Lin Zi had never shown her kindness before, but today was an unprecedented first.
Ye Xingmian looked up at her with slight surprise, but quickly turned her head away silently.
“Feeling better? What’s up?”
“Nothing… I was just thinking if I should go buy you some medicine. I still have some allowance left this month.”
“Thank you for the kindness, I appreciate the thought. No need to trouble yourself spending money.”
A string of deliberately distant polite words made Lin Ziyan’s heart feel a bit cold.
“Qin Haiyue… what did she take you to her house for?”
She couldn’t hold back her curiosity and asked.
“Nothing much, just locked me up for a few days and beat me a few times.”
The understated tone made Lin Ziyan frown.
‘How could it be as easy as she said?’
‘She’s obviously putting up a front for me. So she never intended to tell me any of this.’
‘She’s deliberately distancing herself from me.’
After realizing this fact, Lin Zi felt a bit uncomfortable.
To be honest, she was a little angry. After all, not everyone can handle suddenly going from being superior to having to curry favor with others, especially someone like her.
But out of guilt, she didn’t show any dissatisfaction.
“Are you really okay?”
Lin Ziyan had many more questions and words of concern, but seeing Ye Xingmian’s attitude, she had to shut up.
After that, the two had nothing more to say to each other.
After both finished eating, Ye Xingmian washed the dishes and chopsticks, put on her schoolbag, and walked out the door. Lin Ziyan deliberately followed behind her.
Today she didn’t ask Ye Xingmian to carry her schoolbag—maybe out of sympathy? Or guilt? Or a change of heart? She couldn’t say.
She even walked behind Ye Xingmian, using her height advantage to reach under the girl’s schoolbag.
“Want me to help you with your bag? You’re injured, it must be inconvenient.”
“No need.”
Ye Xingmian shrugged her shoulders, refusing her.
“Can you not be so cold to me? I’m really trying to change, really.”
“As long as you don’t go to Liu Yinuo’s house anymore, I’ll be good to you. I’ll keep an eye on Qin Haiyue for you, and I’ll help you with your homework…”
Her voice grew quieter and less confident, eventually fading into silence.
Her words ultimately had no effect, failing to change Ye Xingmian’s attitude toward her.
She felt a bit dejected.
They walked to school like this. Ye Xingmian entered the gate alone without looking back.
Lin Ziyan, however, stopped at the entrance, watching her back and pursing her lips.
She sincerely hoped that her goodwill could make Ye Xingmian change her mind, which would also make up for her past mistakes.
At least for now, that’s what she thought.
She pulled out her phone from her pocket and walked toward a roadside store.
Ye Xingmian’s return attracted a lot of attention—after all, she had been absent from school for three days, and today was already Thursday.
And today she wasn’t wearing her hood; her beautiful face was exposed, long hair loose, with pinkish, slightly gloomy eyes—like a little elf princess from a fairy tale.
It made people wonder: with such beauty even in plain clothes, how good would she look if she dressed up carefully?
Of course, they could only think about it.
For someone so gloomy and aloof, the difficulty of approaching her often deterred people.
Today, the spectacle of being surrounded by a crowd did not repeat itself, and Ye Xingmian was glad for the peace.
But when she saw the thick stack of test papers piled like a mountain on the desk, a bitter expression still appeared on her face.
‘How many classes did I miss in three days? How many test paper explanations did I lose?’
She had a feeling that class would be like listening to gibberish again.
Just as she was organizing her desk, a familiar call came from her right front, and her movements paused.
“Xingmian… you’re back?”
She looked up, and what came into view… was naturally Liu Yinuo.
Her hands were awkwardly behind her back, her tea-colored eyes held a probing expression, and a weak smile hung on her lips, looking somewhat stiff.
But just seeing that gentle face, Ye Xingmian’s heart couldn’t help but feel a pang of bitterness.
Three days—if counting Sunday, that made it a full four days.
The dark, sunless confinement left an indelible psychological shadow on her.
During those days and nights, her only thought and hope was to pray that Liu Yinuo would come to save her, or discover her disappearance and call the police.
She also thought that even if Liu Yinuo had tried, it might not have succeeded, but she still waited.
Because that was her only hope, her only thought.
She felt a kind of sour, aggrieved feeling, and an empty, hollow sensation.
But in the end, she didn’t wait for it.
But that no longer mattered; after all, it was over.
Despite her complicated feelings, she still put on a smile.
“Mm, I’m back. Thanks for caring, Class Monitor.”
Liu Yinuo, hearing her answer, didn’t seem relieved.
She even walked up to Ye Xingmian and looked at her with concern.
“How are you? Are you okay? Did Qin Haiyue do anything to you? Where did you go these three days?”
A string of questions left her unsure where to start.
Seeing Ye Xingmian’s reaction, Liu Yinuo was stunned, and a look of self-blame appeared in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, I… I should have looked for you. I knew Qin Haiyue took you away—she sent me a message from your phone. But… I’m sorry… I could have called the police, but I was too cowardly. I’m truly sorry…”
She apologized sincerely, seemingly filled with regret.
Her voice trembled, making people worry she might break down crying.
Not having any psychological preparation for this situation, Ye Xingmian was at a loss.
‘She was the one who was hurt, why does she have to be the one comforting others?’
The atmosphere was a bit mushy.
But surprisingly, it felt not bad.
‘Maybe.’
A smile appeared on her face. Ye Xingmian was about to comfort her.
However, a voice from behind Liu Yinuo broke the harmonious atmosphere.
“Class Monitor, could you move aside? I need to get back to my seat.”
“Huh?”
Liu Yinuo turned around and met a pair of black eyes.
Slightly taller than her, she had to look up a bit to see clearly.
She quickly realized who it was and immediately withdrew her awkward emotions.
“Ah, Lin. Sorry, go ahead.”
With that, she made way for Lin Ziyan.
Because of last week’s seat adjustment incident, Ye Xingmian’s current deskmate was Lin Zi, so she could openly sit next to Ye Xingmian, blocking most of the girl inside with her body.
Liu Yinuo hadn’t left yet, but Lin Zi took out two boxes of small cakes from her schoolbag.
She handed one box to Ye Xingmian.
“Here, take it.”
Ye Xingmian was confused, but still subconsciously reached out and took it.
“Bought it for me?”
“What else?”
Lin Zi looked smug.
“This small box cost over ten bucks. I also bought you some external injury medicine. So, am I good to you or what?”