Wen Di had just picked up his phone and pressed 110. Before he could make the call, he heard movement at the door.
Yu Wenli, with a faint smile on his face, idly played with Wen Tingxue's hoodie drawstrings, not even glancing at the entrance. He seemed to have already anticipated Xie Jinyi's arrival.
"I... I have proof!"
Xie Jinyi leaned against the doorframe, panting slightly. She held up two phones, and two girls followed behind her.
Wen Di's heart leaped with joy, and he quickly ushered the three in.
The tense atmosphere in the office eased slightly. Everyone's eyes were fixed on Xie Jinyi, except for Yu Wenli. He was still fiddling with Wen Tingxue's hoodie drawstrings, his expression indifferent.
"I asked someone about what happened at the time, and no one saw Tingxue take Yu Yahe's bracelet. Moreover, these two girls can testify that what happened today was just a misunderstanding."
Xie Jinyi returned the phones and asked the two girls to open them and play two videos in sequence. Both were selfies, with elaborate beauty filters, but the angles were cleverly chosen to include Wen Tingxue's position.
The first video proved that Wen Tingxue was not at her seat at the time, but her backpack was accidentally pulled to the ground. The second video showed that when Yu Yahe was tidying her desk, the bracelet was not on her wrist but placed on the table, near the edge.
One of the girls said, "The recording didn't continue after that, but I remember she later picked up a book, and then the bracelet was swept to the ground. It must have fallen into her backpack then."
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Wen Di asked.
The girl looked innocent. "I didn't know there was a backpack on the ground back then. I just thought it fell, and it would be easy to find."
Wen Di then asked Wen Tingxue, "Your backpack fell to the ground, and you didn't know?"
Wen Tingxue shook her head. "I have no memory of it at all."
Wen Di frowned. Xie Jinyi quickly explained, "You can't blame her. After the third class ended, I took Tingxue to the restroom with me, and I had no idea what happened. But I asked in the group chat later, and some boys said that they accidentally pulled Tingxue's backpack to the ground while fooling around. They didn't notice at the time, and only realized it a while later when they picked it up."
Xie Jinyi spread her hands. "It really was just a coincidence. I asked many people."
Wen Di's head buzzed. He raised his hand and rubbed his temples. "Your deskmate's backpack fell, why didn't you help pick it up?"
He was asking Yu Yahe, and his tone was subtly displeased. In his impression, she wasn't the kind of girl who would stand by and do nothing.
Yu Yahe's eyes flickered. "I, I was busy tidying my desk at the time and didn't notice."
Wen Di lowered his hand and looked at her for a moment, making her feel uneasy. Then, he said, "Apologize to classmate Wen. You took her bag without any justification, accused her of something, and almost ruined her reputation. Apologize properly."
Yu Yahe pouted reluctantly.
"Go on!"
Yu's mother pushed her again. At this point, if Yu Xiuxiu wanted to sue her for defamation, it would be incredibly simple. It wasn't easy for the Yu family to prosper, and they couldn't afford to bear any bad reputation.
Yu's father urged her on, his tone stern. "What are you dawdling for! Weren't you happy demanding an explanation just now? Who are you putting on a show for now?! Apologize to Miss Wen quickly."
Yu Yahe clenched her fists, her palms aching as if they could be crushed. She suppressed the urge to turn around and leave. She had always had good grades and a good family background, and her personality was naturally arrogant. Although she had admitted mistakes and bowed her head before, she simply refused to bow her head to Wen Tingxue. How could a girl from the countryside possibly deserve her apology! How could she make her parents scold her! Her parents had never spoken harshly to her before, and now, because of her, she was being berated in front of so many people!
Resentment boiling in her heart, Yu Yahe walked up to Wen Tingxue, her face cold, and offered a perfunctory apology: "I'm sorry, I wrongly accused you." If one didn't listen to the words, they might think she was here to cause trouble.
Wen Tingxue, who wasn't naturally assertive and had the unconditional trust of her parents, was in a good mood and didn't intend to dwell on it. Just as she was about to say "It's fine," Yu Wenli suddenly chuckled.
His voice was clean and clear, yet his laughter was seductively deep and captivating, as if it could seep into people's hearts and stir up ripples. Even his cold smile sounded pleasant.
