"Have you guys seen that video?"
"That's hilarious! She seems so well-behaved, but she can really swear like a jerk."
"They even had a family reunion banquet? Now this has become a joke."
"Did you see her parents' expressions yesterday? They were absolutely furious."
"Judging from her family's attitude, she's not as pampered as she seems."
"Isn't it all an act?"
"My God! Is this really that ridiculous?"
"Hey, hey, stop talking!"
"Why can't I say..." Before he could finish speaking, he saw Tang Zhiyi standing at the door, her hand tightly gripping the shoulder strap of her schoolbag.
The two touched their noses and silently dispersed, while the others lowered their heads and pretended to pick up their books.
Just as the stalemate was reaching its conclusion, Meng Wan walked in from outside. The atmosphere in the classroom was strangely awkward. Meng Wan ignored Tang Zhiyi and did not intend to get involved.
"Are you satisfied now, Meng Wan!"
Tang Zhiyi's voice sounded behind her, which made Meng Wan find it somewhat amusing. She turned her head and looked directly into Tang Zhiyi's eyes.
"Did you do anything to satisfy me?"
"You ruined the family reunion banquet, aren't you smug about it!"
Meng Wan couldn't help but laugh out loud, but the laughter clearly didn't reach her eyes.
"So you don't dare to criticize the person who embarrassed you, but instead drag me into it? Tang Zhiyi, your thought process is quite peculiar. Should I introduce you to a psychiatrist?"
Tang Zhiyi was speechless. She subconsciously raised her hand to wave at Meng Wan, but Meng Wan easily caught it.
"I could understand what you did yesterday because you were a victim and acted impulsively. But what do you mean now? Are you going to randomly pick someone to vent your anger on?" Meng Wan swung her hand, the force of which was quite strong, causing Tang Zhiyi to take two steps back.
Only then did she see the expressions on other people's faces. Some were surprised, some were disgusted, some were stunned... Tang Zhiyi knew that everything was over.
She had had a smooth and successful 17 years, and the grievances she had suffered were not as many as those two days! She gritted her teeth, turned around and ran out, leaving behind people looking at each other in bewilderment.
Meng Wan watched her run off with a cold eye until she was gone before returning to her seat. She stuffed her bag into her desk and leaned back. "What happened?"
“We were just discussing how Tang Zhiyi was frightened by a dog at yesterday’s family reunion banquet.” Peng Zhe rubbed his nose.
"Then what?"
"At first, we just thought it was funny, but then we saw her kicking and yelling at the dog, which was quite scary. Plus, she always brags about how much her family loves her, so we felt like it was all an act."
"Yeah, her whole persona collapsed." People around her started to agree.
"Sister Wan, is the second young master of the Tang family standing up for you?"
"To vent your anger? To ruin the Tang family's family reunion banquet for the sake of an outsider like me?"
Realizing he had said the wrong thing, the man silently sat back down.
"Sister Wan, that's not what we meant," Peng Zhe explained somewhat awkwardly.
"Don't worry, this isn't something I need to worry about."
Meng Wan declined to comment. Tang Zhiyi was indeed a victim, but her behavior was difficult to assess. With that kick and yelling, if she couldn't quickly prove her worth to Tang Sheng, she wouldn't be far from becoming a discarded pawn.
After the protagonist left, everyone changed the subject. Gossip always has an expiration date, and Tang Zhiyi's affairs were at most a seasoning in their lives. After everyone said a few words, there was no more value in discussing them.
No one noticed that someone had quietly left.
In the school's back courtyard, Tang Zhiyi sat alone in the pavilion, muttering to herself, her schoolbag tossed to the ground and kicked occasionally. Sun Lu watched all this but didn't rush over.
She fiddled with her hair a couple of times, and the next second, she called out Tang Zhiyi's name anxiously.
"Zhiyi! Are you here?"
Upon hearing the sound, Tang Zhiyi immediately turned around to check the source of the sound. When she saw Sun Lu running towards her, she hurriedly picked up her schoolbag, patted it, and put it aside.
She turned her back and pinched her thigh. Her eyes quickly reddened, and tears streamed down her face.
"Zhiyi." Sun Lu arrived and called her name cautiously.
Tang Zhiyi seemed startled and hurriedly wiped her face with the back of her hand, but did not turn around.
"Zhiyi, are you alright?" Sun Lu approached cautiously and asked tentatively.
"I'm fine." Tang Zhiyi sniffed, but still stubbornly turned her back on him.
"Don't be too sad. That's just how these people are. They say a few words, but they forget about it after just a couple of classes, not even until tomorrow."
“I know, I’m just so wronged. I don’t know what I did wrong. My own brother and brother actually went so far as to ruin the family reunion banquet in public for Meng Wan, making me a laughing stock. I don’t know why my classmates are so hostile towards me… I thought that when I went home, I would have loving parents and brothers. I thought I could get along well with my classmates…”
Tang Zhiyi spoke haltingly, her hand constantly wiping away the tears that rolled down her cheeks.
Sun Lu pursed her lips and handed her a tissue from behind.
"Th...thank you." Tang Zhiyi accepted it and thanked her softly.
Sun Lu sighed and gently patted her shoulder.
"It's okay, I'm here for you. I won't laugh at you. You did nothing wrong. You had 17 years of your life stolen from you and were treated like this. It's normal to be sad, but how can you say you did something wrong? If you hadn't been switched at birth, you should be the one who is loved and cherished right now."
Sun Lu's voice was soft and had a calming power. She gently patted Tang Zhiyi's shoulder, like a mother soothing her child to sleep.
Tang Zhiyi finally turned her face, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "Is that really what you think?"
"Of course, otherwise why would I have made a special trip to find you?" Sun Lu smiled and helped her straighten her bangs.
"Thank you. You are the first classmate in this school to be kind to me."
“Because I see myself in you. Meng Wan is like a protagonist with a halo. Anyone who doesn’t go along with her will be ostracized and isolated. I don’t want to see a second person like that.”
After saying that, Sun Lu gave a bitter smile.
"You?" Tang Zhiyi was somewhat incredulous.
Sun Lu didn't speak, only nodded. It was as if the two had met their counterparts from a parallel universe, finding solace in each other at that moment. Tang Zhiyi hugged her and patted her, and Sun Lu returned the hug, only separating after a while.
The two looked at each other, but Sun Lu suddenly burst out laughing.
"What's wrong?" Tang Zhiyi asked, puzzled.
"I came here to comfort you, how did it turn into you comforting me?"
Tang Zhiyi shrugged helplessly, "Sigh, who can argue with that?"
"Then it's settled, we'll be friends from now on."
"Um!"
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