is such a good pretender.

But Lin Xun's lowered profile revealed not a trace of lust or scheming.

Those eyes, always moist and clear, were slightly widened with nervousness, yet filled with unconditional trust. Their gaze was so pure it was almost fragile, as if all their anxiety and anticipation were tied to their clasped fingers, with no other thoughts.

Yu Fuli slowly suppressed the discomfort and doubt that arose in her heart due to the excessive intimacy.

He had lived a long life and seen all sorts of people, so he considered himself fairly confident in his ability to read people and understand their hearts. At this moment, Lin Xun's expression was pure and direct, without the slightest trace of pretense. Given this child's experience and temperament, he probably didn't possess the deep cunning and acting skills to perfectly feign such sincerity in front of him.

Perhaps I'm just overthinking things.

In this isolated and stressful situation, the boy instinctively grasped at the only sense of security he could reach, just like a small boat in a stormy sea can only rely on a mooring rope, without any other complicated meaning.

Lin Xun looked across the street and began to recount clearly, word by word: "Around 5:10 pm yesterday, on my way back to the dormitory, I was stopped by them on the west path. First, Jerry (the blue-haired boy) snatched my backpack and threw it on the ground. Then Li Zhen (the tall, strong boy) and Sun Yu (the refined boy) stomped on the books and stationery inside. Jerry said, 'Does the trash in the lower city even deserve to use these things?' He even kicked the fox charm I had on my bag..."

He didn't cry or complain; he simply presented the facts objectively. But with each sentence he uttered, the expression on the other parent's face grew increasingly grim.

"Nonsense!" Jerry interrupted abruptly, standing up and pointing at Lin Xun. "Who saw us steal your things? Whose fault is it that you lost your own stuff? Who knows if you got it dirty yourself and are trying to frame us!"

"Jerry!" His father, the school board member, shouted sternly, but his eyes were fixed on Director Chen. "Director Chen, it's common for children to fight and roughhouse. Isn't it too hasty to conclude it's bullying based solely on one side of the story and some blurry pictures? Isn't there some misunderstanding?"

Although this school board member didn't really care about the incident among the students, in his view it was just a common squabble among young people, far from being a matter that required his attention.

However, this is a delicate and crucial moment – ​​the mayor of the sixth district of Upper East Side is about to be re-elected, and he is one of the most favored councilors among several strong contenders.

At this critical juncture, any negative news that may be associated with him or his family, especially those involving sensitive topics such as "condoning school bullying" or "privileges above the rules," could be exploited by political opponents as leverage to attack him and thus affect the crucial election.

Therefore, even though he didn't really care, after weighing the pros and cons, he still came in person, trying to gloss over the bullying incident.

Another parent quickly chimed in, "Yes, Director Chen, our child is usually very well-behaved. He probably just wasn't careful enough with his jokes..."

"Is this a joke?!" Yu Fuli slammed her hand on the table, pointing at the pictures. "Director Chen, according to Article 4 of Chapter 7 of the college's 'Student Code of Conduct,' maliciously damaging other people's property, if the value reaches a certain standard or causes a bad influence, can be punished with a demerit or above, and the damage must be compensated at the original price. Article 2 of Chapter 5 also applies to those who publicly insult or intimidate classmates, if the circumstances are serious."

He paused, then continued, "As for whether the evidence is weak, in addition to the existing pictures, surveillance footage, and victim statements, I think that the three students' cell phones, their communication records during the time of the incident, location information, and even whether there are relevant images in their photo albums... can all be legally and compliantly extracted and verified with the consent of their parents and the assistance of the college's technical department, in order to clear the truth."

His words were polite, even showing some consideration for the other party, but the content instantly changed the expressions of the three parents opposite him. Especially Jerry's father, who knew his son's usual behavior well, and that a thorough investigation would probably uncover more unsavory things.

A brief stalemate ensued in the meeting room.

Director Chen's gaze swept between the two parties before finally settling on the irrefutable evidence before him. He adjusted his glasses again.

"Professor Yu is right. The college's rules and regulations apply equally to all students." His voice regained its previous composure. "Based on the existing chain of evidence, the facts can be proven. On behalf of the Student Discipline Office, I have made a preliminary decision: Jerry, Li Zhen, and Sun Yu's actions constitute malicious damage to others' property and personal insult. The facts are clear, and the impact is egregious. All three are hereby given a demerit, which will be recorded. They are ordered to compensate Lin Xun for all losses by the end of tomorrow's school day and submit a written apology of no less than two thousand words. Furthermore, the false posts on the forum must be deleted immediately, and Jerry, the poster, must publish a formal apology on the college's internal forum this week."

He looked at the three students, whose faces were ashen: "Do you have any objections to the above measures?"

"Why should I?!"

Jerry wanted to say something, but a stern glare from his father silenced him. The other two boys had already lost their temper and shook their heads dejectedly.

"Then, please sign here to confirm the handling result and supervise its implementation." Director Chen pushed the handling decision in front of the parents. "If similar behavior occurs again, it will be directly upgraded to probation or expulsion."

As they left the conference room, dusk was approaching. Lin Xun silently followed behind Yu Fuli until they walked out of the administration building, where the evening breeze seemed to relieve all her exhaustion.

"Teacher..." he said softly, his voice a little hoarse, "Thank you."

Yu Fuli stopped and looked back at him.

The boy's eyes held no excitement of revenge, only a sense of relief and exhaustion, and a feeling of bewilderment.

"The outcome of this case is only the first step," Yu Fuli said softly. "Compensation and apologies are the price they have to pay. But some things, like prejudice and malice, won't disappear just because of a disciplinary action. You may still encounter similar troubles in the future."

He looked at Lin Xun's slightly dimmed eyes and changed the subject: "But at least this time, you learned to protect yourself within the rules, and you also showed everyone that the rules should be followed."