Wei Zhaonan's voice was very loud. Several people playing poker next to him also glanced over, whispering:
"Qi's mom is here?"
"Whose mom?"
"Qi's mom."
It sounded like they were cursing someone.
Qi Shaobai's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he slowly opened his eyes.
The noon sun shone in the clear, clean eyes of the young man, making him look especially good-looking.
A flash of disbelief crossed Qi Shaobai's icy pupils.
He gave a cold snort.
"Che, you think I'd believe that?"
He didn't believe it.
He was certain Wei Zhaonan was just bored and screaming nonsense to play a prank.
Then he closed his eyes again and continued basking in the sun.
"Really, I'm not kidding you. Your mom is so beautiful, it's hard not to recognize her."
Qi Shaobai opened his eyes and glared at Wei Zhaonan, feeling his wording was very inappropriate. He impatiently said: "Your mom."
Wei Zhaonan apologetically said: "Stepmom, stepmom, I misspoke."
Seeing Wei Zhaonan's sincere expression, Qi Shaobai was half believing and half doubting.
Could that woman really have come?
He knew the Dean had called home yesterday.
He thought it would be like the many times before, with Mr. Dong coming as his dad's representative to say a few perfunctory words.
He had never imagined that woman would come to his school.
What was she here for?
Did she really think of him as her son?
Or did she want to catch him doing something wrong so she could tattle to his dad?
Soon, a classmate came up to the rooftop to notify Qi Shaobai:
"The teacher asked you to go to the office."
Qi Shaobai lazily pushed open the office door.
The Dean, his class teacher, and professors were all there.
Sheng Mumu was there too...
His brows wrinkled in displeasure as he looked out the window with an indifferent attitude.
Yell and scold all you want, just get it over with quickly.
Outside the office, several classmates close to Qi Shaobai gathered, led by Wei Zhaonan.
Someone said: "Qi's in for it this time. His stepmom came. He won't get away without a good scolding."
"Our Qi is afraid of that?"
"Hard to say. Before, no matter how much trouble Qi caused, it was always Uncle Qi's assistant who came. But this time it's his stepmom, of course it's different."
Wei Zhaonan kicked the gossiping person and said, "Less yapping."
In the office separated only by a wall, Sheng Mumu had originally been sitting in a chair, but at some point came to stand next to Qi Shaobai.
Qi Shaobai glanced at her and uncomfortably shifted away, putting distance between them.
The Dean spoke first:
"Mrs. Qi, I know you're usually busy too. Let's handle this quickly..."
The Dean looked at the stern Professor Dai before continuing:
"According to Professor Dai's opinion, we'll have Qi Shaobai read a self-criticism aloud to the class, then sincerely admit his mistake to Professor Dai and apologize, and the matter will be considered settled."
After speaking, the Dean silently shot an awkward, apologetic look at Sheng Mumu behind Professor Dai's back.
The Dean knew Sheng Mumu was Qi Shaobai's stepmother, and figured that since she was a stepmother, she probably wouldn't discipline her stepson too seriously. Just going through the motions would be enough to turn the page on this incident.
In fact, if not for Professor Dai being specially invited by the school, this minor issue wouldn't have warranted calling the parents at all.
In the past whenever Qi Shaobai caused more serious trouble, they didn't always notify the parents.
Most Beijing No. 1 High School students came from prominent families, so the Dean didn't dare discipline them too severely.
Professor Dai sat in a chair, legs crossed, holding a teacup. His expression clearly said: Let's see how stubborn you are, daring to make me lose face. I won't let you off if you don't get punished.
He took a sip of tea and looked at Sheng Mumu in a superior manner, waiting for her to nod and agree with the Dean's proposed solution.
The Dean figured that since Sheng Mumu was the stepmother, she probably wouldn't seriously discipline her stepson. Just going through the motions would be enough to resolve this matter.
