“Throw it away if you want,” I thought as Lin Chen tossed the pen into the trash. “It’s just a regular pen. There are plenty more where that came from.”
But Lin Chen finally looked completely relieved, as if tossing that pen had erased all his worries.
Xu Yiran walked quietly beside me, watching the whole scene. The corners of her lips curled up in a barely noticeable smirk.
“Yun Qing, what did you write for your essay?” she asked, her voice syrupy sweet as she leaned in, the heavy scent of cheap perfume wafting over.
I “lived up to expectations” and recited the memorized essay template word for word.
As I spoke, the excitement in Xu Yiran and Lin Chen’s eyes grew, their joy barely contained.
“You really wrote it like that? Lin Chen is amazing! He actually predicted the exact topic. He’s already in college, but he still cares so much about your entrance exam—you’re so lucky!” Xu Yiran gushed.
“Lin Chen is just the best. He even tutors his girlfriend so carefully for the college entrance exam. No wonder he got into Minghua University—he really has a knack for predicting essay topics,” another classmate chimed in.
“If only Lin Chen had tutored me, maybe my essay wouldn’t have been so off. Yun Qing, you’re so fortunate to have such a talented, ambitious, and smart boyfriend. The rest of us couldn’t find someone like that even if we searched with a lantern!” someone else added, and the group of classmates and friends chattered noisily around us.
Xu Yiran, though feigning indifference, still managed to throw in a casual “I’m so envious” for good measure.
Lin Chen’s hand rested on my shoulder, unconsciously pressing down—a small gesture betraying his satisfaction.
Behind me, Xu Yiran and Lin Chen kept exchanging glances, both immersed in the thrill of thinking I’d fallen right into their trap.
In my previous life, I’d been too naïve to notice the silent signals passing between them!
“We’re finally done with exams! Soon we’ll all be going our separate ways. Why don’t we celebrate together?” the class president suggested enthusiastically.
Of course, I didn’t refuse. After all, with my memories from my last life, I knew a good show was about to begin.
Last time, Lin Chen stood in front of the media and claimed I had a habit of stealing, so it was no surprise I’d “stolen” Xu Yiran’s essay.
But the real thief was Lin Chen himself.
He had stolen my family’s housekeeper Aunt Li’s salary.
Yet none of us suspected him.
Because of that incident, my parents thought I’d gone bad and cut off my allowance for a month.
That day, he picked me up to attend the graduation party.
When I got home, Aunt Li told us that 10000 yuan in cash had disappeared.
“Boss, I really didn’t receive my salary. My child’s tuition is due, and my elderly parents have no money for living expenses,” Aunt Li pleaded.
“Yun Qing, I told you to give the money to Aunt Li. If you used it, it’s fine, but honesty is important,” my mother said, throwing me a suspicious look.
“Look at what you’ve become! How could you touch Aunt Li’s money? I’m so disappointed in you!” my father’s anger only deepened my sense of injustice and humiliation.
But this time, I wouldn’t let Lin Chen and Xu Yiran get away with it.
This time, I would make sure the truth came out—and that they paid the price for everything they’d done.
But I clearly remembered placing the money right in front of Aunt Li’s door with my own hands.
In this life, when Lin Chen once again “accidentally” glanced at the housekeeper’s wages, I played along and swapped the real cash for fake bills.
Chapter 04
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