/
After the start of the evening self-study period, the school campus did not quiet down, but instead, the atmosphere grew more and more volatile.
Rong Si, who had taken Peng Zige and their posse out of class, had not returned at all. Su Zi was vigilantly stuck to Li Erqin’s side, and a few girls were trying various methods to console her.
Li Erqin had thought this was going to be a difficult situation that she would have to tackle alone. However, it had never crossed her mind that she would actually be left with not a thing to do. Even the act of worrying seemed to be superfluous.
The Session teacher more or less had an understanding of all that had transpired so she didn’t stop the girls when they went to show their concern for Li Erqin. The Form teacher had entered and asked a few questions, and then she assuaged Li Erqin with the following: “Don’t be afraid, everything will be alright. Your classmates and I will help clarify and sort this out.” Then she left like the wind to see to the matter.
Li Erqin felt slightly embarrassed and humbled, but what needed to be said most definitely had to be said, so she bashfully and sheepishly said, “Thank you…..Thanks everyone.”
She was immediately met with a large explosive reaction. “What’s to thank!!!”
One of the girls who was filled with indignation at the injustice spoke up. “What was it she said about someone whose family has connections and would randomly bully fellow students! Isn’t Shi Meng just talking about herself!”
This was immediately seconded by someone else. “That’s right! If you’re going to start a rumor, it should at least touch on the truth a little! Since when has Erqin’s family ever had anyone high-up?”
Li Erqin disagreed, “In my home, there are people both high up(stairs) and down below.”
(TN: This sounds “punnier” in chinese, where higher-up is literally “people on top” so the previous girl’s statement could be taken literally as: “In Erqin’s home, when did she ever have people on the top floor?”)
(Minodayz : ummmm… girl, I think you’ve got the higher up powers that be mixed with people living upstairs and downstairs!!! Hahahahaha…you’re just LEQ really!!!)
With Li Erqin’s comeback, the atmosphere finally lightened up from its earlier oppressive nature.
“Li Erqin, you’re always like this! I was trying to comfort you, and this is how you respond!”
Li Erqin poked her tongue out.
Someone else chimed in, “I really hope this time Shi Meng will learn her lesson and get what she deserves! A witch calling out for a witch hunt on someone else is just too despicable.”
Li Erqin could only nod vehemently to everyone’s collective replies of “That’s right!”
Su Zi who was filled with contempt added, “Utterly shameless!”
Li Erqin continued to nod her head to everyone’s “That’s right!”
The overall atmosphere became soothing and filled with warmth. The girls noticed that Li Erqin was no longer looking gloomy and despondent, and their inner gossips began to come out. “I’ll say, Erqin.”
“Yes?”
“When did you and Rong Si begin?”
“What?”
Someone chuckled, “Don’t play dumb, we are all in the know.”
“Right now, I believe everyone in school probably knows about it too….”
Li Erqin looked dumbstruck.
“Rong Si told everyone.”
Now she was startled. “Rong Si told everyone?”
“Yup.” Li Erqin couldn’t even tell who had replied. “It was like he was making an official statement.”
“It was way cool!”
“Yah man! It was as if he was declaring that Erqin is mine, and whoever who dares bully or touch her, *you had better watch out!”
(T/N : The word use was 等着瞧 dengzheqiao – which literally means wait and see. It’s like a warning and threat.)
“That’s how it had to have been right?” Someone teasingly laughed, “Isn’t there someone who really has to watch out now?”
The group had dispersed and returned to their seats before Rong Si returned. The classroom was quiet, and Rong Si had no way of knowing how Li Erqin was feeling at the moment.
However, it didn’t really matter.
If she was unhappy, then he would just have to cheer her up.
Rong Si entered the class, nodded in greeting to the teacher sitting in front and then went straight toward Li Erqin at her desk. When he got to her, he grabbed her hands and led her out of the classroom, leaving behind a whole class hooting with laughter.
As Li Erqin was led by Rong Si, her face was blushing red.
Rong Si took her to the rooftop, where he bent over to her level and surveyed her expression.
Laughing, he said, “Why is your face red?”
Li Erqin used her hands to cover her face. “The whole class was hooting.”
“Then let them hoot.”
Li Erqin asked hesitantly, “You really told everyone …..about us?
Rong Si calmly replied, “Yes.”
“Dating is not allowed in school.”
