Chapter 636: 335 Doubt

Suddenly the sound of a ringing phone disrupted the tense atmosphere.

Ming Jing, under everyone’s gaze, took out her phone from her coat pocket.

“Alright, I’ll be there right away.”

Ming Jing hung up the phone and said to Li Qingyao, Jiang Jinchen, and Charles Gao, “I had a great time at dinner today. I’ll treat you all next time. I have to go now, I have something to attend to.”

Li Qingyao stood up, “I’ll see you off.”

Jiang Jinchen nodded slightly, “It’s raining heavily outside, be careful when driving.”

Ming Jing smiled and nodded, then left with Li Qingyao.

Lin Tao quickly caught up, holding up an umbrella for Ming Jing.

“Director Lin, instead of spending time on this, you should be advising Principal Liu to straighten out the school’s atmosphere. Don’t let one or two bad apples tarnish the good reputation of a century-old prestigious school.”

The car stopped in front of her, Ming Jing waved goodbye to Li Qingyao and got in.

Soon, the black sedan disappeared in the rain and gradually became a small speck.

Lin Tao looked at Li Qingyao, “You and Ms. Ming Jing….?”

Li Qingyao quickly waved, “Ming Jing and my cousin are good friends. She only had dinner with me because of my cousin. Please don’t get the wrong idea, Director.”

Li Qingyao quickly left after saying this.

Lin Tao snorted, “They’re all so slippery.”

He frowned, worrying about the potential fallout of the failed collaboration and Principal Liu’s wrath.

In the end, it all came down to the lax discipline of Professor Hu’s daughter. If she had only bullied her classmates in private, he might have turned a blind eye. But publically causing trouble for Ms. Ming Jing was crossing the line.

This was someone who didn’t tolerate any ill behavior, and considering the disrespectful words of Hu Guo’er towards Ms. Ming Jing, her restraint was already incredibly admirable.

In short, this problem wasn’t going to be resolved easily.

He wondered what Professor Hu would come up with this time to help his daughter shirk responsibility. Ming Jing’s words echoed in his mind — a father’s failure to teach his child is a disgrace. Hu Guo’er’s fate today was the result of Professor Hu’s indulgence.

As he returned to Principal Liu’s office, he saw a group of people huddled around, hearing Professor Hu’s heart-wrenching voice from inside.

“You still won’t admit your mistake? How could I have a stubborn and unrepentant daughter like you? You’re going to drive me insane.”

“It wasn’t my fault! Even if you beat me to death, I won’t admit it.” Hu Guo’er stubbornly retorted, her neck stiff.

“You…!” Professor Hu raised his hand and slapped her fiercely.

“You’re really going to drive me mad.”

Hu Guo’er covered her face incredulously, “You actually hit me?”

“Old Hu, calm down. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Liu Cheng hastily stood up to defuse the situation. Unexpectedly, instead of defending his daughter, Professor Hu grabbed her and brought her to the principal’s office. He made her write a letter of apology and admit her mistake, then apologize to Lin Ya and Ming Jing in person. What else could Liu Cheng say to that?

But Hu Guo’er behaved stubbornly, insisting she wasn’t at fault and refusing to apologize, which enraged Liu Cheng even more.

Did they all just wrongly accuse her?

Liu Cheng had heard of Hu Guo’er’s antics, and between Lin Ya and Hu Guo’er, anyone would believe Lin Ya.

“Guo’er, it’s commendable to admit your mistakes and change. If you continue like this, not only will you hurt yourself, but your father will be implicated. Think about how hard it was for him to raise you.”

“I did nothing wrong. No matter how many times you say it, I’m still innocent. I didn’t push her. She deliberately fell and framed me.” Hu Guo’er was furious that no one, not even her normally doting father, believed her.

“You… you’re really going to drive me to my grave.” Professor Hu suddenly clutched his chest and collapsed to the ground.

The scene was chaotic, as no one had the mind to watch the drama unfold. While Professor Hu may have truly loved his daughter, it was a pity she didn’t appreciate it.

With a daughter like Guo’er, Professor Hu’s future looked bleak.

Liu Cheng had no time to pursue responsibility further as he hurriedly called an ambulance to send Professor Hu to the hospital.

Hu Guo’er was utterly shocked, reduced to a tearful mess.

—-

The car entered the Zhus’ Mansion, and Madam Zhou hurried to greet them.

“Miss, you’re finally here.”

“Madam Zhou, how is grandma?”

“Dr. Wu just left. She took the medicine and is resting now. Ma’am had been worried about you, so I took the liberty of calling you.”

Ming Jing walked into the living room, “What did Dr. Wu say?”

“She’s getting old and it’s mostly the same old issues. Last night, we received a few crabs as a gift, and knowing how much ma’am likes them, I steamed two. I only let her eat half as you mentioned before that her spleen and stomach were weak and she shouldn’t eat these cold foods. Who would have thought that she got hungry in the middle of the night and went into the kitchen to eat the remaining half crab herself? Since this morning, she hasn’t been feeling well. It’s all my fault.”