Chapter 81

"Chapter 81: Who Will Come to Their Rescue"

Late at night.

Unable to sleep, Shen Ningning went into her fairyland to tend to her garden.

She harvested a basket full of fruits.

Lychees, snow pears, and yellow peaches, eating her fill directly.

The watermelons would probably ripen in a few more days.

The little girl took a refreshing bath with spring water.

Then she sat in the kitchen hall, enjoying her feast.

She had bought a pot of boiled beef from a restaurant before.

Shen Ningning took out the vegetables her grandmother had cooked earlier, skewered them, and soaked them in the spicy broth of the boiled beef.

Alternating between bites of tender beef and tender cauliflower was incredibly satisfying.

After eating her fill, she enjoyed a glass of chilled brown sugar osmanthus honey drink.

Patting her slightly bulging stomach, Shen Ningning swaggered out of her fairyland.

Her gaze briefly caught the red fruits on the table.

She had intentionally left them there.

Although Ren Yu was impulsive, she wouldn't take things without permission.

The little girl had anticipated Qin Fangmei would cause trouble, so she deliberately left something on the table.

Turns out, her guess was spot on.

She had heard that stealing was a serious offense in the private school, leading to expulsion.

"Serves her right!" Shen Ningning murmured softly, her eyes flashing coldly.

Clenching her little fists, she encouraged herself, "Ningning won't always be bullied by you."

Qin Fangmei had brought it upon herself.

Ready to sleep, Shen Ningning glanced down before getting into bed.

Near the bed, there was a squashed poisonous insect.

Her face instantly turned cold and pale upon seeing it.

Without guessing, she knew it must have been brought in by Qin Fangmei.

When they used to live together, Qin Fangmei often captured poisonous snakes and insects and placed them on the little girl's bed.

Thinking of this, Shen Ningning quickly used her small hands to flip over her pillow and blanket.

She found no other snakes or insects.

The little girl initially thought about moving to the soft couch under the window to sleep.

But then she realized that being fully nourished by the spiritual spring water, she didn't need to fear snakes and insects.

Besides, she was too tired today and just wanted to fall asleep immediately!

With this thought, Shen Ningning stretched her arms and legs and lay down directly on the bed.

She soon fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, while she was still groggy and hadn't opened her eyes yet,

She heard Ren Yu's voice from downstairs: "Ningning! Something has happened!"

She ran upstairs, and the little girl, rubbing her eyes, sat up: "What's wrong?"

"Qin Fangmei was bitten by a poisonous insect!"

"What?" How could she be bitten? The insect was clearly thrown into her (Shen Ningning's) room.

Ren Yu explained, "Qin Fangmei went to apologize to Master Huang. He ignored her, so she started helping distribute the sand fruits. Suddenly, she screamed in pain and then collapsed!"

"Master Huang got a fright. Everyone carried her back, and when they took off her shoes and socks, they saw a large pus-filled blister on her foot!"

"The villa's steward said it was a Three-Day Insect, very toxic. They're common in the forest but we don't have any ointment for it in the villa."

"Master Huang is now feeling very guilty. He thinks he might have brought the insect back while picking wild vegetables on the mountain, and Qin Fangmei, standing beside him, got bitten."

As she spoke, she seemed puzzled, "Ningning, do you think it’s just a coincidence? That insect didn’t bite anyone else but Qin Fangmei?"

A dark gleam flashed in Shen Ningning's eyes, and her round, pale face showed a faintly knowing expression.

Standing up, she said, "Let's go see and find out what happened. Ren Yu, wait for me downstairs, I'll change my clothes and come down."

"Okay!" Ren Yu was eager to join the commotion.

She and Qin Fangmei had been at odds over a pigeon.

With Qin Fangmei injured, she was more than ready to mock and scorn!

After Ren Yu left, Shen Ningning looked down at the Three-Day Insect's corpse beside her bed, which she hadn't yet had time to clean up.

The little girl thought for a moment, then bent down to pick up the insect.

A short while later.

The two of them arrived outside Qin Fangmei's room together.

Many students, having heard the commotion, were gathered at the door, looking on curiously.

They whispered among themselves—

"She's been bitten by a three-day insect, her foot is definitely going to rot."

"Yeah, such bad luck. No ointment, no doctor, and the bridge is broken too."

Qin Fangmei's crying could be heard from inside the room.

Master Huang stood by with a grave expression, sighing softly.

Qin Fangmei, leaning on the bed, had just had a pus-filled blister on her foot lanced and temporarily treated with some basic wound medicine.

