Chapter 21 Part 1

Zhu Lexing was still dazed when Zhu Lin rushed onto the stage and pulled her into a thorough check-up. “Are you hurt anywhere? Come on, we’re going to the hospital right now—”

Jiang Yue put on a concerned expression, but her gaze drifted toward the side stage.

A group of school leaders trailed behind them. As soon as Zhu Lin opened his mouth, someone chimed in. “Mr. Zhu, we’ve already sent people to check the surveillance footage. We’ll definitely figure out which part of the setup failed…”

“Check? And then conclude it was just an accident at the end?” Zhu Lin knew this script all too well and snapped back in fury. “This isn’t going to end so simply—”

Seeing his agitation mounting, with even ten people unable to hold him back, Zhu Lexing finally snapped out of it. “It wasn’t an accident.”

Zhu Lin’s words cut off mid-sentence.

Zhu Lexing lifted her eyes to Lin Qingxing standing behind him. The man looked equally concerned, clearly not expecting her sudden gaze. “Lexing, what’s wrong?”

“I saw Lin Yang,” Zhu Lexing said calmly. “Just a few seconds before the lamp fell.”

Lin Qingxing’s expression turned ugly in an instant. “Lexing, what are you implying?”

The school had partnerships with both the Zhu and Lin families, so the leaders naturally knew who Lin Yang was. But what did she have to do with the chandelier?

Though puzzled, the Dean of Students reacted first.

No matter what role Lin Yang played in this, as long as Zhu Lexing stuck to her story, the school’s liability would shrink considerably.

He spoke up immediately. “What’s going on here? What does this have to do with Lin?”

He repeated it twice before Lin Qingxing’s face grew icy. “Lexing, what exactly are you saying? Little Yang was home all day and never came to school. How could she possibly be in the auditorium?”

Zhu Lin frowned too. “Lexing, maybe you saw wrong.”

As Zhu Lexing recalled Lin Yang’s face and that innocent gesture she’d made with a smile, a chill crept up her spine.

If her position had been just a little farther from Yan Mian.

If that lamp had really fallen.

What would have happened to Yan Mian now?

Zhu Lexing didn’t dare imagine it. Her own face hardened. “I know what I saw. Uncle Lin, instead of questioning me, why don’t you ask around the Lin Family?”

Lin Qingxing said coldly, “I know Little Yang had a little run-in with Yan Mian, but that’s between them. You’re spreading rumors.”

Zhu Lexing let out a cold scoff. “If it’s a rumor, just have Lin Yang come here, and we’ll know.”

Lin Qingxing glanced at one of the leaders—a balding man with a Mediterranean haircut—who quickly spoke up. “Zhu was just saying she saw Lin. Now you’re asking her to come over?”

“I don’t want to waste words on you,” Zhu Lexing said, turning to Jiang Yue. “Call the police.”

Jiang Yue’s face had been grim throughout, and she’d been spacing out ever since Lin Yang’s name came up.

Suddenly called out, she instinctively glanced at Zhu Lin. “Lexing, isn’t calling the police a bit rash? After all…”

If it had just been a school issue, Jiang Yue wouldn’t have hesitated. But with the Lin Family involved—and Zhu Lin on good terms with them—she instinctively sided with the one who could offer her protection.

Zhu Lexing nearly laughed from sheer anger.

She pointed at the floor where the suddenly plummeting lamp had smashed most of itself, its fluorescent tubes stabbing into the steel beams below. “If it hadn’t been me, Yan Mian would’ve been the one crushed.”

Only then did Jiang Yue pull out her phone.

On the side stage.

A cold breeze brushed her face, and Yan Mian finally felt herself clearing up a bit.

The soft touch on her lips lingered, and she subconsciously touched them before pulling her hand back. A few seconds later, as if remembering something, she looked toward the stage.

Behind the curtain, the chandelier was a hazy shadow.

That thunderous crash from moments ago felt like a dream. But Yan Mian knew it wasn’t.

An accident?

The stage had been used for performances countless times, and the chandelier had never even swayed. Why did it suddenly drop at the very end?

Sabotage?

…Who could hate her that much?

The chandelier wasn’t all that heavy, but a direct hit to the head… no one could say for sure what kind of injury it would cause.

As reason returned, Yan Mian realized that everything Zhu Lexing had done was to save her.

The realization left Yan Mian stunned for a long time.

Beyond the curtain, faint arguments drifted from the stage, accompanied by panicked footsteps echoing in the corridor. At the corner, Li Nian spotted Yan Mian and burst into tears. “Mianmian!”

A stern middle-aged woman followed behind her.

Before Yan Mian could speak, the woman said, “Zhu already called the police. Yan, rest for now. We’ll head to the station together later to give statements.”

“…”

The police?

Yan Mian looked toward the stage in shock.

Under the leaders’ evacuation, all the students had cleared out of the auditorium. The stage stood empty, the chandelier having punched a hole in the floor and exposed the steel reinforcement beneath.

At the police station.

The lights blazed bright, and it was nearing nine o’clock.

In front of the officers, Zhu Lexing laid out the whole story. The group jotted down notes, their faces showing clear disbelief. Clearly, none of them bought that a sophomore would sabotage the school anniversary event to drop a chandelier on a classmate.

