It was Li Sitong, Xue Jiao’s mother.

She had rushed over in a hurry, with beads of sweat still on her forehead. “Teacher, what did you want to see me about?”

As she spoke, Li Sitong walked into the office and moved toward Xue Jiao.

She almost instinctively wanted to ask—what trouble have you caused now?

But memories of previous incidents flashed through her mind. No! She couldn’t distrust Jiaojiao like that anymore!

Li Sitong closed her slightly parted lips and stood beside Xue Jiao, looking at the teacher.

Yin Fang took a deep breath and repeated herself.

Li Sitong was stunned after listening and looked toward Yi Tianyu.

She had seen this boy before—the one who had stood up for Xue Jiao during her previous conflict with Cheng Mingjiao, the same boy who had criticized her before.

So… was he previously because…

Just as doubt began to rise in her mind, a sentence exploded in her head.

—You never believe me!

Li Sitong’s body swayed slightly, and then the doubt in her eyes faded. She looked at Xue Jiao and tentatively asked, “Jiaojiao, what’s going on?”

The question conveyed curiosity and concern rather than accusation.

“Nothing, no puppy love, I would never engage in puppy love.” Ever since Xue Jiao had entered the office, this was all she had said, though this time with more conviction.

Li Sitong nodded and smiled. “Yes, mom believes you.”

Then she turned her gaze to Yin Fang. “Teacher, Jiaojiao is not in a relationship.”

Yin Fang was stunned, looking from Xue Jiao to Li Sitong.

She had already raised her hand, fearing that Li Sitong would react like last time and immediately strike her child. She would have intervened.

Who would have thought that Li Sitong would say she believed her?

“There’s no relationship,” Yi Tianyu added.

“Then why were you so angry?!” Yin Fang raised her voice.

Yi Tianyu looked at her. Although still a teenager, his tall stature was quite intimidating.

“Because—I didn’t like what you said.”

Yin Fang wavered for a moment, her body shifting slightly as her anger rose again.

Yi Dafa quickly spoke up: “Teacher Yin, you see, both children say they aren’t dating. Could there be some misunderstanding here?”

“That’s right, teacher, who wrote the report letter?” Li Sitong held Xue Jiao’s hand.

“There’s no name. Here it is.” Yin Fang suppressed her anger and nodded toward the report letter on the desk.

Li Sitong picked it up and examined it carefully.

After a moment, she looked at Yin Fang. “Teacher, look at this person’s wording: ‘Gu Xue Jiao has improper conduct, wrong attitude, and is unfit to stay in Class 1.’ This statement shows clear dissatisfaction with Xue Jiao. I wonder if this person may dislike Xue Jiao and therefore…”

Before she could finish, Xue Jiao’s eyes turned to the report letter.

“It’s Cheng Mingjiao. This was written by Cheng Mingjiao.”

Xue Jiao was speechless. Cheng Mingjiao’s hatred toward her was practically obsessive, not missing any opportunity to harm her.

“But Cheng Mingjiao’s handwriting doesn’t look like this, does it?” Yin Fang was taken aback and then showed disappointment in the good student. “I know Cheng Mingjiao’s handwriting. If you want to prove your innocence, please don’t falsely accuse others!”

Not only did her voice convey disappointment, but her eyes also showed a sense of exasperation.

Xue Jiao blinked once, using her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. Her posture was excellent—though thin, her back was straight. Her clean, transparent but cold eyes set in that delicate oval face already showed signs of beauty despite her young age.

“That’s Cheng Mingjiao’s left-handed writing. She can write with her left hand too.”

Xue Jiao knew this because of her original memories. Cheng Mingjiao could write with both hands. Although her left-handed writing was far inferior to her right, being able to write with her left hand was already quite remarkable.

Cheng Mingjiao had often demonstrated her left-handed writing at the Cheng household, then boasted about it to Gu Xue Jiao. This had once led Gu Xue Jiao to be obsessed with practicing left-handed writing for a long period, though she eventually gave up due to various distractions.

