In the principal's office,
Zhang Chengyong closed his eyes and leaned back on the sofa, with needles inserted at multiple acupoints on his head. His face no longer showed any pain.
"It's simply magical."
"When my old problems flare up and become unbearable, I usually go to Older Ming's clinic to get a few needles. But the effect is not even half as fast as half of yours."
"A genetic disease. Plus, you are too old. It is unlikely to cure it completely. But alleviating symptoms and reducing frequency of attacks is not a big problem."
Hearing Qiao Ying's words, Zhang Chengyong suddenly opened his eyes and sat straight up: "What did you just say?" He stared at Qiao Ying intently.
Qiao Ying didn't repeat herself and busied herself pouring tea to drink.
Zhang Chengyong calmed himself down for a moment.
"Do you know what Older Ming said? Forget about reducing the frequency of flare ups. Even alleviating symptoms is not always effective every single time."
She actually said there is a possibility of a complete cure.
Zhang Chengyong didn't even dare imagine it. His father and grandfather had died early because of this illness, and they had also suffered terribly while living.
If it was somebody else saying this, Zhang Chengyong would definitely have said that he was bragging. But what Qiao Ying said and did gave people a sense of inexplicable reliability and trustworthiness for some reason.
Even if this disease has left the old Chinese medicine master who had dedicated himself to studying Chinese medicine for dozens of years and was called the supreme authority in medical academia utterly helpless.
And Qiao Ying was only a little girl not yet fully grown.
"Qiao Ying, you really are quite something. This old man is very fortunate to have met you."
"Previously, I tried so hard to coax you to join the medical school. The dean of the medical school, also the vice principal, had wanted to meet you privately. But the last couple of days, I harbored selfish thoughts about coaxing you to join the mathematics department. But now..."
Zhang Chengyong looked at Qiao Ying and said suddenly, "This old man currently has high hopes."
Qiao Ying glanced at him: "Hope for what?"
Zhang Chengyong: "Hoping to see some exceptional feats for your strong suit - computer science."
Her medical skills and mathematics were already astonishing. Annoyingly, she even said those were not her strong suits. So to what extent would her acknowledged strong suit of computer science be scary?
Zhang Chengyong recalled the previous time when he got Qin Hanyue to help investigate an online forum ID. At the time, Qin Hanyue and Qin Assistant were sitting in front of the computer searching for somebody. The one sitting in front of the computer with them should be Qiao Ying.
It seems that at that time neither Qin Hanyue nor Qin Assistant managed to get any help from Qiao Ying. This showed how extraordinary her capabilities were.
Qiao Ying: "Better not have high hopes. Usually nothing good comes out of it."
Hacking others' computers, wiretapping, surveillance, planting viruses, wrecking systems... What is there to hope for?
Could he be thinking that she was writing legitimate code at some company?
Zhang Chengyong felt that she was being too modest. Instead, his hopes grew even higher.
However, not long afterwards, Zhang Chengyong regretted it. What the other party said was totally real and truthful. There really was nothing good. The school was nearly destroyed because of her. But that’s a story for later.
"Haven't you heard? Our new campus sweetheart is being kept by a rich old man. And it seems she doesn't come cheap."
"Where did you hear that?"
"What hear about it? A classmate saw her get out of a luxury car at the South Gate the other day."
"I heard the car isn't just expensive, but the license plate is even more expensive. Don't tell me it's one of those fat and greasy upstart bosses?"
While on the way to the computer science department, Huo Chengdong overheard the gossip behind him. He stopped in his tracks.
"No way. She's supposed to be a math genius right? And she looks so pretty too. Why would she want to sell herself short like that?"
"Well, no matter how pretty, or how talented, it's no match for the temptation of money."
"Greasy upstart boss, just thinking about it makes me want to puke."
Those people got more and more excited in their discussion, unaware that Huo Chengdong was right in front of them. Annoyed, Huo Chengdong turned around.
"WTF kind of bullshit are you spewing!"
The few were shocked: "Young Master Huo— "
"If you weren't women, I'd beat the shit out of you guys. Watch that foul mouth of yours. If I hear any more nonsense, I'll—" Huo Chengdong shook his fist, as if about to punch them.
The girls were so frightened their faces turned ghastly pale, not daring to make a peep.
Huo Chengdong lowered his fist. "Talking behind someone's back, if you have the guts, say it to their face! Let's see if she rips into you or not!"
