A Real Heiress Quits (GL) - Chapter 26

The moment Yan Ji stepped out of her car, she was surrounded by a swarm of classmates.

The school arts festival was about to begin. The International Class students were lugging around materials—some carrying wooden boards, others clutching wrenches. Clumped together, they looked like a delinquent gang; other students gave them a wide berth of at least three meters.

“Monitor, monitor! You were so cool yesterday!”

“That door slam was legendary! It showcased the might of our International Class! It showed our spirit!”

“I keep saying, who could possibly beat our monitor? Our monitor is the definitive Siyuan School Belle!”

“Give it a rest. I saw your eyes nearly popping out of your head when you saw the other girl yesterday.”

They chattered away like a swarm of bees buzzing in her ear.

Yan Ji’s face remained cold. “All of you, shut up.”

Everyone fell obediently silent, though they continued to smirk and wink at each other.

After a brief moment of quiet, someone suddenly spoke up: “Whoa, monitor, look. Those thugs are shaking down the little kid again.”

Everyone turned to look in unison. Sure enough, a group of youths with messy, dyed hair was aggressively surrounding a tiny figure. This was a common sight at Siyuan. Groups of delinquents loved to bully the unpopular or soft-tempered “poor souls” in school.

The students started muttering again. “Didn’t they say Shu Ziyu was nearly beaten to a pulp? Look at them acting tough.”

“He’s been lying in a hospital bed for days now.”

“Are these guys not afraid of death? They actually dared to touch the Shu family?”

“Has the Shu family not dealt with them yet?”

“Probably in the next few days. These guys are doomed and they don’t even know it, haha.”

“I wonder which poor soul is having such bad luck.”

Yan Ji crossed her arms, stopped her pace, and looked over. The child was surrounded by the tall, hulking delinquents. Small and thin, like a little bean—quite pitiable.

She raised her hand.

The International Class students understood immediately, grabbing their “tools” one after another. “The monitor is going to play the hero and save the beauty again!”

“Brothers, charge!”

---

“New here?”

A thug with a cigarette in his mouth stared menacingly at the little bean in front of him. “Don’t know the rules?”

Tong Ya hung her small head, her pale pink lips pursed slightly white. She hesitated for a few seconds and shook her head gently.

The thug glared fiercely. “Hurry up and hand over the money!”

Money? Tong Ya tilted her head. “Ah…”

The group tightened their circle around the girl. Accustomed to acting like kings, the thugs were impatient. “Money! Don’t you know what money is? Hand it over, don’t make me get rough!”

Tong Ya flinched in fear. Obediently, she reached into her pocket. She pulled out a brand-new student ID card. The thug’s face darkened.

Tong Ya slowly continued to search her pockets. Suddenly, her body stiffened. She kept her hand in her pocket, refusing to take it out.

She must have felt money and doesn’t want to hand it over. The thugs were used to this. He roared, “Hurry up and take it out!”

Tong Ya bit her lip, her face pale. Seeing her refusal, the thug acted immediately, grabbing the girl’s slender wrist and forcing her hand out. Her small hand was indeed clutching something tightly, but it wasn’t the money they expected.

It was a crystal lily bookmark, sparkling and translucent under the sunlight.

The thug was greatly disappointed. “What kind of junk is this?”

“…A bookmark,” Tong Ya’s voice was soft and thin.

The thug was losing his patience. “Who wants your trashy bookmark? Where’s the money? Didn’t your parents give you lunch money?”

The moment he let go, Tong Ya hurriedly tucked the bookmark away as if it were a precious treasure. The thug was getting a headache from her; he rolled up his sleeves to search her himself when someone beside him nudged him. “Boss! Look over there!”

He turned around and was so startled his cigarette fell directly to the ground.

A dark mass of students, wielding axes, wrenches, and wooden boards, was charging toward them aggressively. Even though these thugs fancied themselves delinquents, they were stunned by the sight.

“Shit, is this the triad?”

“Boss, these guys look even more ruthless than us! Run!”

