Volume One, Chapter 10: I Am a Soft-Hearted Person

Inside the kindergarten.

Su Wanqing held Xie Kexin in her arms within the principal’s office, whispering soft comforts to soothe the child after her fright. Outside, the principal was feigning a stern reprimand of Li Yan while actually waiting for Xie Yanchen’s response. Once Wang Zhengzhen relayed the message, the principal hung up the phone with a respectful air.

He then met Li Yan’s "I told you so" expression.

"It seems Kexin’s mother really is at odds with Mr. Xie. He wouldn’t even stand up for his own woman and daughter when they were bullied. Tsk..."

The principal, a middle-aged man, shook his head with a sigh as he stared at the disconnected phone. Li Yan took the opportunity to sidle up to him, rubbing her young face against his shoulder and pouting coquettishly: "I told you, but you wouldn’t believe me!"

"The person who came to pick up Xie Kexin that day was definitely someone else—she looked quite a bit younger than Kexin’s mother. When I wouldn’t let her take Kexin, Mr. Xie was absolutely furious. The two of them were acting all lovey-dovey right in front of me. Tell me, how could I not know what’s really going on?"

"I understand that Kexin’s mother loves her child, but Mr. Xie has invested a lot in this kindergarten. Do you think I can’t tell who holds the real power here? Of course, I had to cover for Mr. Xie and keep her in the dark! Besides, nothing happened to the child. She’s making such a fuss, even talking about withdrawing from school..."

"In my opinion, she’s clearly just venting here because she’s been slighted by her man. Principal! You have to take my side!"

Li Yan pursed her lips, putting on a dramatic display of grievance. Her ample chest heaved with her movements, leaving the principal’s eyes transfixed. However, thinking of the woman inside the office, he coughed lightly, gave Li Yan’s bottom a suggestive pinch, and said with a wicked grin:

"Don’t worry. Between a woman discarded by Mr. Xie and a little vixen like you, do you really think I don’t know who to choose?"

Xie Kexin’s emotions were as fleeting as they were intense; after being held and coaxed by Su Wanqing, she stopped crying, though her eyes and nose remained red, making her look as though she had been wronged. Su Wanqing waited for a while, and when the principal did not return, she started to get up to investigate. She ran straight into the principal as he entered.

"Oh, my apologies, Mrs. Xie. I was just so furious that I ended up lecturing her a bit too long. I hope you haven’t been waiting too anxiously."

The principal wore a kindly smile, immediately bustling over to brew tea for Su Wanqing, providing plenty of emotional validation. However, Su Wanqing remained unmoved. Calmly, she stated: "I won’t go into the rest of it. I have only two demands: first, severely punish Teacher Li and have her apologize to me; second, process the withdrawal for my daughter."

The smile on the principal’s face stiffened, but only for a fleeting second. He slammed his hand on the desk, acting indignant: "Apologize! She certainly must apologize!"

"I have already reprimanded Teacher Li very sternly. Her behavior was truly inexcusable!"

Su Wanqing noticed that while the principal was offering emotional theatrics, he was cleverly shifting the focus. She frowned and emphasized, "I am talking about punishment."

Seeing her persistent stance, a flicker of impatience crossed the principal’s eyes, yet he kept his tone smooth: "Mrs. Xie, is punishment really necessary? Look, aren't both you and the child perfectly fine?"

"I watched the surveillance footage. Teacher Li had barely reached out before you fell. Whether or not she actually pushed you is still up for debate!"

"And regarding the child—even though you gave instructions that no one but you could pick her up, Mr. Xie came personally. He is your husband and the child’s father, after all. If we had refused to let him take her and he had called the police, we would have been in the wrong, wouldn't we?"

"Besides, this is a kindergarten. Any conflicts between you and Mr. Xie should be settled behind closed doors. You can’t leave our teachers caught in the middle..."

The principal, true to his years of experience, managed to deflect all responsibility onto Su Wanqing with a few smooth words. If she claimed Teacher Li pushed her, the footage was inconclusive. If she claimed the teacher released the child without permission, who was to say what arrangements the couple had made? They weren't divorced, and with so many children in the kindergarten, how could they confirm every single request?

Su Wanqing finally understood: the principal was determined to protect Li Yan. In truth, she hadn't originally intended to cause trouble for Li Yan; she only wanted to handle the withdrawal quickly and leave. But not only did Li Yan mock her, she had also knocked the phone out of her hand and shoved her, terrifying Xie Kexin. Even if they were leaving, the thought of so many other children being under the care of such an irresponsible teacher made her feel an obligation to see her removed from the profession.

"So, you intend to protect her?" Su Wanqing’s face went cold. Right in front of the principal, she dialed the Bureau of Education.

Before the call could connect, the principal lunged forward. Being a man, his strength was naturally greater; he snatched the phone away and slammed it down onto the floor with such force that the screen went black instantly. Meeting Su Wanqing’s gaze, he showed no fear, his voice hardening:

"Mrs. Xie! I know you’re a full-time housewife who isn't favored by her husband, and you want to cause trouble for us because you’re frustrated at home. But please, stop here and don't interfere with our work!"

"Furthermore, I already spoke to Mr. Xie on the phone and explained the situation. He told me to handle it as I see fit."

"If you have any sense of dignity, accept the apology and leave. If you want to keep making a scene, I’ll be happy to see this through to the end!"

From the very beginning, Su Wanqing had never held any delusions that Xie Yanchen would help her. If he were of any use, she would have contacted him before coming here. But hearing the principal confirm that Xie Yanchen had told him to deal with her however he liked, her heart still couldn't help but constrict painfully.

She couldn't help but wonder: if it were Su Wanning standing here, what would he do?

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she pinched herself, forcing herself to break free from the emotion. Yet, speak of the devil: no sooner had she recovered than she heard Su Wanning’s delicate voice: "Yanchen, over here."

She felt a tremor run through her entire body. She pinched herself again, praying silently that this was a dream—a nightmare. But when she turned around, she saw Su Wanning and Xie Yanchen standing there. She lowered her eyes. Today... really was unlucky.

Nearby, both Li Yan and the principal stood with their mouths agape, looking completely stunned.

"Mr... Mr. Xie, you... didn't you tell me to handle this as I saw fit?"

The principal hurried forward, his voice stuttering from nerves. Xie Yanchen glanced at him without a word.

Su Wanning, clinging to Xie Yanchen’s arm, let her fingertips graze the custom buttons on his suit sleeve. Her eyes smiled, yet she swept a needle-sharp gaze toward Su Wanqing:

"Oh dear, Yanchen originally said that such a trivial matter wasn't worth his time."

She paused, leaning even closer into Xie Yanchen’s side, and giggled, "But I’m soft-hearted. I was worried that someone might not know their place and cause a scene, so I insisted he come and take a look. He couldn't refuse me, so he had no choice but to accompany me."