A Flicker of Defiance

“What did you say?”

Ye Xingmian kept her head down, eating without another word.

Lin Ziyan found her behavior strange but paid it no mind. Ultimately, she had only acted on a whim; she didn’t genuinely need any gratitude.

Of course, that didn’t mean she was pleased with the reaction.

“Hey, I asked you, is your fever gone? Did the class president take you to the hospital? Or a clinic for an IV drip?”

Ye Xingmian didn’t want to respond. She didn’t know how the other girl knew the class president had taken her away, and she had no desire to ask.

“Hm? I’m talking to you.”

As Lin Ziyan’s tone grew sharp, Ye Xingmian felt compelled to shake her head.

“Ha, I knew it,” Lin Ziyan scoffed. “A little good-for-nothing like you, with your terrible grades and unlikeable personality—why would she ever be that nice to you? Did she just shove some medicine down your throat and dump you at home? And then kick you out into this blizzard to run back on your own? Tsk, tsk. How pathetic.”

Ye Xingmian’s movements froze. Beneath the table, her small hand clenched into a fist.

She could tolerate being insulted, being bullied. She was weak and alone, and she had grown used to it over the years. But she couldn’t bear to hear Lin Ziyan speak about the class president that way.

“It wasn’t like that…”

“Oh? Am I wrong?” Lin Ziyan said with a grin.

“No… The class president isn’t like that…”

“So eager to defend her? Right, right. It wasn’t like that at all. She took you to the hospital, paid hundreds for your treatment, then took the afternoon off to stay home and care for you. She didn’t kick you out tonight; she let you stay in her warm house, and you’ll go to school together tomorrow, never having to return to this home again. Is that it?”

The girl shot to her feet, one hand pressed to her chest as she rounded the table to stand before Lin Ziyan, who noticed that her eyes were red, as if she were about to cry.

“My, my, fists are clenched and everything. Are you angry? Want to hit me? Did I strike a nerve?”

Honestly, this was the first time Lin Ziyan had ever seen Ye Xingmian so incensed. In her memory, the girl was always timid and submissive, never daring to speak loudly, always swallowing her grievances. This new side of her was rather refreshing.

Besides, Ye Xingmian looked quite pretty like this.

Her eyes were rimmed with red, her pink irises shimmering with unshed tears. Yet it wasn’t a look of pure distress; she was genuinely angry, the tightly clenched fists a clear testament to her fury.

Feeling her spirits lift, Lin Ziyan decided to provoke her further.

Still grinning, she sat up from the sofa and leaned in close.

“Go on. Hit me.”

The girl’s fierce gaze faltered.

“What? Isn’t your precious class president important to you? Oh dear, I’ve slandered her so terribly. Hurry up and hit me. But I should tell you, my parents are sleeping just upstairs. If I scream, who do you think will be in trouble?”

‘Yes, yes, that’s the look. The one that says you hate me so much you could grind your teeth to dust, but you’re utterly powerless to do anything about it.’ Watching her, Lin Ziyan couldn’t help but feel a surge of triumph.

“Still staring? Get back to your food. I have questions for you later.”

Seeing her still hesitating, Lin Ziyan added casually.

But just then, a weight suddenly fell upon her—

“Ugh!”

The girl lunged forward, pressing her down. Lin Ziyan was pinned to the sofa, her hands trapped and unable to move.

“What are you doing?!”

Shock and anger flared within Lin Ziyan. She truly hadn’t expected the little coward to actually dare to push her down. But Ye Xingmian was too thin, too light. Even using all her strength, she struggled to restrain a girl who was in far better physical condition. With some effort, Lin Ziyan broke free, planted a hand on Ye Xingmian’s shoulder, and flipped their positions in one smooth motion. The power dynamic was instantly reversed. With her superior strength, she easily pinned Ye Xingmian beneath her.

Strands of messy hair obscured her vision, hiding the other girl’s expression. Lin Ziyan used one hand to brush them away, speaking as she did. “What is wrong with you? Huh? I told you to hit me, and you actually dared to do it? Is that Liu Yinuo really so important to you? What kind of spell did she cast on you?”

Finally, the hair was cleared from her view, and she saw the expression on the girl’s face. The pressure from her hands unconsciously slackened.

Soft hair was damp with tears, and the small, gaunt face was a mask of numbness. There was no light in her cherry-pink eyes, only streaks of tears sliding down her pale, soft cheeks. She looked so broken, so pitiful.

For a moment, Lin Ziyan felt a pang of guilt. She realized she might actually feel sorry for her.

Had she gone too far with the bullying? Surely not. This wasn’t what she’d intended.

The girl continued to weep silently. A wave of uncertainty washed over Lin Ziyan. She didn’t know whether to let go or stay put, trapped in an awkward stalemate.

As the seconds ticked by, Lin Ziyan’s arms began to ache, but the person beneath her remained completely still. She knew she had to do something.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a long, white strip of cloth. As she’d hoped, the girl’s vacant gaze was finally drawn to it, her pink, crystal-like eyes following the movement of her hand.

A triumphant smile spread across Lin Ziyan’s face.

“You want this, don’t you? I don’t even need you to tell me what it’s for. Just apologize to me. Apologize, and I’ll give it back.”

The girl’s eyes stilled again, her unfocused gaze drifting to the ceiling. It was a clear rejection of her offer.

“Tsk, what a pain.”

Though her words were laced with annoyance, Lin Ziyan tucked the cloth back into her pocket and pushed herself up off the girl. Standing over her, she gestured toward the dining table with her eyes.

“Hey, go on and eat. The food’s going to get cold again.”

At her words, the girl slowly rose to her feet and walked toward the table.

Watching her go, Lin Ziyan felt both exasperated and amused. Today’s Ye Xingmian was different. If she had to describe it, it was as if she’d gained a bit of a backbone and lost some of her usual submissiveness. The old her would never have dared to defy her like this. But that was a good thing. A bit of spirit made things much more interesting to ‘train,’ didn’t it?

Besides, that brief scuffle hadn’t been entirely fruitless. She’d initially thought Ye Xingmian’s condition would derail her plans for the night. But their short physical contact had sparked an idea—a brilliant one.

“Hey, you’re still running a fever, aren’t you?”

When the other girl didn’t respond and continued to eat in silence, Lin Ziyan simply grabbed a thermometer and forcibly stuck it under her arm.

During the girl’s weak struggle, she “accidentally” brushed against that soft area. A thrill of delight shot through her. It seemed her guess was correct.