After Rebirth: The Ugly Daughter Shocks The CEO

CHAPTER 9: THE PRINCIPAL'S SUMMON

The morning math class felt like one year long.

I sat in front of Gu Chen, my back straight, my long black ponytail not swaying at all because I was too nervous to move. Behind me, I could feel whispers like needles poking my back.

"She really did ride old man's car..."

"Su Mei said she saw man's jacket bigger than her body..."

"Shameless..."

I held my pen tightly, trying to focus on teacher's math formulas, but my eyes were blurry with tears that I forced not to fall. My fists were clenched small inside my sleeves again, nails digging into palms.

I survived 10 years in dark storage room. I survived bathroom lock. I will survive gossip too.

Behind me, Gu Chen was sleeping again, or pretending to sleep, his head down. Since he whispered "Why didn't you wear jacket? It's cold today," he hadn't said one more word to me. But I could feel his presence, cold and close, like a wall behind me that stops some whispers from reaching me.

At 10 AM, second class just started, the classroom door suddenly opened without knocking.

The principal's secretary, a serious woman in black suit, came in with a nervous face, holding a file.

"Excuse me, Teacher Li, sorry to interrupt class. Principal needs to see three students immediately in his office. Very urgent. From President's office order."

The whole class looked up, shocked. Principal's office? Very urgent? President's office order? In Saint Ying, "President" means the big boss who owns the school - Lu Group.

Teacher Li was also shocked. "Which three students?"

Secretary looked at her file, then looked at our class, her eyes searching.

"Su Mei from Class A-3, Lin Na from Class A-3, and... Su Wan from Class A-3."

The whole class gasped loudly and turned to look at us three at same time.

Su Mei's face turned pale, then red. "Me? Why me? What did I do? I didn't do anything!"

Lin Na also stood up, legs shaking. "Why me? I... I..."

And me? My heart stopped beating. Why me? Did Su Mei's gossip already reach principal? Will principal expel me because I shamed school by riding old man's car? My hands started shaking.

"All three, please come now. Principal is waiting. Don't bring bags."

We three walked out of classroom under all classmates' staring and whispering. Su Mei walked in front, high heels loud, pretending to be calm but her hands shaking. Lin Na behind her, almost crying. I walked last, head low, hugging my books.

When we passed Gu Chen's desk, I felt his dark eyes open and look at us. I didn't dare to look up, but I felt his cold gaze follow me all the way out of classroom door until we disappeared.

The principal's office on 5th floor was huge, luxurious, with big windows overlooking whole Saint Ying. Principal Zhang, a fat middle-aged man who usually smiles at Su Mei because Su family donates money, was now standing, not sitting, his face sweaty and nervous, holding phone, as if he just got a very scary call.

When we entered, he looked at us three, his eyes stopped on me, and his face changed to extra polite, extra careful, as if I was not a student but a princess.

"Ah, Student Su Wan, Student Su Mei, Student Lin Na, come, come, sit please," he said, his voice shaking a little.

Su Mei was confused. Principal never talked to her so politely before, and why is he also polite to ugly Su Wan?

We sat on sofa, three of us in a row, me at edge, far from Su Mei.

Principal Zhang wiped sweat, then looked at Su Mei and Lin Na, his face suddenly serious and angry, completely different from when he looked at me.

"Su Mei, Lin Na! I called you here because this morning I received many reports from classmates that you two are spreading rumors and bullying new student Su Wan! Is this true? Spreading rumor that Su Wan was picked up by old man in luxury car wearing man's jacket? Saying she is being kept? Is this true?"

Su Mei jumped up. "Principal! It's not rumor! It's true! I saw it with my own eyes last night! A black Rolls Royce Cullinan with plate 88888 sent her home! She got out wearing a big black man's suit jacket that was so big it covered her thighs! She must be kept by old man! I am telling truth! Everyone should know what kind of person she is!"

Lin Na also quickly said, "Yes, Principal, we are just telling truth! We didn't bully! We just said what Su Mei saw! And Su Wan really did come to school today without jacket, but she must have hidden it! She is shameless!"

Principal Zhang's face turned even more sweaty when he heard "Rolls Royce Cullinan plate 88888" and "big black men's suit jacket." His eyes widened with fear.

He looked at me again, then at Su Mei, and he slammed table.

