闻舒月站在县第一实验小学的门口，手心微微出汗。她身上是一件洗得有些发白的棉布裙子，是她最好的一件衣服，但在周围那些打扮时髦的老师中，显得格格不入。
她深吸一口气，攥紧了手里那份从山村小学转来的特级教师档案，鼓起勇气走进了教导处。
“新来的？闻舒月？”一个尖利的声音响起。
说话的是教导主任于莉莉，她上下打量着闻舒月，眼神里的轻蔑毫不掩饰，最后目光落在那条棉布裙子上，嗤笑一声：“哟，我们县城小学的门槛现在这么低了？从哪个山沟沟里来的，穿得跟七十年代一样。”
办公室里其他几个老师立刻哄笑起来。
闻舒月脸颊发烫，但还是礼貌地递上档案：“于主任您好，我是新来报到的。”
于莉莉用两根手指嫌弃地捏过档案袋，随手扔在桌上，靠在椅背上，阴阳怪气地说：“特级教师？山里的特级教师，含金量有多少，谁知道呢？别以为进了我们实验小学就一步登天了，这儿的水，深着呢。”
闻舒月捏紧了衣角，没有说话。她知道，从她踏入这个地方的第一秒起，战争就已经开始了。
这时，一个腆着肚子的中年男人走了进来，他就是校长马卫国。他扫了闻舒月一眼，那眼神和于莉莉如出一辙，充满了居高临下的审视。
“舅舅，”于莉莉立刻换上一副谄媚的笑脸，“这就是那个从乡下来的闻老师。”
一声“舅舅”让闻舒月瞬间明白了于莉莉的底气从何而来。
马卫国清了清嗓子，官腔十足地说道：“闻老师，欢迎你。我们学校呢，讲究的是人尽其才。考虑到你来自基层，经验丰富，我决定给你一个重要的任务，磨练磨练你。”
他顿了顿，脸上露出一丝难以捉摸的笑意：“你就去带六（4）班吧。”
话音刚落，办公室里一片倒吸冷气的声音，几个老师交换着幸灾乐祸的眼神。
六（4）班，全校闻名的“垃圾班”。学生纪律涣散，成绩常年垫底，家长非富即贵，个个都是难缠的主儿，已经气走了三个班主任了。把这个班分给一个新来的乡下老师，明摆着是想让她不出三个月就自己滚蛋。
“校长，这……”闻舒月想争取一下，她不怕带差班，但她怕这种明目张胆的不公。
马卫国脸色一沉：“怎么？闻老师是对我的安排有意见吗？还是觉得我们庙小，容不下你这尊大佛？不想干可以直说，外面有的是人挤破头想进来！”
于莉莉在一旁煽风点火：“就是，闻老师，校长这是器重你，别不识抬举。”
闻舒月看着他们一唱一和的嘴脸，把所有的话都咽了回去。她知道，任何辩解都是徒劳的。她挺直了背脊，平静地说：“谢谢校长，我服从安排。”
她拿起那份被嫌弃的档案，转身走出了办公室。身后，是于莉莉等人毫不掩饰的嘲笑声。
走进六（4）班的教室，闻舒月的心沉到了谷底。教室里乱得像个垃圾场，桌椅歪七扭八，地上满是纸团和零食袋。学生们有的在打闹，有的在玩手机，根本没人看她一眼。
这就是她的新战场。
闻舒月没有发火，只是默默地拿起扫帚，开始打扫卫生。学生们愣了一下，随即发出一阵哄笑。
“快看，新来的班主任是个清洁工！”
“乡下来的吧，就会干这个。”
闻舒arrived at the entrance of the county's No. 1 ExperimentalPrimary School, her palms slightly sweaty. She was wearing a fadedcotton dress, her best piece of clothing, but among the fashionablydressed teachers around her, she looked out of place.
She took a deep breath, clutched the file of the special-gradeteacher transferred from a mountain village school, and mustered thecourage to walk into the dean's office.
"The new one? Wen Shuyue?" a sharp voice sounded.
