Hear this life

Mrs. Qiao was so angry that her face twisted. She rushed forward and cursed, "I'll let you see what real insult and bullying is! You have to listen to me clearly. Pay the medical expenses to the Qiao family tonight. If you pay a penny less, I will immediately ruin your reputation. Stay in Shanghai to study at university? Dream on. Get out of Shanghai tomorrow morning!"

Wen Tingli's face turned pale. In fact, as early as the moment Mrs. Qiao came to trouble her, she had expected that this person would deny and regret. Bai Liyun was pregnant now, so the self-protection methods she used at the beginning would have no deterrent effect on Mrs. Qiao. Mrs. Qiao might have been waiting to vent her anger. After all, it was a considerable amount of money. She couldn't help but be stunned.

Mrs. Qiao mistakenly thought that Wen Tingli was frightened by these words, so she raised her arm viciously, aimed at Wen Tingli's cheek and was about to hit her: "So you also know how to be afraid? When you dared to provoke Xingchu, you should have expected that the Qiao family would have plenty of ways to torture you. Don't you look in the mirror? A little bitch like you is only worthy of that little jerk from the Qiu family!"

Wen Tingli pushed back at Mrs. Qiao, but Mrs. Qiao rushed over with all her strength. Not only did she fail to push her away, but she bumped her shoulder against the wall. Mrs. Qiao took advantage of the situation and slapped her in the face. Wen Tingli knew she couldn't escape, so she closed her eyes and sneered, "You only have this much knowledge after living so long. It's a pity that you are destined to be disappointed. I can also gain a foothold in Shanghai with my own abilities!"

"Just you?" Mrs. Qiao laughed sharply. She used all her strength to slap him in the face, and it was bound to bleed.

Wen Tingli had no way to hide, so she gritted her teeth and told herself: Never forget the feeling of this slap.

In the future, when you are looked down upon by others, or even when you encounter difficulties and want to retreat, immediately dig out this part of your memory and warn yourself: Keep moving forward and make yourself proud!
However, after waiting for a long time with a wooden face, the slap never came.

When he opened his eyes, he saw that Mrs. Qiao's arm was stuck firmly in mid-air.

Mrs. Qiao was also shocked because the person holding her arm was Lu Shicheng.

The door in the corridor, which was reserved for distinguished guests, opened at some point. Lu Shicheng frowned and looked at Mrs. Qiao, as if he just happened to pass by. He grabbed her arm because he felt that Mrs. Qiao was blocking his way. Standing next to him were Kuang Zhilin and Mr. Zhu from Xianles, both of whom looked stunned.

"Mr. Lu?" After a brief shock, Mrs. Qiao said angrily, "You came at the right time. This Wen Tingli is your pragmatic student, right? She is a liar! She cheated our Qiao family out of a sum of money. I reminded her to pay it back, but she beat me like a gangster. I am about to take her to the police station, and I would like you to help me be a witness."

While speaking, he tried to pull out the arm that was captured, and continued to stretch out the other arm to grab Wen Tingli's hair.

Wen Tingli had not yet come to her senses when Mrs. Qiao grabbed her hard. She gasped in pain and immediately grabbed Mrs. Qiao's hair fiercely. At the same time, she held Mrs. Qiao's shoulders with both hands and refused to give in.

Lu Shicheng closed his eyes again. Kuang Zhilin and Boss Zhu were also stunned. This pretty girl was so fierce when fighting.

Mrs. Qiao didn't expect Wen Tingli to dare to fight back in front of so many people. In desperation, she pulled her arm hard, but after several pulls, it didn't move at all.

"Mr. Lu?!" Mrs. Qiao looked back at Lu Shicheng in disbelief, "What do you mean?"

Lu Shicheng looked at her expressionlessly, and Kuang Zhilin said hurriedly: "Mr. Lu is a civilized man, he does not advocate using violence to solve problems."

Mrs. Qiao was both shocked and annoyed: "Mr. Lu, didn't you see that it was Wen Tingli who started it? She was the first to use violence. I will call the police to arrest her immediately. This little bitch must pay for what she did."

