Zhao Zeli finally regained her senses. Looking at the few people drawn over by their argument, her mind raced for a solution.
“Mom, please stop. I know I was wrong.”
“You know you were wrong now? It’s too late. Are you afraid of being embarrassed in front of your classmates? I’ll let them know what kind of person you are, that you dare to hit your own mother.”
As she spoke, she began listing Zhao Zeli’s faults, from big ones like lying and stealing money to small ones like wetting her pants as a child.
“I didn’t, I didn’t. I didn’t take the money. Don’t believe her. At home, they prefer sons. My mom just wants me to give up my studies.”
“You dare to deny it? Where did you get the money for that necklace? I found the rest of the money in your room too.”
Zhao Zeli bit her lip, unsure how to explain. Her mother scoffed.
“Did Zhong Yujin buy it for you? So young and shameless, dating already. Do you even know what love is?”
“No, he didn’t buy it for me.”
“Then you still dare to say you didn’t steal my money? You’re an ungrateful wretch.”
With two teachers present, the classmates dared not comment, but they still had their own opinions about the matter.
Feeling the constantly increasing “embarrassment points,” Zhao Zeli became frantic. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she looked at Teacher Zhou pleadingly.
Teacher Zhou helplessly stepped forward. “Madam, please calm down. This is a school, and the students are in class. Please don’t make such a loud scene.”
“Wasn’t she making a loud scene just now? My voice is quite soft.” Zhao’s mother, knowing she was in the wrong, lowered her voice slightly.
Teacher Xu glared, and the classmates who were watching the commotion quickly dispersed. The mother and daughter calmed down, and they returned to Teacher Xu’s office.
When the police arrived, the mother and daughter stopped their fussing and were very cooperative. The mediating officer then left.
Zhao Zeli, not wanting to accumulate more embarrassment points, actively admitted her mistakes, receiving the same treatment as Zhong Yujin.
Zhao’s mother said with dissatisfaction, “Teacher, this is just a small matter. Why did you have to call the police?”
Teacher Zhou replied, “You two were fighting, and you call that a small matter? You can’t just suppress your child. You should go back now.”
“Hmph, if you call me again, I won’t come,” she declared.
With that, Zhao’s mother exited the office with her head held high. The security guard breathed a sigh of relief once she was out of the school gates.
Zhao Zeli returned to class. Seeing the curious glances of her classmates, she slumped onto her desk and cried.
Her deskmate was startled. The usually lively girl hadn’t said a word all afternoon.
Zhao Zeli was distracted throughout the lesson. With a total of 400 embarrassment points, she kept thinking of ways to resolve the situation.
Jun Jiuli: “This is getting interesting. You’re quite useful.”
Shui Wa: “It’s all thanks to the host helping me upgrade! Changing a small system is a piece of cake. More upgrades, more surprises~”
“Scram, I’m not accepting ads.”
“Hmm… this isn’t an ad.”
It was Saturday, and after school, everyone was packing up their belongings to go home. As Zhao Zeli walked to the first floor, she saw Jun Jiuli and a few friends heading towards their dormitory building, books in hand. Her jealousy intensified.
Why was she always alone? Even her roommates didn’t want to walk with her. Was she really that detestable?
When she returned to the dormitory, everyone was busy packing. No one greeted her. Like a ghost, she returned to her bed and pulled the quilt over herself.
Only when the dormitory fell silent did she get up to wash. She wanted to read a book but didn’t know which one to pick. Checking her phone, she saw that no one had messaged her.
Zhao Zeli finally couldn’t hold back her tears. As she cried herself tired and was about to fall asleep, her phone suddenly rang. Zhao Zeli fumbled for her phone and answered groggily.
“Zhao Zeli, are you crazy? Damn it, it’s all your fault. You got me beaten by my dad. You’re a jinx. I’ve broken up with you, and it’s my freedom to chase whoever I want. You…”
The girl’s eyes lit up as she saw a young woman approaching. She gestured a few more times, combining them with the papers, and Zhao Zeli immediately understood her meaning.
The elderly woman, seeing a young lady coming over, immediately turned to leave. Zhao Zeli grabbed her.
“Auntie, please don’t go. She’s a scammer. You need to get her to return that 10 yuan.”
The scammer immediately waved her hands, and the auntie looked bewildered.
“You’re deliberately bothering the auntie because she’s alone, knowing she’s too shy to refuse you and won’t let you leave.”
“It’s okay, dear. It’s just 10 yuan. I think this child is quite pitiful.”
“Auntie, you don’t understand. She’s not letting you leave because she thinks 10 yuan is too little. What she meant just now was that if you donate 30 yuan, you can leave your name on this paper.”
The auntie looked strange. “What’s the use of leaving my name on this lousy paper? If she thinks 10 yuan is too little, then give it back.”
Saying this, the auntie immediately took her 10 yuan back from the girl and put it in her pocket. Seeing this, the young girl tried to run, but Zhao Zeli grabbed her.