Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

Chapter 280: Chapter 262: Only Mediocrity is Safe from Envy

”Why are you all staring at me like that?” Luo Qianqian lay in the dorm room, enjoying an apple and some yogurt while reading a magazine, when she suddenly noticed He Wenyu and the others looking at her strangely. She quickly put down the magazine, sat up, and asked seriously.

He Wenyu, amused by Luo Qianqian’s reaction, pointed at her cheek and chuckled, ”You’re smiling so happily. Is it spring already?”

”Are you silly? It’s autumn...” Luo Qianqian replied instinctively, then, seeing the teasing look on He Wenyu’s face, she blushed and lay back down.

”Tell us, who did you meet this morning?” It was right after lunch break, and everyone in the dorm was chatting and relaxing. Seeing Luo Qianqian without training, a few were quite envious. Especially today, they felt very tired and marveled at how lucky Luo Qianqian was to escape this ordeal.

Luo Qianqian’s expression darkened, and she hesitated as she looked at Chu Ci.

Chu Ci caught her glance, paused, and spoke with a bitter expression, ”It wasn’t my dad, was it?”

Luo Qianqian nodded.

He Wenyu exploded in anger, ”I thought your face turned red because you saw a handsome guy. Is that so...?” He asked, his tone filled with outrage.

Chu Ci apologized to Luo Qianqian, her voice choking up, ”I’m sorry.”

Luo Qianqian shook her head at Chu Ci’s distressed look, ”It’s okay, as long as you don’t blame me for beating him up.”

Chu Ci, seeing not a trace of blame in Luo Qianqian’s eyes, felt even more self-reproachful, and tears began to fall, ”I don’t blame you. It must hurt a lot.” She had just entered the dorm and noticed something off about Luo Qianqian’s face, but she was afraid to ask, fearing it was exactly what she thought it was. The guilt was written all over her face.

”You must feel guilty about me, right?” Luo Qianqian pulled out her phone, saw a message, and smiled, ”Then how about you stay over at my place for a couple of days after military training ends?”

Chu Ci was startled, then nodded, her eyes filled with emotion, ”Chu Yu probably doesn’t want to see me lately. Saying I’m staying over at a classmate’s will definitely work.”

Luo Qianqian chuckled, then mysteriously beckoned He Wenyu over, ”Do you know who’s back?”

”Your brother? Impossible, he just left two days ago. Brother Jiayou? Even less likely, didn’t he go to work? School has started already. Bai Yixian? Even if he came back, you wouldn’t know, right? Is it another one of your cousins?” He Wenyu grabbed some snacks Luo Qianqian had laid on the bed, sat beside her, munching and thinking, then his eyes lit up, ”Your face is radiant with happiness, could it be...?”

”Buzz, buzz, buzz...” Luo Qianqian’s phone rang. He Wenyu leaned over, saw the three big characters on the screen, and immediately laughed, ”I knew it was him, haha, which girl doesn’t bloom in spring?”

Luo Qianqian rolled her eyes but answered the call in front of everyone, ”Hello? What’s up?” They had just met, and unless it was something important, she didn’t think he would call.

”Is He Wenyu there?” A pleasant voice came from the other end.

Luo Qianqian’s face darkened, ”Yes.”

”Then I’ll call you back later.” The call ended abruptly.

She lay dumbfounded on the bed, her gaze inexplicably fixed on He Wenyu, but she soon returned to normal.

He Wenyu, sensing her gaze, frowned, ”What’s wrong?”

”He asked if you stole my snacks...” Luo Qianqian lay back down, picked up a book, and cozily half-closed her eyes, shifting to get comfortable, but didn’t plan to tell the truth just yet. Xu Tianyi had changed a lot since coming back, and she didn’t want to upset He Wenyu by spelling it out, ”Seems like he knows you well enough to guess.”

He Wenyu, taken aback, quickly finished the beef jerky in his hand, then leaned over Luo Qianqian and started tickling her relentlessly.

”You all should take a quick nap. I’ll wake you at 1:15, and you’ll have plenty of time to get washed up.” Luo Qianqian chuckled, put away the snacks, picked up a workbook and a pen, and leisurely started reading and scribbling.

