Chapter 14 He Reached Out and Grabbed the Strap of Her Backpack

Chapter 14 He Reached Out and Grabbed the Strap of Her Backpack

A strange, sharp woody fragrance from Shi Yu gradually intensified in Lin Yao's nostrils.

His thin lips were about to touch hers but paused for two seconds in mid-air before slowly moving away.

Without the slightest deviation, he stopped just a hair's breadth away from the girl's lips.

Lin Yao's beautiful deer-like eyes widened in tension due to Shi Yu's action. After half a second, she suddenly reacted amidst her pounding heart.

"You... you speak if you want to, why scare me like this all of a sudden..."

Lin Yao broke free from his palm and hurriedly covered her lips with both hands.

Her exposed eyes misted over slightly, looking both beautiful and transparent, making one want to tease her.

The young girl probably didn't notice that both of her hands had been held in Shi Yu's palm.

If someone didn't want to let go, she couldn't pull them out.

Seeing that Shi Yu wasn't speaking, Lin Yao thought he was going to scare her again.

She leaned tightly against the door, her voice tinged with grievance: "You can't dislike me and then... then not let me get close to Shi Nian. I'm not doing it for you; I want to help Shi Nian. This has nothing to do with you!"

She couldn't tell Shi Yu that she knew what would happen next.

She knew that Shi Nian was the heroine of the novel and, despite hardships, would eventually rise from adversity and become a winner in life.

As for herself, she had nothing.

She was just a jealous and brainless villainous side character in the story.

Lin Yao didn't want to be so selfish and realistic, but she was about to fail her exams and become someone's kept woman.

Whether she hated Shi Nian or not, whether she sympathized or not, it was no longer enough for her to think about... she only wanted to firmly grasp onto Shi Nian.

It was as if grasping onto her was the only chance to change her fate.

"Has nothing to do with me..." Shi Yu repeated her words in a cold voice, a hint of mockery barely discernible in his throat.

His gaze fell on her forehead.

The medical gauze that had been neatly placed on her forehead after changing the dressing this morning was now slightly askew.

Shi Yu's eyes cooled slightly. "Then it's even more reason not to let you get involved."

Suddenly, his right hand pressed against the back of her ear, and his tall figure moved closer.

Lin Yao was startled, thinking he was going to... going to scare her again, and quickly covered her mouth.

The boy looked down at the girl who was panicking and tense between his arm and the wall.

"Stay away in the future..." He paused for a moment before lowering his eyes, "or else next time, regret won't help."

Shi Yu's face was icy and his pupils dark and deep, not joking at all.

Lin Yao felt her legs turn weak at the sight of the coldness in his eyes, truly afraid.

A sense of despair welled up in her heart.

Why did Shi Yu have to stop her when she just wanted to be a good person and not be the villainous side character anymore?

"Shi Yu... I... I hate you the most! The most!" She pushed Shi Yu away and turned to run.

But before she could open the door, an astonished and surprised voice came from behind them.

"Lin Yao? Shi Yu! What are you two doing here!?"

Lin Yao...

She froze, slowly turning around bit by bit.

Everything went black.

Oh no, it was Xia Tingnan!

Xia Tingnan, who had just stepped out of the elevator, saw the unusually conspicuous bandage on Lin Yao's forehead.

She took a deep breath. "Lin Yao! You'd better give me a reasonable explanation!!!"

*

Half an hour later.

Xia Tingnan and Lin Xiong sat in the only two remaining chairs in the Shi family's home, listening to the three children recount the thrilling events of the past two days.

When they say "three people," it was really just Shi Nian talking.

Lin Yao timidly hid behind Shi Nian, holding onto the corner of Shi Nian's clothes, not daring to look up to meet Xia Tingnan's murderous gaze.

Lin Yao turned back and looked at the boy standing behind them with reproach.

Shi Yu was lowering his eyes, listening to Shi Nian, lost in thought.

Lin Yao: !!!

It was all because of Shi Yu.

If he hadn't blocked her at the door and threatened her, she wouldn't have been caught like this!

Shi Nian's voice continued: "...Uncle and Aunt, that's how it happened. Lin Yao got hurt because of us. We caused her so much trouble. Sorry, we're really sorry..."

"You child, why bring this up now..." Xia Tingnan interrupted gently, "Lin Yao got hurt because of her own actions; you shouldn't apologize! I will handle the matter with the police myself, so don't worry about it."

