Chapter 107: I Have Everyone On My Side
“Tell me who you are first. Do I know you?”
Qiao Xi took a step back to distance herself from the woman. “A student just said that you’re a teacher in the design department. What’s your name?”
“I… I’m Wang Fengxia,” the woman said with a stammer. “It’s about the post on the forum saying you were a kept woman. When the situation was still unknown, I casually lampooned. The university then said I wasn’t qualified to be a teacher and wanted to fire me… Teacher Qiao, I know you’re from a good family and don’t understand the hardships of ordinary people like us, but I really can’t live without this job. If I lose this job, I’ll have to die!”
The matter on the forum involved many people, and Wang Fengxia was one of them. However, Zhou Guanjin and Gu Zheng were the ones handling this matter, so Qiao Xi did not know about it.
Hearing Wang Fengxia’s words, Qiao Xi was even more puzzled. It had already been so long but this person only came to look for trouble with her now?
When Wang Fengxia saw that Qiao Xi was silent, she suddenly staggered and knelt on the floor. She covered her face and cried loudly. “Qiao Xi, I’m already begging you like this. Aren’t you going to forgive me? What exactly do you want? Do you want to force me to death just over a few words?
“I have my elders and children. I’m different from you, a pampered young lady. I really need this job. I promise I won’t spout nonsense again. Let me go. As long as you let me live, I’ll do anything to repay you…”
The students looked at each other in dismay. “What’s going on? A teacher who can teach at Li City University must be very capable, right? Even if she was fired by Li City University, she should still be able to find a job.”
“Unless Qiao Xi deliberately took revenge and refused to let her get another job? Did she go so far as to attack her? Psychological torture and physical torture? It’s no wonder that this Teacher Wang looks so miserable. She probably couldn’t take the revenge anymore and came to plead with Qiao Xi.”
When Wang Fengxia heard the students’ words, she cried even harder. She knelt down and crawled to Qiao Xi’s feet, kowtowing to her. “Teacher Qiao, saving a life is better than building a seven-storied pagoda. I’ll kowtow to you. Please let me go… Let me go, okay?”
In this situation, the students did not know what to do.
They had never experienced the trials and tribulations of life. The simple campus environment made their hearts remain pure. Wang Fengxia was in the wrong first, so it was understandable for Qiao Xi to make a move against her, but they felt that Qiao Xi’s punishment was a little too much.
After all, the incident on the forum back then did not cause too much trouble for Qiao Xi, but Qiao Xi wanted Wang Fengxia’s life.
At this moment, someone hurried over from outside the crowd. Everyone turned their heads and saw Qiao Rou’s tears slowly flowing down her face. The tears of a beauty caused countless people’s hearts to ache.
Qiao Rou squatted next to Wang Fengxia and bit her lip to plead. “Sister, it’s been so long since the incident on the forum. Please forgive Teacher Wang… She didn’t know the truth and only casually said a few words. You don’t have to kill her like this.
“Now, she has no job, no house, and even her safety can’t be guaranteed. Sister, she has already apologized to you. Can you let her go? The people you sent have already taught her a big lesson. She won’t make the same mistake again. Just withdraw your people.”
Although Qiao Rou had caused a lot of trouble in the past, people were very tolerant of beautiful things. They quickly forgot about the bad things Qiao Rou had done and only saw her beautiful side.
Now that Qiao Rou was standing on Wang Fengxia’s side, saying in a pleading voice how difficult Wang Fengxia’s life was and even revealing that she had been beaten up, everyone instantly stood on Qiao Rou’s side. They felt that Qiao Xi’s methods were too vicious.
Everyone sympathized with the weak. Wang Fengxia’s actions were not equal to the punishment she was receiving. Hence, they thought that it was unfair.
“Qiao Xi, just let Teacher Wang off. She’s quite pitiful now.”
“That’s right. Look at you, you didn’t even recognize her when she first appeared. She didn’t even say those words straight to your face and just complained behind your back. She just said a few words but lost her job, her house, and was even threatened and beaten up. She’s too pitiful.”
“Now that she has apologized to you, will you withdraw the people you sent over to beat her up? Do you think you can ignore the lives of ordinary people just because you’re the high and mighty eldest daughter of a wealthy family? If you still insist on doing this, I’ll call the police even if you’re a teacher.”
