The Sickly Senior Sister Ran Away After We Got Intimate - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: It… It Was, It Was That Whatever-It-Is That Did It…

“He Chen, what are you doing!” Chang Nong shouted sternly, her patience finally exhausted.

She had just witnessed with her own eyes how the content He Chen wrote during the listening test was completely incoherent, with the beginning not matching the end. It was obvious she had been slacking off and hadn’t reviewed her books at all these past few days. Now, her constant fidgeting and small movements were truly disgraceful.

“Master, I’m here,” He Chen shrunk her neck.

Chang Nong held up a transcription notebook and asked, “I ask you, exactly how many hours did you spend completing this transcription?“

She hadn’t wanted to press the issue, but He Chen was simply being too flippant. She had committed an error before, yet now she acted as if nothing had happened; instead of showing restraint, she was disrupting the classroom order.

The handwriting on the notebook appeared no different from what He Chen usually wrote, but the insights did not seem like something she could produce. Between the lines, simple vocabulary was used intentionally, yet the viewpoints were exceptionally unique.

“I… I wrote it before my hand was injured. It took—” He Chen wavered. She turned her head to cast a pleading look toward Xiang Qingqing.

Xiang Qingqing understood immediately. Her hand dropped below the table, extending five fingers and shaking them slightly.

He Chen nodded, straightened her back, and replied confidently, “Replying to Master, it took me five hours.“

Chang Nong’s expression suddenly turned cold, and her eyes chilled as she stared at He Chen. She followed up, “Did it truly only take five hours?“

She could sense that the reflections in the notebook were not derived by He Chen herself.

Hearing this, He Chen’s body stiffened. Her heart tightened as if a massive boulder were wedged in her throat, making it nearly impossible to breathe. Could it be that she saw through it?

She turned her head urgently, searching for an answer in Xiang Qingqing’s face. When she saw Xiang Qingqing give a firm nod, her tense shoulders finally relaxed, and she let out a long, heavy sigh of relief.

“Yes, it took five hours.“

Seeing her exchanging glances with Xiang Qingqing, Chang Nong’s suspicions grew heavier. Just then, Wen Yingyi suddenly spoke up to remind her.

“Master, you have not been out of seclusion long; you need to eat on time. It is almost the hour for the midday meal.“

Chang Nong’s train of thought was interrupted by Wen Yingyi’s reminder. She looked outside and saw the scorching sun baking the stone pavement. The chirping of the summer cicadas rose and fell, even more intense than in the morning. She withdrew her gaze a moment later, just as her stomach made an ill-timed rumbling sound.

Indeed, it was time for lunch.

Chang Nong evaluated: “He Chen, you wrote this transcription well, though the vocabulary is somewhat shallow. You still need to read more and write more. This time, I give you an A-Upper.”

The corners of her mouth turned up slightly into a smile of relief. She gently set down the notebook and casually picked up another one.

She glanced briefly at the name on the cover, then flipped through the pages to review it. But very quickly, something felt wrong. She flipped back to check the front.

the name He Chen was clearly written on the cover. Chang Nong’s eyes widened, and a flash of disbelief flickered deep within them.

Am I truly becoming senile?

Chang Nong couldn’t help but rub her eyes before looking again. It wasn’t a blur. Why were there two copies of He Chen’s transcriptions?

He Chen was not a diligent person. Could it be that as her coming-of-age approached, her maturity had followed suit?

Chang Nong thought again and realized that wasn’t right. If she had truly become sensible, how could she have caused the incident of catching wild rabbits and destroying the herbs? Just a moment ago, she was exchanging looks with others in the hall and disrupting order. There was something fishy about this!

Chang Nong shook her head and began to flip through the pages one by one. The more she read, the greater her anger grew. The handwriting in this copy was clearly a deliberate imitation of He Chen’s script. The first few pages matched He Chen’s handwriting well, and at a glance, the later portions looked quite similar, but upon closer scrutiny, they lacked the essence. It was clearly not written by He Chen.

She was utterly perplexed. If He Chen had written one herself, why would she submit another poorly imitated copy? Wasn’t that a contradiction?

