Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Xueying's Revenge
Xueying's revenge was like a vine growing in the dark, silent but targeted everywhere.
At the end of the first week, Lu Feng assigned a rare foreign document that needed to be read carefully. The library only had one paper version, and according to regulations, it could only be read in the reading room and could not be borrowed.
Xitong made an appointment several days in advance before finally getting a time.
That afternoon, she arrived at the Special Collections Reading Room of the library on time, but was told that the document she had reserved had been taken away by another classmate.
The administrator checked the records and found that the person who took the document was a second-year graduate student named "Liu Lianzi", the same girl who often hung out with Xueying.
When Xitong found Liu Lianzi, she was chatting and laughing with several other girls in the study area. The precious document was casually spread out on the table, with even a cup of steaming milk tea on it.
"Junior sister, this document is for the time period I reserved. Could you please return it to me now?"
Xitong tried her best to remain polite.
Liu Lianzi raised her head, a look of surprise and innocence on her face: "Ah? Senior Sister Xitong? Sorry, I saw that there seemed to be a vacancy in the reservation system, and I thought no one wanted it, so I took a look. I just started reading it, and I'm halfway through my notes..."
She pointed at the few scratches on the document, her tone embarrassed.
The girl next to her chimed in, "Yes, Senior Sister, Xiao Zi just sat down not long ago, please let her finish reading it."
"That's right, Senior Sister, you're so amazing, it's okay to watch it later, right?"
Xitong watched them singing in unison, and then caught a glimpse of Xueying sitting by the window not far away, with her head down and concentrating on reading a book, as if she knew nothing about the dispute here, but there was a faint smile on the corner of her mouth.
In the end, she wasted an entire afternoon waiting before she got back the document that was a little wrinkled and even stained with milk tea.
When Liu Lianzi returned it, she apologized sincerely: "I'm sorry, Senior Sister, I wasted your time. I didn't mean to."
In a group collaboration project in the second week, Xitong was responsible for the core part of data processing.
Xueying "took the initiative" to help enter some basic data, with a humble and enthusiastic attitude: "Sister, you just got here, and the task is heavy. Let me help you with these simple things, and it will also be considered as learning."
Although Xitong felt that something was wrong, due to the friendship between them, he still gave her some non-core data.
As a result, when she performed subsequent complex calculations, she always got strange results, and she could not find any problems after repeatedly checking the algorithm.
In the end, Xitong spent a lot of time checking the original data one by one, only to find that in the data entered by Xueying, there were more than a dozen key values with incorrect decimal points.
When Xitong took the wrong records to confront Xueying, Xueying immediately widened her eyes, her face full of panic and self-blame, and her eyes turned red in an instant.
"Oh my god! How could this happen?! I'm so sorry! Senior Sister Xitong! I really didn't mean it! Maybe I was too tired from staying up late those few days and couldn't concentrate... It's all my fault! I almost ruined your job!"
She even choked up and pulled Xitong's hand: "Senior Sister, please scold me! You can punish me however you want! I'm so stupid!"
Seeing this, the classmates around came over to comfort Xueying: "Yingying, don't blame yourself too much. Everyone makes mistakes."
"Yes, Senior Sister Xitong, Yingying is also helping out of good intentions. She is usually very serious about her work. This must have been an accident."
Xitong looked at Xueying who was crying bitterly, and the people around her looking at her with a bit of blame in their eyes, and could only swallow her words.
She clearly felt that this was no "accident", but she could not find any evidence.
Soon, some rumors about Xi Tong began to spread quietly in the research group and even in a wider range.
Xi's admission to a doctoral program wasn't based on her actual abilities, but rather on "special connections." Her so-called "achievements" are largely unfounded.
[Senior Sister Xi is arrogant and looks down on her fellow disciples. Even the goddess's kind offer of help was treated harshly by her.]
[…His private life is undisciplined, and he is often seen being picked up and dropped off by various luxury cars.]
The source of these rumors was difficult to trace, but as they spread, Xueying's followers inevitably added fuel to the fire: "Oh, I never thought Senior Sister Xitong was such a person..."
Among them, Liu Lianzi stood out the most: "Junior Sister Yingying is too kind and is always bullied."
Xueying herself, when faced with questions, always hesitated to speak, looking embarrassed, and finally said softly: "Don't speculate blindly, Senior Sister Xitong...maybe she's just not easy to approach. We need to be more understanding of her."
The rumor spread even more widely.
Xitong clearly felt the subtle rejection and strange looks that permeated the surrounding environment.
She tried to explain, but it was like a punch on cotton. All the malice was hidden under "unintentional mistake", "misunderstanding" and "guessing".
…
Liu Lianzi always felt that the new doctoral student was a little too dazzling and too troublesome.
She is beautiful, but the aura that brings her own spotlight makes her, who regards Xueying as a "god", feel uncomfortable.
Until that Friday.
She went swimming in the morning as usual.
The swimming pool was filled with the smell of disinfectant and the quietness of no one.