No matter how worried she was about her daughter or how angry she was that Lin Yao had gotten involved in this mess, she wouldn't make things difficult for two children who had just lost their parents.

Xia Tingnan knew very well that she could no longer allow Lin Yao to get closer to Shi Nian and Shi Yu.

But she couldn't help feeling sympathy for them.

After some thought, Xia Tingnan decided to be straightforward: "Regarding Lin Yao's issue, I'll talk to her when we get back. Since both of you are here, I should mention that I knew your parents. There is something I must tell you."

"Lin Yao's father and I weren't at home these past few days because we went to the capital. We visited the Song family."

The Song family...

Upon hearing Xia Tingnan mention these two words, Shi Yu and Shi Nian's expressions turned grim, followed by silence.

Xia Tingnan continued, "I know that Song Li broke ties with her family years ago due to disagreements. Back then, she even came to live with me."

Thinking back to those times, Xia Tingnan felt that the Song family had been unreasonable.

Just because they were a family with some standing in the capital, they looked down on Shi Mo, an orphan.

If Shi Mo had indeed been someone who deceived young girls with sweet talk and had no real skills, the Song family's separation might have been out of parental concern, not wanting Song Li to suffer.

However, Shi Mo had been the top scorer in the college entrance exam and was immediately hired by a high-tech company after graduation. Although he hadn't started his own company yet, he was young, talented, and had a promising future.

Despite this, Song Li's father still looked down on Shi Mo.

He insisted that someone like Shi Mo would only ever be a highly paid employee, unable to earn as much as capitalists.

Eventually, he forced Song Li to break up with Shi Mo and marry a notorious playboy from a wealthy family.

This led to Song Li breaking ties with her family, and her father publicly severed all relations with her.

This estrangement lasted almost 20 years.

Even when Song Li passed away, the Song family was unaware until Xia Tingnan informed them.

Shi Nian asked, "Aunt Xia, what did my grandfather... I mean, what did the Song family say?"

"Hmph, what else could they say?" Xia Tingnan sneered, clearly agitated.

She said emotionally, "Your grandfather, uncle, and aunt showed no emotion upon hearing about Song Li's passing. It was as if she were truly an outsider. Only your grandmother shed a few tears, but just a couple of drops... In my opinion, Song Li was right to cut ties with them. Such relatives are better off forgotten..."

"Listenan." Lin Xiong held her back and shook his head.

Xia Tingnan realized belatedly that she shouldn't have spoken so bluntly in front of Shi Nian and Shi Yu.

"Look at me, I always speak my mind... I'm sorry, don't take it to heart. Auntie didn't mean..."

Shi Nian replied, "It's alright, Aunt Xia. We've understood this for a long time. Mother told us that blood doesn't mean everything, and if family is cold-hearted, it's better to cut ties early."

"At such a young age, you understand this."

Xia Tingnan sighed, surprised that Shi Nian and Shi Yu could accept reality so rationally.

In comparison, her own daughter seemed incredibly naive and innocent.

"Since you can accept this, I'll be direct," Xia Tingnan said. "We went to the capital to ask the Song family to help cover part of your debt. You're still young, and even if you sell all your assets, there's still a five million yuan shortfall. I thought if the Song family could cover this..."

"The Song family won't pay."

Shi Yu, who had been silent, spoke in a low voice.

Lin Yao was taken aback.

She turned to look at the cold, composed youth leaning against the wall.

He stared at Xia Tingnan, his face expressionless, as if stating a simple fact.

Shi Yu continued, "The Song family won't spend a single penny on Shi Nian and me. We don't need their money. Aunt Xia, thank you for your effort, but it was in vain."

Young people have their pride.

When they were younger, Song Li had once brought the two children back to the Song family.

She hoped that the Song patriarch would reconcile with the family for the sake of his grandchildren.

But instead, the Song family insulted Shi Yu and Shi Nian, calling them bastards, and even berated Song Li.

From then on, the Song family meant nothing to Shi Yu and Shi Nian.

Seeing the siblings' attitude, Xia Tingnan understood that the topic needed no further discussion.

Indeed.

Even she had come back from the Song family seething with anger.

If not for Lin Xiong accompanying her, the behavior of Shi Nian and Shi Yu's aunt—letting dogs attack them—would have made her scream in rage for days.