Lu Shicheng pointed at Wen Tingli and then at himself with a very tough attitude.

Kuang Zhilin showed a little surprise, and hurriedly said to Mrs. Qiao: "This Miss Wen is a pragmatic student, and it is not someone else's turn to teach her. Mrs. Qiao, you can call the police or ask for help, it's up to you! As for Miss Wen, Mr. Lu will take her away first."

After Kuang Zhilin finished speaking, Lu Shicheng let go of Mrs. Qiao's arm, pulled Wen Tingli's hand away from Mrs. Qiao's shoulder, pulled her behind him, and stood in the middle to keep a safe distance between the two.

Wen Tingli was busy fighting back against Mrs. Qiao's Five Claws Skill when she was pulled away by Lu Shicheng. When she was about to rush forward again, Lu Shicheng's arm blocked her. She looked up panting and suddenly met Lu Shicheng's gaze. He lowered his eyes and looked at her, but there was no blame or contempt in his eyes. Instead, it seemed as if he was kindly reminding her: if she continued to make trouble, it would not end well.

Wen Tingli withdrew her hand and allowed Lu Shicheng to pull her aside silently.

Lu Shicheng then turned around and nodded to Mrs. Qiao, as if he had explained everything he needed to, and then led Wen Tingli out as if no one was around. This scene was a bit like a parent coming to take away their child who had gotten into trouble.

Mrs. Qiao stood there in a daze, then suddenly narrowed her eyes and said sternly, "Mr. Lu has also been deceived by her. Although Wen is young, she has always been good at using tricks. She even flirted with my son a while ago, and then because my son refused to pay attention to her, she went off to have an affair with Qi Guang. You—"

Lu Shicheng suddenly turned around and looked at Mrs. Qiao.

Mrs. Qiao felt that the gaze was cold and piercing, and she could not help but remain silent.

Kuang Zhilin said in a low voice: "Mrs. Qiao, be careful with your words! Mr. Lu doesn't like to hear these words."

Mrs. Qiao was unwilling to swallow her anger, so she smiled sarcastically at Wen Tingli's back and said, "I was wondering why you were so arrogant tonight. It turns out that you have a powerful backer. Let me tell you, that is a bill in black and white. Even the king of heaven cannot deny it! The truth will be in the newspapers tomorrow. I will see which university dares to recruit you then. Don't play dumb. Are you planning to let Mr. Lu pay for you? It turns out that your so-called 'own ability' is still like your mother's reliance on men!"

"shut your mouth!"

Wen Tingli was furious and took out something from her bag. "Open your dog eyes and look carefully. I have consulted a lawyer. I can return to you every cent of the medical expenses paid by your Qiao family. When returning the money, the lawyer will issue a notarized document to save you from making a fuss! You know very well that if you hadn't instigated Qiu Dapeng to bring his son to propose marriage that night, my father wouldn't have been beaten like that, so your Qiao family should pay for the medical expenses. I am returning the money to you now, not because I am in the wrong, but because I don't want to be harassed by shameless people anymore, and -"

She shook the check in her hand proudly.

"This is called the Yuying Scholarship. It has been awarded to students who have won first place in major competitions outside the school. Talented people are rare, and I happen to be one of them." She raised her eyebrows and smiled, "Did you see clearly? I earned every penny of this money with my own ability."

These words were very powerful. Lu Shicheng's eyes flickered and he looked at her deeply. Boss Zhu looked Wen Tingli up and down, with a look of admiration.

Mrs. Qiao's facial features were distorted with anger, and she regretted that she couldn't find any words to refute Wen Tingli for a moment. She glared at Lu Shicheng hatefully. Just now he kept trying to stop her, but now Wen Tingli was making a fuss at her, but he didn't come over to stop her. It was obvious that he was biased!
Wen Tingli put the check back into her bag: "I will return your filthy money to you tomorrow morning at the latest. Just wait for the lawyer's call."

Just as I was about to leave, two people came towards me.

"Brother, you've already come to pick up sister-in-law, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Qiao Baoxin dragged Qiao Xingchu, "Let's go find mom and let her talk to you."

