Chapter 31
While Jiang Cuo was still admiring her own world-class beauty in the vanity mirror, a maid knocked twice and pushed the door open. She entered carrying a tray with fever-reducing medicine and a cooling patch.
Jiang Cuo immediately lowered her hand from her face, her expression instantly returning to normal, though a faint blush still lingered.
The maid respectfully placed the tray on the nightstand near Su Xianxian.
“Miss Jiang, the butler instructed me to leave the medicine and the cooling patch here. The Eldest Miss is very difficult to serve when she’s sick, so I’ll have to trouble you to look after her.”
Jiang Cuo nodded naturally with an indifferent expression.
After receiving the signal, the maid turned to leave, thoughtfully closing the door behind her.
Jiang Cuo stood by the bed, leaning over slightly to look at the medication on the tray. She then glanced at Su Xianxian, who was dazed with fever. She touched Su Xianxian’s forehead with the back of her hand; it was hot enough to boil a kettle of water.
However, looking at Su Xianxian’s unruly and stubborn appearance, she didn’t seem like the type to take medicine obediently.
Jiang Cuo picked up a fever pill and tentatively poked Su Xianxian’s slightly chubby cheek with the tip of her index finger.
“Su Xianxian, get up and take your medicine.”
Su Xianxian, of course, couldn’t hear a thing. Frowning with her eyes tightly shut, she waved her hands wildly in the air, rejecting the pill Jiang Cuo offered.
“I’m not taking it. It’s definitely nothing good… Jiang Cuo must be trying to take advantage of me again, then she’ll turn around and frame me… Wishful thinking, I won’t let her get her way…”
Su Xianxian’s rosy lips moved as she murmured, her voice just loud enough for Jiang Cuo to hear clearly.
Jiang Cuo’s face, which she had successfully controlled into an icy mask, suddenly flickered with a “kind” smile. Her lips curled up, and the veins on the back of her hand began to bulge.
Jiang Cuo reached out, using her index finger and thumb to pinch Su Xianxian’s burning red cheeks, forcing her lips into an “O” shape. Then, she tried to push the pill into Su Xianxian’s mouth.
Jiang Cuo gritted her teeth. “When did I ever frame you? Or take advantage of you? Don’t think just because you’re delirious with fever you can talk nonsense.”
Jiang Cuo thought Su Xianxian had completely lost consciousness and was just acting out. To her surprise, as soon as she finished speaking, Su Xianxian’s almond eyes snapped open. They were bloodshot and wide, staring at her face with pure resentment.
Su Xianxian grabbed Jiang Cuo’s wrist with a force so great it felt like that time outside the classroom when she had princess-carried Jiang Cuo like a bandit “kidnapping a bride.”
Jiang Cuo trembled, her heart rate suddenly accelerating. She had a faint, bad premonition.
She hadn’t expected that after hearing her words, Su Xianxian would suddenly develop a competitive streak from nowhere. Despite her weak, sickly body, she found a burst of strength again, gripping Jiang Cuo’s wrist tightly and dragging her down onto the bed.
“I didn’t lie, and I’m not a fraud. You were taking liberties with me just like this back then.”
With a quick flip, Su Xianxian pinned Jiang Cuo down, sitting astride her. She gripped Jiang Cuo’s wrists and pinned them above her head.
“It was just like this. You bit my neck like this… it hurt so much.”
As she spoke, Su Xianxian lowered her head, her burning breath brushing against Jiang Cuo’s neck. She opened her mouth and, without any hesitation, bit down on Jiang Cuo’s fair skin, even grinding her sharp canines against it.
Jiang Cuo pursed her lips tightly, her phoenix eyes struggling to maintain her composure as she tried to keep her face indifferent. Even as Su Xianxian bit harder, Jiang Cuo acted as if she felt nothing.
After biting for a while and seeing absolutely no reaction from Jiang Cuo, Su Xianxian lifted her head muzzily to check, only to find Jiang Cuo’s expression calm and unbothered.
