Chapter 2 Halo A transfer student is coming to our class soon.
The boy showed no intention of apologizing. He merely glanced down at the filthy shoes, then looked away in disgust, preparing to leave without even looking at her.
Qin Man had just paid for her drink and not only lost it for nothing, but the person who hit her didn't even intend to apologize.
She said coldly, "Handsome, where's the apology?"
The boy turned to look at her, his eyes slightly narrowed, a disdainful expression seemingly hidden beneath his mask: "Trying to scam me?"
His voice sounded very familiar.
Qin Man was certain that they knew each other, but probably not very well; they were likely distant acquaintances within the same industry.
Knowing that the person might be from the industry, Qin Man immediately became blunt, "Why don't we check the surveillance footage and see who hit whom? You're turning black into white here. You can't even afford to pay for a bottle of drink, can you?"
The boy paused, seemingly amused by her last sentence, and slowly took out a piece of paper from his shirt pocket.
He leaned down, gently patted her face with a folded piece of paper, and whispered, "You're the one who can't afford to pay for it, aren't you?"
After saying that, he threw the paper in his hand aside, brushed past her shoulder, and walked out.
The moment the object was thrown at her, Qin Man instinctively closed her eyes.
She suddenly felt a sharp pain on the tip of her upturned nose, and the banknotes, after being thrown, fell onto her chest.
I picked it up casually and saw that it was a euro note.
Qin Man stood there, still in shock.
Anger gradually appeared on his face.
No one had ever treated her like this before; she had always treated others this way since she was a child.
Unacceptable.
Qin Man turned and rushed out of the convenience store. The street was full of cars, but she couldn't find the boy wearing the baseball cap.
I'm so angry, but I have nowhere to vent it.
"Qin Man!"
Just then, a classmate got out of a luxury car. She was carrying a bag. She looked up and saw Qin Man standing angrily in the middle of the road. She smiled and greeted her.
Seeing Qin Man turn around, Pei Shiyu gracefully walked forward.
"What's wrong? I just saw you running this way in a huff."
As she walked, she brushed aside the stray strands of hair that were falling loosely over her shoulder, her eyes filled with curiosity.
Xi Lai didn't care about the students' attire. Pei Shiyu had meticulously styled, smooth, long chestnut-brown curly hair that was dazzling in the morning sunlight. When she smiled, her long, curled eyelashes seemed to be able to charm, and she was sweet in every way.
Upon seeing that it was Pei Shiyu, Qin Man's lips twitched, and she casually brushed aside what had just happened, saying, "I ran into a lunatic."
Pei Shiyu asked, "Who is it?"
Qin Man didn't bother to answer and tossed her hair as she walked forward.
Pei Shiyu wasn't annoyed. She followed her and walked beside her, casually asking, "Speaking of which, why have you been taking taxis to school lately? Where's your driver?"
These words were like a knife stabbing into Qin Man's chest.
Suddenly, the boy's words, "You're the one who can't afford to pay, right?" flashed into her mind, the voice and the image stimulating her senses.
Qin Man replied irritably, "Go back to my hometown to hold the funeral."
Pei Shiyu gave an "Oh," her gaze lingering on her face, scrutinizing her intently.
Qin Man bit her lip tightly and said impatiently, "Why do you care about this?"
She can't show weakness now; she only has one year left in high school, and she has to persevere.
In a school like this, so many people are waiting to see her make a fool of herself. Gossip and rumors could crush her. If they find out that there are problems in her family, then she's finished.
In particular, she must not let Pei Shiyu see through her. At school, Pei Shiyu is ostensibly the person she is closest to, but the two have a very shallow personal relationship, and even their parents don't know each other very well.
In the first year of high school, Qin Man knew that Pei Shiyu was there because of her background, and that she only became friends with Pei Shiyu because their tastes were similar. They weren't really true friends.
Pei Shiyu smiled faintly: "It's nothing."
Qin Man glanced at her, hoping that nothing was wrong.
As soon as Qin Man sat down in the classroom, several of her girlfriends surrounded her, excitedly sharing gossip with her.
"Have you heard? A transfer student is coming to our class soon."
"Didn't the teacher just say that last week?"
"Do you know who it is?"
Clearly trying to pique people's interest, Qin Man urged, "Tell me quickly."
"They say he's Jiang Shuhai's grandson!"
Qin Man's heart skipped a beat, and she looked at the person who spoke in disbelief, "Are you sure it's his grandson?"
"I'm sure, I heard it from my aunt."
This young woman's aunt is one of the investors in this school, so it must be true.
Qin Man suddenly felt her blood run cold.
She couldn't help but ask, "Is it that Jiang Shuhai?"
The girl looked at her with a puzzled expression: "Who else could it be but someone who could come to our school?"
In this city, there is only one person, Jiang Shuhai, who is talked about in this way. His Jiang family's century-old business almost went bankrupt, but a year later, it made a comeback by riding the wave of the internet, becoming a widely circulated business legend in the industry.
And Jiang Shuhai's grandson is none other than Jiang Xuchi!
Qin Man's entire back stiffened.
All she could hear was the heavy pounding of her own heart, one beat after another.
After the Qin family's downfall, during those countless desperate nights, the image of Jiang Xuchi covered in wounds always lingered in Qin Man's dreams.
"Qin Man? Qin Man!"
