she was transported back to her teenage years, when, like many girls, she would spend hours flipping through fashion magazines, marveling at how beautiful the models were.
Liu Fengying was taken aback by how the conversation had shifted: first, the teacher expressed concern for her health, and now she was giving her compliments? No matter how attractive she might be, was it really possible for her to melt the Ice Cube Wei?