"What are you doing? Why did you come to school with a knife?" Qiu Yizhen, though domineering, would never dare bring a knife to school.
Jian Yiling did not respond to Qiu Yizhen's query. Instead, she held up a knife in her left hand, pointing it towards her right hand.
"Let's make a wager."
What? A wager? Has she lost her mind?
After a brief pause, Jian Yiling continued, "Produce evidence, and I will cut off this hand; if not, you will lose yours."
Though Jian Yiling's voice was naturally youthful and slightly sweet, her words were undeniably chilling.
She held the surgical knife in her left hand, poised just ten centimeters above her right wrist, ready to strike at any moment.
Despite her gentle tone, her actions carried a ruthless edge that Qiu Yizhen lacked.
"Are you insane?" Qiu Yizhen felt as though Jian Yiling had gone mad.
Others, too, were astonished, their eyes widening in disbelief at Jian Yiling's alarming behavior.
Jian Yiling's deskmate, standing nearby, was so frightened that she stood frozen.
"If you have evidence, there's no need to fear. If you don't, then perhaps it's your own guilt."
Jian Yiling's clear eyes remained fixed on Qiu Yizhen.
Qiu Yizhen, staring into those eyes, felt an unexpected pang of anxiety.
What was happening? Jian Yiling was still the same Jian Yiling, even more composed and gentle compared to her previous arrogance. Why, then, did Qiu Yizhen feel such unease in the presence of this calm Jian Yiling?
"I..." Qiu Yizhen's frustration grew; with so many eyes watching, admitting fear would be humiliating. Yet, if she lost the wager and failed to uphold her end, she would be even more embarrassed.
How could she maintain her authority if she were to be so publicly shamed?
"Qiu Jie, let's not gamble with her. Let's report to the school instead. She's brought a weapon!"
A subordinate of Qiu Yizhen suggested.
Qiu Yizhen considered this and realized the suggestion was sensible. She nearly allowed Jian Yiling to distract her.
Thus, Qiu Yizhen and her entourage swiftly retreated.
They departed in haste, leaving the students of Class 8 in a state of confusion.
Was that it? Did Qiu Yizhen concede defeat? The students gazed at Jian Yiling with puzzled expressions.
Could it be that Jian Yiling was not responsible for harming Jian Yunzhuo?
After Qiu Yizhen's departure, Jian Yiling calmly put away the knife.
Soon after, the Dean of Discipline arrived.
The Dean, a man in his fifties with thinning hair and a receding hairline, was known as a strict enforcer, reputed for his stern demeanor.
He was slender, with narrow eyes, and was infamous among the students for his severity and exacting standards.
As the students of Class 8 saw the Dean, they quickly returned to their seats, fearful of being caught in any wrongdoing.
The Dean was followed by Qiu Yizhen and her group.
It was early study time, and the sounds of morning readings could be heard from other classrooms, while Class 8 remained eerily silent.
"Jian Yiling, I hear you brought a knife to school?"
The Dean squinted at Jian Yiling, his expression stern.
Given the scale of Jian Yiling's situation at Shenghua High, the teachers could not be unaware.
However, Jian's family had notified the school, claiming that the child was ill and needed rest, so the school refrained from further inquiry.
"Do you realize bringing a knife to school is against the rules? Shenghua High's regulations explicitly prohibit students from bringing any dangerous weapons onto campus. Violations will be punished!"
The Dean's tone was severe.
"I didn't bring a knife," Jian Yiling replied.
"No knife? Are you seriously claiming that?" Qiu Yizhen was incensed. "We all saw you with a knife, a whole set! Now you play innocent? Who are you fooling?"
The Dean was well aware of Jian Yiling's reputation, knowing she was capable of pushing her own brother down the stairs.
He urged Jian Yiling to cooperate: "Jian Yiling, hand it over now, and I might consider leniency. If you persist in your stubbornness, I won't hesitate to call your parents."
