No one should have to live a life inferior to others. Qi Wei envied Zhou Yi, while Xia Xiaolan encouraged her to have an even better future than Zhou Yi! Why couldn’t Daisy, Richard, and Lyle – the former “Loser Trio” – end up better off than Heidi?

Making Heidi apologize would hurt her pride… but hadn’t Heidi directly calling Daisy and the others “losers” hurt their pride as well? Was Heidi’s pride the only one that couldn’t be wounded?

“These public opinions are problematic. Though we were classmates, and I regret Heidi’s suicide attempt, I don’t accept these accusations,” Xia Xiaolan stood up. “I just returned to school, and since I learned about this, I should discuss it with the Academic Affairs Office.”

Ning Xue and Jonathan had already been interviewed. Xia Xiaolan had nothing to hide. As one of the “four main culprits,” she might as well take the initiative to talk. Daisy’s group had only been caught in the aftermath, with minimal impact.

Upon hearing this, Daisy’s group couldn’t sit still. “We’ll go with you.”

Matthew, hearing of Xia Xiaolan’s return, rushed over just in time to intercept her.

“Have you heard about Heidi?”

Though the GMP internship had ended, Matthew hadn’t fully departed from their “boss and subordinate” relationship. After Heidi’s suicide attempt, various messy rumors had Matthew worried. Since Xia Xiaolan hadn’t given him her contact information in China, Matthew was relieved to finally catch her!

“Just heard about it. I was heading to the Academic Affairs Office—”

Matthew blocked her path. “Don’t go there. Heidi’s parents are there right now. They believe their daughter attempted suicide due to campus bullying. What could you possibly achieve by going there?”

The whole situation was absurd.

If anyone was doing the campus bullying, it would have been Heidi’s personality type! Matthew had even teamed up with Heidi for the C·W Design Competition. Back then, he only thought Heidi’s professional abilities weren’t strong enough; he never imagined she would act like this.

“Campus bullying?!”

Xia Xiaolan was surprised – this was nonsense. Heidi wasn’t someone who would let others bully her. Even when forced to apologize, she had been aggressive. Though this reason did sound more plausible than attempting suicide over relationship troubles – at least it would be easier for Heidi’s parents to accept.

If it was about relationship troubles, what did that have to do with Cornell University? No American university prohibited student relationships. But if it was about campus bullying leading to suicide, the school might be held responsible for negligence.

“All the more reason to go. If I don’t, I’m afraid this might turn into me being accused of bullying Heidi!”

Since Xia Xiaolan insisted on going, Matthew could only clench his teeth. “OK, I’ll go too. I can testify. That day when you asked Heidi to apologize, many of us witnessed it. You didn’t display any extreme behavior or words.”

Xia Xiaolan nodded. “Of course. If campus bullying existed, it wouldn’t be the entire school bullying Heidi alone. I remember many people were betting on this incident.”

Daniel, Nancy, and others from the Hotel Management School had placed bets on the competition between Xia Xiaolan’s group and Heidi’s team. Xia Xiaolan felt she was the one being “bullied” if anything! After all, most people didn’t favor her group and bet on her losing.

Knowing her classmates found it entertaining and were just joining in the excitement by betting, Xia Xiaolan didn’t mind.

As Xia Xiaolan hurried to the Academic Affairs Office, she could hear a woman’s slightly shrill voice from the hallway: “I’m going to sue all of you! You’re all murderers – you drove Heidi to attempt suicide! Cornell University shouldn’t accept Chinese students. This is an American university, what are Chinese people doing here!”

Daisy lowered her voice, “That’s Heidi’s mother, Mrs. Dawson.”

Still wary of Mrs. Dawson, Daisy added:

“Mrs. Dawson participated in the Miss America pageant. She’s, um…”

Daisy stumbled over her words.

But Xia Xiaolan understood, “She’s a lady blessed with good looks who feels entitled to be unreasonable.”

What an apt description.

Daisy did think Mrs. Dawson was just a pretty face, though it seemed impolite to describe a classmate’s mother that way… But “pretty face” wasn’t as fitting as Xia Xiaolan’s summary. Beautiful women often were unreasonable – probably because their looks earned them many privileges in life, and their mistakes were more easily forgiven. Wasn’t there a phrase “using beauty to commit evil”?

Compared to Mrs. Dawson, Daisy suddenly felt Xia Xiaolan was perfect – both beautiful and willing to be reasonable!

Had Xia Xiaolan known Daisy’s thoughts, she would have praised Daisy’s good judgment.

Miss Xia was used to convincing people with reason.

For those who wouldn’t listen to reason… well, there were other methods.

While they delayed at the doorway, Ning Xue’s voice came clearly through the half-open door:

“Cornell University may be an American university, but it’s a global institution. Regardless of nationality, we’re here because we earned it through our abilities, passing tests, and being accepted by Cornell. Your inability to accept Chinese students attending alongside Heidi stems from your shallow ignorance. Using your ignorance to deny Chinese students’ talents and efforts – I have nothing more to say to someone like you. I’ll wait for your lawyer to take me to court!”

Ning Xue wasn’t one for diplomacy.

She was a scholarly genius who disliked trouble.

While she couldn’t possibly take pleasure in Heidi’s suicide attempt, Mrs. Dawson’s unreasonableness had pushed Ning Xue to explode.

After her outburst, not wanting to argue with idiots in the Academic Affairs Office, she opened the door herself and came face-to-face with Xia Xiaolan.

“You’re back.”

Ning Xue greeted her with her usual expression, forcefully closing the door to shut out Mrs. Dawson’s cursing: “I advise you not to go in. Never try to reason with a shrew, even if she wears designer clothes, carries branded bags, and wears expensive jewelry… none of that can hide the fact that she’s a shrew.”

This was quite rare.

How angry must Ning Xue have been to evaluate someone like this?

Though Xia Xiaolan and Ning Xue were originally competitors, Xia Xiaolan completely agreed with Ning Xue’s previous statement:

“Is she difficult to deal with?”

Ning Xue nodded, “As you probably heard, she did bring a lawyer.”

Xia Xiaolan couldn’t help but flex her wrists as she pushed the door:

“Then I have even more reason to go in. Though I don’t know what charges Heidi’s mother’s lawyer plans to bring against us in court, you forgot to mention one thing earlier – Chinese international students don’t start trouble, but we’re not afraid of it either!”

If you haven’t done anything wrong, why hide?

Xia Xiaolan didn’t believe Cornell University would terminate her exchange student program over this matter. A top institution shouldn’t yield to anyone’s threats.

Xia Xiaolan only knew one thing: she hadn’t violated any school rules or regulations, so why should she cower?

As Xia Xiaolan pushed open the door, a dark shadow flew at her face. Having dealt with various shrews before, Xia Xiaolan had rich fighting experience and quickly dodged to the side—