After Becoming Roommates with an Obnoxious Wealthy Heiress - Chapter 9

You are a good child with excellent character and academics; do not make things difficult for the teacher.

“Hey, pick it up!”

“Stinking beggar, who are you putting on an act of purity for!”

The snickering, mocking voices of those people echoed in her ears. Qin Shuyue’s fingers tightened around her black pen, and the strokes of the characters she wrote on the paper grew heavier, nearly piercing through the page.

On the podium, the microphone amplified the teacher’s voice to its maximum, yet it still couldn’t drown out the rustling whispers of the crowd below.

In her freshman year, although Qin Shuyue’s life had already hit rock bottom, she still remained full of longing for her studies.

This was the only thing she had left that was still respectable.

But these people were tainting everything she held dear.

Without reason, without motive.

Qin Shuyue looked at the notebook in front of her. The black-and-white yet vivid characters granted her a unique inner peace, allowing her to filter through the chaos and forget all the disturbances around her.

She blocked out the outside world and focused on the teacher’s lecture.

A ray of sunlight quietly pierced through the window of the lecture hall, scattering fragmented and warm light onto the top of Qin Shuyue’s silky black hair.

Behind her, those people stared at her with ugly, distorted expressions, as if they were staring at some kind of monster. In their eyes, Qin Shuyue was a filthy and hideous freak.

Thwack.

Someone stood up from their seat, clutching a crumpled ball of paper, and threw it forcefully onto Qin Shuyue’s desk.

Driven by momentum, the paper ball bounced sharply off the desktop, nearly hitting Qin Shuyue in the eye.

Qin Shuyue had been listening to the teacher’s lecture while searching for key points to highlight in her book.

The sudden paper ball flying in front of her caused her to recoil in startle.

The person who had thrown the paper had already sat back down, but when she turned around to look, the eyes of the group were filled with secret triumph.

The huge commotion drew the teacher’s gaze. The loud voice from the microphone came to an abrupt halt. The teacher then pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and looked at Qin Shuyue with a refined and gentle smile.

“Student Qin, may I ask if something has happened?”

The moment Qin Shuyue heard his voice, she immediately turned her head back.

She gripped her pen tightly with both hands and replied without thinking, “No, nothing.”

Meeting his warm, smiling eyes, she lowered her head and said in a small voice, “I’m sorry, Teacher. I’ve disturbed your class.”

The teacher did not mind. He paused for a moment, adjusted the microphone twice, and continued with the lecture.

His voice was very mellow and his appearance was gentle; standing on the podium, he looked like a scholar traveling to the capital for the imperial examination in an ancient period drama.

From his daily attitude toward others and his unhurried tone when speaking, one could easily tell that he was a very patient person.

Qin Shuyue liked attending his classes very much.

She continued marking her book with an expressionless face, but her other hand clenched the paper ball that had been thrown onto her desk with a death grip.

Ring— Ring— Ring—

The familiar dismissal bell rang. Even before the teacher could announce the end of class, the students were already cheering, grabbing their phones, and rushing out of the classroom.

The teacher was still on the podium organizing his books. Those students who wanted to find trouble for Qin Shuyue could only wait for the next opportunity; after shooting her a glare, they left in a group.

Qin Shuyue glanced toward the back. Seeing that the classroom was nearly empty and no one was lingering, she breathed a sigh of relief and began organizing her own books.

She put the last book into her canvas bag, picked up the bag, walked to the podium, and gave the teacher a slight bow.

She said gratefully, “Teacher Han, thank you.”

Teacher Han’s hand stopped while organizing the books.

His books were always stacked perfectly. Even during class, he would place his lesson plans neatly back in their original spots. Even if he needed to tidy up, it shouldn’t have taken this long.

Qin Shuyue clearly noticed this detail. Teacher Han’s well-defined index finger curved slightly as he gently pushed up his glasses and gave a gentle smile. “It’s no trouble.”

