"You didn't know?" Ren took a step closer. "Or did you choose not to know? Because Jiang Han's father donated a library, and Pan Mingyue is an orphan on a scholarship? Is your justice for sale, Mrs. Lee?"
"That's a lie!" Mrs. Lee shrieked, panic setting in. "You are making this up to cover your own crimes!"
"There are cameras in the dormitory hallway," Ren said, her voice bored. "Shall we go to the security room and watch the footage together, Principal?"
The room went deathly silent.
Mrs. Lee felt the blood rush from her head. She knew what was on those tapes. She had ignored the complaints before because she didn't want to offend Jiang Han's family.
Principal Xu's expression turned thunderous. The air pressure in the room dropped, suffocating everyone with his anger.
He turned to Mrs. Lee. "Is what she says true?"
"I... I..." Mrs. Lee was shaking so hard she had to grab the podium for support. She couldn't speak. Her silence was a confession.
"As an educator," Principal Xu said, his voice cold and hard, "your duty is to protect all students, not just the wealthy ones. To ignore bullying is to be an accomplice."
He looked at the trembling teacher with disgust.
"Apologize," Principal Xu ordered.
Mrs. Lee looked up, tears of humiliation welling in her eyes. "Principal..."
"Apologize to Ren. And to Pan Mingyue. Now."
Mrs. Lee felt like her world was collapsing. She was the head of the Alpha Stream. She was respected. And now, she had to apologize to a piece of trash from the Wildlands in front of the entire class?
But under Principal Xu's gaze, she had no choice.
She turned to Ren, her face burning with shame. "I... I'm sorry. I didn't investigate properly."
Ren looked at her, unimpressed. "And Pan Mingyue?"
Mrs. Lee turned to the corner, choking out the words. "I apologize, Pan Mingyue."
"Get out," Principal Xu said dismissively. "We will discuss your employment status later."
Mrs. Lee fled the room, burying her face in her hands. The click of her heels this time sounded like the erratic beats of a failing heart.
The class remained silent for a long moment.
Principal Xu looked at Ren, his expression softening slightly. "Come to my office later."
He turned and left, taking the heavy atmosphere with him.
As soon as the door closed, the class exploded.
"Holy sh*t!" Joey jumped onto his desk. "Ren! That was legendary! Did you see Mrs. Lee's face? It was purple!"
Ren ignored the cheering. She walked back to her desk and sat down.
Faye stood by the door, clutching her books. She had come to watch Ren get expelled. She had expected to see her sister crying and begging. Instead, she saw Ren sitting in the center of the storm, calm and untouched.
Faye's nails dug into her palms.
"She's just lucky," Faye whispered to Xavier, who was standing beside her. "Principal Xu just happened to be passing by."
Xavier looked at Ren. He saw the way she picked up her book again, as if nothing had happened.
"No," Xavier said quietly, his eyes narrowed. "That wasn't luck. She knew he was coming."
***
Later that evening, a heavy rain began to fall over Moon City.
The sky turned a bruised purple, and the rain came down in sheets, blurring the city lights into streaks of neon.
Ren walked out of the teaching block. She didn't have an umbrella. Her fever from a few days ago had only just broken, and the damp cold made her shiver.
She pulled her hood up and stepped into the rain.
She needed to go to the infirmary. Not for medicine, but because a certain "Unknown Idiot" had texted her saying he was bored and hungry.
By the time she reached the infirmary, she was soaked. Her uniform clung to her skin, and her hair was plastered to her forehead.
She pushed the door open.
Inside, the air was warm and dry.
Dr. Luke was sitting at the desk, sorting files. When he saw Ren, he whistled. "Whoa. You look like a drowned rat."
"Thanks," Ren muttered, shaking the water off her jacket.
She looked toward the sofa.
**Alpha Juan** was there. He was holding a medical journal, but he wasn't reading. He was watching her.
He wore a loose white shirt today, the top buttons undone, revealing the sharp lines of his collarbones. In the warm light of the lamp, his features looked less sharp, more dangerously seductive.
He frowned as he took in her wet clothes.
He stood up, tossing the journal aside. He walked over to the thermostat and cranked the heat up. Then, he grabbed a clean, white towel from the cabinet and walked over to her.
He didn't hand it to her. He draped it over her head.
His large hands rested on her head through the towel, rubbing gently to dry her hair. The movement was rhythmic, almost hypnotic.
Ren froze. She stood there, blinded by the white towel, feeling the warmth of his body radiating against hers. He was too close. She could smell the winter cedar scent of him, mixing with the smell of rain.
"You're an idiot," Juan said softly, his voice vibrating through the towel. "Walking in the rain when you just recovered?"
Ren pulled the towel down, revealing her face. Her eyes were bright, her cheeks flushed from the cold.
"I didn't have an umbrella," she said defensively.
Juan looked at her. His dark eyes lingered on her damp eyelashes, then dropped to her pale lips.
"Sit," he ordered, guiding her to the sofa. "Luke ordered food."
"I'm not hungry," Ren lied. Her stomach growled instantly.
Juan chuckled. He sat down next to her, close enough that their thighs brushed. He picked up a bowl of hot soup and handed it to her.
"Drink," he said.
Ren took the bowl. The warmth seeped into her cold hands. She took a sip. It was good.
Luke watched them from the desk, shaking his head.
"Master Juan," Luke said, grinning. "You act like her dad."
Juan froze. He turned slowly to look at Luke. The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
"What did you say?" Juan asked, his voice deceptively calm.
"Or a brother," Luke corrected quickly, sensing danger. "Definitely a brother. A protective older brother."
Juan turned back to Ren. He watched her drink the soup, his expression unreadable.
"Dad?" Juan murmured to himself, testing the word. He looked at Ren's profile—the stubborn jaw, the fierce independence, the hidden vulnerability.
"No," Juan whispered, a strange, possessive light igniting in his eyes. "Not a dad."
He reached out, tucking a strand of wet hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her skin, sending a jolt of electricity through her.
Ren looked up, startled.
"Eat," Juan said, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. "You need your strength. You have a lot of enemies to fight tomorrow."
**[Chapter 16 End]**