Chapter 63: The Little Follower at the Aristocratic School (Part 12) Part 1

Happy times always passed particularly fast. In the blink of an eye, the moon break was over.

Shen Ke and Qi Yuan returned to school. Walking the distance again, Shen Ke still found it very painful.

She vowed never to go there again unless she took a helicopter like Si Qing.

Without the black gem brooch belonging to Si Qing, Shen Ke only had the white brooch representing a special admission student.

This change was noticed by people at school right away.

[Shock! SK isn’t wearing the black gem brooch anymore! No matter the reason, it means I have a chance!!!]

1L: Damn! I saw it too. Screw it, I’m going to confess!

2L: Now SK is just a little cat without an owner!

3L: Crazy! Is this something to celebrate? Don’t you know how terrifying the class system is in this school? Those red gem holders won’t let SK off!!!

4L: I’m a red gem holder myself. I want her—completely, all to myself. Don’t lump her in with trash like you.

5L: Don’t use dirty tricks. Please, you rich people, I don’t want to see SK turned into your plaything.

…

The post racked up a ton of replies. Lu Yanbai narrowed her eyes as she scrolled through the comments.

The previous post about SK had also blown up.

Besides her, three other people held black gem brooches, and she knew them all. So this SK could only be an affiliate.

Lu Yanbai set down her phone and interlaced her fingers, lightly clenching them into a fist against her chin. SK… Shen Ke.

The image of Shen Ke popped into Lu Yanbai’s mind—that day, sniffling and tearful, begging for a hug.

So spoiled yet so pitiful.

If the SK they were talking about was Shen Ke, then fifty thousand for a kiss made sense.

Even she hadn’t been able to refuse that somewhat unreasonable demand.

To this day, she still didn’t understand why she’d pulled Shen Ke into her arms like that—too intimate, a bit over the line.

Lu Yanbai’s thoughts returned to the post.

She remembered Shen Ke was Si Qing’s affiliate. If she wasn’t wearing the brooch, she was probably discarded.

How pitiful. Without someone to rely on, she’d get devoured.

Sometimes, having just a pretty face wasn’t a good thing.

“Yanbai, what are you thinking about? You’ve been so distracted lately.”

A cool, composed voice sounded from the doorway. Lu Yanbai pulled back her wandering thoughts and curved her lips into a sly smile. “Chi Wan, I just thought of something fun.”

Chi Wan placed the documents on Lu Yanbai’s desk. “These are the anonymous complaint files.”

“Take a look. Come with me this afternoon to handle them.”

Lu Yanbai leaned back in her chair, giving a half-smile. “Chi Wan, after all these years, you need to move on.”

“You know most things in this school are consensual, right?”

“Let’s stop meddling. We can graduate peacefully and go abroad.”

Chi Wan looked at Lu Yanbai before her and said coolly, “Yanbai, didn’t you hear me? These are complaint letters, not consensual deals.”

Lu Yanbai gently rubbed her temple and sighed. “Got it.” Such a stickler.

Chi Wan nodded slightly and turned to leave.

Lu Yanbai tilted her head back, staring at the ceiling as her smile faded.

Chi Wan was the lost child of the Chi Family, found at age ten.

Back then, little Chi Wan had been covered in scars, cheeks sunken, hair dry and brittle—looking fragile and pitiful.

She’d been abused until ten, so Chi Wan had always despised those who used violence to bully others.

When they entered this school, the principal asked Chi Wan to serve as student council president to help manage the students. As Chi Wan’s cousin, she naturally got roped into the vice president role.

She didn’t want to be vice president. Whether those people lived or died had nothing to do with her. But her mom insisted she watch over Chi Wan, since Chi Wan’s methods could get extreme.

Of course, she knew no one could forget being humiliated. But unknowingly, Chi Wan had become the kind of person she hated most.

Lu Yanbai picked up the documents and started reading. When she saw the complaint about Shen Ke, she raised an eyebrow.

Looks like Shen Ke really had been discarded.

Otherwise, no one would dare report an affiliate of a black brooch holder. To those with supreme power, anonymous complaints were worthless.

She really needed to check it out. She didn’t want that pretty little cat-like girl to end up crippled.

Shen Ke saw Si Qing again. Si Qing had lost a ton of weight—her cheeks’ remaining flesh gone, her whole body thin as paper, like she’d blow away in the wind.

Si Qing’s face showed not just sickness but exhaustion too. Her eyes were red-rimmed with fine bloodshot veins.

Shen Ke pressed her lips together, intending to walk past Si Qing.

But Si Qing reached out and grabbed Shen Ke, her voice hoarse and terrifying. “Cough cough, w-wait, wait.”

If there was one black gem brooch holder who was the most popular at school, it was undoubtedly Si Qing.

Si Qing was mysterious and aloof, her features exquisitely sculpted and beautiful. She never got involved in those nasty incidents.

She had only one affiliate: Shen Ke. In a way, Si Qing was exceptionally pure.

Not just black gem brooch holders deserved affiliates. Besides special admission students, everyone else had the right to claim one. Almost everyone treated affiliates like toys.

Dominated and used by higher classes.

Si Qing rarely appeared outdoors at school, usually staying in the classroom or her private lounge.

So her sudden appearance in a busy student area drew a lot of attention.

From special admission students to purple gem and even red gem class students, plenty wanted to become Si Qing’s affiliate.

They’d heard how Shen Ke strutted around, throwing her weight as Si Qing’s sole affiliate.

Shen Ke frowned, her tone unpleasant. “What do you want?”

Si Qing took a deep breath, her fingers trembling faintly. She opened her hand and offered the black gem brooch to Shen Ke. “Shen Ke, it’s yours. I only gave it to you.”

“Don’t refuse it, okay?”

Si Qing’s posture was too humble.