When Qiao Xingchu was about to respond to his sister's words, he saw Wen Tingli unexpectedly, and he froze in place. Wen Tingli brushed past him coldly, and her face seemed injured. He couldn't help but turn around and catch up with her, and then he noticed that Wen Tingli and Lu Shicheng were walking together.

He was slightly startled, and when he came to his senses, he found that Lu Shicheng was also looking at him indifferently.

Qiao Xingchu was full of doubts and could only stop where she was and nod to greet Lu Shicheng. Suddenly, she heard Mrs. Qiao crying from behind, "Why did you come just now? Mom is dying!"

"What happened?" Qiao Baoxin and Qiao Xingchu hurried forward.

"Hurry up and call Inspector Lin from the police station." Mrs. Qiao grabbed her son by the collar of his shirt and said, "Xingchu, look at what kind of girl you found in the first place. You kept saying good things about her, but she turned around and beat your mother like this."

Qiao Xingchu couldn't help but interrupt her mother: "What are you talking about? What happened?"

"You two don't have to worry." Kuang Zhilin came over and said to Qiao Xingchu and Qiao Baoxin, "Miss Wen has already found a lawyer. When the two sides had a conflict, it happened that I, Boss Kuang, and Mr. Lu were all present. If there is any need for us to testify, we will not refuse."

Mrs. Qiao's eyes flickered. At this moment, a group of students came running over and asked, "What happened?"

The guests had just arrived at the venue to listen to the Truth Orchestra's performance. When the music stopped, they noticed the noise behind them and came over. Unexpectedly, they saw Lu Shicheng in the corridor and were somewhat surprised. "Mr. Lu?"

Lu Shicheng and Wen Tingli walked out through the crowd.

After walking for a long way, Wen Tingli remembered that she had forgotten to thank Lu Shicheng.

She raised her eyes to look at Lu Shicheng's back. Even if what happened just now happened a thousand times, she would still have a fight with Mrs. Qiao. But now that she had calmed down, she felt a little embarrassed. This was the first time she had a fight in front of an acquaintance, and unfortunately, this acquaintance was Lu Shicheng.

"Mr. Lu, thank you for what you did just now." She cleared her throat.

Lu Shicheng stopped and looked back, his eyes fixed on her face, he pointed at her cheek and made a gesture, then he retracted his gaze, turned around and went down the stairs.

Wen Tingli was stunned and quickly took out a small diamond-shaped mirror from her school bag. She saw that there were several scars on her cheeks and neck. Fortunately, they were not deep, but they still needed to be treated with medicine in time.

She felt warm in her heart. Lu Shicheng's attitude was the same as when he first appeared. He neither despised nor laughed at her actions, nor did he presumptuously make any suggestions or requests to her. He was just kind throughout.

Zhao Qingluo and Yan Zhenzhen heard about this and rushed over. When they saw the wound on Wen Tingli's neck, they gasped, "Did Mrs. Qiao beat her? That old witch hit her so hard!"

Wen Tingli buried her head in the two men's shoulders and said sullenly, "I am so tired from this fight. I don't have the energy to explain it in detail now. I will tell you later."

Zhao Qingluo supported her distressedly: "Then let's help you go back to your seat and rest for a while. There is a pharmacy nearby. Zhenzhen and I will go buy medicine for you."

"What are you going back to the dance floor for?" Yan Zhenzhen said unhappily, "Are you waiting for that witch to continue to make things difficult for Wen Tingli? Of all the thirty-six strategies, running away is the best strategy. It would be best to call a taxi to send her home as soon as possible."

Wen Tingli couldn't help laughing when Yan Zhenzhen kept calling her an "old witch". "I won't run away. It's useless to run away. Don't worry, the two of you. The matter has been almost resolved. Wait for me here for a while. I'll go make a phone call first."

After making the call and simply treating his wound, he returned to the second floor of Xianles.

Because of this accident, the performance on the stage was stopped early. Under the guidance of Boss Zhu and others, the students left the stage in an orderly manner.

