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Wei Ying was no stranger to the principal's office. He'd seen plenty of it during his own school run, and he'd been back again often since becoming a parent. This was the first time he'd arrived to see Lan Yuan waiting in the office and Lan Jingyi was nervously pacing the hallway in front of it, however.
"It's not his fault!" Lan Jingyi launched into explanation mode with the expediency of a child used to being in trouble. "He was just defending me! The teacher wouldn't do anything! And they were the ones who threw the first punch!"
"Shouldn't you be in class?" Wei Ying arched his eyebrow once his son's panicked explanation petered out. In an instant, all the fire of his defense puttered out to a guilty look.
"It's just Mandarin ba! I could pass it in my sleep, I wouldn't even have to take it if they'd let me test out!"
"Class attendance and participation are important," Wei Wuxian could hardly believe he, of all people, was the one giving this lecture. How many classes had he skipped out of? He was practically a part-timer at the end.
"But ba they're going to throw him under the bus!"
"I'm sure they'll apprise me of the situation, but if A-Yuan did throw punches back then, there will be repercussions." Wei Ying sighed. "Now off to class, you're already on probation yourself."
"But I can testify!"
"I said go," Wei Ying pushed him. "If your testimony is needed, I'm sure they'll send for you." He added to soften the blow. "But I'm sure they're just going to slap him on the wrist. Go!" He pressed.
Wei Ying couldn't keep the smile off his face once Lan Jingyi was walking off. To think there was a time when he and Lan Zhan were worried the boys wouldn't get along. How far their little family had come! Wei Ying shook himself; he needed to be focused. His son got in a fight, he needed to be disappointed parent right now. He took a deep breath before stepping into the office.
Only for the breath and resolve to go rushing out at the sight of Lan Yuan's face.
"Radish, what happened!" He cried as he swooped in. His hands reached out to cradle the bruised lip and purpling face. His frown deepened as Lan Yuan winced. "Did they give you an ice pack? Or something for this busted lip?" "
"The others were in worse shape," Lan Yuan offered. Wei Ying's eyebrow soared as he detected a guilty tone.
"That's no excuse to not provide basic medical care!" Wei Ying's parent instincts came rushing back in a new way. "Where is that nurse? I'm going to give them a piece of my mind."
"Ba, it's fine. It doesn't even hurt much anymore."
"Anymore!" Wei Ying was going to have the nurse's head served to him on a platter. If it didn't hurt anymore it just meant Lan Yuan had sat with it long enough to adjust to the pain.
"Ah, Mr. Lan you've arrived." The principal's head poked out of his office. "Please come into my office. I've been apprised of the situation."
"I'm not going anywhere until my son gets some medical care!" Wei Ying huffed. "Look at his face! Did no one think to give him an ice pack? Or at least something for his busted lip? Or is a blood-stained office just what you're going for?"
"Mr. Lan."
"Mr. Wei," Wei Ying crossed his arms. He'd been willing to give the man the benefit of the doubt the first time. "I didn't take my husband's last name. Funny how this comes up every time we meet."
"Mr. Wei," The principal's smile grew tight. "We've gotten off on the wrong foot."
"And you can get us back on the right foot by getting him an icepack!" Wei Ying shot back. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot when the man didn't move. "Well?"
"Mr. Wei your son broke one boy's arm, dislocated another's knee, and potentially concussed another. That's not counting the number of minor injuries." The principal replied. Wei Ying saw Lan Yuan wince out of the corner of his eye.
"So you decided he should just suffer in pain for it?" Wei Ying shot back. "Even murderers get medical care in custody!"
"Well that's-"
"Or would you rather I make a post about how this school leaves a boy injured and in pain?"
"There's no need for that."
"Then go get him a damn ice pack!" Wei Ying demanded. He let out a satisfied huff as the principal scurried off. It would appear he still had it. He pulled out his phone quickly sending a text.
"Ba," Lan Yuan asked hesitantly. "Who did you text?"
"Your father," Wei Ying huffed. "As I have a feeling, having a lawyer present is going to be the only thing keeping me from murdering that man."
"He doesn't need to come," Lan Yuan shrank. Wei Ying read him in a moment.
"You haven't disappointed him," Wei Ying reached out, squeezing Lan Yuan's shoulder.
The principal returned with the ice pack. Wei Ying made a big fuss over transitioning Lan Yuan into the office. By the time they'd settled, Lan Yuan's face was battle purple and embarrassed red. Wei Ying finally settled in his own chair, clasping his hands over his knee as he looked at the principal.