The boss snapped to his senses only to find his lackeys had already run a dozen meters away. Ignoring the robbery, he turned tail and bolted.

Tong Ya stood dazed on the spot, not yet understanding the situation. She peeked timidly at her rescuers. Seeing them holding “murder weapons” and looking even scarier than the previous group, she froze, not daring to move an inch.

“Hey, monitor, isn’t this the little beauty from yesterday?”

Monitor? Tong Ya timidly lifted her head.

Standing in the middle of this “menacing” group of students was the girl she had seen once yesterday. She wasn’t wearing her uniform properly; the jacket was tied around her slender waist, and her white shirt was only buttoned from the second button down, giving her a lazy, delinquent look. Her deep eyes held a half-smile as her thin lips moved—

“Little white rabbit.”

The little white rabbit’s ears drooped as she hung her head to play dead.

Yan Ji looked down at the tiny girl. “I saved you. Aren’t you going to say thank you?”

The surrounding students jeered. “Say thank you, hurry up, hurry up!”

One jokester suddenly howled, “If you won’t say thank you, saying ‘hubby’ works too!”

“Hahahaha, Old Tang, you’re looking for death! You just want the little beauty to call you hubby.”

“Hahaha, little beauty, date someone from the International Class and you won’t have to fear being bullied anymore.”

“Beauty, pick me! Pick me!”

Yan Ji shot them a cold glance, and the rowdy brats immediately became as quiet as quails.

“Get moving, all of you!”

Since the monitor had spoken, even though the International Class students wanted to stare at the little beauty more, they didn’t dare stay. Soon, only the two of them were left.

The little white rabbit lifted her head, her eyes sparkling. Incredibly cute.

Yan Ji smiled, softening her voice. “It’s fine now. Go to class…”

Before she could finish, the little white rabbit suddenly scurried away, shrinking behind a girl who had just arrived. The smile froze on Yan Ji’s face.

Yu Xinyue stood in front of Tong Ya, sounding righteous. “Why are you bullying her again?”

Yan Ji: “…”

You couldn’t blame Yu Xinyue for the misunderstanding. When she arrived, this is what she saw: Yan Ji and her gang of menacing classmates surrounding Tong Ya; then Yan Ji dismissed them, her eyes cold and her face full of aggression. Meanwhile, Tong Ya looked terrified and pale. Especially since Yan Ji was a head taller than Tong Ya, it really looked like she was bullying her.

Yu Xinyue’s heart was nearly breaking with worry. She wanted to rush over, grab Yan Ji, and scream: Your wife is almost gone!

But since they were still strangers and not as close as they would be in the future, she could only earnestly advise her not to seek death. Keep this up and your wife really won’t exist.

Yan Ji remained expressionless, her deep black eyes clear as she watched quietly.

Yu Xinyue: “This isn’t good, you’ll… sigh.”

Yan Ji fell silent. The girl didn’t seem to harbor ill will; her tone wasn’t a scolding, but more like the disappointment of a mother whose daughter failed to become a phoenix. Strange, how do I see a “motherly” expression on someone my own age?

Tong Ya gently tugged at Yu Xinyue’s hem. However, the movement was too small, and Yu Xinyue didn’t notice.

Yan Ji finally spoke. “I wasn’t bullying her.”

Yu Xinyue: “…Ah?” Then what was that scene she just saw?

Yan Ji stuffed her hands in her pockets, preparing to leave. Suddenly, a slender white hand reached out from behind Yu Xinyue, clutching the crystal bookmark.

“Thank you.” The girl’s voice was tiny, but everyone present heard it.

Yan Ji froze slightly, then turned her head. “No problem. It’s what I should do.”

She walked away with extreme coolness, not looking back.

Tong Ya looked down at her little flower, her eyelids drooping, her mood low.

Yu Xinyue didn’t understand what had happened. She turned around and asked, “Yaya, what happened between you and A-Ji—ahem, Yan Ji? Did someone bully you?”

Tong Ya nodded.

Yu Xinyue was about to say more when she saw Yan Ji, who had already left, suddenly turn around and walk back. She snatched the flower from Tong Ya’s hand. “No need for thanks.”