Seeing that they couldn't squeeze in, the three of them had to follow the crowd out of Cirrus. As soon as they left the building, they heard Mrs. Qiao sternly say, "I know you always protect your students, but you can't listen to Mr. Kuang's one-sided words. Inspector Lin has examined my wounds. Wen Tingli's debt can be known by asking the accountant of Ci Xin Hospital. The evidence is all in front of us. If you don't give me an explanation tonight, I will immediately sue Wen Tingli for fraud and assault. Not only will this student be finished, but your school's reputation will also be disgraced. Are you sure you want to fight this lawsuit with the Qiao family for a student with bad behavior?"

Michelle glanced at Wen Tingli and turned to walk towards her: "The consequences of this matter are very serious. The only solution now is to admit your mistake to Mrs. Qiao on the spot. If you can gain her understanding, there may be room for negotiation. Come with me to apologize to Mrs. Qiao."

Zhao Qingluo and Yan Zhenzhen anxiously winked at Wen Tingli. They all knew that Michelle was Mrs. Qiao's good friend. If Mrs. Qiao suffered a loss, Michelle would definitely stand up for her. These words sounded reasonable, but in fact they contained murderous intent. Once they apologized in front of so many people, they would become unreasonable. Now was a critical time for further studies, and if they were not careful, it would affect their future.

"I won't apologize." Wen Tingli said calmly.

"you--"

"Did Principal Zou hear that?" Mrs. Qiao raised her voice. "This thug cheated people out of money and hurt them, but she has no guilt at all. Are you sure you want to issue a graduation certificate to such a low-quality student?"

Principal Zou said sternly, "First, Boss Zhu and Mr. Kuang can both testify that the conflict between you and Wen Tingli was because you did not allow her to apply for a university in Shanghai. You openly insulted Wen Tingli's parents and asked her family to get out of Shanghai overnight. She initially tolerated it, but your repeated provocations led to a fierce conflict. Second, I don't know what agreement the Qiao family reached with Wen Tingli, but you have never accused Wen Tingli of cheating before. After tonight's incident, she has decided to return the medical expenses that the Qiao family had previously paid in full to you. Only if you don't pay it back within the prescribed time limit, there is a suspicion of delay or fraud. You keep accusing her of fraud, but you can't produce the IOU written by Wen Tingli. This is really unconvincing and it is suspected of slander."

Mrs. Qiao was speechless for a moment. Qiao Xingchu and Qiao Baoxin could no longer bear to watch. They carried their mother on the left and right and walked towards their car: "Go home and rest first. Leave the things here to us."

Mrs. Qiao's cheeks were still a little red and swollen, and her eyes were filled with hostility. She had never suffered such a humiliation in all her years, so how could she let it go? She glanced at a quiet black rickshaw on the side of the street and struggled to stop. Everyone looked over and saw that it was Lu Shicheng's car. He had been sitting in the car since he came downstairs, apparently waiting for Principal Zou.

Wen Tingli thought that Mrs. Qiao would make trouble again, but she was afraid of offending the Lu family, so she swallowed the rest of her words and said with a sneer, "Since it has come to this, I will wait for Wen Tingli to bring a lawyer to my house. I have asked someone to bring the hospital bill, a total of 840 dollars, written clearly in black and white. Remember, she must pay the money back at 12 o'clock tonight, otherwise the Qiao family has the right to sue her!"

Hearing this, Principal Zou couldn't help showing worry. It would take at least several days for an ordinary person to hire a lawyer. It was so late at night, where could a student find someone?

Unexpectedly, Wen Tingli said coldly: "Mrs. Qiao, just wait."

Mrs. Qiao laughed sarcastically, "Listen, a student with nothing at home can easily send a famous lawyer to help her deal with her debts. Wen Tingli, I didn't know you had such a big face. Principal Zou, the pragmatic school motto is 'seek truth, be self-reliant, be cautious, and be fearless'. Wen Tingli used these shameful means to find someone outside to help her out, but you did not control her at all. Don't you think it's ironic?"

"What do you mean?" Principal Zou raised his voice unconsciously.

