Chapter 95: Chapter 95: The Demon Within

Ren Caihong and Lu Xuemei returned to their dormitory in tears, deeply regretting their impulsiveness.

Everyone harbors a devil within them; jealousy is the heart of the devil, and impulsiveness is its arm. They failed to control the devil in their hearts, and now they must face the consequences.

Throughout the night, the dorm resonated with sporadic sobs, keeping everyone from a good night’s sleep. Yet, no one spoke much, swallowing any complaints, for kicking someone when they’re down is not a good habit.

As the night passed, everyone chose silence about the previous day’s events, each going about their business.

The dorm was unusually quiet, as if everyone was deliberately softening their actions to avoid disturbing others.

“Wang Miaomiao…”

Just as Wang Miaomiao and Cheng Xue were leaving the dorm with their backpacks, heading to class, they were stopped by Lu Xuemei.

“Don’t be smug, there’s no smoke without fire, and flies won’t sting a seamless egg—you’re not entirely innocent either.” After a sleepless night, Lu Xuemei had grown even more sullen, her eyes red and swollen, her hair disheveled, standing in the hallway with a washbasin.

“A clear conscience fears no shadow. I’m not afraid. If you have the guts, don’t cower in front of the principal.” Wang Miaomiao glanced at her without any expression and turned to leave.

Cheng Xue sneered, “Coward!” Then followed Wang Miaomiao without another word.

Lu Xuemei was left biting her lower lip, trembling, as if struggling to suppress some emotions.

“Heh, coward—that’s exactly right.” Ren Caihong stood at the door, gazing at Lu Xuemei with reproach and disdain in her eyes.

Looking back, it was her who had always spread gossip about Wang Miaomiao in the class, and it was her who sparked the conversation in room 202 the day before.

If she hadn’t started saying those things, and had she not been tense due to the end of the month worrying about her exam results not being as satisfactory as Wang Miaomiao’s, her jealousy might not have gotten the better of her, leading her to speak out against Wang Miaomiao to release her frustrations and fears.

It’s all because of her!

Lu Xuemei retorted, “You’re no better. The principal hasn’t even judged yet, and you’ve already admitted guilt, surrendered. I’m not as weak as you.”

Ren Caihong glared, her face a palette of colors—utterly complex.

“Hmph…” Ren Caihong quit wasting words. After tossing and turning all night, she knew she couldn’t avoid involving her parents, and she had to think about how to explain everything to them and then plan how to clear her name.

Thinking this, she stopped dawdling, rushed back to her dorm to pack up, slammed the door, and left—striking first might be the best strategy. She needed to go home and convince her parents, then return to school to find witnesses and prove that it was Lu Xuemei who instigated everything.

Lu Xuemei stood in the hallway, clenching her hands tightly, her fingers dug into her palms so deeply that they drew blood, yet she felt no pain.

Lu Xuemei’s family had no significant background, her parents were simple farmers, honestly working to earn points to raise their kids. Lu Xuemei was the youngest and the only daughter, naturally receiving all the family’s affection. She was a good student, and her family was proud of her for getting into the Provincial High School.

Especially a few of her sisters-in-law, who used to occasionally make some sour remarks, had turned to paying her compliments, hoping that when she succeeded, she might lend a helping hand to their children as well.

Since she was admitted to the Provincial High School and went to study in J City, her family placed even greater expectations on her, saving all the best food for her whenever she returned home and treating her even better. Even her nephews had to make way for her.

Perhaps it was this sudden change in treatment that made her a bit conceited.

She had liked her classmate Wang Jia Bao before, and upon entering the Provincial High School, she discovered that Wang Jia Bao’s sister, Wang Miaomiao, was her classmate, which delighted and excited her immensely.

Because Wang Miaomiao was Wang Jia Bao’s sister, she braved her way to sit beside her, trying to ingratiate herself, but her efforts were met with indifference and disdain.

Thus, resentment brewed within Lu Xuemei.

Also, because of Wang Miaomiao, she gradually became closer to Zhou Hu as well. She noticed that Zhou Hu liked Wang Miaomiao, his gaze silently following Wang Miaomiao, seizing every opportunity for a chance encounter. Yet Wang Miaomiao remained indifferent, holding a lofty demeanor.

This filled Lu Xuemei with extreme dissatisfaction.

Due to frequent interactions with Zhou Hu, she also slowly found herself attracted to him, her middle school crush. Although they weren’t in the same class before, she had always heard about his deeds, and upon closer contact, she felt it was unworthy for him.

Such a good boy admired Wang Miaomiao, but she was dismissive of him, which was unforgivable.

Her dissatisfaction and jealousy festered, gradually growing uncontrollable.

Last month, Zhou Hu witnessed Wang Miaomiao running into Jiang Yan’s arms at the school gate, and Lu Xuemei witnessed the same.

On the way back, Zhou Hu was very downcast, and Lu Xuemei went to comfort him, “Zhou Hu, Wang Miaomiao isn’t worthy of your affection. She’s pretty and studious, certainly having countless admirers. Didn’t she just throw herself into someone’s arms today? You should move on; there are plenty of nice girls out there. Broaden your horizons, and maybe you’ll find your true love…”

After saying this, she was met with Zhou Hu’s cold stare.

Of course, she thought her words were wise, aimed at enlightening Zhou Hu, but to Zhou Hu, who liked Wang Miaomiao, they were extremely grating. His goddess could not be maligned or criticized by others, even if she didn’t care about him.

“Worry about your own business.” Zhou Hu, typically aloof and reticent, wasn’t someone to take outbursts lightly.

After that day, Zhou Hu continued to quietly pay attention to Wang Miaomiao, while Lu Xuemei’s discomfort grew daily, leading her to repeatedly make ambiguous remarks behind the scenes, which gradually fueled the rumors about Wang Miaomiao.

And on that Saturday, she unexpectedly saw Zhou Hu having a private conversation with Wang Miaomiao. They stood side by side, a handsome pair, laughing and chatting. This made her jealousy and resentment burn even hotter.

So yesterday, once at school, she took action again, heading to room 202, intending to stir things up among Wang Miaomiao’s roommates. She couldn’t believe that among those sharing a dormitory, there wasn’t anyone jealous of Wang Miaomiao.

She thought Li Jiajia would be the first to support her, as she seemed proud and impulsive. But unexpectedly, Li Jiajia didn’t take the bait, and instead, it was Ren Caihong who showed signs of discontent.

But no matter, as long as there were like-minded individuals, the sparks could ignite a prairie fire. She didn’t believe that Wang Miaomiao’s reputation could remain untarnished, and then who would still like her?

However, she didn’t expect Wang Miaomiao and her friends to return and overhear their conversation.

What to do now? Lu Xuemei stood in the now deserted hallway, at a loss.

“Lu Xuemei, what’re you dawdling for? Get going.” The dorm manager came to hurry her along.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep