Picked Up the Female Lead When She Was Young (GL) - Chapter 33

The upcoming Sports Meet meant Xia Wanshuang had a lot of work to do. As class monitor, she was responsible for organizing the parade line-up, which included deciding what uniform to wear and what slogan to use. The slogan was easy—it just needed to be catchy and spirited.

The class uniform, however, was a point of disagreement among the class cadres. The sports representative thought they should just wear the school uniform—simple, straightforward, and effective, showcasing student integrity. But the publicity committee member felt they should wear something different.

“I’ve already checked. Class 4 decided on a uniform: white shirts and suits for the boys, white shirts and black skirts for the girls. It looks so good!”

Class 4 was Zhou Qinglang’s class. Xia Wanshuang’s eyes lit up. She realized she had never actually seen Langlang wear a skirt. Langlang didn’t seem to like skirts, preferring shirts and shorts when they bought clothes. Xia Wanshuang had once bought her a skirt, but Langlang was too tall, and the skirt looked too short, so Xia Wanshuang ended up wearing it herself.

“Class Monitor, you think it looks good, right? But black and white is already taken. We should wear something else that’s unique.”

“Do you have any ideas?”

“We could wear a custom-made uniform. It doesn’t have to be flashy. How about this design?” The publicity committee member showed Xia Wanshuang a picture on her phone—simple, stylish, and quite nice-looking.

“I think it’s good. Let’s have a class vote later. Majority rules.”

“Great.”

Zhou Ying stood to the side with her arms crossed, remaining silent.

When Xia Wanshuang and the publicity committee member walked into the classroom, she noticed the strange atmosphere. It was break time, yet no one was talking. It was eerily quiet.

Lin Qiushui stood at the front podium, his face dark. The bucket of water used by the teacher to wash their hands after writing on the blackboard was knocked over, leaving a wet trail on the cement floor.

The publicity committee member didn’t know what had happened and dared not speak, looking to Xia Wanshuang at the front.

“What happened?” Xia Wanshuang righted the overturned bucket and walked up to the podium, addressing Lin Qiushui and the students below.

No one spoke. Some students looked down silently; others watched the scene unfold. Lin Qiushui, usually so imposing, felt a bit subdued seeing Xia Wanshuang’s calm expression. He wanted to say something but held back.

“Is no one going to tell me why?” Xia Wanshuang tapped the desk. There was no anger on her face, but it made the students uneasy. Even Zhou Ying, who disliked Xia Wanshuang, had to admit that Xia Wanshuang looked incredibly intimidating, like the class teacher.

“Who kicked the bucket over?”

“I did.” Lin Qiushui quietly raised his hand, his lips pressed into a thin line.

“Why?”

“It’s because some people have loose mouths and start guessing when they see others doing well.”

Lin Qiushui had stayed up late playing games the night before, so he was sleepy in class. He collapsed on his desk to sleep after the bell rang but was woken up by laughter. He heard people gossiping about Zhou Qinglang, talking with conviction as if they had witnessed everything themselves.

“She was a beggar as a child, you know. I heard she even scavenged for garbage to eat.”

“Really? Tsk, tsk, tsk. I never would have guessed. How pitiful. No parents. I think the Class Monitor picked her up and is raising her.”

“But the Class Monitor doesn’t have parents either. Yet they seem pretty rich. Where does the money come from?”

“Who knows? But did you hear about that person in Class 7 who’s been absent for days?”

“Oh, her? I heard people call her a public bus, a call girl. She’s not clean.”

“I heard she took time off to get an abortion this time.”

Sighs and giggles rang out together. Lin Qiushui was already suffering from a headache after being woken up, and as the topic grew more outrageous, his stomach turned. He never cursed girls, but when it involved Xia Wanshuang and Zhou Qinglang, he couldn’t hold back and started yelling.

The girls were stunned by the verbal assault, and the entire class’s attention focused on the commotion. A few boys, seeing Lin Qiushui cussing at girls, spoke out against him, saying he shouldn’t talk to girls like that. Lin Qiushui started arguing with them, kicking over the water bucket during the fight.

Lin Qiushui was fiercely protective. He was only soft and silly around his close friends; otherwise, he was like a mother hen guarding her chick, pecking anyone who came near. That explained the opening scene: Lin Qiushui standing at the podium while everyone else was silent when Xia Wanshuang entered.

Xia Wanshuang listened to the story, and the moment Zhou Qinglang’s name was brought up, her expression visibly chilled.

“This is truly fascinating,” Xia Wanshuang murmured, her voice carrying clearly to every ear.

“I’ve always known that not everyone has the ability to distinguish right from wrong. After all, perspective and character are limiting factors. If you believe everything people say, what is the point of reading?”

“Mr. Lu Xun once said that some people, upon seeing a short sleeve, immediately think of white arms, then full nudity, and finally, depravity. It seems some people in our class are no different.” Xia Wanshuang couldn’t quote the original passage verbatim in a school setting, but her tone was sufficiently sarcastic.

“The Jing Shi Tong Yan (Stories to Warn the World) says, ‘Never listen to praise or slander; right and wrong will eventually become clear.’ That is what I, as your class monitor, want to tell you.” Xia Wanshuang’s gaze swept across every face below. Even when angry, her speech was measured and unhurried.

