There was no use reasoning with such a person. Mu Yuting took out her phone. "Wait a moment, I'll call Teacher Wang."
Mr. Wu’s eyes darted nervously as he added, "I’m very busy. I’ll wait at most half an hour. I need my refund immediately!" He knew Teacher Wang was out and likely wouldn’t make it back in thirty minutes. He was just trying to pressure the new teacher into paying up.
Ignoring him, Mu Yuting stepped aside and called Teacher Wang, briefly explaining the situation.
"Wu Yin’s father is here again? Teacher Mu, keep him there. I’ll be back soon." Teacher Wang sounded calm and confident, not the least bit flustered. "Stay safe, don’t provoke him. And don’t let him take Wu Yin."
"Understood," Mu Yuting replied firmly.
This wasn’t something an ordinary employee like her could resolve anyway.
Whether a tuition refund was granted depended on the boss. How to treat one’s child was up to the parents.
All Mu Yuting could do was ensure she acted with integrity. She couldn’t tell others what to do, nor did she want to—unless they seriously crossed her, like that awful Du family.
"Teacher, I’m scared." Wu Yin’s eyes were red as she gently tugged at the edge of Mu Yuting’s clothes, careful not to pull too hard for fear of annoying her.
Mu Yuting sighed inwardly and softly patted the child’s fluffy head. "Don’t be afraid. Be brave. I’m here with you." In this small world of Yueyin Music School, she would protect her.
An old saying had been passed down for a thousand years: Better a dead father who was an official than a living mother who begs. A child without a mother is like a blade of grass. Even if she could protect this child for now, she couldn’t do it forever. She wasn’t Wu Yin’s parent—her protection lacked legitimacy.
But what good was legitimacy anyway? Mu Yuting thought of her past life, how she had sacrificed most of her years for her child—time, money, career, hobbies, everything—pouring all her love into it, only to have the child eventually run off with that worthless father.
No matter how much one possesses early in life, in the end, everyone walks alone.
In this world, the only one who can truly protect you forever is yourself. Girls must learn to be independent and strong!
Within half an hour, Mr. Wu drank three cups of water, went to the bathroom twice, and pressed Mu Yuting for the money five times.
Mu Yuting simply played for time, stalling him while having Wu Yin practice the zither.
"I’m not waiting anymore. Yin Yin, come with me." Mr. Wu checked the time and stood up to leave in a hurry. If he didn’t go now, Teacher Wang would likely return. That woman… he was no match for her!
Wu Yin had just played a few measures of a new rendition of "Evening Song of the Fisherman," not yet reaching the climax, when her father’s shout startled her. Her fingers trembled, hitting a series of wrong notes that produced a jarring scrape.
Mu Yuting raised her voice slightly. "Class isn’t over. Don’t stop. Keep practicing."
Wu Yin rested her hands on the strings, silencing the instrument. She glanced furtively at her father, then at the new teacher, Mu Yuting, bewildered and unsure what to do. Instinctively, she still feared her father more.
Seeing his daughter hesitate, Mr. Wu grew angry and moved to grab her, but Mu Yuting stepped in his way.
"Mr. Wu, please do not disrupt the class," she said coldly, her tone icy.
"I’m taking my daughter. How dare you stop me?!" Mr. Wu reached out to shove her roughly.
"The police station is right next door," Mu Yuting stated calmly, though in reality, it was at least five hundred meters away.
Mr. Wu reluctantly withdrew his hand, instead adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. His chest heaved violently with anger.
Just then, Teacher Wang pushed the door open, followed by two elderly people.
"Zhengcai! You... while Jiajia’s body is still warm, you’ve taken all the assets and remarried. We haven’t said a word against you, only hoping you would treat your child Yinyin well. But we never imagined you could be so heartless! You don’t want Yinyin to go to school, and you won’t let her attend tutoring classes." The old man’s dragon-headed cane struck the floor heavily, his white hair trembling with rage.
