Chapter Forty-Two

Qi Xiao couldn't help but laugh out loud. Sean pointed at Yu Xi, "You mean him?"

"Young man, it seems you have a deep misunderstanding. He is a complete scoundrel."

Upon hearing this, Ning Xiangjian immediately retorted, "That's not true! Although he got into a fight, I saw it. It was that group of people who started the trouble! Are you really his friends? How could you say such things about him?! Yu Xi, don't go with them, let's go..." As she spoke, her voice grew softer and softer because Ning Xiangjian realized that Yu Xi wasn't even looking at her.

His gaze remained fixed on it.

It all lies with Zhou Mo.

Ning Xiangjian was reluctant to see Zhou Mo, but she did anyway. This time, being closer, she realized that the reason she thought Zhou Mo was beautiful last time wasn't because of the atmosphere from a distance, but because Zhou Mo was simply beautiful, flawlessly beautiful.

"I think, Yu Xi..."

"Shut up," Yu Xi said impatiently, then looked at Zhou Mo in a calm tone, "There was a little accident that day."

"A minor accident?" Zhou Mo remained calm. "Is a fight among senior high school students considered a minor accident? Yu Xi, if you really don't want to continue this school, you can just tell me. Is there anything between us that we can't be honest with each other?"

"Of course not. You wouldn't accuse me of any unfounded crime based on a stranger's private speculation, would you?"

Yu Xi clenched his teeth in frustration. He really couldn't understand where this woman came from and why she was saying such nonsensical things.

Zhou Mo was puzzled. "Of course not, otherwise why would I ask you?"

"That's good."

Qi Xiao and Shawn Ke exchanged a glance, both finding it unbelievable. Was this really not an argument? Was this really not the typical language of an argument? How could they be so calm?

Shawn found it even stranger. He knew Yu Xi all too well; he was a very unruly person, and if anyone could tame him, he could only think of He Ru.

But recently he heard that Yu Xi and He Ru seem to have fallen out.

Is it really because of Zhou Mo?

Just who is this woman? Qi Xiao changed after meeting her, and so did Yu Xi.

Yu Xi noticed Shawn's probing gaze at Zhou Mo and subtly moved her body to block Shawn's view.

He glanced over and saw the warning in Yu Xi's eyes.

Ning Xiangjian mistakenly believed that Zhou Mo and Yu Xi were a couple. A sense of resentment welled up in her heart. What use was it if Zhou Mo was beautiful? She was just an orphan with good grades. Her parents sponsored countless children like her every year. Some of them grew up to be just ordinary people, useless, earning meager wages and just waiting to die. These people were simply parasites and scum of society.

People like Yu Xi, who are different from others, shouldn't associate with people like Zhou Mo.

Thinking this, Ning Xiangjian suddenly found a surge of courage and grabbed Yu Xi's hand, trying to pull Yu Xi away from Zhou Mo.

The moment Yu Xi touched Ning Xiangjian, she immediately shook off her hand. Ning Xiangjian lost her balance and was about to fall into the ditch behind her when Zhou Mo finally steadied her.

Before Ning Xiangjian could even regain her balance, she pushed Zhou Mo away without thinking, and the force of the push caused her to fall into the ditch.

She awkwardly raised her head and saw Zhou Mo being supported by Qi Xiao and Yu Xi.

Qi Xiao: "Are you alright, Momo?" She looked angrily at Ning Xiangjian, "Are you crazy? Momo kindly helped you up, and you pushed her?!"

"Never mind, she's just jealous and hates me." Zhou Mo knew Ning Xiangjian's eyes all too well. When she had just lost everything, many people around her had that look in their eyes. The girls who were scared away by the broken lamp shards had the same look in their eyes when they first came to cause her trouble.

He is envied and disliked.

Zhou Mo did not believe that this was because she had not done something well or made a mistake.

Some people are simply ill-mannered.

"There are four of us, how about we go out for a meal?"

Zhou Mo changed the subject so quickly that no one else present had time to react. The first person to react was Shawn, who pointed to himself uncertainly, "Am I counted?"

Zhou Mo retorted, "Then who should it be?"

Of course, Ning Xiangjian is not included.

Qi Xiao always listened to Zhou Mo, "I'm fine with anything, I'll listen to Momo."

Yu Xi expressed his thoughts through his actions, and he would always stand by Zhou Mo's side.

The rest of the trip was arranged by Zhou Mo with just a few words, and no one cared about Ning Xiangjian in the ditch anymore. Just as the four of them were about to leave, Ning Xiangjian suddenly got up from the ditch and bumped into Zhou Mo.

Zhou Mo nimbly dodged, but Qi Xiao didn't tolerate Ning Xiangjian this time. She grabbed Ning Xiangjian's collar, threw her against the wall, and leaned closer. "I'm warning you for the last time. If you don't want to relive your junior high school days, stay away from Zhou Mo and Yu Xi."

Qi Xiao had been hanging out with these guys since he was little, so he wasn't as harmless as he seemed on the surface. He was also skilled at fighting and protecting himself.

