Chapter 14
Wei Zhuoning hid by the elevator until the end of the first class, then slipped into the classroom through the back door.
Chi Lin, impressed by this tactic, followed suit. As she entered the classroom, someone called her name.
“Chi Lin!”
She turned and saw a tall boy standing behind her, holding a clear glass jar.
Inside the jar, a swirling mixture of sky blue and pink liquid, filled with tiny, rising orange stars that burst into miniature flowers upon reaching the surface.
It was like fireworks in a jar.
The boy was handsome, with sharp features, but Chi Lin was more captivated by the mesmerizing drink.
“You’re late,” he said. “Did you sleep in? Haven’t had breakfast? Here, drink this.”
Chi Lin sensed an underlying meaning and hesitated.
The boy, however, grabbed her wrist and placed the jar in her hand.
“Don’t be polite. I’m Teng Jiang from Class 1. Call me A Teng. I have a basketball game this afternoon, against No. 12 High. I saved you a front-row seat. Come early.”
He winked and walked away.
As Teng Jiang descended the stairs to Class 1, a few boys clapped him on the back, teasing him as they glanced back at Chi Lin.
A playboy. Chi Lin thought, recognizing the type. The hedonistic son of rich parent in Dayuan were no different.
She remembered the Empress’s first confession, a heartfelt poem filled with allusions to historical romances.
The Empress, pouring out her heart while citing historical precedents, had been endearing.
Though the Empress had teased Chi Lin for being unromantic, Chi Lin knew the Empress was far more sincere than any playboy.
The drink was beautiful and intriguing, but Chi Lin discreetly discarded it in the trash can.
Liu Huixin, applying fake nails under her desk, felt a tap on her shoulder.
“What?”
“Check your WeChat,” the boy in front of her said. “I sent you a picture. You’ll like it.”
“What is it?”
“A picture of Teng Jiang.”
Liu Huixin’s eyes lit up. She opened WeChat.
The boy hadn’t lied. It was a picture of Teng Jiang, her long-time crush, holding a jar of “Bewildered Universe,” the latest trendy drink, notoriously difficult to find.
He had managed to get his hands on one… but he seemed to be giving it away.
“Bewildered Universe” was a symbol of romantic interest.
Who was the girl he was talking to?
Liu Huixin studied the girl’s back. It looked familiar.
As she pressed the boy for details, practically ripping his shirt, Chi Lin entered the classroom and sat down.
Her simple ponytail matched the girl in the photo.
Liu Huixin stared at Chi Lin, speechless.
No wonder it looked familiar. It was her own deskmate.
The boy’s knowing glances confirmed her suspicion.
Why would Teng Jiang give such an expensive gift to Chi Lin?
Liu Huixin scrutinized Chi Lin, but there was no sign of the “Bewildered Universe.”
“What?” Chi Lin asked, uncomfortable under her gaze.
“Where’s the ‘Bewildered Universe’? The drink Teng Jiang gave you. Let me see it.”
“What ‘Bewildered Universe’?”
“Don’t play dumb.”
So that’s what it was called. The name suited its peculiar appearance.
Chi Lin, sensing Liu Huixin’s interest, guessed the reason.
Before Liu Huixin could press further, the history teacher arrived.
The class began with another quiz.
Liu Huixin hated history, with its endless names and dates. But at least the quiz had multiple-choice questions, allowing for some lucky guesses.
As she randomly selected answers, she noticed Chi Lin actually pausing to consider each question before answering.
Could she actually know the answers?
Impossible. Chi Lin always relied on her for history quizzes to avoid failing.
What a show-off…
As Liu Huixin glared at Chi Lin, the history teacher approached her from behind and whispered in her ear, “Is Chi Lin so captivating?”
Startled, Liu Huixin accidentally pressed the “Submit” button. Panicked, she pressed “Confirm.”
The quiz was submitted.
Liu Huixin: “…”
She had only answered three questions!
The history teacher, witnessing this, shook his head and walked away.
“Wow, that’s a new level of stupid,” a boy called out, and the class laughed.
Liu Huixin’s face burned. She glared at Chi Lin, who seemed oblivious to the commotion, still focused on the quiz.
Still showing off.
After history class, the students went for their exercise break.
The classroom was empty, except for one figure.
Liu Huixin, halfway to the field, turned back and snuck into the classroom. She poured a can of cola onto Chi Lin’s tablet.
Watching the fizzy liquid seep into the device, a triumphant smile spread across her face.
