Chapter 169: Clarification
Her arrival at the field attracted a lot of attention.
“Isn’t that Ning Li?”
“Is she going to give a speech? No way!”
“My god! If I was her, I would be too ashamed to show up at school.”
“She took on multiple guys at once and forced them to their knees, what is this to her?”
The crowd grew restless.
Some people were worried, some took pleasure in the situation, while some were curious.
The principal and other teachers observed Ning Li seriously.
Ning Li turned a blind eye to everything. She stood a little further away from the podium, seemingly still determined to give her speech.
Sun Huihui was standing at the front, relatively close to Ning Li.
Her legs were shaking and her lips were pale.
If she looked at Ning Li, it would remind her of the video.
Ning Li raised her head and looked in her direction.
She looked calm and mostly expressionless. She quickly averted her eyes as if it had only been an unintentional glance, but Sun Huihui was sure that Ning Li was looking at her!
What was that glance about?
What could Ning Li do in front of all these people?
Sun Huihui could hear the whispers from other students and it boosted her confidence a little.
The video had already been revealed and Ning Li was shown to be guilty! Sun Huihui had nothing to do with it!
The whispers were correct. No one knew if Ning Li would be allowed to stay in Second High after today.
Sun Huihui had nothing to be scared of.
She straightened her back confidently.
Ning Li had done a lot to her, so now, it was payback time!
…
Sun Quan stepped onto the podium.
“Today, someone reported to us about the involvement of Ning Li, from third-year first class, in a fight outside of this school. The school treats this matter seriously.”
His words silenced the whole field.
Everyone was all ears, listening to the school’s verdict.
“This is a serious and terrible matter which has caused a harmful impact to the school. The school will investigate this thoroughly and uphold our rules strictly. We will get to the bottom of this as soon as possible.
Now, Ning Li is to make a clarification in front of the whole school.”
Everyone was flabbergasted.
The speech in front of the flag was to become a clarification!
The difference in meaning was like the distance between heaven and earth.
Everyone looked at Ning Li.
No one possibly could remain calm under this much pressure, but Ning Li was different. To her, there was no difference between a speech and a clarification.
While all eyes were on her, she took the mic from Sun Quan and got up to the podium.
Everyone was curious how Ning Li would make her clarification.
However, even if she admitted her guilt, it would be difficult for her to escape this unpunished.
Amid the tense atmosphere, Ning Li tapped the mic, making sure it was loud and clear.
She nodded and then took her phone out.
Sun Quan, the principal and the other teachers were stunned.
“What are you doing, Ning Li? Are you going to read your clarification from your phone!? Geng Haifan, is this what you call an apologetic attitude?!”
Geng Haifan was also stunned.
Ning Li had been completely apologetic on the phone earlier. No one expected her to do something this surprising.
Second High’s rules specifically stated that no phones were allowed in classes. However, since phones had evolved into a daily necessity, the school tended to be lenient to the students on this matter.
As long as the students kept their phones away during class, the school would not care or confiscate them.
Now, Ning Li pulled out her phone in front of the student body!
She could have written it down on a piece of paper!”
“I, Ning Li from third-year first class, clarify that…”
Ning Li started to ‘read’ from her phone.
Her calm voice echoed across the field.
Geng Haifan had to fight his urge to not seize the phone away from Ning Li.
“Just… let her finish.”
Stopping her halfway would make the situation even worse than it already was.
Ning Li ignored everything that was happening behind her.
She tapped her phone and then something played.
“You are Ning Li, right? Do you know why we are here?”
The intimidating voice of a woman sounded through the broadcast.
The voice stunned everyone once again.
That was not Ning Li’s voice and it sounded like…
“Look! Look at the screen!” Someone suddenly shouted.
In front of the field was a huge LED screen for display slides on special occasions.
It was only turned on during events.
The screen was dark but that was where the voice came from.
Everyone turned to the screen curiously. Even the students at the back started to push themselves forward.
“What is going on?”
“Is that voice calling out to Ning Li?”
Sun Quan and the other teachers were stunned.
Before the teachers could react, Ning Li’s voice came from the screen.
“Are you here to teach me a lesson?”
Then, a man’s voice also with an intimidating tone could be heard.
“Quite bright, I see.”
The black screen vigorously shook and the camera was turned on.
Ning Li appeared on the screen in her uniform, black bag and she was looking at the camera calmly.
The voice of the first woman could be heard again. “Kneel down, slap yourself 10 times, apologize and we will call this a day. How about that?”
Someone finally realized what was going on.
“Wait, this voice sounds like the voice of the girl who apologized in the video earlier!”
Everyone soon caught on.
The dots were soon connected and the bigger picture had been revealed.