"As far as I know, Wen Tingli has had countless boyfriends. I despise people who only know how to flirt with men. You only know how to protect Wen Tingli, but you don't even know her background. Aren't you afraid that one day your pragmatic brand will fall into her hands?"

Lu Shicheng sat in the car with his brows furrowed more and more. Kuang Zhilin saw it and decisively opened the door and got out of the car: "Mrs. Qiao."

"Mom!" This time it was Bai Liyun who spoke up to stop Mrs. Qiao. She held Mrs. Qiao's hand tightly, her eyes full of warning.

Just at this moment, two people squeezed in through the crowd, and one of them took over Mrs. Qiao's conversation and said, "Men? What men?"

Everyone was stunned. The person who came was the famous director Ms. Huang Yuanshan, and the other was Ms. Liu Yaqiao, the right-hand man of lawyer Bao Yaming from Shuguang Law Firm. She also graduated from Shiwu, and many students present knew her.

As he was talking, Huang Yuanshan spotted Wen Tingli in the crowd. He hissed, "Oh, didn't I tell you to protect your face? How can I start the machine smoothly if you do that?"

He took a closer look and patted his chest in relief: "Fortunately, it's just a superficial wound. Eat light food these few days and it will be fine after some rest."

Turning around, I saw Mrs. Qiao: “Aunt Jiang?!”

"Why are you here?" Mrs. Qiao asked with a dark face.

"Wen Tingli asked me to come." Huang Yuanshan was stunned. "Wait - could it be that you were the one who fought with Wen Tingli just now?"

Mrs. Qiao squeezed out a sentence from between her teeth: "She asked you to find a lawyer?"

"Yes." She dragged Liu Yaqiao to her side, "This is Lawyer Liu, Lawyer Bao's most proud student."

"She told you to look for it, so you went?"

Huang Yuanshan blinked in surprise: "She is the heroine of my next play. If she gets into trouble outside, who else can she turn to if not me?" Then he said angrily, "You are really something. Why can't you just talk about it in a nice way instead of doing it violently? Miss Liu, I don't understand legal matters. Please talk to Aunt Jiang."

Liu Yaqiao bowed to Mrs. Qiao and said, "My name is Liu. I am the assistant of Lawyer Bao. I was asked by Ms. Huang to handle the financial dispute between Miss Wen and Mrs. Qiao."

Wen Tingli spoke coldly: "Lawyer, I have found someone and indeed mobilized some social forces. Unfortunately, this force is not the 'man' you mentioned, but my friend Ms. Huang Yuanshan. I have also prepared the money. It is not borrowed, nor is it begged from anyone. It is the Yuying Scholarship that I won with my own strength. Lawyer Liu is here, and you and I can go through the formalities immediately. In addition, I will reserve the right to sue you for your slander against my character in accordance with the law!"

The female students present were already overwhelmed with emotion. When they heard this, they all applauded for Wen Tingli. Amid the surging sound, Mrs. Qiao covered her chest and closed her eyes to breathe. Several younger generations of the Qiao family took advantage of the situation to carry the trembling Mrs. Qiao to the car. Before getting in the car, Qiao Xingchu held the door and glanced at Wen Tingli. There was both guilt and regret in her eyes. After just one glance, she got in the car with a look of shame. Wen Tingli looked away coldly.

Bai Liyun came over to apologize to Principal Zou openly: "My mother has been ill for many days, and she drank too much just now. She said some stupid things under the influence of alcohol. Please don't take it to heart. She has always admired you very much."

He bowed to Wen Tingli again before getting into the car.

Kuang Zhilin also returned to the car, but he still looked a little surprised. He said to Lu Shicheng, "I didn't expect Miss Wen to handle the problem this way. I thought she would just keep asking Principal Zou to help her, or even ask the young master for help. After all, anyone who meets someone like Mrs. Qiao will be in trouble. I didn't expect that she had thought of a solution in advance. At such a young age, she dares to do it and take responsibility."

He shook his head in shame and laughed: "It's my fault. 'Looking at people through the crack in the door, I underestimated them.'"

Lu Shicheng opened the document. Although his face showed no emotion, his eyes were fixed on the paper for a long time.

