After Stealing a Kiss from My Sponsor Sister - Chapter 26
The sun sank below the horizon, painting the skyline with a golden brilliance as if dusted with powdered gold.
Such a beautiful view, such a perfect day—all ruined by one idiot.
Wait, no.
Her gaze swept over the male classmate who had picked the fight, Old Chen the homeroom teacher, and the grade-level director. Jiang Ya recounted: four idiots, quadruple the anger.
Her eyelashes cast a shadow over her eyes. Without exaggeration, she felt like killing someone right now.
Damn it.
Yu Shuang took in the child’s gloomy expression with a single glance.
She exhaled, her anger boiling inside her, but the headache was real too.
Bai Lü emerged from the stairwell, and Yu Shuang raised a hand.
“Let’s go. Not here. We’ll talk somewhere private.” After a moment’s thought, Yu Shuang made the decision.
Bai Lü glanced at the office behind her and nodded in understanding.
“Jiang Ya, you know her.”
“Attorney Bai.”
The three of them eventually settled at a dessert shop outside the school. Yu Shuang made the introductions.
“Hello, Sister Bai,” Jiang Ya greeted, her voice timid and obedient.
Hmph. Playing the good girl.
Yu Shuang didn’t waste words, briefly explaining the rumors and cyberbullying Jiang Ya had faced before turning to the girl. “From the beginning to now, and which lawyer you’ve been working with—tell Attorney Bai everything. Every single detail, understand?”
Jiang Ya pressed her lips together and nodded reluctantly.
Yu Shuang: “Get the details first. I’m going to the restroom. By the time I’m back, I expect a concise summary from you.”
Jiang Ya’s eyes flickered toward Yu Shuang.
Without another word, Yu Shuang walked away, her silhouette stretching long under the sunset.
It was hard to tell if she was angry.
Or rather, it was hard to gauge just how angry she was.
Jiang Ya twisted her fingers.
She felt wronged, but she also knew she was very much in the wrong.
Logically, she should have told an adult about these things. But she could handle it herself! If not for… By the time Miss Yu found out, it should have been after everything was resolved, with Jiang Ya being the one to tell her.
Tap tap. Bai Lü rapped the table twice and began, “Is the post still up? Can I see it?”
“The school deleted it a while ago, but I saved screenshots. Do you want to see them?”
“Add me as a friend. Send me all the evidence you’ve kept.”
The faucet ran loudly as Yu Shuang braced her hands against the sink, exhaustion written all over her face.
Truthfully, she was exhausted.
Her mind wasn’t working properly either.
But she couldn’t stop now. She had to deal with this first.
How to educate or scold Jiang Ya could wait until they got home.
But when facing the homeroom teacher, the grade-level director, and even the parents of the student who spread the rumors, she had to make her stance clear.
She splashed another handful of cold water on her face. Droplets clung to her brows and lashes, her reflection in the mirror pale as snow.
Yu Shuang exhaled deeply, stood in silence for a few more minutes, then turned to leave.
“Done?”
Seeing from a distance that Bai Lü and Jiang Ya were no longer talking, Yu Shuang sat down and asked.
“Pretty much. Let me summarize for you.”
Handing her phone to Yu Shuang, Bai Lü flipped through the images. “It started on the forum…”
“The current lawyer is very diligent. The evidence has been collected and preserved well, and the initial steps taken were legally sound. I don’t recommend changing lawyers, especially since those specializing in juvenile cases are rare and charge lower fees.”
Yu Shuang stared at Bai Lü expressionlessly.
“…Ahem. Of course, you, Miss Heiress, wouldn’t consider such things. My bad.”
“Get to the point.”
Bai Lu quickly flipped through the last few images and concluded, “If this really goes to court, given that the other party is also a minor and the reposts and views were limited to the school forum—meaning the impact wasn’t on society at large—the chances of the defamation escalating to a criminal case are very low. It’ll most likely remain a civil matter.”
“The lawyer handling the reputation rights case has also filed a claim. We can expect some compensation from that.”
“If defamation is proven, the most probable outcome is civil liability. Beyond a reprimand from the judge, the practical consequences will boil down to an apology and compensation.”
After listening, Yu Shuang flipped through the images again from the beginning.
A vein throbbed visibly at her temple.
“This happened a month ago?” she asked Jiang Ya.
The girl lowered her head.
Yu Shuang’s tone grew sharply impatient: “Speak. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
“Mm.”
“You’d already planned to hire a lawyer?”
“At first, I didn’t take it seriously. I thought it was just gossip and let it go. But when they kept posting, I decided not to let it slide and hired a lawyer.”
At least she wasn’t completely foolish—she’d reached out to a lawyer she knew.
The thought flickered through Yu Shuang’s mind, and she almost laughed at herself.
Given Jiang Ya’s sharp, no-nonsense way of handling things, calling her “foolish” would mean there were hardly any smart people left in the world.
The sudden smile only made Jiang Ya more uneasy. Even Bai Lu seemed uncertain: “Did I miss something?”
“No.”
