Someone's causing a scene?!
Students who had already completed their thesis defenses on the third floor of the academic building were all craning their necks to see what was happening.
Outside Room 307, a fashionably dressed woman stood fuming. She wore a small felt hat as a hair accessory, her black hair draped over her shoulders, and appeared to be under thirty.
"Li Qiao! You have the guts to seduce my husband but not the courage to face me? What an outstanding student your Nanyang Medical University has produced—really doing your school proud!"
Her vulgar accusations rang out with certainty—she was convinced Li Qiao was the mistress.
Some teachers and advisors had already rushed over upon hearing the commotion, trying to stop the woman, but just then, the door to Room 307 swung open.
One of the assistant professors on the defense committee stood at the doorway with a dark expression, gripping the doorframe and frowning. "Ma'am, this is a school, not a place for your theatrics. If you disrupt the students' thesis defenses, can you take responsibility?"
"Then have Li Qiao come out! If she doesn't, I'm not leaving today!" the woman shouted back relentlessly, sticking her foot in the doorway to block it. As she shoved and shouted, her eyes darted around the classroom, scanning its occupants.
In that instant, her gaze locked onto Li Qiao's.
She pointed furiously. "You—yes, you, Li Qiao! I'd recognize that face even if you turned to ash!"
At that moment, Jiang Yi, still standing at the podium, subtly smirked. She lowered her head to glance at her thesis materials and pretended to speak with consideration, "Professor, maybe we should resolve this matter first. I don't mind continuing my defense later."
The professors present had all taught at Nanyang Medical University for many years, but none of them had ever encountered someone barging in to cause trouble on defense day.
One by one, they looked toward Li Qiao—some of them with evident disapproval and disappointment in their eyes.
Li Qiao wasn't an unfamiliar name in the Cellular Engineering program. In fact, she was quite well-known—not just for her looks, but also for consistently ranking among the top in all her specialized courses.
What a pity—such a promising student, yet her character is questionable. The scandalous post from last week caused quite a stir on campus. If this situation isn't handled properly, her offer for guaranteed admission to the research institute might very well be revoked.
The assistant teacher on the defense committee looked at Li Qiao with a conflicted expression, about to speak—when the woman outside suddenly shoved open the door with a burst of strength and stormed into Room 307.
"I heard today's your thesis defense! And here you have a student who's a homewrecker—how can you teachers possibly let her graduate like nothing happened?!"
The woman's sharp features were full of hostility and aggression.
At that moment, Jiang Yi, still standing at the podium, turned slightly to glance at the woman and feigned support. "Are you sure you've got the right person? Li Qiao may be from a tough background, but we've lived in the same dorm for four years. I trust her character—she's not the type to be anyone's mistress."
But this fake show of support was actually a subtle dig at Li Qiao's humble upbringing.
The woman immediately picked up on the insinuation. "Oh? So she's just a poor tramp. No wonder my husband's credit card gets maxed out by tens of thousands every month. Looks like you've been milking him for all he's worth!"
In this moment, Li Qiao seemed to be everyone's target.
Even though the assistant teacher tried to shut the classroom door, the thin wooden panel did little to muffle the noise. Outside, more and more students were gathering.
Faced with both the woman's aggressive taunts and Jiang Yi's backhanded jabs, Li Qiao remained expressionless. Her brows and eyes were iced over with growing impatience as she let out a cool sigh. "Done yet?"
The woman, completely unaware of the chill in Li Qiao's gaze, lunged toward her desk. With one hand raised, she aimed a slap straight at her. "You still have the nerve to talk? I'll teach you a lesson today, you shameless little tramp!"
She was standing while Li Qiao remained seated—giving her the clear advantage in position.
Seeing this, the teachers gasped in alarm and rushed to intervene. Meanwhile, Jiang Yi stood motionless, a smug and victorious smile tugging at her lips.