Chapter 17: Leave It to Me
A Lonely Evening
Time passed, and the sky gradually darkened. The blue-haired girl sat in the student council room, her expression dazed, unsure how she had ended up back here.
Along the way, almost everyone was staring at her, whispering. Their gazes pierced her heart like needles.
Ling Hao, seemingly oblivious to Lan Yi’s state, kept talking incessantly.
“That gem was clearly mine to begin with! It’s definitely that bastard’s dirty trick!”
Lan Yi couldn’t make out what Ling Hao was saying. The students’ sudden shift in attitude toward her caused her immense pain. Their whispers echoed in her ears, giving her a faint ringing sensation.
“Lan Yi, are you listening?”
Ling Hao looked puzzled at Lan Yi’s lack of response, shaking her shoulder.
“What?”
Lan Yi snapped out of her daze, but her eyes remained dull, devoid of light.
“I’m saying you don’t need to care about that guy or worry about anything. I’ll deal with him eventually.”
“…Mm.”
Lan Yi forced a strained smile at her childhood friend, Ling Hao.
“Ling Hao, you should head home first. I’ll go back on my own later.”
“Huh? Why? We live so close, I can walk you home.”
Ling Hao looked at Lan Yi, confused, as if asking for a reason.
“…Sorry, I just want to be alone for a bit.”
Lan Yi raised her gaze, looking at Ling Hao with hollow eyes that made his heart skip a beat.
“Please… Ling Hao.”
“…Alright, I get it. Be careful on your own.”
Seeing Lan Yi’s firm attitude, Ling Hao didn’t press further and left for home alone.
With Ling Hao gone, the entire school felt as if it belonged to Lan Yi alone, enveloped in silence.
Drowning in Work
Lan Yi instinctively began working on student council tasks, as if the endless work could make her forget everything.
Plop
A tear fell, wetting the documents. She tried to wipe it away, but no matter how she tried, it wouldn’t clean.
In the empty school, with no one else around, Lan Yi no longer had to pretend to be strong. Despite being a water-element ability user, her tears fell uncontrollably.
Looking at the soaked documents, Lan Yi felt they mirrored her own state. The image she had worked so hard to maintain had been shattered in an instant, and no amount of effort could fix it.
“Seriously… what am I doing? Time to go home.”
The night had fully enveloped the school, long past the time for student activities. But this quiet allowed Lan Yi to feel a slight sense of peace.
Fleeing from Judgment
Lan Yi couldn’t bear the gazes of her classmates. In the morning, they had looked at her with admiration, but by evening, their eyes were filled with disgust and mockery. The change was too sudden, so she chose to escape. At least at home, she wouldn’t have to face this malice.
Lan Yi adjusted her expression and left the school, walking slowly along the riverbank toward home.
Just as she was nearing her house, she heard voices arguing ahead.
“I heard it was around here!”
Instinctively, Lan Yi hid. Looking ahead, she saw a group of students standing in the direction of her home, seemingly searching for something.
“I heard it was around here!”
“You came here just knowing it’s ‘around’?”
Several girls were chattering, one of them frowning at the girl who had spoken.
“Come on, once she goes home, we’ll know exactly which house it is, right?”
“We’ve been waiting until evening. Are you sure your info is accurate?”
“Uh… I overheard it from someone in another class…”
At those words, the other students gave her helpless looks.
“Don’t look at me like that! If this doesn’t work, I’ll dig up more tomorrow. That btch is a natural-born liar, probably spreading fake info to throw us off.”
The speaking student was furious, blaming everything on the so-called “btch.”
“Forget it. Let’s call it a day. Next time, make sure you’ve got solid info before acting.”
Another student shook their head, and the group dispersed.
“Hey, wait!”
But no one listened to her, and soon they were all gone.
Seeing everyone leave, the girl angrily kicked a nearby wall, muttering curses.
“A bunch of btches, all just trying to cozy up to Ye Sheng while acting all high and mighty and giving me attitude.”