Her reply was curt again.
When she reached the last image, Yu Shuang handed the phone back to Bai Lu and turned to Jiang Ya. “Your teacher and the grade director have already gone this far. Do you want to settle?”
“No.”
“Even if it escalates and you can’t continue studying at the affiliated high school—still no?”
Her captivating eyes locked onto Jiang Ya’s, but there wasn’t a trace of warmth in them, only a cold, detached sharpness.
Jiang Ya lowered her lashes slightly, then slowly shook her head.
“Understood.”
“Let’s go back.” This time, she was speaking to Bai Lu.
Jiang Ya: “Aren’t I coming with you?”
Yu Shuang hadn’t intended to bring her, but seeing the girl’s slightly pleading expression, the words that came out were, “Suit yourself.”
Jiang Ya trailed behind them like a little shadow.
But Yu Shuang shut her outside the office door. “Wait here.”
“…Okay.”
She obediently stepped back.
“Apologies. I’ve been swamped with work. She arranged the lawyer herself, and it took me some time to get up to speed.”
“If there’s a next time—though I hope there won’t be—I’ll make sure to stay involved.”
Without pausing, she took a breath and added coolly, “I’ll speak with the homeroom teacher and the grade director first. As for the student involved and their parents, I don’t see much point in discussing anything with them.”
The grade director’s eyebrow twitched.
Yu Shuang: “Of course, they can stay if they insist. But fair warning—I don’t mince words, and I won’t back down when I’m in the right.”
The grade director: “…”
“First,” Yu Shuang said, locking eyes with him, “as the victim in this incident, isn’t it inappropriate for the school’s teachers to repeatedly summon and disrupt Jiang Ya’s studies over someone else’s wrongdoing?”
Old Chen took a tactical sip of water.
To steady his nerves.
–
For the next twenty minutes, Yu Shuang unleashed a verbal onslaught, tearing into everyone involved with unrelenting precision.
As tensions threatened to boil over and Yu Shuang showed no signs of backing down, the grade director quickly had Teacher Tang usher the offending student’s parents out. Otherwise, he feared that after one student was dragged into the office for fighting, the next incident would involve parents brawling—prompting a call to campus security.
“The tough fear the ruthless, and the ruthless fear the desperate.”
Yu Shuang: “Jiang Yayou isn’t limited to just your high school.”
“Shi High is practically begging her to come with money. If it comes to it, she can transfer right now.”
“This kid is already from a poor family, with no elders left to rely on. So you’re just picking on the weak, huh?”
“Withdrawing the complaint is fine, just give her a demerit.”
“What does her psychological state have to do with us? She spewed so much filth, and now she’s the victim?”
“You teachers are so kind-hearted. Instead of wasting time here, why not go persuade the other parents?”
“Yes, take a step back for a broader view. A demerit isn’t that big of a deal.”
“Next time, bring this issue straight to me. If I lose patience, I’ll file a complaint with the education bureau—unlike teenagers who don’t know any better.”
“Don’t disturb her studies. She’s young, not stupid.”
“Can you change your script? If you keep pushing, I’ll seriously consider sending the school a lawyer’s letter too. After all, if you’re this brazen, I have every reason to suspect the school’s education is at fault—letting students act so recklessly because they know the school won’t do anything, right?”
How harsh.
Crouched by the door, catching fragments of the conversation leaking through the crack, Jiang Yayou felt a flicker of happiness.
Miss Yu was defending her.
The feeling of having someone stand up for her—
was nice.
It would’ve been even better if Miss Yu wasn’t angry with her.
But that was clearly wishful thinking.
Her gaze froze on the floor. Jiang Yayou grew uneasy. When they got home, would Miss Yu scold her like this at night too?
Being scolded… wouldn’t be so bad…
Would crying soften Miss Yu’s heart?
That remained to be tested.
But based on past experience, Miss Yu wasn’t the type to be swayed by tears.
Her thoughts were still wandering when—whoosh—the door swung open.
Miss Yu stood expressionless behind it. The moment that gaze swept over her, Jiang Yayou scrambled back two steps.
“Get up.”
“O-okay.” She finally stood.
“Let’s go. Follow me.”
Jiang Yayou trailed obediently behind.
Walking too fast, she only had time to glance back at the office.
Through the open door, on one side was Old Chen, sighing as he drank water, and on the other was the disheveled grade director.
Jiang Yayou was pleased.
Call it a strong sense of vengeance.
She liked seeing those who’d wronged her humbled.
Lawyer Bai called his own ride. After finishing her tirade, Yu Shuang’s head throbbed even harder, so she told Jiang Yayou to hail a cab.
When the car arrived, Yu Shuang exhaled, reached over, and tapped Jiang Yayou’s phone to cancel the order. She reselected the premium car option and handed it back. “Book this one.”
Otherwise, she might vomit in the car.
“I’ll pay attention next time,” Jiang Yayou said meekly.
Yu Shuang shot her a sidelong glance and scoffed.
Zero-frame start. “Do you know what you did wrong?”
