Chapter 164: Chapter 164: What Trouble Has She Caused Now?

This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. Every time, it was because she had caused trouble.

Whenever she got a call from the teacher, she felt like she couldn’t hold her head high in front of her colleagues.

She’d have to ask for leave, rush over, fall behind on her work, and still put on a smile and apologize profusely.

She skillfully took a step forward, bowed her head to the teacher to admit fault, and didn’t even spare her daughter a single glance.

"Jiajia’s mom, it’s not that I want to complain, but this child is really getting out of hand..."

The teacher had seen her on more than one occasion.

It was always because Cao Jiajia had gotten into a fight.

She rubbed her temples, her exhaustion palpable.

"She’s a girl, yet she resorts to violence at the drop of a hat. What kind of behavior is that? How about this: take her home to cool off for a few days. She can come back when she’s ready to follow the rules. Otherwise, if something happens while she’s here, we can’t take responsibility."

Liu Yingzi grew anxious and quickly waved her hands in protest.

"Teacher, please don’t do this. We know we were wrong, really! Jiajia won’t dare to do it again! She’s only twelve. If she has to drop out now, what will happen to her future? I’m begging you, please give her one more chance!"

Her voice trembled and her eyes welled up with tears as she reached out and tugged on Cao Jiajia’s arm.

"I’m also doing this for her own good."

The teacher’s tone was heavy, her finger trembling slightly as she pointed at Cao Jiajia.

"If you don’t discipline her now, this child will truly go down the wrong path. Take her home and keep a close eye on her. Maybe you can still turn her around."

Liu Yingzi still refused to leave, pleading relentlessly. The teacher, left with no choice, finally laid out the situation.

She took a newspaper clipping from her drawer and spread it out on the desk.

It was a local news story with the headline: "Frequent School Violence Draws Public Concern."

"If this gets out, it will look terrible. You should find another way, maybe transfer her to a different school."

Liu Yingzi dragged her heavy feet as she led her daughter home.

She didn’t know what to do next. All she knew was that she had to get her child home first.

The sounds of the street seemed to be a great distance away.

The clamor of the bustling crowd was shut out from her ears.

When Cao Jiajia heard she didn’t have to go to school anymore, she was overjoyed, nearly jumping up and clapping on the spot.

Even her steps became much lighter as she walked.

’Finally, I don’t have to go to that hellhole anymore.’

But Liu Yingzi wasn’t ready to accept this fate.

She first locked her daughter at home, then turned around and went to find Cao Daqiang for help.

Even if there was only a sliver of hope, she couldn’t just stand by and watch her daughter completely lose the chance to get an education.

She stood up, straightened her clothes, and forced a calm expression in the mirror.

Then she hurried out the door, heading straight for Cao Daqiang’s workplace.

Cao Daqiang was a man of some standing now. He knew people in high places and might be able to find a way out for their daughter.

Clinging to her last bit of hope, Liu Yingzi believed that if she was sincere enough, he wouldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

She didn’t dare go back to her parents’ home to ask for help again.

The last time she went back to borrow two hundred yuan for tutoring fees, she was berated before she could even open her mouth.

Her sister-in-law had cursed her for not raising her child well and blamed her for bringing shame upon their family.

But she had yet to truly experience just how heartless Cao Daqiang could be.

The day she showed up, she happened to catch Cao Daqiang on a day he was seething with frustration.

He had just sought out Xiang Cailiang to try and pull some strings, hoping to get back into the running for a promotion.

But the man hadn’t even given him the time of day, just fobbing him off with a flimsy excuse.

He hadn’t even sat down upon returning to his office when his secretary told him someone was waiting for him outside.

As he walked in, he saw Liu Yingzi waiting outside his office door.

His brows knitted into a tight knot.

He stopped in his tracks and stared at her for two seconds.

Without a word of greeting or asking why she was there, he turned, pushed open his office door, and went inside.

Liu Yingzi quickly followed and stopped at the doorway.

"Daqiang, you’re finally back! Please, help Jiajia! If no one does anything, she’s really going to be a dropout!"

She poured out the whole story of what had happened with Cao Jiajia at school.

"What trouble has she caused now?"

Cao Daqiang sat in his chair, his hands clasped on the desk.

His tone was flat, laced with annoyance.

These days, the mere mention of his two daughters’ names made Cao Daqiang’s head throb.

Every time he received news about them.

The family’s inability to afford things was one thing, but more importantly, they were completely disobedient.

He didn’t want to get involved in this mess anymore. He just wanted to focus on securing his own future in peace.

The moment he heard she had been kicked out of school again, Cao Daqiang shot to his feet.

He slammed his hand on the desk, making the pen holder jump.

"How do you even do your job as a mother? How did you raise a perfectly good kid to be like this?"

He grabbed the enamel mug from his desk and hurled it to the floor.

The loud CLANG sent a shiver down one’s spine.

Shards scattered everywhere, and tea splashed across the floor.

The faint aroma of tea filled the air.

Hearing the commotion, the other people in the office poked their heads out to look.

They all knew that Vice Director Cao was in an extremely foul mood today.

Liu Yingzi didn’t dare say a word in response, simply lowering her head and letting him yell.

She knew that saying anything more would be useless and would only make the situation worse.

After a torrent of abuse, she was thrown out, her mind a complete blank.

The wind felt cool on her face, but she couldn’t feel the cold.

With no one to rely on, she was summoned back to the school by a phone call early the next morning.

The caller said there was an important matter to discuss in person and that her timely arrival was essential. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Thinking things might have taken a turn for the better, she rushed to the school filled with hope.

But what awaited her was the school withdrawal form.

A teacher from the academic affairs office handed her a form. On it, the words "Withdrawal Approved" were clearly written.

Next to it were the signature of the supervising leader and the official seal.

In stark contrast to Cao Jiajia’s situation of hitting dead ends everywhere with no school to attend, Shanshan had long since received acceptance letters from top universities, free to choose whichever one she pleased.

In the end, she chose the same university Ling Zhiwei attended.

This school was renowned in Beijing, with its admission scores remaining consistently high year after year.

The admissions season had just ended, and as soon as the acceptance list was published, many people began asking about the new students.

Although Shanshan’s grades weren’t top-tier, they were good enough to get her into an upper-middle-tier major at this university.

The moment the system showed her admission was successful, she let out a soft sigh of relief.

Don’t be fooled by Ling Zhiwei’s usual playful demeanor. Though he never acted serious in front of his sister, his grades had always been among the best in Beijing.

He had consistently ranked in the top ten of his grade throughout his three years of high school, and with a solid performance on the college entrance exam, he was smoothly admitted into the university’s top major.

After starting school, he also thrived in the student council and various clubs, becoming extremely popular.

Although he often joked about getting by on his looks, his professors knew he was not only quick-witted but also a diligent worker.

He often studied late into the night in his dorm room.

Hearing that his little sister would now be his schoolmate, Ling Zhiwei felt his eyes grow warm, a mix of emotions welling up inside him.

There was joy, of course. After all, he had doted on this sister the most since they were children.

But at the same time, a faint sense of worry also surfaced.

He knew all too well how competitive this university was.

But he couldn’t say these things out loud; he could only keep them to himself.

To liven things up, he immediately started clamoring for Shanshan to treat him to a meal.

The moment he got back to his dorm, he called Shanshan and exclaimed in an exaggerated tone, "Well, well, well, my dear sister is a university student now! Your status has changed, so your treatment of me has to keep up!"

On the other end of the line, Shanshan chuckled, a hint of exasperation in her voice.