“Mm.” Zhong Sinian nodded, not letting his gaze linger on her any longer.
The car stopped at the academy gates, and quite a few people outside recognized them as members of the Zhong family, stopping in their tracks to watch.
Pei Qiuxu’s heart was in her throat. Only when she placed her hand in Zhong Sinian’s palm did she follow his steps into the school.
Sure enough, once they got out of the car, they were greeted with a chorus of gasps.
Within moments, Pei Qiuxu’s identity had been dug up, and word spread until everyone knew.
They were in the same class—it had been arranged long ago.
Pei Qiuxu sat beside Zhong Sinian, drawing countless sidelong glances.
She was very beautiful. Her long black hair fell to her waist, tracing a perfect arc through the air. Her round eyes tilted slightly upward at the corners, their light-colored irises clear and bright. Without a trace of makeup, she was already stunning enough to topple cities.
Zhong Sinian seemed lost in thought. Pei Qiuxu could faintly see the red marks hidden at his neck, along with a wound at the corner of his mouth.
She also discreetly glanced at the other three—they too bore injuries large and small, and Qin Muyao even had gauze wrapped around his head.
Pei Qiuxu knew her place and naturally didn’t ask too many questions. Thinking of the girl they had taken away yesterday, the answer was obvious.
What surprised her, though, was that yesterday’s girl seemed to be treated differently from everyone else in their eyes.
She lowered her eyes, hiding the thoughts within.
Truthfully, she didn’t care about Zhong Sinian’s private life. As long as she was the young madam of the Zhong family, she would simply pretend not to see the rest.
After all, she had always known her place—that kind of man who drifted from flower to flower would never turn over a new leaf for her sake.
Knock, knock. At the podium, the homeroom teacher rapped on the desk and cleared her throat. “This semester, our class will be getting a new transfer student. Everyone, please make her feel welcome.”
Pei Qiuxu was also new, but because the Zhong family had made special arrangements, she had been spared the process of introducing herself on stage.
The expressions below varied. In this elite academy, a transfer student meant a specially admitted student.
But it had been a long time since their class had received any specially admitted students.
Under everyone’s gaze, the door slowly pushed open, and a girl in a light blue uniform walked in.
Pei Qiuxu’s expression shifted in shock—wasn’t this the waitress who had been taken away yesterday?
Standing at the podium, the girl broke into a sunny smile. “Hello everyone, my name is He Jiaojiao. I transferred here from Dahuai Village. Please take good care of me.”
As she finished speaking, she looked up and happened to meet the smiling eyes of the four people below.
“Ah!” She shrieked, her face instantly flushing red. “You all—”
“Let’s welcome our new classmate!” Qin Muyao was the first to stand, clapping as he teased.
The rest of the class followed with applause.
He took two steps forward, grabbed He Jiaojiao’s arm, and pulled her into his embrace, saying with a laugh, “Hello there, new classmate.”
Pei Qiuxu lowered her head slightly, glancing out of the corner of her eye at Zhong Sinian beside her. He was watching ahead with a smile on his face—or more precisely, watching He Jiaojiao as she struggled in Qin Muyao’s arms.
And He Jiaojiao on stage, as if remembering something, flushed crimson, her eyes glistening with moisture as she shot them a “furious” glare.
The moment Qin Muyao’s hand pressed against her waist, her body went soft.
Pei Qiuxu bit her lip. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but she felt that whenever this girl was around, a barrier formed between her and the four of them.
Others simply couldn’t fit in.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end said nothing.
He Jiaojiao ended up taking Pei Qiuxu’s seat—it was Zhong Sinian himself who spoke up.
As usual, his voice and expression were gentle, but his words nearly brought Pei Qiuxu to tears: “Qiuxu, sit behind me for now.”
The four of them had originally sat wherever they pleased, but with He Jiaojiao’s arrival, they all crowded around her.
Pei Qiuxu’s chest tightened. That remark was practically a slap in the face, delivered right to her.
She held back, but in the end couldn’t suppress her anger. She turned and walked to the very back of the classroom, sitting alone in a row.
Watching her, Zhong Sinian’s expression cooled, but he said nothing.
He Jiaojiao sat down beside him.
Once seated, Pei Qiuxu began to regret it. She pressed her lips together, her brows knitted tightly. She should have held out longer—it was just a seat, what right did she have to throw a tantrum?
But then, she had been pampered since childhood. Having her dignity stripped from her in public, it was only natural that her displeasure showed.
If she went and acted cute later, softened up a little, surely Zhong Sinian wouldn’t stay angry with her.
Pei Qiuxu thought this, blinking her eyes.
After class, before Pei Qiuxu could even go to Zhong Sinian, He Jiaojiao came over first.
He Jiaojiao was pretty, but only moderately so—an oval face with almond eyes, hair that was somewhat yellowish and dry, with faint freckles scattered across her face. Overall, she looked cute.
But at Holton Noble Academy, where beauties were everywhere, that hardly counted for much, and standing in front of Pei Qiuxu, the difference was immediately obvious.
“I’m so sorry, big sister. I didn’t mean to take your seat. How about we swap?” He Jiaojiao looked apologetic.
Then she added fiercely, “I don’t really want to sit with them anyway.”
“They’re so annoying. They have no idea what equality means.”
Pei Qiuxu froze and instinctively looked toward Zhong Sinian.
Zhong Sinian gave a light laugh, stepped forward, and wrapped an arm around Pei Qiuxu’s waist. “Qiuxu doesn’t want to sit there, does she?”
It sounded like a question, but he whispered in Pei Qiuxu’s ear: “Qiuxu, remember your place. Don’t defy my decisions.”
Pei Qiuxu’s body went rigid. The sob in her throat nearly burst out, but she forced it back down.
She forced up a smile. “It’s fine, I don’t mind. You all get along well.”
With that, she turned to Zhong Sinian. “Sinian, I’m going to the restroom.”
Zhong Sinian nodded, satisfied, and patted Pei Qiuxu’s head. “Good girl. Go ahead.”
Pei Qiuxu stood up with a smile and walked out, the gazes behind her carrying mockery and gloating.
By the time she reached the restroom, tears were already falling silently. She had always been timid and prone to crying—as a child she cried when angry, cried when acting spoiled, cried over the slightest thing that didn’t go her way.
Tears slid down her cheeks, and she wiped them away with a flick of her hand, her reddened nose twitching. She looked like a rabbit bullied beyond endurance. The long hair tucked behind her ears slipped loose with her movements, falling against her cheeks and dampened by tears—heartbreakingly beautiful.
She picked up her phone and asked her parents to request leave for her. She was afraid that if she went back, someone would notice she’d been crying—that would be the height of embarrassment.
Father Pei and Mother Pei didn’t hesitate for a moment, and even sent someone to pick her up.
She kept her head down as she hurried through the school corridor, heading toward the school gate.