Jiang Cuo said, “That’s it? You call this taking liberties? You’re clearly slandering me.”
Jiang Cuo dodged the main point; in short, she would not admit to what she had done.
Su Xianxian’s face grew even redder with anger, blood rushing to her head. Like a little pig obsessed with its food, she felt she had to teach this “cabbage” a lesson today and show her exactly how hard a pig can root around.
Losing all reason, Su Xianxian followed her instincts. Going all the way, she used her free hand to tear at Jiang Cuo’s clothes. At this, Jiang Cuo finally panicked.
She quickly used her free hand to reach for the nightstand, grabbing a cool fever patch. Like sealing a seductive demon, she slammed it onto Su Xianxian’s forehead with her palm. Slap!
The sudden chill falling from the sky felt like cold water being poured over Su Xianxian. She instantly lost all her energy and flopped onto the quilt beside her.
Jiang Cuo, feeling as though her soul had been shaken, hurriedly stood up and straightened her clothes. Looking at the bed, she saw one of Su Xianxian’s legs hanging off awkwardly. She grabbed Su Xianxian’s ankle, tossed it back onto the bed like a salted fish, and fled from the bedroom.
Outside the door, she let out a long breath, struggled to maintain her composure, and walked calmly back to her own room in the small house outside the villa.
The sky gradually darkened.
School had dismissed, and the school gate looked as it always did. The ground had been cleaned thoroughly, making the morning’s incident feel like a hallucination.
The students all had phones. Although most of Su Xianxian’s classmates knew the truth and didn’t want to spread it, there are always busybodies who chase shadows. They took photos and posted them online, and even students from other schools heard the gossip.
When Fang Jingjing heard about this, her face was full of surprise.
There was only one month left in the semester. The school would soon select candidates for the final college entrance exam “sprint” training at Jiang Cuo’s school next semester.
Fang Jingjing gripped her phone tightly. She had ranked third in the whole school this time, but there was only one spot. If she didn’t use some tactics, it would never be her turn. She was indignant. Why was it that she and Jiang Cuo both came from poor backgrounds—Jiang Cuo’s family was even worse off—yet Jiang Cuo got to study at such a prestigious high school while she missed out just because she was second best?
If Jiang Cuo hadn’t existed, wouldn’t she be the one receiving the better education? She didn’t have a wealthy family like Su Xianxian; her parents were useless. To get what she wanted, she could only rely on herself. So what if she told a few lies? It was just a means to an end.
Fang Jingjing felt her parents’ only use was to pay her tuition and help her dig for information. What had such useless parents ever given her? Every step she took was earned through her own hard work.
Returning home, she dropped her bag. The arrogance she hid at school appeared on her face. she walked into the kitchen and looked at her mother’s cooking with disdain. Plain and tasteless.
She knew her parents were acquainted with the parents of the girl who had jumped, so she brought it up casually.
“Mom, I heard that girl took her own life.”
Fang Jingjing’s mother didn’t stop chopping. The knife thudded against the board, sending bits of garlic flying. “Who? Oh, I heard. The girl’s mother went to the police station today to demand compensation. They couldn’t agree. Schools nowadays don’t care about mental health, but trying to get money from them? That’s a joke. Besides, everyone knows she favors her son; she didn’t even cry, just wanted money. No one believes her.”
Fang Jingjing lived in a rented apartment in a district filled with other families from the countryside who had moved to the city for their children’s education. She nodded.
“But it seems her mom is back. A police car dropped her off this afternoon. She was still cursing loudly; a lot of people were watching.”
The adults only knew fragments, but Fang Jingjing already knew the details from her phone. She knew the girl had only reported Su Xianxian for cheating because of the rumors she had spread. It was better that the girl jumped; now no one would ever know she was the source.
Fang Jingjing looked at the dark concrete floor. An idea sparked. She immediately opened the peeling door and ran out.
