The divorce comeback system arrived right after I was born.

Director Zhang took a deep breath, deciding to temporarily ignore Zhang Guifang's earlier, rather vulgar, remark, "Why don't you try to hide it from people?" He adjusted his posture, picked up his teacup to moisten his parched throat, and tried to steer the conversation back on track. He figured that since appealing to emotions wouldn't work, he had to be rational, present data, and use harsh reality to shatter these parents' blind optimism.

He turned his gaze to Chen Zhi's mother, Zhang Guifang, and said earnestly, "Mrs. Chen Zhi, I understand that parents nowadays are more open-minded than we were in our generation. However, we must be realistic. Junior high school is a crucial period for children to build a solid foundation for their studies. Early romantic relationships are like poisonous weeds; they will drain a child's energy. If two people focus all their attention on romance, daydreaming in class and not doing their homework, there will only be one result—their grades will both plummet."

The more Director Zhang spoke, the more convinced he became of his point. He tapped his fingers on the table, making a "tap-tap" sound: "If they do terribly in the high school entrance exam and can't even get into a regular high school, it'll be too late to regret it! This is a matter of lifelong importance for the child!"

Just as Zhang Guifang was about to speak, Wang Qian, the homeroom teacher standing to the side, suddenly coughed.

Wang Qian's expression was a little strange, and she whispered a reminder: "Um... Director Zhang, excuse me. Chen Zhi is the top student in our first year of junior high."

Director Zhang's hand, which was tapping the table, froze in mid-air.

An eerie silence fell over the office.

Director Zhang slowly turned his head, looking at Wang Qian with a resentful look that seemed to say, "Why didn't you say so sooner?" He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but felt that anything he said would be pale and powerless. First in the grade? Early romance and still getting first in the grade?

"Ahem..." Director Zhang cleared his throat tactically, trying to hide his embarrassment. Since relying on grades wasn't working, he'd try a different approach. Good grades didn't guarantee a bright future; society was cruel!

He quickly adjusted his strategy, turning his attention to Lin Wanwan's mother, Lin Jing. She seemed elegant and reasonable.

"Wanwan's mother," Director Zhang said earnestly, her face showing deep sorrow, "I know your two families are neighbors and have a good relationship, so you might not care about these small things. But you need to think long-term. Middle school romances are like flowers in a mirror or the moon's reflection in water; most of them don't last. Later, when you go to high school, you'll face the pressure of college entrance exams, class assignments, long-distance relationships—there are too many variables."

Director Zhang felt he was getting into the swing of things, and his voice rose a few decibels: "Looking ahead, when they enter society and face the pressures of employment, buying a house, and the trivialities of life, that's the real test. Chen Zhi's grades are good now, but who can guarantee they'll always be? What if he gets distracted by relationship problems, doesn't get into a good university, has a bad job, and even struggles to support his family? Poverty-stricken couples face endless troubles then, what will become of their future? As responsible parents, we have to nip these risks in the bud. It's not too late to talk about it after he goes to university and has a stable job."

Director Zhang's words were earnest and logically sound, analyzing the current situation and predicting the future. They were a perfect essay from the Political Education Department on persuading students to quit early romantic relationships.

Lin Jing listened quietly, a polite smile always on her face. She gently straightened her skirt and slowly sat down.

"Director Zhang, thank you for your trouble." Lin Jing's voice was gentle, yet it carried an undeniable confidence. "However, regarding the pressure of the future, I think you might be overthinking it."

She paused briefly, her gaze sweeping over the two children standing in the corner, and said calmly, "Our Lin family's current assets, while not enough to make us richer than a country, are sufficient for these two children to live a life of comfort and ease. Even if they did nothing all their lives and just stayed home all day, they would still live better than most people. As for Chen Zhi..."

Lin Jing glanced at Chen Zhi, her eyes filled with the satisfaction of a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law: "This child is smart and well-behaved. Even if he doesn't work in the future, our family can easily support two idle people."

puff--

Wang Qian, who was watching the melon next to her, almost spat out her food. She quickly covered her mouth, turned her face to the side, and her shoulders shook violently.

Director Zhang was completely dumbfounded.

At that moment, his brain's CPU seemed to emit a wisp of smoke.

He had served as the director of the political education department for twenty years, and he had seen parents who cried and wailed, parents who resorted to double-teaming, and parents who were overprotective of their children. But he had never seen a parent like this—one who used money to get what they wanted.

Good grades? Fine, I'll tolerate that.

Owning a mine at home? How can we even talk about this?!

Director Zhang opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word for a long time. He felt like he had prepared a whole bunch of reasons, but it was like punching cotton; not only did he fail to hurt the other party, he also strained his old back.

Finally, Director Zhang could only wave his hand weakly, as if shooing away flies, placing his last hope on the two people involved. He turned to Chen Zhi and Lin Wanwan, his tone no longer forceful, but rather weak: "Are you two really dating?"

Chen Zhi and Lin Wanwan exchanged a glance.

Chen Zhi, with an upright expression, shook his head vigorously: "Absolutely not! Director, our friendship is pure revolutionary camaraderie, purer than distilled water!"

Lin Wanwan also shook her head frantically, her ponytail swinging back and forth: "No, no, Director, you really misunderstood. We're just neighbors, looking out for each other."

Director Zhang looked at the two cunning little devils working together so well, and then at the two formidable parents beside him, and was completely at a loss.

He sighed deeply, feeling as if he had aged ten years.

"Alright, alright, Teacher Wang." Director Zhang slumped into his chair and waved his hand. "Take these two students back first. Leave these two parents here; I'll talk to them a bit more."

Although he knew that communication was likely to be ineffective, his dignity as the director of the political education department compelled him to persist until the very last moment.

"Yes, Director." Wang Qian felt like she had been granted a pardon and quickly called to Chen Zhi and Lin Wanwan, "You two, come out with me."