Sweetheart, It's Time To Pay Your Debt - Chapter 9

“You can’t treat me like this! Did you have my permission?” Bo Liye shoved Qin Mingyan back hard. However, she had been kissed until her limbs felt weak while Qin Mingyan didn’t even stagger, Bo Liye had to steady herself against the wall to remain standing.

Qin Mingyan whispered a low “I’m sorry” and took out a pack of tissues to offer her.

Bo Liye reached out and swatted the tissues away. She watched as Qin Mingyan bent down to pick them up. A layer of dust had coated the packaging, but the adhesive seal remained intact.

Bo Liye was panting, her sweaty bangs sticking to her cheeks in a disheveled mess. She was beyond furious, at this moment, she didn’t care who Qin Mingyan’s enemies were, she only wanted to teach this person who had offended her a harsh lesson on the spot.

She threw them a second time.

This time she threw them further, about five or six meters away. As expected, Qin Mingyan’s brows furrowed.

Bo Liye’s eyes were red as she glared death at Qin Mingyan, waiting for her to explode in anger.

However, Qin Mingyan merely frowned, trotted over to pick them up, and returned. Right in front of Bo Liye, she opened the seal, pulled out a tissue, and meticulously wiped the outer packaging clean before offering it again.

“Qin Mingyan,” Bo Liye’s voice was ice-cold. “Do you really think I’d want anything you’ve touched?”

Qin Mingyan’s lips moved slightly, and her face gradually turned pale.

Bo Liye finally regained a sense of superiority. She sneered, “We were never a couple. Back at Phase World, I only kissed you in front of my friends for show. You didn’t actually take it seriously, did you?”

Yet, no matter how cruel her words were, they couldn’t hide the fact that those beautiful peach-blossom eyes were shimmering with tears from being bullied.

Qin Mingyan lowered her eyelashes, struggling to restrain herself from looking at Bo Liye. She bit her lip until it turned white and said softly, “I know.”

Bo Liye was satisfied.

She reached out and patted Qin Mingyan’s right cheek repeatedly in a humiliating manner. “It’s good that you know. If you ever dare to do this again, I’ll make it impossible for you to stay in Haichuan.”

After that night, Bo Liye intended to teach Qin Mingyan a lesson and directly canceled the Sunday tutoring session.

The following weekend, Bo Jingxian and Bo Cheng were both home for a rare break, so Bo Liye had no choice but to let Qin Mingyan come over.

Once she arrived, the two sat on opposite sides of the desk, a clear line drawn between them. Aside from the brief interactions when Qin Mingyan explained a problem, their eyes never met once.

After the flag-raising ceremony on Monday, the classroom was bustling. Subject representatives were collecting weekend homework. Qin Mingyan stood at the podium, holding two broken pieces of chalk, and began writing today’s class schedule.

At the back of the classroom, someone had just brought in a large bag of fragrant breakfast.

“Xiao Ye, here’s the Xinyuanji red rice rolls you wanted. The chef was probably taking his first early order ever; the whole hotel was pitch black with just him working.”

“Want some sampan congee? I see he packed several portions; should be enough for us to share.”

“Who has the homework? Let me copy it quick. I went to a cocktail party in Jiangcheng with my mom over the weekend and didn’t have time.”

“Just eat your food. I’ll find someone to copy it for you, okay? Hey, that girl from No. 1 Middle School, the one surnamed Zhang, it’s 100 yuan per sheet. Anyone want in?”

Qin Mingyan continued writing the schedule. She sensed a piece of chalk being tossed from behind her, followed by a burst of laughter from the back of the room.

“Do you have eyes? Hurry up and apologize to our Class Monitor!”

Xia Yiwen threw another piece, this time it landed in the chalk basket. “Monitor, my bad, I threw it too far.”

The tip of Qin Mingyan’s chalk hooked at the end of the character for ‘Chemistry.’ She turned around and said, “It’s fine.”

Xia Yiwen sat back down next to Bo Liye and leaned in. “Why didn’t you include her in the physics lab groups?”