Jian Yiling retrieved the package of surgical knives from her drawer.
"That's it, that black package contains the knives!" Qiu Yizhen quickly identified.
"Jian Yiling, give me that package," the Dean said urgently.
"It's candy," Jian Yiling responded.
Candy?
"Nonsense!" Qiu Yizhen rolled her eyes. "I'm not a fool! It's clearly a knife!"
The Dean spoke with measured gravity: "Jian Yiling, if you continue to fabricate lies, it will no longer be just about bringing a weapon to school. Some mistakes can be forgiven once, but repeated offenses lead to no sympathy."
The Dean subtly referenced the incident with Jian Yunzhuo.
Jian Yiling did not explain further. In front of everyone, she placed a "surgical knife" into her mouth...
The class gasped in shock, unable to comprehend Jian Yiling's actions.
Her deskmate shouted, "Jian Yiling, don't do something drastic!"
The sound of a "crack" was heard as the "surgical knife" broke in Jian Yiling's mouth.
It broke! Just like that! The fracture was clearly not metallic.
As Jian Yiling licked the candy, she explained, "This is candy. It's made from sugar, glucose, or maltose, shaped into a knife."
Though the candy knife appeared sharp, it could not cut anything.
Jian Yiling was demonstrating "sugar art," an art form involving the creation of intricate figures from sugar, often featured in international pastry competitions.
Crafting a sugar knife is complex, requiring precise color matching and shaping without revealing transparency.
Jian Yiling picked up another "surgical knife" and cut it on the table, shattering it into sugar fragments.
The entire class was dumbfounded.
Qiu Yizhen, who had called for the Dean, was the most stunned.
So it was all just candy?
She felt utterly ridiculous.
The Dean's expression was equally displeased.
The Dean of Discipline was seething inwardly. Why bring such candy to school? Was she intentionally seeking trouble? Jian Yiling was indeed a schemer!
After a moment, the Dean gritted his teeth and said, "Since this is a misunderstanding, everyone disperse. Where is the class monitor? Hurry up and organize the morning reading!"
There was nothing more to be done but to disperse.
Shenghua High had no rule prohibiting students from bringing candy to school.
The Dean prepared to leave, but Jian Yiling had more to say.
"Also, my books have been thrown to the back."
Jian Yiling's voice was gentle, her tone calm, as though she were simply stating a fact rather than lodging a complaint.
Hearing this, the Dean glanced at the scattered books at the back of the classroom. He was reluctant to intervene but could not ignore it entirely.
If he chose to disregard it in front of the entire class, it would reflect poorly on him.
After all, such behavior—throwing classmates' books—was indeed reprehensible, especially in a school like Shenghua High, known for its strict regulations.
Thus, the Dean had no choice but to perform his duty and ask the students, "Who did this? Step forward and admit it. Don't wait for me to find out; there will be severe consequences if I discover the culprit."
The classroom fell into a heavy silence. Everyone knew it was Qiu Yizhen's doing.
Many students in Class 8 had witnessed Qiu Yizhen's actions.
Qiu Yizhen, standing behind the Dean, cast a menacing glare at the students.
Anyone who dared speak out would face her wrath!
The students remained silent, including Jian Yiling's deskmate, who had originally informed her. She kept her head down, afraid to incur Qiu Yizhen's displeasure.
The Dean, rather dismissively, said, "If no one is willing to come forward, we'll leave it for now. If anyone recalls or discovers anything later, come to my office."
This was essentially a way of saying the issue would likely not be pursued further.
Qiu Yizhen's lips curled into a smirk, her eyes flashing a provocative glance at Jian Yiling.
Jian Yiling remained composed and addressed the Dean, "Incident time: within the past seven days; surveillance footage retention: over one month. You may review the footage to identify the culprit."
Jian Yiling spoke clearly and unhurriedly, without a trace of anger or retreat.
