Jiang Yi leaned against the doorway, looking at the group of students huddled in the center of the classroom. They glanced at her furtively, then continued their whispered conversation, but none dared to speak as loudly as before.
The gauze on her brow and the numerous band-aids on her face made Jiang Yi look every bit the delinquent. Yet, her voice softened as she asked again, “So, no one wants to ask me directly?”
The classroom fell silent once more.
Jiang Yi waited a moment, then lowered her arms and walked towards her desk at the back. “If no one dares to ask, then next time, don’t let me hear you discussing me behind my back. I don’t like your whispers. It’s extremely offensive.”
Like a sharp sword, she radiated a chilling aura as she moved through the room. The students instinctively stepped back, clearing a path for her.
They watched as she reached her desk, pulled out her chair, and sat down.
The sweet-faced class monitor, Lin Yinxi, glanced at Jiang Yi, who seemed so out of place. She bit her lip, struggling for a moment before her curiosity won. Gathering her courage, she approached Jiang Yi and called out, “Jiang Yi…”
“Hmm?” Jiang Yi looked up, glancing at the small monitor with a casual smile. “Something you want to ask?”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Lin Yinxi nodded vigorously, leading a group of students closer. “About what Song Yi said… are you really a…”
Jiang Yi raised an eyebrow. “A bastard?”
The girls surrounding her nodded eagerly.
Jiang Yi chuckled, then her expression turned serious. “According to the broad definition, yes, I am. I’m an illegitimate child. My two mothers aren’t married. I was raised by my mom. And when my mom and my other mother had their relationship, they were both single. It was a normal relationship, nothing to be ashamed of.”
Hearing Jiang Yi speak so openly about her background, one of the students gained some courage and asked curiously, “So you’re not the kind of bastard born from an affair, right?”
Jiang Yi nodded. “That’s right. To be precise, I’m the child of a single woman, born out of wedlock.”
As the saying goes, once the first domino falls, the rest follow. Seeing their classmate’s boldness, the surrounding girls chimed in. “I heard you beat up Song Yi and her group in the cafeteria. Do you have martial arts training?”
Jiang Yi smiled. “I’ve practiced Sanda for a few years.”
The students gasped, then started chattering about Song Yi. “You might not know since you’re new, but Song Yi is quite notorious here.”
Jiang Yi looked puzzled. “How so?”
The students began to enlighten her. “Her family is rich. They own this school, so she usually bullies students without powerful backgrounds.”
“Pulling hair, splashing drinks on people’s skirts, tearing up tests, blocking restrooms—she does it all the time. She has a group of followers who always help her.”
Jiang Yi frowned, clicking her tongue in disgust. “Is she in elementary school? Why is she so childish?”
Lin Yinxi pushed through the crowd, sat in front of Jiang Yi, adjusted her glasses, and said, “She’s harassed a lot of students. She has a foul mouth and is incredibly arrogant. She even harassed our school beauty…an Omega…”
Another student quickly added, “Qin Miaomiao from Class A… I heard their families want them to marry, but Qin Miaomiao likes Jiang Sixian…”
Jiang Yi suddenly remembered the Omega who’d confronted Song Yi in the restroom. Could that girl be Qin Miaomiao?
“Exactly!” Lin Yinxi, perched on her chair, continued gossiping. “Anyway, she’s a very unpleasant person. But you hit her today, so…”
Jiang Yi considered this, then asked with a slight smile, “Will I be expelled?” After all, fighting was a serious offense. If she were expelled, it would significantly reduce her contact with Jiang Sixian.
Lin Yinxi frowned. “It’s possible… but you were able to transfer here, so your family must be well-off. Usually, only students with influential backgrounds can transfer to our school… In your case… which Jiang family are you from?”
The students all stared at her, brimming with curiosity.
Jiang Yi found this amusing. “Just the Jiang of Jiang Yi.”
She placed her hands behind her head, leaned back in her chair, and said teasingly, “I don’t have any powerful connections. I’ll probably be expelled and have to pay compensation. It seems our time together will be short. We’re just classmates for a fleeting moment.”
She was clearly bluffing, and the students didn’t believe her. The sturdy PE committee member, Zhang Tiantian, leaned on her friend, looking at Jiang Yi with a gossipy glint. “Don’t lie to us. You must have some connection to Jiang Sixian’s family. She just defended you. She never gets involved in other people’s business! You’re both from the Jiang family, right?”
The other students chimed in. “Yeah, you both have the same surname. What’s your relationship?”
Surrounded, Jiang Yi said helplessly, “I’m not related to her. We’re not close. Maybe she just wanted to help someone in need?”
A student quietly retorted, “Nonsense! If you’re not close, why did she bring you water during PE the other day? I saw it…”
“Yeah…lots of people saw it.”
The students’ chatter made Jiang Yi’s head spin. She hadn’t realized how energetic and gossipy these high school girls were.
