Meng Jiao couldn't do anything but scrunch her fingers into an angry cannonball on her side. Lu Xinyi's mocking gaze was making her blood boil in rage. By the time she realized that Lu Xinyi had truly changed, Meng Jiao regretted that she didn't listen to Sun Feiyan's advice.
With an ugly expression written all over Meng Jiao's face, Lu Xinyi's lips twitched in amusement. Did Meng Jiao really think she was a worthy opponent for her?
Before, she trusted Meng Jiao like a sister. She'd always listened to her advice, not knowing that she was fooling with her. After being played for years by this woman, Lu Xinyi didn't have any sympathy left for this woman at all.
She wanted to harm her? Let's see if she had the ability to do so!
Seeing Lu Xinyi's frightening glare, Meng Jiao forced herself to start writing her written statement at the corner while Han Zhiling discussed the upcoming cooking battle Lu Xinyi had with Han Yixin.
"Miss Lu, are you sure you want to accept this challenge?" Han Zhiling peeked over the request form her niece provided to challenge Lu Xinyi.
Although Han Yixin was her niece, she still had to abide by the academy's rules. Since it was the first time that a senior student challenged a junior, the case was widely talked around the campus.
Lu Xinyi shrugged, her eyes occasionally taking glances at Meng Jiao and the lady enjoying her misfortune.
"I don't see why I shouldn't accept it," she answered truthfully, "Since Senior Sister Han has made up her mind for this event, it would be bad if I don't give her some face, knowing that she'd already lowered herself to challenge me."
Han Zhiling couldn't help but admire Lu Xinyi's confidence to face the challenges thrown her way. Had she been a normal girl left in the wilderness, she would have died from fear. The glint on Lu Xinyi's eyes reminded her of Lu Sibai's temperament.
Lu Xinyi was truly his child. Her face was like that of her mother Sun Meixiu, but the rest—even her personality—were the same as her father's.
Meanwhile, Meng Jiao's heart was at unrest; and her heartbeat wouldn't calm down. When she passed her written statement and placed it on Han Zhiling's desk, Lu Xinyi gave her a bored look, turning around to leave her behind after bidding goodbye to their headmistress.
Meng Jiao nervously bowed her head to Han Zhiling before hurriedly following Lu Xinyi outside, pulling her arm to stop her while assuring that they were in a safe distance—safe from everyone's earshot.
"Deducting 300 points from my credits? Are you insane?!" The rage within Meng Jiao made her body tremble as she confronted Lu Xinyi.
Lu Xinyi chuckled and pulled her arm away from Meng Jiao's grasp.
"What are you afraid of? Headmistress Han only asked for a suggestion. She never mentioned anything about agreeing," she paused, "Meng Jiao, when you left me in the mountain, you never thought I'll survive? Even if I ended up being dead, deducting your points would never be enough. You'll probably be in jail by this time. What made you think that the Sun family will not turn their back on you?"
"And you think President Shen would protect you?" Meng Jiao snapped back.
When Lu Xinyi didn't deny or answered her question, Meng Jiao thought that Lu Xinyi was using the Shen family.
"Lu Xinyi, what's your relationship with President Shen? Are you his mistress?" Meng Jiao sneered at her. Didn't Lu Xinyi say she was already married? Was that a lie?
"Why do you care so much about President Shen? Since Gong Yijun left, you're eyeing at him now? So what if I'm dating President Shen? What is it to you, Meng Jiao?" Lu Xinyi said with a cold laugh.
At this rate, Lu Xinyi didn't mind her name being associated with Shen Yi. The talks about them would slowly brain conditioning everyone's mind to acknowledge their relationship. This would also make their marriage announcement easier in the future.
"You sly witch! You lied to us!" Meng Jiao couldn't believe she was being played by Lu Xinyi.
"Oh? When did I lie to you?" Lu Xinyi challenged. She was really amused by Meng Jiao's audacity to accuse her of lying. Why was everyone trying to blame their guilt on her anyway?
"You lied to us! You aren't married to anyone at all! If Yijun hadn't believed your lies, he wouldn't leave us!" Meng Jiao hissed lowly. When she realized the slip of her tongue, she chastised herself inwardly.
