Even though music class had been over for a while, the image of You Xinghai playing the piano continued to flicker in Wen Xiaoyue’s mind. A strange emotion lingered at the tip of her heart.
Wen Xiaoyue felt she was definitely falling ill and chose to go to the restroom to calm down. She took a deep breath. In this quiet and deserted environment, she was finally able to think independently and calmly. What was wrong with her? Why did she keep thinking about that person?
She could say with a clear conscience that she was merely a bit curious about You Xinghai. She absolutely did not and could not have any other thoughts. But could curiosity really be this intense? Lost in thought, Wen Xiaoyue failed to notice the unusual movements coming from the neighboring stall.
“Let us start.”
Chen Shiru ordered her lackey to stand on a chair and hold a large basin of water, ready to pour it straight down.
“Splash!”
The lackey caught a glimpse of the water successfully drenching the person below. Delighted, she scrambled down while swinging the empty basin. Another accomplice quickly moved a heavy object to block the stall door and gave Chen Shiru a peace sign.
Chen Shiru put her hands on her hips, feeling triumphant. She wanted to laugh at the sky. Finally! Finally, she had given that little brat Guan Yinqi a lesson she would never forget! The group completed their plan and ran out of the restroom giggling. Afraid of being caught, they moved with light footsteps, completely failing to notice Guan Yinqi standing near the entrance looking down at her phone.
“Drip.”
Wen Xiaoyue twisted her soaked hair and stood frozen in place.
“Drip.”
Guan Yinqi’s brow was furrowed as she stared at a forum post her friend had forwarded.
[The Romance Academy’s Number One Little Vixen Seduces the School Beauty, Shamelessly Plays Piano on Stage]
[Poster:] See video below. Truly speechless. Someone does not know their place (covers mouth and laughs).
[1L:] I was there.
[2L:] Finally someone posted this. I really wanted to complain; she actually had the nerve to go up there.
[3L:] An ugly duckling wanting to be a swan but not realizing she is just a duck (covers mouth and laughs).
[4L:] I hate people who think too much of themselves. People only asked her to go up to make a fool of her; they did not expect her to actually stick her face out.
[5L:] Hahaha, she has zero self-awareness. She probably already considers herself GYY’s girlfriend.
The cruel insults made Guan Yinqi tremble. She did not understand. She had not provoked anyone, so why did everyone unanimously target her? She bit her lip and bowed her head, burying her reddened cheeks in the crook of her arm. Several people ran past her quickly, but she paid them no mind.
Right now, she only wanted to prove one thing. She was not some vixen seducing others; she was a genius who could learn anything at a glance! She would prove it to them! She did not need anyone’s charity to learn the piano! Guan Yinqi was so angry she forgot she even had to use the restroom. She stuffed her phone in her pocket and ran toward the music room. She failed to notice the thumping sounds coming from inside the restroom stalls.
She charged forward like a bull, glaring back at the people staring at her for the first time. The angry calf’s eyes were bloodshot, and those who met her gaze flinched.
“What is wrong with the scholarship student? Has she gone crazy?” “Looks like it. Like a mad dog wanting to bite everyone.” “Tsk, stay away from her.”
You Xinghai had just stepped out of her classroom when she saw Guan Yinqi’s silhouette running off. Good luck, woman of the wind.
She was familiar with this plot point. Guan Yinqi, enraged by the campus forum posts, would run to the music room to practice piano feverishly. Of course, the plot would not let her do it alone. In the process, she would meet Gu Yingyu’s friend, Fu Dongxue, a genius music girl who excelled at all instruments. This would open a side story for courting a gentle and deep-feeling female supporting character.
The cold and reserved Gu Yingyu would eventually discover her feelings for Guan Yinqi and try to get close to her, only to stumble upon Fu Dongxue and Guan Yinqi laughing together at the piano. The resulting jealousy would be explosive. It was a classic crematorium plot point that readers loved. Friendship versus love, best friend versus girlfriend; how would she choose? It was like an old-fashioned eight o’clock soap opera!
You Xinghai sighed. Although she used to be one of the White Lotus’s pursuers, Gu Yingyu never treated her like a rival. She was more like a comic relief character. It seemed only legitimate characters were worthy of the leads’ attention. Before leaving school, You Xinghai wanted to use the restroom, so she walked in the opposite direction of the protagonist.
This was an ABO novel, which meant there were technically six genders. Standing before the signs for Female Alpha, Female Omega, Female Beta, Male Alpha, Male Omega, and Male Beta, You Xinghai looked carefully to ensure she did not enter the wrong one. She had heard that in this world, discussions about parents taking children of different genders to the restroom were even more intense. Some places even introduced six Children’s Restrooms, resulting in twelve separate restrooms. That would definitely make it easier to walk into the wrong one.