Rong Si looked like he was giving this some thought before he replied with not much seriousness, “I’ll make sure to keep a low profile in the future.”
Li Erqin muttered, “You were low-profiled to begin with…”
Rong Si sneered, “So low-profiled that you got bullied?”
“That’s not what I meant…”
The clouds in the night sky gently floated by, and the wind on the rooftop felt colder than usual. Li Erqin was especially glad that she had worn her outer coat.
Rong Si straightened up and leaned back on the wall. “Everything should be alright now.”
“That fast?” Li Erqin was so taken aback that she whipped her head up.
“Yup.”
Rong Si took off his outer jacket and placed it on the ground. He pulled Li Erqin over to sit down, and taking out his mobile phone, he searched and found the Weibo post to show her.
It was another video of Li Erqin’s incident.
It was unknown who had taken the video, but this time, the angle of the camera was able to capture the whole incident and it gave a clearer picture of what had transpired. It completely captured and showed Shi Meng leading her group of friends in holding Li Erqin down on the ground as they pummeled her.
This was not the first time that Rong Si had watched the video, but every time he saw it, the fine blue veins of his arms would begin to violently pop up and he’d have to suppress his mounting anger.
Li Erqin did not watch until the end. Brushing her nose, she closed the video. She didn’t dare look at Rong Si. “Wasn’t that humiliating?”
“Yes.”
Li Erqin’s brain felt like it was exploding.
Rong Si continued, “It’s humiliating and disgraceful for the people who could do such a thing.”
“I was talking about me….isn’t it disgraceful to get myself beaten up?”
Rong Si replied instantly. “Not at all.”
As long as Li Erqin believed it, that’s all that mattered.
Rong Si searched up another video clip that was pre-recorded and edited in an interview style (with a question and answer format).
The background interviewer’s voice was clear and very pleasing to the ears. Even though the interviewer was never shown in the recording, from the very first sound he uttered, Li Erqin knew that it was Rong Si.
The rest of the interviewees were fellow students who were courageous enough to speak out. Amongst them were those who had previously been bullied by Shi Meng, and the interviews were interspersed with images of threatening text messages that Shi Meng had sent as well as photos of some of the students after they were beaten up.
This was a major game changer for the netizens.
Many netizens who had been quick to cut down Li Erqin with their sharp words suddenly, because of this humiliating deceit, honed their verbal swords and directed all their viciousness in a crazy fury towards Shi Meng and her posse.
However, Shi Meng had no friends to support her and help her clarify matters, mainly because there really was nothing to clarify or refute.
She indeed got her just desserts.
Furthermore, the repercussions from her actions were so great that it didn’t even matter what her motives were. The fact was, her methods were simply too vile and underhanded. It was no longer a simple matter of a group of girls fighting in school.
Due to all the slander, defamation of character and false accusations that were hurled at Li Erqin and the resulting emotional and physical trauma she endured, Li Zhengwen had sufficient mitigating evidence along with those charges to formally launch a lawsuit.
＊＊＊
As for the online community and its netizens, this matter was far from being resolved. Someone had even gone so far as to write a Weibo blog, speaking out against netizens and their inability to govern their own responses. Netizens can’t just randomly cyber mob a person without any concrete evidence. Plus, why would they go about mobbing a person in the first place and what kind of people would do such things.
However, for Li Erqin, the situation was pretty much resolved. Since it hadn’t exactly been a joyous event, Li Erqin would much rather that she could quickly wipe the whole incident from her memory.
Li Zhengwen was at his workplace when he met Shi Meng and her dad, who had dragged her along to apologise and beg for the lawsuit to be dropped.
Li Zhengwen looked down on them as he swept his eyes from father to daughter. When he had Shi Meng investigated earlier, he also had found out some background information concerning her dad. It turned out that he was commonly known in the workplace to be someone who was difficult to work with. It was no wonder he would raise such a daughter as Shi Meng.
Li Zhengwen was a person who was very earnest, conscientious and serious when it came to his work. He rarely smiled, and in this instance, his face was completely devoid of expression. After he had explained to Shi Meng and her dad how he dealt with work and business separate from personal and family relations, he had his secretary see them off.
There really was no other reason. Whether it was from a business or a personal standpoint, this matter was simply not one that could be easily tolerated or forgiven.
When Shi Meng’s dad had led her out of the building, she was overwrought with fear and trepidation, tears streaming down her face. “Dad, what should we do?”
