"You did what?"
Mi Wei, Li Meilin's best friend ever since third grade, almost screamed at the top of her lungs but luckily she was able to cover her mouth in time.
Li Meilin then looked at the other students in the student lounge to where they are currently in and was thankful that no one paid attention at their table.
This is like a safe haven for the unpopular kids of the school. It's like a school park, where the tables and benches are placed outside. Meanwhile, the popular and rich kids are mostly seated in the cafeteria.
Here in Shenzhen High school, there is an unspoken rule wherein the presence of unpopular kids is not allowed to set foot in their main territories, except if it is being used during class.
This includes the cafeteria, the school gym, and that abandoned school building which was placed on an isolated area of the school. Li Meilin believes that is where they mostly hang out with one another after classes.
"That was very impressive of you if you ask me," said Li Meilin's other childhood and neighbor friend Zhao Chen.
Chen, Wei, and Meilin had been the best of friends during their grade school years. It was actually Meilin and Chen that became friends first because their mothers have been really close to each other during high school.
Then a few years later, they met Mi Wei (who was a transferee back then) during their third grade. Ever since then, the three of them have been in the same school for the rest of their lives.
"Very impressive?" Mi Wei looked at Zhao Chen in disbelief. "How could you say that to our poor friend after the Black Prince had attacked her like that?"
And she switched back to being Li Meilin's second mom by grabbing her friend close to her slightly big chest and began patting her head like she was some sort of an eight-year-old child of hers.
Mi Wei was actually pertaining to the encounter that Li Meilin had with the so-called Black Prince of Shenzhen High School: the son of the multi-billionaire and renowned businessman Mr. Lim Lee Wai. That bastard's name is none other than Lim Xian.
Due to his cold and indifferent attitude towards other people, students from this school gave him the name Black Prince… A title that truly suits his ugly personality, Li Meilin thought to herself.
Li Meilin later found out all these pieces of information about the jerk when Mi Wei started spilling the facts about him, being the one who loves reading about famous people that doesn't really contribute much to her life.
That explains the bewildered expressions of the people earlier the moment Li Meilin pushed and shouted at him. The latter smacked her head with her hand and says to herself, " I really did cross a forbidden line, didn't I?"
So much luck Li Meilin has this day.
"That is why it is so important to know the significant people of this country if you don't want to mess with the wrong people. Like the Black Prince, for example." Mi Wei was still not done with her lectures to Li Meilin.
"Enough of him already. I'm sure that bastard already learned his lesson, haha!" And here is Zhao Chen, being a supportive friend to her as always.
Oh! That reminds her…
"Zhao Chen, you didn't wait for me earlier. I didn't spot your car outside your house by the time I left the apartment," Li Meilin pointed out and pouted in front of him.
"You're late, obviously. I don't want to end up as late as you." Zhao Chen, the early bird of the group, said as a matter of fact.
Unlike Li Meilin and Mi Wei, Zhao Chen is blessed with a beautiful home built just across from the apartment she is currently staying in. His mother already knows her well since Li Meilin has been spending most of her time playing video games in his house since childhood, so she is more than welcome to spend time there if she wanted to. In fact, she decided to move into that hell hole because it is much easier for her to go to their house
Zhao Chen also has a car and a driver of his own since he doesn't have a student license yet, so sometimes if Li Meilin makes it in time, she would just hop inside his Mercedes Benz going to school.
However, that actually makes her the main target of his fangirls of the school though. If he wanted to, Zhao Chen could really fit in as one of the rich and popular kids here in school, but he's so humble that he prefers to hang out with Li Meilin and Mi Wei than those spoiled brats.
"How cruel for you to say that to your best friend…" Li Meilin pouted.
"Next time, be on time," Zhao Chen countered, avoiding himself to be smitten by his friend's adorable looks.
Li Meilin was just about to stuff some food inside her mouth when suddenly, her hands froze in their place the moment she saw the Black Prince walking past their table. Even his presence alone can make the whole place as cold as ice.
He didn't turn around, fortunately, but ever since Li Meilin found out who he really is, she can't help but be nervous whenever he is around starting this day.
Li Meilin could already imagine herself being kidnapped by that bastard's best men. And God knows what would happen to her next when it really happens.
Li Meilin shuddered. Just thinking about it makes her sick all of a sudden.
