Transmigrating Into A Sadistic Novel And Becoming A Master Of Painting Rosy Pictures - Chapter 34

Shang Qinghui also saw Ji Xiaoxue. The polite but distant smile on her face faded slightly.

Shang Qinghui looked away, as if she hadn’t seen her. Her friends were chatting happily, but Shang Qinghui wasn’t listening, appearing distracted.

Until Ji Xiaoxue stopped her.

Shang Qinghui glanced at her, her eyes devoid of emotion, as if looking at an inanimate object.

Ji Xiaoxue bit her lip. Her friends looked at each other questioningly when Ji Xiaoxue didn’t answer their inquiries, but she finally mustered the courage to speak. “Shang Qinghui, I need to talk to you.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t know. There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Just say it. We’re not eavesdropping.”

Ignoring the whispers of her classmates, Ji Xiaoxue stared at Shang Qinghui.

Shang Qinghui hummed, turning to the others. “Go ahead. I’ll catch up later.”

Since Shang Qinghui spoke, the others didn’t say anything more.

One of them said cheerfully, “Okay, we’ll wait for you ahead.”

“Okay.”

Once everyone left, only the two of them remained on the tree-lined path.

Streetlights stood between the trees, casting shadows on either side of the path, like another world.

“What is it?” Shang Qinghui didn’t look at Ji Xiaoxue, her eyes blankly fixed ahead, as if nothing Ji Xiaoxue said could faze her.

“At the talent show, who ruined your dress? Did you find out?” Ji Xiaoxue asked softly.

Normally, Ji Xiaoxue wouldn’t want to get involved with such a spoiled heiress, but she suddenly felt brave.

“The culprit?” The word piqued Shang Qinghui’s interest. A cryptic smile touched her lips. “That’s quite a… ”

Shang Qinghui paused.

Ji Xiaoxue didn’t mind. “You thought it was Bian Yingning, but she gave me the milk tea you rejected.”

Shang Qinghui had already guessed this, but hearing it from Ji Xiaoxue still made her uncomfortable.

It was like a fishbone stuck in her throat.

“Oh, and then?”

“Then? Then I want to tell you that she wasn’t the culprit. You accused the wrong person.” Shang Qinghui’s calmness surprised Ji Xiaoxue.

“So, you’re telling me it was you?”

“Of course not!” Ji Xiaoxue became agitated. “You act without evidence. You convict someone based on suspicion?”

Ji Xiaoxue’s words hit a sensitive point for Shang Qinghui, who had been brooding over this for days. Her face turned serious. “What right do you have to lecture me?”

“You’ve been a tutor for a few days and think you’re a teacher now? Think about how you got this job.”

“How?” Ji Xiaoxue was taken aback. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing. I just mean you have no right to criticize me.” Shang Qinghui’s words were clear and measured.

“And I’m curious, why didn’t you tell me this earlier? Why now? Is your conscience bothering you?”

“You…”

Ji Xiaoxue hadn’t immediately defended Bian Yingning. She had her own reasons.

Bian Yingning and Shang Qinghui were close. She wanted to see how strong their friendship was when faced with self-interest.

And it proved to be fragile.

But… Bian Yingning’s suspicious gaze, the misunderstanding in public, and her silence…

At that moment, she admitted that her feeling of being insignificant, a mere seasoning in the lives of the wealthy, had vanished.

And tonight, Bian Yingning had waited for her after work, without mentioning that night.

Her suspicion angered her, but her kindness also made her feel sweet.

Shang Qinghui’s comment about how she got the tutoring job implied it wasn’t accidental—someone had arranged it.

Thinking about how Bian Yingning knew her whereabouts, could it be… that she arranged the job?

Seeing Ji Xiaoxue speechless, Shang Qinghui sneered. “It’s been so long. Why act like a good person now? As a finance student, you should know the importance of ‘timeliness’?”

Ji Xiaoxue gritted her teeth. “I’m not a good person. But you’re worse.”

“I just want a clear conscience. What about you? Besides using your status to bully people, what else can you do?”

“Heh,” Shang Qinghui clapped her hands sarcastically. “Well said. A clear conscience.”

Even with their conflicts, Shang Qinghui wouldn’t lose face in public.

“How much do you know about me and Bian Yingning? Bullying is better than your silence.”

Shang Qinghui knew Ji Xiaoxue’s weakness. She attacked Ji Xiaoxue’s weakness, since neither of them was a good person.

Passing Ji Xiaoxue, Shang Qinghui whispered, “Even with our conflicts, I believe we can erase everything.”

“Thank you for throwing away what I didn’t want. You prevented others from touching it.”

Shang Qinghui left.

Occasional passersby walked by. A couple strolled under a tree, whispering. Ji Xiaoxue bit her lip, her face pale in the darkness.

Besides Shang Qinghui’s arrogance, Ji Xiaoxue felt deeper unease.