Shi Meng’s dad shook his head. “Why don’t you try speaking with the girl and see if she would forgive you, and if she could intercede on your behalf with Li Zhengwen. That might possibly produce a better outcome.”
Shi Meng’s face completely lost its colour. “I won’t do it!! I would rather die than apologise to her!”
Shi Meng’s dad was so furious that he slapped her across the face. “Go ahead then! When you were bullying someone, did you stop to think about the family background of the person you were bullying??! Is Li Zhengwen’s daughter someone you could even afford to bully?!”
Shi Meng let out an exasperated sound. “I don’t care! You will go and settle this matter for me! If you don’t help me, then you’re no father to me!”
Ultimately, Shi Meng returned to school and sought Li Erqin for forgiveness.
The two of them met on the sports field while Rong Si stood sentinel a few steps away.
The enemies faced off each other with eyes that were filled with loathing. Shi Meng glared with a pair of red blazing eyes. It was almost indiscernible if she was here to apologise or to start a fight.
Li Erqin’s facial expression wasn’t any better; it had a dark ominous vibe.
After holding out for some time, Shi Meng stiffly apologised. “Sorry, I was in the wrong.”
Li Erqin’s expression was still dark. “Got it.”
Shi Meng immediately got to the point. “So you’ll forgive me?”
Li Erqin was just as straightforward. “No.”
Shi Meng was totally flabbergasted and asked, “Did I not personally come and apologise to you, why then won’t you forgive me?”
Li Erqin answered with another question, “Why should I forgive you?”
“I already apologised!”
Unlike the volatile Shi Meng, Li Erqin appeared to be extremely calm, and she blandly said, “How old are you already? How could you convince yourself that in such a situation you could use a simple apology in exchange for forgiveness?”
Shi Meng was once again about to go berserk.
This time she was held back by her dad. He had seen that his daughter’s attitude would not work in this situation. Hence, he had no choice but to step in personally to intervene. “Li Erqin, Li student.”
He tried his best to smile in a congenial manner. “Even if you don’t want to forgive, that’s ok. But would it be possible to ask if your family would drop the lawsuit? After all, our daughter is only a high school student. She has her whole future ahead of her. If you guys leave this stain on her, it will linger and haunt her for the rest of her life.”
“Uncle.” Li Erqin took a step back; her expression was one that was hardly ever seen, a haughty air. “Firstly, Shi Meng’s stain wasn’t given to her by us. Secondly, she still has her whole life ahead of her, enough for her to learn from her mistakes. Lastly,” Li Erqin paused and plastered on a smile, “if you feel that my family had intentionally targeted Shi Meng, then you are just wrong.”
Shi Meng’s dad’s eyes widened.
“If my dad was the kind of person you thought he was, then she would definitely not be standing here right now.”
“Li student…” Shi Meng’s dad wanted to add more, but he was not able to utter a single word.
“And the only thing I can do for now is not to pursue the matter any further.”
Li Erqin bowed in respect and gave Shi Meng’s dad a polite smile. “I’ll be going back to class for my self-study session. Good-bye.”
(Minodayz : you go girl!!! ＼(＞０＜)／　加油）
“Li Erqin!” Shi Meng shouted, “Why do you have to be so imperious?”
Li Erqin made a strange face as she swept a glacial glance at Shi Meng and then turned and walked away.
Rong Si saw that she had hung on her “facial paralysis’ look as she walked toward him, so he reached out and grabbed her hand. “Are you alright?”
“I’m good.” Li Erqin lifted her nose. “I’m not in the habit of letting any random persons bully me.”
Rong Si was still unable to put his heart to rest. “They didn’t do anything untowards to you, right?”
“Other than beg for my forgiveness!” Li Erqin poked her tongue out. “But I couldn’t give them that.”
Rong Si gave her hand a tight squeeze.
“Am I rather vindictive?” Li Erqin asked.
Rong Si curled his lips. “Not at all.”
The incident on the web gradually lost its momentum and was quickly replaced by the next new trending issue. As for Li Erqin and her friends, they, too, soon turned their attention back to their studies.
In regards to how everything else eventually turned out, Li Erqin paid no heed to any of the details. The only information she noted was that Shi Meng had quit school.
One Tuesday afternoon, during the fourth period, Li Erqin had skipped out of the physical exercise session. She looked up to see a tree bursting with golden leaves and mused, “Those uber hot summer days are finally over.”