NOVPUB
Chapter 482: Chapter 472: A Certified Traitor (An Added Chapter for Life Like Water)
"Shen Yunfang, come with me for a moment." Teacher Zhu Zhengqi had toured the class and was very satisfied with the students’ enthusiasm for learning. Only then did he walk over to Shen Yunfang, knock on her desk, and quietly said.
Shen Yunfang looked up in surprise, not knowing what the homeroom teacher wanted from her, but without asking any questions, she stood up and followed Teacher Zhu out of the classroom.
Teacher Zhu didn’t stop at the door but instead led her straight to the department office.
"Yunfang, someone came to the school to see you. You don’t need to be afraid later, the teacher will be right by your side," Teacher Zhu explained as they walked.
This statement bewildered Shen Yunfang. Someone came to the school looking for her? And told her not to be afraid? Who would come to the school to see her and cause her to be apprehensive? She quickly searched her mind and the person she came up with was her mother-in-law Qiu Shuping.
Only she would have a motive to come to the school to trouble her and tarnish her reputation. Last month, she had received a letter from home, asking her to send money for Li Hongqi’s wedding. Shen Yunfang disliked Li Hongqi and didn’t want to spend her own money for him to enjoy, so she hadn’t sent the money right away. Instead, she had waited until after Li Hongqi’s wedding at the end of March before sending it. Whether the money actually made its way into Li Hongqi’s pocket, she couldn’t control. Nevertheless, she had sent a hundred yuan, which was the annual support money she and her husband were supposed to give to the elderly Li Family the previous year. She had noted this when sending the money, implying that she, as Li Hongqi’s second sister-in-law, hadn’t paid a cent for the wedding. She could imagine how Qiu Shuping would have cursed her upon receiving the remittance.
She couldn’t escape being labeled a miser.
Now Teacher Zhu said someone came to the school looking for her, and the first person she thought of was possibly her mother-in-law.
Shen Yunfang smiled confidently to herself. If someone had come, so be it. She had done no wrongdoing and was not afraid of anyone who came looking for her.
"Don’t worry, Teacher Zhu, there’s nothing for me to be scared of. Let’s go," she said.
Zhu Zhengqi looked at her, didn’t say anything, just nodded, and walked ahead. 𝖓𝔬𝖛𝔭𝔲𝖇.𝔠𝔬𝖒
When they arrived at the office and Shen Yunfang saw the people sitting and standing inside, she realized that she might have been mistaken.
Forget Qiu Shuping; aside from the school leaders, she didn’t recognize anyone else in the room.
"Here comes student Shen Yunfang. Come in, come in," a Mediterranean man, upon seeing Shen Yunfang following behind Zhu Zhengqi, quickly came over smiling and ushering her in.
"Who are you?" Shen Yunfang frowned and stepped back slightly. Who was this person? Reaching out and pulling her the moment they met, no wonder Teacher Zhu had warned her earlier.
Without showing any sign, Teacher Zhu shifted slightly to the side and coughed before speaking, "Shen Yunfang, it’s not right for you to just keep your head down and study all day. This is our school’s Vice Principal Tao. Hurry up and greet him. As a student, you need to act like one." He left the next sentence unsaid, as a teacher, he should also act like one. What’s with all the pulling and dragging as soon as they meet, it’s not dignified.
Trying to hold back her laughter, Shen Yunfang realized—her homeroom teacher seemed to have a very low opinion of Vice Principal Tao. But she had been attending the school for two years without ever knowing there was such a... um, impressively poised vice principal.
"Vice Principal Tao, hello," Shen Yunfang went with the flow.
Vice Principal Tao’s face was stiff as he looked at the person in front of him, but in the end, he managed to squeeze out a smile and said, "Heh, hello, come on in, the guest has been waiting for a long time." Saying this, he stepped aside to let the teacher and student duo enter on their own.
Shen Yunfang followed Teacher Zhu into the office, where all eyes were focused on her. Shen Yunfang was neither timid nor fearful; she stood there boldly, letting everyone size her up.
She had nothing to hide and didn’t mind being looked at. However, there was a gaze beside her that made her feel nauseated—as if she were being stared at by a venomous snake. She turned to look and saw two people sitting on the couch: one was the principal of the school, whom she had seen and recognized, and the other was a young man, probably in his thirties. The annoying gaze was coming from this man, as he was looking at Shen Yunfang in that same manner.
Shen Yunfang frowned, suppressing the urge to kick him, and turned her head away. She mainly feared that she would be unable to restrain herself from hitting someone, and being violent at school wouldn’t be good.
She turned her attention to Teacher Zhu and looked at him with questioning eyes, silently asking who had wanted to see her.
Teacher Zhu comforted her with his gaze before finally addressing the principal on the couch, "Principal Wang, this is our student Shen Yunfang from the class."
Oh, so it was the principal who wanted to see her. Shen Yunfang understood.
Principal Wang was the second man with a Mediterranean hairstyle she had seen here. His face was full of smiles, and upon Teacher Zhu’s introduction, he stood up and greeted Shen Yunfang, "Oh, this must be Student Shen Yunfang! Heh, your homeroom teacher mentioned that your class started an English study group, and you are the English teacher, right? That’s very impressive, indeed—our youth are admirable."
Shen Yunfang wasn’t swayed by his flattering words but smiled appropriately and said politely, "Principal Wang, you flatter me too much. I haven’t really done much, it’s just that my classmates are keen to learn more in such a favorable environment, and I happen to be slightly better in this area than my classmates, that’s why I discuss with them. I wouldn’t dare take on the title of a teacher. Besides, our excellent study environment is thanks to the school’s facilities and your wise leadership. On behalf of my whole class, I want to express our deepest respect and gratitude to you." Once Shen Yunfang entered the office, her intuition had put her in battle mode, and she thought several times before speaking to ensure there were no mistakes before slowly making her statement. Although she spoke slowly, it came across as especially sincere. Of course, flattering the principal was a necessity.
Principal Wang nodded with a smile, clearly satisfied with Shen Yunfang’s response.
"Principal Wang, the international guest is still waiting there. Shouldn’t we let them speak with Student Shen Yunfang about the important matters first?" Vice Principal Tao, who had popped up from somewhere, stood in front of Principal Wang, bowing and scraping as he spoke.
Just looking at him, you could tell he was definitely a treacherous official through and through. Shen Yunfang despised Vice Principal Tao inwardly; how could such a shameful creature appear in the sanctuary of the school?
Principal Wang seemed quite pleased and nodded at Vice Principal Tao.
Then Vice Principal Tao transformed on the spot, straightening his slightly stooped back as he turned to face Shen Yunfang and Teacher Zhu Zhengqi, "Student Shen Yunfang, this is Mr. Yoshida from Japan. He has come all the way from Japan to discuss some matters with you. As a student of Agricultural University, you must satisfy the international guest’s requests, understand?" Vice Principal Tao began to lecture her solemnly.
Shen Yunfang didn’t even want to spare him a glance; such people, who stir up trouble in their own country, are called traitors, and now with a foreigner involved, he was certainly a collaborator.
