Chapter 35: So, Did I Ruin Your Good Fortune?

Autumn wind brushed through the courtyard, where the evergreen bamboo rustled softly.

The lingering rays of the setting sun fell impartially through the window glass onto Wei Qingyu's body, igniting a fire in the girl's heart.

Expressionless, Wei Qingyu tidied her school bag, catching every word exchanged between Ji Xiao and the other Omegas.

She couldn't understand why every syllable from the back today made her furrow her brows.

Soon, Wei Qingyu finished packing her bag and subconsciously turned to look at Ji Xiao, only to find more Omegas in the class, surrounding her.

Seeing Ji Xiao surrounded by these Omegas, Wei Qingyu couldn't help but find the sunlight falling on her desk from outside glaring.

Though she tightened her grip on her bag, she couldn't contain it. Looking at Ji Xiao in the center of the crowd, she coldly asked, "Are you leaving or not?"

A chilly voice came from outside the crowd, making Ji Xiao's heart skip a beat.

She looked at Wei Qingyu standing expressionless at the door, feeling as if she had been granted amnesty, and hastily grabbed her bag and headed for the door.

Although Wei Qingyu's gaze was cold, it was much better than these enthusiastic Omegas.

Ji Xiao: "Let's go."

The girl's eyes curved into a smile, her golden-orange eyes sparkling in the sunlight, which was exceptionally beautiful.

Wei Qingyu casually glanced at the Omegas in the classroom, noticing a subtle smile in her eyes as they looked lost.

As the sunset, the entire campus was enveloped in a hazy, festive atmosphere beneath the orange sky.

Ji Xiao and Wei Qingyu walked side by side, both with little to say.

"Wait a moment," Ji Xiao suddenly said as they reached the school gate.

Wei Qingyu didn't know what Ji Xiao was up to but instinctively stopped in front of the stone plaque behind her.

She watched the girl quickly run towards the car sent by the Ji family, knocking on the window and saying something to the driver.

The autumn wind lifted her skirt, elongating the pleats on her legs.

The sleek muscle lines couldn't help but remind Wei Qingyu of the girl who had sprinted on the track earlier.

Radiant and graceful.

She didn't need much expression to make everyone unable to forget.

Lost in thought, Wei Qingyu saw the window of the car in her sight slowly rise.

The engine roared to life at the quiet school gate, and the driver, without waiting for Ji Xiao to get in, drove the black Maybach away from the school.

Ji Xiao watched the car leave, then briskly crossed the road back to Wei Qingyu's side. "Let's go.

"Aren't you taking the car back?" Wei Qingyu asked, puzzled.

Ji Xiao was puzzled: "Didn't you just ask if I wanted to walk with you?"

Wei Qingyu was taken aback by Ji Xiao's response.

She thought Ji Xiao understood that she had only helped her leave the group of Omegas just now.

But this girl didn't even think in that direction...

Wei Qingyu pursed her lips slightly, feeling a little helpless in her heart.

And the smile that bloomed unnoticed in the corner of her heart.

What a fool.

"Yeah," Wei Qingyu nodded.

She didn't clarify the matter to Ji Xiao, instead, readily accepted her understanding of the superficial meaning.

"Then let's go," Ji Xiao said, lifting her foot to leave, but Wei Qingyu said, "Won't we wait for Fang Yiming and Qi Qi?" Ji Xiao didn't stop, walking and saying, "Qiao Ni had some trouble at the sports meeting yesterday, Qi Qi went to the school hospital to accompany her for an injection. As for Fang Yiming..."

Ji Xiao's tone turned somewhat annoyed. "This jerk just passed by the classroom door, saw many Omegas surrounding me, left me a message, and slipped away, really slipped away!"

Seeing Ji Xiao like this, Wei Qingyu couldn't help but ask, "What did she say to you?"

"She told me to take care of myself. Can you believe it? Infuriating, right?!" Ji Xiao said, showing the message Fang Yiming sent her to Wei Qingyu.

Wei Qingyu’s sharp eyes immediately noticed the photo on the message, only showing a small half. The angle was exactly the same as when she had looked at Ji Xiao from the classroom door just now, and even under the sunset and blurry picture quality, there was a surreal feeling of being surrounded by numerous Omegas.

