Even the slightest disturbance made them tense.

The administration held an emergency meeting overnight and submitted a self-assessment report to their superiors.

Despite the lack of any solid evidence, an investigation team immediately arrived on campus. They brought documents and personnel rosters to verify every step of the process.

School leaders were questioned one by one, and the atmosphere was so oppressive it was suffocating.

The whole affair caused quite a stir.

Suddenly, Shanshan became the talk of the entire school.

All sorts of rumors were flying around, saying the school had curried favor with the Ling family by strong-arming a spot for Shanshan.

The first day Shanshan returned to class after her illness, she was met with hushed whispers from those around her.

Unwilling to see their daughter suffer such an injustice, Ling Anxun and his family rushed to the school, intending to arrange a leave of absence for her.

The family gathered in the office, their expressions grave as they discussed their options.

But Shanshan wouldn’t have it.

"I haven’t done anything to be ashamed of, so why should I hide? The more you try to make me hide, the more they’ll think I’m guilty. I’ll let my grades do the talking. I don’t need to rely on connections."

"If I take a leave of absence and run away, people will really think I’m guilty! I’m not afraid. They can say what they want; my conscience is clear!"

"Well said! Now that’s a child of our Old Ling Family!" Her grandfather, Ling Zhenkang, and her grandmother clapped their hands and cheered, thinking their granddaughter had real backbone.

Though Ling Anxun’s heart ached for her, there was nothing he could do. In the end, he could only take his daughter to school himself, cherishing every extra moment he could spend with her.

Fortunately, the school acted fast and quickly got to the bottom of the situation.

The academic affairs office pulled all of Shanshan’s math test scores from the previous three months and conducted a comparative analysis.

The results showed her average score was the highest in her grade, and she had achieved a perfect score on multiple occasions.

This data was compiled into an official notice and posted on the bulletin board in the center of the main academic building.

The selection rules and detailed scoring rubric were posted right beside it.

Everything was laid out in black and white.

In less than two days, the entire school knew she had been selected on merit, and the rumors crumbled on their own.

A few teachers sought Shanshan out to offer their support.

But just as Shanshan was cleared of any wrongdoing, Cao Daqiang hit a major snag.

His superiors suddenly summoned him for a meeting. He was whisked away before he even knew what was happening.

He had just changed and was about to head out when his phone was confiscated.

He was escorted the entire time and forbidden from carrying any communication devices.

While he was still completely bewildered, Gu Jiajun had already intervened and suppressed the matter.

Before the investigation could yield any results, Cao Daqiang was sent back.

The entire ordeal came on suddenly and ended just as quickly.

The men from the bureau only asked him a few simple questions.

He was still in a daze as he walked out the main gate, with no idea how he had gotten off the hook.

The whole way back, the atmosphere of the interrogation room replayed in his mind.

He didn’t dare to overthink it, nor did he dare to ask any questions.

He just knew that for him to be released, someone must have pulled some strings.

After he found out what had happened, Cao Daqiang was endlessly grateful to Gu Jiajun.

Gu Jiajun had personally made a call, offered a few casual words of explanation, and just like that, the matter was squashed.

Only then did Cao Daqiang realize that this superior’s influence was far greater than he had ever imagined.

A warmth spread through his chest, and for the next few days, he wracked his brain trying to figure out how to repay this kindness.

"Thank you so much for covering for me, sir. This is all my daughter’s fault. I’ll teach her a good lesson when I get home!"

He sat across from Gu Jiajun in his office, his back bowed low.

His hands were on his knees, his knuckles white from the pressure.

He knew this wasn’t a minor issue.

If they had truly pursued the matter, he wouldn’t just have lost his job; he might have ended up in a cell.

The fact that he was walking free was entirely because someone had decided to let him off the hook.

"It’s understandable for a child to be indiscreet. Just guide her gently. But this cannot happen again. I can help you once, maybe twice. Any more than that, and I won’t be able to save you."

