Chapter 27
1195 Words
The sudden outburst was like a thunderclap on a sunny day, instantly freezing the air in the classroom. Compared to the noise and bustle outside, the silence inside was deafening.
Everyone who hadn't left yet seemed to be put on pause, all eyes locked on the scene unfolding before them.
Lin Yuyi bore the brunt of it. He was so startled he jumped up, stammering, “W-What are you… What do you want…”
“Don’t make me repeat myself,” Xu Mei said coldly, still leaning on her chair, her eyes fixed on Lin Yuyi.
“T-They were all talking…” Lin Yuyi regained a bit of composure, but his voice turned defensive and resentful. “Why are you only coming at me?”
“Who’s ‘they’?” Xu Mei asked.
Feeling embarrassed being confronted like this, especially by a girl in front of so many people, Lin Yuyi didn’t have the guts to argue head-on. He turned to leave. “Everyone’s talking! The whole class, the whole school—go ask them if you’re so capable!”
He tried to push past her, but as he stepped into the aisle, a long leg shot out and landed squarely on a stool, blocking his path.
“You try taking one more step,” Feng Xiao Zhi said coolly.
She was even taller than Xu Mei, and with her short hair and sharp features, she carried an even more imposing presence. Lin Yuyi hesitated, then quietly backed off.
Most first-year students had just broken free from the strict constraints of high school and were eager to "live a little," always chasing some thrill. But deep down, most of them were just pretending to be tough.
Still, art students were a little bolder than most. That’s probably why so many of them had added Xu Mei on WeChat tonight. In a regular class, it would’ve been unthinkable for a guy to try hooking up on the first day of school.
Lin Yuyi was already overwhelmed. “W-What do you even want? So I was wrong, okay? I didn’t—didn’t mean anything…”
“Give me a name,” Xu Mei said coldly. “Don’t tell me ‘everyone.’ I want a name. Who told you?”
His hand trembled slightly as it gripped the desk. He looked like he wanted to say something but couldn’t.
“If you don’t, I’ll print out your phone number two thousand times and plaster it all over Pink Street,” Xu Mei said, her tone flat. “Since you seem to enjoy this kind of thing.”
Every city seemed to have a place like Pink Street, known for its shady business. Xu Mei had read about it in a book, and this city had one too.
“I’ll say it! I’ll say it!” Lin Yuyi finally broke down, face flushed. “It was Zhou Lei who told me.”
As soon as the name was out, a girl bolted from the back door—clearly, she was Zhou Lei.
Feng Xiao Zhi reacted fast, grabbing Lin Yuyi’s notebook and hurling it. It landed right at Zhou Lei’s feet, halting her escape.
Xu Mei and Feng Xiao Zhi walked over, and Zhou Lei burst into tears. “I—I just heard it from someone else…”
The commotion had drawn a crowd. Even the hallway was packed with students gossiping like a swarm of flies.
“Same rule,” Xu Mei said firmly, standing in front of Zhou Lei. “Just give me one name.”
Zhou Lei trembled and couldn’t answer.
From the front of the classroom, a girl with bleached blonde hair shouted, “Why are you acting so high and mighty? We all heard it from your roommates! You didn’t sleep in the dorm last night, did you?”
Xu Mei glanced around—her two roommates weren’t there.
“You’re sure it came from my dorm?” she asked, walking toward the blonde.
“Positive. You did something shameless and now you're mad we’re talking?” the girl snapped.
“Did my roommates say I didn’t return to the dorm, or that I did something shameless?” Xu Mei asked calmly, standing directly in front of her.
The blonde faltered, stepping back. “W-Well… same thing! Someone saw you leave with a guy. You didn’t come back. What else would we think?”
“I see.” Xu Mei nodded. “Then which one of my roommates said that?”
The blonde hesitated, glanced at Feng Xiao Zhi, then said, “Both of them.”
Feng Xiao Zhi’s brow furrowed, but Xu Mei gestured for her to wait.
She dragged a stool across the room and slammed it down on the floor.
The loud bang silenced the room and the hallway again.
“See that guy outside?” Xu Mei pointed to a random male student watching the scene. “He’s checking you out. I think he wants to take you to a hotel tonight. Do you admit it?”
The blonde flushed bright red. “Nonsense! I don’t even know him! You—”
“You don’t have to know someone to hook up with them,” Xu Mei replied.
The girl’s eyes welled up with angry tears.
“Oh, so you can get mad too? Then when you were throwing mud on me, you didn’t hesitate for a second?”
She turned away from the girl and raised her voice. “Yes, I didn’t return to the dorm last night—I went home. If anyone wants proof, I can provide it.”
She dialed a number and put it on speaker.
“Hello, this is Baihe Tower Property Management. How may I help you?”
“Hi, I’m the resident of H Zone, Unit 02.”
“Hello, Ms. Xu! How can we assist you today?”
“Was the surveillance running last night when I returned?”
“Yes, our cameras run 24/7. If you need a copy, feel free to come by. We also have footage of you leaving this morning. Our security guards can vouch for you if needed.”
“Thank you, that’s all for now.”
She ended the call and looked around at the sheepish faces.
“If anyone has a problem with me, say it to my face. But if I hear anyone talking behind my back again, I won’t be so nice next time.” Her gaze landed on the blonde. “Next time, we’ll meet in court.”
She clapped her hands and walked out with Feng Xiao Zhi.
The blonde thought she was coming for her and collapsed onto the floor in fear.
The crowd parted instinctively to make way for them.
As they stepped into the stairwell, cheers erupted behind them. Xu Mei could faintly hear words like “badass” and “I like her.”
Feng Xiao Zhi glanced at her. “I never said anything…”
“I know,” Xu Mei replied.
She’d already figured out Feng Xiao Zhi wasn’t the type. And that blonde girl’s attempt to sow discord had been painfully obvious.
- Writer