Could it be… that He Chen was unaware, and someone did this intentionally to frame her?

But Chang Nong quickly dismissed this guess; the logic didn’t hold up. He Chen had never been associated with being studious and had no ambition. She always treated her schoolwork perfunctorily, and her management of the medicinal fields was as lazy as possible. She often relied on her sweet tongue to coax her senior sisters into doing her bidding willingly.

Her only redeeming quality was a memory that exceeded the ordinary; she muddled through every monthly exam, her ranking always at the tail end. She truly posed no threat to anyone else, so why would anyone go to such lengths?

Chang Nong considered her young age and the fact that she had lost her parents as a child. As long as no major catastrophe was caused, she usually turned a blind eye.

Chang Nong closed the notebook and looked up to scan the disciples below. She wanted to find a clue in their faces. Just who had done this? Xinglin Hall could not tolerate a petty person who used such despicable means to frame a fellow disciple.

“He Chen.” Chang Nong’s face was somber, completely different from the attitude she had when praising He Chen earlier.

“H-here.” He Chen was caught somewhat off guard by the sudden question, responding guiltily.

She was desperately hungry; her soul had practically been lured away by the scent of food wafting from the kitchen. When she heard Wen Yingyi say it was time for the midday meal, she had hurriedly started packing her things, ready to head to the dining hall. However, hearing Chang Nong call her name, she had no choice but to stop and rearrange the items she had just packed back onto the table.

“Explain this: why did you submit two copies of the transcription?”

Chang Nong asked this not truly expecting to get any useful information from He Chen’s mouth. It was merely a way to observe the reactions of the other disciples and catch the potential culprit.

As soon as these words came out, everyone turned to look at Chang Nong, letting out a chorus of surprised gasps: “Huh?”

Immediately after, whispers broke out across the study, and the previously quiet room became noisy.

“How could Fourth Senior Sister submit two copies?” the disciples whispered amongst themselves.

“How strange. Since when did Fourth Senior Sister become so diligent…” someone questioned.

“Could it be that Fourth Senior Sister also has designs on the position of Hall Master?” someone guessed.

“Unlikely. She got a C-Lower during the field inspection just now, and she didn’t look particularly disappointed. Instead, when the Eldest Senior Sister got a D, she was the one protesting the unfairness…” another disciple analyzed.

“That makes sense. But why write two copies? If she has no heart for the Hall Master position, why be so diligent?” The murmurs were full of doubt.

“…”

Although Wen Yingyi was shocked internally, she remained calm on the surface. A flash of surprise flickered in her eyes for an instant before returning to normal, so that when Chang Nong looked at her, she wore her usual cool expression.

“Master—” Wen Yingyi was about to stand up to explain, but she was stopped by Chang Nong. “Do not explain for her. I want to hear it from her own mouth.”

“Master, those transcriptions are actually—” Wen Yingyi tried to speak again but was interrupted by Chang Nong. “I know what you are going to say. You need not say more.”

At the same time, Xiang Qingqing was already pale with panic. Her brows were knit tightly, and fine beads of sweat had unconsciously formed on her forehead. She licked her lips frequently, swallowing hard, her hands kneading each other restlessly. Her eyes flickered about, not daring to look at the front desk, revealing her inner unease and guilt.

“Eh? Two copies?” He Chen froze, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes, before she turned urgently to look at Xiang Qingqing.

Seeing her looking completely lost, He Chen had to call out softly, “Second Senior Sister?”

Xiang Qingqing was now at the height of her guilt, sitting as if on needles. Hearing He Chen call her, she turned to meet He Chen’s gaze, her eyes showing panic mixed with a bit of resentment. She seemed to be blaming He Chen—she had already finished writing a transcription herself, yet she still asked for help, and now they were caught red-handed. She didn’t know what kind of punishment they would face.

Seeing Xiang Qingqing like this, He Chen lost her composure and couldn’t help but ask in a low voice, “Why did Second Senior Sister write two copies?”

Xiang Qingqing shook her head in denial, then slumped over the table, holding up an index finger and moving her lips silently to mouth the words: “I only copied one! ONE!”

