Chapter 20: A Turbulent Welcome

“Y-you… hello?”

Yaqi greeted weakly.

“Don’t talk to me! Fox spirit!”

“Fox… why are you calling me that?”

“Heh, did I say something wrong?”

The girl sneered arrogantly, twisting her waist, crossing her legs, resting her arms on the desk, tilting her head, and staring at her with a slanting glance.

“Are you using ‘not ashamed to ask’ as a shield for flirting? Asking questions all class… do you really not understand or are you pretending not to?”

“I… I really don’t understand…” Yaqi answered weakly.

“Then why come to this school if you don’t understand? Why not just go to some third-rate high school and coast through?”

“But… I really want to study well too…”

Yaqi’s face flushed bright red. She clutched her skirt tightly, feeling both angry and wronged. But since the girl wasn’t entirely wrong, she could only silently admit it, not daring to raise her voice.

“Heh, who knows? This morning everyone changed seats, but you didn’t. They even gave you special treatment. Convenient for you to pull your fox tricks, isn’t it?”

“…”

“Hmph! You think others didn’t see? The way you acted in class, was that really asking a question?”

“I was just asking a question! You keep calling me a fox spirit. What are you trying to say? What did I do?”

Yaqi’s eyes trembled slightly as she stared hard at her, her voice rising.

“Oh, oh dear… I suppose only someone who’s been abroad could have such skills. Look at you, acting like a wronged pure girl!”

“Fine! Then I’ll ask you: do you have to press your whole body against someone to ask a question?”

“What did I press?”

“You didn’t press? You’re using your big chest to seduce someone? Have some shame! Bumping into people with your chest, really!”

“I did not!”

“Oh oh oh, fine, fine! You didn’t!”

“Then let me tell you! Don’t think everyone here is stupid. That bit of flesh of yours might work on men, but girls don’t fall for it!”

“You!”

Yaqi stood up, her eyes red as she glared at her. Tears swirled in her eyes. She pressed her lips together and clenched her teeth.

‘Don’t lose your temper! Don’t lose your temper! Even if she’s harsh, she’s not completely wrong. It’s still my fault for being useless! The more I argue, the more trouble it’ll be. Let her say what she wants. I don’t think that way anyway. She’s just talking nonsense!’

Seeing Yaqi furious yet silent, the girl grew more interested.

“Oh, not refuting? At least you know you’re in the wrong, not like a shrew.”

“Heh, I actually have a slightly better impression of you now. Haha!”

Yaqi’s hand clutching her skirt kept trembling. Finally, tears broke through the barrier of her eyes and fell quietly.

Yang Xue and Liu Mengmeng, who were nearby, slowly moved to Yaqi’s side and gently held her arm.

“Yin Bing, that’s enough! She’s a new transfer student on her first day. What’s wrong with asking questions? Don’t look at her through your tinted glasses!”

From the front of the classroom, a calm, slightly soft voice leaped into the tense atmosphere. Yin Bing turned her head unhappily and shot back.

“What’s it to you, Qu Lin? Do you know her?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Then why are you meddling?”

“She’s a new transfer student, and you treat her like this? You’re not just disgracing yourself; you’re disgracing the whole class. You’re disgracing Liu Ya, you know that?”

“If word gets out, is this how Class One of Liu Ya treats new students?”

“…Tch.”

Yin Bing glared at Yaqi unhappily, put her legs down, turned back, and tapped her foot against the floor.

Qu Lin sighed softly, turned to Yaqi, and smiled. Yaqi looked tearfully distressed. Gong Yu, sitting behind Qu Lin, sighed helplessly, a trace of pity on her face.

Seeing Yin Bing quiet down, Yang Xue and Liu Mengmeng moved closer and whispered.

“Don’t be angry… She’s just like that. Don’t take it to heart.”

“Yeah, don’t be mad. I think you’re really nice! It’s not what she said. Don’t take it to heart.”

“Exactly, exactly.”

Yaqi looked at them, lowered her head, sniffled, and slowly sat down holding the desk. The onlookers also joined in.

“She looks down on others just because she’s good at studying?”

“Yaqi, don’t mind her! She’s crazy! What’s wrong with asking questions if you don’t understand?”

“Yeah, as if she never had a question she couldn’t answer? I don’t believe it!”

“Heh, probably too embarrassed to ask Liu Ya. Sour grapes!”

“Haha, right!”

“Indeed.”

Everyone whispered one after another, and the tense atmosphere gradually eased. Yaqi smiled too.

“Mm… thank you.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

“Haha…”

Yaqi rubbed her eyes, took out her notebook, opened it, and handed it out. Seeing that, everyone quickly took notes and chatted with Yaqi.

After a while…

“Hm? What’s everyone gathered for?”

Liu Ya, who had just returned, stood at the door, looking puzzled at the crowd around her seat. A trace of unease flashed through her heart.

The next second, her peripheral vision caught Gongyu leaning on her hand looking out the window, and Qu Lin smiling and waving at her. She instantly relaxed.

Then Liu Ya noticed a familiar face emerging from the gap in the crowd.

“Hey, Yaqi, we’re going now!”

“Looking forward to your help from now on, sis!”

“Oh yeah, don’t tell Liu Ya!”

“Mm hm, don’t worry~”

Before Liu Ya arrived, everyone quickly returned to their seats. When Liu Ya came over, Yaqi leaned aside to let her in.

“Hey, Sister Yaqi. What were you all gathered for just now?”

“Mm? Nothing… nothing.”