The speaker was the Dean of Instruction, Yu Lili. She looked WenShuyue up and down, the contempt in her eyes undisguised. Her gazefinally landed on the cotton dress, and she sneered, "Well, well, thestandards for our county's primary school are quite low now, aren'tthey? Which remote village did you crawl out of, dressed like you'refrom the seventies?"
The other teachers in the office immediately burst into laughter.
Wen Shuyue's cheeks burned, but she still politely handed over herfile. "Hello, Dean Yu. I'm here to report for duty."
Yu Lili disdainfully pinched the file folder with two fingers, tossedit on the desk, and leaned back in her chair. "Special-grade teacher?"she said sarcastically. "Who knows how much a special-grade teacher fromthe mountains is really worth? Don't think you've made it to heaven justby getting into our experimental primary school. The water here isdeep."
Wen Shuyue clutched the hem of her dress, silent. She knew that fromthe moment she stepped into this place, the battle had alreadybegun.
Just then, a middle-aged man with a potbelly walked in. It was theprincipal, Ma Weiguo. He glanced at Wen Shuyue with the samecondescending, scrutinizing look as Yu Lili.
"Uncle," Yu Lili immediately put on a fawning smile, "this is the newteacher, Wen, from the countryside."
The word "uncle" instantly made Wen Shuyue understand the source ofYu Lili's confidence.
Ma Weiguo cleared his throat and spoke in a bureaucratic tone."Teacher Wen, welcome. Our school believes in using everyone's talentsto the fullest. Considering you come from the grassroots and have richexperience, I've decided to give you an important task to temperyou."
He paused, a faint, inscrutable smile on his face. "You'll be incharge of Class 6-4."
As soon as he finished speaking, a collective gasp was heard in theoffice. Several teachers exchanged schadenfreude-filled glances.
Class 6-4 was notoriously known as the "trash class." The studentswere undisciplined, their grades were always at the bottom, and theirparents were either rich or powerful, each one a handful. It had alreadydriven away three homeroom teachers. Assigning this class to a newteacher from the countryside was a clear attempt to make her quit withinthree months.
"Principal, this..." Wen Shuyue wanted to protest. She wasn't afraidof a challenging class, but she was afraid of such blatantinjustice.
Ma Weiguo's face darkened. "What? Does Teacher Wen have a problemwith my arrangement? Or do you think our small temple can't accommodatea great Buddha like you? If you don't want the job, just say so. Thereare plenty of people lining up to get in!"
Yu Lili fanned the flames from the side. "Exactly, Teacher Wen. Theprincipal is showing his high regard for you. Don't be ungrateful."
Wen Shuyue looked at their coordinated performance and swallowed allher words. She knew any explanation would be futile. She straightenedher back and said calmly, "Thank you, Principal. I accept thearrangement."
She picked up the despised file and walked out of the office, thesound of Yu Lili's and the others' undisguised ridicule followingher.
Walking into the classroom of 6-4, Wen Shuyue's heart sank to thebottom. The room was a mess, like a garbage dump. Desks and chairs wereaskew, and the floor was littered with paper balls and snack bags. Somestudents were roughhousing, others were playing on their phones. No oneeven glanced at her.
This was her new battlefield.
Wen Shuyue didn't get angry. She quietly picked up a broom andstarted cleaning. The students were stunned for a moment, then burst outlaughing.
"Look, the new homeroom teacher is a janitor!"
"Must be from the countryside. That's all she knows how to do."
Wen Shuyue ignored them. She cleaned the classroom from top tobottom, arranged the desks neatly, and wiped the blackboard until itshone. When she finished, the once chaotic classroom was clean andtidy.
She stood on the podium and looked at the still-indifferent students.Her voice was gentle but firm. "My name is Wen Shuyue. From today, I amyour homeroom teacher."
No one responded. A boy in the front row with dyed yellow hair blew abubble with his gum and popped it loudly, a look of provocation on hisface.
Wen Shuyue smiled faintly. "I know you don't like me, and you mightthink I can't teach you anything. But I promise you, give me one month.In one month, I will make this class the envy of the entire school."
Her words were met with even louder laughter. "Is she crazy?" "Dreamon!"
