Cheng Jinyan didn't think too deeply about it. Instead, he said half-jokingly, "Then I hope the next time we meet will be a cheerful and comfortable occasion."
Qiao Ying smiled and said, "Don't worry, it definitely won't be like today."
If Cheng Jinyan were to take on another lawsuit that embarrassed his professional capabilities like this again, even chanting the Eight Immortals every night wouldn’t help.
Just then, Cheng Jinyan noticed Xu Mingchen standing on the stairs. He said to Qiao Ying, "That seems to be your classmate." He saw that Xu Mingchen had been staring at them the whole time, or rather, staring at Qiao Ying.
Qiao Ying had noticed someone behind her early on, but didn't pay any attention. When she heard what Cheng Jinyan said, she reflexively looked back.
In just one second, she retracted her gaze. "I don't know him," she said, without even the slightest hesitation.
Qiao Ying's casual "I don't know him" made Xu Mingchen frown.
To Xu Mingchen, considering Qiao Ying had previously delivered breakfast and love letters to him, calling her a clingy booger was still an understatement.
Yet she dared not admit what she had done.
But to Qiao Ying, it really was just "I don't know him."
Xu Mingchen felt it was hypocritical and also felt a burst of irritation.
He walked straight past the two.
However, after walking some distance away, he inexplicably looked back again.
He saw Qiao Ying still standing in her original spot, watching as the man left.
Xu Mingchen sneered to himself in his heart and stopped paying attention. He entered the teaching building.
In the eyes of the top student Xu Mingchen, lacking motivation was even more despicable than cheating for high scores.
Qiao Ying looked at Cheng Jinyan's business card in her hand. Her fingers bent slightly and in the next second, the business card that others coveted like a precious treasure was flicked into the trash can.
Qiao Ying walked at a steady pace, following behind Xu Mingchen back to the classroom.
How could she not have Cheng Jinyan's contact information?
Did she need this thing if she wanted to find him?
The moment Qiao Ying appeared in the classroom, she was met with the unanimous gazes of her classmates.
These gazes contained admiration, doubt, appraisal.
Even the teacher watched her walk from the door to her seat.
These gazes lingered for a long time without retracting. The scene was somewhat ridiculous, yet the person involved acted as if they were invisible, calmly doing her own thing.
It had to be said, this kind of composure was not something ordinary people could have.
That night after returning home, Qiao Ying went for her usual night run as always.
After finishing her run and coming back, she saw the lights ablaze in the Qiao family courtyard and a small car and electric scooter parked at the door.
Voices could be heard coming from inside.
Qiao Ying had extremely good hearing. She instantly discerned who the people were.
She pushed open the courtyard gate and saw Principal Fang Li and her math teacher, as well as the four members of the Qiao family standing in the living room.
On the ground was a pile of expensive gifts, and on the table were two bulging paper bags, with their contents easy to guess.
"Xiaoying, you're finally back. Come over quickly and help your dad understand what is going on here. I'm having a bit of trouble understanding. Tell your dad what happened." Qiao's father waved his hands repeatedly calling Qiao Ying over, while inviting the principal and teacher to sit down again. His sun-darkened face showed utter confusion and nervousness.
Qiao's father had lived half his life and the highest status people he had seen were construction foremen and engineering bosses at work sites. Usually it was him ordering people around. When had he ever had a principal come bearing gifts and money, speaking to him gently and humbly?
Even the usually sarcastic and arrogant Li Lilian had become gentle, speaking softly.
"There's nothing to explain. If you don't take your things and leave right now, I'll have Qin Hanyue come personally escort you out." Qiao Ying didn't stop walking and headed straight into her room to grab clothes and shower.
Qiao Ying's attitude and words stunned the Qiao family for a moment, leaving them unable to react.
"Mr. Qiao." The principal and teacher grabbed Qiao father's hands as if clutching at a lifeline.
Qiao father snapped back to his senses and hurriedly promised he would help smooth things over.
Ever since she was little, Qiao Ying's grades had been terribly low. Qiao father was no stranger to being called to school and lectured by young teachers, leaving the middle-aged man unable to hold his head high.
Yet now, the principal was deferentially addressing him as Mr. Qiao and grabbing his hand.
Never having experienced such a scene before, Qiao father felt nervous and uneasy, afraid that Qiao Ying had caused some trouble.