Xia Tingnan said, "You're right. Forget about the Song family. Lin Xiong, bring out the package."

Lin Xiong understood and immediately took out a wrapped brown paper bag from his bag.

Shi Nian and Shi Yu frowned.

Lin Yao peeked around from behind, curiously looking at the paper bag.

Xia Tingnan patted the bag. "There's three hundred thousand yuan in cash here."

Shi Nian was shocked: "Three hundred thousand?"

Shi Yu's brows furrowed even tighter.

Xia Tingnan nodded: "This three hundred thousand is a small token of appreciation from Lin Yao's father and me. You know that our family's circumstances are average, and five million is too much for us, but we do have three hundred thousand. Although this amount isn't much and won't solve your fundamental problems, it can at least help a little..."

Shi Nian: "No, Aunt Xia, it's not about the amount; we absolutely cannot accept your money..."

Xia Tingnan: "Who said I'm giving you money? This three hundred thousand is a loan from Aunt Xia. You two will have to pay it back in the future, with bank interest!"

Xia Tingnan understood Shi Nian and Shi Yu's mentality well. They were such proud individuals that they wouldn't easily accept this money.

But they hadn't truly experienced the hardships of life and didn't understand that every missing sum could potentially crush them.

Xia Tingnan didn't expect to get the three hundred thousand back in the future. She just wanted them to feel better about accepting it.

"Keep the money. I'll take Lin Yao back first and come back later. Come on, Lin Yao, let's go back..."

Xia Tingnan forcefully shoved the brown paper bag into Shi Nian's arms and, without waiting for her to refuse, pulled Lin Yao out from behind her and started walking away.

Lin Yao: ...

"No, Mom, I want to stay here with Shi Nian... I don't want to go back yet..."

Lin Yao turned around, reaching out to Shi Nian and Shi Yu, hoping they would help stop Xia Tingnan.

But as they watched her waving hand, neither of them spoke up to keep her.

The stray puppy that accidentally wandered in ultimately had to return to its warm home.

And this place wasn't her home.

...

In the living room of the Lin family, Lin Yao was being interrogated by Xia Tingnan.

"Lin Yao, you've gotten bold! I told you to stay away from Shi Nian and Shi Yu, but you insisted on getting close. Blocking a brick with your head? You're really something, thinking your head is made of iron!"

"Mom... please stop scolding me, I really know I was wrong..." Lin Yao hung her head, secretly sending pleading glances to her father.

Lin Xiong: "Forget it, dear, she meant well..."

Xia Tingnan: "Meaning well? Is this how you show goodwill? I already said last time that she shouldn't interact with the Shi family. She needs to stay away from Shi Nian..."

"Mom, why can't I?" Lin Yao looked up, her voice soft and timid.

She genuinely didn't understand.

Why did her mother always forbid her from getting close to the Shi family?

Was it because of what happened when she was young?

Lin Yao knew that Xia Tingnan was concerned about her. She still had psychological scars from crying her way home after that incident.

But now, Shi Nian was so pitiful, and their situation was different from before...

Oh no, she wasn't pitying Shi Nian; it was because Shi Nian was the protagonist of fate in this world.

If she didn't want the tragic ending in the book to come true, she needed to help Shi Nian more.

Lin Yao decided to reason with Xia Tingnan: "If it's because of what happened when we were young, then we misunderstood Shi Nian. Thinking about it, those classmates were jealous and bullied me, which had nothing to do with Shi Nian. Shi Nian was just caught in the crossfire..."

Xia Tingnan: "Lin Yao, are you saying that I was wrong to blame her?"

"No, I just think I was too immature back then and shouldn't have thought that way about Shi Nian." Lin Yao lowered her head, not daring to look at Xia Tingnan's face. "Mom, aren't we being a bit petty... Shi Nian is like this now."

Xia Tingnan: "You..."

Lin Xiong: "Yoyo, you misunderstood. Your mom doesn't want you to associate with Shi Nian because of what happened back then..."

"Enough, Lin Xiong!" Xia Tingnan interrupted her husband, glaring at him to stop talking.

"Anyway, this matter is settled. You're not allowed to get close to the neighbors. As for their situation, don't worry; your mother will look into it and help if possible. Now, go study; you just finished the class placement exam..."