The yellow-haired boy stood up and sneered, "Teacher, bragging iseasy. How about we make a bet? If you can't do it, you get out of hereon your own. If you can... well, that's impossible anyway."
"Okay," Wen Shuyue agreed without hesitation. "It's a deal."
In the days that followed, Wen Shuyue poured all her heart and soulinto Class 6-4. She didn't use harsh discipline. Instead, she discoveredeach student's strengths. She found that the yellow-haired boy, Li Hao,was actually a math genius, just lazy. She found that the quiet girl inthe corner was a gifted artist. She tailored her teaching methods toeach student, using vivid stories and interesting games to make learningfun.
Gradually, the atmosphere in Class 6-4 changed. The students who usedto sleep or play on their phones started listening in class. Theclassroom, which was once a mess, was now spotless every day. Li Hao,under her guidance, even won first place in a city-level mathcompetition.
The entire school was shocked. No one could believe that the "trashclass" had undergone such a transformation.
Soon, the annual school-wide public teaching competition wasannounced. The winner would be nominated for the Provincial OutstandingTeacher award. Everyone knew this award was internally decided for YuLili. It was her ticket to a promotion.
Yu Lili had already started celebrating in advance, but the suddenrise of Class 6-4 made her feel a sense of crisis. Especially when theCity Education Bureau's inspection team came for a surprise visit andhappened to witness a pop quiz in Class 6-4. The students' outstandingperformance and Wen Shuyue's unique teaching methods earned high praisefrom the inspectors.
This made Wen Shuyue a thorn in the side of Principal Ma and YuLili.
On the day of the public class, Yu Lili went first. She was lecturingon a classic poem. To everyone's surprise, her lesson plan, herphrasing, and even the examples she used were almost identical to whatWen Shuyue had used in her class a few days prior.
The students of Class 6-4 were in an uproar. "She copied TeacherWen's lesson!"
Wen Shuyue sat in the audience, her face calm, but her fists wereclenched tightly. She never imagined Yu Lili would be so shameless as toplagiarize her work in front of the entire school and the expertpanel.
Because she was using someone else's material, Yu Lili's lecture wasstiff and full of holes. She barely managed to finish.
In the final Q&A session, Li Hao, the yellow-haired boy, suddenlyraised his hand. "Teacher Yu, I have a question."
Yu Lili, flustered, pointed at him. "Speak."
Li Hao stood up and asked a very tricky, out-of-syllabus questionrelated to the poem. "Teacher, you mentioned the poet's allusion to ahistorical event. But in another historical text, there's a conflictingaccount. How should we interpret this contradiction from a literaryperspective?"
The entire room fell silent. This question was beyond the scope of aprimary school teacher, testing deep historical and literaryknowledge.
Yu Lili's face turned pale. She stammered, "This... this student,don't ask questions unrelated to the class..."
"How is it unrelated?" Li Hao pressed on. "You're the one who broughtup the allusion. If you can't even explain it clearly, how can you teachus?"
Yu Lili was so embarrassed her face turned red. She couldn't answerat all.
Just then, Principal Ma, who was on the judging panel, had an idea.He looked at Wen Shuyue and said with a fake smile, "Teacher Wen, sincethis is a student from your class, why don't you come up and'supplement'?"
He wanted to see her make a fool of herself. Everyone knew this was atrap.
Amidst everyone's nervous gazes, Wen Shuyue walked calmly onto thestage. She picked up the chalk and faced the blackboard.
"This is an excellent question," she said, her voice clear andconfident. First, she quickly and accurately pointed out the source ofthe two conflicting historical accounts. Then, with impeccable logic,she began her analysis.
"From the first perspective, the perspective of textual criticism, wecan analyze the author's habits and the historical context of the text'screation..." Her thoughts were clear, and her words were articulate.
"From the second perspective, literary rhetoric, the poet might bedeliberately creating this ambiguity to express a deeper emotionalconflict..." She cited several other examples, drawing parallels thatwere both insightful and easy to understand.
"And from the third perspective, philosophical interpretation..."