An emotion surged in Wei Qingyu's heart that she couldn't describe. She looked at Ji Xiao with a half-smile in her eyes. "So, did I ruin your good fortune?"

The girl, who had tilted her body slightly to read the message, now looked up at Ji Xiao, giving people a feeling of being embraced.

The autumn wind brushed through the branches, bringing a hint of fragrance.

Ji Xiao gazed at the girl's profile close at hand, her pale skin tinged with a hint of mint. Even though half of it was covered by long hair, it still made people's throats roll.

Ji Xiao pursed her lips, and disdainfully replied, "What kind of good fortune is that?"

Even if all the Omegas surrounding her just now were added together, they couldn't compare to this moment of Wei Qingyu.

Indeed, worthy of being the heroine.

For some reason, Wei Qingyu felt satisfied after hearing Ji Xiao's answer.

She calmly handed the phone back to Ji Xiao, saying lightly, "Then let's go home.”

The sun was still hanging over the mountain, and the street lamps on both sides of the road lit up.

The incandescent light elongated the shadows of the two as if they would lean together in the next second.

The weather was good on the weekend, with a clear blue sky and no clouds in sight, the sun unabashedly spreading its bright light on the earth.

Sparrows chirped on the branches, seemingly discussing where to find food today.

Outside was bustling, but inside the house was quiet.

The girl sat upright at the desk, the quiet room filled only with the sound of pen scratching. Her long hair hung down obediently and quietly on her chest, her turquoise eyes filled with concentration.

Today was Sunday, and Wei Qingyu was calmly working on the last biology paper. As she wrote down the answer to the last multiple-choice question, her phone buzzed.

At first, she didn't pay attention to it, continuing to work on the next essay question.

But the phone seemed to want to attract her attention, vibrating crazily and without rhythm.

Wei Qingyu frowned and picked up the phone.

[Qi Qi and her chubby friends have 6 unread messages]

Then another vibration, and the 6 on the screen changed to 7.

[Qi Qi: @My Universe's Invincible Ji Cutie, are you awake? Baby, do you know you've become the dream Alpha of thousands of Omegas in school? [Woohoo]

[Ji Xiao: ?]

[Qi Qi: Who knows who the Alpha in the second-to-last relay race this afternoon is? Take a look.]

[Fang Yiming: I saw it too! Sister Xiao, your photo looks so good! Sister Xiao, you're famous in one battle, yyds*! I can puff up now.]

*yyds (永远的神/yǒngyuǎn de shén) means “eternal God” and describes an outstanding person or thing. It's similar to the saying GOAT (Greatest of All Time) 

[Ji Xiao: Don't get arrogant.]

[Ji Xiao: They're just impressed for a moment, with a group of people buzzing around, it won't be long before their interest in me dwindles.]

Wei Qingyu looked at the new messages Ji Xiao sent, her eyebrows slightly raised.

It's rare to see Ji Xiao so clear-headed. If this were in the past, she’s afraid she would have heard crazy cheers from the next room by now.

[Qi Qi: That's not necessarily true. After all, your ‘prodigal son turning back’ character is quite touching.]

[Ji Xiao: But you don't believe that my dark history will show up later, and then when they know what kind of a ‘prodigal son’ I used to be, a large number of them will definitely be discouraged.]

Ji Xiao, being adored by so many, was unusually clear-headed.

After all, this body used to be controlled by the crazy original owner, and who knows where a dark history might pop up?

After all, where there are people who like her, there will be people who envy and cause trouble

Wei Qingyu looked at the new message Ji Xiao sent, feeling a slight furrow in her brows.

Now her clarity seemed a bit overdone.

Like a bystander scrutinizing herself.

The phone buzzed again with Qi Qi and Fang Yiming's counterarguments to Ji Xiao's views.

Wei Qingyu didn't look back but instead scrolled back to the beginning of the chat records and clicked on the post Qi Qi sent in the campus forum.

As the final event of the sports meet, the relay naturally became the most memorable event for everyone, and Ji Xiao, who broke the curse of the experimental class, became the center of attention.

Wei Qingyu's eyes swept over the numerous "Aaaaaah” comments in the post, she almost forgot how to write the word.

[Your Sweetie: Ahhh, how can there be such a person, so good-looking!]