These people had to pick on Ning Li first.
Ning Li said through the mic, “I clarify that, first, I will never kneel to anyone.”
Chapter 170: Tolerate Even If You Can’t
The entire field plunged into silence, even the air seemed to have frozen.
Ning Li was making a bold move.
The other boys and girls in the video jeered, agreeing to their friend’s suggestion.
Ning Li looked towards the camera and grinned.
“That’s it?”
She put her bag down as the group continued to mock her.
“Hey, little girl. What do you mean? Are you trying to challenge us? With that tiny body of yours? Do you really think that you are capable?”
Ning Li grinned into the camera.
“Oh, I’m not going to fight you guys.”
The screen then showed Ning Li grabbing her bag before moving to sit down on the side stairs.
Ning Li continued as she stood on stage, “I would like to clarify that when those people tried to start a fight, I refused. I then reasoned with them and made them realize their mistake.
Before I knew it, they said they wanted to kneel down and apologize to me. I didn’t stop them, so that was my fault.”
The entire field remained quiet.
The principal and the other teachers reacted bitterly.
Reasoned with them? Made them realize their mistakes?
If Ning Li had really reasoned with them, she would not have been the one counting 1 to 10.
Who would believe her? It was a blatant lie!
However, the video had clearly shown that Ning Li was not the one who had started the fight.
What would the school do about this now?
The screen then went black, seemingly marking the end of the video.
No one said a word even after the video had ended.
Ning Li’s bold move shocked everyone.
She was really audacious. How had things ended up like this?
She then turned to where her class was standing.
Sun Huihui felt as if someone was looking at her.
She froze, and when she looked up, she happened to lock eyes with Ning Li.
Her gaze was calm and cold and injected anxiety into Sun Huihui’s heart.
Sun Huihui’s heart pounded fiercely, a strong unpleasant feeling spreading from the bottom of her heart.
Then, a familiar voice came from the dark screen.
“What else can I do? What’s done is done! Should I trick Ning Li into going to the janitor’s room again? Why would she believe me?”
The frustrated voice from the screen sounded extra irritated in front of the quiet audience.
Sun Huihui’s eyes widened in shock—that was her voice!
The crowd gasped in shock.
“What’s going on? The video isn’t finished?”
“No way! This voice sounds different from the first one.”
“I think so, it sounds like another girl.”
The students from first class knew who the voice belonged to—Sun Huihui.
Everyone turned to her and saw her pale face.
“But you… You got locked up for a night and almost got punished by the school. Look at her now…”
Someone else was talking to Sun Huihui.
The girl who was talking to Sun Huihui was actually from the fourth class. Her face became as pale as paper when she heard her own voice.
The others around her stared at her suspiciously.
Those who were familiar with her had recognized her voice.
“She’s under the spotlight now! The first place in the city! Even the school looks at her differently now!”
“The girl with the good score is always right. The school is just going to cover it up for her. What can I do?”
“Oh right, Lil Xuan, I remember that you know some guys outside of school, right?”
The girl known as Lil Xuan was petrified when she heard her name from the screen.
Now, not only Sun Huihui, but even the other girl had been dragged into this.
The voices on the screen talked about finding someone from outside the school to ‘teach’ Ning Li a lesson. They discussed an elaborate plan, having made up their minds that they wanted Ning Li to pay.
The voice recording was only two minutes long, but it felt like an eternity to Sun Huihui and Lil Xuan.
Everyone finally realized that this whole thing had started because of Sun Huihui.
She had tried to lock Ning Li in the janitor’s room but had gotten locked inside instead.
She hated Ning Li for it, so she had found someone from outside the school to take revenge for her.
Ning Li had been a passive participant from start to finish. She had been forced to counterattack to protect herself.
It was clear that Sun Huihui was the culprit behind all this.
Ning Li put her phone away and looked at Sun Huihui.
“I would like to clarify that when Sun Huihui tried to lock me in the janitor’s room, I jumped out from the 2nd-floor window. Not only did I fail to fulfill her intention of locking me inside, but I also got angry and locked her inside instead.
I am willing to sincerely apologize to Sun Huihui because of that and I am willing to pay her medical and mental compensation.
Also, Sun Huihui got angry because of what I did to her and asked Xue Xuan to call her friends to ‘teach’ me a lesson. I did not appreciate that. Someone even took a video of me ‘teaching’ them a lesson, which has caused a problem for the teachers and the students.
I am sorry and I hereby promise that I will…”
She paused halfway and threw a sharp gaze at Sun Huihui.
“…Count faster.”
Sun Huihui wanted to dash up to the stage and snatch the microphone away from Ning Li. However, her limbs were cold and numb, and her mind had gone blank. Her whole world was spinning and she could not move a muscle.
