Turning the Tables
Everyone held their breath, eyes fixed as Professor Jade Evans slowly lowered her wide sleeve, revealing a face of breathtaking beauty!
With a graceful gesture, Lily Evans untied her hair, letting the dark tresses cascade like a waterfall—swaying gently, reminiscent of willow branches dancing in the wind.
Beauty as pure as lotus rising from clear water—untouched, naturally stunning, a true marvel who could topple kingdoms.
Yet this extraordinary woman looked strangely familiar to many in the crowd.
"P-Princess Lily Hayes!?" Among the officials, someone recognized Lily Evans and blurted out, "Professor Jade Evans is actually Princess Lily Hayes—Lily Evans!? How is this possible!?"
Lily Evans smiled faintly. Her feminine features framed by flowing hair, dressed in a white scholar's robe, she radiated an elegance and allure so dazzling it left the crowd breathless.
"Professor Jade Evans has always been Princess Lily Hayes." Lily Evans smoothed her sleeve and raised her hand with ethereal grace, each movement captivating all eyes like a celestial being descended to earth.
Lily Evans narrowed her eyes and smiled, "Back in Green Sprout City, the late Dean Gu valued my abilities and knowledge, personally inviting me to teach many times. Unable to refuse, I accepted. I started as a humble teacher, and in the blink of an eye, I've risen to become Dean of both academies."
Louis Lee stiffened his neck and shouted, "So you’ve been deceiving us all these years? A mere woman, playing everyone for fools! Now that your true identity is exposed, you ought to return to the inner chambers, be a proper wife and mother, and never again teach or serve as Dean. It’s a disgrace!"
Lily Evans stepped forward confidently, standing tall before the crowd, meeting countless skeptical, hostile, and doubtful gazes. Calmly, she declared, "I, Lily Evans, have always been a woman. When I first entered the academy as a female teacher, the sky didn’t fall, the rivers didn’t flow backward, and the world didn’t collapse. Why shouldn’t a woman teach and nurture minds? My knowledge and abilities are plain for all to see. The mathematics curriculum I pioneered has completely surpassed and replaced the old system, now studied in academies nationwide. As Dean of Phoenix Academy, I’ve led reforms that raised our reputation, and every student here has been strengthened by my mock exams and training—helping you stand out and achieve success in the imperial exams."
"Nonsense! Wicked words to mislead! Women should stay in the inner chambers—they have no right to stand equal with men!" Louis Lee shouted, trying to incite the Phoenix Academy students. "Classmates, if word gets out that our Dean is a woman, how will we ever show our faces again?"
But few paid any heed to Louis Lee’s words, for the students of Phoenix Academy were deeply moved by Lily Evans’s speech.
Phoenix Academy’s outstanding results were largely due to Lily Evans’s innovative teaching methods and her mastery of mathematics.
For these students to succeed, Lily Evans’s contributions were indispensable.
Louis Lee kept shouting in vain, his face growing redder with frustration as not a single voice joined him.
Lily Evans looked at Louis Lee, her eyes flashing with contempt. "Louis Lee, you studied my textbooks and benefited from my academy reforms. Now, having just earned your degree, you turn around and bite the hand that fed you. You really are an ingrate—burning bridges and showing no loyalty at all!"