Such a shame for the Ji family, supposedly cultured people, thought Guan Huie with furrowed brows, never expecting their women to be so difficult.

Her appearance displeased Ji Ya.

In investigating Xia Xiaolan, information gathering was limited to paper-based records. They could find her hometown and learn about her appearances with Tang Hong’en, but a detailed background check was impossible. Only the police could dig up someone’s complete family history going back generations.

Ji Ya truly didn’t know about Xia Xiaolan’s relationship with Zhou Cheng – he had never appeared on Tsinghua’s campus!

Therefore, when Guan Huie suddenly appeared to defend Xia Xiaolan, Ji Ya didn’t recognize her at all.

Xia Xiaolan knew her though, and was surprised Guan Huie had witnessed this scene. While grateful for her support, she was slightly worried – would Guan Huie misunderstand?

As Yang Yonghong and others shielded Xia Xiaolan, Yang Yonghong recognized Guan Huie as the elder who had visited Xia Xiaolan at the start of the term. She felt relieved – someone had come to help Xiaolan!

“I have no right to intervene?”

Guan Huie beckoned to Xia Xiaolan: “Come here. Why fear her? This is Tsinghua University’s gate – no one can twist right and wrong or act recklessly here!”

Yang Yonghong made way, and Xia Xiaolan reluctantly walked to Guan Huie’s side:

“Aunt Guan…”

Guan Huie, impatient with her slow pace, pulled her behind herself before addressing Ji Ya:

“You ask who I am? You’re blocking my son’s girlfriend, trying to send her abroad – what are you showing off? Who are you trying to humiliate? Nobody’s leaving today until we clarify everything, so certain people can’t play dumb and pretend not to understand!”

Oh, so this was Xiaolan’s future mother-in-law.

Having worked with officials, Guan Huie naturally carried an air of authority, now made more imposing by her anger!

Su Jing’s eyes sparkled as the Dorm 307 residents watched Guan Huie assert her power – this was “Mysterious Mr. Z’s” mother! Surely they could glimpse something of the son in his mother?

Xia Xiaolan hadn’t expected the situation to develop this way.

But since Guan Huie was defending her, Xia Xiaolan understood priorities and spoke with a mix of anger and grievance:

“Aunt Guan, she’s approached me at school twice now. She won’t believe anything I say – first telling me to stay away from her son, then wanting to send me abroad with him… I don’t even know her!”

Ji Ya’s expression darkened. Guan Huie was plump but tall, standing a head taller than Ji Ya.

Ji Ya wasn’t physically robust, thin enough to be blown over by strong winds. Guan Huie’s physical presence alone made Ji Ya falter. George couldn’t understand Guan Huie’s words but saw Ji Ya’s disadvantage and grew angry:

“Madam, we’re acting with good intentions, offering to send a Chinese student abroad – it’s no small expense!”

Generous philanthropists were rare – shouldn’t such opportunities be seized?

George couldn’t understand why Xia Xiaolan would reject such an opportunity. What benefits had Ji Ya’s ex-husband offered her?

“Sir, I address you as ‘sir’ only out of respect for your foreign guest status! If you don’t understand Chinese, I’ll switch to English. Rejection – do you understand that word? You foreigners often speak of equality and human rights – have you achieved that yourself? You don’t even grasp basic ‘respect’ – I only see your barbarism and rudeness! Now please be quiet – your opinion isn’t needed here. Let me be clearer – we don’t need your hypocritical generosity, understand?”

Though the Zhou family often joked about being uncouth, none were truly illiterate. Guan Huie’s English was passable – in their time, English wasn’t popular; wealthy families studied Russian instead.

But her English sufficed for this.

George’s face alternated between pale and flushed as Guan Huie’s sharp words hit their mark.

He indeed held such views.

He looked down on China’s backwardness – what was Tsinghua’s world ranking, despite being one of China’s top universities? He believed Chinese students would grab any chance to study abroad, even if pride made them initially hesitate.

Called hypocritical by Guan Huie, George had no desire to argue with a Chinese woman on the street.

After berating George, Guan Huie, still angry, turned to scold Xia Xiaolan:

“You’re too accommodating – that’s why people keep bullying you! When someone won’t listen to reason, arguing is pointless. Next time she appears, go straight to campus security or report her to the police for attempted trafficking!”

Xia Xiaolan suppressed a smile and nodded:

“You’re right, Aunt Guan. I’ll call security right now!”

Guan Huie was making pointed remarks, and Xia Xiaolan cleverly played along.

Xia Xiaolan wasn’t too accommodating – she hadn’t expected Ji Ya today. Tang Hong’en had done something; Ji Ya probably couldn’t leave the country now. Her peculiar solution was convincing Xia Xiaolan to go abroad together, thinking it would lift Tang Hong’en’s restrictions. Xia Xiaolan wondered if, following Ji Ya’s bizarre logic, she might think Xia Xiaolan was using Tang Hong’en’s pressure to achieve a relationship with Ji Jiangyuan.

Xia Xiaolan recalled her first meeting with Ji Jiangyuan, his sunny smile showing eight teeth, and sighed slightly.

Having such an unstable mother, Ji Jiangyuan was truly pitiful!

Wait – why was she sympathizing with Ji Jiangyuan when she was the real victim?

When Xia Xiaolan mentioned calling security, someone had already gone to notify them. The commotion at the school gate and Su Jing’s outburst had prompted embarrassed onlookers to fetch security.

“What’s going on here?”

Seeing the dignified woman and foreign guest, security hesitated to make a decision.

Determined to resolve the Ji family issue once and for all, Guan Huie firmly demanded to see school leadership.

“Doesn’t Tsinghua handle such matters? How can students study peacefully if the school won’t protect them!”

Ji Ya turned pale, appearing like the victim under Guan Huie’s forceful presence.

Ji Ya and George should have left, but Guan Huie wouldn’t allow it. Security could only escort everyone to the office. The spectacle ended, leaving Dorm 307 residents worried about Xia Xiaolan while others speculated about the outcome… Strange things happened every year, but this year was special – someone trying to force a student abroad against their will.

Studying abroad was good, but this showed no respect for personal choice.

The chancellor wouldn’t handle this – they managed bigger issues. Getting the Architecture Department leadership involved was already significant since Xia Xiaolan was their student.

When the department head arrived, he ignored Xia Xiaolan and Guan Huie, recognizing Ji Ya first:

“Junior Sister Ji, what brings you here?”