[Kuriyama Mirai* My Wife: This photo is also too good, I'm begging for the high-definition original image!]

*one of the protagonists in the Light Novel/Anime series Beyond the Boundary

[Yeeha: I was at the finish line at that time, really excited to see the beauty rushing past the finish line, so thrilling! Ahhh, sister, I can do it!!]

[Not Changing Name Until Passing Biology At 60 Points: I think, the only thing I have in common with the beauty might be failing Biology.]

[Can't Fly Anymore: No, upstairs, you're wrong. In the last biology exam, Ji Xiao scored 80 points~]

Looking at the dazzling discussion, Wei Qingyu paused her rapid scrolling and curiously went back to the main post.

A photo, seemingly taken casually with a phone, appeared before her eyes.

In the photo, the girl was receiving the relay baton from her teammate, striding forward with long legs, determined.

Compared to the various postures of the opponents next to her, Ji Xiao's posture was standard and excellent.

She stood tall, her arm muscles tight with Alpha's strength, yet without Alpha's roughness.

The delicate skin radiated a pearl-like luster in the light, and her superior nose was like a slide of light, illuminating her face.

The girl's gaze was firm, and there was an indescribable strength in her golden-orange eyes.

Even through the photo, one could feel the unmistakable scent of her dominance.

Indeed, it was a picture that would make Omegas unable to resist screaming.

Wei Qingyu sighed lightly in her heart, and her fingers, which had been lingering on the screen for a while, accidentally triggered the save button.

A white text on a black background popped up on the picture, and Wei Qingyu hesitated before placing her finger on the "exit" option.

However, as she exited the screaming post expressionlessly, a line of small text on the screen betrayed her.

—Photo saved successfully.

It was almost noon, and the forum became even more lively.

Wei Qingyu looked at one post after another related to Ji Xiao, once thinking that Ji Xiao's thoughts were too pessimistic.

But who would have thought that when she refreshed the forum again, things really began to develop in the direction Ji Xiao had said.

[Shocked Me: No way, don't you know what kind of person you guys like? Don't you know that when she was in junior high, she pushed a boy off the platform on the playground, and as a result, that boy became severely disabled for life and couldn't take care of himself? In the end, it was her dad who paid to settle the matter?]

[Drinking Dew Fairy: ?? Is what the OP said true?]

[Shocked Me: It was a big deal back then, even the police came, all settled by her dad. Heard that her dad also gave a large sum of money to the boy's family at that time, signed a confidentiality agreement, and sent them abroad within a week, and that's how it ended.]

...: Speechless, I knew she was arrogant in her previous school, but she was even more badass in junior high? This is too much.]

[Sun Duoduo's Childhood: Was my beautiful sister originally a crazy person...]

....

Several consecutive explosive revelations made Wei Qingyu furrow her brows.

Just then, several messages flashed above her phone.

[Ji Xiao: No way, even the school bully has admirers, as I said, it's late but here we go.]

[Fang Yiming: So, Sister Xiao... Is what this person said true?]

[Qi Qi: Bullshit, I went to the same junior high as Xiao, how come I've never heard of this!]

[Qi Qi: Obviously, two years ago, that guy fell from the platform by himself during PE class and happened to fall in front of Ji Xiao. We were so scared at that time!]

[Fang Yiming: Damn, how come no one has come out to refute them? Was there no one in your junior high?]

[Qi Qi: Our junior high had a direct promotion system, and many went directly to the high school section of our school, only a few came to the affiliated high school.]

[Fang Yiming: Then this guy is too despicable, he's sure that there aren't many who know the truth and came to spread rumors, should we clarify it?]

[Qi Qi: I'm good at cursing people, but clarifying this kind of thing is too difficult. Let me see if there are any photos taken at that time, and I'll directly slap them in the face.]

[Fang Yiming: I can't believe someone would believe such outrageous accusations, it's like accusing her of murder.]

[Ji Xiao: Normal, after all, I wasn't a good person in school before...]

Somehow, Wei Qingyu felt a sense of unease when she saw Ji Xiao's somewhat helpless words, even feeling a bit choked up.

The sunlight streamed in through the window, casting bare tree shadows on the wall, adding a touch of autumn bleakness.

