After Becoming Roommates with an Obnoxious Wealthy Heiress - Chapter 53

Recalling that night, Qin Shuyue’s crying…

Jiang Feiwan narrowed her eyes.

Regaining her composure, she said, “Then I will go and relay that to the school authorities.”

Zhu Lingyi nodded, her gaze fixed on the pages of her book. Her slender fingers gripped the pen, twirling it incessantly.

Before leaving, Jiang Feiwan stole a glance at her superior’s expression and then quietly departed.

Inside the study, the room was silent.

Zhu Lingyi kept her eyes downcast as the pen spun through her fingers. With a sharp clack, the pen fell onto the desk, bringing her drifting, distant thoughts to a sudden halt.

Qin Shuyue…

Zhu Lingyi truly couldn’t figure it out.

What made Qin Shuyue any different from the other students who came to stay?

What exactly… Was it?

A memory suddenly flashed in her mind.

She had been drugged, and Qin Shuyue had clung to her like a fool. Then there was that bleak image of her back after she had been chased away.

Qin Shuyue had hung her head, walking slowly out the door.

The light pouring through the open door illuminated half of her body, while the other half remained hidden in darkness and shadows. She looked dejected yet panicked—like a lost puppy, utterly bewildered as to why she was being driven away.

When Zhu Lingyi had grabbed Qin Shuyue’s wrist and locked her firmly in her embrace, tears of physiological terror had crashed onto the back of Zhu Lingyi’s hand. They were so scorching that they nearly made her hands tremble.

Those eyes, moist like a fawn’s, seemed to beg for mercy, yet also seemed to be waiting for an opportunity waiting for the hunter to lower their guard so she could craftily escape.

But more than that, when Zhu Lingyi saw Qin Shuyue’s pitiful appearance, her heart would ache inexplicably.

She didn’t even know why herself.

It was as if Qin Shuyue only had to stand there, biting her lip with tears in her eyes, to make everyone perceive the endless pain and grievance in her heart without her saying a word.

Yet, she also held her head high like stubborn grass, refusing to bow even when battered by wind and rain, summoning a burst of courage, determined to charge forward even if it meant a bloody end.

Zhu Lingyi didn’t know why Qin Shuyue made her feel this way, but she had always been morally depraved. For all things and people that were beautiful, she wanted to destroy them utterly.

The same went for that stubborn streak in Qin Shuyue.

Zhu Lingyi wanted to ruthlessly destroy the pride and defiance in her. She wanted to see her bow her head only to her, to surrender to her, and to beg for mercy.

She wanted those bright yet soulless eyes to hold only her image.

But Qin Shuyue seemed impossible to control.

Even in the face of the overwhelming rumors against her, she could lightly brush them aside without taking them to heart, and she certainly never came to beg for help.

Qin Shuyue must have known that Zhu Lingyi had the power to settle everything, yet she simply refused to ask for her assistance.

In the past, those who came to beg for her help were as numerous as crucian carp crossing a river, and she had looked upon them all with disdain.

But Qin Shuyue even when her life had become that difficult she could actually grit her teeth and endure.

Zhu Lingyi found it truly incredible.

The gossip was constant. Surveillance videos, rumors, speculations, and malice had become the daily topics in Zhu Lingyi’s classroom.

They were in full swing.

If the matter had reached Zhu Lingyi’s ears, one could only imagine how much of a storm these rumors had stirred up within the school.

Yet, no one dared to speak ill of Zhu Lingyi.

The public, unaware of the beginning or the end of the story, followed the rhythm of the videos and forums. They believed whatever they heard, cursing Qin Shuyue from top to bottom, even maliciously digging into her past.

Once they started digging, the topics became even more frequent.

Stories spread about her father’s infidelity, her mother’s serious illness, and how Qin Shuyue allegedly went to work as a “night girl” at a bar to save her mother, as well as various tales about how many abortions she had undergone.

This pushed Qin Shuyue to the heart of the struggle, ruining her reputation. Since the person in question had not responded for a long time, the crowd discussed it even more fervently, speculating that these words were surely not “wind from an empty cave” and must have a factual basis.

It wasn’t that Qin Shuyue wasn’t responding; she simply had no idea the school even had a forum.

She had never seen those rumors.

The only reason she knew about the surveillance video was that someone had maliciously added her contact information and sent a temporary message to harass her.

Ever since Qin Shuyue blocked the messages and refused to add anyone as a friend, her world had become much quieter.

When people looked for trouble with her at school, she simply ran away on her two legs, listening to them glare at her back and threaten: “Just you wait.”

