The next day.
Yu Zhi and Yu Xinman rode Wu Lang's car together, heading to school.
The two of them sat on opposite sides, with a large gap between them, neither intending to start a conversation.
It wasn't until they were about to reach the teaching building that Yu Xinman called her: "Sister."
Yu Zhi paused in her steps and turned her head back, looking at her indifferently.
"What do you think of Lu Li?" Yu Xinman slightly raised the corner of her lips, as if it were a casually remembered topic.
"Lu Li?"
"Yeah, I heard you were punished to stand in the hallway together yesterday?"
"Does it concern you?" Yu Zhi glanced impatiently at her watch, seeing that it was almost time for class, and walked away without looking back.
Yu Xinman stood there, watching her leave, clenching her palm tighter, with jealousy almost overflowing from her eyes.
"Xinman, why are you standing here like an idiot?" Zhou Lu ran over and patted her shoulder.
Yu Xinman came back to her senses and smiled at her: "I was just talking to my sister."
"What's up with her again? She didn't give you a hard time, did she?"
Whenever Zhou Lu mentioned Yu Zhi, she had no good feelings, and the disgust on her face was obvious.
Yu Xinman shook her head, linked arms with her, and walked towards the classroom together.
As if remembering something, she hesitated a little: "It seems my sister likes Lu Li, I just tried to advise her, but she wouldn't listen."
"She? Likes Lu Li?" Zhou Lu sneered: "Well, let's just wait and see the drama unfold."
Lu Li was extremely popular at school, and his fan girls even established a 'Guardian Group' for him.
If they found out someone liked Lu Li or had any designs on him, they would certainly be troubled by the Guardian Group every few days.
"Lu Lu, don't spread this around." Yu Xinman pleaded somewhat unwillingly.
Hearing this, Zhou Lu stopped in her tracks: "Xinman, don't you remember what I told you? That Yu Zhi has long needed a lesson to remember."
"But—"
"Hurry up, Xinman, the teacher is coming."
Not waiting for her to finish, Zhou Lu tugged at her sleeve and entered the classroom together quickly.
In just one class period, a sensational post appeared on the school forum.
The matter of the new student allegedly liking Lu Li quickly spread.
Meanwhile, Yu Zhi, the person involved, was playing Candy Crush happily at her desk.
Sitting in the row in front of her, Qin Huai turned around several times, wanting to say something but never finding the right moment.
As she was about to pass the level, Qin Huai finally mustered the courage to gently tap her desk: "Hi, I... I'm Qin Huai."
Qin Huai would inexplicably stammer when nervous, and remembering Yu Zhi's scene of hitting someone yesterday made her even more anxious.
Yu Zhi slowly lifted her head, looked at her blankly, and just when Qin Huai thought she wouldn't respond, replied indifferently: "Yu Zhi."
There was no impatience, no anger, no irritation from being suddenly disturbed.
Qin Huai breathed a sigh of relief, the unease in her heart dissipating a bit. She took out her mobile phone: "Have, have you been on the school's forum?"
"No."
Yu Zhi hadn't been at school long, hadn't even figured out where the cafeteria and store were, let alone a forum she'd never even heard of.
"Then, take a look at this." Qin Huai went ahead and handed her the phone.
She had held the phone for too long, coupled with her earlier nervousness, causing a thin layer of sweat around the edges.
Fearing Yu Zhi would mind, Qin Huai was about to take the phone back for a wipe with a tissue when she went ahead and took it.
The forum's top post was: [Shocking! New student in Class 7, Grade 12 aggressively pursuing L Xiaocao.]
Yu Zhi clicked on it with interest, reading every word.
The content in the forum was nothing more than describing how she was 'shamelessly' clinging to Lu Li and causing him inconvenience.
The original poster detailed everything as if they personally witnessed it all.
In a short time, this post's replies increased rapidly, even Lu Li's Guardians quickly came on board.
Besides the first few responses, the rest were basically cursing Yu Zhi, with all sorts of unsavory comments coming out, even exaggerating her status as an illegitimate child.
[Student A: Really? She still dreams of getting close to Lu Xiaocao? Seriously?]
[Student B: Think about it, what good can come from a mother who was a mistress?]
[Student C: B*tch! Looks exactly like one, need me to find you someone?]
[Student D: I've seen many people lack self-awareness, but this shameless is the first, I'm impressed!]
[...]
Yu Zhi's slender fingertips gently swiped across the screen, without a trace of anger, rather with a bit of nonchalance.
She browsed quickly, skimming through the early replies.
Seeing the repetitive and uninspired insults, she clicked her tongue lightly, feeling a flash of boredom.
"You, you're okay?" Qin Huai thought she might be upset, instantly asking with concern.
About what was described on the forum, outsiders might not know, but it didn't mean that everyone in Class 7 didn't know.
Yu Zhi had never done what the original poster claimed about seducing Lu Li; apart from standing in the hallway for a class, they had no other contact.
Who wouldn't be hurt and aggrieved by such baseless words?
"Hmm?"
Yu Zhi paused, slightly raising her eyes. Her apricot eyes were as clear as a mountain spring, calming feelings with a gaze.
She handed the phone back to Qin Huai: "Don't worry, I'm fine." Such verbal abuse was the most ineffective to her.
Qin Huai held the phone, nodding vigorously: "That's good then."
She smiled at Yu Zhi, her smile revealing two small tiger teeth, looking particularly cute.
Yu Zhi raised her brows, propping her chin with one hand and tilting her head slightly: "Are you afraid of me?"
"No... not afraid."
Qin Huai was a bit puzzled but felt less anxious after talking for a while.
"Then why do you stammer?"
"I... I only stutter when nervous, normally I'm fine."
"I see."
Yu Zhi understood, raising her left hand to check the time on her watch.
Only three minutes were left until the class began, there might just be enough time for another quick round of Candy Crush.
She opened the game and waved it in front of Qin Huai: "Want to play?"