He Ying quickly stabilized her emotions, but her eyes remained somewhat red from crying. She wanted to ask the teacher for some ice to soothe them, but Teacher Zhang said it was better for her to stay like this.
“He Ying, sometimes a person who is too perfect can make others afraid. Showing flaws at the right time isn’t a bad thing. If others ask about your eyes, you can say the injection was too painful, which can actually help you bond with your classmates. This is a necessary part of moving toward your goal.”
“I understand your thoughts now. For your goal, let’s work together in every aspect, okay?”
He Ying understood all the reasoning Teacher Zhang was talking about.
Her tears earlier were, in fact, a display of vulnerability.
It seemed she had truly encountered a good teacher.
“Okay, thank you, teacher.”
He Ying walked to the door, paused, then turned back, a flicker of attachment flashing in her eyes: “Teacher Zhang, I’ll go back to class now.”
Teacher Zhang nodded: “If you feel your condition isn’t good, just take leave directly. I’ll inform all the other teachers.”
“Thank you, teacher.”
Although Teacher Zhang said this, she knew that given He Ying’s personality, she definitely wouldn’t take leave.
After He Ying left, Teacher Zhang ensured the door was securely locked again before turning toward the screen behind her and saying, “She’s gone, Principal Zhou.”
As the words fell, the person emerging from behind the screen was none other than the principal.
Anything involving He Ying required more cautious handling than usual—this was a principle every teacher kept firmly in mind. With He Ying about to withdraw from school, Teacher Zhang naturally notified the principal immediately.
The principal’s intention was to have an open and honest conversation with He Ying, but not by himself—Teacher Zhang would conduct the talk, while he listened from the sidelines.
Teacher Zhang understood: the principal feared being drawn into the conflict between both sides, causing the school to become a casualty, so he was still observing.
Actually, she had initially thought the same way.
But after talking with He Ying earlier, Teacher Zhang felt she needed to voice her judgment.
“Principal, you should have heard it earlier. This child knows everything—she even knows that if she fails, she’ll bear a stigma—but she only seeks fairness.”
The principal had naturally heard it, but he still wasn’t rushing to make a judgment.
At his position, every decision he made would affect many people.
“Teacher Zhang, children from families like He Ying’s are very skilled at deception and hiding emotions. You should know that.”
Teacher Zhang nodded: “I know. Earlier, I mentally speculated with the most malicious thoughts whether He Ying was using me, but I’m more afraid that He Ying is truly calling for help. I believe that as educators, we shouldn’t ignore a student’s signals of distress because of some unsubstantiated suspicions.”
“He Ying is also our student. We should protect her—at least we should give her a fair judgment.”
The principal remained silent for a long time. He was recalling every action He Ying had taken since entering the school, and among them, two things had truly moved him.
The first was what He Ying said when she saved Xia Shuyue.
The second was the integrity He Ying maintained during the practical class when facing prestigious education.
Indeed, He Ying seemed like a good child, but because of her background, he had always maintained a skeptical attitude toward her—wasn’t this itself bias and unfairness?
He was the principal; he should have set a proper example.
“Teacher Zhang, you know me. Hongru Academy’s standards for evaluating a student will not be influenced by external forces. That is the bottom line.”
………
He Ying returned to the classroom with slightly reddened eyes.
Her conversation with Teacher Zhang had not been short, and it was already the second period. He Ying had returned midway through the class, and her red eyes were noticed by everyone in the room.
The moment the class saw He Ying’s eyes, the room erupted.
Even though it was still class time, the battle had already begun.
Someone was sending out a report: “Alert! The young lady has returned to the classroom with red eyes, likely having cried. Now is the perfect time to make a move!”
Someone jumped the gun, directly opening a 50-person group chat named “Young Lady Conquest Squad”: “He Ying said she wasn’t feeling well and left with the teacher this morning. Now she’s back with red eyes. What should I do to get her attention?”
Someone was swooning: “The young lady looks even more beautiful when she’s been crying, what do I do? I really like her.”
Someone was worried: “Is it because of Shangguan Mingyu? Shangguan Mingyu isn’t worthy of the young lady. Next time I see him, I’ll make sure he stays away from her.”
Someone seized the opportunity, like a helpful classmate in the front row who handed He Ying a water bottle, claiming it could help her feel better.
Seeing this, the others gritted their teeth in frustration.
The teacher noticed the strange atmosphere in the classroom after He Ying’s return and reminded everyone: “Students, a truly outstanding person not only possesses self-control but also knows when to do what is appropriate.”
Upon hearing this, everyone had a sudden realization and became even more energized.
The teacher was right! Studying can be done anytime, but the young lady’s moment of vulnerability might only happen once. If we miss it, it’s gone!!
Some looked up strategies, others asked their parents, and some even bought information. By the time class ended, everyone had prepared what they thought was the perfect line to get closer to He Ying.
As soon as class was dismissed, He Ying was surrounded by people, both boys and girls.
But regardless of gender, they all shared one common trait.
“Young lady, please allow me to hold you tightly. Leaning on the desk can’t be as comforting as my embrace.”
“Young lady, I bet you’re missing a certain kind of sweetness right now—my chest~”
“Young lady, you must be exhausted. I understand you, and I know saying this out of the blue might sound suspicious, but I was really worried about you just now.”
“He Ying, everything will pass, everything will come, and everything will be yours. Please don’t be sad.”
Originally, everyone was calling her “young lady” and trying to cheer her up, but unexpectedly, someone had slipped in who didn’t know their place and tried to jump ahead.
As soon as these words were spoken, they instantly drew widespread attention from all corners of the classroom. Even MacArthur, who doesn’t exist in this world, commented: “This person is quite unusual. Most only dare to call her ‘young lady,’ but he specifically addressed her as ‘He Ying.’ So, what is so special about this form of address? Can this extraordinary man break through the fierce competition?”
The large-scale documentary, How to Soothe the Young Lady’s Sorrow, continues to air for you.
He Ying: .
Enough! She said enough! She truly felt sorry for herself!
Xia Shuyue halted her movement to stand up.
She looked towards He Ying, feeling somewhat annoyed. She hesitated for a moment, and by the time she moved, there was no space left for her to squeeze in beside He Ying.
The gap between her and He Ying was too great. If there was another chance next time, she absolutely couldn’t hesitate—she had to decisively go to find the young lady!
He Ying responded one by one to the classmates’ crazed messages, finally managing to seize the opportunity to say what Teacher Zhang had taught her: “I’m fine, I was feeling unwell earlier and got an injection. I’m a bit afraid of injections…”
Upon hearing this, it once again sparked widespread attention across the entire school.
What? How do you know that today the young lady told me she cried because she was too scared of injections?
Oh, we’re not actually that close~