The indifferent attitude made a hint of darkness flash across Yu Bin's eyes.
"Mr. Yu, how do you want to settle this privately?" Ji Jingchen sensed the situation turning sour and quickly spoke ahead of him.
Although he knew the other party had ill intentions—that so-called private settlement wouldn't simply be about compensating money—there might still be room for negotiation.
Yu Bin tugged at the corner of his lips but didn't respond.
He picked up the teapot on the table, walked over to Yu Zhi, and looked down at her with a dominating posture: "I'll ask you again, which option will you choose?"
The atmosphere instantly became tense and overbearing; the principal's office fell into dead silence.
Ji Jingchen's face darkened. He grabbed Yu Zhi's wrist, intending to shield her by his side, but she pushed him away firmly.
Yu Zhi slowly approached Yu Bin, fearlessly raising her eyes to meet his gaze. Her icy tone was laced with unmistakable contempt: "Do you not understand human language?"
The words caught even Zhou Xiaoqian, who had been leisurely sipping tea in the main seat, completely off guard. He hadn't expected her to be so bold.
"Quite a sharp tongue." Yu Bin sneered coldly, his gaze cutting and malicious. "Well, now you have no choice left."
The hand holding the teapot started to lift, rising steadily until it hovered above her head.
Just as he was about to let go—
"Try touching her, and see what happens."
A cold voice, as venomous as poison, pierced through everyone's hearts, causing the ambient temperature to drop significantly.
Everyone in the office turned toward the direction of the door.
A long, slender leg stepped in first. The man's tailored suit accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His short hair was meticulously trimmed, casually draped over his forehead and behind his ears.
His skin was pale, his features sharp, and under his sword-like brows, his cold, deep-set eyes gleamed faintly, like stars in a frosty sky or a lone moon in the night.
Shi Wei strode forward, knocking the teapot from Yu Bin's hand to the ground with a single motion, then shot him an intense, commanding glare: "Get lost."
The crisp 'smash' sound jolted Yu Bin back to reality. He took a step back and chuckled awkwardly, "Master Shi, why... why are you here?"
The Yu Family might have wealth, but they didn't even qualify to make it into the highest circles of the Imperial City.
And the man before them had been born into a position Yu Bin could only look up to—he was absolutely untouchable.
Shi Wei ignored him completely. He placed his hands on Yu Zhi's shoulders, carefully looking her over, his tone softening slightly: "Are you hurt?"
"No."
Yu Zhi shook her head, a trace of surprise flickering in her eyes—she hadn't expected him to show up suddenly.
"Come here." Shi Wei pulled her by the shoulders and led her to the sofa, gently seating her there.
When his gaze fell on her fair, slender legs, he immediately removed his suit jacket and draped it over her knees.
"Mr. Shi."
Zhou Xiaoqian's eyes lit up with a glint, and he quickly brewed a cup of tea to present to him.
He had previously had the rare chance to meet the man a few times. Though they weren't well-acquainted, Zhou had heard plenty of stories about him.
Shi Wei responded indifferently, leaning back against the sofa with one leg crossed over the other in a dominant, laid-back posture: "What's this about her breaking some rules?"
"You're her guardian, I presume?" Mrs. Yu waved the medical report forcefully. "How did you raise her? So young, yet so violent! She beat our Nian Nian into the hospital!"
At her words, a glimmer of icy ferocity flickered in Shi Wei's black eyes. However, his expression remained unchanged as he coldly observed the aggressive Mrs. Yu, staying completely silent.
It was Yu Bin who panicked. He pulled Mrs. Yu forcefully back, lowering his voice: "If you still want your life of luxury, shut up."
"What do you mean by that?"
The warning made Mrs. Yu's expression shift. She reevaluated Shi Wei with a mix of confusion and wariness.
Yu Bin shot her a glare, then turned to Shi Wei with fawning respect: "Master Shi, I apologize. My wife was being foolish—sorry to embarrass you."
Shi Wei let out a disdainful laugh, signaling Chen Cai, who had been silently standing behind him, with a glance.
Understanding immediately, Chen Cai, with his towering frame and muscular build, walked toward Mrs. Yu, leaving an imposing aura in his wake.
"What…what are you doing?!" Mrs. Yu clutched her chest in alarm, retreating in fear.
Chen Cai: "..."
He had no interest in middle-aged women, seriously.
Chen Cai wordlessly snatched the diagnostic report from her hands and handed it over to Shi Wei.
Shi Wei scanned through the report from top to bottom. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
He tilted his head and looked at the seemingly nonchalant young girl beside him: "Did she provoke you first?" His tone was gentle, devoid of any accusatory edge.
Yu Zhi replied confidently, "Yes, she insulted me."
Shi Wei let out an acknowledging hum and lazily lifted his gaze toward Yu Bin: "How do you explain this?"
"Master Shi, it's my failure in discipline. But Yu… Classmate Yu was a bit heavy-handed." Yu Bin sighed lightly, his face displaying a look of pain.
Even though his attitude was more polite, his words subtly shifted the blame entirely onto Yu Zhi—after all, the diagnostic report didn't lie.
"Principal, I suggest we pull up the classroom surveillance footage."
A deep, calm voice interrupted. Shi Wei raised his eyes and locked gazes with Ji Jingchen.
Ji Jingchen was the first to look away, giving Yu Zhi a gentle smile: "What do you think?"
"Fine."
Yu Zhi's eyes showed a hint of approval. Since she didn't strike first, releasing the surveillance footage could only benefit her.
The subtle interaction between the two annoyed Shi Wei.
He abruptly grabbed Yu Zhi's arm, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "There's chocolate in my suit pocket."
At his words, Yu Zhi's eyes brightened. She quickly reached into the pocket, feeling around until her fingers touched the round object.
Seeing her attention shift, a trace of satisfaction flickered in Shi Wei's eyes.
Not long after, Zhou Xiaoqian had the surveillance footage from Class Seven pulled up and displayed on his computer.
He turned the screen toward the group, then hit play.
"Slut!"
"You're no better than a rat crawling in the gutter!"
"A bastard child that can't even be shown in public!"
"Go to hell!"
"..."
All kinds of harsh, unbearable insults filled the room.
The principal's office fell into an even heavier silence. Even Yu Bin hadn't expected the truth to be this damning.
The footage played up until Yu Nian picked up a glass bottle when a slender, bony hand reached out and slammed the laptop shut.
"You truly failed in educating your daughter."
Shi Wei stood up, his smile faint but chilling, the aura around him growing icier with every word.
"M-Master Shi, I'm sorry."
Yu Bin was at a complete loss. A moment ago, he had been the one claiming to be the victim, but with this video, his plans had fallen apart completely.