Chapter 48: I Won’t Let You Lose

Watching those two slaps, Shang Ying raised her brows.

‘What a splendid scene.’

She tsk-tsked twice, suddenly feeling that the two slaps she had given Tian Wei earlier were far too light.

Apparently, Tian Wei thought the exact same thing, involuntarily glancing toward Shang Ying and shrinking back while silently covering her face.

Mother Lu was terrified, hugging the weeping, gasping Lu Yan, and shouted at her husband, "Are you crazy?! Why hit our daughter like this?!"

Lu Xingdong shot a fierce glare at his foolish wife, unwilling to waste any more time with them. Stepping forward, he apologized to Xie Tuo with a deferential smile.

"Mr. Xie, I am truly sorry. It was my failure to educate my daughter properly. We will fully cooperate with whatever punishment you deem fit."

Seeing her father speak so cautiously to that man, Lu Yan clutched her palms tightly, her heart consumed by anger and fear. She had actually lost to that bitch Shang Ying!

"It's not me you should apologize to. It's her."

Xie Tuo looked toward Shang Ying.

Lu Xingdong froze for a second before instantly realizing, turning to Shang Ying.

"Student, I am sorry. It was our fault for causing you trouble. I guarantee nothing like this will ever happen again."

Shang Ying let out a light scoff and turned her head away. ‘Promising "never again"? Dream on.’ Xie Tuo couldn't help smiling upon seeing her like this. ‘It was great. A kid having a bit of a temper was a good thing.’

Seeing Shang Ying decline to take the conversation further, Director Li, reading the room expertly, stepped in, carefully observing Xie Tuo's expression as he inquired.

"The school will expel the student who slandered Miss Shang and dismiss the teachers involved. Do you find this arrangement... appropriate, Mr. Xie?"

The grade dean and Tian Wei raised their heads abruptly, as if unable to believe their ears. They were clearly acting on the leadership's instructions, yet now they were the ones being fired!

Held in Mother Lu's arms, Lu Yan stopped crying the moment she heard the word "expelled," while Xia Zhi, standing in the corner with a fragile composure, lowered her head and began sobbing softly.

The prominent figure leaned back into the spacious sofa, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest, his face devoid of any emotion. Then, he turned to Shang Ying and spoke gently.

"What do you think? Punish them however you wish. It's up to you."

A flicker of surprise crossed Director Li's eyes. Mr. Xie was actually being so gentle to Student Shang. It seemed he would have to treat her with utmost reverence from now on, ensuring no such incident ever occurred again.

Shang Ying had always been someone who used physical force over words, making her terrible at figuring out how to punish people "civilly". So, she patted her genius younger brother's head and said, "You speak. You're smarter."

Receiving his instruction, Shang Yi pondered for two seconds, raised his indifferent eyes, and spoke calmly without a single ripple in his voice.

"Expulsion, record it in their permanent file."

"Dismiss the teacher, grade dean, and principal. As for Lu Yan, leave the Capital."

Shang Yi's words were concise yet incisive, and Director Li understood his meaning immediately, nodding repeatedly in agreement. Lu Xingdong already felt ashamed for failing to educate his daughter properly, so he was willing to accept any punishment now. Using this opportunity to teach his daughter a lesson she'd never forget!

Shang Ying leaned right up against Shang Yi, pinching his cold yet unusually soft face, teasingly saying.

"I've noticed you really dislike using extra words."

Shang Yi looked at her. "Unnecessary."

Except for Shang Ying, there was no need for him to waste his breath on anyone else. They were merely irrelevant people anyway.

At the very end, Shang Ying gave a thoroughly serious explanation. She pointed at Shang Yi's face, then at her own, stating word by word.

"My name is Shang Ying, his name is Shang Yi. We are fraternal twins born from the same mother and father, born one right after the other. We aren't like certain people who use power to oppress others and spout nonsense. The two of us are biological siblings listed on the exact same household register!"

Director Li chimed in hurriedly, not caring that Shang Ying's face was mostly covered by her mask.

"Yes, yes, yes! You look so much alike. One glance is enough to tell you're siblings!"

"How is that possible?!"

Lu Yan still refused to believe it, letting out an exclamation before being glared down by Lu Xingdong, falling silent once more. Whether she believed it or not, she cried bitterly out of sheer heartbreak.

Xia Zhi’s pupils contracted sharply. ‘They were actually siblings?! How could this be?!’ She carefully recalled the interactions between the two, her heart growing colder the more she thought about it. Why hadn't she noticed earlier that they looked so similar?

‘She had truly... taken a wrong step…’

With the matter resolved, Shang Ying sent Shang Yi back to his classroom, then walked out of the teaching building together with Xie Tuo. Heavens knew she had been framed by bad people today, yet ended up gaining a day off to rest her mind and body.

Seeing her in a good mood, Xie Tuo brought up intentionally or unintentionally.

"I helped you out, Student Shang. Shouldn't you do me a favor in return?"

"Speak up. If I can help, I definitely will."

‘She knew there was no such thing as a free lunch.’

"Someone invited me to a gambling game this weekend, and the opponent is very skilled," Xie Tuo paused, curling his lips into a refined smile. "His female partner is very skilled as well."

Shang Ying understood immediately.

"You mean you want me to be your female partner and go gamble with you guys to increase your odds of winning, right?"

Xie Tuo nodded.

‘Talking to a smart person really was much easier.’

Shang Ying agreed almost without thinking. A rideshare car pulled up at the school entrance, and Xie Tuo gentlemanly opened the car door for her.

He asked, "You're agreeing just like that?"

Shang Ying got into the car, and he closed the door. The lock was firmly engaged. Through the window, Shang Ying's clear, bright voice drifted out.

"If nothing else, when it comes to gambling, I won't let you lose. Bye~"

Following her "Bye," the driver verified the last four digits of her phone number, stepped on the gas, and sped away. As the sound faded into the wind, Xie Tuo stood on the spot watching the rear of the car, his eyes curling into a smile.

‘The Shang family's eldest miss truly was both the same as rumors suggested and completely different.’

Xie Tuo considered himself clever. Though Shang Ying kept her face covered, her surname was Shang, and she was a twin. Besides the Shang family among the Capital's Four Great Families, there likely wasn't a second one in the entire city.

‘So, did Shang Yan know his own sister was so formidable?’

Since school hadn't been dismissed yet, going home early would mean getting spotted by Ning Wanyuan, who would likely snitch to Shang Heng. So Shang Ying had no plans of going home, though she hadn't decided where to go either. The destination on the rideshare app was entered at random.

In the end, she had the driver make a loop, returning to the small alleyway next to the school. Opening the door, getting out, paying the fare. It was all done in one smooth motion.

Although the driver looked at her with a peculiar expression. After all, taking a rideshare in a circle back to the start was a rare sight. Upon receiving the 100-yuan bill, his face immediately turned into a bright smile.

‘Peculiar or not, whoever pays is king!’

Shang Ying walked into the dessert shop in the alley. Outside the door, a vase on a round wooden stool held small freesias, water droplets sparkling on the pale yellow petals, likely freshly replaced.

Chime—

The antique bronze flower-shaped wind chime swayed gently in the air, issuing a crisp chime. Seeing a familiar face step inside, the shop owner sitting at the counter offered a gentle smile.

"What would you like to order today?”