Quick reply. “Yes.”
“What was it?”
Jiang Yayou choked.
Great. Trying to bluff her way through.
Yu Shuang crossed her arms, her eyelids heavy with exhaustion, but it did nothing to diminish her presence. She just stared coldly at Jiang Yayou, her dark eyes unfathomable. In the stalemate, she finally got the girl’s hesitant answer:
“I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t have kept it from you.”
Yu Shuang nodded. “And?”
“……”
“And… and…”
Fidgeting with the hem of her pants, Jiang Yayou ventured, “I shouldn’t have pushed too hard when I had the upper hand?”
“Think again.”
“Reporting the post right away?”
Yu Shuang closed her eyes. A stifled breath refused to leave her lungs.
Hearing no response, Jiang Yayou looked up—only to see Miss Yu shutting her eyes.
She knew she’d answered wrong.
“I’m sorry, Miss Yu,” Jiang Ya murmured.
“You certainly should be.”
Yu Shuang raised her gaze slightly and waved her hand. “The car’s here.”
During the ride, Yu Shuang didn’t ask Jiang Ya any more questions, nor did she speak to her. Jiang Ya stayed quiet, noticing that Yu Shuang had closed her eyes as if resting, so she didn’t disturb her.
The tension lingered all the way home.
The housekeeper had already prepared dinner, the dishes steaming hot on the table.
Yu Shuang changed her shoes and spoke tersely, “Wash your hands. Let’s eat.”
“Okay.”
At the table, Yu Shuang remained silent, and Jiang Ya didn’t dare speak either. She kept her eyes down, focusing on her meal. When she finished, she got up to clear the dishes. Yu Shuang didn’t stop her, just glanced over briefly before turning and heading upstairs.
By the time Jiang Ya finished cleaning up, Miss Yu was nowhere to be seen on the first floor.
She tiptoed up to the second floor, her heart pounding, but outside the study, she heard Yu Shuang on a phone call.
After a moment’s hesitation, Jiang Ya went back downstairs.
Around nine o’clock, she deliberately peeled an apple, carving each slice into little rabbit shapes, arranging them prettily on a plate before bringing it upstairs to Yu Shuang.
Yu Shuang’s eyes stayed glued to her screen, barely glancing at the plate. “You don’t need to do this,” she said flatly.
Jiang Ya kept her head down. “I want to.”
“Then take some time to reflect. I’m busy tonight—no time for you. I’ll hear what you have to say tomorrow.”
At least the trip upstairs wasn’t entirely fruitless.
Now she knew when her sentencing would be.
“Okay.”
“I’ll come back for the plate in half an hour.”
This time, Yu Shuang said nothing more.
When Jiang Ya went up again later, Yu Shuang was on another call, seemingly confirming details about some materials.
The apple slices, however, had been eaten. Jiang Ya waited a while, but the call showed no signs of ending. Her attempt at small talk failed, so she dejectedly took the plate away.
Jiang Ya went to bed a little after ten.
Unbeknownst to her, the lights on the second floor stayed on well past midnight.
The next morning, Jiang Ya was woken by a phone ringing.
Not hers.
She stumbled out of her room, rubbing her head, and picked up the landline in the hallway. A woman’s unfamiliar voice came through.
“Ningning?”
Jiang Ya: “Who are you looking for?”
Realizing it wasn’t Yu Shuang, Tan Xiao—who knew there was a student living in the house—quickly explained the situation. Jiang Ya hurried upstairs to get Yu Shuang.
Her mind buzzed with nervous thoughts before opening the door, but the moment she saw Yu Shuang’s visibly unwell complexion, panic set in.
“Miss Yu? Miss Yu, wake up.”
She pressed a hand to Yu Shuang’s forehead—burning hot.
Jiang Ya managed to rouse her, then rushed downstairs to find a thermometer.
When she returned, Yu Shuang had propped herself up, limbs weak and body devoid of strength.
Her cheeks were flushed an unnatural red.
The ear thermometer beeped: 39.2°C.
“You have a fever,” Jiang Ya said, frowning.
Yu Shuang touched her own forehead and muttered weakly, “You drove me to it.”
Jiang Ya’s hand trembled. Guilt washed over her face, her expression so stricken it seemed she might burst into tears any second.
“…”
Yu Shuang had only said it offhand.
“I’m sorry, Miss Yu.”
Jiang Ya’s eyes reddened, her pitiful expression oddly reminiscent of a little yellow puppy begging for food.
Yu Shuang watched as the redness at the corners of Jiang Ya’s eyes deepened, and suddenly, she laughed.
She gave Jiang Ya a soft, playful smack on the head.
“Just kidding.”
“It’s from overworking.”
“Are you stupid?”
Jiang Ya’s eyes widened. Her near-tears expression froze mid-way, her features twisting comically.
Yu Shuang burst into laughter.
Jiang Ya mumbled, “Not stupid.”
“Mhm, just really easy to fool.”
“Am not…”
Only Miss Yu could deceive herself so easily, Jiang Ya thought to herself.