Chapter 31: Hidden Agendas and a Secret Note

Su Yao did not return by the time physical education class ended. This thwarted Lin Qing’s plan to speak with her, forcing him to seek another opportunity.

Yet, in the hours that followed, Su Yao seemed to vanish without a trace.

She did not return to the classroom.

Nor was there any news of her whereabouts.

Lin Qing waited for two full periods. With the current self-study session nearing its end and school dismissal imminent, there was still no sign of Su Yao.

Reporting Li Weiqiang should not have required such extensive procedures, nor would the school typically delay a student’s classes. This was especially true considering Su Yao’s background with the Comet Group.

By all accounts, she should have returned long ago.

Yet, there was no news. ‘Could Su Yao have discerned his suspicions and deliberately avoided him?’

‘Though, logically, Su Yao had no reason to evade him.’

‘However, given Su Yao’s mischievous nature, she enjoyed toying with people.’

‘Perhaps she simply relished hiding, silently observing his growing anxiety.’

‘Taking pleasure in his distress from afar.’

A flurry of thoughts assailed Lin Qing, his mounting irritation causing him to unconsciously tap his pen tip against his textbook. The repeated, rhythmic clicks soon marred a spot on the page with dark marks.

What began as a series of dots coalesced into a blotch, a large, inky stain that seemed impossible to erase.

Sitting nearby, Wang Fanran observed this, a sneer playing on his lips and an eager glint in his eyes. He longed to witness Lin Qing’s downfall as soon as possible.

Alas, the classroom was too crowded for him to act.

He would have to wait until fewer people were around.

‘And that useless Li Dong; if he got cold feet halfway through, all of Wang Fanran’s efforts would be for naught.’

‘Even without his subtle manipulations, given the current circumstances, Li Weiqiang would undoubtedly harbor immense resentment after receiving school disciplinary action.’

‘Li Weiqiang wouldn’t dare touch a wealthy heiress like Su Yao, but a commoner like Lin Qing? There would be no inhibitions.’

‘Wang Fanran merely needed to bide his time to see Lin Qing thoroughly beaten.’

‘But that would take too long; he couldn’t wait!’

‘Moreover, there would be no pleasure in it. How could someone else’s actions compare to his own meticulously planned scheme?’

‘He yearned to see Lin Qing humiliated sooner!’

Recalling the public humiliation he had endured and Lin Qing’s nonchalant demeanor, Wang Fanran clenched his plump hand into a fist. He inwardly cautioned himself to be patient; his objective would soon be achieved.

‘A moment’s impatience could ruin a grand plan.’

‘Lin Qing, that snobbish wretch, was already at the bottom of the class hierarchy, yet he dared to look down on Wang Fanran now…’

‘The despicable bastard!’

‘Once Lin Qing had been dealt with, it would be Zhou Lin’s turn, that damned punk.’

‘No rush, one by one.’

‘No one would escape!’

‘Buzz.’

Just as Wang Fanran was secretly reveling in thoughts of Lin Qing’s impending misfortune, his phone vibrated in his pocket, signaling an incoming message.

Upon hearing the sound, Wang Fanran promptly pulled out his phone, not daring to delay.

‘Chen Sen, that pervert, was definitely no ordinary person, considering he had managed to rescue Wang Fanran from Zhou Lin’s bullying.’

After their last contact, Chen Sen had merely replied with two words, ‘Alright,’ and then nothing more.

This had left Wang Fanran deeply worried, believing Chen Sen might not be able to help.

He had even expected to be beaten by Zhou Lin at noon.

However, the situation had reversed with startling speed; Zhou Lin no longer dared to lay a hand on him.

Zhou Lin could only glare at him with a gaze filled with furious helplessness, a sight that filled Wang Fanran with immense satisfaction and vindication.

Had he not feared provoking Zhou Lin into a fit of rage, Wang Fanran would have strutted over to gloat.

The key to his turnaround was none other than the perverse Chen Sen.

As for why he called Chen Sen a pervert…

Recalling his encounter with Chen Sen, Wang Fanran felt a shiver of revulsion run down his spine. He decided it would be best not to dwell on it further.

It was utterly disgusting.

He had never met anyone so twisted.

For this very reason, Wang Fanran dared not be lax, terrified of incurring Chen Sen’s wrath.

Should that happen, his situation would only worsen.

[Come to my place tomorrow. You need to prove your worth.]

Wang Fanran glanced at the text message; it was indeed from Chen Sen.

Although he had mentally prepared himself that Chen Sen was no good, the prospect of working with such a person still instilled a measure of fear in Wang Fanran.

Yet, once the arrow was shot, there was no turning back.

To avoid being bullied in school, he had to pay a certain price.

Moreover, once he became familiar with Chen Sen, he would gain a powerful backing.

Then, within the school, he could strike whomever he pleased, and those he hit could only harbor resentment, unable to retaliate.

He could even toy with girls at will, perhaps even finding some willing to throw themselves at him…

At the thought of such a scenario, Wang Fanran immediately banished his fear, replacing it with renewed confidence.

‘He would diligently carry out whatever Chen Sen tasked him with!’

“Su Yao, you’re finally back! Are you alright?”

Just as Wang Fanran pondered whether to prepare some self-defense tools, a girl’s anxious voice suddenly echoed through the classroom.

The mention of Su Yao’s name instantly drew everyone’s attention.

As their gazes shifted to the doorway, they indeed saw Su Yao, clad in a tracksuit, stepping gracefully into the room.

Her face still held a warm, spring-like smile, betraying no hint of anything amiss.

This sight allowed the worried boys to collectively exhale in relief.

‘If their Goddess Su had truly been in trouble, they wouldn’t have stood by idly.’

‘Even if they couldn’t defeat the brawny Li Weiqiang,’

‘They would still ensure that scoundrel Li Weiqiang wouldn’t have an easy time of it, even if it meant puncturing bicycle tires or stealing homework notebooks!’

“I’m perfectly fine. The dean just had a lot of questions.”

Seeing the students’ concerned expressions, Su Yao gently shook her head, assuring them that she was unharmed and there was no need to worry.

‘If she had simply handed over her phone, it wouldn’t have taken so long.’

‘However, Su Yao didn’t want others to discover that she had been secretly filming Lin Qing.’

‘Thus, after uploading the video to the cloud, Su Yao had deleted it directly. Later, when the dean questioned her, she used the excuse that her camera wasn’t on.’

‘She had glossed over the matter of the phone video.’

‘Just as Li Weiqiang was grinning in triumph, Su Yao had mentioned that other students in the class also had videos.’

‘Subsequently, after those students sent their videos to Su Yao, even though they weren’t complete, the fragmented footage contained undeniable evidence of Li Weiqiang bullying others.’

‘He had been unable to argue his way out.’

‘The dean’s reprimand, followed by summoning his parents and sending him home for reflection—a full combo—left Li Weiqiang cowering in place, utterly speechless.’

‘All this back-and-forth had consumed time, causing Su Yao’s late return.’

“Lin Qing, are you alright?”

Instead of returning directly to her seat, Su Yao quickly walked over to Lin Qing.

As she spoke, she didn’t remain standing, but instead leaned down, conveying a remarkably intimate concern.

Her smile was like a blossoming flower, and her star-like eyes sparkled brightly.

Due to her swift movement, her chest swelled, drawing Lin Qing’s gaze.

Yet, Lin Qing’s attention wasn’t on that. Instead, he felt the slip of paper Su Yao secretly pressed into his hand, causing him to instinctively clench his palm.

****