"SHUT UP! Both of you shut up! Do you know what you are saying? Do you know whose car is plate 88888? Do you know who wears big black suit jacket custom made in Italy? That is President Lu's personal car and personal jacket! President Lu of Lu Group! The owner of this school! The man who can close this school with one word!"

The whole office became silent. Su Mei's face turned white as paper. Lin Na's legs started shaking violently.

"What... what... President Lu...?" Su Mei stuttered, her voice small now. "No... no way... How can President Lu... help Su Wan...? No, impossible... Su Wan is..."

Principal Zhang wiped more sweat, his voice lower and scarier.

"This morning, at 8 AM sharp, I received a call from Lu Group's 88th floor president office. Assistant Chen called personally. He said: 'President Lu said, take care of Student Su Wan in Class A-3. Don't let her be bullied. If she cries, you will be responsible.' That's all he said. Then he hung up."

He looked at Su Mei and Lin Na with angry eyes.

"Now you tell me, is Su Wan being kept by old man? Or is President Lu personally taking care of her? Do you think President Lu is old man? Do you think President Lu keeps students? If President Lu hears your rumor that his car is old man's car and his jacket is sugar daddy jacket, do you know what will happen to you, to your families, to this school?"

Su Mei's legs gave way and she fell back onto sofa, her face completely white, no blood. Lin Na started crying, tears falling.

"No... no... I didn't know... I thought... I thought it was old man... I didn't know it was President Lu... Mom..."

I sat at edge, my hands clenching my uniform skirt, my eyes wide, shocked. Lu Beichuan... called principal? For me? He told principal to take care of me? Don't let me be bullied? If I cry, principal will be responsible?

My heart was beating so fast, so loud, like drum. He said "Go inside" coldly last night and drove away, but this morning he called school for me?

Principal Zhang turned to me, his face changing to super polite, super gentle, like I was his own daughter.

"Student Su Wan, don't be scared. Don't listen to their dirty gossip. You are a good student. From today, if anyone bullies you, you come to me directly. I will protect you. Also, President Lu's assistant said President Lu's jacket is with you? Please keep it well. President Lu said you can keep it, or throw it away, up to you. And if you feel cold, you can wear it. Don't worry about school uniform rules, you can wear it in school if you want."

I whispered, "I... I left it at home... hidden..."

"Good, good, keep it well," principal said quickly. "Now you can go back to class first, Student Su Wan. I need to talk to these two students alone about spreading rumors and bullying."

I stood up, legs shaking, and walked out of office, leaving Su Mei and Lin Na crying inside.

I walked back to Class A-3 alone, through long hallway. My mind was blank, only his cold voice "Lu." and his faint wood smell.

When I reached Class A-3 door, I saw Gu Chen standing outside classroom door, leaning against wall, hands in pockets, not in classroom. As if he was waiting for someone.

When he saw me coming back alone, without Su Mei and Lin Na, his dark eyes looked at me, then at empty hallway behind me, as if checking.

He saw my red eyes, my pale face, my shaking hands.

His ice face became even darker, his jaw tightened like last night in car. He thought... he thought principal called me because I really did something shameful? Or he heard secretary say "President's office order" and thought I really have powerful old man backing from president?

His eyes flickered with something I never saw before - jealous, angry, hurt, possessive, all mixed together, making his cold eyes stormy.

He didn't ask what happened in principal office. He just stood up straight and said coldly, his voice colder than ever, but with something shaking inside.

"So you really have backing. No wonder you don't need my white handkerchief anymore. You have big black jacket now."

My eyes widened. What? Backing? White handkerchief? Big black jacket?

He thinks... he thinks Lu Beichuan is my old man backing? He thinks I don't need him anymore because I have more powerful man?

"Gu Chen, I... it's not..."

I wanted to explain, but he already walked past me, brushing my shoulder, his mint smell passing, but cold.

He went back to his seat, put his head down, and didn't look at me again, his back stiff and cold.

And I stood at classroom door, holding his white handkerchief hidden in my pocket that I always carry, and thinking of Lu Beichuan's black business card hidden under my mattress at home, and I didn't know how to explain to Gu Chen that both jackets and handkerchiefs were just kind help in rain and bathroom, not what he thinks.

Two male leads, both jealous, both misunderstanding, both protecting in different ways. My troublesome beautiful face brings trouble again.

And inside principal office, Su Mei was crying and shouting: "No! Su Wan must have seduced President Lu! She is a fox! President Lu would never help her for no reason!"