Yu Yahe and Wen Tingxue looked up simultaneously. Yu Wenli tugged at the corner of his lips, his scarlet lips forming a mocking curve.
"Didn't you say the bracelet was very valuable? Is this how you apologize?" His mocking gaze fell on Yu Yahe's face, feeling almost tangible, causing Yu Yahe pain.
"I'm sorry! I wrongly accused you. Can you forgive me?" Yu Yahe's voice suddenly became tearful, her eyes red.
Wen Tingxue gently tugged at Yu Wenli's sleeve, signaling him to moderate his expression. Then she said to Yu Yahe, "I can forgive you this time, but..."
Before Wen Tingxue could finish, Yu Yahe burst into tears and ran out. Wen Tingxue knew she had a crush on Yu Wenli. Being treated like this by the person she liked for so many years must have been a hundred times more painful than apologizing.
"You..." Wen Tingxue wanted to tell Yu Wenli not to act this way, but then she thought that he was doing it for her, so she stopped speaking.
Yu Wenli's gaze was sharp. Even if she didn't say it, he knew what she was thinking.
"Yi Yi." He looked into her eyes with a slightly more serious expression and said word by word, "You can be kind, but your kindness must have an edge. Kindness without conditions or limits is easily exploited." He added at the end, "She's not worth your kindness."
Wen Tingxue blinked. She had never seen such a serious Yu Wenli before. In front of her, he was usually gentle and gentlemanly, rarely showing his sharp side. This was the first time.
Yu Wenli regretted his tone slightly after speaking. He might have been a bit too stern and wondered if the little girl would be hurt. As he pondered how to comfort her, his fingertips were gently held, followed by a sweet, soft voice, "I know, Brother Yu."
Brother Yu...
Yu Wenli pressed his forehead with some helplessness. The little girl really considered him a brother.
Xie Jinyi watched from the side, finding it endearing. She had never seen Yu Wenli smile so indulgently; it was truly captivating. The kind that made one's legs go weak.
After finishing his conversation with the Yu family, Wen Di came over to apologize to Wen Tingxue.
"I'm sorry, teacher misunderstood you before. I apologize for my mistake and prejudice to you and your parents." After speaking, he straightened his clothes and bowed solemnly.
Wen Di's impression of Wen Tingxue wasn't very good, just as Wen Di's wasn't very good for her. But after this incident, she understood that no one is perfect. Everyone has their own selfish motives and biases, as they are human. Mistakes are inevitable.
***
Yu Xiuxiu and Wen Zhongen wanted to treat Yu Wenli and Xie Jinyi to a meal as a token of their gratitude. However, the two politely declined, saying that as friends, there was no need for such formality.
Yu Xiuxiu had no choice but to invite them to their home if they had time. Xie Jinyi happily agreed, saying that they should go to school and come home together from now on, as they lived in the same neighborhood.
Yu Wenli frowned slightly and said, "No need. She'll come with me."
Yu Wenli's parents had arranged a full-time driver specifically for him. Xie Jinyi gave a sheepish smile and turned to get into her own car.
Yu Xiuxiu and Wen Zhongen exchanged glances, seeing shock in each other's eyes. However, they did not object. They saw how well Yu Wenli treated their daughter, and some things were best left to nature, without excessive interference.
After parting ways, Wen Tingxue was taken by her parents to a pink, fairytale-like... children's restaurant...
Children's...
Wen Tingxue looked around. All the children were about ten years old. She... was considered an older child now...
Wen Zhongen awkwardly scratched his head, blushing uncharacterently. "Next time, let your mother choose the restaurant." He had searched online for a long time, and everyone said children liked this place. Who knew it was for such young children. This was too embarrassing...
Wen Zhongen was a little dejected. He had made a fool of himself in front of his daughter.
Yu Xiuxiu burst into laughter but managed to save her husband's dignity. "It's not wrong, really. No matter how old Yi Yi is, she's still a child who hasn't grown up in our eyes. But, let's change restaurants for dinner, hahaha."
Yu Xiuxiu looked at her husband's expression and couldn't help but burst into laughter. Wen Zhongen's face darkened for a moment, then he also started laughing. Wen Tingxue was already shaking with laughter under her hat. She had always thought her father was stern and serious, but she didn't know he was also clueless in daily life. This kind of life was truly good. She liked it very much.