Yu Xinxin drifted to the police station in a daze. Just before being taken in for her statement, she grabbed the officer’s arm in agitation and pleaded, “Officer, you must investigate properly! That bracelet of hers is definitely fake. I’m her roommate—I know she could never afford something so expensive!”
Even now, Yu Xinxin refused to believe Shen Ci’s payment record was real.
The officer frowned, pried her hand away, and said sternly, “We’ll verify all of that ourselves. What you need to do now is inform your family to come. If they’re not local, then notify your teacher.”
He then led Yu Xinxin into one interrogation room.
Shen Ci was taken to the room next door, where she calmly gave her statement in detail. With witnesses present and surveillance cameras recording, Yu Xinxin didn’t dare lie, so both their testimonies aligned.
As for the bracelet’s value, Shen Ci had ample proof—not just her payment record, but also the sales associate’s WeChat contact, plus public information online showing the bracelet was a limited-edition Cartier diamond piece, only two thousand made worldwide.
The police verified it: Shen Ci’s bracelet was indeed an authentic Cartier.
Yu Xinxin felt her world collapse.
Her family wasn’t poor, but a hundred yuan was no small amount—and paying that sum to Shen Ci?
Soon, Yu’s father rushed in, flustered and loud. “Xinxin! Xinxin!”
“Dad!”
Trembling for some time, Yu Xinxin ran into his arms and sobbed.
Her father assumed she’d suffered grave injustice. Stroking her back to comfort her, he turned angrily to the police. “What happened here? Look how terrified my daughter is!”
Gu Lianxing couldn’t help rolling her eyes.
The officer, unfazed, replied, “Sir, your daughter damaged her classmate’s bracelet. The value is high, so we called you here to resolve the matter.”
Yu’s father scoffed. “It’s just a bracelet—we’ll pay!”
A bracelet—how much could it possibly be worth? Even if it were gold or platinum, surely not outrageous.
He patted his daughter’s head. “There, don’t cry. Daddy’s here.”
“The other party’s only demand is compensation,” the officer continued, producing the statement and documentation of the bracelet’s value. “The repayment is at original purchase price: 98.8888 yuan.”
“How… how much?” Yu’s father’s voice shot up, making Yu Xinxin flinch.
“Ninety-eight point eight eight eight yuan,” the officer repeated firmly.
Yu’s father froze, then turned his daughter around and glared at her. “Xinxin, a hundred-yuan bracelet?”
Yu Xinxin avoided his eyes, nodding weakly.
“Are you insane?!” In an instant, the doting fatherly image vanished, replaced by fury. “A bracelet worth a hundred yuan, and you broke it?!” His spit flew under the light.
Terrified, Yu Xinxin sobbed harder.
“Officer, can’t the bracelet be repaired? A hundred yuan is too much,” Yu’s father pleaded. “Talk to them for me—what if I pay extra on top of repair costs?”
But the officer shook his head. He’d seen the broken bracelet. It was in pieces—impossible to fix.
“The victim insists on full compensation. If you refuse, your daughter, as a university student, will have a criminal record. And if this goes to court, you’ll lose—everything is well documented.”
That word record made Yu’s father panic.
“We’ll pay! We’ll pay!” he said quickly, gritting his teeth.
A hundred yuan wasn’t beyond him, but to throw it away like this was humiliating. He felt the pain keenly.
The transfer was made on the spot, the paperwork signed, and the matter settled.
Yu Xinxin’s eyes were swollen from crying, but her gaze toward Shen Ci was still venomous.
Before, she had targeted Shen Ci out of jealousy. Now, her heart held nothing but pure hatred.
A hundred yuan! How many things she liked could she have bought with that money?
As Shen Ci passed her on the way out, she stopped, her gaze icy. “I warned you. Next time you see me, keep your mouth shut. This is what happens when you don’t.”
Yu Xinxin rasped bitterly, “Don’t get smug, Shen Ci. I won’t let this go!”
Shen Ci’s lips curled in a cold smirk. Without another glance, she walked away.
Behind her, Yu’s father exploded, his roar echoing: “I’ve spoiled you rotten! What are you still standing here for? Get back to school! Starting next month, you’ll get only twenty cents for living expenses. Let’s see if you dare cause trouble again!”
Outside, Gu Lianxing was brimming with excitement.
“Serves her right! After the way she bullied you before, this feels amazing,” she said sincerely, thrilled on Shen Ci’s behalf.
But then doubt crept in, and she asked cautiously, “Shen Ci, you seem really strong now. How did you ever let them bully you before? Was it because they outnumbered you?”
Shen Ci glanced at her. Gu Lianxing waved her hands quickly. “If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine. They’re bad memories anyway—just let the past go.”
Shen Ci nodded. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to explain—it was that she couldn’t.
In her previous life, she truly hadn’t been strong enough. Her sharpness now had been forged in the workplace.
But the real difference was money. Money was the backbone that allowed her to stand tall.
“Come with me to the Cartier boutique. I want to buy another bracelet,” Shen Ci said.
It was a matching piece she had with her sister. If her sister found out she had broken it after just one day, she would be heartbroken.
“Sure! I’ve been wanting to browse perfumes anyway,” Gu Lianxing replied eagerly.
Her affection for Shen Ci now was more than admiration for her beauty. It was tinged with sympathy and protectiveness. She was determined to become Shen Ci’s good friend—and help her forget the unhappiness of being bullied and excluded in her old dorm.
End of Chapter