Chapter 8: Folly Will Meet Its Own Reward

"Speak up!"

The moment Leng Su opened her mouth, Debby Kathleen shrank back in fear.

Juliet Shaw watched the scene with great amusement from the side.

If Herbert Leopold knew that his little darling was being scolded, he would be heartbroken, wouldn't he?

"Teacher Leng, don't be angry, don't be angry. Debby Kathleen isn't a bad kid; she just has a bit of a temper," Juliet Shaw tried to soothe her.

"A bad temper is a disease, and it needs to be treated. You're not her parents, so why are you indulging her?"

Debby Kathleen lowered her head, biting her lip tightly.

At this moment, Debby Kathleen didn't dare to say a word, for fear of making more mistakes.

Who was Leng Su? A first-class national writer, whose works were bestsellers both domestically and internationally. At the age of only thirty-five, she had already won all kinds of literary awards across the country.

In J City University, even the school leaders at all levels had to give her face.

Leng Su was someone Debby Kathleen couldn't afford to offend.

"Teacher Leng, don't be angry, don't be angry," Juliet Shaw said again, turning to Debby Kathleen with a gentle smile. "Debby Kathleen, over the past two years, I have gone through your drafts word by word, even correcting punctuation. But... Teacher Leng knows, this time, 'Era Literature' is a top-tier publication with extremely strict requirements. If I were to do everything for you..."

"Teacher!" Debby Kathleen interrupted Juliet Shaw in a panic.

She didn't want Leng Su to know that Juliet Shaw had been editing her drafts.

However—

Leng Su bent down and grabbed Juliet Shaw's mouse, saying, "Let me see what she wrote."

"Teacher Leng..."

Juliet Shaw looked at Debby Kathleen with a seemingly helpless expression, and Debby Kathleen immediately panicked.

"Debby Kathleen, let Teacher Leng take a look. It's a good opportunity for her to give you some guidance."

"I..." Debby Kathleen's face fell. Getting guidance from a master would be a good thing, but Leng Su was known for her sharp tongue and explosive temper.

"Is this dog shit?" Leng Su stared at the computer screen and fired off.

"..."

Juliet Shaw lowered her eyes, trying to suppress a smile.

"‘Gently I came, like the bright moon in the mountains,’ ‘I'll buy some oranges, you stay put,’ ‘Between the weak and the perfect, there lies the eternal path of the believer’—are these excerpts from other works?" Leng Su slammed the mouse down.

Debby Kathleen lowered her head, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.

"Teacher, I usually enjoy reading the works of famous authors, I..." Debby Kathleen tried to explain.

"If you enjoy reading, does that mean you copy and paste their content into your own work? Are you a patchwork monster?"

"I..."

Debby Kathleen's face turned ashen, looking small and pitiful.

Juliet Shaw observed her calmly, marveling at how easily she could switch emotions. One moment she was shouting, and the next, she was a pitiful little girl.

No wonder Herbert Leopold liked her so much in the previous life. She was so calculating.

Herbert Leopold was thick-skinned, and she couldn't hurt him much. So, she would return all the grievances and resentment she felt to Debby Kathleen.

Now, she was in a position of power over Debby Kathleen, and dealing with a little schemer like her was easy.

"Teacher, I have to say something. You have a high literary talent. Even though she is your student, spending too much effort on such an ordinary person is futile."

Juliet Shaw pretended to be cautious, nodding and smiling in agreement.

"With this level of writing, she wants to get into 'Era Literature'? Even third-rate magazine editors wouldn't want her."

Debby Kathleen was utterly humiliated by Leng Su's criticism.

In the past, Juliet Shaw was too soft. Every time Debby Kathleen submitted a poor draft, Juliet Shaw would revise it extensively, making it barely passable.

Now, with her shortcomings exposed, Debby Kathleen couldn't bear the embarrassment.

"Teacher Leng, you're not my teacher. Please stop criticizing me!" With that, Debby Kathleen wiped her tears and ran out of the classroom.

"Look at that, such a fragile heart. I thought she was a literary genius when she was yelling at you, but she's just a pile of garbage."

Juliet Shaw really wanted to laugh. Leng Su was ruthless with her criticisms.

"Well, I need to go. I need to wash my eyes. After seeing such trash, I feel dirty."

As Leng Su walked out, Juliet Shaw couldn't help but laugh. "Thank you, Teacher Leng."

"For what? Teacher, you're young and sensitive, but you can't let a student bully you. I'm not helping you; I just can't stand seeing others being bullied."

"Yes, I understand."

Leng Su waved her hand casually and left the office.

Juliet Shaw grinned, feeling the most joy she had since her rebirth.

Looking at Debby Kathleen's heavily annotated draft on the computer, she began to doubt herself.

"Qingzhi, Qingzhi, why were you so weak in your previous life? Working tirelessly for Debby Kathleen and serving Herbert Leopold, what did it get you?"

Being a good person is fine, but never be a pushover.

***

Because of this incident, Juliet Shaw was in a great mood all day.

At 5 PM, she received a call from her friend Natalie Charlotte.

"Qingzhi, I have some out-of-town clients coming for a meeting. We're planning to gather tonight. Do you have time to join us?"

According to Juliet Shaw's usual routine, she wouldn't have time for socializing. Her life revolved around Herbert Leopold.

Even knowing he probably wouldn't be home for dinner, she would still prepare meals to his liking.

Now, it seemed that all those efforts were just self-indulgent.

Caring that no one appreciated, and being ignored, was expected.

"I have time. Send me the address. I'll change and come over."

"Oh my God, Qingzhi, the twenty-four-holiday wife of the Leopold family, actually has time to play with me! I'm so happy, I'm going to post about this on my social media!"

In her previous life, Juliet Shaw gave up her entire self for Herbert Leopold.

When a person loses themselves, their soul dies along with it.

How can a person without a soul be liked by others?

In her previous life, Juliet Shaw didn't understand. She only knew that hearts are made of flesh, and she loved Herbert Leopold so much that he would eventually understand.

But she didn't realize that Herbert Leopold was heartless and foolish.

Otherwise, how could such a decisive person be so easily charmed by Debby Kathleen?

Alright.

Juliet Shaw put her canvas bag on the table, deciding to leave the past behind. No more foolish actions. In this life, they wouldn't dare to mistreat her again.

***

Herbert Leopold was in a bad mood all day.

He wasn't sure why he was so upset.

Was it because of Juliet Shaw's sharp words? Because she bit his lip, causing him to delay a meeting? Or because he returned home to find the house empty?

Aunt Wang was gone, and now he couldn't even get a meal at home.

And where was Juliet Shaw? In his memory, she always waited for him with a smile, no matter when he came home.

Now, the cold, empty house made him feel like he was in the wrong place.

Herbert Leopold dialed Juliet Shaw's number with a stern face. It was 6 PM, why wasn't she home?

Was she out on a date with another man?

At the thought, Herbert Leopold raked his hair in frustration. Juliet Shaw had become too bold.

"Hello?"

The call connected.

"Song... *beep*"

This translation aims to maintain the original style and tone of the novel, ensuring that the characters' personalities and the narrative flow remain consistent.