The White Moonlight is So Scheming - Chapter 9

She had grown accustomed to skipping breakfast.

Normally, she wouldn’t feel hungry, but watching Shen Juexia eat so heartily made her stomach betray her with an audible growl.

This time, she didn’t refuse. Ji Zhijie took the chopsticks and muttered, “Thanks.”

Her almond-shaped eyes glinting mischievously, Shen Juexia stealthily reached out and pinched Ji Zhijie’s cheek. “We’re good
friends! Why are you being so formal with me?”

Caught off guard by the sudden pinch, Ji Zhijie turned her head away awkwardly, brushing off Shen Juexia’s hand. Silently, she
retorted in her heart: When did I ever agree to be friends with you?

Having finished breakfast early, Shen Juexia propped her chin in her hands, staring intently at Ji Zhijie, who was still eating.

Hmm… she doesn’t actually look that much like her.

Upon closer inspection, there were many subtle differences. Her sister’s eyes had a distinct upward tilt at the outer corners,
while Ji Zhijie’s were almost parallel, with only the faintest hint of a curve that you’d only notice if you looked carefully.

The weight of Shen Juexia’s gaze, almost tangible beside her, made Ji Zhijie’s movements grow increasingly stiff. Finally, she
sighed and looked at Shen Juexia helplessly. “How am I supposed to eat with you staring at me like that?”

“I wasn’t staring at you! I was looking at the scenery outside.” Shen Juexia pointed casually at the clouds in the sky, improvising
effortlessly. “See? I was just watching that heart-shaped cloud.”

“You clearly—” Ji Zhijie exhaled in resignation. Unable to argue, she took a couple of half-hearted bites before giving up on eating altogether.

The noise around them grew louder as more students trickled into the classroom.

“Well, this is rare. You actually came to school twice this week,” remarked a girl named Lin Jie, the heiress of the Lin family,
who had some ties with the Shens.

“Not just today I’ll be coming every day from now on,” Shen Juexia replied sweetly, glancing sideways at Ji Zhijie.

A faint glint flickered in Ji Zhijie’s phoenix-like eyes.

Her fingers, flipping through the pages of her book, paused inexplicably for a moment.

Lin Jie swung her high ponytail as she perched on Shen Juexia’s desk, eyeing Ji Zhijie with curiosity. “What, did your sister scold
you? I thought you said you hated being around poor people?”

Shen Juexia nearly lunged to cover Lin Jie’s mouth.

Her lips pressed tightly together, her expression shifting uneasily, she stole a glance at Ji Zhijie. Seeing the girl’s face remain
impassive, she mumbled defensively, “That’s not what I meant. You’re different from them.”

“Of course I’m different,” Ji Zhijie closed her book.

Hearing this, Shen Juexia’s tense heart finally relaxed until—

“Because I’m probably even poorer than the ‘them’ you’re talking about.” Ji Zhijie’s tone was flat, her face expressionless.

Logically, this level of teasing shouldn’t have bothered Ji Zhijie. She’d heard far worse before.

But this time, for some reason, she felt an unexpected urge to push back. “Class hasn’t started yet. I’ll go ask the homeroom
teacher to switch seats.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she pushed her chair back and stood up.

Panicking at Ji Zhijie’s movement, Shen Juexia hastily leaned back, blocking her path. “I don’t want to switch seats!”

“Move.”

A frown creased Ji Zhijie’s brow, her voice tinged with restrained anger.

“I won’t let you!” Shen Juexia shifted her hips, using her chair to completely block the path.

Licking her canine tooth, Ji Zhijie turned her head and said to Li Cheng’an sitting behind them, “Move your desk back so I can get
out.”

His eyes darting between Ji Zhijie and Shen Juexia, Li Cheng’an nervously picked at his fingers before hesitantly gripping the edge
of his desk, preparing to move it.

“If you dare move that desk, you’re dead!” Shen Juexia, who had been lying on her desk, turned around and glared fiercely at Li
Cheng’an. “You hear me?”

Watching Shen Juexia threaten someone like this, Ji Zhijie irritably turned her head away. How had she ever thought this girl was
cute? She was nothing but a little delinquent.

“Whatever.”

Not wanting to put others in an awkward position, Ji Zhijie suppressed her temper and sat back down.

Seeing Ji Zhijie return to her seat, Shen Juexia temporarily relaxed. “If I didn’t want to be your deskmate, why would I go out of
my way to bring you breakfast?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t care to know.”

Ji Zhijie’s face was a mask of indifference, her entire demeanor screaming “stay away.”

Shen Juexia clenched her fists, shooting a silent glare at Lin Jie, who had scurried back to her seat the moment things got tense.
Then, softening her voice, she dragged her chair closer to Ji Zhijie. “That comment wasn’t directed at you.”

“…”

Pretending not to hear, Ji Zhijie looked out the window.

The issue wasn’t whether that remark had been aimed at her it was.

Oh no!

This was the exact expression her sister wore when she was truly angry.

Racking her brain but coming up empty, Shen Juexia had no choice but to pout and mumble under her breath, “I know I was wrong.”

Ji Zhijie’s fingers twitched slightly where they rested on her knees.

She turned back to look at the pitiful Shen Juexia. Though her tone remained cool, her gaze had softened somewhat. “You don’t need
to apologize to me. I don’t need your apology.”