"You see Mr. Wei, your son here started a fight."
"I find that hard to believe."
"I know we all want to believe the best of our little angels."
"I wouldn't believe that either of my sons would cause so much harm without a good reason," Wei Ying replied. "But you did give A-Yuan an award in front of the whole school just last month, or have we forgotten that?"
"Regardless, he still seriously injured several exemplary students."
"Why?"
"Why?" The principal seemed stupefied.
"Yes, why." Wei Ying repeated. "I know my son, and he knows only to use his fighting for self-defense. Which means these 'exemplary' students of yours either threw the first punch or incited him into it. So what is the full story? Is there security footage? Witness testimonies?"
"What is it you said you do again?" The principal squirmed. "Lawyer?"
"I didn't say," Wei Ying's smile was all knives. "I'm an investigative journalist." He paused as the door to the office opened, and Lan Zhan entered. "My husband is the lawyer."
"A-Yuan!" Lan Zhan breathed as he caught sight of Lan Yuan's face. Wei Ying recognized Lan Zhan's car first aid kit as he set it down on the principal's desk. He crouched, tilting Lan Yuan's face so he could get a better look. "What did I miss?" He glanced at Wei Ying as he opened the first aid kit and began tending to Lan Yuan's busted lip.
"Not much," Wei Ying huffed. "Other than the principal's lack of knowledge about the situation."
"Mr. Lan," The principal smiled.
"Unless your next words are that you are going to go educate yourself on this situation and return with irrefutable evidence that this is only my son's fault," Lan Zhan glared. "I advise you not to continue."
"I will go get the teacher who reported the situation," The principal crumbled, quickly scurrying out of his office in the face of Lan Zhan's glare.
"Do you need any pain medication?" Lan Zhan's entire demeanor changed as he turned back to his son. Lan Yuan shook his head. "Can you tell us what happened?"
"They were bullying Jingyi," Lan Yuan explained. "Calling his dead name, making fun of his voice cracks, and other stuff like that. He's been trying so hard not to get in trouble, but when we reported it to the teacher on duty, she said he should 'get used to the real world.' So the next time they said something to Jingyi, I said something back."
"And this something was enough to get them to fight you?" Lan Zhan arched an eyebrow.
"It's okay, Radish," Wei Ying assured Lan Yuan as he squirmed.
"I said if they were jealous that Jingyi's T dick was bigger than theirs, that they should just cry to their parents and get them to buy them a bigger one." Lan Yuan muttered. "But that obviously their parents hadn't had any success in the brain department, so they probably shouldn't get their hopes up. "
In Wei Ying's defense, he managed to smother his laughter for a whole full minute. Lan Zhan didn't have the heart to glare at him, instead reaching up to squeeze A-Yuan's shoulder.
"I did what you said! I tried words!"
In the face of his son's pure earnestness, Wei Ying lost it.
"Maybe next time try something a little less charged." Lan Zhan managed to remain stoic in the face of Wei Ying's cackling.
"Well, it was all I could think of that would get them to shut up!" Lan Yuan pouted. "You try to come up with something better when they're constantly talking about 'real dicks'." He winced. "Sorry."
"I have to message everyone," Wei Ying had recovered enough to wheeze.
"You aren't upset?" Lan Yuan blinked.
"While your choice of words was," Lan Zhan winced. "Unorthodox. You did alert a teacher first, and then tried to end it with a verbal exchange. I do not blame you for defending yourself."
"He did more than defend himself," Wei Ying snorted. "He put the fear of god into them. Mingjue would be proud."
"What did he do?"
"I broke an arm, dislocated a knee, and headbutted one of them? Among other injuries." Lan Yuan listed off. "In my defense, I thought the football team would be tougher. I backed off after the arm broke."
"It's good you stopped fighting."
"Oh, I didn't stop," Lan Yuan blinked. "I just started pulling my punches."
This time Wei Ying was forced to contain his laughter as the office door opened again. The principal was trailed by an older teacher. She gave Lan Yuan a look that put Wei Ying right on the edge. He wondered if he should be recording this.
"This is the teacher who was in charge of the study hall," The principal introduced. "Please tell us what you witnessed." He gestured as he sat at his desk.
"Some of the boys from the football team were trying to get your daughter's attention." She started, and both Wei Ying and Lan Zhan stilled. "She ignored them and sent her brother to harass them. After he said some rather offensive things, he began attacking them."