She offered three completely different, yet equally brilliant, linesof reasoning. Her explanation was profound yet accessible, captivatingeveryone present. The experts on the judging panel nodded frequently,their eyes filled with admiration. When she finished writing the lastword on the blackboard, the entire auditorium erupted in thunderousapplause.
Yu Lili stood frozen on the side, her face ashen. Under the brilliantlight of Wen Shuyue's talent, her plagiarism and incompetence wereexposed for all to see. She had been utterly humiliated.
This was Wen Shuyue's first counterattack. She didn't rely on anyone,only on her own solid professional ability.
The public class made Wen Shuyue famous overnight, but it alsobrought her endless trouble.
Principal Ma Weiguo saw her as a threat to his authority. He couldn'tfire her directly because of the attention from the City EducationBureau, so he resorted to petty, underhanded tactics.
He first cut the funding for Class 6-4. The other classes got newmultimedia equipment, while Class 6-4 was given a batch of broken desksand chairs from the warehouse. When Wen Shuyue went to request supplies,the logistics department would always say, "Sorry, Teacher Wen, no morechalk," or "The printer is broken."
Then, he started spreading rumors in the parent group chat. He hintedthat Wen Shuyue, being from the countryside, had backward teachingmethods and a questionable character, and that the students' suddenimprovement was just a fluke, possibly from cheating.
He also assigned her the most arduous miscellaneous tasks. She was incharge of supervising the school's sanitation, managing the library'sold books, and even writing propaganda articles for the school, allthings that had nothing to do with teaching. He wanted to exhaust her,to make her retreat in the face of difficulties.
Ma Weiguo was a classic snob. He firmly believed that in this smallcounty, his connections—his brother-in-law was the deputy director ofthe Education Bureau—could solve anything. He had never bothered toinvestigate Wen Shuyue's background. In his arrogant eyes, a woman whowore a faded cotton dress and had no connections was a soft persimmon hecould squeeze at will.
But he underestimated Wen Shuyue's resilience and the bond she hadformed with her students and their parents.
When the students saw their beloved teacher being bullied, theyspontaneously organized to protect her. Li Hao and a few other boyswould go to other classes to "borrow" chalk. The girls would quietlyhelp her sort the library books. The whole class became unprecedentedlyunited.
Most parents weren't fools either. They saw their children's progressand Wen Shuyue's dedication. They chose to believe the teacher who trulycared for their children, not the principal's baseless rumors. A fewinfluential parents even privately expressed their support for her.
Wen Shuyue felt a warmth in her heart. She didn't complain to herhusband, Jing Yichen. When he called every night, she would always say,"Everything's fine, the students are lovely." She knew he was busy withhis "company," and she didn't want to distract him with these trivialmatters. She wanted to rely on herself to overcome this.
Her husband, Jing Yichen, had always respected her dream of being ateacher. When she decided to transfer to the county town, he only saidone thing: "Go ahead and do what you love. But remember, you don't haveto endure any grievances. I'm always here."
She thought of his words and felt a surge of strength.
The turning point came unexpectedly.
One afternoon, during physical education class, a boy named Xiao Mingin her class, who had a history of asthma, suddenly had an attack afterrunning. His face turned purple, and he struggled to breathe. Thesituation was critical.
Wen Shuyue, who had learned first aid, immediately took emergencymeasures while telling other students to call for an ambulance. Becauseof her timely and correct response, Xiao Ming was out of danger by thetime he reached the hospital.
The doctor said that if they had been delayed by even a minute, theconsequences would have been dire.
Xiao Ming's parents rushed to the school, full of gratitude, holdingWen Shuyue's hand and thanking her repeatedly.
But Principal Ma Weiguo saw this as a golden opportunity. A viciousplan formed in his mind.
That night, he secretly found Xiao Ming's father. Xiao Ming's fatherran a small construction business and was hoping to get a contract forthe school's new library project. Ma Weiguo dangled this project asbait.
"Old Mr. Wang," Ma Weiguo said with a sinister smile, "I heard aboutwhat happened to your son. That Wen Shuyue is too irresponsible! As ateacher, she didn't even know about the student's medical history. Ithink she might have even punished him physically, causing the asthmaattack."