“Child! It’s time to eat! Where are you going? Don’t go looking for trouble! Come back early!”
Fang Jingjing ignored her mother’s calls. Her mind was racing with excitement; a bold plan had formed. She suppressed her ragged breathing and ran to the home of the deceased girl, knocking softly on the door. Inside, she could hear the woman’s constant cursing and a boy’s impatient rebuttals.
After several loud knocks, the middle-aged woman opened the door irritably. “Who is it!”
Seeing it was Fang Jingjing, the woman restrained her anger. She looked Fang Jingjing up and down. “Fang Jingjing? Why are you here?”
Because they were all part of the same community of families renting for school, the adults often compared their children. Although Fang Jingjing’s grades were good—usually top three—she attended an ordinary high school. She wasn’t on the same level as the woman’s deceased daughter, who had brought home monthly scholarships. The woman instinctively felt a sense of superiority.
Fang Jingjing didn’t care; she had her own goal. “Auntie, I heard what happened. We were so close; I’m heartbroken. My mom said you didn’t get justice at the school today. I’m so indignant for you. I wanted to see if there’s anything I can do to help.”
These words were very effective. The woman immediately made way for her. “You’re not only a good student but a kind-hearted child. I told your mom you’d be successful.”
Inside, the place was as poor and chaotic as her own home. A boy sat nearby, head down, playing on his phone—acting as if he hadn’t just lost a sister.
“Auntie, the school is full of rich and powerful people. If you don’t produce evidence, they’ll never give in.”
The woman knew this, but she had no evidence. Seeing she was interested, Fang Jingjing continued, “Auntie, do you know where her phone is? We might find something in there.”
The woman was uneducated and from the countryside; she had no idea how to use a smartphone. The boy playing games stood up impatiently, pulled a phone with a shattered screen from a drawer, and tossed it over. Fang Jingjing opened it and found it didn’t even have a passcode.
The woman leaned in eagerly, her eyes gleaming with the hope of compensation. “Jingjing, look quickly. My daughter can’t die in vain. We can’t let those bad people win.”
Fang Jingjing was in a great mood. She endured the stench coming from the woman as she leaned in. “Auntie, don’t worry. I’ll look through it slowly. We were close and I know some things, but I’ve never used her phone before. It’ll take time. Just wait.”
“Fine, fine. Child, take your time. I’ll go cook. You sit and search.”
Once the woman left and seeing the boy had no intention of looking, Fang Jingjing felt at ease. She opened the school forum and started typing at lightning speed.
Thus, a post was born. It was a third-person narrative about suffering from “Su Xianxian’s school violence.” It claimed that because Su Xianxian was rich and powerful, she had incited the entire faculty and student body to isolate the victim. Fang Jingjing’s eyes were frantic as she finished. To make it more “addictive,” she added fabricated lies about Jiang Cuo, claiming Jiang Cuo wasn’t as pure and aloof as she seemed and had long been “kept” by Su Xianxian.
The 1,000-word essay was written from the perspective of someone very close to the deceased girl. Because it was so detailed, it made the fabrications seem real. It created an illusion that it was written either by the girl herself or a confidant.
Fang Jingjing clicked “Send.” She knew people would read it and that it would go viral.
When the woman finished cooking, she wiped her greasy hands on her blackened apron and looked at Fang Jingjing excitedly. “How is it, child? Did you find anything?”
Fang Jingjing had already found the factory reset button. While answering, she formatted the phone. “Auntie, I found that she formatted the phone herself. There are no messages left. I tried for a long time to find a way to recover the data, but it’s no use. I’m so sorry I couldn’t help you and wasted your time.”
The woman’s disappointment was visible. Her patience vanished. Found nothing and she calls herself a top student? Third in the school and useless. She probably wants to stay for dinner—no way.
Fang Jingjing had no interest in their filthy food. “Auntie, I won’t disturb you further. I’m heading home.”