Ning Xiangjian was provoked. The princess who had been pampered was now being ridiculed and mocked by these strangers. Resentment and humiliation surged into her heart, causing her to speak without restraint, "Do you know who I am?! You are just a bunch of powerless orphans. Yu Xi is different from you. His father is a professor who has developed patents! He is so smart, why would he associate with you!"

orphan.

Ning Xiangjian’s words implied the presence of the other four people present.

Shawn even seriously counted the heads, "Damn, there are actually four orphans here. If you count Qi Kai and He Ru, that makes six. Can we open an orphanage?"

Qi Xiao gave a sinister laugh. "How about I send you to act in 'Orphan'?"

Shawn quickly waved his hand, "Thanks for the invitation, but I have no plans to enter the entertainment industry."

Ning Xiangjian couldn't understand why these people could still laugh and joke, so she focused her attack on Zhou Mo, "I know you, you just have good grades, right? Everyone only praises you because they feel sorry for you, and you take it so seriously. Zhou Mo, do they know that your father, Zhou Qinian, is a beast who molests junior high school students? Yu Xi, if you hang out with people like this for too long, you're going to be ruined. So be my friend, I can get my dad to help you. Even if you don't get into university, as long as you accept his sponsorship, you can still have a bright future."

Such words are not something a brain-dead high school student who hasn't even entered society would say. Clearly, someone said something to Ning Xiangjian.

This person is most likely the father she was talking about.

Shawn only knew that Zhou Mo's father had a bad reputation, but he had no interest in digging into other people's lives. Qi Xiao knew about it, but it was different from what everyone had heard about him embezzling and bullying students. Yu Xi was completely unaware of it, and his first reaction was not confusion, but concern.

He was afraid that Zhou Mo would have the same stress reaction as before.

But Zhou Mo did not.

Zhou Mo remained calm.

It's as if they already knew about this.

Yu Xi had a guess in his mind. He lowered his eyes, hiding all his emotions, but his body remained still standing beside Zhou Mo, which had already expressed his stance.

Ning Xiang saw that her attack still had no effect, and she didn't even get any emotional response from the other party.

"Yu Xi, did you see that? Zhou Mo is a heartless monster, someone who doesn't even care about her own parents. Do you think she would care about you?"

"Have you said enough?" Zhou Mo gestured for Qi Xiao to let go of Ning Xiangjian. Qi Xiao was unwilling and frowned. Only when Zhou Mo patted the back of her hand did Qi Xiao release Ning Xiangjian and step back to Zhou Mo's side.

Ning Xiangjian: "So you're finally willing to talk to me?"

"Normally, I have nothing to say to someone like you who benefits from the status quo, but since you've provoked me, if I don't say anything, you'll probably call me a coward soon."

Zhou Mo's tone remained calm throughout, making it impossible to tell whether she was angry or genuinely indifferent.

Ning Xiangjian leaned against the wall, glaring hatefully at Zhou Mo. "There's nothing good about you. It's perfectly acceptable to say anything to you. How could someone like Zhou Qinian have a daughter like you? Why didn't you both die in the earthquake?"

Zhou Mo smiled.

Yu Xi wanted to make a move, but Zhou Mo was faster than him, and a crisp slap rang in everyone's ears.

Ning Xiangjian was stunned by the slap. She covered her cheek, her eyes filled with disbelief. "You dare to hit me? My parents never hit me, how dare you?!"

“If your parents can’t teach you, I’ll teach you for them.” Zhou Mo smiled, a calm madness surging in her eyes. “Originally, I didn’t intend to target you. After all, the grievances should be directed at the perpetrators, and the person who should bear the responsibility is not you. I don’t like to involve others in the matter either. But you delivered yourself to my door, so don’t blame me for being impolite.”

Zhou Mo grabbed Ning Xiangjian by the collar and led her deeper into the alley. Ning Xiangjian finally realized she was scared and tried to take out her phone to call her family, but Zhou Mo didn't give her the chance. She knocked the phone away, and it rolled a few times on the ground before finally hitting the wall and stopping.

"Keep watch for me."

"Don't leave yet, we're going to have a big meal later."

The three men obediently blocked the alley entrance. Shawn couldn't remember the last time he helped someone fight and keep watch. He was, after all, the leader of District One. How did he end up being bossed around?

"Hey, I think Zhou Mo is a bit weird."

Qi Xiao rolled her eyes and looked to her right, only to find Yu Xi there. She rolled her eyes again, her gaze fixed straight ahead, neither to the left nor to the right.

Deep in the alley.

Ning Xiangjian kept backing away, saying, "Don't come any closer, you can't afford to mess with my father."

“Your father can’t afford to mess with me, Ning Xiangjian, right? Have you ever heard the saying, ‘Those who have nothing to lose are not afraid of those who have something to lose’? You just said that I am an orphan and I have nothing, but you and your father have too much and want too much, so you are full of flaws.”

Ning Xiangjian was on the verge of collapse. "What exactly do you want to do?!"

"Tell your father to stay away from Yu Xi. He already has enough pests around him. If anyone else bothers him, he'll never get what he wants in this lifetime."