It was another fine Wednesday, without a trace of snow.
Hua Jie and Bian Hong were cycling past a small market when she suddenly got off her bike and asked Bian Hong to wait for her.
She spent 5 yuan on a black ear cover, but with no space left in her backpack, she had no choice but to stuff it inside her down jacket. Fortunately, her clothes were loose enough to fit it.
As she prepared to continue their journey, her gaze swept over to Bian Hong, who was waiting by the roadside.
Suddenly, she noticed a stain near his pocket and instantly remembered the scene from yesterday when Bian Ying’s cousin had attempted a low blow.
If not for Shen Mo’s timely arrival, that kick would have landed on Bian Hong’s most vulnerable spot, rather than just leaving a stain on his trousers.
That would have hurt a lot.
Bian Hong had always been shy and well-behaved. His mother, Aunt Bian, cherished her younger son and had always protected him well.
Such a gentle and kind-hearted neighbor, almost injured.
And to be kicked in front of a neighborhood girl, it would not only hurt but also be humiliating.
How uncomfortable that must have felt.
Hua Jie frowned, the anger that had subsided from the previous day suddenly flaring up again.
It’s a good thing Shen Mo had been there, and it was also lucky she was with Bian Hong going to and from school.
Otherwise, it would have been her getting kicked and beaten.
People like Bian Ying’s cousin aimed low and dirty when kicking, and wouldn’t hesitate to grab someone by the hair and slap their face…
If she had really been treated like that, physical wounds might heal, but the psychological scars might not be so easy to overcome.
Bian Ying was truly a disaster!
So beautiful, yet so vile at heart!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got!
“Let’s go, Brother Bian Hong.” Hua Jie’s lips formed a straight line, and she pedaled her bicycle furiously.
“…?” Bian Hong tilted his head slightly to look at her, puzzled. Why did she suddenly get angry after buying an ear cover? Could it be that the ear cover was ridiculously expensive?
…
With a stormy mood, Hua Jie entered the classroom, her mind already filled with the words she would use to argue with Bian Ying. She even practiced repeatedly in her mind to make sure she wouldn’t forget her lines during the actual confrontation.
She had even meticulously planned how to slam the desk and snap Bian Ying’s favorite mechanical pencil with clarity—she was determined to seize control of the situation. She had to intimidate Bian Ying right from the start, make her cry, and teach her a lesson she wouldn’t forget!
However, when Hua Jie entered the classroom, all she saw was Bian Ying’s empty seat.
Her heart felt just as empty.
She had been so fired up before entering; how could Bian Ying not be there?
Just as she was pondering this, she noticed that Bian Ying’s desk still had books, notebooks, and pens on it, which meant she must have been at school already.
Where was she then?
“Where’s Bian Ying?” Hua Jie asked Jing Nian, who sat behind Bian Ying, with a furious tone.
“She was called away by the homeroom teacher, what’s up?” Jing Nian raised an eyebrow, sensing a hint of gossip.
“It’s nothing,” Hua Jie replied stiffly, returning to her seat with a sense of restlessness.
If she waited any longer, her momentum would fade; how would she then manage to intimidate Bian Ying?
Besides, she wasn’t one to hold grudges; her anger flared up quickly but also faded quickly.
What if she calmed down after a bit of reading and studying, and wasn’t angry anymore?
With her fury and momentum gone, could she still properly confront Bian Ying?
Annoying.
…
Meanwhile, Bian Ying stood in the office, harshly scolded by both the homeroom and discipline teachers.
Always considered a well-behaved child by teachers and parents, this was the first time she faced such an ordeal and such stern rebukes. Tears streamed down her face, and she started to sob uncontrollably.
The discipline teacher handed her a piece of tissue, but his tone remained unyielding:
“Continuing like this, won’t you just end up like those thugs and hooligans?”
“A good environment is provided for you, why don’t you study properly?”
“You were fine before, how did you turn out like this?”
“Your classmates, instead of being friendly, helpful, and wishing well, you collude with outsiders to block alleys?”
“Is this something a good person does?”
“Is this how your parents raised you?”
“…” Bian Ying cried even harder, her head nearly sinking into her chest.
The homeroom teacher, Liang Ping, also frowned deeply, glaring at Bian Ying with a look of disappointment.
Last night, she had received a call from the director of instruction, and as Bian Ying’s homeroom teacher, she was held accountable.
Wasn’t this an undeserved disaster? How could a good female student do such a thing?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. So, Liang Ping, unwilling to be outdone, took over from the director of instruction and lectured:
“Hua Jie excels in painting, bringing honor to the school and the class. Shouldn’t you take her as a role model?”
“I hear you’re quite good at dancing, isn’t that a special talent too?”
“Why not practice diligently and strive to excel yourself?”
“Wouldn’t it be great to participate in competitions, win awards? Why would you stoop to bullying your classmates?”
“You have truly disappointed your teachers.”