Gu Jiajun leaned back in his chair.

He held a pen in his hand and tapped it lightly on the paper twice.

After he finished speaking, he glanced down at his watch.

Gu Jiajun’s words were gentle, and he even had a smile on his face.

But his eyes were as cold as daggers, sending a cold sweat down Cao Daqiang’s back.

The smile didn’t reach his eyes.

Though the corners of his mouth were turned up, his pupils were devoid of any warmth.

Cao Daqiang felt a chill run down his spine.

He subconsciously squared his shoulders.

"Yes, yes, I understand! You’re right, there will absolutely not be a next time! I’ll keep my family in line, you can rest assured!"

He rushed the words out in a single breath, afraid that missing a single syllable would displease the man.

A muffled THUD echoed from the hallway.

Then, all was quiet.

He stood rooted to the spot, the expression on his face slowly hardening.

His fingers tightened on the strap of his briefcase, his knuckles turning white.

Back home, Cao Daqiang didn’t say a word. He stormed over to Cao Jiajia and slapped her across the face.

Cao Jiajia was on the sofa doing her homework. She heard the door open and glanced up.

Before she could even call out to him, the slap landed.

Her head whipped to the side, a loud ringing in her ears.

Cao Jiajia had never been hit in the face in her entire life.

She immediately clutched her face and burst into tears.

The tears welled up almost instantly.

Her mouth hung open, her breathing grew ragged, and her shoulders began to tremble violently.

"Crying? You have the nerve to cry?! Do you have any idea what you’ve done, using my name like that? Do you know you nearly destroyed me?!"

Cao Daqiang stood before her, his chest heaving, his face a livid mask of rage.

He pointed a finger in her face, his voice terrifyingly loud.

The living room light seemed to flicker.

His eyes were blazing with fury, and flecks of spittle flew from his mouth as he spoke.

"SOB... I *wanted* to ruin you! You’re not my father! You had a child with another woman behind Mom’s back! I’ll never accept you! I’m going to tell Mom everything!"

Cao Jiajia snapped her head up, her face a mess of tears.

She screamed as she cried, her voice growing increasingly shrill.

She remembered everything she’d secretly witnessed that night.

Her father walking side-by-side with another woman at the entrance to the family residential compound, holding a little boy’s hand.

She had hidden in a corner, not even daring to breathe.

Cao Daqiang had never dreamed his daughter would catch him.

He stared at his daughter, his lips pressed into a thin, hard line.

Just at that moment, Liu Yingzi pushed the door open and came in.

The sound of the doorknob turning was exceptionally clear.

She had just returned from the market, grocery basket in hand, and she sensed something was wrong the moment she stepped inside.

The house was too quiet. Unnaturally quiet.

The moment she walked in, she saw her daughter’s tears streaming down her face as she sobbed herself hoarse.

How could she not understand what had happened?

She pulled Cao Jiajia into a tight hug.

"Cao Daqiang, are you out of your mind? Who gave you the nerve to lay a hand on our child? What could she possibly have done to deserve this? Can’t you use your words?"

She rose to her feet, shielding her daughter behind her.

Cao Jiajia threw herself into her mother’s arms, clinging to her without letting go.

Cao Daqiang’s conscience pricked him, and he was about to lower his head and apologize. But then a thought occurred to him.

’I’m not the same man I used to be,’ he thought. ’I don’t have to bow and scrape for anyone anymore!’

He straightened his spine and took half a step forward.

His earlier feelings of timidity and concession vanished in an instant.

"You’re still defending her? This girl went behind my back and used my name to file a report at the school! I was hauled in for questioning by my boss this morning, did you know that? I almost got officially reprimanded! You think I can just let that slide?"

He took a step forward with every sentence, forcing Liu Yingzi to back away.

With that, he raised a hand and slammed it on the table. BANG! The teacups jumped from the impact.

He was no longer the meek man who had to rely on the Liu Family to get by.