Wei Qingyu looked at the clock on the wall and could imagine the feeling of desolation Ji Xiao must be experiencing in her room right now.

Things were unfolding in the bad direction she had anticipated.

Everyone has to pay for what they did in the past, but it doesn't mean that all dirty things can be pinned on her.

Wei Qingyu looked at the continuously emerging disappointed expressions in the posts and registered her own campus forum account.

Her fingers flew across the screen, and crisp tapping sounds filled the quiet room.

In no time, a long paragraph of questioning appeared in the chaotic post where "Shocked Me" was stirring up trouble.

[User190245: OP, I have several doubts about your words. Firstly, you said Ji Xiao once pushed a student down, do you have any evidence? Secondly, two years ago, Ji Xiao's family didn't have the status they do now in City A, so how did they manage to get the national judicial authorities to let this matter go? From what I know, even the once-prominent Wei family wouldn't dare to do such a thing. Thirdly, if the boy was indeed sent abroad by Ji Xiao's father due to severe disability and inability to take care of himself, it would be impossible for him to travel abroad in such a short time. How did his family manage to send him abroad within a week as you claimed?]

This series of questions quickly caught the attention of the students.

Wei Qingyu's questioning was logical, and those who were already wavering began to call on the OP to come out and answer.

The OP, who had been jumping around in the post just now, took a long time to stutter out:

[The Ji family can cover the sky now, why can't they do it two years ago? Have you never seen a real top-class circle before?!]

[It's Qi, not Yuan*: Have you watched too many Korean dramas? Go back to your H country**, we are in a society governed by law here, even the most top-class circles are bound by the law! Have you never seen anyone report to the police and leave no trace? Is the Ji family really that powerful?]

*亓= Qi, 元 = Yuan

**S. Korea is 韩国 (Hánguó) so H Country 国 = country

Wei Qingyu typed away, seeing the familiar ID that was spouting venom, couldn't help but smile.

Who else could say venomous and irritable words like spitting lotus*, if not Qi?

*eloquent

[It's Qi, not Yuan: I have photos of when the incident occurred here, as well as screenshots of the school's donation organization. Take a look for yourselves. Don't listen to this OP's nonsense, it's really ridiculous. Do you think only you and Ji Xiao from the same junior high are here? Let me tell you, spreading rumors will only plant another loquat tree in the courtyard*.]

*Cursing someone to die. The line is a famous line from the prose 项脊轩志 (Xiang Jixuanzhi) by Ming Dynasty writer Gui Youguang: There is a loquat tree in the courtyard planted by my wife the year she died. Now it stands tall and vigorous like a canopy.

[Blockbuster*: That is, do you think the Education Bureau is just idling around or has the Ji family become so powerful that they can cover the sky with one hand? You mentioned calling the police, are you implying that now the police are under the Jis’ control? What kind of joke are you making?]

*一鸣惊人 (yī míng jīng rén), to amaze the world with a single brilliant feat (idiom); an overnight celebrity, Fang Yiming's ID

Wei Qingyu looked at Qi Qi and Fang Yiming, who arrived successively. The swift uploading of the pictures quickly turned the direction of the onlookers back, and many apologized in the comment section for their hasty judgments.

Seizing the opportunity, Wei Qingyu added, "[OP, although this is an anonymous forum for the school, we can still trace your IP if necessary. Please be cautious with your words and refrain from exaggerating facts based on mere speculation.]

The rumor-monger hiding behind the computer instantly panicked, trying to intimidate weakly, [What are you trying to do, doxx me? Cyberbully me? Do you know this is illegal? I can call the police!]

[User 190245: The IPs on the school forum are public and easy to obtain. But without reporting to the school, your real information can't be found, so it doesn't count as cyberbullying. What you're doing, spreading rumors recklessly and misleading unaware students, is cyberbullying. If anyone should call the police, it should be Ji Xiao.]

With Wei Qingyu's words, the subsequent support from Qi Qi and Fang Yiming came in strongly.

[It's Qi, Not Yuan: Why isn't little sister speaking anymore, scared? Next step, are you going to start talking about your depression and play the victim? How did my genes affect yours? Loser.]