“So, you’re not mad anymore?” Shen Juexia lifted her eyes cautiously.

“I was never mad to begin with. Everyone has the right to choose their friends.” Lowering her lashes, Ji Zhijie’s expression grew
inscrutable. “If sitting next to me is making you dread coming to school, then there’s really no point.”

“That’s not it! I only want to come to school because of you.” Panicking like an ant on a hot pan, Shen Juexia hurried to explain.

A cold smile curled at Ji Zhijie’s lips as she replied distantly, “Aren’t you the one who hates being around poor people the most?

Well, I’m poor. In fact, if it weren’t for your family, I wouldn’t even be able to attend Shengde.”

“In middle school, a girl tricked me.” Taking a deep breath, Shen Juexia drooped like a dejected rabbit. “She said she wanted to be
friends, but behind my back, she laughed at me called me a dumb rich girl.”

Ji Zhijie’s gaze flickered uncertainly, still refusing to look directly at Shen Juexia as she said coolly, “You really aren’t that
bright.”

“Shen Juexia is an idiot.” Clutching Ji Zhijie’s right hand on the desk, Shen Juexia blinked her teary almond eyes, putting on a picture-perfect display of repentance.

Shaking her off, Ji Zhijie turned toward the Chinese teacher entering the classroom and said quietly, “Anyway, you can change seats
anytime you want.”

“No! I only want you as my deskmate.” Never missing a chance to pledge her loyalty, Shen Juexia looked ready to raise her hand and
swear an oath.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Shen Juexia’s overly earnest expression.

Ji Zhijie helplessly averted her gaze, flipping open the nearly pristine textbook on Shen Juexia’s desk and placing it in front of
her. “Pay attention in class.”

“I’ll listen to you.”

Sitting ramrod straight, Shen Juexia crossed her arms on the desk like an obedient elementary student.

The post-rain breeze drifted into the classroom in intermittent gusts.

It tousled the loose strands of hair by Ji Zhijie’s ears, softened the frost in her eyes, and seemed to dissipate the lingering
tension between them.

Shen Juexia, who often made mistakes that angered Shen Tinghan, had long mastered the art of reading her sister’s expressions and
now, the same applied to Ji Zhijie. A single glance was all she needed to gauge whether Ji Zhijie was still upset.

Seeing that Ji Zhijie had cooled off,

the stiffness in her posture subtly relaxed.

Clenching her fists discreetly, Shen Juexia cursed inwardly: Damn Lin Jie, she almost got me killed.

Luckily, she was quick-witted enough to fabricate an excuse on the spot, tricked by someone? That was nonsense. The truth was, no
matter how hard she tried, those dim-witted classmates of hers still preferred that penniless deputy class monitor.

So why shouldn’t she hate them?

“Shen Juexia.”

“Shen Juexia!”

Sighing, Ji Zhijie nudged Shen Juexia’s desk with her foot.

“Huh? What is it, teacher?” Snapping back to reality, Shen Juexia looked up at the teacher on the podium, her gaze blank.

The class is almost over. What have I even been doing all this time?

Unable to tolerate it any longer, Li Yue asked coldly, “Are there words written on Ji Zhijie’s face? Am I the teacher, or is she?

You’ve been staring at her the entire class.”

“There aren’t any words on her face.”

“Then why have you been staring at her?”

What kind of weird question is this?

Fiddling with the corner of her workbook, Shen Juexia answered honestly, “Because she’s pretty.”

The moment the words left her mouth, the entire class erupted in laughter.

A flush crept from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. Hiding her face behind a book, Ji Zhijie suddenly realized, this foolish
young mistress was her personal nemesis.

Ding-ding-ding.

The bell for the end of class rang at the perfect moment.

After tidying her desk slightly, Ji Zhijie stood up. “Move.”

“No, I won’t switch seats.” Shen Juexia tilted her head up to look at Ji Zhijie, clinging to the back of her chair like a koala
hugging a eucalyptus tree.

Rubbing her temples, Ji Zhijie said with her eyes closed, “I need to use the restroom.”

Afraid that Ji Zhijie might slip away and request a seat change from the teacher, Shen Juexia bargained, “Then I’m going with you.”

“Fine.” Avoiding Shen Juexia’s puppy-dog eyes, Ji Zhijie tapped the back of her chair. “Hurry up and move.”

Obediently standing,

Shen Juexia dutifully pushed her chair in and then followed Ji Zhijie step for step.

Girls’ Restroom.

With her little shadow in tow, Ji Zhijie walked to the last stall.

Turning to face Shen Juexia’s intense stare, Ji Zhijie’s expression darkened. “Are you seriously going to watch me use the toilet?”

Shaking her head, Shen Juexia replied earnestly, “No, I’ll wait for you outside.”

Gritting her teeth silently, Ji Zhijie stepped inside and slammed the door shut with a bang.

After finishing up,

Ji Zhijie turned on the faucet and washed her hands thoroughly.

Just as she was about to place her hands under the hand dryer—

Suddenly, Shen Juexia grabbed her arm and pulled her away, carefully wiping every drop of water from between her fingers with a
tissue patterned with bows.

It wasn’t until they left the restroom that Ji Zhijie belatedly realized just how absurd Shen Juexia’s actions had been.

Ji Zhijie abruptly stopped in her tracks.

The little tail following behind her, who never paid attention to where she was going, crashed straight into her back.