Chapter Forty-Three: Conspiracy

The boys’ restroom at Innovation High School was thick with smoke, and the faint sound of cursing echoed from within. A short boy took a drag from his cigarette, exhaling slowly. “Hey guys, I heard there’s a new school beauty this year—she’s supposed to be stunning.”

“She can be as pretty as she wants, you’ll only ever get to look at her,” teased the boy next to him.

“I know that girl. Isn’t her name Wang Yuqing, from Class 1? Just the sound of her voice makes me weak,” another, tall and thin, chimed in, his face full of longing.

“Listen up, all of you,” said the boy standing among them, his expression stern. “From now on, none of you are allowed to mess with that girl. If you do and something happens, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Why not, Fei? I was planning to head over and introduce myself to the new school beauty after class,” said the short boy, referring to the one called Fei—none other than Sun Feifei, who had once been dealt with by Xiao Lin.

These boys would sneak into the restroom to smoke whenever class ended. The three who’d just spoken were Sun Feifei’s lackeys, all from Class 13. Every school has its share of troublemakers, and at Innovation High, Sun Feifei and his gang fit the bill perfectly.

“Why? If you want to keep hanging around here, don’t bother Wang Yuqing,” Sun Feifei barked at the short boy. He himself wouldn’t dare mess with her anymore. Last time, after failing to recognize her during an exam and giving her some trouble, Gao Zheng found out. After the test, he and his boss went to see Gao Zheng, but before they could even reach the door, a bodyguard kicked him so hard he broke two ribs and collapsed on the spot. He’d already been hurt by Xiao Lin before, but this time was even worse; he spent a whole week in the hospital recovering.

Later, he found out that Gao Zheng had gone easy on him out of respect for his boss—if not, a couple of broken ribs would have been the least of his worries. The memory still sent a chill down his spine. Thinking of it, Sun Feifei’s thoughts turned to Xiao Lin. He wouldn’t dare touch Wang Yuqing, but Xiao Lin was another matter.

Sun Feifei took a long drag, blowing out a smoke ring. “Skinny, did you find out which road Xiao Lin takes to go home on weekends?”

The tall, thin boy replied at once, “I did, Fei. Xiao Lin’s home is out in the suburbs. After he leaves the school gate, he cuts through a side road not many people use. We can wait for him there and teach him a lesson for you.”

“Fei, that kid knows how to fight. Last time, he sent a bunch of guys from Second High to the hospital. Are we really up for this?” the short boy asked, worried.

Smack! Before he finished, Sun Feifei slapped him on the head. “Where’s your backbone? Are you my man or not? This time, I’ve called in some friends from outside—they’re famous for being ruthless. Xiao Lin won’t know what hit him,” Sun Feifei said, grinning wickedly.

Hearing that Fei had called in outside help, the others relaxed. With those guys leading the charge, all they had to do was pick up the scraps. Each of them pictured Xiao Lin on the ground, begging for mercy.

Just then, a chubby boy entered the restroom and called out, “Fei, Meng Ranan is looking for you in our classroom.”

“Meng Ranan? Are you kidding?” Sun Feifei asked in surprise.

“No joke. She’s sitting at your desk right now. You’d better hurry back; she definitely has something to discuss,” the chubby boy replied.

“Wow, Fei, let’s get going—you can’t keep a beautiful girl waiting!” the tall boy said with a grin.

Sun Feifei immediately stubbed out his cigarette and rushed off to the classroom.

Meng Ranan sat idly at Sun Feifei’s desk, her expression one of distaste as she looked at the mess—dirty, cluttered, and neglected. If she didn’t need Sun Feifei’s help, she wouldn’t have bothered with him at all.

“Aiyah, the great beauty Meng has come to see me—I’m truly flattered!” Sun Feifei cried as he burst into the classroom, spotting Meng Ranan at his desk and hurrying over to flatter her.

Meng Ranan glanced at Sun Feifei’s sharp, monkey-like features, a flicker of disgust in her eyes that she quickly concealed. She stood up, smiling sweetly. “Fei, I need your help with something. Can we talk outside?”

Sun Feifei was practically giddy at her words. “Sure, sure, let’s go.”

They left the classroom and found a secluded corner. Meng Ranan spoke first, her voice trembling as she put on a pitiful expression, tears welling in her eyes. “Fei, someone’s been bullying me.”

“What? Who would dare bully you? Just tell me who it is and I’ll make them pay!” Sun Feifei’s temper flared at the sight of her distress.

Inside, Meng Ranan smirked, then let out a sob. “It’s Wang Yuqing. She schemed her way to the top of the school beauty rankings and flaunted it in front of me, even insulting me.” She wiped at her eyes for effect—her acting was nothing short of professional.

When Sun Feifei heard the name Wang Yuqing, he froze. How could it be her? He thought back to the girl he’d seen in the exam hall—she certainly didn’t seem arrogant or scheming. “Are you sure, Ranan?”

“I swear, it’s Wang Yuqing. Fei, you have to help me!” Meng Ranan pleaded, tugging at his sleeve as if begging.

Faced with the alluring Meng Ranan, Sun Feifei was torn. On one side was a girl he absolutely could not provoke, on the other, the girl he liked. It was a difficult choice. After a long hesitation, he said carefully, “Ranan, it’s not that I don’t want to help, but I really can’t. Wang Yuqing is off-limits—Young Master Gao Zheng himself said so. I can’t afford to cross him.”

As soon as Meng Ranan heard Gao Zheng’s name, she let go of Sun Feifei’s sleeve. She could tell there was no hope of getting him to confront Wang Yuqing directly. After a moment’s thought, she said, “Fei, how about this—find me a couple of your friends from outside to teach Wang Yuqing a lesson. I promise I’ll never say it was you. If Gao Zheng comes asking, I’ll take the blame.”

At that, Sun Feifei readily agreed. As long as it didn’t involve him, he was happy to help Meng Ranan.

Thrilled by his answer, Meng Ranan showered him with praise, calling him wonderful and amazing until his head was spinning.

“So, Ranan, how do you plan to deal with her?” Sun Feifei asked, curious. He figured Meng Ranan just wanted to scare Wang Yuqing a little.

She leaned in close and whispered a few words. Sun Feifei’s face changed dramatically; Meng Ranan’s plan was vicious—if she really went through with it, Wang Yuqing wouldn’t be able to show her face at Innovation High again.

Suddenly, he regretted agreeing. If things got out of hand, he might be implicated.

Sensing his hesitation, Meng Ranan patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Fei. I’ll be there tomorrow, and you won’t be dragged into it.”

Tomorrow—he was planning to ambush Xiao Lin, and she wanted to go after Wang Yuqing. It was all happening at once. Sun Feifei forced a bitter smile. He could only hope none of this would get him into trouble; otherwise, Gao Zheng really might destroy him. For now, hope was all he had left.