Just as You Xinghai was about to enter the Female Alpha restroom she had confirmed several times, a violent banging sound erupted from somewhere nearby, catching her attention. She faintly heard shouting and moved toward the sound.
“Is anyone there!” “Bang, bang, bang!” “Let me out!” “Bang! Bang! Bang!”
The sound was so loud it made You Xinghai shiver. She remembered now! After music class, some cannon-fodder villains who disliked Guan Yinqi came up with a mean prank, drenching her in water and locking her in a restroom stall! The bullied Guan Yinqi would be devastated, sobbing in the stall until she was overheard by Fu Dongxue, who would ignore social graces to rush in and save her. This was supposed to be their perfect first meeting and the catalyst for the piano plot.
But Guan Yinqi had just run past her. So, who was locked in there?
You Xinghai looked around, trying to see if there was a Female Omega nearby who could go in and rescue the person. But the original novel, in order to create an “it has to be Fu Dongxue” sense of urgency, had set the scene where everyone was distracted by a sudden downpour. There was no one around, not even the slackers who usually hid in the restrooms to smoke.
Fine. If there was no one else, where was Fu Dongxue? She should be here, right? But after waiting a while, You Xinghai saw no sign of the gentle female supporting character. Could it be that because the White Lotus ran to the music room, the force of the plot had dragged Fu Dongxue there prematurely?
Hearing the intermittent banging from the restroom, You Xinghai hesitated. No way. Was the plot really going to make her save the person? You Xinghai’s expression became complicated as she stared at the Female Omega sign on the door. Female Omega, Female Alpha; they were both women. It would not count as being a rogue if she went in, right? Besides, they were all girls; did they really need this many separate restrooms? Why?
Under intense psychological pressure, her mind became a mess of flashing thoughts. However, the banging continued, and the shouts from inside sounded increasingly desperate, punctuated by sneezing. You Xinghai pursed her lips and walked in. Whatever!
Inside the stall, Wen Xiaoyue stared hopelessly at the locked door, water dripping from her hair. Her usually voluminous long hair was now plastered to the back of her head. The evaporation of the water brought waves of cold, forming a sharp contrast with her burning face. It was not just her hair. After that large basin of water, almost no part of her was dry. To make matters worse, the people who attacked her had maliciously added oil to the water, leaving her exposed skin feeling greasy and impossible to wipe clean.
Even more infuriating was that they had locked the door and blocked it with heavy objects. Their behavior was disgusting. She did not know what was happening outside; no matter how much she yelled, no one came to save her. It was as if a zombie apocalypse had happened and everyone had fled.
Due to the constant evaporation, Wen Xiaoyue was developing a fever. Her throat was hoarse from continuous shouting. In all her years, when had she ever experienced such humiliation? The pressure of a wealthy family was merely psychological, but when her body was subjected to malicious bullying, she realized the things she used to worry about were trivial. After her initial extreme rage, she calmed down and began calculating a series of revenge plans. She was never a submissive lamb; she would repay those who treated her this way a hundredfold!
After a long wait, Wen Xiaoyue finally heard footsteps outside. The person’s steps moved naturally toward the other restrooms; they likely were not the same gender. But having finally found someone, Wen Xiaoyue did not care about the rules. She pounded on the door. “Is anyone out there! Please help me!”
Although she looked wretched now, it did not matter. Compared to her, the people who did this would soon find their lives a living hell! Wen Xiaoyue heard the footsteps approach her but then stop. She guessed the person was hesitating about entering the Female Omega restroom. She yelled, “Please come in! There has been no one out there for a long time, and I am afraid no one else is coming! If anyone asks, I will explain!” “If you save me, I will surely thank you!”
Under her constant persuasion, the person outside seemed to make a decision and walked in. Wen Xiaoyue was overjoyed. “I am in here!”
The person outside spoke cautiously. “You have to explain for me. I really do not want to be treated like a rogue again.”
Wen Xiaoyue’s fever was getting worse, and her mind was dizzy. She could not hear the voice clearly, only catching the part about explaining for her. She quickly replied, “I absolutely will! Thank you!”
The You Xinghai outside also thought the voice sounded familiar, but it was deep and muffled. She assumed it was some classmate from her group. She did not realize it was the nasal voice of someone with a worsening cold. She did not say anything more. She focused on moving the heavy objects away from the door and prying open the item wedged into the lock.
“There!”
The stall door opened. Wen Xiaoyue felt a wave of relief. She looked up dazed, but her vision was darkening, and she could not clearly see the figure against the light. Once her spirit relaxed, intense fatigue hit her. Her legs went weak, and she began to fall.
When You Xinghai saw Wen Xiaoyue in this state, she nearly jumped out of her skin. She quickly grabbed Wen Xiaoyue’s hand and pulled her up. “Oh my, why is it you, my little auntie!”