Chapter 52
Chapter 52: Recruiting Her, Miss Ye’s Identity Is a Mystery
Bing He swallowed, forcing his voice steady. “M-Miss Ye, where did you get this surveillance video?”
“A friend who likes computers.” Ye Wan Lan warmed her hands around her thermos and casually invented a “friend” on the spot. “She likes tinkering with this kind of thing. I asked her for help. Not bad, right?”
Bing He could only stare.
Tinkering—and producing restoration work better than Bureau 723’s technicians?
Bureau 723’s equipment was specially delivered by the Strategic Research Institute.
What kind of “friend” was that?
He couldn’t help glancing at Yan Ting Feng.
Yan Ting Feng didn’t speak. His lashes lowered, gaze settling on the fingers curled around the thermos.
Her thumb rubbed the surface again and again, unconsciously covering the name he’d written there.
He looked away.
The principal of No. 7 High School didn’t notice anything odd. He had his assistant take the file, then ordered the publicity center to urgently cut a new campus promo.
Ye Wan Lan stood. “I’ll go back to class.”
“All right, Classmate Ye. I’ll walk you out.” The principal rose as well.
Yan Ting Feng finally spoke. “Sit.”
The principal blinked. “…?”
Yan Ting Feng turned his head, smiling warmly at Ye Wan Lan. “Miss Ye, I’ll walk you back. It’s on my way to the psychology consultation room.”
Ye Wan Lan nodded. “All right. I’ll stop by and pour some tea.”
They left side by side, leaving the principal standing there in confused silence.
Outside, Bing He immediately called his colleague at Bureau 723.
“Are your technicians really that bad?” he hissed, one hand cupping the mic. “Why did you only restore it to 720p? That’s embarrassing.”
“Who are you calling embarrassing?” the other side snapped. “Do you even know how hard that clip was to restore?”
Bing He sneered. “All I know is someone restored it to 1080p.”
“That’s impossible!”
“I’m sending it. Look for yourself.”
On the other end, something crashed—like a chair hitting the floor. A few seconds later, after watching the file, his colleague sounded dazed. “Actually… it’s not impossible. Unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Unless they have equipment from the Strategic Research Institute—or they came from the Strategic Research Institute.”
Now Bing He was the one who froze. “Huh?”
“Either this person has professional gear made by the Strategic Research Institute, or she knows their internal techniques,” the colleague said decisively. “Other than that, there’s no third possibility.”
Bing He shivered despite himself. He bumped Tie Ma’s elbow. “Tie Tie, Miss Ye even knows a friend from the Strategic Research Institute? Is that possible?”
A friend who could share internal techniques wasn’t a normal friend.
If Bing He had someone like that, he’d have already run to the Strategic Research Institute and begged for a job.
Tie Ma looked equally stunned. “No way… right?”
“Hey, hey, hey!” the colleague shouted into Bing He’s ear. “Do you know this person? Recruit her. Pull her into our bureau! You have to get her in!”
Bing He hung up coldly. “Heh.”
Trying to steal someone from the Young Lord?
He must be in a hurry to die.
Not long after, the hashtag #Ye Wan Lan# vanished from Weibo as if it had never existed. Only #River City No. 7 High School bullying incident# remained, sitting high in the top five local trends.
With paid trolls pushing the narrative, the comment section was still a swamp of curses.
[Strongly demanding No. 7 High School expel the student named Ye Wan Lan!]
[I’m a student’s parent. I won’t allow this delinquent girl to study at No. 7 High School. My child won’t feel safe!]
[I already contacted reporters. They’ll go to River City No. 7 High School and take a good look at what kind of trash this delinquent girl is.]
[There’s a reversal! Go look! The girl in the video was the one being bullied—she just fought back!]
Three seconds later, a new pinned Weibo appeared at the top of the topic page.
The video autoplayed. Faces were still blurred, but it clearly showed Sheng Song sneaking into the Senior 2 Class 1 classroom late at night, tearing Ye Wan Lan’s books and exercise sheets, ripping her backpack, and stomping on her cup.
[What is that male student doing? This is too much. Did the girl even provoke him?]
[If someone tore my books and workbooks, I wouldn’t just kick his desk. I’d rip his bag too to vent!]
[To be fair, what the male student did was wrong, but the girl could’ve reasoned with him. Why kick his desk over?]
[You people are so kind-hearted. Next time you run into bullying, make sure you endure it. Don’t ever fight back.]
The smear trend flipped completely. No matter how hard the paid trolls tried to stir things up, they couldn’t force it back.
Just as Ye Wan Lan predicted, the heat stayed high. River City No. 7 High School’s official Weibo seized the opportunity and released a promo video.