There had never been another moment in her life where she had felt so ruined—she was done for.
“I would like to clarify that recently, I have brought a lot of trouble to everyone and the school. I wholeheartedly accept the punishment from the school and promise that I will correct my attitude.
Lastly, I have two more things to say.”
Ning Li grinned at Sun Huihui.
“I will still be the No.1 student and I will never learn to take a beating without fighting back. I ask for everyone to be more patient with me in the future. If you still can’t put up with me, I ask you to try harder.
That is all for my clarification. Ning Li from third-year first class, thank you.”
…
Back at the disciplinary office, Ning Li stood in front of Sun Quan, whose head was still hurting.
The man had not been able to calm down after the little farce that Ning Li had pulled on stage.
“You!”
He was pacing his office with his hands behind his back. He attempted to scold her a few times, but each time he choked on his words.
He did not even know where to begin.
He had taught many students before, but Ning Li was the first to make him feel so helpless.
Compared to him, Ning Li looked rather relaxed.
Geng Haifan looked around, rubbing his face in distress.
Sun Huihui and Xue Xuan were in the other office with their parents present.
Ning Li’s evidence was solid and it had been played in front of a crowd.
The school had to be strict in how they dealt with it.
Minor squabbles among classmates were almost inevitable but this was the second time that Sun Huihui had made a mistake.
The first time had been a serious matter, but the school had been lenient because it had been her first offense and she suffered for it.
Plus, the school had been careless the first time, so it had ended with both sides compromising.
This time, however, was different.
Reaching out to gangsters outside the school to bully one of her classmates was very serious. It was, to a certain extent, a crime.
Sun Quan’s head hurt from thinking about the troubles that this situation would be causing. Things would only snowball from this point onwards.
“Ning Li, what kind of clarification was that?”
Chapter 171: Punishment
Ning Li thought for a moment, before speaking seriously, “Mr. Sun, I believe I was being 110% sincere as I was making my clarification.”
She had stated everything clearly. She had apologized, admitted her mistake, and clarified all the details in front of the whole student body. That should have satisfied everyone.
Sun Quan sighed deeply with his eyes closed.
Geng Haifan hurriedly stepped in to ease the conversation.
“Mr. Sun, I don’t think Ning Li is to blame for this. She was… just fighting back. It was self-defense, right?”
“Ning Li, if someone was bullying you and you had evidence, you should have just come to us. The school would have definitely stood by your side. Now, with your little…”
Aside from Xue Xuan, the school would certainly expel Sun Huihui.
Ning Li raised a brow.
This was what she wanted.
Sun Huihui had repeatedly tested her patience, so all she wanted to do was remove the challenger.
“I am willing to bear all the consequences. Be it expulsion or some other punishment, I will accept it wholeheartedly.”
At that moment, Zhou Fei entered the office and frowned at what he had heard.
“Expelled? Who’s going to expel Ning Li? I’ll be the first one to say no!”
Zhou Fei had stayed up late yesterday to play games, so he had woken up late this morning.
He had missed the circulation of the video on the internet as well as the live clarification during the assembly.
He had only heard about what had happened when he had arrived at the school and had rushed to the office immediately.
He had come to the office to find out more details but had overheard someone talking about expelling Ning Li.
It must not happen!
Zhou Fei glared at Sun Quan.
“Mr. Sun, if I may? I think Sun Huihui should apologize to Ning Li. She was the one being bullied, so why was she the one who had to stand up in front of everyone to apologize?”
Sun Quan gave a wry look. He had not even given his verdict, yet Ning Li had already blurted it all out.
“When did I say that I was going to expel Ning Li?!”
This whole matter was serious, but at the end of the day, it was Sun Huihui who had started all this.
Even if they had to punish Ning Li, it would not be expulsion. Moreover, the school did not want to lose its best student.
“However, Ning Li did do something wrong too! What was she trying to achieve with that fiasco on stage? Turn the entire school upside-down?!”
Zhou Fei breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that. The serious look on his face was replaced by a more light-hearted expression.
“Oh, are you talking about that? Ah, I know Ning Li is a little impulsive, so… why don’t we ask her to write a self-review report to clarify her own mistake?”
Sun Quan’s heart raced when he heard the word ‘clarify’.
He turned to Zhou Fei with a wry look. He had to calm down and fight his urge to scold Zhou Fei.
It was precisely because the school had allowed Ning Li to give her clarification in the first place that the fiasco on stage had happened.
They would never dare to ask Ning Li to do anything related to any kind of clarification in future.
…
Back in third-year first class, the students were restless.
“Finally, I’ve witnessed something monumental with my own eyes! I didn’t know you could make a clarification in that way!”