Shang Qinghui’s last words meant… she knew Ji Xiaoxue had thrown away the milk tea Bian Yingning gave her.

But how did she know?

They said the security cameras were broken. The only possibility was that they checked the trash, but only Bian Yingning knew what kind of milk tea she gave her and could confirm if it was the one Ji Xiaoxue threw away.

Bian Yingning knew she’d thrown away the milk tea.

This made Ji Xiaoxue feel uneasy, like she’d been caught doing something wrong in class.

Restless, anxious.

No, Ji Xiaoxue, you shouldn’t feel embarrassed. She should be embarrassed for giving away unwanted milk tea!

Buzz—

A message notification.

It was Nangong Jin, asking if she was free for dinner tomorrow.

Ji Xiaoxue turned off her phone and went back to the dorm.

Wealthy people are crazy, especially Nangong Jin, acting so familiar.

At the talent show, she got fourth place. She didn’t care, but when he presented her with the award, he seemed to question her. “Why only fourth place?”

Then he comforted her. “It’s just a competition. Don’t worry. In my heart, you’re number one.”

Don’t worry? She wasn’t unhappy with her results. Why worry?

Fourth place, a poor performance—what did it have to do with him?

…

Bian Yingning woke up early for class, eating breakfast and browsing her phone.

Suddenly, a news report appeared: “A stabbing robbery occurred last night in the Keming District. The robber injured the victim, who screamed and resisted.

The victim suffered an abdominal wound and is still in critical condition. Fortunately, a patrolling officer discovered the incident, stopping the robber and sending the victim to the hospital. The officer was also injured but only slightly. Details…”

Bian Yingning frowned.

Keming District—where the female lead had been tutoring.

The female lead was with her, yet the incident still happened. But…

Bian Yingning lost her appetite.

The injured officer… could it be Duanmu Zhenghao?

Bian Yingning took a screenshot of the news and sent it to Duanmu Zhenghao, asking if he was okay.

Duanmu Zhenghao sent two photos—him in a hospital bed, one showing his heavily bandaged hand, the other his bandaged leg.

Bian Yingning enlarged the photo and saw a woman’s legs in a suit and skirt in the corner of one of the pictures.

Bian Yingning: “Oh my god, you’re so badly injured. Which hospital are you in? I have no classes this afternoon; I’ll go see you.”

As soon as she sent the message, Bian’s mother rushed downstairs. “The driver said you went to Keming District last night and drove back yourself?”

Bian Yingning put away her phone and nodded.

“Nonsense! Why did you go there? Did you see the news? It’s unsafe outside. From now on, you must have two… no, four bodyguards!”

Bian Yingning imagined herself walking ahead, followed by four burly bodyguards in black suits and sunglasses.

“…Are there female bodyguards?” That was her last stand.

…

Duanmu Zhenghao, lying in bed with his phone, smiled. Duanmu Zhengjie, peeling fruit for him, glanced at him. “What’s so funny?”

“Ahem,” Duanmu Zhenghao suppressed his smile. “A friend… wants to visit me this afternoon.”

He didn’t think his injuries were serious and planned to be discharged, but now, staying a little longer in the hospital wasn’t a bad idea.

“Girlfriend?”

“No… just a friend.”

Just a friend? Duanmu Zhengjie raised an eyebrow, not teasing him further.

“By the way, if you’re free this afternoon, stay here and take care of me. She really admires you and wants to meet you,” Duanmu Zhenghao said.

“Admires me?” Duanmu Zhengjie was puzzled. “I’m not a celebrity.”

“Mm-hmm. It means she has good taste.”

Duanmu Zhengjie pondered. That was also a compliment.

…

Ji Xiaoxue saw the news during class, feeling a mix of relief and fear.

She carefully looked at the location of the incident—it was where she passed by on her way to the bus stop.

Ji Xiaoxue’s hands trembled slightly.

Why does she always appear—so timely?

At the start of school, at the bar, when she was desperate, and last night…

Was something hinting at something?

She opened her chat with Bian Yingning. They hadn’t talked in a while.

The last message was when she rejected Bian Yingning’s movie invitation. Bian Yingning sent a pat-on-the-head emoji, and she replied with a well-behaved .jpg.

Ji Xiaoxue deleted and rewrote her message several times, but she didn’t send anything.

For the first time, she didn’t know how to thank someone.

…

Shang Qinghui didn’t attend the first half of class because she hadn’t slept well. Their class was from 9:30 to 12:00, and Shang Qinghui arrived after 10:00.

It was overcast in the morning, and it started raining when Shang Qinghui left home. Now, the rain was heavier.

Bian Yingning’s class ended at 10:20.

Thinking it was a light drizzle, she hadn’t reached the school gate when the rain intensified. She ran to a bulletin board for shelter and called her driver.