Xiao Ming's father was hesitant. "Principal, that's not what my sonsaid. He said Teacher Wen saved him..."
Ma Weiguo cut him off, his voice cold. "What does a child know? Youhave to think about the big picture. This is a major safety incident. Ifwe don't handle it seriously, it will happen again. Cooperate with me,testify that Wen Shuyue was negligent, and the library project is yours.If not... you know how many construction companies are in this county. Aword from me could make your business very difficult."
Under the threat and temptation, Xiao Ming's father shamefullyagreed.
The next day, the school's atmosphere changed completely. A noticewas posted on the bulletin board: "Regarding the Serious Negligence ofTeacher Wen Shuyue in the Class 6-4 Student Asthma Incident."
Xiao Ming's father, bribed by Ma Weiguo, stood in the principal'soffice, crying and accusing Wen Shuyue of dereliction of duty andcorporal punishment, demanding that the school give him anexplanation.
Ma Weiguo immediately seized the opportunity. He announced that aschool-wide assembly would be held the following afternoon to publiclydeal with Teacher Wen Shuyue, "to rectify the school's ethos and give anaccount to the parents and society!"
He wanted to use this incident to utterly destroy Wen Shuyue, to nailher to a pillar of shame, making it impossible for her to ever work inthe education sector again.
The news spread like wildfire. Everyone was discussing it. Theteachers who had been jealous of Wen Shuyue were gloating. Yu Lili wasecstatic, as if she had already won.
The students of Class 6-4 were furious. Li Hao and several otherswent to the principal's office to argue, but were kicked out bysecurity. The parents who supported Wen Shuyue called the school toprotest, but their calls were all blocked.
That night, Wen Shuyue sat alone in the empty office, surrounded bydarkness. The overwhelming malice felt like a tide, trying to drown her.She had tried her best to be a good teacher, to treat every student withsincerity, but what she got in return was malicious slander and asetup.
Her professionalism, her dignity, her entire career, were about to bedestroyed in tomorrow's public spectacle.
She felt a profound sense of exhaustion and helplessness. For thefirst time, she realized that in the face of absolute power andshamelessness, her individual efforts were so insignificant.
She took out her old-fashioned mobile phone, her fingers tremblingslightly. She found the number labeled "Husband." For a long time, shejust stared at it. Finally, she typed a short message, her eyes blurringwith tears.
【Yichen, I might be fired. Can you come pick me up earlytoday?】
This simple, seemingly calm message was the lit fuse that wouldignite a massive explosion.
The next afternoon, the sun was scorching. The entire faculty andstudent body of the No. 1 Experimental Primary School were gathered onthe playground for the assembly.
Wen Shuyue stood alone on the high stage, her thin figure lookingexceptionally fragile under the gazes of thousands. The whispers andpointing fingers from below were like sharp needles, piercing herheart.
Principal Ma Weiguo stood at the podium, his face full of righteousindignation. He held a microphone and his voice boomed across theplayground.
"Comrades, students! Today, we are holding this assembly with a heavyheart. Our school has always prioritized student safety, but a teacher,Wen Shuyue, has shown extreme irresponsibility, ignoring a student'smedical condition and engaging in corporal punishment, leading to asevere asthma attack! This is a disgrace to our teaching staff! A crimeagainst our children!"
His words were sonorous and forceful, as if he were a judgedelivering a verdict.
Yu Lili stood beside him, adding fuel to the fire. "That's right!I've long said that a teacher from the countryside has poor character.She's not fit to teach in our school!"
Then, the bribed parent, Xiao Ming's father, went on stage. He weptand wailed, vividly describing how Wen Shuyue had "abused" his son, hisperformance worthy of an acting award.
The students of Class 6-4 stood in the crowd, their faces red withanger, their fists clenched. Li Hao tried to rush onto the stage toargue, but was held back by several security guards.
Wen Shuyue stood there, pale but with her back straight. She didn'tcry or argue. She just watched this ridiculous farce quietly. Her heartwas dead.
Ma Weiguo saw that the atmosphere was ripe. He took out a documentand shouted, "After a decision by the school's leadership, we will nowannounce the punishment for Wen Shuyue! Effective immediately, WenShuyue is dismissed from her post. Her case will be reported to theentire county's education system, and she will be permanentlyblacklisted from the teaching profession!"