“If it’s nothing, what were you doing?”

“Oh, it’s nothing…”

“…”

Yaqi pretended to be calm, afraid of being exposed, not daring to look her in the eye, constantly forcing a smile.

But Liu Ya’s eyes gradually widened. Not because she discovered something hidden, but because she caught sight of Yaqi’s reddened eyes and the traces of eyelashes at the corners.

She immediately cupped Yaqi’s face with both hands and turned it toward herself.

“Liu… Liu Ya?”

‘She cried? What happened? Sister Qijie cried! Who did this? Who? Must have been those people just now!’

‘No… Gongyu was sitting there obediently, and others had no reason to bully Sister Qijie? Besides, the atmosphere just now didn’t seem like anything happened…’

‘Well… Qu Lin was smiling just now. She must know something.’

“W-what’s with your eyes?”

Liu Ya urgently wanted to know what happened, but after thinking it over, she could only blurt out this weak question.

Liu Ya could feel Yaqi trying to pull away, but instinctively her hands couldn’t let go.

“It’s… it’s nothing. My eyes were just a bit uncomfortable. I rubbed them.”

“Really?”

“Mm… mm.”

Seeing that Yaqi didn’t want to say more, Liu Ya had to suppress her irritation and slowly withdrew her hands.

Another class passed. Liu Ya couldn’t focus on what was taught. Her mind and eyes were always on Yaqi beside her.

“So sleepy…”

The drowsiness from Yaqi’s sleepless night last night crept in. She lay down on the desk as soon as class ended. But no sooner had she lain down than Liu Ya shook her shoulder.

“Huh? What is it, Liu Ya?”

“You didn’t forget about the student council, did you?”

“Ah… no.”

‘Oh? That’s still a thing? So sleepy, I want to sleep a bit more…’

Seeing Yaqi looking about to fall asleep any moment, Liu Ya felt a mix of exasperation and amusement. But that didn’t make her want to let Yaqi off the hook.

The situation was volatile now, and there were too many things to sort out and stabilize.

“Since you haven’t forgotten, let’s go.”

“Ah… hey, don’t pull me! I know, mm…”

A short while later, in the student council room:

“Oh, you’re here!”

“Hey, Liu Ya!”

“Hello, hello.”

“You guys got here so fast?”

In the student council room, three people including Ye Nuo were gathered around Liu Ya’s desk discussing something. They greeted Liu Ya when she arrived.

Two of them, after speaking, returned to their seats, put on their armbands, and then noticed Yaqi following behind Liu Ya. One of the girls spoke up.

“Liu Ya, Ye Nuo told us about it. But…”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“After all, letting a transfer student into the student council right away… isn’t that a bit…”

“Yeah… Are you close with her? It feels a bit fishy~”

The other girl chimed in. They both grinned mischievously, their gazes shifting between Yaqi and Liu Ya.

“Actually, I…”

Before Yaqi could explain, Liu Ya spoke first.

“We’re just childhood friends. It’s nothing.”

“Oh~ Child sweethearts?”

“Hehe. We’re just short of people anyway and can’t find anyone for the moment, so I asked her to fill in temporarily.”

“Hey hey? Did you just dodge an important question?”

“What? No… Aren’t you two supposed to go for inspections? It’s your turn today, right?”

The two exchanged a look, knowingly snickered, shook their heads dramatically, and sighed.

“Heh. Right, right. It’s us. Then we’re off!”

“Mm, hurry along!”

“Heh, , heh!”

“…Huh? What are you two doing?”

They walked straight up to Liu Ya. Liu Ya looked confused, but they ignored her, sidestepped around her, and approached Yaqi.

“Huh?”

“Nice to meet you! You’re Tang Yaqi, right? I’m Li Xueqin.”

“Han Meng.”

“Oh oh, hello.”

Yaqi shook hands with them. Xueqin continued.

“Sorry, we have to go do the inspection, so we don’t have much time. When we’re free later, let’s chat!”

“Yes. Oh, and welcome aboard!”

“Welcome!”

“Mm! Thank you.” Yaqi nodded with a smile.

After they left, Liu Ya briefly explained Yaqi’s work.

The school’s clubs were divided into three categories: sports, arts, and extracurricular.

Specifically, Yaqi’s job was to compile and organize club reports, approve equipment and material requests, verify and handle class deductions and needs. All miscellaneous tasks, nothing difficult.

“Alright, get to work quickly. Your seat is over there.”

Saying that, Liu Ya pointed to the desk on the east side near the door, where two or three stacks of reports were piled up. Then she turned and walked to her own seat.

After sitting down and preparing to write, she found Yaqi still standing there.

“What are you staring blankly for?”

“Ah? Me… me?”

“Who else would it be?”

Yaqi stood dumbfounded in the center of the room, looking around helplessly, completely unsure what to do next.

“What, did I ask you to stand here and watch the door?”

“But… what do I do?”

“…Sigh.”

“Break is only twenty minutes. First, compile the art club’s funding requests and hand them to Ye Nuo.”

As Liu Ya spoke, Ye Nuo smiled and waved at Yaqi.

“Oh, okay.”

“Then if you have extra time, compile the reports for the other clubs. Got it?”

“Mm!”

Yaqi nodded, went to her seat, picked up the stack of forms on the desk, and glanced over them. Instantly, her scalp tingled, and drowsiness came rushing in.

She wanted to complain, but seeing Liu Ya bent over her work, she forced her drooping eyelids open and continued reading.

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