What the heck?

Shu Cheng was stunned for a few seconds. After realizing what she had said, she angrily retorted, “What nonsense are you talking about? How could I possibly…”

“Teacher, you must discipline this child properly. She's already stealing money from home now, what will she be like when she grows up?”

Cao De'an didn't give Shu Cheng a chance to speak at all.

His wife chimed in from the side, “That’s right, we’ve always treated her well, but who would have thought she’d do something so shameless? It’s just outrageous.”

Not far away, the class monitor, who was at another desk handing in homework to the teacher, was stunned by the scene. She quickly took a few photos with her phone and sent them to the group chat.

Class Monitor: Breaking news! Shucheng was caught stealing money from home, and her parents have come to the school!

Soon, the originally quiet group chat exploded.

“What? Shucheng usually seems so honest, how could she steal money?”

“That doesn’t seem right. I saw her eating the cheapest meal at the cafeteria before, she doesn’t look like she has money.”

“I heard from a classmate in the next department today that they saw Shucheng eating at Wangjiang Pavilion, think about it.”

“Wangjiang Pavilion! That’s a place where the average cost per person is several thousand yuan, how could she afford it? She must have stolen it.”

“So embarrassing, if I were Shucheng, I would have no face to show myself.”

The counselor spoke a few words to comfort the Cao couple and asked them to sit down first.

She pushed up her glasses and sized up Shucheng, a strange look flashing in her eyes.

“Shucheng, did you steal money from your family?”

“Of course not!”

Shucheng clenched her fists, her pupils slightly dilated with anger, and said sternly, “Although they are my guardians, they have never fulfilled their responsibilities. Since I started college, I have lived at school and outside, and rarely go back.”

“But, that can’t be used as evidence that you didn’t steal, can it?”

“Evidence?” Shu Cheng's eyes lit up. “Okay, since you want to talk about evidence, where's the evidence that I stole money?”

Cao De'an and his wife exchanged a glance, then Cao De'an sneered and took out a receipt from his bag.

“You had a meal at Wangjiang Tower at noon today, spending over five thousand! And you recharged a value card with fifty thousand!”

“How did you get these!?”

Shu Cheng's eyes widened.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

It had only been two or three hours since they finished their meal and returned. How did her aunt and uncle receive the news so quickly and even get the receipt!?

“Hmph, what do you say now? Didn't you ask for evidence? Here's the evidence. You took fifty or sixty thousand from the family to splurge. You're really shameless.”

Cao De'an looked smug, glaring at Shu Cheng.

“Your uncle and I work hard every day, earning money to feed and clothe you, and send you to school. We don't ask for you to repay us, but is this how you treat us?”

“This child is truly spoiled.”

Shu Cheng listened to them in disbelief, feeling as if a large stone was pressing on her chest, making it hard for her to breathe.

“When you say these things, doesn't your conscience hurt?! From childhood to adulthood, how much money have you given me?”

“The food and clothes I wear are all leftovers from your children, and the tuition for university was earned by myself through summer jobs!”

“You work hard? Since I can remember, you've only known how to play mahjong and cards. When have you ever gone to work!”

All these years, they have been living off the money given by the Lin family.

Among the money given by the Lin family, clearly more than half of it was for Shu Cheng's upbringing!

They were at ease using Shu Cheng to leech off the Lin family, using all sorts of ways to mistreat her, wanting to drive this jinx out of the house.

Now that they've driven her out, it's not enough, they even want to slander her like this.

Shu Cheng couldn't control her emotions for a moment, her eyes reddening with anger.

The counselor looked at her like this, a bit of impatience appearing on his face, "Shu Cheng, what you're saying is meaningless. Where did these tens of thousands of dollars come from? Quickly clarify it with your family."

"The money is my own."

“Yours? How could a student like you have so much money?”

The counselor said, finally noticing the class monitor who was still watching the scene from a short distance.

She waved her hand, “Class monitor, come here for a moment.”

“What is it, teacher?”

“You and Shu Cheng are in the same class, you should know her situation quite well.”

The class monitor chuckled dryly, “Teacher, although we are in the same class, we are not close. But... everyone has seen how frugal Shu Cheng usually is, she doesn't seem like someone who could come up with so much money.”

“Did you hear that? Even your classmate said so, and you still say you didn't steal the money!?”

“Speak clearly, how much money did you take in total, and what did you do with it?”

Shu Cheng gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. “I’ve said it, the money is mine, and I can spend it however I want!”

Just as she finished speaking, Shu Cheng's phone rang.

She picked it up, about to hang up, but Cao, who was beside her, quickly snatched it away.

“What's there to be afraid of answering?”

She pressed the speakerphone with a snap, and a sweet customer service voice immediately came from inside:

“Hello, your limited edition sneakers purchased from us have been shipped. Please give us a good review after receiving them!”

Cao immediately exploded upon hearing this.

“Limited edition sneakers!? How much did they cost?”

Shu Cheng didn't say anything, but the class monitor beside her leisurely said, “Limited edition ones, they must cost at least ten or twenty thousand…”

“What! You actually bought such expensive shoes for yourself?!”

“Auntie, you might have misunderstood. Such expensive shoes are usually liked by boys who play basketball. I remember Shu Cheng has a boyfriend…”

As the class monitor spoke, a hint of schadenfreude flashed in her eyes.

Such expensive shoes, they must have been bought for her boyfriend.

“You shameless thing, so you stole money from home to buy shoes for a man, see if I don't beat you to death today!”

Cao De'an said, angrily raising his hand to slap her.

Shu Cheng quickly raised her hand to grab it, but unfortunately, she wasn't strong enough and was still violently thrown aside by Cao De'an.

The counselor, far from stopping the scene, actually added fuel to the fire.

“I really didn't expect this, Shu Cheng. You always have good grades and seem honest, but you could actually do something like this.”

She sighed, “It seems I have to report this to the academic affairs office and let the school leaders punish you.”

Shu Cheng staggered to her feet. She had fallen earlier, and her shin had hit a nearby stool, causing a small cut.

She stood up, enduring the pain.

“Fine, if that's the case, let's call the police. I want to see how I could have stolen tens of thousands of yuan from your Cao family when I haven't been back for half a year!”