4 004

The first period of the afternoon was physical education. As the bell marking the end of the lunch break rang, students drifted toward the playground in twos and threes.

Li Hongwen stood up as well. Passing by Yu Linghuan’s desk, he glanced at the box sitting on it—it was definitely a watch box from the brand R. He wanted to ask about it, but before he could, he met Yu Linghuan’s warning gaze. Her eyes seemed to say: "Are you looking for another scolding?"

The question died in his throat.

Just then, someone clapped him on the shoulder. "Brother Wen, what are you staring at? Let's go, let's play ball!"

Li Hongwen replied and persuaded himself: *Forget it, a gentleman doesn't fight with women. If I can't afford to provoke her, I can at least avoid her.* Besides, he figured the watch probably wasn't real; otherwise, wouldn't Yu Linghuan have been showing it off by now?

Once Li Hongwen left, Yu Linghuan took out her phone. She had spent most of the lunch break talking to the system and then napping, leaving no time to check her messages. There were two new ones.

"Brightest Star in the Night Sky": [I heard you beat up Meng Mingzhu at noon?]
"Brightest Star in the Night Sky": [Well done! I’ve been sick of that woman for a long time!]

The corner of Yu Linghuan’s mouth twitched. The person messaging her was Zhao Wenxing from the International Class C. There was rarely any interaction between the International Department and the Gaokao Department; they had only become friends through a stroke of luck, and very few people at school knew about their connection. Judging by the message, the confrontation between her and Meng Mingzhu at the teaching building entrance had already reached the international classes during the short lunch break. And goodness knows how the rumor had been twisted—it was barely a verbal altercation; when had it ever turned into a fight?

Yu Linghuan: [Are you stupid? Why do you believe everything?]

The reply came back instantly with a disappointed emoji.

"Brightest Star in the Night Sky": [It’s fake? I was so excited for nothing!]
"Brightest Star in the Night Sky": [They made it sound so believable, saying you picked a fight with Meng Mingzhu just to back up Meng Xin.]
"Brightest Star in the Night Sky": [I was actually a bit jealous when I heard it. You’ve never fought for me.]

Yu Linghuan: […………]

Sometimes, Yu Linghuan truly wondered what Zhao Wenxing had been fed growing up. He was a rich kid, yet his logic was so bizarre.

"Brightest Star in the Night Sky": [By the way, I’ve been working on a new combo. Log on tonight and let’s spar! Your technique is good, I want to practice against you!]
Yu Linghuan: [School just started, I have homework to do tonight. Might not have time.]
"Brightest Star in the Night Sky": [It’s only the first day, how much homework could you have? Come on!]
Yu Linghuan: [We’ll see. I’ve got PE now, heading to the field.]

After sending that, she put her phone away and glanced at the wall clock. 1:25 PM. Five minutes until class; the rest of the class had already left. Meng Xin’s seat was empty; she hadn't returned all lunch break. She wondered what the head teacher had been discussing with her for so long.

Yu Linghuan stood up leisurely and turned off the lights before leaving the classroom. When she reached the playground, the preparatory bell rang. The girls from Class 1, Grade 12, were gathered in the shade. Seeing her, the class monitor, Shen Ying, waved.

"I really wanted to applaud you for that move on Li Hongwen at noon!" Shen Ying said with a grin. "I’ve wanted to hit him for ages, but as class monitor, if I actually laid a hand on him, Old Qin would kill me."

Old Qin was the head teacher of Class 1 and also their Chinese teacher. Yu Linghuan smiled.

Shen Ying asked, "By the way, why isn't Meng Xin here yet? Do you know why Old Qin called for her?"

"I don't know," Yu Linghuan replied truthfully. "He didn't say why."

Shen Ying frowned. "She won't be late for PE, will she? I should tell the teacher."

As she spoke, another girl chimed in, "Hey, isn't that Meng Xin? She’s coming."

Following her gaze, Meng Xin was seen jogging toward them. By the time she arrived, the final bell had rung. The students gathered in front of the teacher, and Yu Linghuan and Meng Xin only had time to exchange a quick look.

PE classes were separated by gender, and this session was shared between the Gaokao Department’s Class 1 and the International Class A. Yu Linghuan was tall—among the nearly forty girls, she was in the top five—while Meng Xin was on the shorter side. They stood at opposite ends of the line, leaving no chance to talk. However, Yu Linghuan could feel many girls from the International Class stealing glances at them, likely due to the rumors and the incident with Meng Mingzhu.

