"You—" Amanpio was about to argue with Iris but one look from Professor Dupont and he shut his mouth again.
Jin Liwei's heart filled with warmth hearing his baby girl's words. She defended him! Ah, what a wonderful feeling! However, he hoped that she wouldn't get into too much trouble. So he spoke up.
"Headmaster, it's not Xiulan's fault. This wouldn't have happened if I weren't here. I'm sorry that my presence has caused this much trouble. I'll leave the academy immediately. Just please don't punish Xiulan too harshly."
"No! Don't leave!" Iris protested. "You just arrived."
"Hmph! Go leave. Who needs you here?" Amanpio grumbled, massaging his now throbbing face. It was already swelling.
"Mr. Kileksky, mind your words. Say anything more and I'll take it as a challenge of my authority as the Headmaster!" Professor Dupont scolded, effectively shutting up the inventor for real this time.
Amanpio could piss anyone in the academy and suffer, but he wouldn't care too much. But if he pissed off the headmaster, it was a different story. The headmaster had the power to kick him out of the academy. Getting kicked out of Cross Academy would be the biggest shame of his life!
Professor Dupont turned to Jin Liwei. "Mr. Jin, there's no need to leave. You're a guest of my good friend, Lu Jianhong, who's not only an important alumnus but also a registered instructor, albeit a semi-retired one. He only has Miss Long as his current student now. So of course, you're welcome to Cross Academy."
"Thank you very much, Headmaster," Jin Liwei replied in a sincere tone.
He was about to speak up on behalf of his baby girl again when a couple of cleaners stepped forward. They were husband and wife. The husband was pushing a cleaning cart. His wife had a slightly intimidated expression on her face seeing the headmaster himself.
The couple explained everything to Professor Dupont. The headmaster's expression turned uglier as he listened to the story. After hearing everything, he glared at Amanpio, causing the inventor to quail and look down to the floor. Guilt flashed in his eyes.
"Mr. Kileksky, one of our most important values is that we never, I repeat, we NEVER discriminate or look down on people who aren't enrolled or didn't graduate from our Cross Academy! Yes, this is a school of geniuses. And by being enrolled here, you automatically bear the label of genius. However, 'genius' is only a label given to you by other people. You won't be a 'genius' anymore if others stopped recognizing you as one. Even if you really are a genius and you know it yourself, if others don't call you as such, they'll only think you're a fool who's only too full of yourself."
Professor Dupont's tone was grave yet biting. He didn't raise his voice but every word he said held weight. He continued, "Remember, the label of 'genius' you're currently enjoying is a privilege, not a right. If you're not careful and take it for granted, it can be stripped away from you. Do you understand, Mr. Kileksky?"
Amanpio's body shook a little. "Y-yes, Headmaster. I understand. I apologize! I became too full of myself. I'll make sure to reflect on my mistake!"
"It's not me who you should be apologizing to."
Amanpio hesitated. He was slightly unwilling, but the headmaster's words made him realize how offensive he had been. He turned to Jin Liwei. "Sorry, bro. I was rude. I don't have the best social skills in the world. I'm too focused with my inventions. It's just that I wanted to talk to Xiulan about my latest invention but she rejected me because of you, so I thought that you were an eyesore. That's why I treated you like that…so I apologize."
Jin Liwei still didn't have any good feelings for the man. Even if he ignored the way the man insulted him, he couldn't ignore how he flirted with his baby girl. However, he could sense that Amanpio was sincere enough.
Besides, the academy's own headmaster was intervening in person. He didn't want to become the difficult and petty person who refused a person's sincerity. So with a cold expression, he stiffly nodded his head as an acceptance of Amanpio's apology.
"Thanks, bro." Then Amanpio turned to Iris next. "Sorry to you as well, Xiulan. I hope that we can still be friends after this. I don't really have many friends... There aren't many people who like being with me."
Iris harrumphed softly, still feeling angry on behalf of Jin Liwei. However, she could relate with Amanpio when he said that he didn't have many friends. It was only now in this second life of hers that she had the opportunity to make friends. She understood very clearly how lonely it could be without any close friends.
That was why even when she was still a little mad at him, she also accepted his apology like Jin Liwei. Besides, she already smacked and sent him rolling to the floor. That was very satisfying!
Everyone released sighs of relief that the conflict between them had been resolved in a peaceful manner.
"But Xiulan…your punch really hurt, you know?" Amanpio complained.
She scoffed. "It wasn't a punch. It was only a slap."
"A SLAP?!! I rolled on the floor a few times, you know! How can that be a mere slap?!"
"Fine. It was a smack, not a slap. Happy?"
"How can I be happy?! You just smacked my face and made me roll on the floor! I'm not a masochist!"
Jin Liwei narrowed his eyes and stepped in front of his baby girl when the two began arguing again.
Fortunately, the two respected the headmaster and stopped. The atmosphere also wasn't tense anymore. The argument was more like a friendly banter, rather than a heated one.
"Let's put this matter in the past now that it's settled," he said.
"Yes, Professor."
"Yes, Headmaster."
"However, both of you still violated academy rules. And for that, I have to give each of you appropriate punishments."
Amanpio groaned, while Iris already expected it. Jin Liwei stiffened and was about to speak up, but Iris stopped him with a tug in the arm.
"Mr. Kileksky, you will only receive one-fourth of your regular funds for an entire month starting today."
"No! What about my research and inventions? I won't be able to finish what I have planned without funds!" Amanpio looked like the world just ended for him.
Professor Dupont ignored him and turned to Iris. "As for you, Miss Long, you will perform exactly ten requests of the academy free of charge. That is your punishment."
"What does that mean?" Amanpio didn't understand.
Jin Liwei was also confused but didn't ask for clarification. His baby girl didn't look troubled, so it shouldn't be too harsh.
Iris immediately understood what the headmaster meant. It simply meant that she needed to do whatever ten hacking jobs the academy requested without paying her.
Amanpio thought that he got a worse punishment compared to her, but he was wrong. Professor Dupont decided to punish them in a financial sense. Although Amanpio was receiving substantial monthly funds from the academy to finance his inventions, Iris was a world-class hacker. She could command the highest fees with just one job. And now, she had to perform ten requests for the academy free of charge. This was an enormous bargain for the academy. Professor Dupont showed his hidden shrewdness in meting out their punishments.
When everything was settled, the group went their separate ways. Amanpio was almost crying because of his punishment. On the other hand, Iris looked unfazed. With the education she received and continued to receive from the academy, she would gladly hack ten times for them.
Iris led Jin Liwei out of the main castle. They headed downtown. Her heart began thumping wildly in excitement and nervousness.
She was going to confess her love for him.
Very soon.