Liu Lianzi sat by the pool, her eyes unconsciously sweeping across the water.
Just then, she saw Xitong.
Not far away, Xitong was also sitting in the pool, wearing a white swimming cap with her long hair completely wrapped in it. The girl who always accompanied her was not there, and she was alone.
But that’s not the point.
The point is, her feet resting on the tiles by the pool.
They were a pair of exceptionally white feet, with slender ankles and arches as graceful as a work of art. But the most striking thing about them was the rich, vibrant red polish on their ten nails.
The water in the pool is clear and rippling, and the sunlight shines through the high windows. In the light and shadow reflected by the waves, the feet seem to have a soft light of their own.
The red nail polish looks like ripe cherries with water droplets, or like a small flame suddenly ignited in the dark night. Set against the glowing white skin, it has a breathtaking, almost enchanting beauty.
The water droplets slid down the graceful instep, flowed over the round toes, and finally dripped from the bright red fingertips, creating a circle of imperceptible ripples.
Liu Lianzi's heart skipped a beat and she unconsciously held her breath.
She has an extraordinary fascination with beautiful ankles and feet.
At this moment, Xitong's foot hit the secret corner of her heart that she had never told anyone with incredible precision.
Liu Lianzi looked a little dazed.
It turns out that a pair of feet wearing exquisite high heels and walking with the wind, without all the decorations, are so beautiful.
A mixture of appreciation, excitement and even a little shame quietly spread.
Xitong seemed to notice the overly focused gaze and suddenly turned her head.
Liu Lianzi hurriedly lowered her eyes, her heart beating like a drum and her cheeks burning uncontrollably.
She expected to see Xitong's puzzled or dissatisfied expression, after all, she had made up so many rumors about her, but she heard a soft voice with a smile: "Junior sister, you come to swim so early too, what a coincidence!"
There was no sarcasm in that voice, only a clear greeting.
Liu Lianzi hesitated for a moment, and for the first time, took the initiative to walk towards the overly bright halo.
The water waves gently wrapped around her, and for the first time, she felt that the dazzling light on Xitong seemed... not so dazzling.
…
After dinner, a subtle quietness permeated the Yu Mansion.
Father Yu sat on the sofa, holding a newspaper in his hand, but his eyes were not on the words.
Yu's mother lowered her head and concentrated on peeling the apple, the peel being pulled into a long strip and hanging down.
Yu Ziche took a deep breath, quietly clenched his hands into fists at his side, and then released them.
He turned his head to glance at the girl beside him.
She was wearing faded jeans and a simple plaid shirt. She lowered her head, her hands nervously twisted together. Her nails were neatly trimmed, but they had a paleness that came from overuse.
"Uncle, aunt," Yu Ziche's voice was tense but still obvious despite trying to hide it, "This is Xueying, my... girlfriend."
Xueying raised her head at the right moment, trying to force out a sweet smile, and said in a soft voice, "Hello, uncle. Hello, aunt."
But there was a timid uneasiness in his eyes.
Mother Yu put down the apple, wiped her hands with a tissue, and looked at her gently without saying a word. Father Yu cleared his throat and put down the newspaper: "Zi Che, if you have anything to say, tell me."
Yu Ziche spoke faster, as if receiving instructions. "Xueying's family situation is quite special; they're from a poor family. She's studying at a university here. Her tuition is covered by student loans and scholarships, but the accommodation fees... and living expenses..."
His voice got lower and lower as he spoke, almost turning into a whisper at the end, "I'm wondering... can Xueying live at home temporarily? Just in my room! She can help with the housework and stuff, it definitely won't be for nothing!"
Yu Ziche finished speaking in one breath, his cheeks slightly flushed with excitement and pleading, his eyes eagerly roaming back and forth between his uncle and aunt's faces, waiting for judgment.
The girl next to her lowered her head even more, her ears turned red, as if she wanted to find a hole in the ground to crawl into.
The only sound in the living room was the ticking of the second hand of the wall clock, and every second seemed particularly long.
Mother Yu and Father Yu exchanged a look, in which there was scrutiny, an imperceptible sigh, and a hint of understanding.
They looked at their nephew, who had always been a bit reckless, and now showed unprecedented seriousness and sincerity for the girl beside him.
The silence lasted about half a minute.
Finally, Mother Yu sighed softly, a sigh that couldn't be heard to express helplessness or something else. She looked at Xueying and spoke more slowly, "Girl, what university are you attending? What's your major?"
This question created a tiny crack in the tense atmosphere.
Yu Ziche suddenly looked at his aunt, and a light of hope instantly flashed in his eyes.
Xueying also raised her head in surprise, met Shangyu's mother's gaze, and quickly answered in a low but clear voice.
Father Yu picked up the newspaper again, as if the solemnity just now had never happened, and added lightly: "At home, there is no shortage of a pair of chopsticks."
Yu Ziche's heart finally settled down, and he was so excited that he almost wanted to jump up.
He gently touched Xueying's hand and scratched the center of her palm.
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