Lin Yao was about to argue but froze when Xia Tingnan mentioned the "class placement exam."

Xia Tingnan: "Why are you still standing there?"

"Mom... there's something I forgot to tell you." Lin Yao stood up and slowly walked towards her room. "About the results of the class placement exam, actually..."

She rushed through her words: "I didn't participate in the class placement exam because I got knocked out, so my score is zero, and I'm reporting to Class 13 tomorrow!"

She finished speaking, slammed the door shut, and—

A moment later, a roar echoed through the Lin household.

"Lin Yao!! Come out here, I promise I won't kill you!"

...

Lin Yao returned to her room.

Her heart was pounding wildly, and she dared not open the door.

Fortunately, her mother probably grew tired of scolding her outside and gradually quieted down. After a while, Lin Yao heard her parents returning to their room.

"Phew..." She breathed a sigh of relief, sitting down at her desk. "What was the reason my dad didn't finish explaining?"

She wasn't actually foolish; she had already sensed that Xia Tingnan had deliberately interrupted Lin Xiong.

Lin Yao recalled her childhood.

As a child, all she knew was eating, which made her chubby and round. Shi Nian, on the other hand, looked like a Barbie doll.

The children in the kindergarten and the neighborhood all liked the Shi siblings, vying to play with Shi Nian and Shi Yu.

But they only played with her, offering her the best food first and letting her try the coolest toys first.

She didn't understand that being treated specially by these two shining stars could be so enviable and jealousy-inducing to others.

Over time, some parents and children began to mock her behind her back, calling her Shi Nian's maid because she always followed them around.

At first, Lin Yao didn't care, but as more people started laughing at her secretly...

They would push her into mud pits when she was alone, mocking her as a dirty little mud doll.

They would deliberately shred her book filled with collected stickers.

They would tie her shoelaces into knots, then laugh as she tripped and fell.

The worst incident happened in the first grade of elementary school.

A group of kids locked her in the innermost stall of the school toilet, doused her with cold water, and left her crying until her parents found her late at night.

That incident terrified Xia Tingnan.

After that, they moved overnight and never contacted the Shi family again.

"Never mind, let's not think about it..." Lin Yao subconsciously reached for the drawer to find a snack, only to realize she had already given all her snacks to Shi Nian.

She sighed, resting her chin on her hand, and looked towards the opposite room.

There, she used to see Shi Yu sitting by the window.

Now, the curtains were drawn, and there was no light.

After a while, a mischievous glint flashed in Lin Yao's eyes.

"My backpack is at Shi Nian's..."

Perfect.

Tomorrow, I have an excuse to visit Shi Nian.

*

The next day, Lin Yao's plan to sneak over to see Shi Nian before school was foiled.

Because Xia Tingnan personally drove her to the school gate.

Xia Tingnan: "Class 13 is just Class 13. You missed the exam due to an accident, but you can take the next placement test and go back. Even in the worst class, don't slack off; study hard, okay?"

Lin Yao nodded: "I understand."

Xia Tingnan: "Go in now."

Xia Tingnan watched Lin Yao walk into the school.

Lin Xiong rolled down the car window and called out: "Honey, get in the car. Shi Nian and Shi Yu are still waiting for us..."

Xia Tingnan glanced at Lin Yao's back one last time before getting in the car.

Their car drove to the bridge by the river, where Shi Mo and Song Li had their accident.

Since they couldn't find the bodies, Shi Yu and Shi Nian placed incense and burned paper money here, performing a simple farewell ceremony.

To send off their young friends, Xia Tingnan and Lin Xiong wouldn't miss it.

The wind by the river was strong and cold.

It chilled their hearts.

After the ceremony, Shi Nian and Shi Yu scooped up a handful of soil from the riverbank, placing it in two porcelain jars, holding them close.

Seeing the solemn silence on the faces of the two children, Xia Tingnan felt pity: "Let's go, ride with us."

"Thank you, Aunt Xia, but no need," Shi Nian declined. "We still have something to do, so we'll leave first."

The two nodded goodbye to Xia Tingnan and Lin Xiong, holding the symbolic 'urns.'

Watching them board the bus from afar, Xia Tingnan finally asked Lin Xiong to bring the car over.

Unexpectedly, as Lin Xiong opened the car door, he called out: "Honey, come look!"

