Can't Possibly Fall for My Wife Again After Rebirth, Right? - Chapter 16

Li Yuwen led Xu Yingran out of Class 5. Before entering the office, the teacher cast a deep, lingering look back at her, making Xu Yingran feel incredibly uneasy.

She couldn’t understand why she was suddenly being summoned to the office out of the blue.

However, as she followed Li Yuwen inside, she spotted two people sitting by the head teacher’s desk. There was a man and a woman; the woman was dressed in bright, gaudy colors, sporting the small permed curls popular at the time and wearing bold red lipstick. The man, by contrast, looked rather disheveled and soot-faced, his clothes appearing unkempt.

Just as Xu Yingran was wondering who they were, Li Yuwen said to the pair, “This is Xu Yingran.”

The woman looked up at her, her eyes filled with impatience. She shot a glance at the listless man beside her and snapped, “She’s here. You talk to her.”

The man remained silent. He stared at Xu Yingran for a long while but couldn’t seem to find the words. In the end, it was Li Yuwen who spoke up.

“These two are Chen Yu’s parents,” Li Yuwen explained. “Last night, Chen Yu told me everything about how she bullied you. Her parents came here first thing this morning seeking your forgiveness.”

Xu Yingran understood immediately. Chen Yu had likely run home trembling with fear the night before and struggled with herself for a long time before finally calling the head teacher. This morning, she probably lacked the courage to even show up at school, sending her parents to handle it instead.

As Xu Yingran calmly observed this distinctive pair of parents, she began to understand why Chen Yu had such an extreme personality.

With a father too timid to speak and a mother who was flashy and restless, it was hard for a household like this to be stable.

“Young lady, look, this isn’t really such a big deal,” Chen Yu’s mother said. “Why don’t we just settle this quietly? we can compensate you with some money. There’s really no need for a demerit or school probation, is there?”

Xu Yingran didn’t say a word, but Li Yuwen spoke up.

“Mrs. Chen, this is not a small matter,” Li Yuwen said firmly. “Chen Yu has been a problem student since her freshman year. I refrained from being too harsh because she’s a girl, and because you parents never checked in or asked questions, she has now escalated to this behavior.”

“Oh, come on, how big could it be?” Chen Yu’s mother said dismissively. “Which kids don’t get into a few scuffles? Why take it so seriously?”

“She intercepted a student on campus and blocked her in an alleyway. If no one had stepped in to help, Chen Yu might be at the police station right now.” Li Yuwen felt helpless dealing with such muddled parents. Frowning, she added, “Chen Yu is eighteen years old; she is an adult. She must accept the punishment for her illegal and criminal actions.”

Chen Yu’s mother didn’t like the sound of that. “What do you mean ‘illegal and criminal’? Did our Chen Yu kill someone or set a fire? How can you talk like that, Teacher?”

Li Yuwen was also getting annoyed. “Mrs. Chen, now is not the time to argue with me. The main thing you need is to obtain the victim’s forgiveness.”

Chen Yu’s mother rolled her eyes and said, “Isn’t that what I’m doing with this kid right now? If you hadn’t kept butting in, we’d be done talking already.”

This arrogant attitude was exactly like Chen Yu’s. Even the head teacher was rendered speechless for a moment. Finally, she turned to Xu Yingran and asked, “What are your thoughts?”

Xu Yingran asked instead, “Did Chen Yu not come to school today?”

“Our Chen Yu is sick; she can’t even get out of bed,” the mother claimed. “Look, student, let’s just discuss this. You’re classmates, after all. Besides, it’s senior year. Having a major demerit and probation on Chen Yu’s record doesn’t do you any good, does it?”

“How could it not be good?” Xu Yingran countered. “At least then she won’t be so brazen at school every day. Our class’s learning environment might actually improve.”

The mother’s expression soured. “You’re all classmates; is that really necessary? How about this: our family will compensate you a few thousand yuan as ‘mental distress’ fees. What do you think?”

A few thousand yuan was equivalent to one or two months’ salary for an average family. Chen Yu’s mother figured a high school senior wouldn’t have seen much of the world and could be easily swayed.

She didn’t expect that Xu Yingran wouldn’t buy it at all.

“Yesterday, Chen Yu told me that in addition to reporting the situation to the teachers and the principal, she would write a formal self-reflection and read it aloud in front of the entire school,” Xu Yingran said, pretending to ponder. “How can she go back on her word?”

At these words, Chen Yu’s mother couldn’t sit still. She shot up from her chair and shouted at Xu Yingran in a fit of rage, “Look, kid, we are discussing this with you nicely. How can you say something so heartless?”

“When did our Chen Yu ever go back on her word? Instead of a situation where everyone loses, why not sit down and talk properly? We’ll give you as much money as you want,” she continued. “Why do you have to be so aggressive?”

Xu Yingran was truly witnessing the “diversity of the human species.” Since entering the room, she had only said two or three sentences, while this woman had been rattling on like a machine gun—and yet, Xu Yingran was the one being accused of being “aggressive.”

It was almost comical.

Li Yuwen had seen enough. She had never encountered such thick-skinned parents. She slapped the desk and barked, “Do you think this is a marketplace? What’s with all the shouting?!”

Chen Yu’s mother pointed a finger at Xu Yingran’s nose. “Teacher Li, look at the students in your class! How could you raise someone so emboldened? You have to stand up for our Chen Yu!”

The scene at Li Yuwen’s desk was so lively that the other teachers in the office turned their heads to watch, huddling together to get a better look.

Chen Yu’s mother seemed to be the type who got more excited the more people watched. Seeing the audience, her “performer” personality activated instantly. She began hollering at the top of her lungs, so much so that before Li Yuwen could respond, the quiet man sitting beside her finally snapped.

“Will you just shut up?!” the man roared at his wife. “This is a school! Why are you screaming? Can’t you talk to the child properly instead of acting like a common shrew?”

“A shrew?” The woman was shocked. “Old Chen, I’m trying to get justice for your daughter! If you won’t help me, fine, but how can you take their side?”

The father’s face turned a deep crimson. He stammered, “You… you’re making a—a fool of yourself!”

“Making a fool of myself?” The woman’s voice jumped an octave. “I didn’t mind your pathetic looks, and now you have the nerve to call me a fool?! If it weren’t for the fact that we have a child together, do you think I’d be willing to set foot anywhere with you?!”

As the two of them argued incessantly, Xu Yingran stood to the side with her arms crossed, enjoying the show. However, before she could see much more, the old Principal walked in with a stern expression.

“What is all this shouting about?” the Principal barked, his face dark with displeasure. “If you don’t want to talk properly, then leave immediately. Our school does not welcome you.”