“And speaking personally, as Xia Wanshuang, I first deny these unfounded assumptions. We are self-reliant and live honorably. If some people refuse to believe it, they are welcome to continue judging others with their own filthy, disgusting thoughts. Second, mocking others’ wounds is a truly low-class thing to do. Zhou Qinglang is consistently in the top three of the grade. Don’t those people who secretly mock her background yet can’t match her excellence feel ashamed?”

Xia Wanshuang maintained her gentle demeanor, yet her sharpness was undeniable. She was always mild-mannered and polite, but her final, pointedly sarcastic sentence made the students murmur, confirming that Xia Wanshuang was genuinely angry.

Zhou Ying’s expression was awkward, and the words she had planned to say were swallowed. Lin Qiushui started applauding, praising her cultural finesse.

Xia Wanshuang rarely got angry. Due to her past life experience, she appeared more poised than these teenagers, seemingly always agreeable. But the moment she heard something negative about Zhou Qinglang, she felt her blood rush and a fire ignite in her heart.

Zhou Qinglang was the child she cared for the most. Xia Wanshuang had watched her grow up, knew the hardships she had endured, and knew how sweet and sensible she was. Though her younger sister, Zhou Qinglang always said she would protect her. Xia Wanshuang meant it when she called Zhou Qinglang her treasure. Who wouldn’t love an obedient, sweet, and adorable child? Who wouldn’t cherish a child who loved you completely, relied on you, and swore to protect you? Whether it was maternal protection or sisterly affection, Xia Wanshuang simply couldn’t stand anyone speaking ill of Zhou Qinglang.

In the class, only Lin Qiushui dared to clap; no one else dared to make a sound. The few girls who had been gossiping lowered their heads to the floor, their faces burning.

“Next, we will select the class uniform for the Sports Meet. We will vote to decide what we wear.” Xia Wanshuang announced the main order of business with a cool expression. After the results were finalized, she told Lin Qiushui to mop the floor and refill the water bucket.

••••

As soon as school was dismissed, Lin Qiushui excitedly recounted Xia Wanshuang’s performance. “It was so cool! Too bad you weren’t there to see it. No one in the class dared to breathe! Her imposing manner was incredible! It’s a good thing Zhou Qinglang isn’t in our class; if she had heard Shuangshuang say that, she would have gone absolutely crazy with joy right there.”

Zhao Tianhang had to admit Lin Qiushui was right this time. Zhou Qinglang had started smiling the moment Lin Qiushui began his story and hadn’t stopped since. If she had been there, she probably would have spun around and floated into the sky.

“Stop smiling, you goof. Doesn’t it upset you when people talk bad about you?” Xia Wanshuang looked at the perpetually smiling Zhou Qinglang, thinking she looked a little silly.

“Sister, I’m so happy.” Zhou Qinglang wrapped her arms around Xia Wanshuang’s waist. Since she was taller than Xia Wanshuang, it looked like she was half-hugging her. Zhou Qinglang was truly ecstatic, almost losing control of herself.

She had already sensed the strange looks when she entered the class today. She wasn’t deaf or blind and knew what had happened. But she didn’t care at all. Just as her sister had told her when she was little, she shouldn’t bother with idle gossip; doing her best was enough. And pathologically, she even felt a little thrill, thinking this way, everyone would know how important her sister was to her.

Before school ended, Zhou Qinglang had heard rumors that Xia Wanshuang had lost her temper in class. Zhou Qinglang guessed it was because people were talking about her. She was itching to know the details but couldn’t during class. Thankfully, Lin Qiushui didn’t disappoint her.

“You’re happy when people say bad things about you?” Xia Wanshuang pinched Zhou Qinglang’s nose. Silly girl.

“If you praise her any more, she might just pick you up and kiss you.” Zhao Tianhang commented dryly from the side. That little jealous pot, Zhou Qinglang, would naturally be excited and happy to be publicly defended by Xia Wanshuang.

“Is it that exaggerated? Do I not usually show enough care for Langlang?” Teacher Xia looked confused. She felt she was quite attentive to her child’s mental health and took Zhou Qinglang everywhere. She shouldn’t be making Zhou Qinglang feel so insecure.

“You care about her plenty. You practically have her strapped to your hip.” Lin Qiushui demonstrated a very exaggerated movement of strapping someone to his waistband.

Initially, Lin Qiushui didn’t even know Zhou Qinglang. They didn’t bond even after an afternoon at the amusement park. Even after his aunt and uncle adopted Zhou Qinglang, he still wasn’t close to the little kid. Their relationship only developed because of Xia Wanshuang. After Xia Wanshuang saved Lin An’an, Lin Qiushui viewed her as a hero and took special care of her, often bringing her tasty treats. Lin Qiushui’s family was wealthy, but his parents were rarely home, leaving him in the care of a nanny. So, Lin Qiushui often invited Xia Wanshuang over, and Xia Wanshuang always had her inseparable little shadow.

“How could I ever think Sister doesn’t care about me? Sister is the person in this world who cares about me the most.” Zhou Qinglang buried her head in Xia Wanshuang’s neck, her nose filled with the soft fragrance of the girl.

No one loves me. Only you.