Jiang Yi reflected that it was probably because Jiang Sixian was so famous. Anyone connected to her would attract attention.
She sighed and said earnestly, “We’re really not close. I swear to God.”
As soon as she said this, the students fell silent. Just then, a knock came from the back door. All eyes turned towards the sound.
Jiang Yi followed their gaze and saw Jiang Sixian standing at the back door, her pupils constricting instantly.
Speak of the devil…
Jiang Sixian stood silhouetted against the light, her gaze fixed on Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi couldn’t help but feel that Jiang Sixian was bathed in a golden glow, so dazzling she had to squint.
Was this the protagonist’s aura? Thinking this, Jiang Yi subtly leaned back in her chair.
The usually boisterous classroom was now quiet. Jiang Sixian looked at Jiang Yi, pursed her lips, and said, “Jiang Yi…”
Unsure of her intentions, Jiang Yi tilted her head. “Something I can do for you?”
Jiang Sixian glanced at the students surrounding Jiang Yi, hesitated, and then said, “Could you come outside for a moment?”
Jiang Yi, wary of being in the same space as Jiang Sixian, cautiously scooted her chair back and asked nervously, “What for?”
The surrounding students exchanged glances, their eyes filled with curiosity. Jiang Sixian clearly noticed this and sighed. “Just come outside for a moment.”
Jiang Yi, now extremely resistant to being near Jiang Sixian, coughed lightly and said formally, “Can’t you just say it here?”
Her behavior was so aloof that even the class monitor couldn’t stand it. Lin Yinxi nudged Jiang Yi.
Jiang Yi turned and glanced at her.
Lin Yinxi glanced at the cool and aloof Jiang Sixian, coughed, and whispered in Jiang Yi’s ear, “Just go! Jiang Sixian came all the way here to find you…”
Not only the class monitor, but other students also stared at Jiang Yi, their expressions hinting at exasperation. “Jiang Yi, just go…”
Jiang Yi felt like they were a bunch of lovesick teenagers thrilled to see a couple finally meet, eager for some gossip.
Refusing to comply, Jiang Yi coughed and stared at Jiang Sixian, her expression clearly saying, “I’m not playing along.”
For some reason, Jiang Sixian felt like she could see the words “being difficult” written on Jiang Yi’s face. Jiang Sixian sighed and said quietly, “My mom said…she wants me to go home with you tonight…”
Jiang Yi nodded. “Yes… but I have to go to the office after school to explain what happened today, so you can go home first.”
Jiang Yi thought for a moment, then added, “I’ll have Sister Xiao Qin wait for you at the school gate.”
Jiang Sixian paused, then, under the intense scrutiny of her classmates, nodded. She hesitated, then asked, “Why did you fight today?”
Jiang Yi thought, we’re not close, are we? Why are you asking so many questions?
Life was hard. Jiang Yi sighed. “Fights usually start because of arguments and minor conflicts. What else could it be? It’s none of your business anyway.”
Her attitude was so cold, and with so many people present, Jiang Sixian couldn’t ask further. She just posed one last question: “How are your injuries? Do you need to go to the hospital?”
Jiang Yi gestured to her face, nonchalantly saying, “They’re all treated. It’s nothing serious. Class is about to start. You should go back.”
She dismissed Jiang Sixian as if she were a nuisance. Jiang Sixian, seeing that she really seemed fine, nodded and returned to her classroom.
Jiang Yi sat in her chair, watching Jiang Sixian’s retreating figure. Once she was gone, Lin Yinxi nudged Jiang Yi, her voice full of disbelief. “That was Jiang Sixian! How could you be so cold to her?!”
Not just her, but the other students also turned on Jiang Yi. “Didn’t you say you weren’t close? Why did she come looking for you? She even cared about your injuries, and you’re going home together!”
Jiang Yi could only explain, “We really aren’t close. I only met her a week ago. Our families live near each other, and our parents know each other…”
The students nodded in understanding, saying in unison, “Oh, so you’re family friends.”
Jiang Yi shrugged. “If you want to understand it that way, it’s fine.”
Soon, the bell rang, and the students surrounding Jiang Yi dispersed.
Bruised and sore from the fight, Jiang Yi endured the afternoon classes, finally making it to the end of the school day.
As the bell rang, she stuffed her homework into her backpack and headed out the back door.
The moment she stepped out, she saw Jiang Sixian standing by the railing, holding her backpack in both hands, quietly waiting for her.
Jiang Yi froze, then finally found her voice. “Didn’t I say I had to go to the disciplinary office? You…aren’t going home?”
Jiang Sixian glanced at her and said softly, “I have to go to the disciplinary office too. Let’s go together.”
Jiang Sixian turned and walked away.
Jiang Yi stared at her slender, retreating figure, silent for a moment, then grabbed her backpack and followed.