It was a jaw-dropping sight. Those at the top were usually arrogant.

Si Qing’s lips were deathly pale, dotted with black scabs that stood out starkly.

Shen Ke looked at Si Qing. In just a few days, she’d gone from an elegant, aloof young miss to this gaunt, disheveled wreck.

Shen Ke uncomfortably looked away and muttered, “Si Qing, I don’t care about this anymore. You can give it to as many people as you want—I won’t mind.”

Si Qing’s face seemed to pale further. She desperately suppressed the itch rising in her throat and murmured, “Shen Ke, you can’t do this to me.” It was like she’d squeezed out the words with all her strength, laced with a tiny tremor that made listeners want to cry.

This was the first floor of the cafeteria, bustling with students from every class.

Yet Si Qing didn’t care that people saw her like this.

Si Qing clutched Shen Ke’s wrist, staring intently. Her pale eyes weren’t clear anymore—slightly out of control. “Don’t do this to me. It hurts so much.” Si Qing wasn’t crying, but everyone felt like she was. The sorrow in her brows and eyes was too thick.

Shen Ke’s lashes trembled fiercely. “But when you ignored me, did you ever think about how much it hurt me?”

Such a simple sentence plunged Si Qing into hell instantly. “Shen Ke, I—”

Suddenly, Si Qing spotted food flying toward her. She froze, then pulled Shen Ke into her arms, turning her back to take the hit. The food and metal tray slammed into her back.

Shen Ke froze. The tray clattered to the ground with a sharp clang.

Si Qing released Shen Ke and looked toward the thrower—a delicate-looking special admission student in uniform.

Si Qing’s expression turned extremely grim. She walked over to the fallen girl and said in an icy voice, “Apologize.”

The special admission student clutched her waist and stood, teary-eyed yet stubborn. “What are you so fierce for? Fine, I apologize!”

“Sorry, happy now?”

Si Qing clenched her fists tight. “Not to me. To the person behind me.”

If she’d blocked for Shen Ke, that tray of scalding soup and food would’ve hit Shen Ke.

The special admission student glanced at Shen Ke, protected behind Si Qing, a flicker of jealousy in her eyes.

She snorted coldly. “I hit you. I already apologized. Why should I say sorry to her? Don’t think money makes you better than everyone!”

The first floor went dead silent. Onlookers were stunned. Was this a clown? Or did she read too many novels? Spouting lines that ridiculous.

Money did make you better.

And she even seemed to be imitating Shen Ke. Disgusting.

Si Qing’s face went stone-cold. She grabbed the special admission student’s arm hard, dragging her to Shen Ke. In a hoarse voice, she said, “Apologize.”

Shen Ke snapped out of it and frowned at the girl. “You—”

But before Shen Ke could finish, the special admission student wrenched free and shoved Si Qing.

Si Qing’s body was already frail. The push sent her stumbling several steps until she caught herself on a table, looking on the verge of collapse.

The special admission student hadn’t expected Si Qing to be so fragile. She blankly withdrew her hand, bit her lip, and tried to leave.

But as she took a step, a sharp slap rang out across the cafeteria.

The special admission student’s head snapped to the side. She clutched her face, turning back with a pitiful expression. “How dare you hit me!”

Shen Ke pressed her lips together and glared viciously at the special admission student. “Are you insane? Can’t you see how fragile she is?”

Shen Ke was furious. No matter how mad she got, she wouldn’t hit Si Qing. But this idiot had shoved her right into a table!

The special admission student burst into tears. “I just wanted to break free. It wasn’t on purpose.”

Shen Ke glanced at Si Qing, trembling against the table nearby. She frowned and raised her hand for another slap.

But her wrist was suddenly gripped hard. A cold, emotionless voice came from behind. “Didn’t anyone teach you not to hit people recklessly?”

The special admission student lit up at the newcomer and whined pitifully, “President Chi, you’re here.”

Chi Wan nodded slightly and looked down at the girl whose wrist she held.

She’d heard the slap upon entering and seen the red handprint on the other girl’s face. The aggressor was about to strike again.

So Chi Wan had intervened.

“Apologize to her if you don’t want to be punished publicly,” Chi Wan said. Her voice was pleasant—husky and unique.

Shen Ke looked up into Chi Wan’s cold eyes. Hearing her demand an apology to this special admission student, Shen Ke nearly laughed in anger.

Shen Ke was livid. She kicked Chi Wan’s calf hard—her high-heeled loafer made it hurt even if she wasn’t strong.

Bold and aggressive, Shen Ke bellowed, “Are you a stupid bastard? Did you even get the story? And you’re making me apologize? Did a door slam on your head?”

“You’re so damn stupid!”

Chi Wan frowned. She’d never met someone so brazen—a special admission student, no less.

Chi Wan curled her lip coldly and tightened her grip on Shen Ke’s wrist.

Shen Ke let out a pained hum, the corners of her eyes turning red, tears welling up. She looked utterly spoiled. “What are you doing? It hurts! Let go!”

Chi Wan’s gaze was terrifyingly cold. “You know pain too, huh? Then why didn’t you think the person you hit would hurt?”

Shen Ke glared death at Chi Wan, then snapped her mouth open and bit Chi Wan’s neck. Damn it! What kind of nutjob was this? She was pissed!

Everyone’s eyes widened at the sudden twist. Breaths grew shallow.

Chi Wan grunted as her neck was bitten—the first time anyone dared.

Her face darkened. She pinched Shen Ke’s shoulder hard.

Shen Ke yelped in pain and released her bite, getting shoved away.

Staring at the red bite mark on Chi Wan’s throat, Shen Ke wrinkled her nose and snarled fiercely, “Next time, next time I’ll bite you till you bleed!” But with red-rimmed eyes, she looked unconvincing—pitiful, even.