It’s enough to give one a headache.

Principal’s Office. Kumamoto Masao gazed at Chen Ruowen, who was appearing before him for the third time, and felt as if his head might split in two.

Chen Ruowen again!

Nothing good ever comes of anything involving Chen Ruowen!

When he’d received Gaotang’s WeChat message, Kumamoto Masao had originally wanted to steer clear of this mess. These three were the most troublesome students in the entire First High, and now they’d gathered together. Just thinking about it made his head ache.

But what could he do? He was the principal!

No matter how much trouble it might be, he still had to face it head-on, seriously investigate the matter, send the unrelated parents away with fairness and courtesy, and politely usher these three “Buddhas” into his office.

Well, the trouble was threefold, but the “Buddha” was only one.

She was sitting confidently in the center of the sofa, nibbling at the fruit platter his secretary had freshly cut. That was supposed to be his breakfast, for heaven’s sake!

“Is it good?” Gaotang asked curiously, seeing Chen Ruowen enjoying herself.

“It’s all right, a bit better than the school cafeteria,” she replied.

“You’ve eaten at the cafeteria?” Gaotang was incredulous. “Doesn’t seem like something you’d do.”

Chen Ruowen spread her hands. “I didn’t think it was, either.”

Gaotang didn’t press further. By now, he could guess why Chen Ruowen had eaten at the cafeteria. He didn’t want to hear Bai Jinyan’s name again during their precious moments together.

Kumamoto Masao watched the two on the sofa chatting idly and felt another surge of frustration. But… Looking at Guo Jingyuan standing obediently to the side, the picture of a good student, he finally felt a bit of comfort.

At least one of them was cowed by his principal’s authority and wouldn’t dare act out. If all three came to the principal’s office just to play cards together, he’d be truly exasperated.

Wait a minute.

Kumamoto Masao suddenly realized: With himself included, there were four people. They could… play mahjong!

Mahjong…! He shook himself. What was he thinking? He was the principal!

At that moment, Chen Ruowen waved Guo Jingyuan over. “Come here.”

Guo Jingyuan, who had just been standing in punishment, immediately trotted over, her bright eyes fixed on Chen Ruowen like a little pet greeting its owner.

Chen Ruowen handed her a piece of apple. “Did you eat breakfast?”

“No,” Guo Jingyuan shook her head honestly, cradling the small apple piece as if it were a nugget of gold, taking tiny bites with great care.

---

“I didn’t eat breakfast either,” Gaotang leaned closer to Chen Ruowen, his alluring eyes smiling at her. “Why not feed me a piece, too?”

Chen Ruowen raised an eyebrow. “Are you still half asleep?”

Kumamoto Masao nearly slammed the table in anger.

The only obedient one was now joining them for a snack! These three really were about to play cards together!

And that Gaotang—while Kumamoto’s own hair was graying from worry, the boy was flirting right in front of him!

Kumamoto Masao couldn’t take it anymore.

“All right,” he cleared his throat, snatching a slice of orange from the nearly empty fruit platter. “She’s already left. What more do you want?”

Chen Ruowen handed another piece of apple to Guo Jingyuan, noticing that her complexion was growing paler, then finally turned to Kumamoto Masao.

“Principal Kumamoto, how could an unrelated outsider slip into the classroom building during school hours? I seriously question First High’s security measures.”

Kumamoto explained, “First High isn’t a boarding school. It’s normal for parents to visit their children.”

Never mind others—didn’t you arrive with a whole entourage of drivers and assistants when you enrolled?

“A parent? Whose parent?” Chen Ruowen looked around, as if she didn’t understand what he was saying.

Gaotang was the first to answer, “Definitely not mine.”

Guo Jingyuan bit her lip, her face pale, but finally summoned the courage to speak.

“My… mother passed away two years ago.”

“Certainly not mine,” Chen Ruowen declared. “No woman that ugly would be from my family.”

Kumamoto Masao sighed inwardly, though this time he held his tongue.

He actually knew Guo Jingyuan’s situation—she’d come up from First High’s junior section.

Back then, she was class president, excellent grades, polite, gentle, and beautiful. Many teachers knew her.

In her first year of high school, her mother’s death seemed to hit her hard. After the funeral, she returned to school transformed: withdrawn, timid, rumored to mix with unsavory people, completely fallen.

High school teachers’ opinions of her were bleak, a total contrast to her junior high days.

Kumamoto Masao hadn’t paid much attention to Guo Jingyuan before. But anyone who’d reached his position was no fool. Chen Ruowen had laid it out plainly, and with Gaotang’s video and Guo Jingyuan’s behavior, what wasn’t clear?

“Guo Jingyuan’s situation is special. Most students wouldn’t have to face such circumstances…”

“But when they do, they’re ruined,” Chen Ruowen said meaningfully.

“First High won’t let any student be ruined within these walls,” Kumamoto Masao replied gravely. “I’ll give strict instructions— that woman will never again set foot on campus.”

“And what about the impact? You saw her behavior. It’s easy to send her away, but how will you erase the harm she’s caused?”

---

Kumamoto Masao was troubled.

Even public figures with corporate PR struggle to “clean” their reputations, and Guo Jingyuan’s situation had festered for so long. How could the influence vanish overnight?

Guo Jingyuan watched the two discussing her fate and finally spoke, timidly.

“May I… speak?”

“Go ahead,” Chen Ruowen replied.

“It doesn’t matter anymore.” She looked at Chen Ruowen. “I don’t care if others believe me or not. It’s enough if you do.”

“What do you mean?” Chen Ruowen didn’t understand.

“I don’t want to stay at school… I want… to take leave.” Worried about misunderstanding, Guo Jingyuan quickly clarified, “I mean, there aren’t any real classes now, just exercises and explanations. I can do all that without coming to school.”

Chen Ruowen regarded her. “Guo Jingyuan, I won’t force you now, but you’ll have to learn to face this someday. Think it over.”

Guo Jingyuan nodded. “I know… I just want to survive the entrance exam first.”

This time, Chen Ruowen said nothing. Guo Jingyuan then turned to Kumamoto Masao. “Principal, may I… take leave?”

Kumamoto Masao sighed, but nodded.

Leave was probably for the best. He’d heard that Guo Jingyuan was currently staying at Chen Ruowen’s house; that atmosphere would surely be better for her than school or her own home, and would help her prepare for the exam.

Seeing both sides agree, a faint smile finally appeared on Guo Jingyuan’s pale face.

On the other side, Chen Ruowen kicked Gaotang under the table.

“Do me a favor.”

“Sure,” Gaotang replied without hesitation.

Chen Ruowen wasn’t pleased. “You don’t even know what I want, and you agreed so fast?”

“Of course I know.” He leaned in, whispering in her ear, “You want me to bring Guo Jingyuan the answer keys and highlight the important topics?”

Chen Ruowen shot him a mildly annoyed look. Gaotang laughed softly, his beautiful eyes fixed on her, smiling as he whispered,

“And how will you thank me? How about treating me to dinner?”

“Fine,” Chen Ruowen nodded. Before Gaotang could be pleased, she pointed at Guo Jingyuan. “I’ll bring her along.”

Finally landing a dinner invitation, only to have to bring a third wheel…

Gaotang’s heart was full of complaints.