Thankfully though, Li Meilin could no longer feel his presence when the Black Prince left the school cafeteria. The blizzard that she experienced was also gone as well.
"Don't be nervous!" Zhao Chen said, patting her on the shoulder. "It's not as if he could eat you alive or something like that."
But still, it didn't cheer the girl up. Not a bit.
---
When classes for today had finally ended, Li Meilin gathered all of her things and neatly stuffed them inside her bag. If there is one thing that she is currently thankful for, it is the fact that this so-called Black Prince is not her classmate.
According to Mi Wei, he is a student of class 1-A, a class consisting of the wealthiest, spoiled brats of Shenzhen High School gathered together. Li Meilin and her friends, on the other hand, belong to class 1-B, the class that mostly comprises scholars like her. Mi Wei is also a scholar.
Li Meilin then remembers that she still has to do her part-time job after class, which is being one of the waitresses of the nearby coffee shops in school, so she won't be able to go home with Zhao Chen after classes either.
After they said their goodbyes with one another, all three of them each took their separate ways by the time they went out of the classroom with Mi Wei doing her student assistant duties in the library, and Zhao Chen going straight for his swimming practice, being the school's representative in the field of swimming.
It was only a few minutes' walk from school so Li Meilin reached the coffee shop in time. She was humming happily to herself upon remembering that today is her supposed to be payday, hence she will have something to give to the old hag by the time she goes home later.
The chimes started ringing when Li Meilin entered the shop. However, the scene that she was about to see inside surprised her, big time.
"Excuse me, coming through," said a man while he and some other guy are lifting a table together outside of the shop. Li Meilin quickly steps to her right to evade them.
That got her confused. What the actual heck is happening around here?
"Oh Li Meilin, you're already here,"
Li Meilin's head snapped in the direction of Ms. Leigh, the owner of this coffee shop, as she walked towards her with an envelope in hand.
Li Meilin looked at her surroundings in disbelief. Men, like she saw earlier, started pulling out the chairs one by one, and the things such as the coffee machine are being kept inside a box and so is the other furniture of this place.
"Ms. Leigh, what is happening around here? What is the meaning of this?" She asked, demanding an answer right away.
"I'm really sorry if I haven't told you about this sooner…" Ms. Leigh started explaining, keeping her smile on her face intact.
"However, lately this coffee shop is experiencing major financial issues. I thought I could still be able to save it, but then I don't have enough money to pay for the rent on this commercial building."
Li Meilin is at loss for words right now upon hearing this. No… she can't lose the job that she came to love.
"H-how about An Ni and Bao? Have they already been informed about this?" She asked once more.
An Ni and Bao have been her co-workers in this shop, being the baristas who brew coffee for customers and Li Meilin being the shop's waitress.
They have been good to her ever since she joined their little crew, and now it aches her heart to know that she would no longer have the privilege to work with them.
"Yes, they came here a little too early than you…" Ms. Leigh replied before handing her the envelope she is now holding.
"Here. Your last pay,"
Li Meilin's hands were a bit shaky as she accepted the money.
"Thank you for the hard work you've shown over the past few months that you're here with us," Her smile got wider while she is saying this.
But she knows, somewhere deep inside her, Ms. Leigh is currently hurting from losing the one she had devoted her life to.
"Thank you as well, Ms. Leigh…"
Tears started to swell in Li Meilin's eyes by the time she left the coffee shop. Today is, indeed, not her lucky day.
Li Meilin can't think of any jobs that she could apply to that accepts senior high school students like her with good pay as well as the one she once had in the coffee shop…
"Why am I being so unfortunate lately?"
Li Meilin can't help but heaved a long, dramatic sigh and kicked some stones on the way to the train station going back home.
Her mind is so clouded with problems right now that she wasn't able to realize that the clouds are getting darker and heavier right now, or the fact that a white van just stopped in front of her.
"Hmmmmppphhh!"
Li Meilin started omitting nonsense when someone grabbed her from behind and immediately covered her mouth with a handkerchief to prevent her from shouting.
Since this street that she is currently walking to is really not that crowded, no one would actually take notice of her current situation right now.
Li Meilin was still trying her best to free herself from the grasp of whoever this person is when he effortlessly dragged the girl inside the van and closed it afterward. She starts to ask herself now...
"Wait...what is happening now? Am I being kidnapped? For real?"