Bingdilian was more alert than Xu Fan had anticipated. Holding one of his own men as a human shield, they didn't turn around until they had retreated several hundred meters.
Xu Fan smiled, too lazy to continue the pursuit, and immediately said to the two girls, "Alright, let's hurry back."
Since there was still one member of Bingdilian unaccounted for, there could be danger over by Tianyue Lake. Xu Fan didn't dare delay and immediately rushed back in the direction they had come from with Xia Xiaodie and Zhou Keren.
"Phew, looks like it was a false alarm..."
Soon, the three of them returned to the campsite. From a distance, they could see the classmates still gathered together, and nothing seemed amiss.
At the same time, there were many more people at the campsite, likely those called by Chen Dongdong.
As the group looked up to one woman for direction, Xu Fan stared at the office lady (OL)-styled woman from afar, feeling a vague sense of familiarity...
"Let's go, let's head over there."
Zhou Keren and Xia Xiaodie had run all the way here with him and were now so tired they were practically exhausted. Xu Fan now supported them as they walked toward the campsite.
"Xiaodie!"
Before they got close, the OL-styled woman, her face alight with excitement, rushed toward Xia Xiaodie.
The classmates surrounding the campsite sighed in relief when they saw Xia Xiaodie and Zhou Keren brought back by Xu Fan...
As the woman approached, Xu Fan recognized her.
Xia Yanyu, Xia Xiaodie's sister and the current Sect Leader of the Xia Family.
She resembled Xia Xiaodie by about seventy to eighty percent, and in her OL attire, she appeared mature and charming. The battles of the business world had honed an air of authority in her.
Unlike the cold beauty rumored by the outside world, she was now examining her sister with great concern. It was only after making sure she was unharmed that she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Are you Zhou Keren?"
After pulling Xia Xiaodie behind her, Xia Yanyu's delicate face instantly turned frosty as she looked coldly at Zhou Keren.
"I ask you, why did you organize this camping trip? Huh?"
Her voice was somewhat aggressive, and under the pressure of Xia Yanyu's icy aura, Zhou Keren even found it hard to breathe.
This camping trip was her personal decision as the class teacher and had nothing to do with the school.
Now that this incident had occurred, she would have to shoulder the responsibility alone.
It was one thing for others, but to put the Xia Family's second daughter in such danger, she could hardly imagine what she was about to face...
"Hello, I'm Zhou Keren, Xia Xiaodie's class teacher..."
She was indeed frightened, but Zhou Keren still looked up at Xia Yanyu.
She might be humble, but she was not willing to run from her responsibility.
"I admit, this camping trip was my personal decision. Now that this has happened, the responsibility is all mine. Please, forgive me..."
"Forgive?"
Xia Yanyu let out a cold laugh. She coldly looked at the woman who dared to meet her gaze and said, "Is a simple apology enough?"
"Xiaodie is my sister. This time you took students on a camping trip without my consent. If something had happened, do you think an apology would be sufficient?"
"Prepare yourself because tomorrow, I will personally go to your principal to have a proper discussion."
"Sister, you've misunderstood..."
Seeing her sister's assertive demeanor, Xia Xiaodie immediately tried to explain.
She knew how much her sister doted on her, and if she were to pursue the matter further, Zhou Keren could very well be dismissed from Zijing Middle School!
"Silence!"
But before she could start to explain, Xia Yanyu sharply interrupted her.
Not just her, but all the students at the campsite shuddered in fear.
Zhou Keren was indeed an excellent head teacher, caring for almost every affair of her students with meticulous attention, and none of the students present wanted to see the scene of Zhou Keren being dismissed.
Yet at this moment, it was extremely difficult for them to speak up and persuade Xia Yanyu.
After all, the cold beauty before them was the current decision-maker of the Xia Family! A woman whose stamp of the foot could make Jinling tremble three times over!
Offending her meant being left with no way out in Jinling from now on, a consequence they truly didn't have the courage to challenge...
The atmosphere at the campsite had become tense, and under Xia Yanyu's oppression, it felt difficult even to breathe.
Xia Yanyu's indifferent gaze swept over the group of students who were bowing their heads, finally settling on Zhou Keren, whose face was ashen.
"Zhou Keren, these next few days, I hope you prepare yourself and find another job."
"I think the profession of a teacher doesn't quite suit you," she said coldly.
Xia Yanyu's icy words, like a final judgement, reached Zhou Keren's ears, and the pressure that came flooding in like a tide froze the blood in her body at that moment.
She was very clear about what Xia Yanyu's words meant.
After today, she would definitely be dismissed from Zijing Middle School and might even find it impossible to land any job related to education in all of Jinling.
As if clouds of helplessness enveloped her, she could no longer muster any strength and let her head hang down weakly...
"Heh, what a joke. Whether she's suitable or not, since when is that for you to decide with just a word?"
Suddenly, a strong arm grabbed her, pulling her behind him.
Zhou Keren was astonished, looking incredulously at Xu Fan, who had stood up for her, her eyes filled with surprise.
Even a sense of joy uncontrollably spread through her heart! She was a woman, and in such a helpless moment, who doesn't yearn for a man to shield her from everything?
"Xu Fan, just let it be..."
Zhou Keren was immensely grateful for everything Xu Fan had done for her, but ultimately she sobered up.
Standing before her was Xia Yanyu, a woman whom Xu Fan could not resist.
Indeed, Xu Fan was highly skilled in martial arts, but Xia Yanyu represented the Xia Family, a force that could not be countered by merely martial arts!
Zhou Keren nearly begged, shaking her head at Xu Fan. She appreciated everything Xu Fan had done, but she couldn't bear to see him offend the Xia Family for her sake.
"Silly woman, don't talk, I've got this."
However, Xu Fan was oblivious to what Zhou Keren wanted to express; instead, he comforted her with a warm smile and then pulled her behind him.
"Heh, Xia Yanyu, we meet again. Although you want to ignore me, I'm afraid I have to stand out in situations like this."
From her return until now, Xia Yanyu hadn't said a single word to Xu Fan, not even a glance had she given.
Clearly, she wanted to ignore Xu Fan, and might even be too proud to look at him.
As for the reason behind all this, Xu Fan just smiled. It was probably mostly because he had disrupted the good marriage arrangement between her Xia Family and Yan Ruyu last time.
"Hmph..."
Xia Yanyu eventually turned her gaze to Xu Fan. In her eyes, along with arrogance, there was also disdain.
"Do you really think you can stand against the Xia Family?" she asked.
This question, directed at anyone else, would probably have them choking under the vast power of the Xia Family, ready to bow and submit at any moment.
But Xu Fan held his head high with pride, like an emperor with a devilish smile, looking at Xia Yanyu, this woman sitting in the highest position of the Xia Family.
"Personally, I think I really do have the qualifications," he said.
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