She sobbed softly, "Master, I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

Master Huang shook his head, "It's also our negligence for not noticing in time. Rest well. I will have the students bring your meals to your room for the next few days."

Qin Fangmei agreed.

She lowered her head, careful to hide the smugness in her eyes.

She couldn't help it; if her foot didn't heal, she could use this injury to gain some advantages for herself!

She wanted to make Master Huang feel guilty, so she wouldn't be expelled from the private school.

As Qin Fangmei had hoped, since the incident, Master Huang hadn't mentioned anything about her leaving the school.

Just then, Shen Ningning and the other students came into the room to visit.

Everyone bombarded Qin Fangmei with questions about how she felt.

While she responded evasively, she kept an eye on Shen Ningning.

The little one stood at the back of the crowd, her clear eyes shimmering with a dark luster.

Qin Fangmei subtly curved her lips in a smug smile towards Shen Ningning.

She wouldn't leave, not until she had ruined Shen Ningning completely!

Suddenly!

Ren Yu screamed, "Ah! There's a bug!"

Everyone, remembering Qin Fangmei's bitten fate, hastily retreated in panic.

"Where is it?!"

Master Huang also moved to shield the students, while Qin Fangmei nervously pulled back her foot.

How could there still be three-day insects?

Everyone followed Ren Yu's pointing finger.

They saw, near the foot of the bed, in an inconspicuous corner, a dead insect.

The steward of the villa, upon hearing the commotion, came and identified it.

"It's a three-day insect, but it's been stepped on and killed."

Everyone gasped in relief.

That was close! Almost got bitten.

Ren Yu, pale with fear, exclaimed, "I thought three-day insects only liked to perch on treetops in the forest. Why are there so many here?"

Suddenly, she realized something.

"Wait, Qin Fangmei, didn’t you step on this insect?"

"What nonsense are you talking? After I was bitten, I didn’t even see any insects!" Qin Fangmei retorted defensively.

Shen Ningning remembered the puddle of insect juices on the floor of her room.

The little one spoke calmly, "Just look at the bottom of her shoe, and you'll know."

Qin Fangmei was about to snatch the shoe, but Master Huang quickly grabbed it.

He turned it over for inspection.

Indeed, there was a thick green stain on the sole, though it had already dried.

Qin Fangmei internally panicked.

She had forgotten to clean it when she returned yesterday.

Ren Yu covered her mouth, pointing at Qin Fangmei and exclaimed, "I get it, you were bitten earlier, and you're just pretending!"

Qin Fangmei was furious.

This Ren Yu, always causing trouble!

"Don't falsely accuse me! I didn't even know when I stepped on the insect! I... I really was bitten!"

Master Huang guessed something and his expression turned serious.

He asked Qin Fangmei sternly, "When were you bitten?"

"I..." she stammered.

Master Huang sternly reminded, "Qin Xuezi, lying is absolutely unacceptable."

"When we return, the doctor will examine the wound and determine when it was inflicted."

Qin Fangmei squeezed out a few tears, her voice trembling, "I... I was bitten last night."

The other students gasped in realization that she had indeed been lying!

Master Huang's expression turned very grim.

Qin Fangmei, a new student, had already trespassed into rooms, and now to avoid punishment, she had resorted to deceit.

Qin Fangmei, with teary eyes, insisted, "But this insect shouldn't have appeared in my room, it should have been in..."

Mid-sentence, she turned her gaze towards Shen Ningning.

The little one remained calmly amidst the crowd, observing her like a spectator watching a farce.

Her large, dark, and moist eyes exuded innocence and a crystalline clarity.

Qin Fangmei felt a chill in her heart, suddenly realizing something.

She had fallen into Shen Ningning's trap!

It must have been Shen Ningning who brought the insect back and left it on the floor.

Thus, no matter how she explained the origin of the insect now, she couldn't clear her name.

Unless she admitted that she intended for Shen Ningning to get bitten, but that was impossible!

Master Huang frowned, "What else do you have to say?"

"I... I..." Qin Fangmei was at a loss for words.

At that moment,

A student ran in, his face alight with joy, "Master, someone has come to rescue us!"

Everyone became excited, and Master Huang, momentarily forgetting about Qin Fangmei, eagerly asked, "Is it the county magistrate's men?"

"It's not the county magistrate!" the student replied.

Qin Fangmei suddenly remembered that Du Yuanwai had said he would come to take her home.

She exclaimed with wild joy, "It must be my uncle who has come!"

Her uncle's arrival was perfect timing to advocate for her!

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