16

"Yuanyuan, what happened to your face?" Shen Meng gasped when she saw the slight swelling and redness on Gao Yuanyuan's cheek. "Who hit you?"

"It's nothing. I accidentally bumped into the bookshelf yesterday," Gao Yuanyuan said, glancing at Shu Ran who was sleeping with her head down on the desk, and frowned slightly.

"Be more careful next time," Shen Meng let out a sigh of relief and lowered her voice. "I thought Shu Ran had bullied you."

Gao Yuanyuan didn't say a word. Her gaze dimmed as she slowly lowered her head.

Shen Meng knew that Gao Yuanyuan's father adored her, and seeing her like this now, it was obvious she had been bullied—and the culprit had to be Shu Ran.

With a cold snort, Shen Meng marched over to Shu Ran's desk and slammed her hand down hard on the wooden surface. The dull thud silenced the rest of the classroom.

"No, it wasn't her fault!" Gao Yuanyuan hurried forward to intervene. But her words only made it sound even more like Shu Ran had caused her injuries.

"If she did it, then she should apologize!" Shen Meng yelled. "You little fox, get up!"

Shu Ran remained sprawled on her desk, motionless.

Seeing this, Shen Meng was furious. She grabbed Shu Ran by the collar and yanked her up—only to be startled by a pair of sharp, hawk-like eyes staring straight back at her. Instinctively, she let go.

Shu Ran adjusted her clothes and lazily glanced at Shen Meng and Gao Yuanyuan. "What do you want from me?"

"You hit Yuanyuan, didn't you!" Shen Meng shouted, pointing at the mark on Gao Yuanyuan's cheek.

Shu Ran squinted at Gao Yuanyuan, whose expression subtly changed. She sneered inwardly. So Gao Yuanyuan was trying to use Shen Meng to humiliate her? Too bad her partner in crime was an idiot. If no one looked closely, the mark might've gone unnoticed—now it was known to everyone.

"That was her uncle," Shu Ran shrugged. If Gao Yuanyuan wanted to use this to gain sympathy and turn others against her, fine. She'd play along.

"Huh?" Shen Meng froze. That wasn't what she expected.

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have gotten hit!" Gao Yuanyuan hissed under her breath.

"You told your uncle I stole the test and got a perfect score. That's why he hit you," Shu Ran said loud and clear. Her tone wasn't too loud, but loud enough for the entire class to hear.

"Did you hear? Shu Ran got a hundred on the math test. Some people said she stole the paper."

"I heard too. But why would Gao Yuanyuan's dad hit her? Could it be Shu Ran didn't steal it after all?"

"If she really did cheat, the teacher would've done something. But they didn't."

"Maybe Shu Ran's always been good at studying?"

"You…" Gao Yuanyuan wanted to retort but couldn't find the words. She'd tried to set Shu Ran up, but now it had backfired spectacularly.

Shu Ran glanced at her pale, furious face and tilted her head with a faint smile. Then she lay back down on her desk, completely uninterested in further drama.

Shen Meng looked at Gao Yuanyuan, at a loss for what to say. From her point of view, she still believed Yuanyuan. Even if Shu Ran did score a hundred, it had to be a fluke.

Maybe the teachers already knew about Shu Ran cheating—that would explain why they looked at her differently now, even letting her nap in class. In their eyes, geniuses were allowed their quirks, as long as they boosted the school's performance.

Because of this, the class became even more distant from Shu Ran.

"Shu Ran!" a loud voice barked from the classroom door. It was Liu Hong.

The noise in the room immediately stopped. Most students looked toward Shu Ran with glee, hoping Liu Hong would tear into her. No one tried to wake her. In fact, they hoped she'd get punished hard.

When no one responded, Liu Hong frowned and strutted into the classroom. He quickly spotted her near the window and strode over in a few quick steps.

"Hey."

No response.

He reached out and gently shook her shoulder. Her long lashes trembled as her eyes remained shut. Beneath a delicate nose, her rosy lips were gently pressed together, catching the light. If not for her messy hair, she might even seem fragile, someone you'd want to protect.

He flushed slightly, then shook off the thought. His hand tightened.

"Hey! Shu Ran!"

His angry tone made several classmates shrink back.

Shu Ran frowned and slowly opened her eyes. Seeing Liu Hong, she said weakly, "I'm not wearing the sports uniform every day."

Liu Hong understood what she meant and awkwardly let go. He tapped her desk and said, "Come up to the rooftop with me."

"What for?"

"You'll see."

Shu Ran stood and followed him out. The whole class secretly sighed in relief. Liu Hong was the school's notorious bully. Some students felt a bit worried—but not for her.

"Should we tell the teacher?" Gao Yuanyuan asked quietly.

"She wants to hang out with guys like that? Then getting beaten up is what she deserves," Shen Meng said, patting Yuanyuan's shoulder. "You're too soft. Girls like her need to be taught a lesson."

Gao Yuanyuan sat down, lost in thought. She was terrified Liu Hong would tell Shu Ran it was her who'd made up the cheating rumor. What she didn't know was—Liu Hong had already sold her out.

Stepping onto the rooftop, the wide blue sky greeted them. Only here did Shu Ran feel truly relaxed. She stretched out her arms and took a deep breath. The breeze lifted the hair from her forehead, revealing her smooth skin and delicate face. Liu Hong's heart skipped a beat.

"Here," he said, handing her a paper bag.

She glanced at the brand and accepted it without hesitation.

"This is the latest model. Super expensive," Liu Hong said proudly. "Bet you've never worn anything this nice."

"You ripped my clothes. Replacing them with something expensive—isn't that only fair?"

Liu Hong had hoped for a surprised reaction, but she looked utterly indifferent. He felt deflated.

"Fine, I gave you the clothes. Let's call it even," he muttered, waving it off.

"That matter's settled, but there's still something else between us."

Her calm voice sent an unexpected chill down Liu Hong's spine.

"What do you want?" he frowned, trying to hold back his temper. "Don't push your luck, or I'll beat you to a pulp."

"Then let me put it another way," Shu Ran crossed her arms and stared straight at him. "Want to make some extra spending money?"