Chapter 10: So That Makes You a Good Person?
Lan Qingqing crossed her arms. “Someone’s really something, huh? Just broke off with me and immediately made friends with someone else.”
Chen Qianxi frowned and couldn’t help snapping back, “Do you think I’m like you? I genuinely want to be friends with Jiujiu. Not like you—being friends just to copy homework. You’ve copied so much from her; must’ve felt great, huh? Free answers every time you came over.”
Lan Qingqing snorted. “And you’ve never copied anything? She offered to let me copy.”
“Bull! You were the one who asked her! I might not be in this class, but when I passed by, I saw it—clearly it was you shamelessly asking Jiujiu for answers.”
“You—” Lan Qingqing started to retort.
Lin Yuejiu quickly cut in, “Xixi, class is about to start. You’d better get back.”
“But Jiujiu, you—”
“I’m fine. What could possibly happen in school? I’m fine, go on.”
“Alright then. I’ll come again later.”
Chen Qianxi left, and Lan Qingqing, with nothing else to say, returned to her own seat.
The classroom fell silent.
Xu Nianshen asked her, “When did you make such a righteous friend?”
“She’s my roommate.”
“Good for you. At least you still have friends. I thought you’d lost the ability to make any.”
Lin Yuejiu: “??? You’ve got the nerve to say that? Do you have that many friends?”
Xu Nianshen gave her a sideways glance. “More than you.”
“…”
“The exam’s the day after tomorrow. Start preparing early.”
“Got it.”
Soon it was noon. Xu Nianshen tidied his desk, stood up, then paused and asked, “Want to come with me?”
Lin Yuejiu shook her head. “No need, I’m going to the cafeteria.”
He didn’t push it. Instead, he pulled a piece of Wangzai milk candy from his pocket and handed it to her.
She raised an eyebrow at the little red-wrapped candy in his pale palm, her voice tinged with a smile. “Why do you carry Wangzai milk candy around? Do you really like it that much?”
Xu Nianshen gave a short laugh. “It’s you who likes it. When we were kids, you’d run straight to the shop after school to buy these. Your pockets would be full of them, and you kept eating them even when your teeth hurt. Never learned your lesson.”
Lin Yuejiu glared at him.
He raised the candy slightly. “Want it or not?”
She took it with a light hum. “Who says no to free candy?”
Xu Nianshen chuckled. “I’m off. Call me if you need anything.”
She watched his departing back, tightened her grip on the candy, and her lips curved faintly.
Not long after he left, Chen Qianxi came over. “Jiujiu, let’s have lunch together.”
“Alright.”
When Lin Yuejiu walked into the cafeteria, every gaze turned toward her.
It was peak lunchtime, with students from all three grades present.
“That fake heiress—is that her?”
“Yeah, that’s her.”
“Now that her real identity’s out, she can only eat in the cafeteria?”
“She actually came here before too, just not often.”
“Not often, exactly. Now that she’s left the Lin family and has nothing to do with them, she’s stuck here.”
Most of the gossipers were first and second years. The third years were too busy—once they finished eating, they rushed out.
Chen Qianxi leaned close and said quietly, “Jiujiu, just ignore them.”
“I know,” Lin Yuejiu replied.
“Hey, let’s get that dish I like?”
“Sure.”
The two carried their trays to find seats. As they passed, Lan Qingqing happened to walk by. She let out a cold snort. “This fake heiress, used to eating delicacies, probably can’t stomach the common folk’s food now, huh?”
Lin Yuejiu focused on eating and ignored her.
Chen Qianxi originally wanted to retort, but when she saw Lin Yuejiu not reacting, she also stayed quiet.
The two of them completely ignored her.
Lan Qingqing was so angry her mouth twisted. “Hey! I’m talking to you two! Didn’t you hear me? Where’s your manners?”
Chen Qianxi slowly finished the meatball in her mouth. “And you’re one to talk about manners? Other people are eating peacefully, and you just have to come over to get some sense of presence? Feeling upset because your old friend made a new friend? You just had to come over and take a bite, huh?”
Lan Qingqing’s eyes widened. “Are you insulting me?!”
Chen Qianxi looked all innocent. “I never mentioned any names. If you insist on sitting in that seat with the ‘code name,’ that’s on you.”
Lan Qingqing was fuming, then turned her gaze back to Lin Yuejiu. “Birds of a feather flock together—if you’re not a decent person, your friends won’t be either.”
Chen Qianxi’s temper flared. She stood up. “Who are you talking about?”
She rolled up her sleeves as if ready to fight.
Lan Qingqing instinctively stepped back a few paces, but her mouth kept running. “Am I wrong? Look at what kind of person she is—full of lies…”
“And you’re a good person, are you?”
“What?” Lan Qingqing didn’t react right away.
Lin Yuejiu stood up, looking at her with eyes full of indifference. “You think you’re a good person?”
Lan Qingqing stretched her neck, speaking righteously. “Aren’t I?”
“Heh.” Lin Yuejiu let out a light laugh. “You being a good person is the funniest joke I’ve ever heard. You used to claim to be my ‘good friend,’ yet you copied my homework every day. Every time you asked me out, it was so I would pay the bill. You say you’re my friend? What kind of friend talks behind someone’s back? And not just once or twice. You calling yourself a good person just tarnishes the words ‘good person.’”
Lan Qingqing: “You—”
Lin Yuejiu gave her a blank look, then motioned for Chen Qianxi to pick up her tray and return it to the dish collection area.
On the way back, Chen Qianxi finally processed what had happened and got excited. “Wow! Jiujiu, you were so cool just now! The way you snapped back at Lan Qingqing was awesome! That’s how you should deal with them—shut them right up! Every time they see you, they just have to say something. One day they’ll know what it feels like to have others point fingers at them.”
Lin Yuejiu patted her head.
“No need to bother with them.”
“Why not? They’re talking about you, gossiping about you. Everyone’s looking at you with strange eyes—don’t you feel sad?”
“What’s the point of feeling sad?”
Chen Qianxi was stunned.
“If I show I’m sad, will they stop talking about me?”
She hesitantly replied, “No.”
“There’s an old saying: ‘A thousand readers, a thousand Hamlets.’ Everyone has different opinions. Idle tongues are the hardest to stop—I alone can’t silence them.”
Chen Qianxi couldn’t help but ask, “So you’re just going to let everyone gossip and talk about you like this?”
Lin Yuejiu lowered her eyes. “Once some time passes, it’ll be fine.”
That was what she believed at the time.
After school, Lin Yuejiu wandered around for a bit. Chen Qianxi wanted to come with her, but she didn’t allow it.
Unknowingly, she walked near the Lin family’s house. Realizing it, she looked up at the distant lights, then turned to head back.
She had only taken a few steps when a car stopped beside her, and Lin Yimo got out.
Lin Yuejiu saw him, stopped, and wanted to call “brother,” but the word didn’t come out.
Lin Yimo frowned when he saw her. “Why are you here?”
“I’m just taking a walk.”
“A walk that just happens to head toward the Lin family?” His tone carried a hint of mockery.
Lin Yuejiu looked up at him. “What are you trying to say?”
“Are you short on money, or are you here to put on some tragic act?”
Lin Yuejiu’s hands clenched by her sides.
“You should know, our Lin family has nothing to do with you anymore. You’re just Lin Yuejiu now.”
“…I’m just passing by.”
After she said that, she turned to leave.
“Wait.” Lin Yimo stopped her.
She halted, and he pointed at the bracelet on her wrist. “That was my birthday gift to my sister. Since you’re not my sister anymore, take it off.”