He then picked up the books he had used for the lecture and held them against his chest.

“I truly hope that Student Qin can protect herself well even when a teacher is not around.”

A modest gentleman, as gentle as jade.

Earnestly imparting knowledge, educating the soul.

This was the ideal teacher in Qin Shuyue’s heart.

“Thank you, Teacher.”

Teacher Han left with his books. His footsteps were light yet rhythmic; every step seemed to walk right into Qin Shuyue’s heart.

Once, she had also wanted to become someone like Teacher Han.

Elegant, refined, and dedicated to education.

Unfortunately.

That was no longer possible.

“Qin Shuyue.”

A cold female voice came from the doorway, pulling Qin Shuyue back from her daydream.

Knock, knock.

Slender, cold knuckles tapped on the door. The woman standing outside had a sharp look of displeasure in her eyes.

Her face was full of irritation.

Qin Shuyue composed her feelings and turned toward the source of the voice.

No matter who it was, it wouldn’t be good news.

A minimalist outfit first entered her field of vision—a crisp white shirt paired with suit trousers that accentuated the woman’s exquisite waistline. Her long, slender legs were crossed as she leaned lightly against the doorframe, radiating a chill of intense annoyance.

“The teacher is already gone. What are you still reminiscing about?”

Was it Zhu Lingyi?

Qin Shuyue frowned slightly in confusion. “You… why are you here?”

Zhu Lingyi shoved her hands into her pockets and moved away from the doorframe.

She walked slowly toward Qin Shuyue and looked down at her. “Let’s get this straight: I’m the one asking questions now. You only need to answer me.”

Hearing Zhu Lingyi’s high-and-mighty tone, Qin Shuyue lowered her head and tried to bypass her to leave.

As she passed by, Zhu Lingyi suddenly grabbed Qin Shuyue’s thin wrist.

The grip was very powerful—so powerful that Qin Shuyue had no possibility of struggling or escaping.

“Too thin.”

When Zhu Lingyi gripped her wrist, her heart skipped a beat, and the thought flashed through her mind.

Holding her wrist, Zhu Lingyi felt only the skeletal bones of the girl across from her and a life force that was slowly fading away.

Her anger dissipated at some unknown point. The hot blood in her heart suddenly stagnated, then flowed through her entire body like an electric current.

Some unknown and unspeakable emotion surged from her heart.

“Don’t look at me with that kind of gaze.”

Qin Shuyue saw her own reflection in Zhu Lingyi’s eyes, along with a trace of sympathy.

But what she hated most was for others to pity her.

As if she were some kind of pitiful stray dog that could only obtain a meager bone through the charity of others!

“Zhu Lingyi!”

“I beg you, stop looking at me with those eyes…”

Qin Shuyue kept her head buried low, her entire body trembling.

Zhu Lingyi’s hand tightened for a moment. Seizing the gap in her hesitation, Qin Shuyue suddenly pushed her away and ran out of the classroom.

Zhu Lingyi watched her retreating figure; the warmth of Qin Shuyue’s body still lingered on her fingertips.

She looked down at her hand, her fingers twitching slowly. Then she looked up again, but Qin Shuyue’s back was already gone.

What did she come here to do just now?

She had intended to maliciously tell Qin Shuyue to pay for the antique she had broken.

To pressure her and make her submit.

But when she felt the hard bones beneath Qin Shuyue’s skin—that thin little face with no meat on it, dry and parched—the girl was unnaturally thin.

The idea of tormenting her suddenly vanished into thin air.

Zhu Lingyi had seen Qin Shuyue’s face.

In those large, round eyes, there was an underlying tone of despair and emptiness, yet a stubborn, unyielding fortitude stood firm, projecting the only remaining and tenacious vitality she had left.

There was also a trace of shattered, almost laughable self-respect.

Zhu Lingyi looked at her as if she were looking at one of those homeless, stray kittens on the street.

