"I'm Lin Jin, meow~"

Lin Jin tugged Qin Yi's sleeve nervously.

Qin Yi had sacrificed so much for him already—he couldn’t let Qin Yi take the blame again. This was Dean Xu, not their homeroom teacher. Even if Qin Yi ranked top in the grade, Dean Xu would tear into him without mercy.

But he’d forgotten Qin Yi’s warning before they left: don’t speak.

Oh no. Acting cute in front of school leaders? That was pure suicide.

Despair crept over Lin Jin.

Sure enough, their stern homeroom teacher and the office full of onlooking teachers all stared in shock.

"Student Lin Jin," Dean Xu said unexpectedly gentle, "why weren’t you in class during morning self-study?"

"I…" Lin Jin froze, terrified his voice might slip into a meow.

"He’s got a fever today, he can’t—" Qin Yi tried to cover for him.

Dean Xu cut him off sharply.

"Was I talking to you?"

Qin Yi snapped his mouth shut, a trace of gloom flickering unseen in his eyes.

"Why weren’t you in class during morning self-study?" Dean Xu pressed, his tone now icy.

Nearby, Liang Zengguang tensed up. When Dean Xu stormed in demanding attendance checks, he’d suspected Qin Yi. The grade dean’s "one person and one cat" report confirmed it.

Selfishly, Liang had only reported Lin Jin absent. Watching Qin Yi walk into this trap made his stomach churn.

Kid, didn’t he see the grade dean, academic dean, and Dean Xu were all furious?

Dean Xu was dead set on punishing this discipline-breaker. Simple reason: Principal Zhao Fuguo had just praised Xu Lehua’s cohort for perfect discipline in the courtyard—no serious violations known to him. Then that speeding "boy and cat" incident slapped him in the face.

This was the senior building. Graduating students were already home prepping for exams. Only pre-senior elite classes 331 to 334 remained.

So this student fell squarely under Dean Xu’s watch.

"I… I…"

Lin Jin stayed silent, petrified a stray "meow" would make everything worse.

Would he get expelled? How to face his mom? His reputation would be ruined in front of everyone…