"Well," the head teacher said, clasping his hands together. "I believe that Xiao Mei is genuinely sorry for what she's done. And I think she would be willing to make it up to you in some way. Maybe a public apology? Or volunteering for a school service project?"

Li Na frowned. "I don't know if that's enough," she said. "What if she does it again?"

The head teacher stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps we can arrange for mediation between you and Xiao Mei. We'll also have to involve your parents in the process, of course."

Li Na shook her head. "I don't want mediation. I want justice." Li Na knew her 'parents' would brush this under the rug as well, they are as useless as the head teacher.

The head teacher leaned forward. "I understand that, Li Na. But sometimes, it's better to work things out peacefully rather than escalating the situation further."

Ning Yu, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "But what about the evidence that Li Na has? Surely that should count for something."

The head teacher nodded. "Yes, the evidence is certainly important. But we also have to consider the reputation of our school. We don't want this incident to tarnish our image."

Li Na scoffed. "So you're just going to sweep this under the rug to maintain the school's Image?"

The head teacher held up a hand. "No, no, of course not. We'll investigate the matter thoroughly and make sure that everyone involved is held accountable for their actions. But we'll do it in a way that's fair and just for everyone."

Li Na stared at him for a moment, considering his words. "Fine," she finally said. "But if you don't handle this properly, I'll take matters into my own hands."

The head teacher nodded. "Understood. We'll do our best to make sure that justice is served."

As the head teacher turned to Xiao Mei and her friends, Li Na watched intently to see how they would react. Xiao Mei, with a look of disdain, slowly stood up, but her friends remained seated.

The head teacher asked, "Xiao Mei, can you apologize to Li Na for your behavior?"

Xiao Mei stood up, her face contorted in anger. "Why should I apologize to her? She's nothing but a loser!" she spat out.

The head teacher sternly glared at her. "Xiao Mei, watch your language. You caused a disturbance in school and it's important that you take responsibility for your actions."

Xiao Mei rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll apologize," she muttered under her breath.

Xiao Mei gritted her teeth and said, "I'm sorry for what happened, but it was her fault too."

Li Na, feeling frustrated by Xiao Mei's insincere apology, she spoke up, "I don't accept your apology. You clearly don't mean it."

Xiao Mei, feeling embarrassed and angry, lashed out, "Who are you say if its sincere or not? You insignificant girl. You should be grateful that I even bothered to apologize to you."

Ning Yu stepped in, "That's enough, Xiao Mei. You're just making yourself look worse."

Xiao Mei huffed, "I don't care what any of you think. I'm leaving."

As Xiao Mei stormed out of the office, her friends looked at each other in confusion. They had never seen their leader act like this before.

One of them spoke up, "What do we do now?"

The head teacher sighed, "You can go back to class. I'll deal with your punishment later."

As Xiao Mei's friends left the office, the head teacher turned to Li Na and Ning Yu. "I apologize for how this has all been handled. We'll make sure to take bullying seriously from now on."

Li Na nodded, "I really hope so "

As they left the office, Li Na couldn't help but say "You know, for such tough bullies, they sure do run away fast when things don't go their way."

Ning Yu nudged her playfully. "Come on, you stood up to them, and that's all that matters."

Ning Yu let out a deep sigh. "I can't believe I missed lunch because of those witches. I'm starving," she complained.

Li Na smiled at her friend. "Don't worry, I'll treat you to a meal after school."

Ning Yu's eyes lit up. "Really? You don't have to do that."

Li Na shrugged. "It's no big deal. Besides, I owe you for standing up for me in there."

Ning Yu grinned. "Of course, I got your back. Always."

The rest of the day passed by quickly, and soon enough it was time for Li Na and Ning Yu to leave school. They walked out together, chatting and laughing.

Li Na took Ning Yu to a small, cozy restaurant that she had discovered recently. The warm lighting and soft music playing in the background created a relaxing atmosphere.

As they sat down, Li Na smiled at Ning Yu and said, "I'm sorry you had to go hungry because of those bullies. I hope you like this place. The food is delicious."

Ning Yu looked around the restaurant and exclaimed, "Wow, Li Na! This place is so cute! I love it!"

Li Na smiled and said, "I'm glad you like it. Let's take a look at the menu and order something to eat."

As they perused the menu, Li Na recommended a few of her favorite dishes to Ning Yu. They decided to order some dumplings, fried rice, and stir-fried vegetables.

As they waited for their food, Li Na caught a glimpse of someone outside through the window. She squinted her eyes, trying to get a clearer view. "Is that Li Jing?" she whispered to herself.

Ning Yu looked up from her phone, "Who's Li Jing?" she asked.

Li Na shook her head, "Just someone unimportant" she said, brushing it off. "I wonder what she's doing here," she thought to herself.

The waiter arrived with their food, interrupting their conversation. They started to dig in, but Li Na couldn't shake off the feeling of curiosity about Li Jing. She made a mental note to try and find out more about what she was up to.