Thinking something was wrong, Xia Tingnan ran over and saw the familiar brown paper bag on the passenger seat.

The couple exchanged a glance, speechless.

These two children... even in such hardship, refused to accept their money.

...

On the way back, they remained silent.

Just before reaching their neighborhood, Lin Xiong finally spoke: "Honey, I heard their house is about to be sold. Those two kids are in debt and homeless. Why don't we take them in?"

"No," Xia Tingnan immediately rejected. "They can't live with Youyou."

Lin Xiong: "Not permanently, just temporarily..."

"No way." Xia Tingnan was angry and turned her face to Lin Xiong. "Didn't you forget what the old monk said when Song Li and I went to pray with our unborn children?"

"He said that our Youyou's fate isn't strong enough, not as good as the child in Song Li's womb, especially if it's a girl. The old monk said that if we want Youyou to be free from disasters and illnesses, she must stay away from the Shi family's children!"

At first, neither Xia Tingnan nor Song Li took the old monk's prediction seriously.

Their children were born and played together, growing up like childhood sweethearts.

But later on, the old monk's words proved true.

The more Lin Yao got along with Shi Nian and Shi Yu, the more she suffered.

Initially, she was only mocked behind her back, being called the Shi family's servant.

Then the mockery turned into actual harm and bullying.

That tiny little girl was locked in the bathroom, crying until late at night before being found. When she returned, she had a high fever and seizures, mumbling in fear and panic.

Not only did she suffer physically, but she also developed psychological trauma.

From then on, Xia Tingnan decided never to take any chances again.

She would rather sever her long-standing friendship with Song Li and Shi Mo than let her precious daughter suffer even a bit.

"But wife," Lin Xiong was a bit helpless. "It was just a coincidence. That old monk was later caught by the police; they said he was just a fraud who deceived people for money. Why do you believe him...?"

Xia Tingnan: "His deception of others is his business, but his remarks about Youyou and Shi Nian were accurate. He didn't deceive me, so why shouldn't I believe him?"

Lin Xiong: "..."

He wanted to say that the monk hadn't had the chance to deceive them before he was caught.

But Lin Xiong knew that if he said that, Xia Tingnan would get angry.

In Lin Xiong's perspective, the incident was merely a coincidence.

If the monk truly had the ability to predict the future, he wouldn't have failed to foresee his own arrest and imprisonment.

Ultimately, it was Xia Tingnan's excessive concern for Lin Yao that led her to become superstitious after Lin Yao was bullied because of Shi Nian.

Lin Xiong cleared his throat and deliberately agreed with her. "Alright, let's go back and see if there's anything else we can help the Shi family with. If they sell their house and have nowhere to live, they can fend for themselves. We can't control everything. If those people harm them for lack of money, they'll reunite with Shi Mo and Song Li, a complete family."

Xia Tingnan ignored Lin Xiong, glaring at him fiercely, then looked out the window, silent.

But the hand holding the brown paper bag tightened, the knuckles turning white.

*

Meanwhile, Lin Yao arrived at Class 13 of Grade 2.

Most other classes had undergone changes due to the recent reassignment exams.

Only Class 13 retained almost 90% of its original students.

As soon as Lin Yao stepped into the classroom, laughter erupted. "Hey, look who's here, the spicy snack top student from Class 1 is now in our class, hahaha..."

What, what spicy snack top student?

Who gave her such a nickname!

Lin Yao lifted her head, her panicked gaze scanning the classroom.

She saw several familiar faces, the ones she had encountered outside the basketball court and on the school grounds, now gathered in the middle of the classroom, laughing loudly.

But the most familiar one was Lin Jingtao, who was grinning widely at her and waving.

Seeing Lin Jingtao, Lin Yao's tightly pursed lips immediately drooped, and she ignored them.

She quickly walked to the back row and sat down at a seat by the window.

Lin Yao laid her head on the desk, burying her face in her arms, trying hard to hold back her tears.

Ugh, how annoying.

How did she end up in the same class as Lin Jingtao, who had embarrassed her in front of the entire school?

But what made Lin Yao feel even more aggrieved was that according to the book she read, Lin Jingtao eventually became a popular idol.

What kind of situation was this? He was doing better than her, who studied hard every day!

The young girl lay on the desk, unable to calm her upset feelings.

Suddenly, someone approached and tapped her desk with their knuckles.

