Transmigrating as the Female Supporting Character: Dumb with Deep Pockets - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: I Think You’re Wrong to Say That

Su Su stood on her tiptoes to grab her phone from the desk. The moment she unlocked it, the device went frantic with a barrage of notifications.

Everyone she knew seemed to be messaging her for gossip. There were even some extreme reactions—people calling her sick and telling her they were blocking her.

If she were alone, facing such malice would have been unbearable. But now, her heart felt strangely calm; she was only worried that Chen Jia would be negatively affected by the fallout.

Seeing her frozen, Chen Jia assumed she was terrified by the hateful comments. She knew everyone was busy in college and many barely knew their own classmates by graduation. This kind of rumor would die down in a week or two as long as they didn’t acknowledge it.

“Alright, stop looking. It’s no big deal.”

Su Su looked at her, surprised. “Do you really not care that people are saying we’re in that kind of relationship?”

“I don’t mind.”

Before Su Su could feel a spark of hope, Chen Jia added casually, “It’s not true, anyway.”

It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over Su Su’s head. She lowered her eyelids to hide the sudden shift in her expression. “Oh… I see.”

Noticing Su Su’s mood had plummeted, Chen Jia assumed she was still stressed about the rumors. She put an arm around Su Su’s shoulders and said gently, “They’re just following the crowd. It’ll pass. If we pay them any attention, they’ll just get more excited.”

“Oh.”

Su Su’s spirit remained low. She realized that Chen Jia truly didn’t care because she didn’t view it as a possibility. Based on all the “how to tell if your crush is queer” methods Su Su had researched online, Chen Jia’s current behavior suggested that if Su Su confessed now, their friendship would be over instantly.

…

But as it turned out, some things don’t just “pass with time”—especially when certain people are looking for any excuse to settle a score.

Fu Xuejia was a veteran in the Student Union and knew exactly how to play the social game. With a single word from her, plenty of people were ready to take her side.

One afternoon, Chen Jia was kept late by their Web Design professor. Su Su went to the Art Club alone. The moment she stepped into the clubroom, she felt a shift in the atmosphere.

Her smile vanished as she walked to her designated spot. Her once-tidy corner had been ransacked. Her brushes and tools were scattered across the floor, and her expensive paints had been squeezed out into a messy heap.

“Who did this?” Su Su’s voice trembled. She had been bullied as a child, and despite her outward change in personality, she still felt a primal surge of fear in situations like this.

The club members noticed her shaking. They laughed, their voices dripping with mockery. “We don’t know. Isn’t your family rich? Why don’t you go home and tell on us? Have your parents donate a building to the school; maybe then the administration will find the ‘culprit’ for you.”

“Exactly. To be honest, aside from your clothes, I don’t see anything ‘rich’ about you. And with those looks… heh…”

Vicious words flooded toward her like a tide. Su Su stood paralyzed, her feet feeling as heavy as lead. She had thought that becoming more cheerful meant she could fight back.

I’m still a useless coward, she thought bitterly, reaching up to wipe her eyes only to find them already wet.

“Su Su.”

A clear, steady voice pulled her back from the brink of a breakdown. It was like a fish being tossed back into the water; Su Su’s gasping breath suddenly smoothed out.

She turned to see Chen Jia standing at the door. Clad in simple a T-shirt and trousers, she seemed to radiate a protective light.

“You walked too fast. You left your pencil sharpener in my bag. Didn’t you say the club was preparing for a sketch exhibition?”

Su Su rushed to her side. When she spoke, the panic hadn’t quite faded, and her beautiful eyes were rimmed with red. “I… I don’t think I’m suited for the Art Club. Let’s go.”

“Go?” Chen Jia held her arm. “Why should we go?”

“Chen Jia…”

Being seen in such a pathetic state by the person she liked made Su Su’s nose sting. The sob she had been holding back finally broke through. Tears began to fall rapidly. Chen Jia’s heart tightened, and she immediately pulled Su Su into her arms, letting the girl cry against her shoulder. The fabric of her shirt was soon soaked.

The club members erupted into jeering. “They really are a couple!”

In truth, art students aren’t usually sensitive about such things, but they were closer to Fu Xuejia. They preferred to believe Fu’s narrative: that Su Su’s wealth was a facade. They felt cheated, and their previous attempts to flatter her now felt humiliating.

“Does this have anything to do with you?” Chen Jia’s voice was ice cold. Her grip on Su Su’s waist tightened.

The room fell silent for a moment.

“So you’re admitting it?” someone challenged.

“Admitting what? That we’re best friends? Have you never hugged a friend? If so, I feel sorry for you—having no one to hold you when you cry.”

The hecklers’ faces turned sour. Chen Jia looked at the trashed workspace. She knew that if she hadn’t come by today, Su Su would have let this slide and simply quit.

“Most of you here are art majors,” Chen Jia said, her eyes scanning the room. “You should know that even if she isn’t a professional, those supplies weren’t cheap.”

The room grew restless. “We know they’re expensive, but who knows where she got the money. What, are you going to call the police?”

Su Su’s crying had slowed. Chen Jia felt soft in her arms, and Su Su didn’t want to let go, burying her face in Chen Jia’s neck.

She heard Chen Jia say firmly, “She bought them with her family’s money, just like you did. You’re adults now. If you destroy someone’s property, you pay for it. Surely you understand that simple logic?”

“What are you doing?” Su Su whispered against Chen Jia’s neck, her warm breath making Chen Jia’s skin itch.

Chen Jia looked down. “Done crying?” If she was done, she needed a little space to finish threatening these people.

Su Su’s voice was still thick. “Not yet.”

Chen Jia pursed her lips and let her stay. With her free hand, she pulled her phone from her bag and began dialing the police.

Panic finally set in. If a police report was filed and they were charged, the school—which was desperate to maintain its ranking—would almost certainly expel them.

“We weren’t wrong!” someone shouted. “We just wanted Su Su to face reality and stop being so vain. We were helping her!”

“She doesn’t need your help,” Chen Jia countered. “You claim her money is ‘illegitimate’—do you have proof? Without proof, that’s defamation.”

In college, “telling the teacher” wasn’t the norm; you had to handle things yourself. Su Su, worried about dragging Chen Jia into the mess, whispered, “Those things aren’t that valuable… not even as much as one of my bags. Let’s just go. I don’t have to draw anymore.”

Chen Jia refused instantly. “You can stop drawing today, but what if someone tells you not to leave the house tomorrow?” She looked Su Su in the eye. “As your friend, I want to see you be yourself. We are not backing down today.”

Just as Chen Jia was about to hit ‘call,’ a girl sitting in the corner who had been silent the whole time stood up.

“I know who did it.”

It was Lin Yue’er. Su Su was shocked; she hadn’t even realized Lin Yue’er was in the club.

Once she started, the rest came out easier. “It was the President and the Vice President. They led the group to do it,” Lin Yue’er said clearly. She gave Su Su a sincere smile. “I’m sorry for staying quiet. I was a coward. But I know if I stay silent now, it will be too hard for you two to handle this alone.”

The President and Vice President could no longer remain calm. Their faces were frantic, yet they still refused to admit fault.

“We’re not wrong! Being gay is disgusting, especially for a gay girl who pretends to be rich. We had to be so careful talking to her before. This is just payback!”

As Chen Jia prepared to retaliate, Lin Yue’er, usually so quiet, felt a surge of anger. “I think you’re wrong to say that.”