[Blockbuster: Are you so jealous that it's driving you crazy? What you have isn't depression, it's paranoia. Your imaginative skills should be used for writing novels! Oh, sorry, my mistake, even writing novels isn't suitable for someone like you. This kind of story-telling is full of loopholes.]

….

Under the deep blue sky, a lone pigeon fluttered its wings and landed on the small windowsill outside Ji Xiao's room, curiously pecking at the dry bread she had left out to feed the sparrows a few days ago.

Meanwhile, Ji Xiao, unaware of what was happening on the forum, lay on her bed, contemplating life in despair.

She was really struggling.

She finally survived after getting a card of death as soon as she transmigrated into the book, only to be smeared by someone else after having a bit of spotlight.

But no matter what, life had to go on, and she still had to carry out her anti-smear campaign. The sooner she could rid herself of the smear, the better.

"Come on, Ji Xiao, you're the strongest!"

Encouraging herself internally, Ji Xiao sat up on the bed with her legs crossed. She picked up her phone and began to prepare to clear her name with the help of Qi Qi and Fang Yiming.

But little did she know, as soon as she entered the forum, she saw a new post titled "[Feeling sorry for XX]."

Curious, she clicked on it and found that XX was actually herself.

It seemed that while she was feeling helpless and despondent, public opinion had once again shifted in her favor.

Ji Xiao, who didn't know what happened, looked at the post of [Feeling Sorry for XX] and angrily cursed the damn "Shocked Me", and clicked on the post that just slandered her with deep doubts.

After fermenting for a short period, the post had already grown to three pages.

Ji Xiao diligently read through all three pages, witnessing how formidable "User 190245" truly was.

This god-tier anonymous user effortlessly exposed all the flaws in the cunning OP's arguments from the start, and later, with Qi Qi and Fang Yiming's help, eloquently criticized the OP without using a single dirty word.

It was then that Ji Xiao realized that Qi Qi and Fang Yiming, who had suddenly disappeared from the group chat, were here defending her together with "User 190245."

Seeing Qi Qi and Fang Yiming typing away furiously on the screen, Ji Xiao felt warm inside.

Thinking about the precious friendship she had in this world, something she had never experienced in her original world, Ji Xiao began to feel that maybe being in the original owner's shoes wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Just then, User 190245 posted again: [Can a person's past mistakes really negate their present accomplishments? She earned her spot in the experimental class through her own abilities and brought honor to the class. That's an undeniable fact. As for you, hiding in the gutter, all you can do is squeal and cry foul about the past eight hundred years after seeing others get better.]

These words hit Ji Xiao right in the heart.

She never imagined that in this unfamiliar place, she would receive support from a stranger and find common ground with them.

The melancholy she had been suppressing burst forth at that moment, transforming into overwhelming gratitude, lingering in Ji Xiao's heart for a long time.

She looked at the profile picture of the stranger, still a default bunny, and curiously clicked on her profile.

Outside the window, the pigeon, having rested enough, flew off into the sky, its wings flapping around a bread ring.

A fleeting shadow passed through Wei Qingyu's room.

Knowing that she had completely turned the tide, Wei Qingyu breathed a sigh of relief. Her face, as cold as ice, returned to its original state.

She smoothly exited the unpleasant post, casting a disdainful glance at the "[Feeling Sorry for XX]" post. 

Knowing how to empathize, why couldn't they choose to trust instead?

It was easy to spot the flaws in the rumors at a glance. Because of Ji Xiao's past as a school bully, she was easily misled.

The words "like" and "love" in this context seemed too cheap.

As Wei Qingyu was about to log out of her account, she noticed a large red dot suddenly appearing on the small flower icon in the lower right corner, catching her attention.

Wei Qingyu never used forums and didn't know what this dot meant.

Looking at the dot, she suddenly had the feeling that what lay before her was actually a Pandora's box.

The seconds ticked by above the girl's head, but she couldn't resist the temptation. Curiously, she touched the dot.

But as soon as she saw the message, she froze.

[XwX wants to add you as a friend].

The profile picture was of a doodle she knew all too well.

Author’s Note:

Cold Wei: What should I do if I do good deeds without leaving my name but my wife comes to visit me?

Pigeon: Put on a sexy nightgown when you open the door for her~

Cold Wei: Or make a braised pigeon head while opening the door for her.

Today’s two updates in one!