Transmigrated as the Villainess’s Vicious Fake Stepmother - Chapter 19

Qin Ru did not mind Zhan Se’s cold attitude. She smiled with composure, withdrew her hand, and took out her textbook to focus on the lesson.

Zhan Se, who rarely engaged with others, showed no extra interest in Qin Ru either. She placed her textbook on the desk, though she had already studied most of the material in advance. Feeling bored, she opened it and then pulled out another book filled with mathematics competition problems.

When Qin Ru glanced over, she noticed the red cover with gold lettering. It looked familiar, exactly the same as the one in her own bag.

Li Hongfang, the teacher, made no comment on Zhan Se’s behavior. Exceptionally intelligent students often mastered the school’s coursework through self-study, and high school was more of a life experience for them than an academic challenge. As long as they avoided serious trouble, the teachers generally let them be.

She turned her attention to the new student. Whenever she called on Qin Ru, the girl responded promptly and with accuracy, which pleasantly surprised Li Hongfang.

Zhan Se lifted her eyebrows in mild intrigue. One of the questions was so challenging that hardly anyone in the entire school could answer it, yet her new deskmate replied without even blinking.

Interesting.

At last, she decided it was worth giving her new seatmate a proper look.

The first class ended before long.

Once Li Hongfang left, the classroom burst into activity. Students cast curious looks at Qin Ru, and the nearby girls greeted her. She returned their greetings with warm smiles and answered their questions patiently.

“Hello, Qin. My name is Zhang Miao. You can call me Shuishui or Xiao Shui.”

“Hello, Shuishui.”

Her warm smile and friendly manner quickly erased any sense of distance. Zhang Miao gave a delighted squeal. She was usually too intimidated by Zhan Se to speak, yet now she leaned contentedly against the back of Qin Ru’s chair.

“Qin Ru, you are so beautiful. I have never seen anyone so stunning before.”

Qin Ru glanced toward the slender girl standing in the hallway, rested her chin lightly on one hand, and said, “I do not think it is the first time. Classmate Zhan is also very beautiful.”

Some students smiled in mild embarrassment. Since Zhan Se had joined the class, they had hardly dared to look at her directly.

Zhang Miao lowered her voice. “We are not trying to gossip, but as your classmates we feel we should warn you. It is better to keep some distance from Zhan Se. She is not easy to get along with.”

“Why?” Qin Ru’s tone remained light and curious.

The girls exchanged glances but offered no further explanation.

“Just avoid provoking her. She prefers to be on her own.”

Qin Ru gave a distracted “Oh” before turning to study Zhan Se. She murmured, “But I do not think she is that kind of person.”

In the hallway, Jiang Yuanyang from the next class spotted Zhan Se. He crossed the distance in a few quick strides and leaned on the railing beside her.

“What happened yesterday?” he asked.

Zhan Se kept her eyes fixed on the distance, her expression calm and showing no intention of replying.

Still persistent, he said, “I heard you registered for the competition but skipped the qualification review. Why? If you wanted to take part, why not attend?”

Zhan Se’s patience wore thin. She rose and began to walk away.

“Hey, can you stop avoiding me?” he called after her. “Is it really that hard for you to sign up? If you miss this year, are you planning to wait until next year? Then I will wait with you.”

His ears flushed red, and his last words came out more softly. When she turned to him in confusion, he quickly covered his discomfort with a deliberately arrogant tone. “Without a worthy opponent, it is no fun. Those weaklings are not worth competing against, so we might as well take the exam together next year.”

He avoided meeting her eyes, worried she might see through him.

Zhan Se gave him a cold glance and said something that nearly made him want to jump from the building. “You are sick.”

“…”

“Get it treated quickly.”

“… Zhan Se! You idiot!”

“She is not an idiot. She simply does not care.” Qin Ru’s voice came from the doorway.

Jiang Yuanyang turned to see the unfamiliar girl smiling at him. “You are the new transfer student, right? Qin… something?”

“Qin Ru. Nice to meet you, Jiang Yuanyang.” She smiled and extended her hand.

He glanced at her hand, then at the departing Zhan Se, and gave it a brief, perfunctory shake before letting go. He assumed she only wanted to make conversation. With his reputation, many girls tried to talk to him.