Tong Ya ducked back behind Yu Xinyue with a whoosh.

Yan Ji tucked the flower into her shirt pocket and lowered her gaze. I was the one who saved the white rabbit, yet she ran behind someone else…

Yu Xinyue was utterly confused. “You guys…”

Are they hitting it off already? Did I read that relationship guide for nothing?

After getting the details from Tong Ya, Yu Xinyue finally breathed a sigh of relief. It was unexpected that the Shu family hadn’t dealt with the thugs yet, but fortunately, Tong Ya was unharmed and Yan Ji got to play the hero.

Excellent!

But I just called her A-Ji, Yu Xinyue thought dazed, biting her pen. Maybe I should apologize to A-Ji after class and bring Yaya along to let them develop their feelings.

Perfect!!

“Yu Xinyue!” The math teacher tapped the podium. “What are you daydreaming about? Come up and solve this problem.”

Yu Xinyue solved it in no time. The teacher couldn’t find any faults, so he could only say, “You didn’t write out the steps; that’s a point deduction in an exam. Don’t space out next time, understood?”

“Yes.”

Tong Ya tilted her head and whispered, “What were you thinking about just now?”

Yu Xinyue frowned, looking troubled. “I misunderstood A-Ji. I want to apologize to her.”

Tong Ya’s eyes widened slightly, and she suddenly bit her lip. “…Sorry.”

Yu Xinyue was startled. “What?”

The girl hung her head, her face scrunched in a troubled expression. “That bookmark… it was originally a gift for you, but…”

Yu Xinyue laughed, her eyes crinkling. She leaned in and whispered, “It’s fine~ How could I be jealous of your ‘wife’?”

Tong Ya’s earlobes turned red. “You’re talking nonsense again.”

Yu Xinyue slumped on the desk. “So, what do you think of A-Ji now?”

Tong Ya thought seriously and said softly, “She’s a good person.”

Yu Xinyue: “…”

---

The “good person” was currently reading. Yan Ji looked down, her slender fingers sliding across the pages. The teacher had lectured for half the period and let them study on their own. The sound of turning pages filled the room, like the soft breeze from yesterday afternoon.

For some reason, the image of those two girls appeared before Yan Ji again. They really are beautiful. Even she had been struck by them, and the image lingered.

Yan Ji kept her gaze down. Tucked in the middle of the book sat that bookmark. She picked it up; the crystal-carved flower was exquisite and reflected rainbow light under the sun. Yet she thought of the small hand that had held the stem—translucent white, like fine jade.

“Monitor, how did you get this?”

By the time she snapped out of it, the bell had rung, and she was surrounded by a circle of curious students. Yan Ji frowned slightly. When did the bell ring? Why didn’t I hear it?

The International Class students loved gossip. Seeing the bookmark in Yan Ji’s hand, they began to speculate.

“The little beauty seemed to value this toy a lot. How’d it end up with the monitor?”

“Heh, isn’t it because our monitor was the hero? What’s this called—a token of love from a beauty?”

“Sigh, such a pretty girl. If I could date her, I’d be okay with failing every exam for the rest of my life.”

“Bullshit! Dream on. You fail every time anyway without dating her.”

Zhu Kang suddenly roared, “Monitor, you’ve been staring at that for so long. Is it really a token of love?”

This sent everyone’s thoughts spinning.

“Nonsense, our monitor’s standards are sky-high. How could she like a little brat who’s still wet behind the ears?”

“You’re the one wet behind the ears! You just want to chase the beauty yourself!”

The chirping voices annoyed Yan Ji. She tossed the bookmark onto her book. “It’s just a toy, it’s not worth anything. Whoever wants it can have it.”

Zhu Kang grinned and picked up the bookmark, holding it up to the sun. “Then I’m taking it! Monitor is so generous!”

Like water dropping into boiling oil, the class erupted. Students began to jeer: “Give it to me! Give it to me!”

“The little beauty’s token of love! Whoever gets it dates the little beauty!”

“I want it! I want it!”

