Ming Xue and He Shu Wan stared at each other. About half an hour later, He Shu Wan's mother, Madam He, arrived.
Qin He glanced at her. Madam He appeared to be in her early forties, dressed impeccably.
"My dear daughter, you've truly suffered a great injustice!" Madam He looked at the injuries on He Shu Wan's face, held her daughter, and shot sharp gazes at Qin He and Ming Xue.
Seeing her family, He Shu Wan put on a wronged expression and burst into tears. "Mom, it was Ming Xue. I just said a few words, and she hit me!"
"What nonsense are you spouting? You were the one who cursed my sister first and pointed your finger at my nose!" Ming Xue retorted sharply.
Qin He pulled her back and held her down.
Madam He scrutinized them, and a hint of disdain appeared in her eyes.
Qin He had come in a hurry and was only wearing casual clothes.
Although Ming Xue was the eldest daughter of the Ming family, her personality was lively. Having seen plenty of jewelry and jade since childhood, she wasn't interested in such things and was also in sportswear.
Madam He's attitude became noticeably harsher. Pointing at Ming Xue, she said, "Our Wan'er never hits anyone, and you dared to injure her! Such a wicked student must be expelled!"
Ming Xue glared in anger, but Qin He pulled her back.
The director in the inner room heard the commotion outside and pushed the door open.
Upon seeing Madam He, the director's stern face bloomed with a smile. "Madam He, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to come. It's unavoidable; this matter requires both parents to be present to discuss reconciliation."
Madam He raised her eyebrows, glanced at Qin He and Ming Xue from the corner of her eye, and snorted, "Reconciliation? Director, haven't you seen the injuries on my daughter's face?"
The director chuckled sheepishly. "Whether to reconcile or not is ultimately your decision, but we still have to go through the procedures."
Qin He watched coldly. The director whispered something to Madam He, who then looked at Gu Ran Ran sitting on the bench behind her, a flicker of panic flashing across her face.
However, Madam He quickly regained her composure.
She looked at the director, her voice slightly raised. "I heard from Shu Wan just now that it was that girl, Ming Xue, who acted. Miss Gu has nothing to do with it, so we will not pursue Miss Gu's responsibility."
Gu Ran Ran, standing beside them, had a cold expression. She was about to stand up when a thought flashed through her mind, and she sat back down.
At a time like this, wouldn't a heroic rescue be most appropriate?
Gu Ran Ran quietly took out her phone, discreetly opened a video recording, and pointed it at Madam He.
Qin He knew they were trying to take advantage of her, fearing offending the Gu family, and intended to push all the blame onto Ming Xue.
Qin He let out a cold laugh and looked at the school director. "Director, since both parents are here, let's see who is truly at fault."
"What do you mean, 'who is at fault'? My daughter has been beaten like this, and you still have the nerve to say that! Looking at your two sisters, you seem poor and malicious. It's clear you are not good people."
Madam He crossed her arms, her face full of disgust. "Fierce and wicked describes people like you. Why aren't your parents here? Are you orphans?"
Ming Xue clenched her fists, a dark expression settling on her pretty, heroic face. "Sister!"
Qin He ignored Madam He. Her small face was devoid of warmth, her eyes like ink, deep and dark. "Since the fight happened while preparing for the school anniversary, I recall there being surveillance cameras backstage. Why don't we review them and see who provoked the incident first?"
As soon as Qin He finished speaking, He Shu Wan nervously tugged on Madam He's hand and subtly shook her head.
Madam He narrowed her eyes, immediately understanding. "It doesn't matter who provoked it; initiating the fight is wrong! The facts are clear, Ming Xue, that wild girl, injured my daughter and her friend!"
He Shu Wan, covering her injured face, glared resentfully at Ming Xue. "I don't know if you were a shepherdess when you were young, but you have so much strength. You're rough and uncivilized. People like you don't deserve to study at Qing University; you lower our university's standards!"
Qin He looked at her coldly. "What? Madam He, are you afraid to check the surveillance footage? What are you guilty of? You and your daughter want my sister expelled, and expulsions require evidence, don't they?"
Madam He was so angry she pointed her finger at Qin He's face.
Qin He raised her hand and slapped it away.
Ming Xue exclaimed excitedly from the side, "Sister, He Shu Wan and I were just like this! After I finished filming, she started scratching me!"
Qin He was speechless at Ming Xue's agitated demeanor. "Behave yourself."
Ming Xue obediently sat down. "Oh."
The school director and Madam He exchanged glances. Madam He's face was tense. "Director, our He family has contributed a lot to Qing University. You can't repay kindness with enmity and abandon the person who injured my daughter, can you? She is also a student of your university!"
The director's expression was complex. Ming Xue's sister's request to see the surveillance footage was perfectly reasonable.
It was so reasonable that he couldn't find a reason to refuse for the moment.
Madam He glanced at Qin He and continued to pressure the director. "My husband recently planned to invest in building a new library for Qing University. However, if you don't expel someone like Ming Xue, won't my investment be equivalent to investing in someone who beat my daughter? Our He family isn't easily bullied!"
A new library?
The director's eyes flickered. "I'll send someone to retrieve the surveillance footage."
The director sent someone, while Qin He sat in her seat, her brow furrowed.
She knew this director well from her own time at Qing University. He had often skimmed money from school investments and lined his own pockets.
It was unlikely he would be so accommodating this time.
Qin He pulled Ming Xue and sat back down on the bench. She took out her phone and switched systems.
Her phone directly connected to her home computer and server. Qin He quickly remotely operated the computer, hacked into Qing University's network, and copied the surveillance recordings bit by bit to her own computer.
Throughout the process, Ming Xue watched calmly.
She had long known that her cousin was a skilled hacker and had another famous identity!
Gu Ran Ran, standing nearby, watched in amazement. She only saw lines of code flashing back and forth, and then her phone displayed a video that looked like the auditorium.
Amazing!
Di Shi Shi, who had been standing by the chairs without speaking, glanced at Qin He's phone and her eyebrows twitched!
What the heck? Are the standards of young ladies so high now?
After about ten minutes, the person the director sent to check the surveillance returned. "Director, the surveillance camera in the auditorium is broken."
"Ah, how could it be broken?" The director frowned, looking troubled. "What should we do now—"
The person continued, "Recently, we've been preparing for the centennial anniversary. When students were hanging decorative ribbons, a ladder bumped into and broke that camera. It hasn't been repaired yet."
Qin He sat to the side, her gaze cold and stern.
Madam He gave her a triumphant look. "Director, the camera is broken now, but the injuries on my daughter's face are real. Ming Xue beat so many girls; you must give us an explanation!"