What's Wrong With a Beautiful Campus Belle Who Loves Money? (3)

"That's not how you ask someone for a favor." Gu Yanshen grabbed her hand, gripping it hard enough to nearly crush her bones.

"Then how does the president think I should ask you?"

Shi Zheng did not struggle.

She stared into his eyes and spoke word by word, her voice carrying a veiled suggestion. "For example... should I ask you the way I did last night?"

She spoke the words "last night" softly, yet they lingered between them like a ghost.

No further description was needed. They both knew what she meant.

For a moment, Gu Yanshen's expression cracked.

He abruptly pushed her away.

No, he didn't push her away. He lifted her off his lap, then pressed her down onto the desk.

Shi Zheng's back struck the hard desktop with a dull thud.

Before she could react, Gu Yanshen had already leaned over her, bracing his hands on either side of her body and trapping her between himself and the desk.

Their faces were inches apart.

Gu Yanshen's hot breath fanned her face.

He stared straight at her, stormy emotions churning in his eyes.

"Are you threatening me?" Gu Yanshen's voice was terrifyingly low and hoarse, each word seeming to be squeezed through his teeth.

"How could I possibly threaten you, President?"

Shi Zheng met his icy gaze. "Some things happened, and that's that. You can pretend to forget, pretend nothing ever happened, but the body remembers, and so does the mind."

She paused, her gaze slowly settling on the arm he had braced beside her.

A stretch of pale wrist showed beneath his uniform cuff, along with the taut lines of his forearm.

His hand was large, with long fingers and prominent knuckles. Pale blue veins stood out clearly on its back.

His palm pressed against the cold desktop, his fingers curling slightly, as though he were struggling to suppress something.

"Just like now."

As Shi Zheng spoke, she made an exceptionally bold move, one that was almost like playing with fire.

She raised her hand and reached for the one Gu Yanshen had pressed against the desk.

Her fingertips slowly glided along the back of his hand, brushing over his raised knuckles as lightly as a dragonfly skimming the water.

Slowly, inch by inch, they ventured toward the spaces between his fingers.

As though stung by a venomous scorpion, Gu Yanshen flung her hand away on reflex.

The movement was so forceful that he knocked over a metal pen holder at the corner of the desk.

It fell onto the carpet with a clang, the muffled sound jarringly loud in the overly quiet office.

Facing his nearly murderous gaze, Shi Zheng did not shrink back. Instead, she tilted her head slightly.

Her lips curved. "See? Your body still remembers last night, doesn't it? Otherwise, why would you react so... intensely whenever I get close?"

Her words were far too blunt, and far too sharp.

Gu Yanshen's expression instantly turned ugly.

System: [Gu Yanshen's current favorability: -100.]

Gu Yanshen said, "Get out."

Shi Zheng sat up and straightened her disheveled clothes.

Her legs were a little weak, and her heart was racing.

She walked to the door and, with her hand on the handle, looked back at Gu Yanshen.

The loose hair at his forehead was somewhat disheveled, a few strands hanging down to partially obscure the raging waves in his eyes.

Dangerous and charming.

Shi Zheng knew this was the final gamble.

Either she won, or she lost everything.

The office door closed softly.

The system let out a piercing shriek: [Host, what on earth are you doing?! You've completely infuriated him! Are you actually planning to complete the mission properly?]

Shi Zheng: [Relax. I was the one who took his first time. He should be so angry he wants to torment me now, and he won't want to let me withdraw from school.]

Shi Zheng paid no further attention to the system going crazy in her head.

When she reached the academic affairs office, Teacher Wang and the deputy director were already waiting for her inside.

Hearing her approach, Teacher Wang abruptly turned around.

When he saw Shi Zheng, he pointed at her and began to scold her. "Shi Zheng, look at the time! I told you to get here within half an hour, and you're a full eight minutes late. Do you have any sense of time at all?! With an attitude like yours, no wonder this happened!"

The deputy director frowned and raised a hand, signaling Teacher Wang to calm down. "Student Shi Zheng, come in."

Shi Zheng did as she was told, closing the door behind her and walking over to stand before the desk.

She could feel two gazes settling on her like searchlights, filled with undisguised disgust.

The deputy director adjusted his glasses, his tone stern. "Student Shi Zheng, you should have already seen what's on the school forum."

"The impact has been extremely bad. It has caused serious damage not only to you personally, but also to Sacred Cherry Academy's reputation."

He paused, then picked up a printout of the post from the desk. "The evidence is conclusive, and public opinion has already risen against you. Parents have already called the school to ask about the situation, and the school is under a great deal of pressure."

Teacher Wang immediately chimed in. "Shi Zheng, it's not as though we teachers haven't noticed how you usually behave! Wearing designer brands, using luxury goods, spending all day hanging around boys..."

"What kind of situation do you think your family is in? Do you think we know nothing about it? We just turned a blind eye before! Now that things have blown up, you should bear the consequences!"

Shi Zheng knew that what these teachers cared about was not the truth at all, but quelling the incident as quickly as possible and saving the school's face.

Even though the original owner really had done all those things.

Shi Zheng asked, "So what has the school decided?"

The deputy director exchanged a glance with Teacher Wang, then announced, "After preliminary discussion, in order to quell public opinion and enforce school discipline, the school has decided to suspend you. It will take effect immediately, and a further decision will be made once the matter has been fully investigated."

Shi Zheng looked straight at the deputy director. "According to school rules, major disciplinary actions against students must be reviewed by the Student Council's Disciplinary Committee, correct?"

The deputy director froze, seemingly not expecting her to bring that up. "That's true, but..."

"Since that's the rule, we should follow procedure."

Shi Zheng interrupted him, her tone firm. "I request that this matter be submitted to the Student Council's Disciplinary Committee for review. Before the committee makes its final decision, I will not accept any unilateral suspension."

Both people in the office were stunned.

Teacher Wang was the first to recover, as though he had just heard the biggest joke in the world.

He scoffed. "Shi Zheng, have you lost your mind? Who do you think you are, expecting the Student Council to hold a meeting over this little mess of yours?"

"Do you know that the kind of student Gu Yanshen hates most is someone like you? He can't wait to expel you immediately and clean house!"

His words were full of undisguised mockery.

Shi Zheng said unhurriedly, "Whether the president helps me is his decision, but I have the right to request that this be handled according to procedure."

"If the Student Council still decides to punish me after the Disciplinary Committee's review, I'll accept it."

Her rebuttal was well reasoned and supported, leaving the deputy director and Teacher Wang somewhat at a loss for words.

Just then, someone knocked softly on the office door.

"Come in," the deputy director answered.