Without looking back, he walked away.

Qin Ru studied her hand and raised an eyebrow. This was the second time she had been ignored. The school was turning out to be quite interesting.

She gave a small shrug and went back to the classroom. Zhan Se was already at her desk, arranging her books. Qin Ru greeted her but received no response, so she simply took out her own books.

Three more classes went by.

After chemistry class, Qin Ru invited the class to have lunch together, and the room quickly filled with excitement.

She turned to Zhan Se. “Join us.”

“No, thank you.”

Zhan Se swung her bag over her shoulder and left the classroom, heading toward a bakery in the living area. She glanced at her phone with a trace of irritation. Ten minutes earlier, Chu Qian had sent her a message inviting her to eat. She had not been hungry at the time, but then Chu Qian followed with another message containing a photo of food that looked far better than what the cafeteria offered.

The message read, “I do not want to bother with you, but I am too kind for my own good. Since you are sick, if your stomach gets worse, I will be the one stuck taking you to the hospital.”

Using the address Chu Qian had provided, Zhan Se made her way to the bakery. The elegant décor caught her eye as she stepped inside.

From a corner, Chu Qian waved and called out, “Over here.”

The shop was quiet after school, with only a few customers. Zhan Se chose a quiet table. Chu Qian set the food in front of her and offered a strawberry almond mousse tart.

“I made this this morning. Try it. It is fresh from the oven.”

The tart was bright in color and topped with fresh strawberries that released a sweet aroma. Zhan Se did not usually enjoy sweets, yet this one was difficult to resist.

Chu Qian had prepared three dishes and a soup, all light and easy to digest.

Zhan Se picked up her chopsticks, but before she could start eating, a large group entered the shop.

Chu Qian greeted them with a pleasant smile. “Welcome.”

“Hello, I ordered a cake this morning. My surname is Qin. Could you prepare it for me?” The girl wore a spotless school uniform, and her fine, delicate features resembled those of a porcelain doll. Her small face carried a polite smile that felt warm and refreshing.

Chu Qian checked the order. “Yes, Qin. You ordered thirty-five strawberry almond mousse tarts, correct? I will get them now.” She called Sui Nai to help.

As Qin Ru turned to find a seat, she noticed Zhan Se. “Oh? Classmate Zhan, you are here too?”

Her gaze paused on the food and the tart in front of Zhan Se, which looked identical to her order but had more almonds and a larger portion.

Zhan Se kept eating at an unhurried pace without saying a word. The dishes looked and smelled delicious.

Qin Ru smiled and sat at the next table while a few girls began whispering.

“She acted so proud earlier, yet managed to get herself a bigger piece first.”

“I heard Zhan Se’s father passed away and that her stepmother took the inheritance. Now the family has no money. Did you see her take the bus today? She never used to.”

“I also heard Su Jianing from Class 3 cornered her in an alley last Friday. That would never have happened before. I guess the Zhan family really is finished.”

Chu Qian returned with the cakes and overheard them. They were speaking about Zhan Se and even dragging her into it.

She glanced at Zhan Se, who was quietly eating, and felt as though her own child was being slandered.

She set the cake down firmly. “It is unkind to speak ill of others behind their backs. That cake was ordered before Qin placed her order. Also, count them and see if there are exactly thirty-five.”

The girls fell silent.

Chu Qian straightened with her hands on her hips. “As for the Zhan family, I know their housekeeper. From what I have heard, there was no stepmother. Mr. Zhan passed away and Zhan Se is the primary heir. Her relatives tried to force her to give up the inheritance but ended up with nothing. She likely has more money than any of you, who depend on your parents for allowance. Do you really think you have the right to judge her?”

The three girls blushed and lowered their heads so far they nearly touched their cakes.

Several customers in the shop glanced over.

Qin Ru stayed composed. She rose and said, “This lady is correct. My classmates were wrong. We never intended to misunderstand Zhan. Since we meant to treat her, there is no reason to create unpleasantness. Still, as she pointed out, we did cause trouble. On behalf of these three, I apologize.” She set a cake in front of Zhan Se. “Will you allow me the chance to make it up to you?”