The dean stood, rendered speechless by the force of Wang Fugui's retort. His words faltered as he attempted to respond, but only managed to mutter, "You..."
"What is it?" Wang Fugui queried, a touch of unhappiness in his voice. "I refuse to let you unjustly accuse this student. I maintain my belief that she's innocent."
The homeroom teacher furrowed her brow, acknowledging the truth in his words, yet feeling unsettled within herself.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ling'er smiled.
The dean interjected, "I meant that she might possess the answer sheet. The informant stated that it was on the second floor. A fellow classmate in the examination room attested that she had completed her work swiftly and proceeded to rest her head on the desk. If she did not possess the answers beforehand, how could she have finished so expeditiously?"
Indeed, Jiang Ling'er had reclined upon the table, but slumber did not embrace her. Angered, Wang Fugui retorted, "She finished her work and double-checked it. Is it not permissible to rest for a while when fatigued? Tell me, who alleged that she was napping on the desk? Summon her forth, and let us confront her face to face."
The dean's visage paled. What did he mean by allowing resting when weary? It was an examination hall—proper decorum was expected.
With an irate gaze, the dean peered at Wang Fugui. Wang Fugui irritatedly said, "Why are you looking at me like that? If I am tired of standing as an invigilator, and end up constantly traversing back and forth, would that be considered disruptive behavior that impinges upon other students' examinations?"
The dean replied sarcastically, "Teacher Wang, why are you so agitated? Could it be that you have something to do with this?"
When Wang Fugui heard this, he said fervently, "Dean, are you trying to frame me? I will not stand for this!"
"Then pray tell, why are you so agitated?" the dean mockingly inquired. "The test paper was exceptionally arduous. You're claiming she possessed no answer sheets, so how did she finish so swiftly? Are you fearful of assuming responsibility for the invigilator's error, thus rushing to her defense?"
"Um, what are you trying to say?" Wang Fugui persisted. "I mean, does the final answer have to show every single step? If not, then there can only be one right answer, right? Look, all the test papers were handed out on the same day. No one knew when we'd have the exam or which teacher would set the questions. So, where did she get the answers? Don't say she found them somewhere. I'm pretty sure lots of other students have seen the same info. Can you seriously say everyone cheated?"
The dean was left speechless, and he glanced over at the silent vice-principal before sighing, "I don't know what to do, Vice-Principal. How should we handle this situation?"
The vice-principal rubbed his temples and thought for a moment. Jiang Ling'er's information had come from the oldest daughter of the Wen Family, which made things complicated since the Jiang Family couldn't be trifled with. But the person who reported this incident had the support of the Li Family, and fooling them wouldn't be easy.
Lost in contemplation, the vice-principal turned his attention to Jiang Ling'er. Surprisingly, she remained calm, showing no signs of worry or panic.
"Jiang Ling'er, we all know about your past results," the vice-principal began. "And this time, I've also informed your parents."
Jiang Ling'er nodded, uncertain about who might arrive. If it turned out to be Lin Lin, it would be quite amusing. Lin Lin couldn't wait for Jiang Ling'er to shoulder all the blame.
The homeroom teacher smiled and said, "Jiang, no need to be nervous. Just cooperate so that the matter can be investigated thoroughly."
Jiang Ling'er couldn't help but inwardly chuckle with disdain. She replied, "Teacher, this is a simple matter. Some people can't bear to see me succeed, so they maliciously reported me."
The homeroom teacher narrowed her eyes, recognizing that Jiang Ling'er had indeed changed. She remarked, "If I didn't possess evidence, I wouldn't have approached you so abruptly. That wouldn't be good for your reputation."
Jiang Ling'er understood the teacher's attempt to extract information. If Jiang Ling'er had truly cheated, guilt would have overwhelmed her. Unfortunately, she hadn't. Jiang Ling'er retorted, "Teacher, aren't you all acting rashly? If there's evidence, just present it. There's no need to waste time with all this nonsense."
"I'm giving you an opportunity to turn yourself in," the homeroom teacher earnestly stated.
"Heh, homeroom teacher," Jiang Ling'er scoffed, "the person who reported me is trying to provoke me because she knows you won't dare to take action against her. But why are you trying to frame me? What did I do to deserve being treated like a culprit? Don't beat around the bush anymore. Just say it."
Hearing Jiang Ling'er's tone, the homeroom teacher also became slightly dissatisfied. She admonished, "Can't you speak respectfully? I'm doing this for your own good."
Jiang Ling'er retorted, "It's great to see you care so much. I don't need it. You should direct your concern towards yourself and your child. I can't afford to bear the consequences."
Did they consider Jiang Ling'er a mere child? Did they think she was foolish? Were they attempting to employ such a cheap tactic to manipulate her into admitting something she didn't do?