The woman nodded perfunctorily and returned to the kitchen. As Fang Jingjing turned to leave, she saw the boy still playing games, never having looked up. Knowing her work was seamless, a cold smile appeared on her face.
After the door closed, the woman began to curse loudly in the kitchen. “Useless thing. I raised her for so long and even in death she brings me no benefit.”
Fang Jingjing was in an excellent mood. She had been telling her school that she and Jiang Cuo were close. If she could transfer for the “sprint,” she’d be looked after by Jiang Cuo and get better results. But the rumors of Su Xianxian and Jiang Cuo being close were spreading. Since Su Xianxian was involved, she might as well destroy Su Xianxian’s reputation first. She knew Jiang Cuo’s personality—arrogant and aloof, looking down on everyone like a goddess.
With this post, Jiang Cuo’s reputation would be tarnished by association with Su Xianxian. Jiang Cuo would surely distance herself from Su Xianxian. Then Fang Jingjing wouldn’t have to worry and could stick close to Jiang Cuo herself.
Walking along, her eyes narrowed. She saw a familiar figure—Jiang Cuo’s grandfather. She immediately ran up, her eyes crinkling into slits. She was quite ordinary-looking—small eyes, flat nose, round face with acne, and sallow skin. Her smile didn’t look sweet; it looked like she wanted a favor.
“Hello, Grandpa Jiang!”
The old man was elderly and not in great health, but his hearing was fine. He stopped and a kind smile appeared on his face. Unlike the woman’s hypocrisy, he smiled with genuine affection at the child before him—unaware that she had the heart of a demon. “Fang Jingjing?”
“How have you been lately, Grandpa? I’ve been so busy with school. Even though I text Jiang Cuo, I haven’t had time to visit you and Grandma. Jiang Cuo is actually upset with me about it—has she mentioned me to you lately?”
Jiang Cuo had been independent since childhood, and her grandfather knew she was thoughtful, so he never pried into her business. Before moving to the villa, they had rented in the same district as Fang Jingjing. He assumed they were good friends.
“Oh? I’ll have a word with her. She’s solitary and has few friends; she shouldn’t treat a true friend like that.”
Fang Jingjing waved her hands, acting understanding. “Don’t do that, Grandpa. Don’t scold her. I know she’s in a bad mood lately. That Su Xianxian is so difficult, and Jiang Cuo is under a lot of pressure from her every day. It’s okay; she can take her anger out on me. I can take it. It’s the weekend, and I’ll come visit her and you and Grandma.”
The old man didn’t think much of it. He had returned to the area because there was a wholesale market with cheap goods. They were currently living in Su Xianxian’s villa, and he felt it wouldn’t be right for Fang Jingjing to visit unannounced. But seeing she was a “polite child,” he didn’t want to hurt her feelings, so he just nodded.
Fang Jingjing’s smile widened until it seemed her mouth reached her ears. “Goodbye, Grandpa! I’m going home for dinner.”
Back home, Fang Jingjing checked the post she made. The views were rising rapidly with many comments. Satisfied, she put down her phone to eat.
Because school was out, the post spread faster than usual gossip. Furthermore, it was a massive “scandal” involving Su Xianxian, Jiang Cuo, and a lost life. Su Xianxian’s classmates all saw it.
Lu Rong, sitting behind Jiang Cuo, was the first to find it. In the small class group chat that Su Xianxian wasn’t part of, someone shared the post anonymously. After reading it, the “Su Faction” and “Jiang Faction” reached an unprecedented unity. Not only was Su Xianxian being slandered, but Jiang Cuo was also being smeared.