She was so anxious her eyes turned red, and tears began to well up.

He Chen’s brow furrowed tightly. While scratching her head, she wondered privately if it might be Bu Lanfang? But when she asked Xiang Qingqing for help, Bu Lanfang was right there; it wouldn’t make sense for her to copy another one…

Thinking this, she leaned her body back slightly and asked tentatively, “Was it Third Senior Sister?”

“No,” Bu Lanfang denied.

“Then who could it be?” He Chen and Xiang Qingqing looked at each other, their eyes full of incomprehension and confusion. The air seemed to freeze as everyone stared at He Chen; a tense atmosphere filled the entire study.

Could it be that brat is framing me on purpose?

He Chen suddenly thought of her younger brother, Yan Junhua, who loved to go against her. Anger surged in her heart, and she glared at him. Yan Junhua suddenly felt a chill on his back; he turned and saw He Chen staring at him, and he hurriedly waved his hands in denial. “Don’t look at me! It wasn’t me! I’m too busy with my own work; I have no time to write for you.”

It wasn’t her two senior sisters, and it wasn’t Yan Junhua. Could it be the work of an outer disciple? She guessed this because she was close in age to most outer disciples and often mingled with them, playing and joking. The outer disciples had the best relationship with her and would help cover for her.

He Chen’s brow furrowed even more tightly. She quickly scanned the faces of the outer disciples. Yun Li and Chao Ling felt her gaze and hurriedly shook their heads and waved their hands; the others followed suit in denial.

None of them…

He Chen sighed, then her eyes suddenly lit up.

It couldn’t be Eldest Senior Sister, could it…

But she knew Wen Yingyi’s character only too well; she would never do such a thing. He Chen hesitated, but still tilted her head to observe Wen Yingyi out of the corner of her eye. She saw her sitting upright and poised, without the slightest abnormality, and breathed a sigh of relief. She knew Wen Yingyi had been unwell recently and was already spread thin handling her own schoolwork and the affairs of the Hall. Besides, Wen Yingyi was still angry with her.

If it wasn’t Wen Yingyi, who could it be? She guessed everyone in the Hall from top to bottom, yet still reached no conclusion. Filled with doubt and anxiety, she couldn’t understand it at all. She couldn’t help but mock herself—it truly felt like seeing a ghost.

Ghost!

That thought flashed through her mind, and she suddenly had a burst of inspiration.

Could it be that the ancestors are watching over her? Seeing her broken body and weakened state, perhaps they couldn’t bear it and manifested their power to help her in secret.

The more He Chen thought about it, the more she felt there was a pattern. Previously, there were a few times she hadn’t finished her transcriptions, yet every time Chang Nong checked them, nothing was exposed. It must be so!

Alas, what a pity! This time she had asked Xiang Qingqing for help, and the ancestors had ended up helping “too much”!

“Why do you not speak directly, yet act so stealthily? What secret is hidden here?”

Chang Nong’s question pulled He Chen’s drifting thoughts back. Her heart tightened, and she muttered in a voice barely audible, “Perhaps it wasn’t done by a person…”

“Not done by a person?” Chang Nong raised an eyebrow, a flash of surprise in her eyes. “What do you mean by that?”

Chang Nong narrowed her eyes, taking in the expressions of everyone below. Finally, her gaze fixed on Xiang Qingqing’s panic-stricken face.

Hearing this, everyone was dumbfounded, so stunned by He Chen’s words that they forgot to whisper.

“It… it was, it was that whatever-it-is that did it…” He Chen mumbled.

“What is that ‘whatever-it-is’?” Chang Nong didn’t understand and pressed the question.

“It… it’s a ghost, ah no, it’s the ancestors…” He Chen bit her lip, closed her eyes, and blurted it all out.

“Absurd!” Chang Nong hadn’t expected He Chen to push the blame onto the long-deceased ancestors.

“Really! Perhaps the ancestors manifested themselves. It happened before—” Realizing she had let a secret slip, He Chen immediately shut her mouth. Her voice grew smaller and smaller. Even she felt the explanation was utterly preposterous, but if it wasn’t the work of gods and ghosts, how else could it be explained?

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