…Even at school, people were talking about it.
Zhao Zhenzhen was just grateful that no one at school knew she was connected to it.
She could have some peace and quiet.
It was just…
Zhao Zhenzhen glanced at Betty, who had been following her the whole time. “You’re coming to class with me?”
“Of course.” Betty hugged a stack of textbooks and patted them. “Didn’t you say we’re study buddies now? These are my old notes—I organized all of them over the weekend so you can review them easily. I have to carry them to the classroom for you.”
Betty counted on her fingers, “Also, before you sit down, I need to wipe the desk and chair clean, arrange your things neatly, and put out some water.”
The more Zhao Zhenzhen listened, the wider her eyes grew.
Wait—wasn’t this still just a sidekick wearing a “study buddy” disguise?!
“You really don’t need to do all this.” Zhao Zhenzhen stopped walking and reached out to Betty. “Give me the notes. I’ll carry them myself.”
She hadn’t known those were prepared for her. When she got out of the car and saw Betty carrying them from the back, she’d casually asked, “Need any help?” and after Betty refused, she hadn’t said anything more.
And now she was being told those were for her!
Having received a proper compulsory education, Zhao Zhenzhen genuinely felt uncomfortable with this.
“But…” Betty hesitated.
“No buts.” Zhao Zhenzhen snatched the textbooks over and used “let’s have lunch together during break” to divert Betty’s attention.
She’d only tried it as a shot in the dark, but surprisingly, it worked.
Betty immediately forgot the current matter and nodded vigorously. “Then I’ll save us seats in advance!”
Zhao Zhenzhen wanted to say that wasn’t necessary, but her mouth opened halfway before closing again.
One step at a time.
“Fine, you save seats this time, and next time it’s my turn.” Zhao Zhenzhen said. “Let me check today’s fortune for you.”
Betty nodded happily and immediately reached into her pocket for money.
Zhao Zhenzhen stopped her. “It’s free—a friend perk.”
Hearing that, Betty gave Zhao Zhenzhen a look like she was about to cry from happiness. She threw her arms around Zhao Zhenzhen and shook her vigorously a few times.
Zhao Zhenzhen laughed in a muffled voice and patted her back. “If you smother me to death, there won’t be any friend perks anymore!”
Betty left in high spirits.
Because the color of her clothes today happened to be her lucky color.
Her lucky items were pens and round-framed glasses.
What a coincidence.
With her luck, she’d definitely grab a good seat today and have lunch with Zhao!
Betty departed with grand ambitions.
The moment Zhao Zhenzhen stepped into the classroom, malicious jeering laughter rang out.
Quite a few people even egged each other on by slapping the desks, hollering “Ooooh!”
The class’s leading clique was gathered together, some standing and some sitting, laughing at Zhao Zhenzhen.
“Yo… isn’t this Zhao? You finally showed up?” The girl sitting on the desk hopped down, one hand on her hip, grinning with malice.
Zhao Zhenzhen recognized her as the gum-chewing girl who had cursed at her in the car.
Her name was Judy.
Today she was also smacking her gum noisily.
Besides her, the clique had four other members.
There was Tyke, big and burly, and Cooper, the errand-running yes-man.
Then there was the clique’s leader, who was also the head of the class. Kingsley, and his girlfriend Amelia.
Kingsley was a regular player on the school’s blue team. Amelia was a basketball cheerleader.
Blonde hair, blue eyes, decent looks.
Honestly, they fit the stereotype Zhao Zhenzhen had seen in those American teen school dramas.
And they were definitely the villain faction in them.
Zhao Zhenzhen swept her gaze over them, her eyes landing on Judy.
It was rather amusing—everyone else showed a yellow name, but only this Judy was red.
Zhao Zhenzhen first checked her own fortune.
Mm, danger with no harm, misfortune turning to good fortune, all eyes upon her. No lucky stone, but her lucky color was red.
Zhao Zhenzhen looked down at herself, then patted her pockets and rummaged through them.
Finally, she remembered the breakfast Betty had brought her.
She hadn’t held out much hope, only glancing at it casually.
But in the bag holding the fried dumplings were a few packets of ketchup.
Zhao Zhenzhen looked at the ketchup and smiled.
Judy’s face fell. She stared at Zhao Zhenzhen with a hostile expression.
This Chinese bitch actually dared to ignore her!
Judy had a decent figure—otherwise Amelia wouldn’t have been able to squeeze her onto the cheerleading squad.
But she had a strange nose, somewhat like a pig nose botched by plastic surgery. And she threw her weight around with her little clique, always strutting about with her nose in the air.
Paired with that nose, it looked even stranger.
Now, with her face darkened as she glared at someone, she looked especially venomous.
Those in the class who had been bullied into fear by her felt their spines crawl at the sight.
“I’m talking to you! Did you hear me?!” Judy charged at Zhao Zhenzhen, reaching out to grab her hair.
Cursing as she went, “You bitch—ahhh!!”
She squeezed her eyes shut and flung her hands wide, screaming, “My eyes! My eyes! What did you smear on me?!”
Just moments ago, Zhao Zhenzhen had deftly shifted her body, dodging Judy’s hand, stepped forward and pressed her palm onto Judy’s face, then rubbed vigorously, smearing ketchup all over it.
Then she hopped back as Judy let out a shriek.
