Confrontations at Noon

The entire morning passed without Lin Ziyan uttering a single word to Ye Xingmian. She was as quiet as a mute.

Yet Ye Xingmian felt no relief—only a deeper unease.

She had a nagging feeling that Lin Ziyan was brewing something terrible, but she couldn’t figure out what her tormentor was plotting. That uncertainty kept the girl shrouded in a vague anxiety.

So it went until lunchtime.

Lin Ziyan didn’t even glance at her as she walked out of the classroom and headed for the cafeteria. The girl, however, remembered her morning agreement with Qin Haiyue. Hesitating for a moment, she carefully checked her backpack: her phone and the money Qin Haiyue had given her were still there. Satisfied, she stood up, ready to wait for her companion by the classroom door.

After all, she didn’t know where Qin Haiyue was; the other girl had said she’d find her. Despite her unease, the thought that Qin Haiyue seemed emotionally stable today forced Ye Xingmian to calm herself. It was just a meal, right? It wouldn’t kill her.

Besides, she had accepted such a big favor from her this morning. Running away would certainly not end well.

Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, she glanced around the classroom and froze.

“Class monitor…?”

Liu Yinuo was walking toward her.

Unlike usual, Liu Yinuo’s expression was cold. She approached slowly, her gaze making the girl instinctively uneasy.

When Liu Yinuo reached her, Ye Xingmian instinctively shrank back and asked hesitantly, “Can I help you…?”

Liu Yinuo looked at her. The girl was still timid, her eyes darting away, unable to meet hers. After a pause, she said, “Will you come to my place? We agreed on it.”

“Ah? Class monitor… I…”

The girl was stunned. Recovering, she said, “I’m sorry, class monitor… I have something to do… I can’t go…”

“What is it? Tell me, okay? I can help you solve it!”

“…”

“Why aren’t you talking? Did Lin Ziyan bully you again this morning? Did she threaten you?”

The girl remained silent. She looked at her hand, which Liu Yinuo had grasped, and gently pulled it free.

“Sorry, class monitor… I have to go…”

As she turned to leave, Liu Yinuo grabbed her hand again, tighter this time. She tried to break free, but Liu Yinuo was too strong.

“Where are you going? Can’t you take me with you? Why are you avoiding me? What did I do wrong? Tell me, please?”

Ye Xingmian hesitated, then gritted her teeth. “Class monitor, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s all my fault. Let me go, please! I really have something to do! I’m begging you!”

‘She has to shake off the class monitor before Qin Haiyue arrives, or there’ll be even bigger trouble,’ the girl thought, her eyes growing more resolute.

But Liu Yinuo was unmoved. She pulled the girl closer, grabbing her by the shoulders, staring at her with burning intensity.

“Then tell me, what exactly do you think you did wrong? Say it, okay? Say it, and I’ll help you fix it. No matter what, I’ll forgive you. Just stop running away! Do you know how tormenting this is?”

Her voice grew more agitated, tears creeping into her words. The girl in front of her froze.

“Class monitor…”

Gently placing her hand over Liu Yinuo’s on her shoulder, the girl turned her face away, unable to look at her. She hadn’t realized that her distance would hurt Liu Yinuo this much. She had underestimated her own value in Liu Yinuo’s eyes, still thinking of herself as the pathetic nobody no one cared about.

But maybe this was for the best.

The class monitor cared about her, but no matter how much she cared, if the wound ran deep enough, she would be disappointed and eventually give up, right? This was her chance. If she ran away once more, maybe the class monitor would stop worrying about her.

Yet her heart ached.

What if she told the class monitor everything right now? The class monitor would surely keep her promise, right? She would help find a solution, help her escape the Lin family, and maybe even make the thing she dared not dream of—being together with the class monitor—possible…

But she felt she didn’t deserve it.

The class monitor came from a privileged family, had excellent grades, and a bright future ahead. She shouldn’t be weighed down by a freak like her. That awareness came precisely because she liked Liu Yinuo. She didn’t want to burden her.

All her dodging, all her avoidance, stemmed from this.

‘I’m sorry, class monitor. Forget about me…’

She closed her eyes, steeling herself to reject this kindness. She had never dreamed of wealth or climbing the social ladder. All she had ever wanted was to be reunited with her mother and live a peaceful life. Beyond that, she had never imagined anything else.

Her deliberation ended. Opening her eyes again, she parted her lips to refuse. But…

Footsteps echoed from the corridor, cutting off her thoughts. Both girls turned to look at the source. When she saw who it was, Liu Yinuo’s face twisted in disgust. Recalling the morning’s incident, she instinctively shielded the girl behind her.

“Qin Haiyue, what are you doing here? Come to bully Ye Xingmian again?”

Qin Haiyue…?

Shielded by Liu Yinuo, Ye Xingmian felt dazed. This scene was too similar to that day when the class monitor had rescued her from Qin Haiyue. But in just a few days, the situation had changed drastically.

Ye Xingmian glanced up at Qin Haiyue. Her blond hair was as flamboyant as ever, a smile on her face, and a sharp mockery in her blue eyes.

‘In the end, I couldn’t get rid of the class monitor before she arrived…’

What happened next was no longer within her control.

Qin Haiyue observed them leisurely for a moment, arms crossed, tapping her elbow with her fingers. “I’m here to take my girlfriend to lunch. Is there a problem?”

“Girlfriend?!”

Liu Yinuo spun around in shock to look at the girl behind her. But the girl just hung her head, silent.

Gritting her teeth, Liu Yinuo thought Qin Haiyue was bluffing.

“What nonsense! Stop harassing her! If you bully her again, I swear I’ll call the police!”

“You don’t believe me?” Qin Haiyue raised an eyebrow and shrugged, her blond hair bouncing dramatically with the motion. “Then ask her. We confirmed our relationship last night, didn’t we?”

She pointed at the girl behind Liu Yinuo. Suddenly put on the spot, Ye Xingmian trembled. Liu Yinuo turned her puzzled gaze to her. Under pressure, the girl could only nod in confirmation.

Seeing her nod, Liu Yinuo’s pupils contracted. Her face flooded with disbelief. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind. Would Ye Xingmian really willingly become Qin Haiyue’s girlfriend? After how Qin Haiyue had bullied her? Was that even possible? She urgently wanted to ask if Qin Haiyue had forced her, but before she could speak, Qin Haiyue cut her off.

“See? She admitted it. Do you have anything else to say?”