He Wenyu nodded, packing up his playful thoughts as he really was quite tired.

”You really love to study.” Fu Mingxue shook her head, looking at Luo Qianqian, ”Don’t overdo it.”

”Clinging to the scholar’s coattails for dear life.” Li Qi suddenly hugged Luo Qianqian’s waist tightly, ”Our scholarly lady, please remember to take this little girl with you, I’ve admired you for so long.”

”Get some sleep.” Luo Qianqian’s face was full of laughter. She might not have her brother’s capability, and though she had some experience, it still required more learning and practice to maintain her grades.

”The alarm clock is set; time to sleep,” Chu Ci said as she lay in bed. Luo Qianqian couldn’t see her, but she saw a delicate, fair hand waving at her from the side of the bed, sporting a small smile at the corner of her mouth.

”Alarm received.”

When Zhao Shiyu entered the room, all she saw was everyone but Luo Qianqian had gone to bed. Luo Qianqian was lying on her bed writing something, so Zhao Shiyu consciously lightened her footsteps, saw Luo Qianqian looking up at her and smiling warmly. She didn’t speak.

After lying down for a while, she too quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Luo Qianqian, perhaps watching the watch, figured it was about time, and began pinching faces to wake everyone up joyfully. Those who got up initially thought of retaliating but seeing Zhao Shiyu still asleep, they tiptoed out one by one with their wash basins to freshen up, then quietly returned, put down their toiletry items, and softly left the room again.

Seeing this scene, how could Luo Qianqian not know what they were planning? She simply put down her book and closed her eyes.

When the 1:30 wake-up bell rang, Zhao Shiyu, rubbing her bleary eyes, was shocked to find that in the dorm room, except for her, only Luo Qianqian was still sleeping. Startled, she hurriedly got up, didn’t even bother washing her face, quickly put on her clothes, and gently closed the dorm room door.

Luo Qianqian opened her eyes, feeling as if she was waking from a dream.

”Buzz..”

”Go ahead,” Luo Qianqian sprawled out on the bed, quite nonchalantly.

”He Wenyu’s boyfriend, Zhao Wenxuan, has a new girlfriend,” the voice was cold and indifferent, discussing such a topic without a hint of awkwardness.

”Who is it? From where? Got a photo?”

Luo Qianqian was instantly alert, the tinge of sleepiness she had felt from lying down earlier completely vanishing.

Xu Tianyi noticed the sudden excitement in the voice on the other end of the line, and though he had news, the excitement made him somewhat reluctant to share.

”From the same school, same class.”

”Xu Tianyi, go wash brother’s socks. You lost the bet!”

Just as Xu Tianyi finished speaking, Luo Yanhai’s voice came through, and sure enough, Xu Tianyi then said, ”I’ll call you back, got something suddenly.”

Luo Qianqian opened her mouth, about to say she had already heard the latter half, when she heard the sound of the phone hanging up.

She lowered her head, put away her phone, and a sly smile appeared on her face. After a moment, she began to ponder, who could it be?

Undoubtedly, this matter couldn’t be relayed to He Wenyu through her, otherwise the affair might lead to them cutting ties again.

Suddenly, Chu Ci pushed open the dorm room door and came in, her expression quite strange.

”What’s wrong?”

”Nothing... ”

”Were you scolded or bullied?”

Chu Ci shook her head, ”No, it’s Zhao Shiyu; she asked for leave on my behalf, saying I was not feeling well...”

Luo Qianqian was somewhat surprised and puzzled, and then pondered for a bit before replying, ”Maybe she saw Chu Yu was not there and feared our retaliation, so she tried to make amends?”

”That can’t be it; they have been friends for several years. Would you try to make amends with her out of fear of Chu Yu?” Chu Ci said, shaking her head dispiritedly, ”It feels very odd.”

”I’m not scared of her. Remember this saying, ’only mediocrities are never envied.’ Their opposition shows they’re jealous of me~” Luo Qianqian’s mood suddenly improved, and she curved her lips into a smile.

”You’re just narcissistic,” Chu Ci supported her forehead with her hand, feeling somewhat helpless due to Luo Qianqian’s narcissism, ”But you’re also right.”