Stepdaughter of a wealthy family? The little darling of a Beijing tycoon

Shen Jingshu responded and walked forward along the aisle. This route happened to pass by the teachers' seats, where Wang Xuemei was sitting.

With steady steps and a natural expression, she pretended to be passing by casually. The instant she passed behind Wang Xuemei, her fingertips moved swiftly, and she took out a mantra talisman from her personal space and gently affixed it to Wang Xuemei's back with lightning speed.

The moment the talisman touched Wang Xuemei's clothes, it instantly vanished, silently merging into her body without attracting anyone's attention. The teachers and students around her continued talking amongst themselves, and no one noticed the mystery that had occurred in that instant.

Shen Jingshu walked straight out of the lecture hall without stopping. She stood quietly outside for a few minutes, calculating the time it would take for the mantra to take full effect, before slowly returning to the venue.

"You're pretty quick," Xu Zhixia said softly when she saw her return.

"I rushed back because I knew the selection process was about to begin." Shen Jingshu smiled faintly, sat back down, and glanced at Wang Xuemei in the front row with a calm expression.

Just then, the host on the podium picked up the microphone, his clear voice resonating throughout the hall, and the opening remarks officially began. After a few polite remarks, the host changed the subject and announced loudly: "Next, we will announce the list of teachers who have received the senior teacher title!"

The entire venue fell silent instantly, all eyes focused on the podium, and Shen Jingshu knew that the real show was just beginning.

The teachers whose names were called took turns going up on stage, including Wang Xuemei. She walked onto the stage with a dignified posture, a gentle smile on her face, full of pride and dignity.

School leaders and education bureau staff presented them with their professional title certificates one by one, shook hands with each of them, and the flash of cameras captured this seemingly glorious moment.

After the awards ceremony, the host handed the microphone to each of the award-winning teachers, and they took turns going on stage to give speeches. Their words were full of polite expressions of gratitude for the teachers' guidance and their determination, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

After all the teachers finished their speeches, the host smiled and looked down at the audience. According to the procedure, a student representative was to be randomly selected to go on stage and congratulate the award-winning teachers.

The words had barely left his mouth when his gaze fell upon Shen Jingshu. He immediately raised his hand and said, "Please, this student, come and share a few words with us!"

Shen Jingshu calmly stood up, walked slowly to the microphone, and the moment she picked it up, her gaze fell directly on Wang Xuemei on the stage.

At this moment, Wang Xuemei held the certificate, her smile gentle and dignified. Standing among a group of teachers, she appeared to be a highly recognized and outstanding teacher. No one would have guessed what kind of vicious heart was hidden beneath this appearance.

The host smiled and looked at her, asking gently, "Excuse me, what year and department are you in?"

"Freshmen majoring in Finance." Shen Jingshu's clear voice carried throughout the lecture hall through the microphone, every word distinct.

"So you're a freshman in the finance department. Who's your professor on stage?"

Shen Jingshu raised her eyes, her gaze fixed on Wang Xuemei, and said, word by word, "My teacher is Teacher Wang Xuemei."

Upon hearing this, the host smiled and looked at Wang Xuemei: "Teacher Wang, so this is your student. Do you remember this student?"

Wang Xuemei frowned slightly, carefully examining Shen Jingshu, her heart filled with unfamiliarity.

Over the past year, Shen Jingshu had always been quiet and introverted in class, with mediocre grades and nothing outstanding, which she didn't take seriously at all.

But looking at her now, he realized that the girl was beautiful and had an outstanding temperament, far surpassing the other girls in the class. A hint of jealousy flashed in her eyes, but she smiled politely and said, "There are too many students in the class, so I didn't pay much attention, but she seems to be a well-behaved child."

The host then turned the question back to Shen Jingshu: "So, what congratulatory words would you like to say to your teacher and all the award-winning teachers?"

Holding the microphone, Shen Jingshu didn't offer any polite congratulations. Instead, she spoke calmly but firmly: "Host, I don't want to say anything congratulatory. I'd like to take this opportunity to ask my teacher, Wang Xuemei, a few questions."

These words immediately caused an uproar in the room.

The students below the stage were buzzing with discussion, while the school leaders and education bureau staff on stage looked surprised. The teachers had all sorts of expressions; none of them had ever seen such an occasion, where students didn't offer their blessings but instead asked questions of the teachers in public—it was truly unusual.

Wang Xuemei's smile froze for a moment, and a strange unease rose in her heart. However, because there were leaders and many students present, she could only pretend to be magnanimous: "Students, feel free to ask any questions. I will answer them to the best of my knowledge."

"Then I'll ask the first question."

Shen Jingshu's gaze was piercing as she stared intently at Wang Xuemei. Her voice was clear, cold, and forceful. "Teacher Wang, ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. I want to ask you, in these past ten years, have you slept soundly every midnight? Do you still remember a girl named Li Xiao?"

"Li Xiao"

Upon hearing those two words, Wang Xuemei's smile froze instantly. She was startled, and her fingers gripping the certificate tightened involuntarily, her fingertips turning slightly white.

She subconsciously frowned, pretending to try hard to recall, but her mind was already in turmoil.

Ten years have passed. She has deliberately forgotten this name for ten years, desperately trying to bury it in her heart and never wanting to think of it again.

But she had taught hundreds or even thousands of students, and for a moment she couldn't remember who Li Xiao was. She just felt a strange unease about the name.

After a long silence, she suppressed her inner turmoil, shook her head, and feigned confusion as she asked, "Li Xiao? I'm so sorry, I've taught too many students in the past ten years, I can't remember very well. This student, which student is this Li Xiao?"

"Can't remember?"

Shen Jingshu chuckled lightly, her tone laced with sarcasm as she pressed on, "Then let me remind Professor Wang again: this Li Xiao was one of the first students you taught when you first started teaching at Peking University, and you have an inextricable grudge against her. Do you really have absolutely no recollection of her?"

These words struck like a thunderbolt on the stage. Wang Xuemei's face turned pale instantly, her eyes began to dart around, and her composure collapsed in an instant. The fear and secret buried deep in her heart for ten years finally began to surface under Shen Jingshu's questioning.

In an instant, the lecture hall became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

At this moment, the mantra talisman controlled by Shen Jingshu exerted its ultimate power. Like an invisible shackle, it forcibly pried open Wang Xuemei's mouth, which had been tightly closed for ten years.

She initially wanted to vehemently deny it, but her mouth seemed to be firmly controlled by an invisible hand. The malice and hatred hidden deep in her heart uncontrollably surged out, each word clearly transmitted through the microphone and throughout the entire venue:

"Ha, Li Xiao? Of course I remember her! Wasn't that bitch dead a long time ago?"

Wang Xuemei suddenly raised her head, her eyes surging with lingering resentment, staring intently at Shen Jingshu. Her gaze then unconsciously swept over Shen Jingshu's face, her tone sharp and sarcastic: "Looking at your face, you have the face of a vixen. You must be just like that Li Xiao, one of those restless, promiscuous sluts!"