Yan Ji looked at the blank pages of her book, feeling like something was missing. A void opened in her heart, making her inexplicably irritable. She propped her head on her hand and looked out the window.

Suddenly, the uproar in the classroom died down. It became so quiet she could hear the wind. Yan Ji frowned. Class started? Still didn’t hear the bell? She turned her head and froze.

It wasn’t class starting; the “rightful owner” had come to the door.

Two girls stood in the aisle, backlit, their expressions unclear. The little white rabbit still shrank timidly behind the porcelain doll, but Yan Ji suddenly wanted to walk over and see if her eyes were red.

Yu Xinyue took Tong Ya’s hand and snatched the bookmark from Zhu Kang. Not a single person in the International Class dared to make a sound. The tiny flower was cold and heavy in her hand.

Yu Xinyue looked over. Yan Ji looked away, looking uncharacteristically guilty.

” I’m taking this back.” Yu Xinyue knit her brows, not wanting to say anything to her best friend, and led the red-eyed child out of the International Class.

Tong Ya kept her head down and said nothing. But Yan Ji still caught a glimpse of wet marks on the floor. Her frown deepened.

“M-monitor, sorry, I was just joking…” Zhu Kang stammered timidly.

SLAM—

Yan Ji closed her book in frustration with immense force, as if she wanted to flatten the textbook. Zhu Kang shrank his neck in fear and sneaked back to his seat. He feared that staying would result in the monitor slapping him to death like a mosquito.

Yan Ji’s gaze couldn’t leave that wet mark. She watched it dry up bit by bit, distracted through the remaining classes. For some reason, the image of the little white rabbit’s red eyes kept floating in her mind.

---

Yu Xinyue was also worried. She poked the child beside her with her pen. Tong Ya forced a smile. “I’m not sad.”

How are you not sad? You’re about to cry! Yu Xinyue was full of regret—deep regret. Why did she bring the child to find Yan Ji? If they hadn’t run into that exact scene, their relationship might have developed naturally to the point where they’d be sending kids to college by now. Now she felt she had strangled a good romance in its crib.

What was the point of reading that relationship guide for so long? I ended up backfiring.

Yu Xinyue held her head in her hands like an ostrich, burying herself in her arms, worried sick for Yan Ji. Seeing Tong Ya toss the bookmark into the trash can made her even more anxious; she felt like her hair was turning white. She wanted to speak up several times, but seeing Tong Ya’s expression, she decided to wait a few days.

Carrying this hesitant and melancholic mood, Yu Xinyue had Song Wei park the car by an alley. She sought out the thugs who were smoking.

“Xinyue,” Song Wei watched the child walk into the dark alley and called out worriedly, “What are you doing?”

Yu Xinyue rubbed her fingers. “In fifteen minutes, call 120 (emergency services).”

The thug leader was Zhang Kai, famous for his stints in juvenile detention. Yu Xinyue had been extorted by them plenty in her past life. Right now, Zhang Kai was squatting against the wall smoking, the red glow stark in the dim alley. When he saw the small figure walk in, his eyes lit up and he stubbed out the cigarette. “Brothers, another one’s here to deliver money.”

Ten minutes later, Zhang Kai and his brothers were beaten black and blue, rolling on the ground crying. Yu Xinyue looked at her watch. “You’re more useless than I imagined.”

The street tyrant shrank back shivering, wishing he could merge with the wall. A soft, white hand was placed in front of him. Zhang Kai stared at it blankly, thinking this demon was having a change of heart to pull him up. He reached out hesitatingly.

Yu Xinyue frowned. “Why are you reaching out? Where’s the money?”

Zhang Kai: “What?”

Yu Xinyue stepped on another thug. “Take out all the money you have on you.” Her voice suddenly turned sharp. “Hurry up!”

The thugs, having been thoroughly taught a lesson, obediently handed over all their money. Yu Xinyue didn’t count it; she stuffed the wad of cash into her bag and generously decided not to hold a grudge. Anyway, in a few days, the Shu family would have their hands free to deal with them.