"There we are," The principal smiled. "While we can commend Lan Yuan for protecting his sister, we can not condone the level of violence. Ah, Mr. Lan do you need your phone right now?"
"This is the part of the conversation where I notify you that you're being recorded," Lan Zhan was as cold as ice. "Wei Ying, please call my uncle."
"Of course," Wei Ying nodded, pulling up his own phone. "Get them, baby."
"I see the apple doesn't fall from the tree," The teacher's lips pursed, giving a glare.
"I advise you choose your words carefully," Lan Zhan pinned her with a glare. "Although I can certainly make both of you lose your careers with what I've already captured."
"There's no need for this hostility," The principal was already sweating.
"We were promised that this school was progressive, despite it's small size." Lan Zhan's eyes narrowed at the principal. "It was the only reason we didn't pull him out."
"We are very progressive here."
"As you assured us in our meeting, but it's clear it nor the reason we asked left much of an effect on you." Lan Zhan replied.
"Am I missing something?" The principal blinked.
"We don't have a daughter," Lan Zhan snapped. "We have two sons. Lan Yuan and Lan Jingyi, who started his transition earlier this year. We met in this very office to discuss it, where you assured us he'd receive the utmost support. You even told us that any bullying would be met with a zero-tolerance policy. I guess we'll find out if it was only a lie when it comes to the football team or if you never intended to uphold it to begin with during the investigation."
"Investigation?" The principal squeaked.
"Wei Ying?" Lan Qiren's voice sounded on Wei Ying's phone.
"Uncle Lan, I'm here with Lan Zhan, A-Yuan and A-Yuan's principal." Wei Ying greeted. "I'm going to give you to Lan Zhan, he's using his phone to record so he couldn't call."
Wei Ying passed his phone off, looking at the now extremely pale and sweating principal.
"When you say Lan."
"Lan Qiren," Wei Ying's smile was all knives again. "I'm sure you two have met; he is the head of the school board."
"Uncle, it seems that the zero-tolerance policy we were assured of is," He paused to give the teacher and the principal a look. "Lacking. I highly advise an investigation, I doubt it was ever upheld in the first place. And no doubt why Jingyi has been given so much trouble lately." He paused. "I understand that this concerns the special funding and donations, which is why I called you directly. I think it would be wise to tell ge to pause any Lan Corp funds for the time being as well."
"Funding?" The principal finally managed to stammer something out. "Let's not be too hasty."
"Hasty would be asking for you and this teacher to resign effectively immediately," Lan Zhan replied. "Which is why we're calling for an investigation first. If you'll excuse me I need to discuss the details with my uncle."
"I expect all involved parties will be suspended for the time being," Wei Ying stepped in.
"Suspension is normal, yes," The principal seemed to be running on auto-pilot.
"A shame, I hear there is quite a big football game coming up."
"A shame?" The principal blinked.
"You said it was normal for all involved parties to be suspended," Wei Ying replied innocently. "That would include all members of the football team. I mean, hate speech is a serious matter. Not to mention, they ganged up on one boy. What kind of message would you be sending if you broke the rules to let them play?"
"There are no rules-"
"Would you like me to play the recording back?" Wei Ying went for Lan Zhan's phone, which was still lying on the desk, recording. "Now, I'll be taking my son to the doctor to make sure he hasn't suffered any serious injuries since you didn't do that. I'm sure you'll be quite busy discussing any further details with my husband." He paused as he headed for the door, sparing a look between the two of them. "I sure hope you two have saved for your retirements, as once he's done with you, I doubt you'll get anything from the school."
"Ba," Lan Yuan murmured once they'd said their goodbyes to Lan Zhan. "Is it really okay to get them fired?"
"Serves them right for being transphobic assholes." Wei Ying huffed back as he pulled out of the parking lot. "We were assured this kind of situation wouldn't happen, or if it did it would be treated seriously. I mean, with how much we pay in tuition!"
"Uh, ba? The doctor's office is the other way."
"We aren't going to the doctor's office," Wei Ying hummed. "We're getting ice cream."
Wei Ying took it as a sign he and Lan Zhan were doing alright with how Lan Yuan protested. He knew they'd done good when Lan Yuan reminded him to pick up Lan Zhan and Lan Jingyi some ice cream too. Ice cream they ate at the emergency school board meeting, called by Lan Qiren, which Lan Jingyi insisted he get to go so he could 'testify'.
As launched into a speech that could rival even the best lawyer, Wei Ying and Lan Zhan squeezed each others hands. It felt good to protect their boys in the way they hadn't.