Chapter 112: I Will Not Kick Someone When They're Down

Mrs. Chu was seething with anger, and yet the words Chu Yu spoke only made her angrier.

“Mom, I’m really fine sitting in the back. I pay attention in class, and my eyesight is just fine.”

She shot him a glare. “Let’s be honest, you just can’t bear to part with that girl Nie Huan, can you?”

Chu Yu was caught off guard, his ears burning red.

Seeing her son like this, Mrs. Chu understood at once and grew even more annoyed.

“I’m warning you now, that Nie Huan is no good either—cut from the same cloth as Shen Qing. Don’t let that little girl fool you.”

“Mom! Why do you have to say such nasty things?”

“I’m just stating facts. Look who you’re sitting with back there: one is the illegitimate daughter of the Nie family, and the other is the illegitimate daughter of the Yu family. Especially that Shen Qing—who knows if she’s even human or ghost? But you, you just go running after them like a fool.”

Chu Yu lowered his head, fists clenched and hanging at his sides, the tension obvious.

Mrs. Chu let out a cold laugh. “You know what’s been said online. If Shen Qing were a good person, would so many people be cursing her? And today’s video—she sure has a talent for seducing men. That Nie Huan’s close with her, and you—”

“Have you said enough?” Chu Yu lifted his head, meeting his mother’s eyes with a steady, unflinching calm.

She was taken aback, and heard him speak slowly, “Mom, I’m not a child anymore. I can see things for myself. I know who I want to be friends with and who I want to spend time with.”

“What do you know, you’re still just a kid.”

“If I were ever bullied, Nie Huan and Shen Qing would stand up for me without hesitation. Now that Shen Qing’s in trouble, I can’t just kick her while she’s down. Besides, they’re my friends. Please, Mom, watch what you say.”

Mrs. Chu’s face froze, her voice trembling slightly. “You… you’re talking to your own mother like this for outsiders?”

Chu Yu turned away, his expression cold. “Mom, I’m going in to do my homework.”

He didn’t care how angry she was and went into the classroom through the back door.

Little Fatty, who had been following what was happening outside, saw Chu Yu come in and tossed a bag of spicy sticks onto his desk, with a small note attached:

Dad will always love you.

＾3＾

Chu Yu smiled as he read it, then handed the spicy sticks over to the desk behind him, where Nie Huan sat.

“Want some, Huan?” he asked with a grin. They couldn’t compete with the expensive treats Shen Qing gave, but at least these tasted better than those gold-wrapped candies…

Nie Huan was a little surprised, but then smiled and thanked him.

**

Shen Qing had arrived at school in Gu Ting’s car. There were plenty of paparazzi lurking around the gate, but no one paid any attention to the plain black van.

The subject teachers had come early that day, and by the time Shen Qing entered the classroom, lessons had already begun.

“I’m reporting in.” The girl’s school uniform was buttoned all the way up, her complexion looked good—not at all like someone who’d just been through a storm of online abuse.

The teacher hesitated for a moment, then waved her in.

Seeing their boss looking well, Class Three finally felt a little more at ease.

Truthfully, their Qing wasn’t lacking in anything but grades—there was nothing else you could fault her for.

“Maybe she came under fire just because she’s too pretty and blocked someone else’s path?”

“She’s a little fierce, sure, but she’s never bullied anyone. Last time with Ruan Yingying, it was Ruan who started shouting first—Qing didn’t even lay a finger on her.”

“What good does it do if we know the truth? Other people are blind to it.”

“I just think Qing is righteous!”

“They say she’s an illegitimate child, but the grudges of the previous generation have nothing to do with her.”

Nie Huan pulled out a chair for Shen Qing and waited for her to sit. A few other classmates were still chatting.

“Are we having class or not?” Nie Huan’s voice cut coldly through the air, and the room fell silent.

The teacher glanced nervously at the two girls in the back, then cleared his throat and continued with the lesson.

Nie Huan placed the spicy sticks Chu Yu had given her on Shen Qing’s desk. “Want some?”

“I’m not hungry.” Shen Qing glanced at them, then took a pencil from her drawer and began to sketch.

Seeing that she was in good spirits, Nie Huan quietly put the snacks away and listened to the teacher attentively.

As soon as the bell rang for recess, the hallway outside Class Three filled with students, buzzing with excitement. Meanwhile, Shen Qing was called away by Old Xie for a talk.

Chu Yu was in a foul mood, standing by the back door and shouting at the gawkers, “What are you looking at? Get lost!”

“Whoa! Look! Isn’t that Wang Minghui?” someone suddenly exclaimed, and instantly, everyone craned their necks to look downstairs.