Song Wei stared at his watch, sweat dripping from his forehead. Seeing that the young miss hadn’t come out of the eerie alley, he feared something had happened. Ten minutes later, he was about to get up when he saw the child walk out unharmed.

Song Wei breathed a sigh of relief. But what happened next was even more unexpected. The girl sat in the back and told him to drive toward the Violet Hotel. Every time they saw a beggar along the way, she had him stop and threw out a stack of cash, continuing until they reached their destination.

How much private savings does the young miss have? Song Wei didn’t know, nor did he know why Yu Xinyue had suddenly started doing charity.

“Uncle Song, you go back first. I’m going to play the piano for a while.”

Song Wei: “But don’t we have a piano at home now?”

Yu Xinyue froze. “Right… we already have a piano…” There was no longer an excuse to use the piano at the Violet.

Song Wei saw the girl’s mood wasn’t right and asked worriedly, “Xinyue?”

Yu Xinyue stared at the top floor of the Violet. The massive silver reflective glass made it impossible to see inside. After a while, she asked, “Uncle Song, have you ever been in love?”

Song Wei laughed embarrassedly. “Well, I’m married, so of course I’ve been in love, hahaha.”

Yu Xinyue pursed her lips. “What does it actually feel like to be in love?”

Song Wei thought carefully. “It’s not much, really. It’s just that when you think of her or see her, you feel happy. Time spent together seems to pass especially quickly. Many things you thought you could never do, you can do easily for her.” He suddenly turned shy. “I used to be a 200-pound fat guy. To see her, I ran to her house every morning. Before I knew it, I had lost weight. Thinking back, it’s quite incredible.”

Yu Xinyue murmured, “Then I’m doomed.” How did she feel like Tong Ya’s behavior toward her checked all those boxes?

Song Wei asked, “Miss, shall we go back?”

Yu Xinyue shook her head. “I’m already here. I’m going up to touch the piano.”

Song Wei laughed. “Miss really is fond of the piano.”

Yu Xinyue shouldered her bag and tilted her chin. “The piano is my wife!”

But when her hands touched the piano, her mood didn’t improve as expected. Instead, she was distracted. After playing a few songs, she lost interest. She sat on the bench and looked around but didn’t find Qin Qing. After all, that person was very busy.

Yu Xinyue felt an inexplicable sense of loss. She realized she and Qin Qing barely had any points of intersection. Even in her past life, when she had struggled to build her own career, there was still a world of difference between her and Qin Qing. Compared to ordinary people, she was a rich belle, but compared to Qin Qing, she was like a dusty Cinderella. Fortunately, Qin Qing didn’t look down on her.

“Miss, would you like some dessert?” A waiter approached with a plate of Opera cake. The Eldest Miss had instructed them to look after this child, so they didn’t dare be negligent.

Yu Xinyue shook her head. “Um… is Sister Qin not here?”

Waiter: “The Eldest Miss hasn’t been coming often lately.”

Yu Xinyue had no desire to keep playing. She entered the elevator despondently and pressed “1.”

Ding—

The elevator bell rang, and the silver doors slowly opened. Qin Qing, still in a suit and skirt, holding documents with her gaze downcast, slowly appeared across from her.

Yu Xinyue was stunned. Qin Qing looked up and was also dazed to see the child in the elevator. No one entered for a long time, and the doors began to close. Both snapped out of it at the same time and hit the “open” button. Yu Xinyue looked up and laughed. “Sister! What a coincidence!”

Qin Qing nodded gently, her eyes warming slightly. “Mhm. Why are you here today?”

Yu Xinyue shrugged. “I wanted to play the piano, so I came to use it. Sister won’t mind, right?”

Qin Qing: “Of course not, it’s just…” Doesn’t the child have a piano at home? Why travel so far to come here? Looking at the girl’s dark, moist eyes, Qin Qing changed her words. “Come often in the future.”

Yu Xinyue’s phoenix eyes curved, and she nodded with a smile. “Of course! I love playing the piano. Sister, Sister, are you tired? Do you want to hear the piano? I’ll play a Serenade today!”