Bo Liye took a bite of a red rice roll and flipped through the National Day holiday notice without looking up. “Wasn’t that divided by the subject rep? If you want to leech off her lab work, go find someone to change the list.”

Caught in her intentions, Xia Yiwen rubbed her nose and said, “I was just asking. Lab class is such a drag. We’re already in our third year. I don’t know why they’re still bothering with this.”

Bo Liye replied, “Bothering with ‘joyful teaching,’ I guess.”

Another girl nearby also started complaining, “Haichuan is really losing its prestige. Ever since they started poaching students from No. 1 Middle School, it’s one reform after another. Do they just want to turn this place into a regular public high school?”

“At least they kept our PE class. Oh, right! during PE, I’ll take you to meet someone.”

Bo Liye had been in a terrible mood lately. Part of it was Qin Mingyan, and the other part was that stalker who had started harassing her again.

“Not interested. Not going.”

“Don’t be like that,” Xia Yiwen whispered mysteriously. “Don’t you like that ‘cool beauty’ type? She was rank one in her grade at the end of the first semester of sophomore year. Good family, good personality, none of that stubbornness the No. 1 Middle School crowd has. Most importantly… the little junior has been pestering me to ask about you for a long time. She treats you like an idol.”

Bo Liye finally bothered to look up. The gold thread on her bow tie shimmered, complementing her bright eyes and white teeth. “First you try to set me up with guys, now girls. Are you addicted to being a pimp? Can’t stand seeing me at peace?”

Xia Yiwen glanced toward the blackboard and pouted. “The junior just wants to get to know you. It’s not like that one who doesn’t know what’s good for her.”

Bo Liye looked at Qin Mingyan’s back and remained silent.

There were too many people in Haichuan who wanted to be friends with Bo Liye. Some were after Bo Liye herself, while others were after the Bo family. Seeing that Bo Liye wasn’t in the mood, Xia Yiwen quietly sent a text to the junior, saying she’d bring them together another time.

Bo Liye went back to eating her rice rolls. Halfway through, she suddenly stopped.

With a loud clack, she slammed the lid of the food container shut. “The sophomores have PE at the same time as us?”

Xia Yiwen nodded. “Yeah, Mondays, the last period of the morning. If we’re lucky, we can even run laps together.”

Bo Liye suddenly walked out.

Xia Yiwen called out behind her, “Where are you going?”

Bo Liye’s pale eyes shifted away from the girl who was asking Qin Mingyan for help with a question. “To wash my hands.”

Confused, Xia Yiwen asked Gu Baifan, who was about to take a nap, “What does she mean by that?”

Gu Baifan gave her a disgusted look. “Was your previous dating experience for nothing? She’s clearly acting out of spite. Just leave them alone.”

After several hours of classes, it was finally time for PE.

September in Shanghai hadn’t quite turned to autumn yet. The sun was intense, making everyone sluggish. Combined with the approaching lunch hour, the whole class was listless. The PE teacher frowned as he watched them line up.

“First, we’ll do several sets of stretching, then a slow three laps run. Once you’re done, come to me to register your names before you can have free activity time.”

A chorus of groans erupted from the students. The PE teacher ignored them and commanded them to spread out for warm-ups. “Keep a one meter distance on both sides. Follow me.”

“You boys in the back, stop whispering. It’s because you’re in your third year that you need to move more.”

“Anyone who doesn’t listen will be running two extra laps later.”

The PE teacher was a man of action. Having worked at Haichuan for over ten years, he knew this class was the “protected” group of the third-year grade. Usually, the lessons were just a formality before free time.

After the usual wrist, ankle, and chest stretches, he instructed the students, “Alright, last one: let’s open up the back. Pair up and pull each other’s hands to help.”

The class quickly split into pairs, except for Bo Liye and Qin Mingyan, who stood there motionless.

To be precise, Qin Mingyan had already turned around, but Bo Liye hadn’t moved.

Since they were similar in height, they naturally stood together in PE. The other boys and girls had already paired up, leaving only the two of them in a standoff.

The PE teacher soon noticed them. “What’s the situation with you two? Do I need to teach you how to stretch a back?”