Once it went up, parents started calling nonstop to ask about enrollment.
Next month was entrance exam season. Parents took it seriously.
The admissions director was so busy fielding calls that he nearly panicked—and had to yank two helpers from the discipline team.
When he finally caught Ye Wan Lan in the hallway, he grabbed her shoulders like he’d found treasure, eyes almost misting. “Classmate Ye, you really helped a lot!”
Without this smear trend, even if River City No. 7 High School posted a promo, it never would’ve had this kind of effect.
He finally had real work to do.
“You’re welcome.” Ye Wan Lan smiled faintly. “Director, you helped me before. So I’ll help you too.”
“When did I ever help you? You did it all yourself.” The admissions director sighed, emotion thick in his voice. “What I’m most glad about is that you came to No. 7 High School.”
No. 1 High School hadn’t recognized talent. Fine—No. 7 would.
Ye Wan Lan returned to Senior 2 Class 1 and went back to class as if nothing had happened.
With the issue settled, everyone finally relaxed.
“Xue Qing,” Ye Wan Lan said quietly after class, “after school today, I want you to come with me to the herbal medicine market to pick out some herbs. Is that okay?”
Su Xue Qing pressed her lips together. “But I don’t understand traditional medicine.”
“Then what should I do?” Ye Wan Lan propped her chin and let out a soft sigh. “Fine. I’ll think of another way.”
The disappointment in her tone made Su Xue Qing’s heart tighten. “I… I do know a little. I’ll go with you.”
“Thank you.” Ye Wan Lan smiled. “From now on, if I don’t understand something, I’ll ask you.”
“Okay.” Su Xue Qing answered quietly. “But I’m not capable. Before, I…”
She stopped, her expression dim.
Ye Wan Lan didn’t press. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked out the window.
Yun Jing. The Su Family.
Sooner or later, she would go there.
After school, Su Xue Qing left the classroom with Ye Wan Lan.
Su Xu Bai from Class 2 glanced at them coldly, then turned away, his back stiff with indifference.
Su Xue Qing didn’t greet him. She only said, “A Lan, the herbal market is near the school. We can walk.”
Su Xu Bai suddenly stopped.
He turned back, gaze sharp as ice. “Su Xue Qing, have you forgotten everything you did just because you’ve been in River City for two years?”
Su Xue Qing’s eyes trembled. Her body reacted before her mind could catch up; she wanted to run.
Ye Wan Lan tightened her hold on Su Xue Qing’s hand, stepped forward, and smiled as she met Su Xu Bai’s stare. “Can you stop blocking the way? I really don’t like people blocking my way.”
In that single second of eye contact, Su Xu Bai felt the same pressure he only felt when facing the elders of the Su Family.
No—stronger than that.
He let out a slow breath and turned away, his expression colder than before.
Su Xue Qing’s behavior had nothing to do with him.
He didn’t need to remind her anymore.
“Let’s go.” Ye Wan Lan patted Su Xue Qing’s shoulder. “Ignore him.”
“Thanks, but I…” Su Xue Qing stared at her own hand.
Maybe they were right.
Maybe she was a sinner. Maybe she didn’t deserve to be a doctor—didn’t deserve to touch herbs at all.
A few seconds later, she forced herself back. “A Lan, what illness are you trying to treat by buying herbs?”
“Cold constitution.” Ye Wan Lan’s voice was light. “But it’s not normal coldness. It’s a strange illness. That’s why I asked you to come help me choose.”
“Mm.” Su Xue Qing stared at Ye Wan Lan’s side profile and went still.
Maybe… she could walk out of the shadow.
Elsewhere, at the River City First Hospital, Sheng Song woke once, then fell asleep again.
“Uncle, don’t panic too much.” Sheng Yun Yi comforted Sheng Song’s father, then hesitated. “Did Little Song tell you he made an enemy at school? I saw on Weibo that he was bullied. A girl kicked his desk, and also…”
“Outrageous!” Sheng Song’s father exploded. “I’m going to No. 7 High School right now to find their principal!”
He knew Sheng Song bullied other students at school, but so what?
His son absolutely couldn’t be bullied.
Without even stopping to eat, Sheng Song’s father had the driver take him straight to No. 7 High School. He marched to the principal’s office.
Inside, another man was already there. He wore modern Chinese-style casual clothes, his looks striking, his eyes calm and unreadable.
Sheng Song’s father didn’t spare him a glance. He strode forward. “Principal.”
“Parent of Sheng Song, you’re here.” The principal adjusted his glasses. “About the situation online, Classmate Ye’s position is—”
“I don’t care what her position is.” Sheng Song’s father cut him off. “Just settle it privately. Let her pay 200,000. It’s not much. We won’t pursue it.”