She tossed the empty can onto Chi Lin’s desk, looked around to make sure no one was watching, pulled a snake out of her pocket, placed it in Chi Lin’s backpack, and left.
Chi Lin was terrified of snakes. Liu Huixin had witnessed her near-paralyzing fear when a bag of snakes had fallen near her feet at a restaurant.
She couldn’t wait to see Chi Lin’s reaction and capture her terrified expression to show Teng Jiang what kind of girl he was interested in.
As Liu Huixin left, Wei Zhuoning, entering the classroom from the other elevator, saw her.
Having reattached her broken belt with a string, Wei Zhuoning had returned to finish writing.
She was 500 words away from completing the chapter. The 20-minute exercise break was the perfect opportunity.
Her readers were eagerly awaiting the update!
She reached into her backpack for her writing tablet, but it wasn’t there.
Where’s my tablet? Why are there only books in here?
No wonder her backpack had felt so heavy this morning. It wasn’t hers.
She had grabbed the wrong backpack after their fall earlier.
Damn these identical school bags.
She swapped backpacks, retrieved her tablet, and resumed writing.
When the students returned from their exercise break, Chi Lin found an empty cola can and a puddle of soda on her desk. Her tablet wouldn’t turn on.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Someone spilled cola… Your tablet is probably fried.”
A few classmates tried to help, attempting to restart it, but to no avail.
“It’s okay,” Chi Lin said. “I’ll take a look at it later.”
Since abandoning her outlandish appearance, Chi Lin had noticed a change in her classmates’ attitudes. Some boys were now more attentive, and even a few girls seemed more friendly and willing to help.
Liu Huixin, feigning concern, said, “I told you not to bring drinks to class. See what happened? You spilled it all over your desk and ruined your tablet. Ms. Qi will be furious. If your parents get called, you’re in trouble.”
Chi Lin, recognizing the tone and implication, had a strong suspicion who was responsible.
Children were so petty. Not only were playboys the same in every era, but so were mean girls.
She decided to ignore Liu Huixin and ask Ms. Qi about getting her tablet repaired.
Liu Huixin, under her desk, pressed a button on her phone.
Everyone’s back. Showtime.
She stared intently at Chi Lin’s backpack, waiting for the snake to emerge.
Nothing happened.
She pressed the button again, repeatedly, but the snake remained unresponsive.
Where’s the snake?
Wei Zhuoning, engrossed in her writing, felt something crawling on her leg.
She looked down and saw a white snake.
It moved quickly, slithering up her arm.
“Holy shit—!” she shrieked, jumping out of her seat.
“A snake!” The students around her scrambled away, some jumping onto their desks.
The snake tightened its grip around Wei Zhuoning’s arm, refusing to let go.
Wei Zhuoning’s face turned pale, tears welling in her eyes.
The snake constricted further, about to strike.
Chi Lin stepped forward, grabbed the snake’s head, and squeezed. The snake went limp.
“Is it… dead?” Wei Zhuoning, hiding behind Chi Lin, her usual bravado gone, peeked over Chi Lin’s shoulder.
“Yes,” Chi Lin said. “It’s not a real snake.”
The students gathered around, examining the detached snake head. It was a realistic robotic toy.
“I know this one,” a student said. “It’s a Halloween prank toy. It’s controlled by a phone app.”
“Did someone put it there on purpose?”
“That’s messed up!”
“It looks so real! Someone could have a heart attack.”
“Wei Zhuoning, who do you think hates you enough to do this?”
“No one!” Wei Zhuoning exclaimed. “I haven’t offended anyone!”
Lin Xiaozhi, her deskmate, playing with her long hair, chuckled. “I can vouch for her. She’s all bark and no bite.”
The students teased Wei Zhuoning, her face turning red.
So embarrassing.
She glanced at Chi Lin, whose expression was calm, as if she had figured something out.
Wei Zhuoning noticed Chi Lin’s clenched fist, stained with blood.
The robotic snake wasn’t made of rubber. Chi Lin must have cut her hand crushing its head.
Wei Zhuoning made a mental note of this.
“Chi Lin, that was impressive! You weren’t scared at all?”
“You crushed it with your bare hands!”
The students crowded around Chi Lin, impressed by her bravery.
Liu Huixin, clutching her phone, sat frozen in her seat.
How did this happen…?
Why was the snake in Wei Zhuoning’s backpack?
Did Chi Lin know all along? Impossible…
That snake was expensive!
Liu Huixin seethed with anger.
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