Chapter 73: The Trampled School Bully (3) Part 2

And so, Jiang Yusheng, who had been hurtling along like a gust of wind just a second ago, skidded to a halt.

She felt like a complete moron.

After cursing herself under her breath, she turned to head back.

But she’d charged too far ahead. Even after stopping, she was only a short distance from them now.

The voices of the girl chatting with her friend drifted clearly to her ears.

That blurry face suddenly came into sharp focus at the sound of that familiar yet strangely distant voice—like a sheet of special paper held over a flame, revealing everything hidden beneath.

Jiang Yusheng spun back around uncontrollably.

Just then, the girl and her friend walked right up to her.

Standing there smack in the middle of the path like a live statue, there was no way to avoid drawing attention.

That face, only just clarified by the sound of her voice, now hovered before her, real and tangible.

Jiang Yusheng stared at her in a stupor, her mind echoing with a single thought.

—She was so beautiful.

Compared to Jiang Yusheng’s tangled inner turmoil, Bai Qian remained perfectly calm.

She knew full well that Jiang Yusheng went to the same school as the original host.

Even more remarkably, Jiang Yusheng’s classroom was right across diagonally from theirs. Bai Qian, who often sat by the window, would frequently catch glimpses of her through the half-open pane.

—Though most of the time, she was asleep.

Bai Qian had never considered interrupting her. Just as she’d thought before, Jiang Yusheng—untouched by the susceptible period—was simply a free-spirited high schooler.

Her grades were the only real issue.

Bai Qian had briefly pondered offering some private tutoring.

But then she recalled the original plot: the female protagonist’s mother had hired university students from elite academies and veteran tutors back in junior high. They’d poured money into it without a single point of improvement, so she’d given up entirely.

Bai Qian didn’t pretend to match those professionals, so she saw no point in wasting both their times.

They attended the same school, so running into each other wasn’t likely—but it wasn’t impossible either.

Which was why Bai Qian wasn’t surprised at all to bump into her midway.

She even took the initiative to greet her. “Good afternoon.”

Then, giving Jiang Yusheng’s school ID card on her chest a proper glance, she added, “Senior Sister.”

Jiang Yusheng’s fair face flushed crimson at the words “Senior Sister.”

Her reaction was identical to that day when the susceptible period had passed—no words exchanged, just turning tail and bolting.

Her figure vanished swiftly, with a distinct air of panicked retreat.

Bai Qian’s friend asked curiously, “Bai Qian, is she a friend of yours?”

She smiled lightly. “Something like that.”

“Then why’d she run off without saying a word?”

Bai Qian considered it for a moment and shook her head. “No idea. Come on—class ends in about ten minutes. We can squeeze in a bit more badminton.”

Halfway back, Xu Zhiyu caught up to her at a leisurely pace and glanced toward where Bai Qian had gone. “Sheng Jie, is that girl a friend of yours?”

“She’s not my friend!” The words burst out of her almost involuntarily.

Ignoring Xu Zhiyu’s suddenly knowing look, she forced a calm tone. “Let’s go. Didn’t we agree to play ball with those other girls? Class isn’t over yet—we’ve got time for another round.”

Xu Zhiyu wisely didn’t call her out on her uncharacteristic behavior. “Sure.”

After answering, she twisted back for another glance in the direction Bai Qian had disappeared.

Just in time to catch Bai Qian turning, her exquisite profile laid bare in Xu Zhiyu’s line of sight.

This time, Xu Zhiyu clearly saw the girl’s face. She stared for two seconds before looking away, the corner of her lips curving slightly.

~~~

Once she learned that girl was actually her schoolmate, Jiang Yusheng felt a mischievous little kitten take up residence in her heart.

The kitten didn’t scratch to hurt. It just teased.

Every now and then, it would paw at her heart with its tiny, immature claws, leaving her restless and distracted.

Xu Zhiyu came over with a bag of chips, tore it open, and offered one to her. “Sheng Jie, I found a school ID card this morning. You know everyone—help me ask around if anybody recognizes the owner so we can give it back.”

Jiang Yusheng barely glanced at it. She plucked a chip and crunched it between her teeth. “School ID? Doesn’t the Security Office have a Lost and Found Box? Just drop it there.”

“But this junior’s face looks so familiar. I swear I’ve seen her somewhere before.”

The word “junior” made Jiang Yusheng’s chewing falter for a split second. She coughed lightly, feigning nonchalance. “What’s her name? Hand over the ID. I might know her.”

Xu Zhiyu really had picked it up—just outside the Freshman Teaching Building, in the grass along that gravel path. She’d been walking by when the hair tie she’d worn for over half a year suddenly snapped.

She bent down to hunt for it amid the grass, the thin black string stark against the fresh green blades. As she hooked it up, her peripheral vision snagged on the school ID.

She had to admit—if not for the face staring back from the photo, she wouldn’t have bothered playing Good Samaritan.

Xu Zhiyu fished the card from her pocket and set it on the table. She clearly caught the way Jiang Yusheng’s gaze sharpened.

The girl smiled knowingly, her eyes gleaming with understanding.

“Know her, Sheng Jie?”

Jiang Yusheng looked away. “Nope.”

“Alright then.” Xu Zhiyu reached to take it back. “You’re right, Sheng Jie. The Security Office has a Lost and Found Box. I’ll just drop it there. When the junior realizes it’s gone, she’ll go look. So I’ll—”

Someone snatched it midway. Jiang Yusheng palmed the card smoothly, her expression as casual as ever. “I’ve got a friend in Class Fifteen. Was heading to see her anyway. I’ll drop off the ID while I’m there.”

Xu Zhiyu grinned. “Not surprised—Sheng Jie knows everybody. When’re you going? I’ll loop in Lin Erxing, and we can tag along.”

“No need.” The refusal came too quick. Meeting that teasing glint in Xu Zhiyu’s eyes, Jiang Yusheng’s voice eased back to its usual breezy drawl. “It’s just returning a card. Takes five minutes. I got it.”