Dismissal! Blacklisted! This was the cruelest possible punishment fora teacher. It meant her career was completely over.
"Wen Shuyue, come over and sign this!" Ma Weiguo waved the dismissalnotice triumphantly, his eyes full of vicious pleasure. He wanted her tosign her own "death sentence" in front of everyone.
Wen Shuyue looked at the document, then at the smug faces of MaWeiguo and Yu Lili. A sense of desolation washed over her. She slowlywalked forward, ready to accept her fate.
But just as her fingertips were about to touch the pen, a low,powerful engine roar suddenly broke the tense atmosphere.
Everyone subconsciously looked towards the school gate.
The scene that followed left everyone dumbfounded.
A fleet of black luxury cars, led by a majestic Rolls-Royce Phantom,drove slowly and silently onto the playground, stopping right in frontof the stage. The gleaming black paint of the cars reflected the shockedfaces of the teachers and students.
The security guards were stunned. Who would dare to drive cars ontothe playground during a school assembly?
Before they could react, the doors of the cars opened in unison. Agroup of men in black suits and sunglasses got out, standing in two neatrows, their presence formidable and chilling. They acted like awell-trained army.
Then, the rear door of the Rolls-Royce opened.
A man stepped out. He was wearing a perfectly tailored, high-endbespoke suit that accentuated his tall, imposing figure. His featureswere handsome and sharp, and his eyes were as deep and cold as a winternight. An aura of innate nobility and overwhelming power emanated fromhim, making people afraid to even breathe.
Behind him, two more figures scurried out of another car. When thecrowd saw them clearly, they gasped in unison.
It was the Mayor of the city and the Director of the City EducationBureau!
These two powerful figures, usually seen only on television, were nowtrotting behind the young man, their faces filled with a mixture ofreverence and anxiety, like students reporting to their teacher.
The man, Jing Yichen, ignored everyone else. His icy gaze sweptacross the playground and locked onto the lone figure on the stage.
Under thousands of stunned eyes, he walked step by step towards thestage. The men in black automatically cleared a path for him.
He walked up to Wen Shuyue, his cold expression instantly meltinginto heartache and tenderness. He took off his expensive suit jacket andgently draped it over her shoulders, covering her thin frame.
Then, he turned around, his gaze now an arctic blizzard directed atthe dumbfounded Ma Weiguo. His voice was not loud, but it carried aterrifying pressure that made everyone's heart tremble.
"I hear," he said slowly, each word like a hammer blow, "you'refiring my wife?"
Wife?
*My wife?*
The entire playground exploded. Wen Shuyue... this plainly dressedcountry teacher... her husband was this god-like man?
Ma Weiguo's brain buzzed, and his face instantly turned as white as asheet. Cold sweat poured down his back, drenching his shirt in aninstant. He looked at Jing Yichen, then at the Mayor and the Director ofthe Education Bureau who were bowing their heads behind him. Aterrifying thought made his legs go weak.
"You... who are you?" he stammered, his voice shakinguncontrollably.
Before Jing Yichen could answer, the Mayor rushed forward and slappedMa Weiguo hard across the face. "Insolent fool! Do you know who you'retalking to? This is Mr. Jing Yichen, the Chairman of the KunlunGroup!"
Kunlun Group!
The name was like a nuclear bomb detonating in the small county. Itwas a legendary conglomerate that could influence the country's economiclifeline! Their own city's biggest investment project was a favorgranted by the Kunlun Group!
The Director of the Education Bureau also hurried to explain, hisvoice trembling, "Mr. Jing is the largest anonymous donor to our city'seducation fund. This very school, this land we are standing on, is underthe name of the Kunlun Group!"
Boom!
Ma Weiguo's mind went completely blank. He finally understood. He hadthought he was bullying a helpless sheep, but he had kicked an ironplate—no, a plate made of super-alloyed diamonds!
His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground,瘫软如泥. Helooked at Wen Shuyue, who was being protected by Jing Yichen, and hiseyes were filled with utter despair and regret. He was finished.Completely finished.