[Jiang Faction – Exterminate the Slanderer]: {Who posted this? It’s all lies. Even if I don’t care about Su Xianxian, I can’t stand this. It’s libel! Su Faction, stand up!}
[Su Faction – Sisters Unite]: {!! Absolutely. We must find the poster. I don’t think it’s someone from our school. The narrative style is purely to smear us; they have a grudge against Su Xianxian and Jiang Cuo. Sisters, we can’t fight internally anymore. When the enemy invades, we unite!}
[Jiang Faction – 3rd Generation Leader]: {I vow here that until this is solved, no sister from the Jiang Faction will harm a sister from the Su Faction. If you need help, just ask.}
[Slanderer-Eater, the Jiang-Su Faction]: {Hello everyone, I am born. I am a new product.}
[Must-be-Su-Jiang Faction]: {Please, person above, did you get the name backwards?}
Looking at these two messages, both factions fell silent.
Lu Rong, an expert in the digital world and a hacker, left a message in the anonymous group.
[Su Faction – No Reincarnation for Slanderers]: {Don’t panic, everyone. I’m going to track the IP of this post immediately.}
Night fell.
After fleeing Su Xianxian’s room, Jiang Cuo hadn’t touched her phone once. She sat at her desk in a daze, her usually icy face looking blank and hollow like a tsundere Samoyed. She realized her head was full of Su Xianxian.
To suppress it, she picked up a book at random. It introduced Newton’s Third Law: Action and Reaction. Normally, Jiang Cuo studied very seriously, but today a thought occurred to her.
According to Newton’s Third Law of Action and Reaction, if you are thinking of someone, that person must be thinking of you.
Jiang Cuo had a “realization” and closed her book. The reason she was so unsettled was because Su Xianxian was currently thinking of her intensely, causing her to passively think about Su Xianxian due to the law of action and reaction.
She checked the time. By her calculation, if the cooling patch was effective, Su Xianxian’s fever should have broken by now. It was 7:50 PM. She could reach Su Xianxian’s room in nine minutes and start the 8:00 PM lesson on time. No excuse was a reason not to study.
She grabbed her books, shouldered her bag, and walked toward the villa with a serious face. She convinced herself that the reason she was doing this was because Su Xianxian was thinking of her with “unprecedented intensity.”
She was a familiar face at the villa; no one stopped her, and the maids bowed. She reached the second floor and pushed open the door.
She saw Su Lian suspiciously half-crouched by Su Xianxian’s bed. Su Xianxian was sleeping soundly, unaware of the “danger.”
Jiang Cuo’s voice was cold as she interrupted. “What are you doing? Tying shoelaces?”
Su Lian stood up slowly, not looking flustered at all. She turned to Jiang Cuo with a playful look, adjusting the hem of her pure white dress. She crossed her arms and spoke casually.
“Oh, if it isn’t Classmate Jiang Cuo? What are you doing here so late? As for me? I’m here to bring my sister milk.”
Jiang Cuo’s eyes grew cold as she stared at Su Lian. “Put away your little schemes. She isn’t a fool.”
Su Lian didn’t care about the threat. She put on a pitiful expression, tucked her hair behind her ear, and looked at Jiang Cuo with a “white lotus” gaze. “Why so aggressive, Classmate Jiang? Why not ask yourself why you are here today? My sister has a high fever and is delirious. Surely you don’t intend to tutor a person who is unconscious?”
Su Lian thought she had silenced Jiang Cuo and smiled softly, glancing at Su Xianxian. To her surprise, Jiang Cuo leaned lightly against the doorframe, not angry but perfectly righteous. A cold sneer appeared on her lips as she looked down at Su Lian with the absolute dominance of a top student.
“According to Newton’s Third Law of Action and Reaction, Su Xianxian is currently thinking of me frantically. I sensed it. Therefore… I am being forced.”
Su Lian looked at the bed, where Su Xianxian was sleeping so soundly she was blowing bubbles: “….?”
Author’s Note:
Other people’s Newton’s Third Law: I am thinking of her, so she must be thinking of me.
Jiang Cuo’s: Because Su Xianxian is thinking of me, I have to think of her. It’s all Su Xianxian’s fault. [Tsundere serious face]
Su Xianxian: Sickness equals vacation. Time to rot~
Su Lian: You two aren’t sick, I’m the one who’s sick. [Speechless]
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