He took a deep breath and continued, "Indeed, this is my daughter's fault, but a little quarrel and friction between two kids is quite normal. I will—"
"What do you mean by that?"
Shi Wei let out a sneer, his expression as dark as an abyss. His half-narrowed eyes carried a hint of cold danger.
His hand gently twisted his left wrist, as if preparing to make a move.
Yu Bin's spine was drenched in cold sweat. Ultimately, he couldn't withstand the oppressive dominance of the man before him.
He trembled as he took a step back, forcing a reluctant smile onto his face. "Master Shi, I'll listen to you on this. Whatever you decide, I'll do it."
Shi Wei's hand stopped moving as he looked at Yu Bin with a deep gaze. His thin lips parted slightly, "What if I want her tongue? Would you still listen?"
The moment he said this, Yu Bin's face turned deathly pale. It was as if his throat had been squeezed shut, rendering him unable to utter a single word.
The man before him was ruthless beyond measure, making Yu Bin deeply regretful.
"Master Shi... Master Shi, I'm sorry, it's all Nian Nian's fault... She's still a child. Can you please let her go?" Mrs. Yu pleaded tearfully, feeling that if she didn't step in to stop things, Yu Nian would likely be finished for good.
Shi Wei glanced at her briefly without saying a word. Instead, he turned around and walked over to Yu Zhi's side, the cold aura around him dissipating in an instant.
The young girl had just finished a piece of chocolate, and there were traces of it left on the corner of her lips. Her expression was calm, showing no signs of being frightened by his earlier words.
Shi Wei picked up a tissue from the table and gently wiped the chocolate smudge off the corner of her lips. "What do you think?"
Their proximity was so close that she could see her reflection clearly in his dark eyes.
Yu Zhi's ears turned slightly red. She uneasily snatched the tissue from his hand and turned her head slightly. "Just have her apologize."
When she had knocked Yu Nian down to the ground and made her faint, her anger had already subsided.
Shi Wei smirked faintly. "Alright. Whatever you say."
Hearing this, the Yu couple finally let out a sigh of relief. Yu Bin walked up to them and offered a sincere apology. "Master Shi, Classmate Yu, I apologize on behalf of my daughter. I'll arrange for her transfer to another school immediately to ensure she won't disturb Classmate Yu again."
Rather than leaving Yu Nian to face future ridicule or provoking Yu Zhi further and creating an unmanageable situation, it was better to transfer her to another school outright.
One had to admit, Yu Bin's approach was quite clever. It satisfied Shi Wei while preserving his daughter's dignity.
"Hmm."
Shi Wei lounged on the sofa lazily, looking entirely indifferent to whatever plans Yu Bin had made. As long as the young girl was happy, nothing else mattered to him.
And so, the matter came to a close.
Once the group had all left one after another, Zhou Xiaoqian finally relaxed entirely.
He squatted down, picking up the shattered pieces of his precious purple clay teapot, his heart aching profoundly.
Before he could even finish cleaning up, his phone started ringing again.
Seeing the caller ID, Zhou Xiaoqian was momentarily taken aback. "Secretary Li, what can I do for you?"
After a long while,
he ended the call, clutching his phone as he sat in the main seat, a deep expression flashing across his eyes.
He muttered to himself in confusion, "Just who exactly is that little girl?"
First Shi Wei, and now...
Zhou Xiaoqian sighed, somewhat perplexed, but since he couldn't figure it out, he decided not to dwell on it.
"Why did you suddenly come here?" Yu Zhi asked as she stood in the corridor, tilting her head to meet his gaze.
Her clear, almond-shaped eyes sparkled with a radiant light under the sunlight.
Shi Wei glanced at her phone, clicking his tongue lightly. "Was the chocolate good?"
"Yes, it was delicious," Yu Zhi replied, successfully distracted by his question.
The memory of the taste brought a faint smile to her lips, and she didn't even think to question why he had given her the chocolate in the first place.
Noticing her smile, Shi Wei's deep eyes rippled faintly with emotion.
A light breeze swept through the corridor, tossing strands of the girl's hair near her temples.
Shi Wei's fingers twitched slightly, as if tempted to brush the stray strands behind her ear, but she was quicker.
After tidying her hair, Yu Zhi thought about what had happened earlier that day. She pursed her lips and earnestly said, "How about I treat you to a meal someday?"
"Someday?" Shi Wei raised an eyebrow; he was free today.
Yu Zhi thought for a moment. "How about this weekend? It's the perfect time since it's a holiday."
A slight sense of anticipation rose within Shi Wei, softening his tone into something akin to an intimate murmur between lovers. "Alright, then I'll wait for you."
After agreeing to this informal plan, the two bid each other farewell. Bathed in golden light, they walked away in separate directions, their shadows fragmented across the ground.
**
The news about the new student, Yu Zhi, hitting someone quickly spread throughout the school. It went from one person to ten, then a hundred, and inevitably reached Yu Xinman's ears.
Class 1, Senior Year Three.
"Xinman, your sister is way too ruthless. He Zhenzhen said she beat Yu Nian until she was covered in blood. No one even knows if she's alive or dead!"
Zhou Lu scooted up next to Yu Xinman with a face full of indignation.
Zhou Lu was notoriously nosy and knew virtually everything about what went on at school.
Hearing what she said, a few curious classmates gathered around as well.
"Is that true?" Yu Xinman covered her mouth in shock, looking at Zhou Lu in disbelief.
Zhou Lu nodded seriously, vividly recounting the entire incident from start to finish, as though she'd witnessed it firsthand.
"My goodness, that's brutal."
"Doesn't she worry about the Yu Family seeking revenge?"
"Who knows? She..."
"..."
The students were captivated by Zhou Lu's recounting, even vividly imagining the scene themselves.
It wasn't until much later that they noticed Yu Xinman's face growing increasingly pale. Her body even began lightly trembling, as if she were overwhelmed by fright.
"Xinman, are you alright?" Zhou Lu asked worriedly, nudging her elbow.
Yu Xinman clenched the pen in her hand tightly, her expression slightly dazed. "Could... Could what that monk said back then possibly be true?"
"What monk?"
"It's... It's nothing."
"Come on, Xinman. Don't be scared—we won't tell anyone," Zhou Lu coaxed her, her curiosity piqued. "What did the monk say?"
Hesitating for a long moment, Yu Xinman bit her lower lip before reluctantly explaining, "The monk said... He said my sister is the Unlucky Star and will bring disaster to those around her..."
The words hung in the air. The classmates around her collectively gasped.
"You... You all must promise not to tell anyone about this." Tears shimmered in Yu Xinman's round eyes. "If my sister found out, she'd be so upset."
"Don't worry, we won't say a word," Zhou Lu reassured her, handing her a tissue and patting her back. "It'll be alright."