Song Xu didn’t get a text back. Instead, he watched from across the stadium as Lin Xi and Bai Tiantian stood up, shouting something with heated intensity.

Gradually, the chant grew louder and clearer, rippling through the stands. Song Xu sharpened his focus, finally catching the words: “Liu Ting has no shame!”

Liu Ting? Song Xu glanced at the girl standing behind the microphone. She had just introduced herself—that was her name.

The fact that Lin Xi was protesting so publicly meant she hadn’t sold the speech; it had been stolen. Song Xu let out a cold snort. Someone was certainly bold—using her work without bothering to check who was backing her up first.

On the rostrum, the university leaders had naturally heard the commotion. They exchanged uneasy, bewildered looks. What was going on? What were they shouting?

The faculty and staff from the Law Department quickly scrambled over to the freshman section to shut it down.

“Stop that! Stop it right now!” a professor barked. “What is the meaning of this? Who started this?”

Seeing the faculty arrive, the crowd’s voices began to die down, but Bai Tiantian and Lin Xi remained standing. They were still fired up. “Liu Ting, you shameless thief! It’s illegal to steal someone else’s intellectual property!” Tiantian yelled.

“You two, get down here right now!” a department head roared, his face flushed with anger as he pointed at the girls.

The top university officials were sitting right there on the stage, along with several government dignitaries and corporate CEOs. This public scene had just made the Law Department infamous. If this went south, his own career might be on the line.

Hand in hand, Lin Xi and Bai Tiantian marched down from the bleachers.

The department head glared at them, his voice trembling with fury. “What do you think you’re doing, screaming like that? You even incited a mob! Do you have any idea what the consequences are for this kind of behavior?”

“We weren’t just ‘screaming,'” Tiantian replied, her back straight and her gaze steady. She wasn’t intimidated in the least. “That girl, Liu Ting, is using someone else’s speech without permission.”

Deputy Director Liu—Liu Ting’s uncle—was standing right behind the department head. He was seething. Stepping forward, he snapped, “Where is your proof? Spreading lies without evidence is defamation!”

Tiantian leaned in and whispered to Lin Xi, “Xi-xi, do you have proof?”

Lin Xi was moved by Tiantian’s unwavering loyalty. Her friend hadn’t even seen the evidence yet, but she had already staked her reputation on Lin Xi’s word.

Lin Xi nodded. “I do. I emailed the final draft of the speech to Teacher Wang the moment I finished it.”

As she spoke, Lin Xi shifted her gaze to Teacher Wang, who was standing at the back of the group of faculty.

Teacher Wang was breaking into a cold sweat. She’d had no idea Liu Ting was using Lin Xi’s speech. The task of selecting the representative had originally been hers, but after Deputy Director Liu intervened, she had been sidelined.

Now, she was at a crossroads. Option one: tell the truth and stand by Lin Xi. Option two: cover for her boss, Deputy Director Liu, and his niece.

Liu was her direct superior. If she crossed him, her career at the university would likely stall—or end. But she knew Lin Xi had a powerful connection, and more importantly, the speech was Lin Xi’s. If she lied, her conscience would never let her rest.

Forget it, she decided, throwing caution to the wind. She turned to the department head. “Sir, Lin Xi did indeed email that speech to me. Later, Director Liu asked to review the materials, so I forwarded it to him.”

The department head turned a sharp gaze toward the Deputy Director. “Old Liu, what’s the meaning of this?”

Deputy Director Liu shot a venomous look at Teacher Wang before masking it with a fawning smile for his superior. “Sir, Teacher Wang and this student, Lin Xi, have a… complicated relationship. You can’t take her word as gospel.”

He cleared his throat smoothly. “I helped Liu Ting revise her speech. If there are similarities, it’s likely because they both referenced the same materials online. Teacher Wang originally wanted this girl to be the representative, but since her overall qualifications didn’t measure up, I made the call to replace her. This student is likely just bitter and decided to cause a scene at this important event out of spite.”

With a few practiced sentences, he had pinned the entire blame on Teacher Wang and Lin Xi.

“This is completely unacceptable,” the department head said, tucking his hands behind his back. “Teacher Wang, you will submit a formal written statement. As for your disciplinary action, we will decide that in a faculty meeting.”

He then turned his cold eyes toward Lin Xi and Bai Tiantian. “As for these two… inciting a riot is a serious offense. You are both issued an immediate disciplinary warning. We will discuss later whether or not to proceed with expulsion.”

Teacher Wang swayed slightly. Had she gambled and lost?

“Sir…” she started to protest, but Deputy Director Liu stepped in her way, blocking her path.

“Teacher Wang, you’ve really outdone yourself this time,” Liu hissed with a cold sneer before following the department head away.

The crowd of officials dispersed, leaving Teacher Wang standing there, frozen.

“Tiantian, I’m so sorry,” Lin Xi said, looking at her friend with immense guilt. “I didn’t think it would escalate like this. I’ve dragged you into my mess.”

Tiantian gave an indifferent shrug. “Don’t sweat it, Xi-xi. Don’t worry, this will get fixed. Justice might be late, but it always shows up eventually.”

Lin Xi nodded, then turned to the teacher. “Teacher Wang, thank you for speaking up for me.”

Teacher Wang offered a bitter smile. “I’m sorry, Lin Xi. My word doesn’t carry much weight. I couldn’t help you.”

“It’s okay. I’ll get the justice we deserve.” Lin Xi looked as though she had made a final, firm decision. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

She could handle being mistreated herself, but she couldn’t stand by while others suffered for her sake.

As Song Xu’s “official” girlfriend, he wouldn’t let her be bullied—if only to save his own face. He was the most powerful resource she had, and letting him sit idle now would be a complete waste.

The call was answered almost instantly. “Xi-xi? What is it?”

Lin Xi bit her lip. She took two seconds to steady her voice before speaking. “Xu-ge… I’m in trouble.”

On the other end, Song Xu raised an eyebrow, a small smirk playing on his lips. She had actually called him the moment she hit a snag—that was progress. “Is this about your speech being stolen?”

Lin Xi blinked, realizing she had shown him the draft before. “Yeah. The department heads came over. Liu Ting’s uncle is a Deputy Director in the Law Department, and he’s flipped the script on us…”

As she reached that part, her nose felt a bit runny and her eyes stung. “Teacher Wang and Tiantian got dragged into it because of me. The department head gave us warnings and said they might even expel us.”

Song Xu actually chuckled. What a joke. “Don’t be sad, Xi-xi. I’ll take care of it. Just wait for my word.”

After hanging up, Lin Xi wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye. She didn’t know why, but hearing his voice made her feel a sudden wave of vulnerability—the kind that made her want to cry.

“Xi-xi, was that your CEO?” Tiantian asked with a grin.

This time, Lin Xi didn’t argue. She simply nodded. “He said he’d handle it. He told us to wait for news.”

She turned back to Teacher Wang. “Don’t worry, Teacher. We’re going to be fine.”

Teacher Wang felt a spark of hope return. Perhaps she hadn’t lost her gamble after all; Lin Xi’s background was clearly more formidable than a mere Deputy Director.

—

On the rostrum, Song Xu ended the call and slammed his phone onto the table with a resounding thud.

The Vice Principal sitting next to him nearly jumped out of his skin. “President Song! What happened? Why the sudden temper?”

Song Xu’s gaze turned ice-cold. “My girlfriend just got bullied by some incompetent leaders in your school who don’t know how to do their damn jobs.”