“The final exams are coming soon, followed by the parent-teacher meeting. What do you expect me to tell your parents then? That you bully classmates at school and act like a thug after school, blocking classmates’ way?”
Bian Ying was on the verge of tears, wishing she could just faint.
As the morning light grew stronger, Bian Ying stood in the office, having been severely scolded.
Class representatives from various classes who had collected homework passed through the office and saw the pitiable state of Bian Ying.
Other teachers also shook their heads in disapproval.
For a moment, it seemed like everyone was watching Bian Ying’s agony, and soon the whole school might know of her disgrace.
As the saying goes, “What you do under the heavens is seen,” Bian Ying felt as if she were naked, observed in her pain and shame.
How suddenly had the director of instruction and the homeroom teacher come to know about last night when she and her cousin had confronted Hua Jie?
Moreover, her cousin hadn’t even managed to hit Hua Jie but had instead been thrown to the ground by Shen Mo…
By the time Bian Ying returned to her seat, she was completely disfigured by tears.
Hua Jie watched her walk from the classroom door to her seat and then flop down at her desk, sobbing uncontrollably, sighing silently.
With Bian Ying looking like this, any further action like snapping pencils or banging on the desk just wouldn’t suit her.
Just as she was thinking, the homeroom teacher suddenly darted into the classroom and headed straight for her.
“?” Hua Jie looked up, glancing at Bian Ying and then at the homeroom teacher, unable to help wondering if it had something to do with her.
“If anyone bullies you again, just tell the teacher. Don’t be afraid,” Liang Ping whispered, standing next to her desk.
Ah, it really did have something to do with her.
But how did Teacher Liang know about Bian Ying blocking her yesterday?
“Thank you, teacher.”
“No need, I’ve already severely reprimanded Bian Ying’s behavior with the director of instruction. Just focus on your studies,” Liang Ping patted Hua Jie’s shoulder before turning around to call the class monitor to lead the morning self-study reading session.
“…” Hua Jie looked at the homeroom teacher and then at Bian Ying, completely baffled.
There was a truth here, but she didn’t know it.
Shen Mo, followed by Yao Nan and a few other classmates who played basketball with him, brought the chill of the outdoors back into the classroom.
He glanced around the class and then caught sight of Bian Ying, sobbing her heart out on the desk, before turning to ask Yao Nan:
“Who’s that crying like an idiot?”
“…That’s Bian Ying,” Yao Nan raised an eyebrow at Shen Mo, ah, typical of his brother Mo, treating the class beauty as nothing, not only not recognizing her but also ruthlessly calling her an idiot.
She was obviously trembling and looking pitiful while crying; how could she be an idiot…
Shen Mo, realizing it was indeed her, slightly curled his lips in satisfaction.
When he reached his seat, he stretched out his hand like grabbing a basketball and grabbed the top of the small potato’s head, then yanked her up like pulling up a radish.
The girl immediately stood up, scratching his arm and complaining, “You’re stretching me out; I won’t grow taller now.”
“Can you even grow taller?” He scanned her from top to bottom, “It’s fine, as long as your feet touch the ground when you sit.”
“Why don’t you just say having long legs is enough?” she shot him a glance.
“Mind your tone when you talk to your deskmate,” he scolded her.
The girl, already immune to his fierce expression, suddenly looked down with a mischievous smile, sat back in her chair, and with both hands tucked under the desk, cheekily asked him:
“Guess what I’ve prepared for you!”
Her voice deliberately strange, like a kindergarten teacher teasing toddlers.
“Blueberry juice?” he raised an eyebrow.
“No.”
“Fried twisted dough sticks?”
“No.”
“Potato balls?”
“Why are you always thinking about food?”
“Hurry up and tell me!” Shen Mo finally lost his patience and stretched his arm deep into her desk.
He initially intended to feel what she was hiding inside, but first, he grabbed her backpack strap, and then, unexpectedly, he grabbed her small hand.
It was smooth, slightly cool, and so soft it felt like it might break if he squeezed too hard.
His palm trembled as if he had been scalded or shocked.
He quickly withdrew his hand, looked away to calm himself for a few seconds, and then glared at her again.
Hua Jie also felt a bit panicky when he grabbed her hand.
His hand was hot and very strong, causing a bit of pain with just a casual squeeze.
Truly, he was a young man with immense strength.
She blinked twice, met his gaze, and smiled sheepishly, pulling out a pair of ear muffs.
“You don’t like wearing hats, right? Ear muffs won’t mess up your hairstyle,” she said as she handed them to him. “They’re very warm.”
The boy looked at her dumbly holding up the ear muffs, pursed his lips, and took them.
He initially wanted to just put them in the desk, but seeing her expectant eyes, he reluctantly tried them on.
The ear muffs, like two fluffy balls, were exaggerated and voluminous but indeed very warm on the ears.
“They suit you really well! They match your cool vibe,” she said, clapping her hands together, thoroughly pleased.
“…” Shen Mo pulled off the ear muffs, slightly embarrassed, and turned his head away.