After Kuang Zhilin finished speaking, he thought to himself that children who can only rely on themselves for everything are probably all so precocious. He turned his head to look at Lu Shicheng, only to find that Lu Shicheng seemed to be in a trance. A strange feeling flashed through his heart, and he turned his head to look outside the car and smiled, "I'll go ask Principal Zou when he will leave."

On the other side, Huang Yuanshan helplessly spread his hands to Wen Tingli: "Okay, because of you, I have offended everyone."

Wen Tingli held Huang Yuanshan's arm affectionately: "What should I do? It seems that I have to contribute 100% of my acting skills in Sister Huang's new play to make up for it."

"You all heard it. This is what Wen Tingli said herself. I set her a task: this movie should either be a hit or well-received, and it would be best if it was both. On the day of its release, remember to go to the cinema to appreciate Wen Tingli's performance. If she doesn't perform well in this one, feel free to criticize her. If she doesn't perform well in this one, I will ask her to shoot the next one until everyone is satisfied."

After a few pleasantries, everyone went to express their gratitude to Principal Zou.

Kuang Zhilin and Principal Zou had just got into the car when they suddenly heard Wen Tingli's voice outside the car window.

"Principal Zou, thank you for what you did just now."

Zou Zheping said: "You don't need to thank me. Whether as a principal or as an outsider, I think you are right. Please remember that everyone is free and equal, and no one has the right to deprive you of your right to education."

Wen Tingli said in a hoarse voice: "But I still want to thank you. It is because of a good principal like you that I have the opportunity to be exposed to such ideas. When I reach a crossroads in my life in the future, I will not go astray because of self-deprecation."

Zou Zheping also looked quite emotional: "No, if it hadn't happened tonight, I wouldn't know how difficult it was for you. This is all my fault as the principal. Remember, no matter what problems you encounter in the future, come to me first. I just happen to have a few books on philosophy, economics, and socialism here. Take them back and read them carefully."

"I will definitely read it carefully." Wen Tingli took it solemnly.

Principal Zou laughed again and said, "Look at me. I was so busy talking that I forgot that the two of them were still waiting in the car. If it weren't for the White Dragon Gang's disturbance tonight, Shi Cheng wouldn't have come all the way here out of concern for me."

Then, Wen Tingli's voice was heard outside the window: "Mr. Lu, Mr. Kuang."

Kuang Zhilin had long been accustomed to Wen Tingli's familiarity, and after dealing with her several times, he really couldn't be disgusted by such a smart person, so he smiled and nodded: "Hello, Miss Wen."

Lu Shicheng did not respond, but got out of the car to open the door for Principal Zou, and then went around to the front seat on the other side to open the door.

Wen Tingli hurriedly ran behind Lu Shicheng again and said softly, "Mr. Lu, thank you for what happened tonight."

Lu Shicheng was silent for two seconds, then turned to look at her. She was smiling, her tone sincere and lively, and if it weren't for the scratches on her neck, you wouldn't have known that she had just had a fight.

He pointed at himself sternly and shook his head at her, he had not been of much help before.

Kuang Zhilin had been with Lu Shicheng for many years, so he naturally understood what the young master was talking about, but Miss Wen might not be able to guess what he was saying. Just as he was about to get off the car to help translate, he heard Wen Tingli say in a crackling voice: "Of course you helped me! You see, you could have stood by and watched, but you and Mr. Kuang took the initiative to come forward to help testify, which was a great help to me."

Lu Shicheng listened to her attentively.

Kuang Zhilin and Zou Zheping watched this scene in the car. They couldn't tell what was wrong, but they always found it a little funny. After saying this, others would probably shut up, but Wen Tingli was still in high spirits: "I've already treated you to a meal. Mr. Lu is too busy on weekdays, so I don't want to bother you again and again. How about this, when my movie is released, I'll give you and Mr. Kuang some first-class movie tickets. This movie must be very popular, and I promise you won't be disappointed."

Zou Zheping smiled and said to Kuang Zhilin: "That's right, the children we raise pragmatically should be cheerful and confident like this."