“I smeared on a face-disfiguring ointment,” Zhao Zhenzhen said with complete seriousness. “It’s made from centipedes, skinks, and cockroach eggs mashed together with flies, mixed up and left to soak in two nights of moonlight.”
“The louder you scream, the uglier you’ll become.”
Judy, who had been shrieking at the top of her lungs, immediately clamped her mouth shut.
“Judy!” Amelia finally snapped back to her senses, standing up in a fury. “That’s ketchup on your face, you idiot!”
“Pfft.” Zhao Zhenzhen couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.
“You tricked me!” Judy flushed with humiliation and anger, wiped her face haphazardly, and once she could see, lunged at Zhao Zhenzhen.
She was going to teach this Chinese bitch a lesson today!
Judy threw herself at Zhao Zhenzhen.
Zhao Zhenzhen didn’t run out of the classroom either—she just weaved around the front two rows.
Every time, Judy came up empty-handed.
She couldn’t figure it out! She was a cheerleading squad member who exercised every day, after all.
She had agility and reaction speed—how could she not catch this scrawny Chinese girl?
Slippery as an eel. She’d never seemed this nimble before!
When she’d first transferred here, Judy had even stuck her foot out to trip her several times!
Clearly she’d never been able to dodge it back then!
The more Judy thought about it, the more indignant she felt, but no matter how indignant she was, it didn’t help.
On her own, she really couldn’t catch her!
She stopped and pointed at Zhao Zhenzhen, shouting, “Tyke! Cooper! What are you still sitting there for?! Come help me block her!”
Judy was directing the hangers-on in her little clique.
Tyke and Cooper stood up upon hearing this.
Zhao Zhenzhen pointed at them and barked loudly, “You two better not move! Otherwise, I won’t be polite!”
Tyke and Cooper hesitated a bit.
It was really because this Chinese girl’s attitude had changed too fast. As if she truly had some kind of backing.
They might be hangers-on, but that didn’t mean they had no brains.
They at least knew how to read the room.
Judy saw that the two of them had actually frozen in place after Zhao Zhenzhen’s shout, and she couldn’t restrain her alone. She could only stomp her foot and turn to the leader of their little group for help.
“Kingsley…” Judy paused, then added another name, “Amelia!”
Huh?
Zhao Zhenzhen raised an eyebrow. A thread in her mind had been unexpectedly triggered.
She followed her instincts immediately, quickly pulling up the virtual panels for Judy, Kingsley, and Amelia.
She hadn’t looked before, but now that she did—it was another romantic entanglement.
Zhao Zhenzhen clicked her tongue.
She saw that Amelia had actually been moved by Judy’s call and was turning around, about to speak up and defend her lackey.
She spoke up at once. “Amelia, if I were you, I wouldn’t do anything. Do you know what she’s been up to behind your back?”
Zhao Zhenzhen pointed at Judy.
Amelia frowned at Zhao Zhenzhen. “Are you trying to sow discord?”
“No, I’m getting revenge.” Zhao Zhenzhen smiled at Judy. “I wasn’t sure at first, but the moment I walked in, I knew. You’re the one who soaked my backpack.”
“But what I’m about to say is also the truth—believe it or not, that’s up to you.” Zhao Zhenzhen shrugged at Amelia.
Amelia stared at Zhao Zhenzhen for a long moment. “What do you want to say?”
“Aren’t you looking for the owner of the golden-blonde hair?” Zhao Zhenzhen said with a grin.
Judy’s eyes flew wide open. Kingsley, who had been sitting there motionless, now shifted restlessly back and forth as well.
Amelia’s expression changed even more drastically.
The golden-blonde hair Zhao Zhenzhen was referring to was what she had found on Kingsley’s bed!
But when she’d confronted Kingsley, he’d stubbornly refused to admit to betraying her. He kept insisting he was wronged, saying it might have come from somewhere he’d brought it back without noticing, and so on.
Amelia didn’t believe him at all—she was certain Kingsley had slept with some bitch behind her back.
But she couldn’t find the person!
Even with Judy’s help, they hadn’t found her!
She never expected this Chinese exchange student to know.
Amelia stared at Zhao Zhenzhen. “Who is it?! Tell me, and I guarantee you won’t have a single bit of trouble at school from now on.”
“I don’t need your guarantee, and I won’t have any trouble.” Zhao Zhenzhen said bluntly. “I’m telling you now because I want to see her get into trouble.”
Zhao Zhenzhen pointed. “The person you’re looking for is right here.”
Judy shrieked, “You’re lying!” She looked at Amelia in a panic, desperately trying to explain. “Amelia, don’t listen to her nonsense!”
Kingsley couldn’t help speaking up too. “Yeah, Amelia, she’s so ugly—how could I possibly sleep with her?”
Judy’s voice caught in her throat, her expression slightly wounded.
“Because you’re not picky.” Zhao Zhenzhen said snidely. She looked at Amelia. “If you don’t believe me, go search her locker. Oh, she has two lockers, right next to each other.”
“The outfit from that night, and the wig—they’re all still in there.” Zhao Zhenzhen said with dripping sarcasm.
She looked back and forth between Kingsley and Judy, clicking her tongue in amazement.
“You two really know how to play.”
Cosplay!
Of all the characters to dress up as, they had to pick Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask.
Pfft. They’d insulted her childhood!
Trash.