After Qiao Ying finished her shower and came out, seeing that the people were still there, she frowned in displeasure and looked at the two.
Just this one look caused the principal and teacher to let go of Qiao father's hands as if electrocuted.
"Then...then we'll take our leave first and not disturb your family's rest." The two practically fled.
But before they made it out of the courtyard, they suddenly heard Qiao Ying's voice: "Wait."
The two turned around anxiously yet expectantly. "Qiao?"
But Qiao Ying just coldly spat out two words: "The stuff."
The two didn't dare say anything and hurriedly went back to grab the gifts on the ground.
Seeing the principal take away the paper bags on the table, Li Lilian immediately called out, "Principal Fang!"
She stubbornly chased after the principal for a few steps, then turned and glared angrily at Qiao Ying, "You little wretch, do you know what's inside those bags? There's 100,000 yuan inside!"
Qiao Ying glanced coldly at her and didn't bother responding. She went back to her room and shut the door.
Li Lilian wouldn't let them take the money back and hurriedly chased after them.
"Xiaoyi, exactly what is going on here? Tell your dad again." Qiao father had actually understood very clearly. He just didn't believe like everyone else that Qiao Ying could test so high, much less believe that because of this one thing the principal would personally come apologize to him with gifts.
Based on the principal and teacher's attitudes, Qiao father felt things couldn't be so simple. Also, who was this Qin Hanyue that Qiao Ying mentioned? He did seem to recall that was the name of their city mayor in Yuncheng.
Qiao Yi relayed the events again.
Although Qiao father found it hard to believe, with the principal and teacher coming to apologize, he had no choice but to believe it. He said approvingly, "I knew you and Lingling are so smart. How could your big sister really be that poor in school?"
"It's absolutely not like that!" Qiao Lingling practically jumped up and down. "How could she possibly get full marks? She must have cheated but they just don't have evidence. If she hadn't found the police to blow up the matter, the principal and them wouldn't have come." Qiao Lingling gritted her teeth, her pretty face twisted slightly.
"Big sister isn't stupid at all. Her poor grades before were just because she didn't want to test well," Qiao Yi immediately stood up for Qiao Ying.
"Didn't want to test well? Hah!" Qiao Lingling found it downright laughable. "Only a fool would believe what she says."
"The problem the Beijing University president published last year, big sis solved it. Go take a look yourself on the Beijing University math forum if you don't believe me."
"Do you even know what you're saying?" Qiao Lingling felt it was getting more and more ridiculous.
Qiao Lingling was good at math and dreamed of getting into Beijing University like Qiao Yi, so she naturally also followed the Beijing University math forum.
Qiao Yi didn't want to discuss it further with her and went back to his room.
Seeing Qiao Yi's "believe it or not" attitude, Qiao Lingling also started doubting herself.
So she stubbornly went back to her room, picked up her battered phone that needed charging seven or eight times a day, and opened up the forum...
Leaving Qiao father standing alone in the living room, the slow-witted man finally reacted after some time and hurriedly went to see the principal off.
Beijing—
Qin Hanyue was a workaholic through and through. By the time he got home from the company, it was already past 10 o'clock at night.
"Young Master, Principal Zhang has been waiting for you all evening." The butler came out to greet him upon hearing the car engine.
"Why didn't you inform me?" Qin Hanyue strode up the stairs heading inside.
"Principal Zhang said not to disturb you."
On the living room sofa sat an elderly man wearing old prescription glasses, completely engrossed in something on his phone, occasionally pushing his glasses up his nose.
Hearing the butler say he was back, the old man quickly lifted his head.
He saw the man's tall and upright figure, his imposing manner. The tailored high-end bespoke suit made him look even nobler and more refined than world-famous models. The crisp pant creases were sharp as a knife. In just a few strides he was before him.
"You waited so late here, why didn't you just call me if you had business with me?" Qin Hanyue took off his suit jacket and handed it to a nearby butler.
"I knew you were busy! I'll skip the pleasantries — I came to ask a favor today."
"Go ahead." Qin Hanyue sat down on the sofa and poured a cup of tea for the elder.
"I want you to help me find someone. Here's what happened: Last year, some old professor colleagues and I came up with a problem for fun. But we couldn't solve it even after two months. So I posted it online, and it wasn't until two days ago that someone finally solved it. But I haven't been able to contact this person no matter what."
The old man was none other than Zhang Chengyong, the president of Beijing University.