Pei Shiyu's charming voice pulled her back to reality. Qin Man turned her head and saw her reproachful look.
"Didn't you hear what I just said? Don't forget my birthday party tonight, at Fusheng."
Qin Man exclaimed "Ah!" and frowned: "Why was it changed to today again?"
"I need to take tomorrow off. Mommy is taking me to Iceland to see the Northern Lights. We'll be back next Monday." Pei Shiyu blinked. "So I changed it to today at the last minute. I know you didn't bring a gift, so give it to me next Monday."
Qin Man forced a stiff smile: "Why did we go to see the aurora? Can't we do something more interesting?"
God knows she hasn't even chosen a birthday present yet!
She used to just grab a bag from a store and be done with it, but lately she's broke. She's broke, so she doesn't even dare go shopping, let alone buy a bag for a friend she's only superficially close to.
Pei Shiyu pouted and said, "I know you've been there before, but this is my first time."
Qin Man felt a chill run down her spine.
She had never been to Iceland, but she didn't dare admit it at this moment.
Qin Man unconsciously clenched her hands. The manicure she had done half a month ago had grown very long, digging into her palms and making her feel uneasy.
She decided to change the subject: "Who else is going to the party?"
"Just you guys?" Pei Shiyu said the names of a few more of her girlfriends, which made Qin Man's head ache.
Qin Man didn't want to interact much with Pei Shiyu, and similarly, she didn't want to get too close to those girls from the next class. They were in a group chat, and Qin Man had already declined their afternoon tea invitations twice, afraid they would find out, using excuses like her parents' wedding anniversary, her honeymoon, or her brother coming home for dinner.
She cares about her reputation. She can use these excuses to get away with it once or twice, but what about after that? She still has a semester of classes to attend, while these rich girls are so idle that they can stretch one day into three.
What's even scarier is that she used to love playing around and enjoyed being the center of attention among her girlfriends. It's impossible for her to suddenly change her gender.
Pei Shiyu glanced at Qin Man's expression, blinked, and hesitated for a moment before quickly smiling and asking Qin Man, "Why do I feel like you've been acting strange lately? Did I offend you somehow?"
Qin Man suppressed her irritability and said calmly, "No, I'm on my period, so I'm not in a good mood."
"Oh, okay."
Pei Shiyu was used to Qin Man's capricious and inexplicable temper. Her gaze lingered on Qin Man's earlobe for a moment, then she exclaimed "Eh!" and asked:
"Have you been liking this style lately?"
This is the third time Qin Man has worn these earrings this week.
Qin Man's expression froze instantly. She subconsciously touched her earring, and the icy touch told her that she had been wearing the same piece of jewelry repeatedly this week.
How could I have made such a mistake?
Even if it's one of those old-fashioned styles, as long as you wear it differently, you won't lose face in front of the sharp-eyed Pei Shiyu.
"Don't you like any of the new seasonal items?" Pei Shiyu asked with a smile. "I remember T brand had a really nice one that suits your style perfectly."
Qin Man desperately wanted to tell her to shut up, but she could only stubbornly insist, "I think it's ugly."
The shrill school bell interrupted the chilling conversation. Qin Man breathed a sigh of relief and took her textbook out of her bag.
People came and went, and students began to return to their seats, but the noise continued.
At the same time, the teacher walked in, and the noisy classroom suddenly fell silent for a second.
Qin Man looked up and saw a boy wearing a black hat walk in through the door.
He wasn't wearing a school uniform, and his pants and shoes had been changed. He was carrying a sports bag over his shoulder.
He followed behind the teacher, pulled down the black mask from his face with one hand, and then stood to one side of the podium.
Qin Man's pupils contracted sharply when she saw his face clearly.
Jiang Xuchi.
He looks quite different from before; his features have become sharper and more roguish, and his skin isn't as dark as it used to be.
After the teacher finished his brief introduction, Jiang Xuchi walked straight to the last row and sat down in an empty seat amidst the applause of the whole class.
He acted incredibly arrogant the whole time, and no one dared to make fun of him when he passed by.
Qin Man's gaze remained fixed on Jiang Xuchi until he looked up at her.
Their eyes met.
Qin Man's eyelashes trembled, and she instantly turned her head away.
Qin Man felt a little uneasy.
Back in the days of Fusheng, Qin Man's aura hadn't yet tarnished, and she had the right to mock others at will.
This time, however, everything has changed.
...
The chalk brush writes on the blackboard.
The students below were chattering away.
"What? He's the son of Shixin?" Lin Nuo asked in a low voice, his tone full of surprise.
Her deskmate, Pei Shiyu, chuckled, a hint of disdain in her eyes. "You're only just finding out Shi Xin is from the Jiang family?"
They sat right in front of Qin Man, and everyone around could hear them.
Lin Nuo realized she had shown her weakness, so she pursed her lips and stopped talking.
Her family runs a business, and while they are not poor, they are not exactly well-off either. In the eyes of her classmates, she is like a student from a poor family.
Qin Man listened and couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
In this school, it's best to pretend you know even if you don't; sincerity won't get you any benefits.
Especially when facing someone like Pei Shiyu, who comes from a wealthy family, has abundant resources, can do anything with ease, and has a strong sense of superiority.
Qin Man was like that before.
If only she could stay like this forever, she wouldn't have had the urge to bang her head against a wall the moment she saw Jiang Xuchi.
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