The shadow of transfer students
The morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the sycamore leaves, scattering golden light across the playground of Elite Elementary School. The Ye Luoli warriors gathered in twos and threes at the classroom door, discussing the Fairy Realm mission that had just ended yesterday; their cheerful laughter drifted on the breeze.
In the back row of the classroom, by the window, Wen Zike was hunched over, her face half-hidden behind her textbook. She was still wearing her faded school uniform, the cuffs neatly rolled up, revealing slender, fair wrists. At that moment, she was looking down, her fingertips lightly tracing the edges of the pages, even her breathing was extremely soft—this was her third week at the elite elementary school as "Wen Zixi," and the third week she had tried so hard to blend into the crowd.
“Zike… no, Wen Zixi!” A gentle voice sounded beside her. Mu Qiuling (Wen Lianyao) was carrying two breakfasts and carefully sat down next to her. “I brought you strawberry milk, remember to drink it.”
Wen Zike raised her head, revealing a pair of timid, doe-like eyes. She nodded gently, her voice barely a whisper, "Thank you... sister." As soon as she finished speaking, a faint blush rose to her cheeks, and she quickly lowered her head again. She was naturally shy and didn't like to talk. If it weren't for her second sister, Mu Qiuling, always protecting her, she probably wouldn't even find it easy to sit down in the classroom. Not to mention, they were Wen Qian's sisters—this identity was like an invisible shackle, preventing her from easily getting close to others.
Just then, the school bell rang, and the homeroom teacher, Ms. Wang, led a strange girl into the classroom. The girl was wearing an exquisite princess dress, with long, slightly curled hair, smiling eyes, and a sickeningly sweet smile that instantly attracted the attention of the entire class.
"Class, quiet down." Teacher Wang clapped her hands. "This is our new transfer student, Hu Lilian. Let's welcome her."
Sparse applause filled the classroom, and the Ye Luoli warriors curiously observed their new classmate. Hu Lilian bowed gracefully, her voice sweet and charming: "Hello everyone, my name is Hu Lilian. I'm very happy to join the Elite Elementary School family. I hope we can become good friends in the future."
Her gaze swept across the classroom, finally landing on Wen Zixi in the corner, and the smile on her lips seemed to deepen.
Teacher Wang pointed to the empty seat next to Wen Zixi: "Hu Lilian, you can sit next to Wen Zixi. She is a very quiet girl, and you two should get along well."
Hu Lilian immediately lifted her skirt and walked over, her high heels clicking crisply on the floor. As soon as she sat down, she leaned close to Wen Zixi affectionately, her tone warm: "Hello, Wen Zixi! We'll be deskmates from now on, please take care of me!"
Wen Zi was startled by this sudden enthusiasm. She instinctively shrank back towards the window, her fingers tightly gripping the hem of her clothes. She couldn't utter a word for a long time, and could only shake her head and nod in a flustered manner.
Mu Qiuling sat in the front row and glanced back at her with concern, only to see Hu Lilian give him a meaningful smile. The scheming hidden in that smile made Mu Qiuling's heart sink.
This was a self-study period, and the classroom was quiet except for the scratching sound of pens on paper. Wen Zike was engrossed in her math problems when she suddenly felt someone gently touch her arm. She looked up and saw Hu Lilian holding a fountain pen, looking at her pitifully: "Zixi, my fountain pen is out of ink. Can I borrow yours for just a little while?"
Wen Zi hesitated for a moment, but still handed over her fountain pen. This fountain pen was bought for her by Mu Qiuling with his pocket money that he had saved up for a long time; it was one of her few treasures.
Hu Lilian took the pen, her eyes crinkling with a smile: "Thank you, Zixi, you're so kind."
However, ten minutes later, a sharp scream shattered the silence of the classroom.
"My pen! My limited edition pen is gone!" Hu Lilian suddenly stood up, her voice trembling with tears, attracting the attention of the entire class. "It was a birthday present from my mother, and it was very expensive!"
Teacher Wang quickly came over: "Hu Lilian, don't be anxious, tell me slowly, when did your pen go missing?"
Hu Lilian wiped away imaginary tears, staring intently at Wen Zixi, her voice choked with emotion: "I...I just saw Wen Zixi holding a pen that looks exactly like mine, and I thought we were the same model, but now my pen is gone..."
All eyes instantly focused on Wen Zike, their gazes filled with suspicion, disdain, and schadenfreude. Wen Zike's face turned deathly pale. She abruptly stood up, her fingers trembling as she pointed to her pen: "This...this is mine, my sister bought it for me..."
"Yours?" Hu Lilian sneered, stepped forward, and snatched the pen from Wen Zike's hand. "My initials are clearly engraved on this! Wen Zixi, did you steal my pen because you were jealous of me?"
Wen Zi was stunned. She had never noticed any abbreviations on the pen before; she only knew it was a gift from her sister. She wanted to explain, but the words caught in her throat due to nervousness and shyness, turning into fragmented, stammering phrases: "No...no...I didn't...I really didn't..."
To onlookers, her panicked state looked more like that of someone who had done something wrong. The classroom erupted in chaos.
"Oh, I see. It looked so quiet. I never imagined it was a thief."
"No wonder he's always silent, he must be hiding something."
"She seems to be Wenxi's sister. She's definitely not a good person."
The harsh whispers pierced Wen Zike's ears like needles, instantly reddening her eyes and bringing tears to her eyes, which stubbornly refused to fall. She bit her lower lip tightly, her fingers clenched until they turned white, and her whole body trembled slightly.
Just then, Mu Qiuling suddenly stood up, blocking Wen Zike's way, and looked at Hu Lilian with icy eyes: "What evidence do you have to prove that this pen is yours? I saved up money to buy this pen for Zike, and I can produce the invoice right now!"
At the same time, a cold voice came from the back of the classroom: "I just saw you put the pen into Wen Zixi's backpack compartment yourself." It was Chen Sisi who spoke. She pushed up her glasses and looked sharp. "And there's ink on your cuff. You must have deliberately rubbed it there just now."
Shu Yan nodded: "I can testify that during self-study, Hu Lilian was always sneaking around Wen Zixi's seat."
The Ye Luoli warriors stood up one after another to speak for Wen Zixi, and the suspicious gazes gradually softened. Hu Lilian's face turned pale and then red, but she still insisted, "You...you're in cahoots! I don't care, she stole my pen!"
Seeing this, Teacher Wang quickly tried to smooth things over: "Alright, alright, stop arguing. I will investigate this matter thoroughly. Hu Lilian, calm down. Wen Zixi, don't be afraid."
Wen Zike lowered her head, tears finally streaming down her face, splashing onto her textbook and leaving a small water stain. She wasn't afraid, nor was she aggrieved; she simply couldn't understand why she was being treated this way when she hadn't done anything wrong. She had never thought of revenge, nor of competing with anyone; she just wanted to stay quietly. Why couldn't even that wish be granted?
Mu Qiuling gently patted her back and whispered comfortingly, "Zike, don't be afraid, your sister is here."
Wen Zike raised her head, her eyes blurry with tears, and looked at her second sister beside her. Then she looked at the Ye Luoli warriors who were speaking up for her, and a faint warmth suddenly welled up in her heart.
In the corner, Hu Lilian watched this scene, a sinister glint flashing in her eyes.
Wen Zixi, this game has only just begun.
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