Qin Shuyue didn’t care.

Her main priority now was making money.

In her eyes, nothing in this world was more important than her mother’s affairs.

350,000 she had to work hard to earn it.

She was so busy all day that she was rarely seen, and she remained completely ignorant of the increasingly intense rumors.

It wasn’t until her class with the counselor today that the counselor, beaming with joy, expressed enthusiastic congratulations to her.

Qin Shuyue’s head spun; she was completely bewildered and truly didn’t know where this “joy” was coming from.

“Congratulations to Qin Shuyue for successfully passing the department screening. You will represent our School of Liberal Arts in the grand finals of the university-level Arts Festival.”

Qin Shuyue froze. With a thud, she slapped the desk and stood up.

When did she sign up?

When did she participate in the competition?

How did she manage to beat everyone else to become the top candidate and represent the School of Liberal Arts in the university-level competition?

Qin Shuyue was greatly shocked.

She was about to open her mouth to explain and inquire, but the counselor’s next sentence caused her to lose her momentum instantly.

“If you can take first place in this competition, there will be an additional bonus of 100,000 yuan.”

It wasn’t just Qin Shuyue who was stunned; the entire classroom erupted in a chorus of sighs.

Although the people who came here were either wealthy or noble, they were still impressed by Zhu Lingyi’s generosity.

After all, they wouldn’t feel the sting of spending 100,000 yuan themselves, but if they had to give 100,000 yuan to an irrelevant stranger, they would still have to consider it carefully.

For Qin Shuyue, this was an even more rare “relief fund.”

The level of temptation was like a delicious roasted whole lamb placed in front of a wolf whose eyes were glowing green with hunger it was within reach, making it truly difficult for Qin Shuyue to know how to refuse.

However, she was still somewhat cautious and asked in confusion, “In previous years, the school only rewarded a 1,000-yuan catering voucher. Why this year…”

The counselor smiled and didn’t say much, only stating, “This is the school’s decision. The school doesn’t want to make a big fuss about it.”

The meaning was clear: it was a warning to the students in the class not to gossip.

Song Jiajia, however, looked hideous with hatred, gritting her teeth.

It really was a lucky strike; she couldn’t believe all the good things were happening to this girl.

She snorted coldly, but didn’t dare to pull any more small stunts.

Yet she also found it strange.

In the past, for such activities, Zhu Lingyi would only go through the motions of signing off on the sponsorship. Why did she set up an extra bonus this year?

But she didn’t dare question Zhu Lingyi’s decision. Although she was suspicious, she firmly suppressed it.

“Qin Shuyue?” The counselor looked at her with a smile. “What’s wrong? Do you want to give up the spot?”

“If you give it up, the college will recommend the runner-up to be reported as your replacement…”

“I’ll go,” Qin Shuyue said softly, still lacking some confidence.

Just like that, she had somehow reached the top of the college without participating in any competitions and was now fast-tracked to the final university-level competition.

Although she didn’t know why it had turned out like this and felt the unease of a “Hongmen Banquet,” after all was said and done… 100,000 yuan…

To her, it was life-saving money.

“Ding-ding-ding~” The class bell rang melodiously. The counselor did not drag out the class and immediately packed up to leave the classroom. Qin Shuyue also sat down to pack her things, preparing to leave.

As per usual, Song Jiajia, Liang Qi, and their group would not trouble her right after the counselor’s class.

Who knew if the counselor might turn back?

Song Jiajia and Liang Qi walked down the road with several people following behind them.

None of them looked very pleased.

“Didn’t you say it was foolproof? How is it that she’s the one profiting from it now?”

Liang Qi scratched the back of his head in frustration; he was also full of confusion.

Seeing this, the people behind them spoke up to ease the atmosphere, “Sister Song, isn’t the competition still to come? Even if it happens, Qin Shuyue might not necessarily win.”

The girl next to her chimed in, “Yeah, yeah, Sister Song, don’t worry about it…”

Song Jiajia’s face contorted as she said viciously, “No! She must be first!”

Hearing this, the group looked at each other and fell silent.

A sinister smile suddenly appeared on Song Jiajia’s twisted face. “Humph! Although it’s a bargain for her in the end, having her take this 100,000 yuan and disappear from the school forever is much more satisfying than sitting in the same classroom with her every day!”

With that, she gave Liang Qi a cold look, speaking in a warning tone, “If there’s a problem again this time, Liang Qi, you can get lost.”

