Pretending to have fainted, Mu Qianrou was suddenly grabbed by the neck and instinctively reached out to push Wu Lina away.
But Wu Lina wasn't about to let go. She pinned Mu Qianrou's hands down tightly, as if venting all her anger through this act.
"It's all your fault! You said Mu Beiyin bullied you every day! You said she stole your fiancé! That's why I stood up for you! I didn't expect you to be lying all along! You're the shameless homewrecker!"
"Your mom was a homewrecker, and so are you! How cheap can you be? Framing Mu Beiyin wasn't enough—you want me to go down with you too?!"
Mu Qianrou coughed violently under the pressure, tears pouring down her face. "Let go! Let me go!"
Wu Lina had lost her mind. "How dare you lie to me! You're the one who should be expelled!"
She grabbed Mu Qianrou's head and started slapping her left and right. Before long, Mu Qianrou's face was completely swollen.
The students around them stared in disbelief as the two "goddesses" brawled like street fighters. Was this... a live dogfight between divas?
Mu Beiyin chuckled lightly. "Amazing—just a few words from Wu Lina were enough to wake her 'fainted' sister. A medical miracle. If my sister faints again in the future, no need for a doctor. Just call Wu Lina."
At that, everyone immediately realized Mu Qianrou had been faking her fainting.
The principal rushed over and ordered the staff to separate them. "Wu Lina and Mu Qianrou will be dealt with according to school rules. Notify their parents immediately! Everyone else, back to class!"
He then wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to ask, "Mr. Shi, does this resolution satisfy you?"
Huo Shiqing finally spared him half a glance. "Whether I'm satisfied doesn't matter. What matters is whether Beiyin is."
The principal broke into a cold sweat. "Mu—Mu Beiyin, what do you think?"
Mu Beiyin responded calmly and firmly, "As for the defamation, just handle it according to school regulations. There's no need to ask my opinion. But what Wu Lina did is not an isolated case. Ancheng University may be prestigious, but school bullying still exists. I hope you will investigate thoroughly and not let the students down."
The principal didn't dare utter a single objection. "Mr. Shi, Mu Beiyin, rest assured—I will handle this properly!"
Only then did Huo Shiqing nod. "Come here."
The principal was confused about whom he was calling, until he saw Mu Beiyin blush and walk toward him in small, hesitant steps.
Huo Shiqing looked indifferently at the principal. "Beiyin is in her senior year now and won't be in school for much longer. I want her to finish her university life happily. What happened today must never happen again."
Mu Beiyin's eyes burned. Others thought clearing her name was enough. Only Huo Shiqing cared about her happiness.
The principal was shocked. A sudden thought crossed his mind—
Could it be… Mr. Shi came all this way today because of Mu Beiyin?
His heart skipped a beat. What exactly is the relationship between Mr. Shi and Mu Beiyin?!
At that moment, Huo Shiqing asked casually, "How many more classes do you have?"
Mu Beiyin blushed again at the sight of him, memories of last night flooding her mind. She answered obediently, "...Four."
"I happen to have some business to handle at Ancheng University. I'll wait for you to finish class," said Huo Shiqing. "I drove here myself today. I'll take you home afterwards."
Mu Beiyin froze, and thoughts of that car and what happened in it last night came rushing back. Covering her face, she murmured, "...Got it."
Not far away, the principal watched this interaction and suddenly understood.
He nearly asked the dumbest question earlier—what relationship did Mr. Shi and Mu Beiyin have? Isn't it obvious?
He walked up to Mu Beiyin and said with admiration, "Mu Beiyin, I didn't expect you to have this kind of relationship with Mr. Shi. You've hidden it well."
Huo Shiqing paused mid-step.
Mu Beiyin's heart skipped a beat. "W-What?"
The principal found out? No way! She and Huo Shiqing had agreed to keep their marriage a secret. Besides, Grandpa Song often collaborated with Ancheng University—if he found out...
Her thoughts spiraled, and she grew more anxious by the second.
Then she heard the principal exclaim excitedly, "I had no idea you were Mr. Shi's niece! I'd heard he had a younger relative, but never expected it to be you! And to think that someone with your background stays so low-key—you're truly a model student!"
Mu Beiyin almost passed out from holding her breath. "…"
That scared her half to death!
Afraid the principal would say something even more mortifying, she grabbed Huo Shiqing's arm and dragged him toward the academic building.
Behind them, the principal beamed at Director Xu. "See that? Mu Beiyin's shy."
Director Xu asked, "Principal, is Mr. Shi really Mu Beiyin's uncle? I've never heard of any family connection between the Shi and Mu families."
The principal waved his hand. "Oh, Mu Beiyin didn't live with the Mu family for a long time. Maybe that's when Mr. Shi adopted her?"
Director Xu nodded, believing him. "No wonder she's so obedient around Mr. Shi. Students really are afraid of their guardians."
Mu Beiyin: "…"
She nearly tripped and hurried her steps to escape the scene.
After finishing four classes, it was already five in the afternoon.
When Mu Beiyin exited the building, she didn't see Huo Shiqing. Instead, she ran into Bai Ji.
"Madam," Bai Ji greeted respectfully, "Sir is handling some matters in the board office. Please allow me to escort you there."
Mu Beiyin nodded, and they walked across campus for about twenty minutes before finally arriving at the administrative building.
They took the elevator straight to the top floor. Mu Beiyin asked curiously, "Does Huo Shiqing come to Ancheng University often?"
Bai Ji answered truthfully, "Sir is one of the university's board members."
Oh… he's a board member.
She recalled that the Song family's heir was also a board member. Song Lingqian had even bragged about it, and Mu Qianrou had been proud of it too.
But during the Lu family banquet, people had clearly mentioned "the old Huo estate"…
Last night, worried she might've mistaken Huo Shiqing's identity, she'd even done some research—but came up empty.
Now, those concerns crept up again.
Just then, they arrived at the office.
Mu Beiyin pushed the door open—and her eyes widened in shock!
Inside was a traditional calligraphy table, topped with pristine white rice paper.
Huo Shiqing was writing, each brushstroke fluid and powerful, like flowing clouds and rolling thunder.
From her perspective, Huo Shiqing's calligraphy was even better than Grandpa Song's!
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. She decided to test him. "When did you start learning calligraphy?"
The man replied lazily, "Can't remember."
Mu Beiyin swallowed nervously. Can't remember—which meant he started young. With such talent and skill, it had to be due to years of training… and probably guidance from the Song family.
So she was overthinking it before.
She was just about to walk over when Huo Shiqing suddenly narrowed his eyes and asked meaningfully:
"Mrs. Huo seems awfully curious about whether I practice calligraphy... Could it be—you're hiding something from me?"