Qin Mingyan glanced at Bo Liye with a lowered gaze and said softly, “Give me your hands.”

Bo Liye gave her a dismissive glance and remained still. The weather was hot, and they had taken off their jackets for PE, revealing arms so white they seemed to glow.

When the teacher walked over to ask for the reason, Bo Liye said indifferently, “Dirty.”

Not just after the flag-raising this morning, but even during the break before PE, she had seen those hands briefly brushed by someone else while helping them solve a problem.

The teacher frowned at Bo Liye and picked up the roll call sheet. “What’s your student number? Name?”

Clearly, he intended to mark her down. Bo Liye felt a surge of frustration and was about to recklessly give her name when her hand was suddenly grabbed.

The fingers reaching out were neatly trimmed, the knuckles distinct on the thin hand. The skin was a sickly cool white, yet the nails had a hint of pink.

“Teacher, I’m sorry. I forgot to wash my hands after handling the equipment earlier, they’re covered in dust.” Qin Mingyan apologized to the teacher.

The teacher couldn’t stand how pampered these rich kids were. “How dirty can equipment be? Do you plan to wash your hands every time you hit a ball during free time?”

Bo Liye pursed her lips, her face stern and radiating a cold aura. As soon as the teacher turned around, she shook off Qin Mingyan’s hand.

However, after checking the front row, the teacher looked back toward them. Qin Mingyan stepped directly behind Bo Liye, grabbed both her hands, and began the back-stretching exercise.

With her hands restrained, Bo Liye turned her head to warn her, “Did I not warn you? You aren’t allowed to touch me without my permission.”

Qin Mingyan’s eyes remained downcast, her voice flat. “If we don’t warm up, the teacher will come back to cause trouble. You don’t want to be penalized with laps the whole period, do you?”

As if her fur had been rubbed the wrong way, Bo Liye stepped back hard on Qin Mingyan’s foot. “Then why aren’t you using more strength?”

Qin Mingyan tightened her grip slightly, staying within a range Bo Liye could handle. Bo Liye had woken up with a stiff neck, and the stretch immediately sent a wave of soreness through her shoulders.

But she gritted her teeth. When it was time to switch roles, she intended to retaliate, but Qin Mingyan didn’t make a sound. When the teacher gave the command to start running laps, Bo Liye had no choice but to let go, albeit unwillingly.

Xia Yiwen, who had witnessed everything, deliberately slowed down to run beside Bo Liye. “Are you okay?”

Bo Liye wasn’t in the mood and spoke bluntly. “How else would I be?”

Xia Yiwen couldn’t help herself. “Fanfan said you guys had a fight. Is that true?”

Bo Liye’s gaze flickered toward the person running ahead. Most of the students in the back had been at Haichuan since their first year and had nothing to say to Qin Mingyan. Qin Mingyan ran there alone, looking solitary.

Bo Liye curled her lip and asked, “Where’s that junior of yours? Is her class on the field?”

Xia Yiwen’s face instantly lit up. “You’re willing to meet her? Great! I’ll call her over in a bit. Speaking of which, her family has some business dealings with yours. She probably wants to make some progress; she’s definitely obedient.”

Struggling for breath as they ran, Bo Liye nodded, wanting only to get these three laps over with.

When Qin Mingyan finished her laps, she was called over by the teacher to collect the sports meet registration forms. By the time she returned to the field, Bo Liye was nowhere to be found.

Bo Liye had been giving her the cold shoulder for over ten days. Even if she had to maintain the cold and aloof personality Bo Liye liked, she couldn’t let it go too far.

Bo Liye was pampered. In this heat, she was either at the campus store drinking milk tea and chatting, or she had slipped off to the cafeteria for an early lunch. Occasionally, if she was feeling bold, she might sneak out the school gates to wander the snack street outside.

Qin Mingyan knew Bo Liye’s preferences like the back of her hand. It was usually one of those places, so she decided to check the campus store first.

However, before she could leave the field, she was blocked by someone else.

It was Xiang Dandan, whom she had encountered at Phase World. Qin Mingyan tried to bypass her without a glance.

