Chapter 183: Don't Provoke Me, You Can't Afford the Consequences

“Su Yan, long time no see.”

Ma Chulong sat down next to Su Yan and proactively greeted her with a smile.

A hint of wariness appeared in Su Yan's eyes beneath the black cloth.

It had only been a little over a month since the trip to the provincial capital; how could it be "a long time"?

“You came to Xinghua to study on purpose.”

Her tone was one of absolute certainty.

“Yes, my little sister came too, but she’s in a different class,” Ma Chulong answered quite readily. “Since we have to study anyway, and since you happen to be here, we decided to come as well.”

“What does that have to do with me?” Su Yan's voice was somewhat heavy.

“Don't misunderstand. My sister and I have absolutely no ulterior motives for approaching you; we just want to have more companions.” Ma Chulong had sensed her defensiveness.

The two of them chatted in low voices as if no one else were around, leaving the students in the classroom utterly astonished.

So they knew each other?

However, it was currently class time.

“Ahem, quiet down, everyone.” Zhou Fang gave a dry cough, a visible trace of displeasure on his face. “Since we have two new classmates in our class today, we might as well have an exam to see if you all slacked off during the holidays.”

The single sentence instantly plunged the classroom into a chorus of wails.

School had just started; is there no justice in this world, making them take an exam already!

Although Su Mo was sitting in the front, she was paying attention to Su Yan's every move at every moment. Now, her back was even straighter than usual, as she couldn't wait to crush Su Yan with her grades.

After receiving the exam paper, Ma Chulong immediately looked at Su Yan.

He naturally knew that Su Yan's eyes were not as simple as they appeared on the surface, so he was exceptionally curious to see how she would take the exam.

If she acted like any other normal person, it would prove his suspicion entirely.

Under his watchful gaze, Su Yan placed the paper flat on the desk, then leaned over it lazily and closed her eyes.

Ma Chulong:...

Does this mean she's not taking it?

Is she really this willful?

As expected of an Exorcist, their temperament is indeed this straightforward.

“Ma Chulong, start the exam. Focus on your writing,” Zhou Fang's reminding voice rang out from the podium.

This class was already difficult to manage with a "troublemaker" like Su Yan, and now there was an "older" student added to the mix; he was truly being made difficult.

Only then did Ma Chulong withdraw his gaze. Looking at the exam paper in front of him, he wondered if studying like Su Yan would leave too deep an impression on the teacher.

But since he had proactively requested to come to this school, he should take it seriously.

Having made up his mind, he focused all his attention on the exam paper before him.

The bell rang for the end of class.

All the students proactively handed in their papers, and Ma Chulong was no exception.

Su Yan seemed to have truly fallen asleep, as she didn't make a single sound.

Furthermore, Zhou Fang acted as if he hadn't seen her at all, walking straight out of the classroom.

The classroom instantly became lively.

“Su Mo, welcome to our class!”

Almost everyone made Su Mo the center of attention, expressing their welcome.

Su Mo smiled politely and gracefully, quickly blending in with the classmates.

“Su Mo, many students in school are talking about you; it's such a pity. If you had taken the Gaokao, you definitely could have gotten into a very good university.”

Su Mo's eyes flickered slightly. “It's not too late. My goal is still Peking University.”

That confident sentence drew praise from everyone around her.

Ma Chulong looked at Su Mo through the crowd. It sounded as if this child had only recently lost her right arm.

But her surname was also Su.

“Brother, Su Yan, I'm here!”

Ma Chulan walked into the classroom excitedly and spotted Ma Chulong's seat at a glance.

When she realized he and Su Yan were desk mates, her smile became even more radiant.

Su Yan sat up slowly, looking like someone who had just woken up.

“Su Yan, I didn't expect us to meet again so soon. Were you startled when you saw my brother?” Ma Chulan maintained her innocent and lively demeanor, attracting the gaze of many male students the moment she appeared.

So the new transfer students were siblings, and they knew Su Yan.

“No,” Su Yan answered indifferently.

Ma Chulan didn't mind, because the Su Yan they knew had this exact cold temperament.

“Su Yan, Ma... classmate, you guys know each other?”

Soon, someone lost their patience, wanting to proactively get to know Ma Chulan, but they truly didn't know how to address the much older Ma Chulong.

Calling him "classmate" felt awkward, but calling him "big brother" seemed inappropriate.

Before Su Yan or Ma Chulong could answer, Ma Chulan said cheerfully, “Yes, we've known Su Yan for a long time. Mm, we're life-and-death friends.”

“Life-and-death friends?”

The surrounding students listened in confusion, wondering if she was using the wrong words.

Su Mo's mocking voice suddenly rang out. “It seems that over this summer break, our Su Yan classmate has done quite a few unknown things.”

As soon as she spoke, the entire classroom fell silent.

They had long heard that the relationship between the two sisters was very poor; now they were seeing it with their own eyes.

Both Ma Chulong and Ma Chulan couldn't help but look toward Su Mo.

The siblings were extremely surprised—someone actually dared to provoke Su Yan like this?

“Classmate, do you have an issue with Su Yan? Why are you being so sarcastic?” Ma Chulan was the most outspoken and immediately retorted.

She had already considered Su Yan a friend.

The atmosphere became incredibly awkward.

Someone nearby immediately lowered their voice to explain, “Classmate, don't you know? Su Mo is Su Yan's older sister.”

“Huh?” This time, not only Ma Chulan but even Ma Chulong was stunned.

“She's just a step-sister,” the other person added.

The siblings understood immediately.

They really hadn't expected Su Yan's family relationships to be so complicated.

“Who is her sister? We have no relationship whatsoever!” Su Mo retorted aggressively.

Although she knew Su Yan was not to be trifled with, she simply didn't believe that Su Yan would dare do anything in public. Therefore, as long as they were in school, she could target her at every turn!

Every gaze fell upon Su Yan, waiting for her answer.

Su Yan said indifferently, “She's right. Her mother has already divorced my father. We have no relationship now.”

A crack appeared on Su Mo's face, and her expression became somewhat distorted.

The classroom was filled with whispers.

Everyone knew that Su Yan's father was the deputy director of the largest textile factory in the county, and the reason Su Mo was so popular was not only her own excellence but also her noble background.

But now, that filter had shattered.

Last semester, Su Yan and Su Mo had been at each other's throats; no one expected that the one eventually kicked out of the house would be the "excellent" Su Mo.

Su Yan's gaze beneath the black cloth fell upon Su Mo, her voice incredibly cold. “It's best not to provoke me. You cannot afford the consequences.”

Many people froze, subconsciously distancing themselves from Su Mo.

After spending time together during this period, unless one was a fool, they wouldn't mistake Su Yan's seemingly fragile appearance for weakness.

(End of Chapter)