Pointing to the one who had spoken most inappropriately: "You better watch yourself." Huo Chengdong eyed each girl closely with such ferocity, they shivered with dread at the thought he was imprinting them into memory.
All along the way,
Huo Chengdong overheard all sorts of rumors about Qiao Ying.
He cursed and swore the whole way. The twenty minute walk took over forty minutes before he finally arrived at Qiao Ying's classroom.
With one sharp glare, he “politely dismissed” the boy who sat in front of Qiao Ying’s seat.
Then plopped down cockily: “Sis Qiao Ying, so awesome! That math puzzle posted on the forum was actually solved by you. Even more badass than Xu Zhiyi. ”
“That fake math genius dimwit. Still daring to pose as the one with brains. Xu Zhiyi and the rest were dumb enough to believe her for two-three months. Even more dimwitted, hahaha!”
“Oh Sis Qiao Ying, where did you go the last couple days? I came looking for you twice but didn’t find you. They told me you took time off.”
Qiao Ying looked at her computer screen, taking a while to lazily reply: “Went back to Yuncheng City to bring my younger brother over to start school.”
“You have a little brother? How old? Good at racing cars? Fighting? How many could he take on?” Huo Chengdong got all excited.
Qiao Ying: “My brother’s an honors student.”
Plus, that was her brother. Why did each one want a bite.
Huo Chengdong: “You look just like an honors student yourself.”
Qiao Ying gave him a look: “I am an honors student.”
Huo Chengdong chuckled: “Well aren’t I convinced.”
“Hey Sis Qiao Ying, which school's your bro going to? I’ll go talk to the principal, have them take good care of your brother.”
“When’s your brother free? My treat, we could all go out for a meal together and get to know each other, yeah?” Huo Chengdong just blabbed on... Qiao Ying selectively played deaf.
PM Class gets out after 4-something.
Qiao Ying returns to her dorm room.
Opening the door, a mellow fragrance of wine wafts into her nose.
On the floor, her luggage laid wide open. The last bottle of red wine dug out and lying shattered into four-five pieces. Crimson liquid flows everywhere, even soaking into her suitcase.
“Chief, she’s back.”
Li Shiyin gives Qiao Ying a taunting, challenging glare.
The department’s chief holds something in his hand -- her acupuncture kit. These people were really too much!
“Who did this?” Qiao Ying asked.
Qiao Ying now discovers her suitcase had been pried open using tools, the password pad forced into damage.
Qiao Ying’s expression turns cold, intermittent bursts of abhorrence.
“Qiao Ying, such dangerous goods are not allowed in the dorm. What if somebody got hurt?” The chief held her acupuncture kit, “You have so many needles in here, quite a lot.”
“Also this wine. Such high proof, certainly not from the school bar? School regulations are clear. Students aren't allowed to drink hard liquor, especially not on school grounds. To think you brought it into your dorm room to drink.”
Li Shiyin is the only one talking, other two roommates keeping out for fear of trouble.
Qiao Ying suppressed urge to curse up a riot, grinding her teeth silently: “Acupuncture kit! For saving lives, not injuring anyone!”
How could a bunch of dead needles possibly hurt the living?
“By your logic, should we allow knives to be kept in the dorm too? And besides, you aren't from the medical school. Acupuncture? Can you even do it?” Li Shiyin scoffs disdainfully, “Keeping this sort of stuff hidden in the dorm, who knows what you intended to use it for?”
“Chief, the three of us witnessed her take these things out with our own eyes these last few days, going who knows where doing who knows what.”
“What if she secretly stuck needles into campus bicycle seats? We’ve all seen that sort of news.”
The other two roommates said nothing to avoid trouble. Li Shiyin is the only one doing the talking.
Qiao Ying: “I’m giving you two minutes to clean the floor and fix my luggage. Replace the wine.”
Looking towards the chief, “My stuff.”
“These things are too dangerous. Can’t return them to you. I’ll be keeping them for now on your behalf. You can have them back at graduation.”
Qiao Ying expressionless: “Decided not to return them?”
Chief: “I already told you I would return at graduation. Not to mention, you as a student, what kind of attitude is this? Don’t think just because the principal...”
The chief hadn’t finished when Qiao Ying broke in: “Fine. You hold onto my stuff nice and tight for me! Keep it till my graduation!”
