Chapter 57: Spreading Rumors on the School Tieba Forum

Some people felt they couldn't see clearly from the balcony above, so they specifically ran downstairs and hid around the corner of the stairs to peek.

Even though Qiao Nian hadn't stayed for long before leaving, there were still many people paying attention to the commotion here.

Zhao Jingwei heard the news from Class B that Qiao Chen and Qiao Nian were confronting each other in the hallway. Unable to sit still, she rushed over, only to find that Qiao Nian had long since disappeared, leaving Qiao Chen standing there alone with slightly reddened eyes.

Thinking that Qiao Chen had cried, she rushed over in a single stride, supportively clutching Qiao Chen's shoulder with heartache, and asked cautiously, "Chenchen, what's wrong? Are you okay? Why are you crying?"

Qiao Chen froze for a moment. Realizing she had misunderstood, she immediately shook her head, feigning strength. "I'm fine."

Zhao Jingwei was instantly infuriated, looking as if she were ready to fight her battles. She raised her voice and asked, "Was it that Qiao Nian bullying you?"

"...No, we just had a misunderstanding."

"What kind of misunderstanding?"

"..." Qiao Chen couldn't possibly tell her what had just happened at the Academic Affairs Office; it was too embarrassing, and her face still felt flushed with shame.

"See! You can't even say it, and you're still trying to lie for her!"

Zhao Jingwei huffed indignantly, linking arms with her to demand justice.

"Qiao Nian has gone too far. Just because she got into Class A, she thinks she can bully us in Class B. She doesn't even think about how much she took advantage of your family in the past. If your grandmother hadn't discovered she wasn't part of your family, she'd probably still be at your house, freeloading and acting like a young lady."

"Jingwei, stop... I wasn't bullied. I just got some sand in my eye..." On the surface, Qiao Chen held her hand to stop her from speaking.

In reality, this clumsy attempt at "persuasion" only added fuel to the fire.

Sure enough, Zhao Jingwei became even angrier. Holding her hand, she led her back toward Class B. "Chenchen, come on, let's go back to class. If she wants to bully you, she has to ask if the people in Class B agree first! This time, I'll make sure she apologizes to you and then gets kicked out of No. 1 High School!"

...

By the time Qiao Nian returned to class, the bell for class had rung.

Class A had a strong academic atmosphere; during class time, everyone listened attentively, and few people lost focus.

Her seat was in the back row against the wall, and the large stack of books piled on her desk served as a natural barrier for her to play games, do her own work, or daydream.

Coincidentally, she had quite a few things to attend to lately. She had rarely found such a quiet and peaceful space to focus on her own affairs.

She took the opportunity to check the missed calls and unread messages on her phone.

In just a short while, there were quite a few messages.

There were messages from the Jiang family, Jiang Li, Wei Lou, and even Yuan Yongqin. There were even messages from Auntie Chen.

Qiao Nian tapped through them one by one with her pale fingertips. When she saw the most recent message, a hint of irritation colored the corners of her eyes.

【Ye Wangchuan: How does your first day of class feel?】

Qiao Nian narrowed her eyes and replied quickly.

【QN: Didn't check the almanac.】

After replying, she switched her phone to silent mode and pulled up the stock market index she had been halfway through operating that night.

...

In the blink of an eye, the morning passed.

No. 1 High School had a long lunch break. When Qiao Nian returned after eating with Shen Qingqing and the others, she heard the whispering discussions in the classroom.

"The only reason Qiao Nian could transfer to our No. 1 High School is because her grandfather contributed to the education of Luohe County, so the higher-ups gave special approval?"

"Even her perfect score on the placement exam was a back door opened by the school teachers just to get her into Class A."

"So the class beauty's grades aren't real?"

"I saw people on the Tieba forum saying she bullied the Class B beauty into tears in the hallway. I've seen that Qiao Chen from Class B; she's very refined and speaks quite delicately. Qiao Nian is just too overbearing."

Before Qiao Nian could even react, Shen Qingqing, who was beside her, was trembling with rage. With a loud *thud*, she pushed open the classroom door and rushed in. Standing on the podium with an apple-red face, she burst out, "What are you all talking about! Qiao Nian is nothing like what you're saying!"

Lord Wang: How does your first day of school feel?

Sister Nian: Didn't check the almanac—ran into a dog!

(End of Chapter)