Chapter 40: Puppy Love?! Expulsion?!

Shang Ying couldn't help sneaking a peek at Lin Qian, who was standing behind the crowd, wanting to see her reaction upon learning she wasn't the biological heiress. This felt like being right on set watching a short drama, immersion at its absolute finest.

In the novel, this scene was described as the fake heiress watching Lin Yuan embrace her family and cry, subsequently giving Lin Yuan a gift. A luxury watch she had picked out together with Mrs. Lin.

However, because it differed from standard watches, wearing it caused Lin Yuan some awkwardness. Lin Youchuan then accused Lin Qian of deliberately showing off, causing Lin Qian to tear up in aggrieved silence, whereupon Mrs. Lin released Lin Yuan to go comfort her.

Thinking up to this point, Shang Ying knit her brows. This Lin Youchuan really was a rat.

Coincidentally, just as she looked over, Lin Qian looked back as well. As their eyes met unexpectedly, both felt a subtle, shared sense of getting caught red-handed.

Then, Lin Qian silently gave a thumbs-up, silently mouthing: "Awesome."

…

‘Alright, looks like her state of mind is doing just fine.’

Shang Heng shifted his deep, solemn gaze toward Lin Qiang, who was scared out of his wits. Lin Zihao had been beaten into speechlessness, spitting blood from his mouth, while Zhang Ying, whose eyes brimming with tears, was kept silent by having her mouth held shut.

Thus, out of these three, he was the only one left who could still open his mouth.

Shang Heng asked, "What are you three here for?"

Lin Qiang was in severe pain from being pinned down, straining to speak.

"It's all her. It's Lin Yuan! She latched onto a wealthy branch, and we just came to ask for the betrothal money we deserve!"

Saying that, he glared defiantly at the high-and-mighty Shang family.

"Don't think just because you have money you can bully us common folks! We're just here to take what's rightfully ours!"

A brief, light scoff interrupted his passionate, dramatic speech.

Lin Qiang stared over with bloodshot eyes. Shang Ying's bright smile hung at the corner of her lips, her canine teeth peeking through faintly, like an elf swinging on a vine, pure yet willful. But the very next second, her laughter ceased abruptly, shattering the lovely illusion into fragments of mockery.

"Ate too much shit and stuffed your brain, didn't you? Who did Lin Yuan latch onto? My brother and I are minors. Don't tell me you're saying she latched onto my old man here."

The moment these words were spoken, everyone from the wealthy Lin family shuddered, almost losing their footing. Shang Heng let out two irritated coughs, shooting her a warning glare.

‘To actually throw dirty water on him right to his face. What a rebellious daughter!’

Shang Ying continued to speak completely fearlessly, her eyes sweeping toward Lin Yuan held in Mrs. Lin's arms.

"Besides, Lin Yuan over there doesn't seem to have anything to do with you guys anymore, right?"

"Betrothal money? How about a funeral allowance instead? If I'm in a good mood, I might out of mercy burn some joss paper for you guys."

"You!"

Lin Qiang wanted to curse further, but with a light flick of Shang Yi's finger, a bodyguard immediately covered his mouth.

Butler Yu regained his original composure and elegance, instructing servants with a smile to open the doors, and told the bodyguards, "Hand them over to the police station. State that it's illegal entry and extortion."

Pausing, he added, "Tell those two at the gate to leave tomorrow morning. Replace the guards, and never allow such an oversight to happen again."

Having worked for prestigious families for so many years, Butler Yu handled affairs with extreme competence, issuing clear instructions in just two sentences without needing the masters to waste energy.

The bodyguards bowed respectfully, pulled the three people up without a word, and hauled them out like trash bags. Dirty smudges were left on the clean, pristine floor, which sharp-eyed Aunt Zhao immediately dispatched servants to clean up.

Within moments, all traces of the Lin family were swept away, making even the air feel much fresher.

Ning Wanyuan, who had remained silent all this time, finally had her turn to speak. Setting down her teacup gracefully, her smile appeared soft and captivating, displaying the exact poise of a matriarch, as she spoke gently,

"Since the matter is resolved, Mr. Lin and Mrs. Lin should take your daughter home to comfort her properly if there's nothing else. Encountering something like this must be quite frightening for a young child."

Taking the offered exit gracefully, the Lin family offered repeated thanks and apologies before taking Lin Yuan away. Watching the main gate close once again, Shang Ying finally breathed a total sigh of relief.

Now Lin Yuan wouldn't have to tutor her anymore.

In the original novel, because Shang Ying hadn't rejected Lin Yuan's tutoring, Lin Yuan continued to tutor her even after being recognized by the Lin family—partly at Lin Jiancheng's suggestion, and partly because she wanted to see Shang Yi.

Who would have thought that meeting over time would lead to her meeting the Shang family's eldest son, resulting in Lin Yuan growing very close to Shang Guan? Tsk tsk, the poor, cold younger brother was abandoned just like that.

But now things are great! Taking advantage of the chaos, Lin Yuan had left, and Shang Heng now knew Lin Yuan was the Lin family's eldest miss rather than a top student needing to tutor to earn money, so he would no longer consider the tutoring matter.

‘Hahahahaha, a complete win-win!’

Before her happiness could last two seconds, Shang Heng spoke up again.

"I'll have someone look for another tutor for you. Don't even think about playing around."

?

Shang Ying's eyes widened in disbelief.

"I'm not doing it! If you force me to take tutoring, I'll jump off the second floor! When the time comes, you can send the teacher to the hospital to give me lessons!"

With that, she sprinted up the stairs at top speed, fleeing the center of fire. Shang Heng's chest heaved in anger.

"Shang Ying! How many times have I told you not to speak like that?!"

‘Evasion tactics, understand?! Evasion!’

‘That dead child spoke nothing but heartless words!’

The weekend passed quickly.

A new week arrived. A desolate Monday.

If studying was a painful chore, Monday was easily the most painful day of all. Curse whoever invented the weekend!

During morning reading time, Shang Ying had only been slumping on her desk for a few minutes before the homeroom teacher called her into the office. Carrying a sleepy, dazed face, Shang Ying listened fuzzily to her homeroom teacher's words

‘Mm, her classroom attitude was improper…’

‘Mm, not only improper, but she also repeatedly broke school rules. Puppy love…’

‘Mm, the school decided to expel her…’

‘Wait.’ Shang Ying's chaotic brain snapped instantly awake.

*°’She was in a puppy love relationship?! She was getting expelled?!’

Quick, what was she waiting for?! Time to play "Good Fortune Has Arrived"!

Upbeat, celebratory music rang wildly in her mind, as joyous as if the New Year had arrived early. Shang Ying urgently suppressed the curving corners of her lips before addressing the puppy love matter.

Having transmigrated only half a month ago, sleeping every day to the point of not even recognizing everyone in her class, who on earth could she be in a relationship with? Which suicidal person was spreading rumors about her father here?

Shang Ying stood honestly before the office desk, asking with absolute seriousness.

"Teacher, who am I in a puppy love relationship with?"

The homeroom teacher, Tian Wei, was choked by this question, putting on a disdainful look as if saying 'you were caught red-handed yet still playing innocent with me.'

"You're asking me? Could you not know yourself?"

Shang Ying: "I don't know."

Tian Wei: …

Shang Ying continued: "Even if it's puppy love, you can't just punish me alone. The other party in the relationship needs to come as well."

It just so happened that she wanted to see which high-level expert her rumored boyfriend or girlfriend was.