Chapter 32: Qiu Yizhen in a Panic

The relationship between Qiu Yizhen and her father, Qiu Liyao, was anything but harmonious; they were constantly at odds, often engaging in heated arguments. As soon as Qiu Liyao entered the office, he exploded with frustration, "What on earth is going on? Just take a look for yourself!" He grabbed his phone, nearly hurling it at his daughter's head before slamming it down onto the table.

Qiu Yizhen, feeling a sense of dread, picked up the phone and opened the video. As the footage started playing, her complexion shifted dramatically. Wasn't this the incident from that morning when she had confronted Jian Yiling? Jian Yiling had actually recorded their encounter! The blood drained from Qiu Yizhen's face as the reality of the situation settled in.

Seeing her reaction, Qiu Liyao's anger intensified. "Now you're surprised, huh? You're really living up to the reputation of being my daughter!" he barked.

But instead of cowering, Qiu Yizhen stood her ground. "When you cheated on Mom and drove her away, did you ever consider me your daughter?" she shot back defiantly. "You've been so absorbed in your own world that you've never bothered to look after me."

"Who do you think has been providing for you all these years? Who pays for your food, clothes, and education? If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be able to act so arrogantly at school. Do you really think you would have made it this far without my support?" 

His words hit hard, silencing Qiu Yizhen. Despite her father's lack of emotional support, he had always ensured she wanted for nothing in terms of material wealth. Without Qiu Liyao's protection, she would never have dared to act so brazenly in school. Take, for instance, the incident yesterday, when she demanded the video be deleted. The teacher overseeing the surveillance had only complied because they knew she was the daughter of a board member.

"I'm telling you now," Qiu Liyao continued, his tone unyielding, "I will get someone to remove the videos online. Before the end of today, you need to find and delete the original footage! If your face ends up online, you'll regret it!"

Currently, the video was blurred, and no one had connected it back to Qiu Yizhen and her father yet. However, once the unedited version was released, it wouldn't take long for someone to dig up the truth about Shenghua High School.

Qiu Yizhen understood precisely who was responsible for releasing the footage. Given the angle of the recording, it could only have been Jian Yiling. "I get it; I'll handle it!" she responded, her voice laced with frustration.

"You better handle it!" Qiu Liyao snapped. "If you can't manage this, don't even think about coming back home! I have an important meeting tonight, and if this nonsense interferes with it, you can kiss your allowance goodbye for the month!"

With her father's ultimatum ringing in her ears, Qiu Yizhen stormed out of the office, her destination clear: Class 8 of the first year. It was just around the time school was letting out, and Jian Yiling was busy packing her things to head home.

As soon as Qiu Yizhen entered the classroom, all the students froze, their eyes wide with apprehension. She marched straight up to Jian Yiling, fury radiating off her. "Jian Yiling! You little brat! How dare you sneakily record me! Do you want to die?" 

Jian Yiling remained calm and collected. She didn't turn around immediately; instead, she took her time finishing up her packing before slowly facing Qiu Yizhen. The tension in the room was palpable as the students exchanged nervous glances, unsure of how the confrontation would unfold.

Qiu Yizhen's fists were clenched tightly, seething with anger. She longed to strike Jian Yiling, to shatter the calm facade that the girl wore so effortlessly. Just then, a thought struck her—perhaps the device used to store the video was in Jian Yiling's bag. 

With her mind set on retrieving it, she lunged forward. But before she could act, Jian Yiling spoke up.

"The original video is already stored in the cloud. If you break anything I have, it'll be useless," Jian Yiling said, her tone unflustered and steady.

The calmness in Jian Yiling's voice only fueled Qiu Yizhen's fury. The soft timbre of her words grated on her nerves, intensifying her irritation. How could Jian Yiling remain so unfazed? 

"Stop pretending you're so calm! You've made a huge mistake, and I won't let you get away with it!" Qiu Yizhen hissed, her anger boiling over.

Jian Yiling met her gaze, an inscrutable expression on her face. "Mistake? Or perhaps a necessary lesson?" she replied, a faint smirk curling at the corners of her lips.

"You think this is a lesson? You'll pay for this!" Qiu Yizhen retorted, fury lighting up her features.

"Is that a threat?" Jian Yiling asked, her eyebrows raised in mock surprise. "Because if you really want to escalate this, I'm more than prepared."

The room buzzed with tension as classmates held their breath, waiting to see how this power struggle would unfold. Qiu Yizhen felt cornered, her instincts flaring. She had expected to intimidate Jian Yiling, not find herself on the receiving end of such calm defiance.

"Just you wait! I will ruin you!" Qiu Yizhen spat, her voice laced with venom before she stormed out, determined to salvage her reputation and crush her adversary.