Another morning arrived. Lin Ziyan set an alarm on her phone, so that no one would have to call her and she wouldn’t oversleep.
But she couldn’t get up. She had gone to bed early yesterday, but inexplicably felt very tired.
She made breakfast again, then grabbed her bag and went to school alone.
‘Would Ye Xingmian come today?’ She didn’t know, but she hoped Ye Xingmian would come.
She had charged Ye Xingmian’s phone. She thought that if Ye Xingmian did come, it would mean she was finally well, and she should take good care of her—maybe she could earn back some of her favor.
After all, all of this was her fault.
Once she reached the classroom, she waited at her desk for those two to arrive.
One by one, the empty seats filled up, and the air grew noisy, but the seat next to her remained empty.
Sure enough, even after class started, she never saw them.
‘They really didn’t come after all…’
Her mood sank. She buried her head on the desk and spaced out.
‘Maybe I should find out where Liu Yinuo lives and go see them at lunch.’
‘What if they refuse to see me? Or kick me out? Or maybe Ye Xingmian will just hide from me?’
No matter which way it went, she would end up completely humiliated.
Yet she still seemed to make up her mind.
She had been hesitant, but when she thought of Ye Xingmian’s eyes, she knew she had to go.
She didn’t expect to bring her back—at least she could say she was sorry.
Besides, even if those consequences came true, wasn’t that what she deserved?
Who told her to come up with that stupid idea and try to force herself on her…
knock knock.
The sound of tapping on the blackboard echoed.
The first class of the day was the homeroom teacher’s, so naturally the teacher who walked in was her.
Lin Ziyan didn’t pay much attention. She stayed slumped over her desk.
“Let me tell you something. Yesterday the class monitor’s parents asked me to transfer her to another class. Which one of you bullied her? Otherwise, why would she suddenly want to leave?”
‘Huh?!’
Lin Ziyan was stunned.
What did she mean, Liu Yinuo transferred classes?
Then what about Ye Xingmian? She couldn’t have…
She lifted her head quickly and saw the homeroom teacher frowning angrily on the podium.
You see, as a homeroom teacher, having an outstanding student insist on leaving her class—that didn’t look good for her reputation.
“No one? I’ll ask again. No one?”
The students in the audience exchanged glances. They were clearly surprised that Liu Yinuo had transferred.
Naturally, no one knew why.
But for Lin Ziyan, when she heard the news, a suspicion had already formed in her head.
‘It really was because of me.’
“Lin Ziyan! You’re Ye Xingmian’s younger sister. This time the class monitor transferred along with your sister. Do you know anything about it?”
Suddenly called on, Lin Ziyan’s body trembled with fright.
Recovering herself, she quickly replied, “I don’t know…”
“Really?” The teacher’s expression was suspicious.
“I don’t know…”
Actually, Lin Ziyan was a little confused.
How did Liu Yinuo manage to transfer with Ye Xingmian?
The homeroom teacher said Liu Yinuo’s parents had called her. Could Liu Yinuo’s parents arrange for Ye Xingmian to change classes without her own parents’ permission?
Lin Ziyan didn’t understand, but in the current atmosphere, it didn’t seem like a good time to ask.
“Fine, forget it. I’m telling you all, if I ever find any sign of bullying in this class, you’ll be waiting for punishment! Anyone who bullies—there’s only one outcome: voluntary withdrawal!”
“Class begins!”
She sounded all tough, but she’d never bothered with these things before.
Otherwise, the whole thing with Qin Haiyue and Ye Xingmian wouldn’t have happened.
Maybe she’d change after this?
But what good would that do?
It was all too late.
Maybe in the future she could really stop bullying to some extent, but that had nothing to do with Lin Ziyan—it wasn’t her concern.
After class, Lin Ziyan blocked the homeroom teacher’s way.
“Teacher, can you tell me which class my sister transferred to?”
“Huh? You live under the same roof every day and you don’t know?”
The teacher looked puzzled.
Lin Ziyan was speechless for a moment. She lowered her head slightly.
“I… didn’t ask…”
“Alright, it’s Class 31, in the building across the way.”
“Mm, thank you, teacher.”
It kept getting stranger.
The homeroom teacher didn’t seem to know that Ye Xingmian was already boarding at Liu Yinuo’s house.
But Lin Ziyan didn’t think much about it, because the second class soon started.
After second period came the longer break—thirty minutes.
Lin Ziyan slung her schoolbag over her shoulder and ran to the building across the way. She searched for a long time and finally found Class 31.
The classroom door was closed, and the heater was on inside.
The semi-open corridor was freezing.
None of the students here knew her. Occasionally they threw her strange looks.
For Lin Ziyan, it was absolute torture.
She felt like an alien—an alien standing somewhere she didn’t belong.
But she didn’t give up.
Through the glass window in the door, she looked into the classroom.
In the corner of the last row…
She found the person she had been longing for.
Just as she remembered, Ye Xingmian was always sleeping during breaks.
Before it was because she was too exhausted. Why was she still sleeping now?
Had she not rested well last night?
Was Liu Yinuo mistreating her?
Or was it because she still wasn’t well, a side effect of the medicine?
Lin Ziyan’s heart tightened.
But she didn’t dare go in. Not only because this wasn’t her classroom, but also because Ye Xingmian’s desk mate was that person.
He sat there silently.
‘Should I wake her up now?’
But she was sleeping so soundly.
In her memory, she always looked tired. Lin Ziyan couldn’t bear it.
Yet feeling the heavy weight on her shoulders, she still stopped a student.
“Excuse me, could you call someone out for me? Her name is Ye Xingmian—she’s my sister.”
Naturally, she endured many strange looks.
But the person Lin Ziyan waited for wasn’t the sister she longed for.
It was…
Liu Yinuo.
The girl crossed her arms, her gaze cold as she looked at the tall girl in front of her.
To avoid unnecessary attention, they found a secluded corner to talk.
“You’re the one who made her transfer, aren’t you?”
“I… I came to find my sister… Why did she transfer?”
“She said she’s afraid of you. I figured if she came back to school and had to sit next to you, I might as well take her away.”
“Can I see her…?”
“I told you, she’s afraid of you.”
“I see…”
Her feelings were complicated, hard to tell if it was disappointment or relief.
After all, everything had turned out exactly as she’d imagined, hadn’t it?
It was all her fault—the bitter fruit of her own actions.
Lin Ziyan carefully took something out of her schoolbag.
“Huh? What’s this?” Liu Yinuo frowned tightly.
“This is my sister’s phone. Could you give it back to her?”
Liu Yinuo was silent.
Lin Ziyan didn’t think Liu Yinuo would refuse—Liu Yinuo was a kind person, right?
The phone belonged to Ye Xingmian, and it was important to her.
So Liu Yinuo would probably hand it over to Ye Xingmian.
“No, she doesn’t need this. Take it back.”
“She doesn’t want to see anything related to you or Qin Haiyue right now. I hope you understand.”
“If there’s nothing else, you should go.”
With that, Liu Yinuo turned and left without another word.
Only Lin Ziyan stood there, frozen in place.