Since the physical fitness exams weren't until next year and didn't count toward the Gaokao, the twice-weekly PE classes were mostly for relaxation. The teacher had them jog three laps and warm up before bringing out equipment. The girls were divided into four teams to play dodgeball. Yu Linghuan and Meng Xin were on different teams. After explaining the rules, the teacher went off to attend to some business, leaving them to their own devices.

The teams began their match. Yu Linghuan’s team was on the offensive. She had been a star athlete since elementary school and had even been on the school swim team, winning numerous awards. However, training took too much time, so she had given up the competitive path in middle school to focus on her studies, keeping swimming only as a hobby.

Yu Linghuan was agile and powerful. As soon as the match started, she hit two people in quick succession with the soft ball. Under her team’s relentless assault, the opposing side was eliminated within two minutes. The opposing team’s sports representative wiped sweat from her brow and gave Yu Linghuan a look of genuine admiration. "Impressive! Let’s take a break and then switch sides."

Just then, a commotion broke out on the other side of the court. Everyone turned to look. Unlike Yu Linghuan’s game, the other match was more evenly matched. Meng Xin was on the attacking side. Suddenly, she was seen clutching her shoulder—she had clearly been hit.

Several classmates gathered around her, asking if she was hurt. Not far away, Tang Jingdan from the International Class laughed. "Oh, my bad. My hand slipped, and I accidentally hit a teammate."

She said she was sorry, but there was no apology in her tone.

Shen Ying, who was checking on Meng Xin, turned and glared at Tang Jingdan. "That’s the second time you’ve hit Meng Xin in a minute! And the teacher said not to aim for the upper body. Why are you throwing the ball so high?"

Tang Jingdan shrugged indifferently. "What can I do? I already apologized, and it wasn't on purpose."

Shen Ying took a deep breath. It was obvious that Tang Jingdan was targeting Meng Xin. As class monitor, Shen Ying felt she had to step up for her classmate. But before she could speak, a scream rang out. Tang Jingdan, who had been gloating, was now staring at someone in shock.

"Yu Linghuan!" Tang Jingdan shrieked. "What are you doing?!"

The others hadn't even realized what happened. Yu Linghuan simply brushed the dust off her hands and said airily, "Oops, my hand slipped."

Tang Jingdan couldn't believe it was an accident. Her expression twisted. "How dare you!"

"Huh? I don't know what you're talking about," Yu Linghuan said, the corner of her mouth curling up. "What can I do? It’s not like I hit you on purpose."

Her tone mimicked Tang Jingdan’s exactly, but her gaze was steady and open. She turned to Meng Xin. "Where else did she hit you?"

Before Meng Xin could answer, Shen Ying blurted out, "Her leg."

In the next second, Yu Linghuan picked up another ball from the ground and threw it at Tang Jingdan’s calf. The distance was less than two meters. Yu Linghuan was too fast, and Tang Jingdan never expected her to repeat the "mistake" so brazenly. The ball struck Tang Jingdan’s leg hard, and she screamed again. Even though the balls were soft, being hit at such close range still stung.

The crowd was stunned into silence. Tang Jingdan looked at her leg in disbelief, then shrieked hysterically, "Yu Linghuan! Are you crazy?!"

"Why would I be?" Yu Linghuan pulled at the corner of her mouth. "Like I said, it was just an accident. Not on purpose."

Yu Linghuan’s voice was so calm that it sent a chill down Tang Jingdan’s spine, causing her to instinctively step back. Realizing something, she took an even larger step back, crossing her arms over her body as if afraid of another sudden strike.

From a "safe" distance, Tang Jingdan roared, "I’m warning you, it doesn't matter if you don't admit it! Everyone saw you hit me! If I’m hurt, you’ll have to pay for all my medical fees and check-ups! Can you afford that?"

Yu Linghuan sneered, just about to reply, when a gentle but firm voice sounded from nearby: "I can afford it."

Every eye turned to Meng Xin. Tang Jingdan turned her head slowly, staring at Meng Xin in disbelief. "Y-you, what did you say?"

Picking on Meng Xin in PE was something Meng Mingzhu had instructed her to do. According to Meng Mingzhu, Meng Xin was timid, a pushover who wouldn't dare make a sound when bullied. That was why Tang Jingdan had been so bold. But now, Meng Xin looked at her with calm eyes, showing no signs of cowardice.

Facing Tang Jingdan, Meng Xin repeated, unhurriedly, "I’ll pay. I can afford any amount."

The silence that followed was absolute. At that moment, everyone was thinking the same thing: *Yes, the daughter of the Meng family could certainly afford any medical bill.*

Tang Jingdan’s face turned visibly pale.