“Yes, I remember now! This is Mingjiao’s left-handed writing!” Li Sitong raised her voice.

At this moment, her anger toward Cheng Mingjiao reached its peak. What had they, as mother and daughter, done to offend Cheng Mingjiao that made her so determined to harm them?

Yin Fang was also stunned. Cheng Mingjiao and Gu Xue Jiao had a conflict, so if Cheng Mingjiao had reported them, then really…

If the puppy love was real, given Cheng Mingjiao’s openly hostile relationship with Gu Xue Jiao, plus the fact that she sat right in front of them, she would surely have collected evidence and reported directly!

Writing an anonymous letter was for those who didn’t want to expose themselves and avoid the reported person’s resentment—this logic didn’t apply to Cheng Mingjiao.

So… this letter was most likely a false accusation.

“Is what you’re saying true?” Yin Fang narrowed her eyes.

Xue Jiao nodded and said with certainty, “Yes, you can ask Cheng Mingjiao to write something and you’ll see.”

Yin Fang choked—how could she possibly call her in?

If they identified the anonymous letter writer now, who would dare to report anything in the future?

“Teacher, it was Mingjiao who wrote it. Our family knows she can write with her left hand, and it looks just like this.” Seeing Yin Fang frown, Li Sitong feared she wouldn’t believe them and stepped forward to testify.

Yin Fang’s brows furrowed then relaxed, then furrowed again, caught in extreme indecision.

After a moment, she said, “Fine then. Let’s leave it at that this time. Sorry for making the parents come all the way here for nothing. Gu Xue Jiao, Yi Tianyu, study hard in the future and remember, no puppy love.”

“Mm.” Xue Jiao responded, and Yi Tianyu glanced at her before doing the same.

Yi Dafa respected Yin Fang as a head teacher who was tough and unyielding, but he wasn’t particularly good-tempered either. Hearing this, he smiled and said, “In the future, teacher, perhaps don’t trust these messy, malicious reports. It’s not just about the worry and waste of time and money for me and Xue Jiao’s mother, but the impact on the children isn’t good either.”

After he finished speaking, Yin Fang’s face reddened with embarrassment. She finally took a deep breath and said, “Yi Tianyu’s father makes a good point. In the future… I will be more careful.”

“Then we’ll head back now. Goodbye, teacher.” Yi Dafa said, leading Yi Tianyu out. Li Sitong also pulled Xue Jiao along as they left the office.

Yin Fang angrily threw the anonymous letter on the table. She had never been so embarrassed!

She glared at the letter before her, somewhat irritated that Cheng Mingjiao had caused trouble by falsely accusing others.

Without Cheng Mingjiao’s letter, how could she have made such a fool of herself today?!

——

Li Sitong, walking out of the office door, smiled at Xue Jiao and gently rubbed her head, then said, “It’s alright, Mom believes you. Don’t take it to heart. Go back to class and study now.”

Xue Jiao stiffly felt the warmth of that hand on her head, then nodded just as stiffly.

Li Sitong smiled and gave a few more instructions before leaving.

Xue Jiao stood in place for a while, shaking her head to clear the jumbled thoughts in her mind before preparing to return to the classroom.

She had already registered for the math competition and was now focusing entirely on practicing problems.

“Miss Gu!” a voice called from behind.

Xue Jiao paused, then turned around. Recognizing the person, she smiled politely. “What is it, Uncle Yi?”

Yi Dafa smiled like a blooming flower, looking at her with narrowed eyes. “Miss Gu! What’s this basketball competition Yi Tianyu mentioned? How can he be playing basketball instead of studying properly!”

Xue Jiao understood his meaning. Her lips curved slightly as she looked at Yi Tianyu, who had followed Yi Dafa over with an expression of resignation. “It’s to obtain a national second-level athlete certificate, which will help him with university admissions.”

“Really?!” Yi Dafa raised his voice.

