It was nearly midnight by the time they returned to the dormitory building.
Most of the roommates were still studying. The small ten-square-meter room was filled with the faint sound of people reading over test questions. The long-lost sense of tension made Heyue unconsciously soften her footsteps as she picked up her toiletries and crept toward the washroom.
After washing up, she huddled in the bathroom alone to secretly apply ointment.
Heyue did not want to act rashly regarding Zhou Wenhe, lest she drag innocent people into the mess. She made up her mind to keep the events of the day a secret, but as she lowered her head to look at the injuries on her hands, she couldn't help but think of Wang Xiuya again.
A woman's intuition told her that there must be some sort of connection between Zhou Wenhe and Wang Xiuya; otherwise, why would Wang Xiuya’s excellent essay be the only one posted in that empty classroom?
Everything was guided by fate.
"Clang—clang-clang." Three crisp strikes against the railing pulled Heyue back to reality. She put away the ointment and walked quietly to the balcony. It was indeed Luo Yilan from the next dorm calling for her.
The balconies of the two dormitories were very close—so close that Luo Yilan could grab Heyue's hand just by reaching out. Fearing that Luo Yilan would discover the injuries on her hands, Heyue tucked them behind her back.
"Xiao He, are you all right?"
Looking at the concerned Luo Yilan, Heyue shook her head. "I'm fine. He just punished me by making me copy the test papers."
Seeing Heyue standing right in front of her yet appearing incredibly restrained, Luo Yilan cast a light glance in her direction, causing Heyue to guiltily tuck her hands further behind her back. Luo Yilan noticed this small movement. She originally wanted to press for more, but then she remembered Yue Zhou’s words: Everyone has secrets, and they weren't children anymore.
"Have you finished copying the papers? Do you want me to help?" Luo Yilan asked with a smile. If Heyue didn't want to talk about it, then she would simply downplay the matter.
Seeing that Luo Yilan hadn't noticed, Heyue finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"If you wrote them in that printing-press handwriting of yours, Zhou Wenhe would definitely figure it out. Besides, I’ve already finished." She had copied so much she was about to throw up...
The two chatted on the balcony until a familiar voice came from downstairs, calling their names in a hushed tone.
"Luo!"
Luo Yilan and Heyue looked down to see Lin Xialing. Heyue didn't know what had happened after school, so she turned her head in confusion and asked, "Why is she outside?"
Luo Yilan shook her head. "I don't know where she went."
"Help me lower the climbing rope!" Lin Xialing waved her arms, occasionally looking back to see if any teachers were patrolling.
"Wait a second," Luo Yilan said, then helplessly returned to her dorm to grab the rope.
Fortunately, they lived on the second floor, and Lin Xialing was agile. With the help of the rope, she climbed onto the balcony in a few quick movements. She flashed them a grin. "You two haven't gone to sleep yet?"
Lin Xialing walked toward the room with a dry laugh, only to be grabbed by Luo Yilan. "Confession brings leniency."
Heyue added from the side, "Resistance brings severity."
The three sat back down on the balcony, separated by the railing. Lin Xialing recounted the highlights of her day: how she followed Jiang Meiyi and saw her trading with a local thug, then ran into people from Huilin High School, followed by the chaotic skirmish and her narrow escape.
Lin Xialing was parched by the end of her story. After everyone sat in silence for a moment, Luo Yilan asked, "Was the person you kissed handsome?"
"Luo! Why are you watching soap operas too?" Lin Xialing cried.
"Sounds like he was quite handsome—she’s blushing," Luo Yilan noted with an objective judgment.
Facing their jokes, Heyue didn't join in. Instead, she bit her lip tight, her hands clasped together behind her back.
Huilin High School… could it be him?
"Alright, Luoluo, stop it. I really don't know that guy!" Lin Xialing interrupted her, forcibly changing the subject. "The point is Jiang Meiyi!"
"Did you take any photos when Jiang Meiyi was making the deal just now?" Heyue asked, snapping out of her thoughts.
"Uh... no."
"Do you have any injuries from being hit by her? We could go get a medical report," Luo Yilan suggested.
"Do you think a heroine like me gets hit that easily?" Lin Xialing said with immense pride. Her statement was met by a stony silence from both Luo Yilan and Heyue. Lin Xialing quickly realized her mistake. "Shift!"
All three sighed. While Luo Yilan and Lin Xialing were troubled by Jiang Meiyi’s illicit sales, Heyue’s mind was elsewhere, a tangled mess of thoughts. She had never understood how Chen Song met Luo Yilan to begin with, which had led to his later pathological and obsessive pursuit. Could it have been related to Jiang Meiyi selling Luo Yilan's personal belongings?
***
The preparatory bell for morning reading had already rung, but Jiang Meiyi was still huddled under the stairwell with her backpack, anxiously biting her nails.
What should she do? She hadn't been able to convince Lin Xialing yesterday; she would definitely tell Luo Yilan everything! If this blew up, not only would her business be cut off, but she would surely face disciplinary action. If her parents—who favored sons over daughters—found out, she wouldn't have a peaceful day left to live!
Was she going to have to ask him for help?The only reason she had resold Luo Yilan's things was to curry favor with him, and every penny she made had gone into his pockets as high-end gifts; surely he wouldn't just stand by and watch her go down?