Lu Xinyi's brows hit her bangs. Of course, she knew what Meng Jiao meant. The child she aborted for her selfish reasons… Lu Xinyi hadn't thought that Meng Jiao would also put the blame on her.
Lu Xinyi stepped forward with a cold laugh, trapping Meng Jiao against the wall behind her.
"Meng Jiao, why do you repeatedly blame me for the sins you've done yourself? Why don't you try to take responsibility for your actions?"
Cold sweat formed in Meng Jiao's face as she tried to read Lu Xinyi's eyes. Her heart shuddered in fear. Under Lu Xinyi's gaze, she felt vulnerable and clear. It was as if Lu Xinyi knew what she was hiding… what she was thinking…
"Meng Jiao, I didn't know you can stoop this low just to hurt me. If you want fair and healthy competition, I'll welcome your challenge; but if you keep on insisting on pushing the wrong buttons…" Lu Xinyi's tone became sharper and sterner. "Don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Meng Jiao's heart skipped a beat. She could only cower in fear as she tried to avoid Lu Xinyi's fierce glare. She cursed Lu Xinyi in her heart. Why did she keep insisting on being a thorn in her side?
It was then Meng Jiao realized how serious the offense she'd done. If the board of directors approved Shen Yi's request for her expulsion, it would be the end of her; but if they accepted Lu Xinyi's suggestion, she'd suffer some loss. However, points could still be earned as long as she reached 1,000 points before midterm starts.
Suddenly, she lurched forward and grabbed both of Lu Xinyi's hands. Lu Xinyi was forced to step back, but her face was filled with confusion.
"Lu Xinyi, tell Headmistress Han that you forgive me. It's not necessary to expel me anymore…" she demanded.
'Heh! Still thinking you're above me and can get away? No way!' Lu Xinyi thought.
Lu Xinyi pushed Meng Jiao's hands away from her and chuckled.
"And why would I do that? I'm just a student. How am I supposed to change their decision? Unlike you Meng Jiao, I'm not thick-skinned enough to do that."
"But if you stand up for me, I'm sure they'll change their minds…"
That made Lu Xinyi burst into laughter. Holding her sides, her eyes started to tear up from so much laughter she had.
"Meng Jiao, Meng Jiao… what the hell are you talking about? What happened to the venerated lady that everyone reveres? Is there something wrong in your brain?" She made a motion with her finger pointing on her head. "You always find trouble with me, trying to find a way to harm me. How shameless you are to ask me to help you."
"Have you not succeeded in humiliating me? Isn't this want you wanted? Isn't enough for you that everyone now talks behind my back because of you?!"
Meng Jiao seemed like she'd lost her mind. Every word she was spouting was illogical on Lu Xinyi's ears.
Did this woman really think that she would shrug off the fact that she schemed against her?
"Ridiculous! You were only reaping what you sow! How unreasonable you can be? After all you've done, you want me to forget it and move on? Do you think I'm a saint? I'm not a good woman, Meng Jiao!"
Lu Xinyi gave her a disgusted look. "My eyes rolled enough I can see my brain from your bullshit. If you succeeded in harming me that day, the one would be suffering with her life in the line would be me!"
After she finished saying those words, Lu Xinyi's face was dark as she left Meng Jiao alone in the deserted hallway, trembling and sobbing at the corner. She went back to their classroom and found Tang Lilou and Lan Xiaoli anxiously waiting for her return.
"Xin Jiejie! What happened? Is Meng Jiao leaving the academy?" Tang Lilou didn't wait for her cousin to take a seat before bombarding her with questions.
"No, I don't think so," Lu Xinyi replied and continued to explain what happened during their meeting with Han Zhiling.
Tang Lilou scowled when she heard that Lu Xinyi only suggested deducting points from Meng Jiao's credits.
"But Xin Jiejie, don't you think it would've been better if you told them to expel her or blacklist her from the academy?" She really felt that Meng Jiao was being let off easily if she only suffered point deductions.
Lu Xinyi sat and cupped her cheeks, her long strands of hair falling on one side of her shoulder.
"I'm giving her a quick exit if I ask for expulsion. I want her to know what it feels like to be desperate and clinging into false hope, thinking she still has a chance to stay on the game…"
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