Jing Yichen didn't even spare Ma Weiguo another glance. He gentlyheld his wife's hand. "Are you okay?"
Wen Shuyue looked at him, the tears she had held back finallystreaming down. She shook her head and leaned into his embrace, findingthe safest harbor in the world.
The Mayor immediately understood. He turned to Ma Weiguo, who wasstill on the ground, and roared, "Ma Weiguo! You abused your power,framed a good teacher, and created a vile atmosphere! From this momenton, you are dismissed from your position as principal! The disciplinarycommittee will launch a full investigation into you!"
He then pointed at Yu Lili, whose face was drained of all color. "Andyou, Yu Lili! As Dean of Instruction, you aided a tyrant! You are alsodismissed and will be investigated!"
As for the parent who gave false testimony, he was so scared he knelton the ground, kowtowing and begging for mercy. "Mr. Jing, I was wrong!Principal Ma forced me! He promised me the library project..."
His words only confirmed Ma Weiguo's crimes. The security guardsimmediately dragged the three of them away like dogs.
The farce came to an abrupt end.
The teachers who had mocked Wen Shuyue now stood with their headsbowed, trembling, not daring to look at the stage. They rushed forwardone by one, apologizing in fear.
"Teacher Wen, I'm so sorry, I was blind!"
"We were wrong, please forgive us!"
Wen Shuyue looked at these familiar yet suddenly unfamiliar faces andfelt a wave of sorrow. She didn't say anything, just leaned quietlyagainst her husband.
Jing Yichen's gaze swept over them, and he said coldly, "My wife iskind, but I am not."
His assistant, who had been waiting by the side, stepped forward andsaid respectfully, "Mr. Jing, according to your instructions, the legalteam has already filed a lawsuit for defamation against everyone whospread rumors. The school's leadership will also be completelyreorganized."
A single sentence decided the fate of dozens of people. This was thepower of the man standing at the top.
Then, Jing Yichen turned to the Mayor and said calmly, "I will investan additional one hundred million to transform this school into thenation's top smart campus. I have only one condition."
"Mr. Jing, please state it!" the Mayor said humbly.
Jing Yichen looked at his wife, his eyes full of doting love. "I wantmy wife, Ms. Wen Shuyue, to be the honorary principal of thisschool."
An uproar went through the crowd. From a teacher about to be fired tothe honorary principal of a top-tier school, this reversal was toodramatic!
However, Wen Shuyue gently shook her head. She looked at her husbandand said softly, "Yichen, thank you. But... I just want to be a simplehomeroom teacher."
She looked at the students of Class 6-4 below the stage. They werelooking at her with eyes full of worship and excitement. That was theplace she belonged.
Jing Yichen smiled, his eyes filled with respect for her choice."Okay. Whatever you want."
The storm passed.
Ma Weiguo and his accomplices received the punishment they deserved.The No. 1 Experimental Primary School underwent a complete overhaul. Thenew principal, appointed by the city, was a capable and uprighteducator.
With the massive investment from the Kunlun Group, the school wasrenovated. Bright and spacious smart classrooms, a state-of-the-artlibrary, and a brand-new sports field were built.
Wen Shuyue continued to be the homeroom teacher of Class 6-4. No onedared to disrespect her anymore. They only had reverence and admirationfor her. She used her own methods to lead the once "trash class" tobecome a star class in the entire city, with every student finding theirown path to shine.
One sunny afternoon, Wen Shuyue was in the brand-new classroom,giving a lecture to her students. The sunlight streamed in through theclean windows, bathing her in a gentle glow. The students below lookedat her with adoration.
Outside the window, Jing Yichen leaned against his car, quietlywatching his wife. The setting sun elongated his shadow. He didn'tdisturb her, his eyes filled with a gentle, loving smile.
Wen Shuyue sensed his gaze. She looked up and smiled back at himthrough the window.
She had relied on her own strength to win respect, and on her lover'spower to protect her dreams. This was the best possible outcome. Theroad ahead was long, and she knew that with him by her side, she couldface any challenge with courage.