Even if he were willing to help, however, she would likely still have to pay a price.
Realizing this, Jiang Meiyi's steps as she walked upstairs grew heavy. Lost in thought, she abruptly collided head-on with a hurried Heyue.
With a gloomy face, Jiang Meiyi was just about to step aside when Heyue grabbed her by the arm.
"Have you seen Luo Yilan?"
"Luo Yilan?" Jiang Meiyi shook her head guiltily. "She... what's wrong?" Could she have already gone to the headmaster to lodge a complaint?
Stamping her feet in anxiety, Heyue said, "She got angry just now and went off somewhere to look for A-Ning."
"Look for A-Ning?" Jiang Meiyi's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly pressed, "What do you mean she's looking for A-Ning?"
Worry was written all over Heyue's face. "She didn't come back last night."
"How could that be?" Jiang Meiyi thought of the person who had been through a massive battle last night. Could Lin Xialing have fallen into the hands of that thug brother again? She certainly knew nothing about that!
Seeing that Jiang Meiyi remained silent, Heyue was eager to leave. "Never mind if you don't know. I'm going to find Luoluo first."
"Wait!" Jiang Meiyi hastily blocked Heyue's path. "Why don't you tell me what happened? Maybe I can help."
Heyue looked at Jiang Meiyi suspiciously.
Behind her back, Jiang Meiyi gripped her own hands tightly, forced a calm front, and explained with a sheepish smile, "Many hands make light work, right?"
Heyue let out a long sigh, and seeing that no one was around, she leaned in close to Jiang Meiyi's ear and whispered the whole story.
"Her underwear is missing?!"
Jiang Meiyi cried out in shock. Seeing Heyue's wide-eyed stare, she quickly clapped a hand over her mouth. She had never taken anything as personal as Luo Yilan's undergarments; could it have been Lin Xialing?
Was that why she had been in such a hurry yesterday to make her a scapegoat?
Jiang Meiyi's mind was a chaotic mess. "Then why suspect Lin Xialing? Could it be that she..."
"How could A-Ning do such a thing? Even though A-Ning is the only one who knows Luoluo keeps her underwear in the suitcase lining, I believe it couldn't possibly be A-Ning! There must be some misunderstanding." Heyue said anxiously, "I just need to find A-Ning and have her explain."
Seeing that Heyue was getting somewhat upset, Jiang Meiyi swallowed all her questions and hurried to soothe her. "Don't worry. I'll go look for Luo Yilan right now and help talk some sense into her first.""Fine." Heyue's expression cleared slightly as she nodded. "Then help me tell Luoluo not to be angry, and that we should talk things through properly. A-Ning was definitely wronged. The most important thing right now is to find A-Ning together."
Hearing this, Jiang Meiyi nodded repeatedly, murmuring words of regret, though her steps grew much lighter.
It was a fact that Luo Yilan had items stolen. Even though she didn't know whose handiwork the underwear incident was, this was a golden opportunity to wipe her hands clean of everything.
Even if Lin Xialing hadn't done it, she could still splash dirty water onto her. When the stolen goods were found right on the culprit, let's see how Lin Xialing would explain herself.
How could Lin Xialing have the face to accuse her of stealing after that?
To take a step back, even if she couldn't cause a total fallout between Luo Yilan and Lin Xialing, she could at least plant a seed of suspicion between them.
Having hatched her plan, Jiang Meiyi hurried straight toward the dormitory building.
High school dormitories had always been kept unlocked to make it convenient for teachers to check for contraband, so Jiang Meiyi didn't have much trouble getting into the room shared by Luo Yilan and Lin Xialing.
Jiang Meiyi found the spot where the suitcases were kept. In fact, Luo Yilan's suitcase was very easy to identify because it was plastered with large headshot stickers of Lin Xialing and Heyue.
Jiang Meiyi felt a twinge of nervousness. Previously, she had only ever engaged in petty theft, taking small discarded items belonging to Luo Yilan, but now she was actually going to steal underwear. The nature of the act felt far more malicious.
Biting her nails in internal conflict, she hesitated for a moment, but realized she didn't have much time left. Resolving herself, her expression turned ruthless.
"Lin Xialing, you forced me to do this..."
Muttering to herself, she knelt on the floor and dragged the suitcase out from under the bed. Whether it was because the theft had happened too abruptly, or because Luo Yilan's attention had been entirely consumed by Lin Xialing, she had actually forgotten to lock her suitcase.
"Even the heavens are helping me," Jiang Meiyi thought with a sense of relief, quickly snatching a piece of underwear from inside and stuffing it into Lin Xialing's locker.
The lock on the locker was slightly misaligned and wouldn't close evenly. Jiang Meiyi pressed down on the latch, using all her strength to force the door shut, when suddenly a familiar voice drifted from behind her, freezing her in her tracks.
"My locker is on the very top."
Jiang Meiyi released her grip, and the locker sprang open again, the underwear dropping onto the floor with a soft pat.
Panicking, Jiang Meiyi whipped her head around to see Lin Xialing walking in from the balcony with her phone in hand.
She had to run right now!
Without a second thought, Jiang Meiyi turned and yanked open the dorm door, only to find Heyue and Luo Yilan standing there with cold expressions, blocking her exit completely.