The waiter saw the girl who had just left return, holding his boss’s hand. What’s going on? He bowed to Qin Qing, confused.

Qin Qing noticed the dessert the waiter was holding. The cake drizzled with chocolate sauce looked delicious and inviting. “Want to eat?” she asked the child.

The waiter thought: This kid won’t eat it; she just said no.

Unexpectedly, the child nodded excitedly. “I want to eat!”

Waiter: Eh? That’s not what you said just now.

Qin Qing took the silver tray and instructed, “Bring something to drink as well.”

Despite claiming they came up to play the piano, the two walked straight to the dining table. Yu Xinyue tilted her head; from here, she could see the neon lights of the entire city. She took a deep breath, and a feeling called happiness surged in her heart. Very content, very peaceful. No need to worry about Yan Ji and Tong Ya’s romance, no need to return to the Yin house—just sitting quietly like this was enough.

The food was served. Qin Qing set the utensils for the girl but didn’t pick up her own. Yu Xinyue took a bite of cake. “Sister, aren’t you eating?”

The corners of the girl’s mouth were smeared with chocolate, looking like a little mustache. Qin Qing couldn’t help but laugh and shook her head. Working day and night had left her with little appetite lately. Suddenly, she thought of something and asked, “Yueyue, is that sister in your house named In Jianghan?”

Yu Xinyue looked up sharply, her eyes wide. “Why ask about her suddenly?”

Qin Qing brought up In Jianghan because she had just seen her name on the list sent over by Qingshuo.

---

A few hours earlier. In Jianghan stood below the Qingshuo building, wearing a mask, looking up at the high-rise. The director had asked her to come for an audition today. In Jianghan’s face hadn’t healed, so she hadn’t wanted to come, but the director said it was just a formality to get a baseline so they could prepare for Searching for the Voice.

Thinking of standing under the spotlight, In Jianghan’s fingertips trembled with excitement. A young man in a suit was waiting by the glass doors and greeted her warmly. “Are you Miss Yin?”

In Jianghan: “Yes, and you are?”

The man smiled. “Just call me Xiao Wu. The director and others are waiting upstairs.”

In the Qingshuo recording studio, the director and several assistants were waiting. This wasn’t the typical standard for testing a new singer; the song was just so exceptionally written that the director saw the shadow of an original superstar in it. The entire company held high hopes.

The entertainment industry in Jin Country was just taking off, and the market was huge. Everyone wanted a piece of the cake. How to seize the initiative and scout talented youths was what they racked their brains over. The director smiled at In Jianghan as if looking at a lump of gold. Without wasting words, he let the girl into the recording booth for a trial.

However, a simple trial was full of issues. In Jianghan refused to take off her mask, leaving everyone helpless. Finally, the director waved his hand and let her trial with the mask on. The result was a massive disappointment. Her voice was average, she sang out of tune, and there was zero emotion. The director couldn’t understand: how did she compose and write such an excellent song herself?

“Can I… make it?”

The director chatted with several assistants. The girl’s talent wasn’t up to par—barely passable—but the song was truly excellent. Qing Qing alone was enough to become a classic and establish her in the music industry. And the child was still young; she might be a “late bloomer” with potential.

Their initial high expectations had fallen through. Finally, he decided: “Here is the contract. Sign it. We will provide training for you targeting Searching for the Voice. We look forward to your performance.”

“Okay!” In Jianghan couldn’t help but smile as she picked up the pen and the contract.

“By the way,” the director asked, “you wrote this song yourself, right?” He had verified earlier that the song was first posted by the child, but it was hard to believe now, so he asked casually.

Her pen paused for a second. In Jianghan signed her name and said decisively, “Yes.”

---

Yu Xinyue pursed her lips. The cake melted in her mouth, the sweetness spreading. After finishing the last bite, she squinted in satisfaction, like a cat stretching in the sun.

“Sister, I want to participate in Searching for the Voice as well.” Yu Xinyue finally stated her choice.

Qin Qing wiped away the bit of chocolate from her mouth. “No matter what it is, as long as you are willing…”

…I will support you.