"Why... why? Qin Qin, are you out of your mind, still half-asleep or what?" Ma Yan stood up and cursed at Qin Qin furiously.
Qin Qin looked at Ma Yan indifferently, raised a smile, and then suddenly leaned in close to Ma Yan's ear, "Do you want me to tell Qin Tian that you like him, or should I tell Xu Lan that the money she lost last time was..."
"No, shut up!" Ma Yan shouted in a shocked whisper. How could Qin Qin know she liked Qin Tian, and that she had stolen Xu Lan's money?
Qin Qin stared at Ma Yan with a faint smile, as if she could see her with nowhere left to run.
In the end, under the astonished gazes of everyone, Ma Yan moved to Qin Qin's seat in a dejected manner, while Qin Qin took her place by the window. The mild sunlight streamed in from outside, bringing with it a touch of laziness.
At Senior High School No. 1, classes usually didn't finish until five-thirty in the afternoon, with the first and second classes of the third grade being the key boarding classes, and the third, fourth, and fifth classes being day classes.
At five-thirty, Lan Lili and Feng Xin were the first to leave the classroom, and as they reached the classroom door, they gave Qin Qin a smile that carried an ambiguous meaning.
Qin Qin sluggishly packed up her things and walked out of the classroom, followed by a bunch of students who quickly gathered their belongings.
"Hurry, hurry, let's go watch the drama unfold."
"What drama to watch? I bet Qin Qin wouldn't dare to go over there."
"Wanna bet? Let's make a wager."
"Alright, you're on."
The newly built dormitory was somewhat far from the academic building, requiring a walk across the playground to get there.
Qin Qin ambled toward the dormitory, her gaze drifting as she passed by the lively playground filled with energetic youths running around, surrounded by a group of screaming girls.
Lee Jiaqi was playing basketball on the playground. With a leap, he scored a basket, eliciting screams from the girls around him. He didn't even glance at them, just wiped the sweat from his body with a towel.
At that moment, his good friend Yin Zheng jabbed him in the chest with his hand, "Hey, Jiaqi, do you see that girl? Isn't she Qin Qin, who adores you? I heard she got a lesson from Lan Lili and the others on your account, and hasn't shown up to study for a few days."
Lee Jiaqi didn't want to pay attention to Yin Zheng. As for the girls who admired him, he never had any interest in giving them a second glance. Now, his focus was only on his studies and basketball, and he wasn't interested in anything else. Perhaps annoyed by Yin Zheng's persistence, Lee Jiaqi's gaze followed Yin Zheng's pointing finger.
Not far away, a tall and delicate figure stood there, her gaze looking over in this direction and meeting his.
Lee Jiaqi was short-sighted by more than one hundred degrees, so he couldn't see clearly what that girl named Qin Qin looked like. He somewhat disliked such students who didn't focus on their studies at critical moments, and Lee Jiaqi, slightly annoyed, was about to look away, but never did he expect that the girl Yin Zheng had mentioned would be the first to avert her gaze and walk away towards the distance.
"Hey, hey, hey, what's going on? Qin Qin actually left. I thought she was going to come over and watch you play basketball."
Lee Jiaqi frowned slightly and muttered in a low voice, "Shut up, no more playing."
For some reason, his gaze suddenly followed the direction Qin Qin had left in, but there was no longer any figure to be seen.
...
Lan Lili and Feng Xin were anxiously waiting not far from the new dormitory, accompanied by two boys.
"What's going on? Qin Qin might not show up after all," Feng Xin looked into the distance, but Qin Qin was nowhere to be seen.
Lan Lili frowned deeply and shook her head, "Impossible, with Qin Qin's cowardly nature she wouldn't dare not to come, just wait. Remember to teach her a good lesson later so she'd dare not come to school again."
Feng Xin followed with a grim smile.
As soon as Lan Lili finished speaking, a familiar figure approached from not far away. Feng Xin's eyes lit up, "Lili, she's here, I knew she wouldn't dare to run away."
Lan Lili lifted her head, smiling arrogantly and proudly.
Qin Qin walked towards Lan Lili and Feng Xin leisurely, as if on a stroll. Feng Xin and Lan Lili couldn't wait and rushed toward her.
"Qin Qin, you actually dared to make us wait so long. You will suffer later," Feng Xin sneered at Qin Qin.
Qin Qin lifted her head and glanced lightly at Lan Lili and Feng Xin, as well as the two boys behind them. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she recognized the two boys were the assailants who had hurt her along with Lan Lili last time. It seemed everyone was here today, saving her the trouble of dealing with them one by one.
Lan Lili stepped in front of Qin Qin. Although she was a few centimeters shorter, she still looked down on Qin Qin with disdain, "Hmph, Qin Qin, if you kneel down now, I might consider going easy on you later. And to think you dare to like Jiaqi—could Jiaqi even be someone you could admire? It's like a toad lusting after swan meat, totally clueless about your status."
Qin Qin stared at the triumphant Lan Lili and Feng Xin, murmuring a low 'oh.' Then she spoke in a cold voice, "That's exactly what I wanted to say to you. If you kneel before me now, I might consider beating you less later."
"Hahaha, what did she say? I must have heard wrong," laughed one tall boy, while another shorter one laughed along.
Lan Lili and Feng Xin also thought it was ridiculous that Qin Qin dared to talk big at a time like this, not fearing that they would treat her the same as last time.
Several students hiding behind the trees watching the drama couldn't help but sigh in secret, thinking Qin Qin was still foolishly dreaming.
Lan Lili sneered coldly, "Heh, Qin Qin, it seems you've been itching for a beating these past few days. Loh Gang, Xu Jie, teach her a lesson and make it good."
Loh Gang and Xu Jie nodded and walked towards Qin Qin.
Qin Qin watched the two approaching, her eyes flashing darkly. In the next moment, before they could seize her, she swiftly took action, grabbing Loh Gang with one hand and fiercely kicking Xu Jie with her foot before standing over Xu Jie as he lay on the ground.
"Aaah... it hurts, let me go." Loh Gang's hand was twisted harshly behind his back, the pain bringing him to tears. Xu Jie, on the other hand, lay on the ground too frightened to make a sound. It never crossed their minds that Qin Qin, whom they bullied just days ago, could be so formidable today, almost like a master from the TV shows.
Lan Lili and Feng Xin stood with wide eyes, frozen in place, while a crowd nearby fell silent, gaping, unable to believe what they were seeing.
"You… you… you… this can't be…"
Qin Qin lifted the corners of her lips coldly, "Nothing is impossible, Lan Lili, Feng Xin. If you won't let me off today, I won't let you off either, and I will return the favor double."
Qin Qin kicked Loh Gang and Xu Jie to the ground and, disregarding their cries of pain, walked straight toward Lan Lili and Feng Xin.
Lan Lili and Feng Xin backed away in fear.
"You wouldn't dare, Qin Qin, if you come any closer, I won't let you off," Lan Lili threatened.
Qin Qin raised a thin, cool smile, her voice ethereal, "Won't let me off? When have you ever spared me? I begged you so earnestly; did you ever let me off? Do you know the searing pain of lime in the eyes? Ah, have you ever considered that?"