Chapter 108: Kneel, Then
Qiao Rou helped Wang Fengxia up and gently tried to enlighten her. “Teacher Wang, please get up first. I’ll persuade my sister to forgive you. Let’s go to the infirmary to treat your wounds, okay?”
Wang Fengxia broke free from Qiao Rou’s hand and looked determined. “If Qiao Xi doesn’t forgive me, I won’t get up.”
Qiao Xi finally understood the situation. These two people were working together to set her up.
She laughed, her voice calm and cold. “Since you don’t want to get up, continue to kneel, then.”
There was dead silence at the university gate.
No one expected Qiao Xi to say such words…
After a brief shock, Wang Fengxia cried and shouted, “You really want to force me to my death, don’t you? You’re cold-blooded and a demon. The life of others is worthless in your eyes, right?”
Qiao Xi frowned. “In a lawful society, evidence is important when making claims. Go look for trouble with whoever is forcing you to death. If you were beaten up, so why didn’t you look for the police? Why did you come looking for me instead? What’s the reason?”
Wang Fengxia was so angry that her face and neck were red. “Of course, I’m looking for you because you caused all of this. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be in such a sorry state!”
The surrounding students also reacted, then joined Wang Fengxia in denouncing Qiao Xi. “Are you indifferent to a living person kneeling in front of you? You just have to say you forgive her. What’s so hard?”
“That’s right. Is your ego more important than human life? You can save a life with just one sentence. Could it be that in your eyes, human life is less important than a single sentence? I’ve learned something today. Is this the worldview of rich people? Can you kill others just because they offended you?”
Qiao Rou also covered her mouth and looked at Qiao Xi in disbelief. “Sister, how did you become like this? Teacher Wang was wrong, but she has already realized her mistake… Why can’t you be more magnanimous and forgive her? Dad and Mom told us that nothing is more important than the lives of others. Could it be that you’ve forgotten their teachings?”
Qiao Xi coldly raised her eyes. “Then did your parents teach you not to poke your nose into other people’s business? Especially when it comes to matters that you don’t know anything about?” Her gaze swept past the surrounding students before she spoke once more. “The university taught you knowledge so that you would know shame and kindness, not so that you can judge others just because you have a mouth.”
The surrounding students glared at her.
Qiao Xi suddenly smiled. “Why am I talking nonsense with you people? How about this…” She raised her hand and pointed at a girl who was quite good-looking in the crowd. “Looking at your clothes, your family background should be quite ordinary but I just saw you get out of a black Mercedes-Benz. With your family background, you probably can’t afford that kind of Mercedes-Benz. Hence, you’re a mistress, right?”
The students suddenly turned around and looked at the girl. The girl’s face was red. “Bullsh*t, you’re slandering me! You’re spreading rumors!”
Qiao Xi’s eyes were indifferent. “Oh, then I was wrong. I’m sorry.”
“What’s the use of apologizing? Do you know how powerful rumors are?! Do you know that a casual sentence from you might make me unable to stay at the university anymore? Do you know how the surrounding students will look at me? Do you know that a casual sentence from you will ruin me?! How could you be a specially-recruited teacher? What right do you have to be a teacher?!” The girl was exasperated.
After she finished speaking, Qiao Xi said with a surprised expression, “I’ve already apologized, yet you still won’t forgive me? Moreover, the situation you mentioned hasn’t happened yet. Why are you so angry? Shouldn’t you be a little more magnanimous?”
“You…” The girl wanted to retort, but she suddenly found the words a little familiar. Weren’t these the words they had just said to persuade Qiao Xi?
Qiao Xi lowered her eyes and smiled. “Look, when something happens to you, you don’t want to forgive either. It’s just like how you won’t know pain until you’re hit. Since you’re not the ones involved, all of you can freely judge. Once it happens to you, you wish for nothing more than to curse the other party. Alas… all of you are a bunch of people who say one thing but mean another.”
After dealing with the students who were watching the commotion, Qiao Xi looked at Qiao Rou. “I forgot that you’re here too. My good sister, you’re pretending to be a kind person so that I can forgive Teacher Wang. Did you forget that you posted that thread on your alternate account? You were the one who started the discussion and made the teachers and students scold me. You’re the culprit. What right do you have to criticize me?”