A rebellious voice came from above her.

"Hey, move..."

Lin Yao froze for a moment, then slowly lifted her head.

The boy standing in front of her seat had an icy, unfriendly expression, raising an eyebrow and baring his teeth like an aggressive dog.

"This is my seat."

Lin Yao blinked, then blinked again.

She drew a sharp breath.

"Q... Qi Yan... Ye...?!"

The last word, "Ye," came out slightly trembling.

The male protagonist of the book, Qi Yanye, Shi Nian's destined lover!!

He's actually here!

Qi Yanye clicked his tongue in annoyance, thinking it was just another infatuated girl.

But in the next second, Lin Yao jumped up from her seat with a thud.

She grabbed her backpack and bolted past Qi Yanye, running at a speed comparable to a sprint, straight to the last desk by the wall diagonally opposite from him.

Seeing Lin Yao's swift departure after a brief exchange with the school bully, the classmates were all stunned.

The school bully: ...

Lin Yao, shivering while holding her backpack, sat down and gently patted her chest.

Phew, luckily she ran fast enough to avoid any connection with the original male lead...

Lin Yao added a new goal to her mission in Class 13: Absolutely, absolutely do not get involved with Qi Yanye!

She took out a book, pretending to be busy, eyes focused on the pages.

She made sure not to glance in the direction of the school bully.

Only Lin Jingtao, seeing Lin Yao's actions, couldn't help but secretly applaud.

No wonder she's my sister-in-law; she has such high awareness.

Lin Jingtao pulled out his phone and frantically sent messages to Shi Yu—

"Bro, your wife is so loyal. Even when Qi Yanye tried to chat her up, she refused."

"But bro, when are you coming?"

"If you don't come soon, what if Qi Yanye steals her away?"

Just as Lin Jingtao finished sending the message, a troublesome voice came from behind him.

"Move! I picked this seat first. Who gave you permission to sit next to me?!"

Lin Jingtao: Oh no! How could he almost forget about this troublemaker?!

He turned around along with the others watching the commotion, only to see Zhou Yuwei surrounded by a few girls near Lin Yao's seat.

Zhou Yuwei was originally from the class ahead. To chase after Shi Yu, she deliberately left her answers blank on the class placement test and transferred directly into their class.

When Lin Jingtao saw Zhou Yuwei in class that morning, he felt like he had hit rock bottom.

Look, with her money, she's causing trouble again.

Lin Yao didn't expect to run into Zhou Yuwei here. She noticed that there was indeed a backpack already occupying the adjacent seat. Upon closer inspection, the open backpack was filled with various cosmetics and sticker books, but hardly any textbooks.

It looked like Zhou Yuwei's.

Lin Yao gave Zhou Yuwei a sympathetic look with an indescribable expression.

Zhou Yuwei: "What? Do you think I'll back off just because you're staring at me? Are you going to move or not?!"

Lin Yao: "..."

Forget it.

She wouldn't argue with someone even more pitiful than herself.

They were both vicious supporting characters in the original story; why make things difficult for each other?

Lin Yao picked up her things and said, "I'll move to another seat."

"..." Zhou Yuwei didn't expect Lin Yao to be so compliant. It felt like hitting a soft pillow.

What's going on? This Lin Yao is different from what she imagined.

The last time she went to Class 1 to ask Lin Yao about Shi Yu's whereabouts, Lin Yao only knew how to cry, like a crying bag.

This time, she didn't even dare to say anything extra, just grabbed her backpack and ran.

Unfortunately, Zhou Yuwei still had a grudge and wasn't going to let Lin Yao off easily. She signaled to a girl named Chen Sisi nearby.

Zhou Yuwei was wealthy and generous with her classmates, often paying for their celebrity fan merchandise and game purchases.

Chen Sisi immediately stepped forward to block Lin Yao, who was about to sit down.

"Hey, you can't sit here. This is my seat. I don't want to be your desk mate."

Lin Yao: "..."

She nodded without arguing and moved to the next seat with her backpack.

"Hey, you can't sit here either. I saved this seat for my friend."

"I don't want to sit with someone like you, go away..."

"Zhou Yuwei doesn't like you, sorry, you can't sit here."

Some spoke coldly and mockingly, while others politely refused to offend Zhou Yuwei.

After circling around, Lin Yao found that apart from the seats around the school bully, there was nowhere else to sit.