Zhu Lin tried to dissuade her, but Zhu Lexing wouldn’t hear it, sticking firmly to her conviction. She glanced at Lin Qingxing’s sour face. “Uncle Lin, haven’t called home to check on Lin Yang yet?”

Lin Qingxing’s brows furrowed.

On the way over, he’d already phoned home and learned that Lin Yang had indeed snuck out around seven but had returned just ten minutes ago.

If he revealed that, the suspicion on her would skyrocket. Even if she was innocent, the label would stick.

How could anyone from the Lin Family be tainted by such scandalous gossip?

No matter what, Zhu Lexing was just a little girl with yellow hair, and Lin Qingxing stubbornly refused to admit anything. “Before Lexing speaks, it’s best to have some evidence. Little Yang hasn’t arrived yet, and you’re making baseless accusations like this—it’s really unfair to Little Yang and your friendship.”

Zhu Lexing let out a cold laugh.

Friendship? Who had any friendship with Lin Yang?

Just out of jealousy, she’d rigged the chandelier to drop and hurt someone… or even kill. And they wanted to pass it off as putting on a musical? Smash however they liked?

Amid the argument, the door was pushed open, and Lin Yang walked in.

She was dressed in pajamas, looking like she’d just been dragged out of bed in a casual, disheveled style.

But her expression wasn’t as relaxed as her outfit. She was biting her lip, clearly reluctant. When she spotted Zhu Lexing, her mouth fell slightly open.

Lin Yang had never imagined Zhu Lexing would escalate things this far.

In her mind, Zhu Lexing had always been utterly rude to Yan Mian—bordering on outright dislike. Before arranging for the tampering, she’d confirmed the chandelier wouldn’t cause serious harm even if it fell.

She’d only wanted Yan Mian to suffer a little.

Why go to the police station?

Lin Yang started to panic, her guilt plain as day. The officer taking notes sensed something and was about to speak when a man’s cheerful voice cut in: “Sorry to trouble you again this time.”

The next moment, a stern-looking man strode in. His high status was obvious; everyone’s tones carried a note of respect.

He spoke up: “They’re all just students. A bit of roughhousing is normal. Blowing it up this big isn’t good for anyone. They can apologize to each other and go home.”

Someone blurted out in shock, “This was the stage light falling during the performance…”

What did that have to do with roughhousing?

But Zhu Lexing instantly recalled what Zhu Lin had mentioned that morning—Lin Yang was supposed to apologize to Yan Mian.

She glanced at the man in a suit behind him.

He had an ordinary face but exuded a sinister air. No introduction was needed; Lin Qingxing called out, “Little Song.”

Lin Song, Lin Yang’s brother.

In the ensuing silence, the man’s interrogation pressed on: “The stage light fell during the performance. If you want answers, ask the school. What are you doing here?”

“It’s this classmate who suspects—”

“Everything needs evidence. What kind of evidence is mere suspicion? What about the surveillance cameras?”

“…The surveillance cameras are broken.”

Not broken before, not broken after—just conveniently out at this exact moment. Anyone with eyes could see something was fishy.

But the man acted stone-blind and stone-deaf, forcing the play to continue: “If they’re broken, get them fixed. If they can’t be fixed, find other evidence. Why hassle the students?”

Lin Song seized the opening at the right moment: “Uncle Zhu, I know Little Yang’s personality isn’t the best. She’s been very rude to Miss Yan many times. Since we’re here today, it’s to have Little Yang apologize publicly, sign a formal settlement agreement, and put this behind us.”

“After all,” he added meaningfully, “Lexing is fine, and Miss Yan wasn’t hurt.”

If Zhu Lin had been hesitant before, that last line made him pause for several seconds before saying, “That… isn’t bad. Lexing, what do you think—”

“Think what?” Zhu Lexing sneered. “Whatever they say goes? Why don’t you believe me? Do you think I’m lying?”

When in doubt, throw a tantrum.

Lin Song chuckled. “Looks like Lexing still has a lot of grievances. Uncle Zhu, you’ll have to work on her some more. I’ll step out for a smoke. Excuse me.”

Once he left, Lin Qingxing started buttering up again. Even Lin Yang finally got the hint, bowing to Zhu Lin and claiming she shouldn’t have clashed with Yan Mian.

It all played out like typical high school friction—an impulsive spat that landed them at the station.

Once tempers cooled, it was just apologies and settlements, everyone going home.

Zhu Lin said, “See, Lexing? Even Brother Lin Song is right. You’re fine, Little Mian is fine. We’re all acquaintances—making a huge fuss like this—”

Zhu Lexing got it now. This really was a world full of villains.

She stopped counting on Zhu Lin and avoided meeting Lin Song’s gaze. The vicious vibe he gave off was far stronger than anything she’d sensed from the others.

She hadn’t forgotten that Omega named Shi Ruofeng.

She’d been puzzled before—Lin Yang might seem cold and sharp, but in the original work, she was utterly devoted to the original host. She wouldn’t get intimate with anyone else, let alone set up something so messy.

Now it made sense…

Lin Song was pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

After a few seconds of silence, Zhu Lexing suddenly stood. “Where’s Yan Mian? If there’s a settlement agreement to sign, she’s the one who needs to sign it. The light was falling on her.”

Outside the door.

Yan Mian sat on a long bench.

Despite being the “victim” in this farce, she was bundled in a coat, utterly still and quiet.

Under the harsh white lights, her shadow stretched long and lonely.