Then, she led the group away in a grand fashion, leaving Liang Qi behind.

Watching Song Jiajia’s retreating back, Liang Qi shrugged helplessly.

In the past, Zhu Lingyi never got involved, let alone participated in the scoring; everything was selected by the school leaders.

But who would have thought there would be such a big change this year? He didn’t know if the format would change along with it.

Qin Shuyue packed her things and rushed to the cafeteria, ordering a bowl of white rice and green vegetables, plus a bowl of free soup.

The cafeteria was not crowded at the moment. She planned to eat quickly and then go to work.

Just as she was about to pick up her chopsticks, a group of dark shadows suddenly loomed in front of her.

Qin Shuyue’s chopsticks, holding a piece of green vegetable, paused.

She didn’t even need to look up to know the visitors were unfriendly.

It was impossible for this group of people to surround her just to happily praise her for having such a “clear soup and bland water” meal today.

She put down her chopsticks, placed her hands on her knees, and slowly raised her head, meeting the contempt in Song Jiajia’s eyes.

Even though Qin Shuyue told herself that eating delicacies was eating and eating clear soup was also eating, and that there was no difference…

Just as there are 360 trades in the world and they are all supposedly equal, when people choose a job, they tend to choose those that are high-paying and respectable.

A natural hierarchy existed.

She still felt cramped and fearful.

But she tried to look at Song Jiajia with a calm gaze.

It had been nearly a semester since she left that dormitory; it was time for her to try and move on.

Song Jiajia, however, plopped down opposite her, seemingly very dissatisfied with the hard wooden bench beneath her.

She frowned and said haughtily, “Qin Shuyue, congratulations to you?”

Qin Shuyue didn’t hear a hint of a congratulatory tone in Song Jiajia’s words.

She forced a slight tug at the corner of her mouth.

Regardless, she politely accepted Song Jiajia’s malicious “blessing.”

But she didn’t follow her lead. Instead, she asked, “Do you really think you’ve done this flawlessly?”

How could Qin Shuyue have won the first place in the School of Liberal Arts without even registering? If it wasn’t a “black box” operation, had she seen a ghost?

And who would go out of their way to mess with her?

Aside from Song Jiajia, Qin Shuyue truly couldn’t think of anyone else with the power to conduct such a secret operation.

Perhaps, maybe, Zhu Lingyi.

But she had always prided herself on being noble and aloof; naturally, she wouldn’t stoop to using such means against Qin Shuyue.

Once eliminated, who else had the right to use a fake name and push an unknown person who hadn’t even signed up through the ranks to become the top of the School of Liberal Arts?

Song Jiajia smiled. “As expected of the ‘strongest brain’ of our School of Liberal Arts…”

Please.

Could you try to look a little less like a villain?

Qin Shuyue was speechless.

“Speaking of which, shouldn’t you thank me?”

As she spoke, Song Jiajia’s gaze shifted downward. She picked up the chopsticks from the tray and, with a sudden burst of force, stabbed a hole through the wilted green vegetables.

Qin Shuyue looked unhappily at Song Jiajia’s hand wasting food, her brow furrowing slightly.

“Please don’t do that to the food.”

Song Jiajia not only poked her vegetables but also stirred her rice into a mess, leaving her meal tray in a shambles.

Qin Shuyue’s brow twitched violently; she was nearly at her limit.

Song Jiajia “tsked” indifferently, then slammed the chopsticks back into the food tray with a clatter. Soup splashed up, and a few drops flew onto Qin Shuyue’s face.

Qin Shuyue clenched her fists. “You…”

Before she could finish, Song Jiajia interrupted her.

She looked at the tray of “mud” with disgust. “Even my dog wouldn’t eat this kind of pig slop.”

Qin Shuyue pursed her lips.

Meaning she was worse than her dog, then.

“Instead of worrying about your vegetables, you’d better worry about whether you can win the championship in the finals three days from now.”

Song Jiajia pretended to grit her teeth, glaring at Qin Shuyue. “After all, I’ve given you the opportunity. If you still don’t live up to it, wouldn’t you be letting down my good intentions?”

Good intentions?

When did Song Jiajia ever have good intentions for her?

Just as Qin Shuyue thought Song Jiajia was going to say something to threaten her like telling her to just go through the motions and not think about the title they simply left.

Qin Shuyue was stunned.

But something felt wrong.

If they didn’t want her to win, why spend so much effort sending her to the top of the School of Liberal Arts and giving her a free pass to the finals?

Song Jiajia…

What on earth was she planning!

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