Lu Shicheng seemed to be accustomed to Wen Tingli's extraordinary self-confidence. He seemed to think about it seriously and did not respond immediately.

This was actually an implicit rejection. Wen Tingli said, "Mr. Lu is afraid that he can't confirm the time, right? It doesn't matter, we'll talk about it then. I won't disturb Mr. Lu's rest today." She politely stepped aside.

Lu Shicheng opened the door and got in the car, signaling the driver to drive.

Principal Zou instructed Wen Tingli through the window: "After you finish handling the Qiao family's affairs, you should go home with Miss Liu and Ms. Huang as soon as possible. Remember, stay calm, restrained, and reasonable. If anything goes wrong, call me immediately."

"Don't worry." Wen Tingli nodded outside.

After driving for a while, Principal Zou was still full of emotion: "This child is really pitiful. Her family has encountered so many things, but she is always strong and optimistic. The key is that she never belittles herself. Look at her, standing among so many children from wealthy families, but she seems to think that she is the best from the bottom of her heart. This kind of mentality is really rare. I guess Xiao Wen's parents must love her very much - by the way, Shicheng, you seem to know her very well, have you met her before?"

When I turned my head, I saw Lu Shicheng looking out the window, wondering what he was thinking.

"Shicheng?" Principal Zou called him twice, and Lu Shicheng suddenly came back to his senses. He turned to look at Principal Zou, calmed down, and pointed at the document at hand. [Thinking about work, what did you say just now? ]

***
As soon as the Lu family's car left, Huang Yuanshan came over and put his arm around Wen Tingli's shoulders, lowering his voice and saying, "Why are you going through the trouble to give someone movie tickets? Are you interested in Lu Shicheng? To be honest, you have a good eye. If it were another man, he would have demanded a favor from you before you even opened your mouth."

Wen Tingli showed an expression as if she had been stung by a wasp: "Thank you, I never want to have anything to do with a man in my life. I am expressing my gratitude to him. Besides, when you are in the underworld, more friends mean more help. It's always good to make friends with a decent person like him. It's just that Mr. Lu is...not easy to approach. You saw it just now, when he saw me, his whole body was saying 'don't get close to me', as if I was on fire and would burn him."

Huang Yuanshan smiled meaningfully: "You, you still don't understand men very well. He is... Hey, how old are you, and you have decided not to deal with men for the rest of your life?"

Yan Zhenzhen said, "I would think the same. People fall in love for fun, but Wen Tingli almost lost her whole family's lives because of her love affair. You saw it too. When Mrs. Qiao said those words, Qiao Xingchu didn't say a word. I think he is much more hateful than Mrs. Qiao."

"What can he say? If he defends Wen Tingli, it will inevitably make his newlywed wife worry. If he defends Mrs. Qiao, it will inevitably make him feel guilty towards Wen Tingli. He can only keep silent."

Liu Yaqiao smiled and reminded while holding the documents: "It's time for us to go to the Qiao family. Miss Wen, have you prepared the money? It's eight hundred and forty dollars in total."

"I'm ready." Wen Tingli said hurriedly.

Yan Zhenzhen sighed: "Once you pay this money, you will be even poorer."

Huang Yuanshan took the opportunity to say, "So Wen Tingli should make more movies. Once she becomes famous, this amount of money will be just a small amount for her."

Wen Tingli didn't say anything. She stuffed the books that Principal Zou had just given her into her school bag. Unexpectedly, a piece of something fell out from the pages of a book. When she picked it up, she found that it was five hundred francs.

"Ah, she must have given you the money for your birthday present."

"But this is too much."

"I'm afraid you're in trouble and I want to help you. Hey, why are you crying for no reason?"

Wen Tingli wiped the corners of her eyes silently. She just suddenly thought of Dean Deng who was still in hospital. The two elders had very different personalities, but their character was exactly the same.

***
It was already eleven o'clock at night when we arrived at Qiao's house.

From the outside, the Qiao family's house still had red roofs and green tiles, and it looked magnificent. However, perhaps because it was too quiet at night, when one walked in, a feeling of desolation hit one in the face. The person responsible for receiving Wen Tingli and her party was Qiao Baoxin.

