I did this, but I didn't do that!

"Huh?"

Yao Tao had never imagined that after just over a day, Zhong Shengtai would be hospitalized, blind in one eye, and left with part of his face disfigured.

Zhang Rui had fallen unconscious and was still running a high fever.

The only useful "witness," Wang Qingsong, could explain the first half of what had happened, but not the second.

He had thought Yao Tao was so ruthless that she had gone back under cover of darkness and beaten Zhong Shengtai's face beyond repair.

His mind was reeling.

"Miss Yao." Zhong Wen knew his son must have been in the wrong first. He had approached the university so it could mediate. "My son wronged you. As his father, I apologize on his behalf."

"But you... you went too far, too."

Zhong Wen struggled to speak. "I know you come from a powerful family, but surely you owe me an explanation?"

"Sir." Seeing him grit his teeth and try to reason with her despite the look in his eyes, Yao Tao felt she should reason with him too. "I did beat him up. I admit that."

Qiao Lang, the president of X University, sucked in a breath.

The higher-ups had specifically asked him to look after Yao Tao. This put him in a difficult position!

Qiao Lang would never have guessed that such a small, slender girl could unleash so much power. She certainly lived up to her military upbringing.

He was in a real bind.

"But there's no way I could have injured him that badly," Yao Tao said earnestly. "Sir, I suggest you report this to the police and have them investigate who did it."

Zhong Wen froze.

The girl before him had clear, honest eyes. She wasn't lying.

But...

He couldn't tell whether Yao Tao was putting on an act or being genuine.

If she was acting...

Zhong Wen leaned toward believing she was telling the truth, but that was his son-his and his wife's only child!

He just wanted the truth!

"Tell me the truth. I won't blame you." Zhong Wen spoke slowly, as though every word weighed a ton. "I know I can't take you on, but this was too cruel. Half of Shengtai's face is ruined. I... I just want..."

He couldn't go on.

He was a little afraid. Would Yao Tao have someone kill his son?

"Sir." Yao Tao looked earnestly at the distraught father. "My upbringing would never let me lie about something like this, nor would it permit me to."

Zhong Wen was taken aback.

That was right. Would a daughter raised by fallen heroes really stoop to something like that?

"How about this, sir?" Yao Tao took out her phone. "I have my uncles' contact details here. I can send them to you. If you're worried the police won't get to the bottom of it, I can ask my uncles to help."

"It's true that I beat up your son, but they were still in pretty good shape when I left." Yao Tao took out her phone. "They could still read their statements of remorse clearly and do push-ups."

When Zhong Wen saw the video, he couldn't hold back his tears.

Yao Tao had filmed it herself. His son had suffered no more than a bruised, swollen face. He could indeed still do push-ups.

When Yao Tao switched back to her contacts, a chill surged through Zhong Wen's heart.

The first name he saw was a prominent member of the Lu Family: Lu Li.

General Lu.

A man who had reached the very highest military rank.

Zhong Wen had only heard his name; he had never seen him in person.

Zhong Wen didn't know much about the others, but he could see the labels Yao Tao had given them.

One lieutenant, one major, and two lieutenant colonels.

Yao Tao had five uncles, and even the lowest-ranking one was a lieutenant.

Zhong Wen's hands trembled a little.

"How about this? If you don't know which one to choose, I'll send you Uncle Lu's WeChat contact. If you're worried it's fake, I can call him for you. He has the highest rank," Yao Tao suggested helpfully.

If she hadn't done it, they weren't pinning it on her.

Her boldness in doing this was also a warning.

She wasn't without anyone to look out for her.

They had better stop dragging her name through the mud. She was no longer an insignificant nobody anyone could shit on.

In this life, she had her own mom and dad, and the precious legacy they had left her.

She wasn't going to act like an actual nineteen-year-old girl. Only an idiot would leave useful connections unused.

"I..." Zhong Wen couldn't get the words out.

After hearing what Yao Tao had said, Qiao Lang felt reassured.

"Mr. Zhong, I'm sure there's a misunderstanding here." Qiao Lang invited Zhong Wen to sit down. "Yao Tao is a good girl. If she says she didn't inflict those injuries, then she didn't."

Zhong Wen, on the other hand, had tried every means possible to squeeze his son into the university back then.

X University didn't accept trash. They had only granted an extra transfer place because Zhong Wen had donated generously and seemed reasonable.

Who could have known his son had such a notorious reputation? Although he still acted like a thug on campus, at least he was a loyal thug who wouldn't torment his fellow students for no reason.

Who could have known that he would either do nothing or go all out!

"Besides, this happened off campus." Qiao Lang narrowed his eyes slightly. "If someone he offended in the past did this, then it has nothing to do with our university. I also recommend that you report it to the police, Mr. Zhong."

"Are you trying to bully us?" The woman who had been standing behind Zhong Wen finally spoke.

Gray strands mingled with her black hair, making her look neither quite old nor quite young.

Yao Tao thought she looked like one of those stuffy head maids in cartoons.

"One of you is using military rank to pressure us, and the other is using the university. If your university did nothing wrong, why weren't his parents notified when the young master wasn't in his dorm in the middle of the night?" Auntie Liu demanded.

Only then did Qiao Lang remember she was there. "That's not fair. These young people are already university students. We can't keep treating them like high schoolers."

Qiao Lang said, "Our university agrees to police involvement. Doesn't that show we're considering things from your perspective?"

Auntie Liu said, "So your university can simply say the students are adults and disclaim all responsibility for everyone enrolled here?"

Qiao Lang said, "Ma'am, these young people are adults. They should learn self-discipline and self-control."

Qiao Lang said, "Zhong Shengtai is a sophomore this year, not a freshman. We do have a Discipline Department, but we are only a university."

Qiao Lang said, "I hope you can understand."

Auntie Liu said, "Even X University shirks responsibility. Isn't failing to check attendance and account for students living on campus a sign that you aren't doing your job?"

Qiao Lang wasn't angry. Being a university president wasn't easy. Even without the Zhong family, there would be some other family.

Qiao Lang said, "Our university will fully support Mr. Zhong and cooperate with the police investigation. As president of X University, I will certainly address the oversight you've pointed out."

This was no time to dig his heels in.

"Really? You'll cooperate with the police investigation alongside this student's uncles?" Auntie Liu asked coldly.

"My uncles would never shield anyone who committed a crime," Yao Tao said sternly. "My upbringing doesn't permit me to commit crimes either. Please watch what you say, ma'am."

"Forget it." Zhong Wen hung his head. "It's my fault. It's all my fault!"

He clutched his head and sobbed, then dropped to his knees before Yao Tao. "Miss, with Shengtai like this, I accept what's happened. I just want to ask... could you please spare his life? I promise you'll never have to see him again for the rest of his life!"

Zhong Wen was terrified.

"..." Yao Tao felt she had wasted her breath.

She absolutely refused to take the blame for this!

"If I did it, I'll admit it outright. If I didn't, I won't," Yao Tao said with utmost seriousness.

"Can anyone prove that?" Auntie Liu stepped forward.