Xiang Dandan chased after her. “Qin Mingyan, are you going to look for Bo Liye again?”

Qin Mingyan didn’t stop. Xiang Dandan kept chasing. “She has someone else with her. Why would she have time for you?”

Qin Mingyan stopped in her tracks, her eyes cold as she looked over. “What are you trying to say?”

Xiang Dandan was startled by the look, but thinking of her goal, she straightened her neck to face Qin Mingyan. “Am I wrong? You were clearly the best student at No. 1 Middle School. After coming to Haichuan, you became just like those wealthy parasites, acting all humble and submissive toward Bo Liye. How could you turn into this?”

“And how should I be?”

“You should…”

Leaving the field and entering a secluded, tree lined path, Qin Mingyan suddenly turned and took a step forward, her presence overwhelmingly oppressive.

“You realized your grades can’t even keep up with those rich second generations who just play around, so you started envying those who transferred from No. 1 Middle School and can get along with them. Your background is mediocre, your social skills are mediocre, and your grades are mediocre. Shouldn’t you be reflecting on yourself?”

Her true thoughts exposed, Xiang Dandan’s face instantly flushed deep red. Her voice trembled. “I… I…. you’re talking nonsense.”

“Whether it’s nonsense or not, you know the truth in your heart.”

Qin Mingyan had run out of patience. The math teacher had already pulled the surveillance footage of Xiang Dandan’s exam from the end of last semester, the disciplinary action would be announced within a couple of days.

When similar test papers appeared before, Xiang Dandan had used her status as a transfer from No. 1 Middle School to convince everyone to believe her. Bo Liye had been generous enough not to pursue it, but now that it was being brought up again, the school leadership would definitely handle it strictly, even if only out of respect for the Bo family.

She could overlook the fact that Xiang Dandan had tricked her into going to VIP booth A888 at Phase World. But the moment she thought about Xiang Dandan constantly watching Bo Liye from the shadows, she couldn’t just ignore it.

Qin Mingyan quickened her pace toward the campus store.

Bo Liye was indeed there.

When Qin Mingyan arrived, Bo Liye was surrounded in the center as usual. Snacks and milk tea were spread across the table, and a group of girls were laughing and chatting around her.

Bo Liye always had this ability; even putting aside her prominent family background, a single smile from her could effortlessly captivate anyone.

Qin Mingyan stood by the door for a while, watching from a distance. Just as she was about to find an excuse to enter, the girl next to Bo Liye was suddenly pushed into Bo Liye’s arms.

Bo Liye seemed stunned for a moment. She reached out to steady the girl, then grabbed a piece of jerky from the table and tossed it at the person responsible for the prank.

The girl she held lowered her head, thanking her repeatedly. Bo Liye then reached out and brushed the girl’s bangs aside, appearing to help her tidy her hair.

But the radiant smile and the considerate gestures caused Qin Mingyan’s expression to darken. Her jaw tightened as she remembered the junior Xia Yiwen had mentioned during their laps.

Presumably, it was the one sitting next to Bo Liye.

She had seen this girl’s photo on the honor roll, she was a year younger, with good grades and looks to match.

It had only been ten days, was Bo Liye already looking for someone else?

Bo Liye’s happy smile almost stung her eyes. Qin Mingyan’s palms were gradually marked red by her own fingernails.

At the thought of Bo Liye doing the things she had done to her with someone else, Qin Mingyan felt like she was going insane.

Jealousy and resentment were like poisonous thorns buried in her heart, yet she could do nothing. Qin Mingyan forced her gaze away from Bo Liye and walked out of the store. She took out her phone and used her other SIM card to send a text to Bo Liye.

【Why does my good girl want to like someone new again? That damned Qin Mingyan just left, so why does my good girl want to like a junior now?】

【What am I then? What am I? WHAT AM I?】

【I want to be held in my good girl’s arms so, so, so much. I want to bury myself in her chest and suck all day long. I want to bite my disobedient girl until she’s swollen, making her too ashamed to ever see anyone else again.】

【Good girl, wouldn’t that be nice?】