After venting, the female student left, still fuming.
A Painful Realization
Lan Yi, who had witnessed the entire scene, collapsed to the ground, trembling slightly, unsure if she was crying or afraid.
At that moment, Lan Yi fully realized she had underestimated what it meant to cross someone from a powerful family like Ye Sheng.
He didn’t need to do anything himself; others would eagerly act to please him.
If she provoked him, she was powerless to resist. Even her family could be dragged into it because of her. Right now, a group of students was near her home, looking for her, making it impossible for her to return.
“At least… I can’t drag my family into this…”
With that thought, Lan Yi shakily stood up, pulled out her phone, and sent a message to her younger brother.
“Tell Mom and Dad not to worry about me. The student council is super busy lately, so I’ll be staying at school for a while. Won’t be coming home~”
“And don’t you dare slack off on your studies just because I’m not there, okay?”
Lan Yi tried to sound as normal as possible, not wanting anyone to notice anything was wrong. A reply came quickly.
“Got it, big sis.”
Relieved, Lan Yi put away her phone, gave a bitter smile, and walked back toward the school.
Morning Rumors
The morning classroom was different from its usual sleepy atmosphere. Students were gathered in small groups, whispering to each other.
“Did you hear about yesterday…?”
If you listened closely, it was about the incident between Ye Sheng and Lan Yi. Even after a day, the topic’s heat hadn’t died down; if anything, it was growing.
A blonde girl frowned, listening to the gossip with clear displeasure. As a member of the student council, Ai Xinglan was frustrated to only hear about this that morning, too late to stop the rumors from spreading.
“Little Ai? You seem upset. What’s wrong?”
The girl turned to see Yu Li, her deskmate, looking at her with concern.
“Did you hear about yesterday?”
“You mean the thing with Senior Lan Yi and Senior Ye Sheng? Pretty much the whole school knows by now.”
Yu Li looked at Ai Xinglan with a puzzled expression, as if wondering what this had to do with her.
“Senior Lan Yi… she’s definitely not that kind of person!”
Ai Xinglan spoke passionately, her tone resolute, as if she knew Lan Yi well.
“Does Little Ai know Senior Lan Yi?”
“Yeah… we’re both in the student council. Senior Lan Yi is really kind. From what I know, she’s never accepted gifts from anyone.”
Ai Xinglan spoke to Yu Li with a serious tone.
“So Little Ai trusts Senior Lan Yi?”
“She’s kind to everyone, so… I believe in her.”
Yu Li rubbed her face and flashed Ai Xinglan a bright smile.
“Mm… then I trust Senior Lan Yi too.”
“Huh?”
“Because I trust Little Ai, I’ll trust the person Little Ai trusts. So… how do we help Senior Lan Yi?”
A Bond of Trust
Seeing Yu Li’s smile, Ai Xinglan was momentarily stunned.
No one had ever placed such trust in her before. Just because she believed in someone, Yu Li was willing to trust too. Warmth filled Ai Xinglan’s heart.
But she had never dealt with something like this, and her mind was still clouded with confusion.
“I… don’t know.”
“Huh?”
“Senior Lan Yi is in so much pain. I don’t want to see her like that.”
Ai Xinglan shook her head, looking lost.
“I can’t forgive those bstards spreading rumors… but I don’t know what to do…”
“Little Ai… you’re really kind, aren’t you?”
Yu Li smiled gently and suddenly reached out to pat Ai Xinglan’s head.
“Hey, what are you doing all of a sudden…?”
“Don’t worry, Little Ai. Leave this to me.”
“Huh?”
Ai Xinglan looked at Yu Li, confused, unsure of what she planned to do.
“Do you trust me, Little Ai?”
Yu Li stared into Ai Xinglan’s eyes, asking earnestly.
“…Mm.”
Seeing Yu Li’s confident demeanor, Ai Xinglan nodded softly.
“Leave it to me. I just… need a little time.”