“Really.”

Yi Dafa slapped his forehead. “So this kid wasn’t lying! It does benefit college entrance exams. I had no idea basketball could be like those academic competitions!”

Seeing how happy he was, Xue Jiao smiled.

Yi Tianyu rolled his eyes behind his father’s back. “See, old man? I wasn’t lying to you!”

His chin was raised, looking proud yet petulant.

Xue Jiao’s eyes turned, and she suddenly played a trick. “Uncle Yi, although basketball is beneficial for college entrance exams, just getting the certificate doesn’t guarantee admission to the desired university. I think Yi Tianyu still needs to study hard. You should keep an eye on him.”

After speaking, Xue Jiao smiled and walked away.

“You—” Yi Tianyu was furious.

“You what?!” Yi Dafa slapped him on the back. “Study hard! Learn from Gu Xue Jiao. Don’t get distracted. Don’t think your old man can’t tell—you like her.”

Yi Tianyu was stunned, then his face turned bright red as if his sore spot had been stepped on. He nearly jumped up. “What?! What nonsense are you talking about, old man?!”

Yi Dafa gave him another slap. “Stop pretending with your father. How could I not understand you? Let me tell you, Yi Tianyu if your grades drop in next month’s exam, your dad won’t help you arrange to sit next to Gu Xue Jiao!”

Yi Tianyu’s eyes widened, his face full of irritation.

If Yi Dafa didn’t help him, Teacher Shi would immediately separate him from Gu Xue Jiao…

Yi Tianyu blinked, then said dejectedly, “Study… I’ll study!”

Yi Dafa smiled—

“Little punk, I can still handle you.”

——

When Xue Jiao returned to the classroom, Cheng Mingjiao immediately looked up at her, eyes full of anticipation for a good show.

She firmly believed that Gu Xue Jiao would be punished this time!

Everyone knew how much Teacher Shi despised students who engaged in puppy love. Previous classes had already proven this.

Xue Jiao’s gaze met hers, and she coldly smiled. “Cheng Mingjiao, I know you don’t like me, but writing anonymous letters to falsely report people is defamation.”

When she entered, the students in the class were all reading. Even those nearby hadn’t looked up.

But as soon as she spoke, several students around them and some curious ones turned to look, their mouths open in surprise.

It was well known that in those days, no student, regardless of what kind, liked tattletales.

“You’re talking nonsense—” Feeling the gazes around her, Cheng Mingjiao instinctively raised her voice in protest, eager to defend herself.

Xue Jiao raised an eyebrow. “Fortunately, you used to like showing off your left-handed writing to me, so I recognize your handwriting.”

“Don’t make things up! Who reported you?! I’m telling you, Gu Xue Jiao, don’t falsely accuse people!”

“You know whether I’m falsely accusing you or not. If you don’t admit it, we can check the surveillance cameras. I believe that if we insist, the teacher will help us investigate. After all… I’m not like you, spreading rumors casually.” Xue Jiao’s attitude remained calm. The calmer she was, the more meaningful the looks from their classmates became as they gazed at Cheng Mingjiao.

As soon as the surveillance cameras were mentioned, Cheng Mingjiao panicked. She pointed at Xue Jiao—

“What gives you the right to check just because you say so?! I didn’t do it! I don’t even care about you!”

“Guilty conscience.” Yi Tianyu entered with a cold remark.

“Nonsense!”

Yi Tianyu walked in front of them. Xue Jiao made way, and Yi Tianyu walked forward. He was standing while Cheng Mingjiao was sitting. Feeling guilty, she didn’t dare look at Yi Tianyu, her eyes darting around.

“You know whether I’m talking nonsense or not.” Yi Tianyu lowered his body. “Cheng Mingjiao, from today on, you are my enemy.”

Cheng Mingjiao was astonished.

Yi Tianyu continued, “In all my life, I’ve had very few people who have openly or secretly schemed against me. You, Cheng Mingjiao, you’ve done it now.”