Qiu Yizhen felt a surge of panic. If the Dean reviewed the footage, she would be exposed.
She fumed internally, cursing Jian Yiling: that vindictive little schemer was indeed full of tricks!
So she was aware of the need to check the surveillance. Jian Yiling certainly knew how to cause trouble!
The Dean, familiar with Jian Yiling's suggestion, had deliberately avoided mentioning it, not wanting to waste time on such a trivial matter or make a fuss over it.
Moreover, he felt Jian Yiling was an undeserving student of Shenghua High.
He had hoped to dismiss the incident, but Jian Yiling's clear reasoning about checking the footage forced his hand.
In front of all the students, the Dean felt Jian Yiling was subtly undermining him.
The Dean, his face stern, said, "Do I need you to tell me that? Of course, I know about reviewing the footage. I merely wanted to give the student who did wrong a chance to correct their mistake voluntarily."
Jian Yiling nodded. "If the student does not come forward, please remember to check the surveillance footage."
Jian Yiling remained unruffled, her demeanor calm, her eyes clear, and her speech measured.
Conversely, the Dean and Qiu Yizhen were visibly irritated but had to restrain themselves.
"Alright, it's getting late. The day begins with the morning. Make sure you use this time wisely for study. Do not waste this valuable morning reading time! Remember, your primary task is to focus on your studies. Do not engage in or think about anything else!"
After admonishing the students and urging the class monitor to lead the morning reading, the Dean left swiftly, eager to avoid further confrontation with Jian Yiling.
Qiu Yizhen was seething with frustration. She felt Jian Yiling had made a fool of her all morning, and she had no outlet for her anger.
The key issue was that the Dean had agreed to review the surveillance footage! She needed to devise a way to cover up the incident!
Before leaving, Qiu Yizhen shot Jian Yiling a venomous glare, as if saying, "Just you wait!"
Jian Yiling's deskmate, Hu Jiaojiao, cautiously observed her, noting the changes in Jian Yiling after a week's absence.
Hu Jiaojiao, petite and timid, had a neutral relationship with Jian Yiling—neither particularly good nor bad.
Although Jian Yiling's temper was not the most agreeable, she was straightforward and never mistreated Hu Jiaojiao, who also did not antagonize her.
After a moment's hesitation, Hu Jiaojiao offered, "Jian Yiling, let me help you retrieve the books from the back. We'll need them for class later…"
Hu Jiaojiao felt some guilt, as she had been present when the books were thrown but had done nothing.
"No need." Jian Yiling, still enjoying her "surgical knife" candy, preferred not to waste food. Since she started eating it, she might as well finish it.
"Not going to retrieve them?"
"It's not important." Jian Yiling was indifferent about the discarded books.
To her, the books were of little consequence, and if they needed to be retrieved, it should be done by the one who threw them away.
Seeing Jian Yiling's genuine indifference, Hu Jiaojiao decided not to press further, understanding that Jian Yiling's words were final.
Hu Jiaojiao actually found Jian Yiling not as difficult as others made her out to be. Jian Yiling was straightforward about her likes and dislikes, which made it unnecessary for Hu Jiaojiao to guess her thoughts.
She was simply too blunt, often making others uncomfortable with her directness.
When the bell rang for the first class—English—Jian Yiling took out her English textbook from her bag and placed it on her desk.
She then pulled out one or two notebooks, opening one and placing it at her side. The other notebook she opened and began writing in.
Hu Jiaojiao, too timid to spy on Jian Yiling's exact writing, only caught glimpses of chemical formulas and organic chemistry equations.
When the English teacher approached, Jian Yiling covered the notebook with her notes from the past few days, which included grammar summaries provided by Qin Chuan.
Seeing it was a study notebook, the teacher said nothing further.
It was the first time Hu Jiaojiao had seen Jian Yiling so diligently taking notes.
Perhaps this incident had led Jian Yiling to amend her ways.
Let's hope it's not just a fleeting change.