Mrs. Qiao was probably tired of making trouble and didn't show up from beginning to end.

Under the notarization of Liu Yaqiao, Qiao Baoxin signed for the money on behalf of her mother.

Finally, Qiao Baoxin said to Wen Tingli: "I want to talk to you alone."

They walked to the French window and looked up at the garden outside. It was quiet all around and the silver moonlight was scattered all over the ground. Suddenly, there was a fluttering sound and a white bird flew through the thin blue clouds into the vast night sky.

Wen Tingli looked up and followed the trace of the flying bird. On that night a few months ago, she stepped into this magnificent mansion with fantasy. She thought that by hooking up with a gentle and affectionate man, she could live the life of her dreams. Little did she know that this was just a terrible dream. When she woke up, this illusion would turn into a sharp knife and pierce her flesh.

A chill crept up her body, and she subconsciously touched her arm that was exposed outside the sleeve of her cheongsam. It felt like there was a knife wound there, and it still hurt.

Qiao Baoxin spoke sadly: "Recently, the family has encountered some difficulties. Mom is under great mental pressure. I can't help much, I can only try my best to enlighten her. In fact, when I was young, Mom was very gentle and amiable, but in recent years, Dad's business has always failed. My grandfather has always had the final say in the family. My mother has to manage the household affairs and serve my grandfather. She also has to listen to the cold words of the clan members all day long. Gradually, she seems to have become a different person. Tingli, I know you may not believe this, but my mother..."

Wen Tingli suddenly turned around and grabbed Qiao Baoxin's wrist, and said in a deep voice: "You must get out of here if you have a chance, if you don't want to become the second Mrs. Qiao."

Qiao Baoxin was stunned.

"I know that I am not qualified to say this in my situation." Wen Tingli smiled, "But Baoxin, please remember that I will always be your good friend. In the future, as long as you are willing to ask me for help, I will do my best to help you."

Qiao Baoxin's expression gradually changed from suspicion to emotion. He lowered his head and thought for a moment, then sighed with a smile, "I may not have the courage you have, but... well! I will seize the opportunity."

As the group walked out of the Qiao Mansion, a servant suddenly chased after them.

"Miss Wen, this is what my young lady asked me to give you." Wen Tingli recognized her as Qiao Baoxin's wet nurse. After a slight hesitation, she took the thing.

It was a heavy envelope.

She deliberately lagged behind the others by a few steps, and opened the box as she walked. Inside was a thick stack of cash, totaling several thousand dollars.

She couldn't help but be surprised. There was no way Qiao Baoxin could come up with so much money at once.

When I opened the envelope, I found a very old movie ticket underneath.

That was "The Beautiful Lady" which was released at the Grandview Cinema in the first half of the year.

Wen Tingli felt a stab in her heart. That was the first time Qiao Xingchu asked her out to see a movie. There were two words written on the back of the movie ticket.

【Feel sorry】.

There was no salutation or signature, but Wen Tingli recognized it as Qiao Xingchu's handwriting at a glance.

She looked at the pile of money and things with sarcasm. Was it a belated farewell or self-righteous compensation?
She felt mixed emotions and turned around to call the nanny: "Please take the things back."

But the nanny lowered her head and ran into the door.

Wen Tingli was about to chase after him, but the two heavy black doors of the Qiao Mansion closed in front of her.

She had to take two steps back and look up. Over the garden wall, she vaguely saw a tall figure standing on the second-floor terrace of the Qiao Mansion. Although there were walls and trees between them, Wen Tingli could feel the man's gaze on her.

She tore the movie ticket into pieces without hesitation, and then waved her hand. The pieces flew all over the ground like snow.

The man watched all this in silence.

"What's wrong?" Huang Yuanshan and others surrounded them.

Wen Tingli stuffed the stack of banknotes back into the envelope and handed it to Huang Yuanshan: "Sister Huang, please help me return this to Qiao Xingchu. Let's go."

After saying this, she stepped on the pile of debris and left with a few people. Behind her, the figures on the terrace, along with the desolate mansion, slowly melted into the desolate night.

(End of this chapter)