"Transfer now! You're being utterly insolent!" Lin Cheng was fuming. The veins on the back of his hands bulged as he stared intently at Lin Jinran. "It's just a new school, yet you've grown so bold, Lin Jinran. You even dare to defy me."
Lin Jinran's eyelashes fluttered slightly. The hand covering her left cheek slowly dropped, revealing a bright red handprint. Her eyes were clear as she said, "On what grounds do you decide my transfer? Didn't you stop caring about me ages ago?"
She tugged at the corner of her mouth mockingly and said, "Lin Cheng, all you want is an obedient puppet. As long as I don't follow your will, you'll interfere in my life."
"Your so - called non - interference was just because I rarely defied or refuted you in the past. Do you think you're so high - and - mighty that you can control my comings and goings, believing that I'll surely obey you?"
"Don't forget, this isn't the Imperial City but Wannan City. And you can't threaten me with anything else," like the medical expenses for her mother.
She enunciated each word, and they landed on the ground forcefully. Her expression was resolute, and the soft black strands of her hair fluttered in the wind and fell behind her ears.
Based on her academic performance, the school leaders would take turns persuading Lin Cheng to abandon this idea. They didn't want the student they had painstakingly cultivated to leave for another school at this crucial moment.
Lin Jinran was taking a gamble, betting on a glimmer of hope, betting that Lin Cheng's reach couldn't be that long. She could also ask Aunt Ying for help.
But he had even sent Lin Tingnian there, spending a great deal of time and effort to smooth things out.
Deep down, she lacked confidence.
She was just bluffing, trying to shake Lin Cheng's resolve in his fit of rage.
"Uncle, Lin Jinran has such good grades. How can she transfer suddenly? There are only a hundred days left until the college entrance examination. If she transfers, her grades will surely be affected," Lu Youchuan was taken aback and quickly explained the pros and cons.
Lin Cheng remained unmoved. He only cared about his own face.
"Uncle, Lin Jinran absolutely cannot transfer. Wannan No. 1 High School ranks among the top in several nearby provinces. Where else do you want Lin Jinran to study if she leaves here?"
Su Qinian immediately calculated the network of connections in his mind. His dark eyes were like the sea on the verge of a storm as he calmly pointed out Lin Cheng's future plans for Lin Jinran.
"Of course, it's up to me to decide about Lin Jinran. Why do you classmates meddle so much? It's not your family matter," Lin Cheng sneered and then stared at Lin Jinran. "You're my daughter after all. Shouldn't I decide your comings and goings?"
Lin Jinran looked at him coldly without saying a word.
This was the man her mother had loved so deeply. When her mother was lying on the cold hospital bed, he finally showed his entire ugly face.
He was so ugly that she almost vomited.
"Make way, make way! The class teacher is coming! The class teacher is coming..." The shouts grew closer, and the crowd automatically made way for Jiang Xiubin and the class teacher Zhou Ping.
"Teacher, this is Lin Jinran's father I told you about," Jiang Xiubin pushed his glasses and said calmly.
The moment Lin Cheng slapped Lin Jinran in public, Jiang Xiubin rushed to the office to find the class teacher for help.
"Are you Lin Jinran's class teacher? Nice to meet you," Lin Cheng restrained himself a bit. He looked down slightly at Zhou Ping, who was in his forties, and changed his tone. "I'd like Lin Jinran to transfer. She's not a resident of Wannan City, so it's not suitable for her to take the college entrance examination here."
Before coming, Zhou Ping had heard something from Jiang Xiubin. His gaze fell on Lin Jinran's left cheek, and he sighed slightly. Then he turned to Lin Cheng with a serious expression.
"I'm sorry. There are only a hundred days left until the college entrance examination for Lin Jinran. Transferring at this time is not conducive to her grades. Even if I agree to her transfer, the grade director and the principal may not agree."
Moreover, under no circumstances would he agree to Lin Jinran's transfer.
Lin Cheng's relatively calm expression suddenly darkened. He stared at the class teacher Zhou Ping. "Lin Jinran has also caused you a lot of trouble, hasn't she? Claiming that her parents are both dead..."
"No, that's completely untrue, Uncle. You must have heard some rumors. Lin Jinran has never said such a thing!" Tao Wan couldn't help but interrupt him and explained on Lin Jinran's behalf.
"Then where did this rumor come from? It's so sudden," Zhang Qiaozhi, who was watching the show on the side, raised her eyebrows in surprise and covered her mouth with her hands. Her voice came out through the gaps between her fingers.
"Zhang Qiaozhi, shut up!" Su Qinian's eyes darkened as he stared at Zhang Qiaozhi, his gaze as cold as ice.
But Lin Cheng was delighted at her words, as if he had found a reason to save some face. "That's right. If it wasn't Lin Jinran who deliberately spread it, could these rumors have come out of thin air?"
"The truth of the matter remains to be verified. You can come with me to the teaching affairs office on the first floor and have some tea first," the class teacher tried to appease Lin Cheng, but it was in vain. He stuck to his own idea.
"Also, my daughter's grades have suddenly dropped. She ranked fifth in her previous school. Why did I see that she ranked seventh in the grade last time?" Lin Cheng clearly wanted to take Lin Jinran away and was blatantly lying.
One was a high school in the Imperial City that barely made it into the upper - middle level, while the other was a well - known national key high school. Any fool could understand what Lin Cheng meant.
He didn't care. He just wanted to take Lin Jinran away.
Lin Cheng reached out to grab Lin Jinran and take her away. Lin Jinran shrank back and took a step back, causing Lin Cheng to miss.
Zhou Ping smiled meaningfully and said, "You may not know that in the first provincial joint exam for senior three students this time, Lin Jinran ranked among the top three. She was exactly the third."
As soon as he said this, Lin Jinran suddenly looked up at the class teacher and saw the class teacher nodding gently at her with a gentle look in his eyes.
"Wow, third in the whole province. Is my Sister Lin that amazing? This is more valuable than ranking third in the Imperial City," Lu Youchuan murmured.
As is well - known, the college entrance examination papers in the Imperial City have always been a bit easier than those in other major college - entrance - examination provinces.
"Lin Jinran has such good grades. It's not as bad as you said. Do you really want to ruin Lin Jinran's future for your own selfish interests?" It was like another slap, "pa" on Lin Cheng's face.
Lin Cheng looked embarrassed, with indescribable anger mixed in his embarrassment. He stared gloomily at Lin Jinran, who was being protected by everyone.
He asked her word by word, "Lin Jinran, are you going to leave with me or not?"
"Leave? Where to?" It seemed like a huge joke. Lin Jinran suddenly burst out laughing, doubling over with laughter until tears came out.
It took her a while to stop laughing. She stared at Lin Cheng coldly and said indifferently, "No."