She Came Back to Win

"Shuran, I want you to pay for it!" Shen Meng shouted. "Isn't your mom supposed to be so powerful? Can't she just ask Yuan Yuan's dad for money? This little bit of money is probably nothing to your fancy Gao family!"

As soon as Shuran heard that, her hands clenched into tight fists, her eyes blazing with fury. If Shen Meng kept talking like that, she wasn't sure what she might do next.

Li Qian looked like she wanted to say something but held back—she was still a little scared of Shen Meng.

"Did I say anything wrong?" Shen Meng thought Shuran was keeping her head down because she was afraid, so her voice grew even louder. "Didn't your mom just marry Yuan Yuan's dad for his money?"

A small crowd of students had gathered by now, whispering and pointing at Shuran. The murmurs weren't loud, but every word landed like a blow—criticizing her mother.

"Apologize."

"She pushed me and ruined my new dress—wait, what did you just say?" Shen Meng was holding her flowery dress out, showing it off to the onlookers with a pitiful expression, but Shuran's voice made her frown.

"I said, apologize!" Shuran finally looked up, locking eyes with Shen Meng, her voice low and seething with rage.

"Why should I apologize to you? You're the one who pushed me first!" Shen Meng faltered for a second under Shuran's intense gaze but straightened up again with so many classmates watching. She jabbed a finger at Shuran and sneered, "You little vixen."

Shuran's face turned visibly darker.

"My mom said your mom is a homewrecker, so if you're her daughter, what does that make you? Huh?!"

Shuran narrowed her eyes dangerously and started walking toward Shen Meng. Her movements were stiff, like she was holding something back. But Shen Meng, just an eleven-year-old girl, instinctively sensed danger and backed up a few steps. The crowd fell silent.

"Am I wrong?" Shen Meng asked, her voice trembling slightly, "What, are you going to hit me? I'll tell the teacher!"

Kids always think teachers and parents are the ultimate weapons. But Shuran—who had lived nearly thirty years—wasn't scared of some elementary school teacher.

"You can say whatever you want about me, I don't care. But you insulted my mom. That I won't let go," Shuran said coldly, her voice sharp as ice.

"I won't! I won't!" Shen Meng shouted back defiantly. "Li Qian! Go get Ms. Zhou! Tell her Shuran hit me!"

Li Qian glanced at Shuran, then bolted toward the classroom building. The other students stayed behind, eager to see more drama.

"Xiao Zhang, go see what's taking her so long," Song Yahan said nervously to the driver. "Why hasn't she come to the car yet?"

"Yes, ma'am." Xiao Zhang had already noticed something was off, but since Mrs. Song hadn't said anything earlier, he kept quiet. Now he quickly got out and made his way through the crowd, spotting Shuran surrounded by a group of kids and face-to-face with another girl.

As soon as he recognized who the girl was, his heart sank—Shen Meng, the daughter of Shen He, the Director of the Urban Development Bureau. The same Shen He Mr. Gao had been working so hard to get close to. If Miss Shuran ruined that relationship… he didn't even want to imagine the consequences.

"Miss Shuran, it's getting late," Xiao Zhang quickly called out.

"Heh, you think just because someone came to get you, I don't have anyone?" Shen Meng lifted her chin arrogantly. "My mom's coming too. Go ahead, if you dare, don't move an inch!"

Hearing that, Xiao Zhang immediately realized just how bad this could get. No way could Madam Shen see this mess.

"Miss Shuran, your mother's getting anxious," he said quickly, hoping to defuse the situation.

Shuran looked over and saw Song Yahan anxiously peeking from the car. She frowned and then turned to walk straight toward the car without another word.

"Coward!" Shen Meng shouted triumphantly. "That's right, run away, you little vixen!"

Shuran stopped, turned her head, and gave Shen Meng a long, cold stare before climbing into the car.

That look—it was sharp, cold, and filled with hatred. It scared Shen Meng so much she instinctively took a step back and stumbled. Losing her footing, she fell straight into a puddle, sending dirty water splashing all around her.

"Ahhh!" she screamed, pounding the wet ground in a fit of rage. Soaked and humiliated, she saw the other kids covering their mouths, snickering at her, and felt like she had never been more embarrassed in her life.

"Shuran! This isn't over!" she howled at the sky.

Just then, Li Qian came running back with Ms. Zhou. Seeing a crowd gathered, the students quickly scattered, leaving behind a crying Shen Meng, still sitting in the puddle.

"What happened?!" Li Qian rushed over to help her up, startled by the sight.

"Ms. Zhou…" Shen Meng stood up and burst into tears.

Ms. Zhou crouched down and gently patted her back, trying to calm her. "Sweetie, tell me what happened, okay?"

But Shen Meng just kept shaking her head and sobbing harder. She had never been so humiliated, and the injustice of it all made her cry even louder.

"What happened to my baby?!" A shrill, anxious voice pierced through the commotion.

Ms. Zhou winced—just hearing that voice gave her a headache. She stood up quickly, forcing a polite smile as Bai Ningli rushed toward them.

"Mrs. Shen—"

Before she could finish, Bai Ningli saw her daughter soaked and muddy, her brand-new dress ruined. She quickly checked her for injuries and, finding none, slowly turned to Ms. Zhou with a cold, accusatory gaze.

"Ms. Zhou, when I send my child to school, the school is responsible for her safety. Look at her! Do you really expect me to believe she did this to herself?" She crossed her arms and scoffed. "As her teacher, don't you owe me an explanation?"

"I only just arrived," Ms. Zhou said carefully, suppressing her irritation. "Li Qian came to get me, so I'm still trying to figure out what happened."

She turned to Shen Meng and gently asked, "Tell me what happened, sweetie."

Shen Meng looked up at her mom, eyes red and swollen, and stammered through tears, "It… it was Shuran… she hit me…"

Ms. Zhou was taken aback. But Shuran already left with her mom, didn't she? Why would Shen Meng say that…?