Because of a long-term lack of security, it was exceptionally alert and guarded against everything around it.

Therefore, it would be constantly on the defensive against its surroundings, ready to bared its teeth and show its sharp claws in the next second, biting and scratching to drive away the intruder who had dared to enter its small corner of territory.

“~Someone has left, and someone will break into your life~”

An ill-timed English ringtone echoed softly, abruptly disrupting Zhu Lingyi’s thoughts.

She stared at the unfamiliar, unsaved number on her phone and answered it irritably.

“What is it?”

“Ah, hello, Miss Zhu. I am the counselor for the Chinese Language and Literature Department. My name is Chen; everyone calls me Teacher Chen. I am truly sorry to disturb you with this sudden call. It’s mainly because a student in our class was too careless, she…”

Before Teacher Chen could finish, Zhu Lingyi interrupted her impatiently.

“Get to the point.”

“Oh, it’s like this. Qin Shuyue—do you know her?”

There was a second of silence on the other end of the line.

Meanwhile, on this end, Qin Shuyue’s fingers subconsciously curled tight at Teacher Chen’s words, and her palms broke out in a thin sweat.

On the other end, Zhu Lingyi paused for a second. However, she did not answer Teacher Chen’s question directly, but instead asked back: “So?”

“It’s like this. We understand that Qin Shuyue went to the wrong dormitory and accidentally intruded into your room, causing such a huge misunderstanding. We are truly sorry. After learning about the situation, we contacted you immediately, hoping to get your understanding. We will move her out of the dormitory immediately to avoid disturbing your rest.”

“No need.”

After dropping those words, Zhu Lingyi added coldly, “You guys handle it as you see fit.”

She then hung up heartlessly, giving the other side no chance to ask further.

Such an indecisive attitude left Teacher Chen very confused as well.

She put down the phone and tapped her finger repeatedly on the document regarding Qin Shuyue’s room change.

Seeing Teacher Chen’s immense hesitation, Qin Shuyue’s heart was also extremely anxious.

If this 1,400 yuan didn’t come through, her mother’s hospitalization fees could no longer be delayed.

She had to get that 1,400 yuan.

Just as she was about to say something, Teacher Chen suddenly picked up her phone again, dialed another number, and made a “stop” gesture toward her.

Qin Shuyue lowered her head and fell silent.

Teacher Chen made several more calls. Finally, she put down the phone, sighed, and gave Qin Shuyue an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry, Shuyue. I’ve tried to communicate and coordinate with all the various departments. The main thing is that Miss Zhu’s attitude isn’t very clear, so the school has decided for now not to refund your accommodation fee and to keep your current dormitory spot.”

“Actually, everyone knows Miss Zhu’s temper… If you happen to be kicked out of the dorm by Miss Zhu during this semester, you’ll at least have a fallback. That way, you won’t end up with nowhere to live. Don’t you think?”

“But Counselor…”

Teacher Chen raised her hand, stopping her from continuing.

“Qin Shuyue, I know you are a good child with excellent character and academics. You must know that I’ve done my best to help you apply for scholarships and the poverty student quotas. But this time, it’s the school’s decision, and I cannot change it.”

“Don’t make things difficult for me, understood?”

Qin Shuyue opened her mouth, but the sound was stuck in her throat, unable to come out.

What else could she argue for?

In the end, she nodded and bowed, managed only to say, “Thank you, Teacher. Sorry for the trouble.”

She then left, closing the office door behind her.

Coming out of the air-conditioned office into the scorching summer, the sun stood fiercely in the clear sky. Even the white clouds seemed to avoid it, as if fearing they would be swallowed by the flames if they drifted too slowly.

Qin Shuyue looked up, the dazzling sunlight stinging her eyes so much she could barely keep them open.

She reached out her skeletal hand to block the light, but at the moment she saw her own palm, her heart skipped a beat and then sank.

When did she…

Become this thin?

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