Zero Mercy

007 the principal’s decision

The principal took one look at Mu Yang—at her worn clothes, her thin figure, the unmistakable air of poverty clinging to her—and of course he knew perfectly well that she could not possibly afford to rent a place on her own.

He let out a long sigh.

“The school is in a difficult position as well,” he said slowly. “Let’s do this—regarding your housing situation, the school will try to think of a solution for you.”

He could not afford to offend Young Master Qianyi, yet at the same time, he was reluctant to lose a student as outstanding as Mu Yang. Turning the matter over in his mind, the principal began to see a possible way out. With Mu Yang’s academic record, coming to Di Rui High School was itself proof of her exceptional ability. If the school were to offer her a scholarship, then many of her problems might resolve themselves naturally. And if anything similar happened again in the future, Mu Yang—out of gratitude for the financial support she had received—would probably think twice before choosing to withdraw from school.

Mu Yang watched the complicated emotions flicker across the principal’s face as she listened to his words. A chill crept quietly into her heart. She truly had not expected that this so-called Young Master Qianyi wielded such influence—even the principal had to weigh his words carefully because of him.

If she had known things would turn out like this, she would have avoided him from the beginning. She would never have provoked him.

But now, there was nothing she could do except wait. Perhaps, when she went to the principal’s office later, she could soften his stance with a few careful words.

Seeing that Mu Yang remained silent, the principal prompted her gently, “Mu Yang, apologize to these classmates.”

Mu Yang hesitated for a moment. In the end, she forced herself to walk over to the two girls from her dormitory.

“I’m sorry,” she said stiffly. “I shouldn’t have thrown the washbasin at you. That was my fault.”

Then she turned and walked toward the two student council members who had been kicked to the ground.

“I’m sorry,” she said again. “I panicked earlier and kicked you without thinking. Please forgive me.”

By the time she finished speaking, she was barely holding herself together. Her eyes burned, and tears threatened to spill over.

The others merely snorted in response, casting her disdainful looks. None of them said they accepted her apology.

Once it was clear that no further objections would be raised, the student council president finally dismissed everyone.

The student council office was left with only four people: Mu Yang, the student council president, Director Wu, and the principal.

Director Wu looked at the principal with concern. “Principal, do you think Young Master Qianyi will be dissatisfied with this outcome?”

The principal sighed again. “We’ve essentially met his demands. Mu Yang will no longer live on campus, and she’s apologized to everyone involved. Even if he’s not fully satisfied, he shouldn’t have much to say.”

“But…” Director Wu glanced at Mu Yang.

“Mu Yang,” the principal asked directly, understanding what Director Wu meant, “you’re not planning to withdraw from school, are you?”

“I…” Mu Yang didn’t know how to answer.

Withdraw?

If she left Di Rui High School, where could she possibly go?

Yet if she stayed, she would no longer have access to campus housing. That alone was a massive problem. Safety aside, she simply couldn’t afford to live off-campus. She had thought that with her tuition and dorm fees waived, she could scrape by—cutting expenses wherever possible and finding part-time work to cover her living costs. But now…

“Here’s what we’ll do,” the principal said after a moment’s thought. “I’ll discuss this with the other school leaders and see if we can arrange a scholarship of twenty thousand yuan for you. That way, you can use the money to rent a place and buy yourself some decent clothes. You shouldn’t always be the subject of ridicule among your classmates.”

This had been his consideration all along. Young Master Qianyi had only said that Mu Yang was not suitable for on-campus residence; he had never said the school was f*******n from awarding her a scholarship. In that way, the principal would not be defying him.

Director Wu was startled when he heard this. No wonder the principal had agreed so readily to Mu Yang’s removal from the dormitory—this had been his plan all along.

Still, twenty thousand yuan was not a large sum for a school like Di Rui High School, which charged exorbitant fees. But for Mu Yang, wasn’t that a little too much?

Mu Yang herself was stunned. She had never imagined that the principal’s vague promise to “think of a solution” would turn into such a generous scholarship.

Overwhelmed, she spoke with a choking voice. “I’m sorry… I’ve caused you trouble, Principal. I’ll be more careful in the future. I won’t lose control like this again.”

“Very well,” the principal said, rising to his feet. “Since the matter is settled, take some time today to look around near the school. See if you can find a place that’s affordable and decent. You can rent it for now. I still have work to attend to, so I’ll be leaving.”

After the principal and Director Wu left, the student council president cast Mu Yang a detached glance.

“I was wondering earlier why Director Wu seemed so biased,” he said coolly. “So you’re the top scorer from the entrance exams. Since you’re that capable and Di Rui has given you such favorable conditions, why aren’t you focusing on your studies? Why are you constantly getting into trouble?”

Mu Yang met his gaze and replied calmly, “Do you think I enjoy causing trouble? I’m just a poor student studying at this school. Some people wanted to bully me, and I fought back. That’s all.”

The student council president examined her more closely and found her words reasonable. Di Rui High School was a place where children of powerful and wealthy families gathered. Most students came from influential backgrounds. Someone like Mu Yang was bound to be an easy target.

He remembered that there had been other high-performing students in the past, but most of them were timid and submissive. Someone like Mu Yang—poor, capable, and willing to fight back—was a first.

“In any case,” he said finally, “watch yourself.”

Mu Yang understood what he meant. Even if the principal had protected her this time, there was no guarantee he would do the same next time.

Leaving the student council office, Mu Yang wandered aimlessly toward the school gates.

She decided to walk around the surrounding area and see if she could find a place that was both affordable and livable.

She spent the entire afternoon searching. She did find one or two places that seemed decent enough, but the rent was far beyond what she could afford.

As evening approached, she returned to campus empty-handed.

Walking along the path in a daze, Mu Yang couldn’t help wondering what her future here would look like.

“Mu Yang? Where have you been?”

A pleasant voice sounded beside her.

She was surprised. How could there be someone at this school who recognized her—and was willing to greet her so casually?

Following the voice, she saw a familiar, composed figure.

Joy flickered in her heart. She walked over quickly. “Yuan Jing,” she asked gently, “can I talk to you for a bit?”

After everything that had happened today, Mu Yang had finally realized something: she needed to understand this school better. Otherwise, she might offend someone she should never have crossed again.

At Di Rui High School, there were very few people she could ask. Seeing Yuan Jing now felt like a small stroke of luck.

“Of course,” Yuan Jing replied readily.