~~~

Jiang Yusheng had been to freshman classrooms before.

Clutching the card as she climbed the stairs, she snuck another glance.

The photo showed soft features and eyes like limpid pools, as if they could peer straight into your soul.

She hadn’t lied to Xu Zhiyu. She really did have a middle school junior in Class Fifteen.

She’d dropped by at the start of term to deliver something, but weirdly… how had she never noticed this girl before?

“Senior Sister, what brings you to our class today?”

A girl’s voice snapped her from her thoughts. Jiang Yusheng turned and realized she’d reached the classroom door.

Her grip tightened instinctively on the card in her palm. Facing the girl’s puzzled look, she patted her school pants pocket—jackpot, something was in there.

“Came to drop off something for you.”

The girl’s eyes lit up with delight. Then she saw what Jiang Yusheng pulled out, and her expression froze. “Senior Sister?”

All the way from the Sophomore Teaching Building… for a single lollipop?

Jiang Yusheng nodded. “Here. Eat more sweets—life’ll taste sweeter.”

“…Thanks.”

The girl took it with murmured thanks. When Jiang Yusheng showed no sign of leaving and kept staring, she unwrapped it right there and popped it in her mouth.

“Anything else, Senior Sister? If not, I’ll head in and preview next period.”

Jiang Yusheng opened her other palm, revealing the unremarkable school ID.

Her fair skin bore a red indentation from gripping it too tightly on the walk over.

“This your classmate’s? Friend of mine found it on the path.”

The girl glanced at the name and read it aloud without thinking. “Bai Qian. Yeah, she’s in our class. So you came all this way just to return it, Senior Sister?”

Now it made sense. Otherwise, trekking over for one lousy candy was downright bizarre.

“She sits right behind me, so let me thank you on her behalf first, Senior Sister. You’re so kind to come all this way yourself. Actually, you could’ve just left it at the Security Office—we always check there whenever we lose something, in case someone’s turned it in.” With that, she reached out to take the item from Jiang Yusheng’s palm. “Here, Senior Sister, let me—”

Jiang Yusheng didn’t give her a chance to touch the school ID card. She clenched her fist and dodged the gesture as if by accident, then said clearly, “Could you call her out for me? After all, it was my friend who found it. It’s better if she thanks you in person.”

The girl nodded innocently. “Sure, Senior Sister. Wait here just a moment—I’ll go get her.”

Once she’d called for her and watched Bai Qian’s figure vanish through the doorway, a sudden flash of realization lit up her mind. Hold on—Senior Sister’s friend found the school ID, so why had Senior Sister come specifically to hear a thank-you?

Seeing the person waiting at the door, Bai Qian felt a flicker of surprise.

She called out politely, taking the initiative. “Senior Sister?”

Jiang Yusheng felt herself acting strangely now.

Those two floppy ears had clearly vanished, but whatever was wrong with them seemed to have rubbed off on her perfectly normal human ears.

The other girl had simply said “Senior Sister,” and already her ears were burning, itching.

Remembering what had happened that day during her Susceptible Period, she blurted out a question without thinking. “The drink you gave me that day—did you put something weird in it?”

The moment the words left her mouth, Jiang Yusheng’s expression shifted in horror.

She was an idiot.

She’d explicitly warned herself not to mention the floppy ears to anyone, so how had she forgotten the moment she faced this girl?

In her frustration, the other girl spoke up.

“Senior Sister, about what happened that day, I think I should explain.”

Bai Qian had half-expected the question, which was why she’d added a lemon to the purchase that day.

—It made the taste a little different from the inhibitor, but the effect was identical.

“My family keeps a few rabbits, and over the past few days, they’ve barely eaten anything. The vet couldn’t find a thing wrong with them. Fortunately, I know this old lady who’s raised rabbits before. She gave me a bottle of her homemade remedy. I tried it out, and they perked right up, so I was on my way to get more when I ran into you, Senior Sister.”

As she spoke, her gaze drifted meaningfully to the spot on Jiang Yusheng’s head where the two floppy ears had sprouted just a few days earlier.

Recalling how the girl had twice turned tail and bolted without so much as a greeting—such rudeness—Bai Qian couldn’t suppress her mischievous impulse. She leaned in close to her ear and murmured a secret meant only for the two of them.

“How did Senior Sister grow rabbit ears too? Don’t tell me… you’re a rabbit spirit?”