“I knew the video in the morning looked weird. Who would have thought that it was a part 2 and that there was a part 1 looming in the dark? What’s wrong with Sun Huihui? Why would she do that to Ning Li? There was no point in that. Look what she has gotten herself into now?” Cheng Xiangxiang sneered.
“Ning Li had all the evidence, but she did not give them to the school. Instead, she chose to reveal it in front of everyone. It’s obvious that she was trying to get back at Sun Huihui. I have to say, Ning Li really knows how to scheme deeply.”
He Xiaochen grinned.
“Cheng Xiangxiang. Since you put it that way, are you implying that Ning Li forced Sun Huihui to attack and then arranged for someone from the outside to threaten her herself? Is that it?”
Cheng Xiangxiang was silenced.
He Xiaochen looked on contemptuously.
“If Sun Huihui was guilty, people would have found out soon enough. Ning Li only revealed the truth to us in its original form without any alteration. Why is that wrong?”
He Xiaochen suddenly thought of something.
“Oh, by the way, Ye Ci, didn’t Sun Huihui distract you so that you would leave Ning Li alone? I suppose she had done it to allow those friends of hers to gang up on Ning Li?”
Her words silenced the entire class.
Usually, Ning Li and Ye Ci went home together. If Ye Ci had been with Ning Li that day, those people might not have caught Ning Li alone.
“He Xiaochen, what is the meaning of that? Sun Huihui had wanted to borrow Lil CI’s notes to be photocopied and Lil Ci was just kind enough to help her! As for Ning Li, what happened to her has nothing to do with Lil Ci!” Cheng Xiangxiang raised her voice.
He Xiaochen shrugged.
“That’s what I am asking. I didn’t mean anything else. What did you mean?”
Cheng Xiangxiang struggled to control her breathing.
Ye Ci tugged on Cheng Xiangxiang’s sleeve.
“Xiangxiang, stop it. It’s over now. It was a dangerous situation, but Sister Ning Li is okay. If something had happened to her, I…”
“She’s strong. What could possibly have happened to her?” Cheng Xiangxiang scoffed.
Thinking of the earlier video, she felt rather apprehensive.
She had also had a conflict with Ning Li before and had lost miserably in the horse race.
Back then, she had only felt Ning Li’s arrogance, but it was different now.
In the video, Ning Li had been like the grim reaper counting down someone’s death as she casually sat down. It was scary.
“Speaking of which, is it me or is Ning Li pretty… cool today?”
Lin Zhouyang subtly raised his hand, as he admired Ning Li’s actions on stage earlier.
“I’ve made a lot of clarifications and written a ton of self-review reports, but I was nothing like her. I’m too useless! Ning Li is really the BEST!”
Looking impressed, he gave Ning Li a big thumbs up.
Ning Li had somehow become Lin Zhouyang’s idol and role model.
There were other audacious students who would defy their school, but it rarely happened in Second High.
Ning Li’s situation was a little unusual as well. To be frank, all she had done was to clarify her actions.
Lin Zhouyang wished he could be as bold as that the next time he made a clarification, with the capability of leaving everyone speechless.
Ren Qian tapped his shoulder and said heavily, “Don’t stop there.”
He was amazed by Lin Zhouyang’s thoughts.
Lin Zhouyang chuckled. “What do you think the school will do to Ning Li?”
“Only God knows.”
It was then that Ning Li came back to the classroom.
Her arrival silenced everyone.
Ning Li calmly returned to her seat. She took out a piece of paper and looked at Lin Zhouyang.
“3,000 words?”
Lin Zhouyang knew what it meant.
“My idol! Do you have to write another self-review report?”
Ning Li nodded. “One English test paper.”
Lin Zhouyang looked conflicted. “How about two?”
Ning Li nodded. “Deal.”
Lin Zhouyang tapped on the table. “Deal!”
He took Ning Li’s paper and added, “Actually, I only accept orders with three or more papers but since you are my idol, you are a regular—”
Ning Li then gave him another piece of paper.
“This self-review report has to be pasted on the notice board later. Try your best to make it look similar.”
Ning Li had never written that many words before, except for the essays in literature papers.
Lin Zhouyang was confused.
Ning Li had decided to give the boy a little bonus. “Three papers.”
Lin Zhouyang clenched his teeth before he clicked on his pen. “Deal!”
The others were stunned.
Ning Li’s punishment was a 3,000-word self-review report?”
More importantly, she had brazenly asked Lin Zhouyang to do it for her!
Then, Sun Huihui returned to the class.
Her head was lowered but it was obvious that she had cried her eyes out.
She returned to her seat without a word and started packing her things. She did not even dare to glance at Ning Li.