Mu Yuting raised an eyebrow. So this Mr. Wu was called "Wu Zhengcai"—a fitting name. It seemed his wealth indeed came from "unconventional means," inheriting his wife’s fortune.
The old woman was also gasping with anger. She rushed forward and hugged Wu Yin, calling her "my darling, my precious." This was her only daughter’s only child. With her daughter gone unexpectedly, Wu Yin was truly her heart and soul.
"Father-in-law, I never said I wouldn’t let Yinyin study. I just want to transfer her to another school. So these tutoring classes are unnecessary and should be canceled," Wu Zhengcai insisted, speaking nonsense with a straight face.
The old woman picked up her granddaughter and retorted bitterly, "Transfer her to another school? Where exactly? She’s been doing perfectly fine in the city, and you want to send her to some rural school? Who will take care of her? Are you moving to the countryside?"
Wu Zhengcai adjusted his glasses and continued his excuse (explanation): "Mother-in-law, my parents still live in the countryside. They can take care of her. Yinyin is their own granddaughter—they won’t mistreat her."
A man who favored sons over daughters—who would believe his rural parents didn’t share the same mindset? The two elderly people certainly didn’t.
Mu Yuting didn’t believe it either. This was the same man who had said, "Girls only need to finish nine years of compulsory education," and now he wanted to send the child to the countryside. How could he possibly treat her well?
The music school’s closing time had arrived, and parents gradually came to pick up their children.
Soon, only a few people remained at Yueyin Music School.
Teacher Wang was a good boss who didn’t like making employees work overtime. She said to Mu Yuting, "Teacher Mu, you’ve worked hard. You can clock out now."
Mu Yuting glanced around the room and decided to stay. She might be able to help if needed—like if someone had to call the police. She sent a quick text to her mother, saying she had something to take care of and would be home later.
Wu Zhengcai argued with the elderly couple for a long time but eventually gave in, temporarily backing down.
"It’s getting late. Yinyin will come home with me for now. We won’t transfer schools—we’ll discuss it later."
"Zhengcai, let her stay with us for a while," the old man suggested.
"Yes, yes, let her stay with us. You have a new family now, and you’ll have other children in the future. For us, Yinyin is all we have left," the old woman pleaded, holding Wu Yin tightly, unwilling to let go.
Wu Zhengcai frowned. "Wouldn’t that be inconvenient? All her things are at home, and she needs to bathe every night."
Everyone’s eyes turned to Wu Yin—a child whose coat was stained and looked like it hadn’t been changed in days. Bath every night? Yeah, right.
After a few more exchanges, the negotiation reached another stalemate.
Mu Yuting couldn't help interjecting, "Mr. Wu, you are the child's legal guardian. Even if you let her stay with her grandparents for a few days, what difference would it make?"
Wu Zhengcai's eyes lit up. That's right, the child was still in his hands, so the bargaining chip remained. What was there to fear?
He said hypocritically, "Mom and Dad, you can take the child to stay with you for a few days, and we'll discuss it later. It's getting late now, and both the elderly and the child need to eat and rest. I won't disturb you any further."
The matter was temporarily resolved.
After Wu Zhengcai left, the elderly couple invited Teacher Wang and Mu Yuting out for a meal. Teacher Wang did not refuse and even accepted on Mu Yuting's behalf.
The group chose a nearby restaurant, where the elderly couple booked a private room and ordered some signature dishes.
While waiting for the food to be served, the elderly couple held the child and sighed deeply.
The grandfather wiped his tears. "Our family's shame has been exposed, and we've made a spectacle of ourselves. Thank you both for your help today. Otherwise, we old folks might never have had the chance to see Yinyin again in our lifetime."
"Legal guardian... Ah, what will become of Yinyin in the future?" The grandmother's eyes also reddened.
Teacher Wang remained solemn, thinking of a solution.
Mu Yuting couldn't bear it any longer and hinted, "It's not like there's no way. The legal guardian can be changed."
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