Sheng Mumu tugged at the corner of her mouth and gave the Dean a faint smile, saying:
"Principal, I'm not busy today. I came to school specifically to properly deal with this matter, no need to handle it quickly. Let's follow due process and first clarify whether Qi Shaobai was really at fault."
Hearing this, Professor Dai's hand holding the teacup twitched in shock as he looked up at Sheng Mumu in disbelief.
"Mrs. Qi, what do you mean? Are you saying I wrongly accused him?"
Sheng Mumu pressed her lips together and slowly said in an unhurried tone:
"Professor, don't get agitated. On my way here I got a grasp of the situation. Qi Shaobai was indeed wrong this time, but it wasn't serious enough to warrant making him write a self-criticism and apologize to the whole class."
Teenagers have a lot of self-esteem.
Making them publicly apologize is very damaging to their self-esteem.
What's more, Sheng Mumu sincerely felt the school was making a mountain out of a molehill.
As her words fell, everyone present was shocked.
The most shocked was Qi Shaobai himself.
His ears must be malfunctioning.
Did this woman really just speak up for him?
Professor Dai slammed the teacup on the table. He looked at Sheng Mumu in disbelief.
"Mrs. Qi, are you saying he did nothing wrong?"
Sheng Mumu felt this professor was too narrow-minded.
She had just said in her first sentence that Qi Shaobai was in the wrong. How could he act as if he didn't hear that and deliberately pick a fight?
She smiled gently.
"I didn't say he did nothing wrong, only that making him publicly apologize to the class is too severe."
Professor Dai's expression was ugly. In his many years of teaching, he had always had the final say.
This was the first time a parent didn't agree the child was in the wrong.
"If he doesn't apologize or write a self-criticism, isn't that equivalent to you thinking he did nothing wrong?"
Sheng Mumu took a deep breath, sensing this conversation would take some effort.
"Professor Dai, from my understanding, Qi Shaobai didn't actually talk back to you, and before you yelled at him, he didn't make any move to leave the classroom either."
"You're a teacher, and need to establish authority in front of students. I understand that very well. However, children also have self-esteem, and teenagers around seventeen or eighteen have especially strong self-esteem. Professor, don't you think your attitude toward Qi Shaobai was also damaging to his self-esteem?"
...
As Sheng Mumu spoke, Qi Shaobai kept staring at her from the side.
A strange, indescribable feeling welled up in his chest.
Sour, warm.
A very unfamiliar sensation.
Ten minutes later, Qi Shaobai came out of the office.
Wei Zhaonan zoomed over like a wisp of smoke.
"So, what happened? Got another scolding?"
"How many words do you have to write for your self-criticism? 3,000? 5,000?"
"We can pay someone to write it for you if needed."
Qi Shaobai's mind was still on what had just happened. He ignored Wei Zhaonan.
Sheng Mumu walked out of the office.
Qi Shaobai coldly cut Wei Zhaonan off: "Talk less."
Wei Zhaonan shut his mouth and greeted Sheng Mumu with a smile, standing up perfectly straight.
"Hello, Auntie!"
Sheng Mumu suppressed the urge to clench her teeth and forced a smile in return.
She then turned to look at Qi Shaobai.
"Well...I'm going home first then. You should go back to class."
Talking to Qi Shaobai felt somewhat awkward and unfamiliar to Sheng Mumu.
She knew how to play the parental role in front of the class teacher and professors.
But facing her stepson himself, she still struggled to find her position.
Having this grown son suddenly pop up was difficult to get used to.
Qi Shaobai gave an indifferent "Mm" and headed toward the classroom.
Wei Zhaonan followed behind Qi Shaobai, looking back and forth between him and Sheng Mumu with a baffled expression as he continued asking:
"That's it? Auntie didn't scold you?"
"You don't need to write the self-criticism either?"
Qi Shaobai tsked and kicked Wei Zhaonan. He felt Wei talked too much nonsense.
"Shut up."