What is this all about!

She, is, absolutely, not, going, to, sit, with, the, school, bully.

Lin Yao turned around, preparing to talk to Zhou Yuwei again.

"Hey, Zhou Yuwei, don't go too far." Suddenly, Lin Jingtao stood up.

If it weren't for Lin Jingtao's self-awareness, knowing how pungent they would smell after playing basketball,

he would have called Lin Yao over long ago, fearing she might be overwhelmed by the stench.

Lin Jingtao glanced behind him; there were clearly empty seats next to Zhou Yuwei.

"You're all girls; it's perfectly fine for Lin Yao to sit with you. What's bothering you about her?"

Zhou Yuwei sneered, "What's bothering me? Don't you know?"

Lin Jingtao scoffed, "Ha, isn't it just because you're jealous that my Brother Yu likes her?"

The bewildered Lin Yao: "..."

"No, no," her voice was soft as she tried to explain, "Shi Yu doesn't like me; I have nothing to do with him..."

"Don't pretend and say such insincere things!" Zhou Yuwei's eyes instantly welled up as she shouted, "Don't think that just because Shi Yu is nice to you, you can trample on his genuine feelings."

The bewildered Lin Yao: "..."

Lin Yao: "When... when did I ever trample on Shi Yu's genuine feelings???"

Lin Jingtao raised his hand to stop her, "Sis-in-law, don't waste your breath! She's just jealous and slinging mud!"

Lin Yao suddenly turned her head: Sis-in-law? Who is the sis-in-law!

Zhou Yuwei: "Jealous? Do you think I'm giving her trouble because I'm jealous?"

She pointed at Lin Yao fiercely, "Ask her what cold-blooded thing she did that day! Do you know that when she heard about Shi Yu's parents passing away, her first reaction wasn't to worry about Shi Yu but to distance herself from him, afraid of being implicated by the Shi family's debts!"

"If anyone doesn't believe me, ask her former classmates. Everyone in their class knows that when the Shi family had problems, Lin Yao was the least concerned. She even acted superior, saying that donating money was enough and that others shouldn't bother her study time with the Shi family's affairs!"

Zhou Yuwei's words sparked immediate chatter among everyone.

"Speaking of which, I saw this rumor in an anonymous post on the forum. That's why no one talks to her in their class anymore, so she had to come here..."

"Damn, our Brother Yu even brought her spicy chips."

"It's not just Brother Yu; I heard that in Class 1, Shi Nian was also very kind to her. How could she be so ungrateful?"

"She looks so innocent, yet she has such deep schemes..."

Rumors in school always get exaggerated during the process of spreading, becoming more and more outrageous.

The rumors about Lin Yao were no different.

In the past two days, she had been so busy that she hadn't checked the school forum, unaware that several posts were already accusing her of being cold-hearted towards the Shi siblings.

Lin Yao didn't expect such rumors to come from her former class.

She felt both wronged and amused.

She had been careful and cautious, trying to please everyone in the class, maintaining her popularity, afraid of upsetting any classmate.

But the words that came out of the class she had worked so hard to fit into were something she had never said—'don't bother me with the Shi family's affairs.'

Rumors always follow her.

Lin Yao suddenly felt a bit disheartened.

It seemed like there was an invisible hand, regardless of whether she was truly malicious or had 'reformed.'

In the end, the rumors spread were always about her doing something behind the scenes.

Lin Yao didn't want to stay here anymore.

The malicious speculations and absurd gossip from others were really, really annoying...

She lowered her head, turned around, and didn't want to hear anything else.

She walked toward the front door of the classroom, clutching her bag.

"Yuwei, why did she just leave like that?"

"I thought she would at least try to defend herself or argue with us..."

"It's okay; people who do bad things act like this. It's better that she left." Zhou Yuwei smiled smugly, watching Lin Yao leave.

But the next moment, Zhou Yuwei couldn't smile anymore.

The girl holding her bag and looking down bumped into someone right at the door.

Lin Yao, still looking down, slowly lifted her slightly red eyes when she realized the person wasn't moving.

"...Shi Yu?"

She was stunned.

The young man half-closed his eyes, his jet-black lashes long and downward, his expression cold.

"Where are you going with that backpack?"

He reached out and grabbed the strap of her backpack.

"The classroom is behind us."