Chapter 39: Young Master Ling, Behave Yourself
“No,” Xia Chenge denied frankly. “Overthinking is a sickness, it needs treatment!”
Ling Hanmu pouted: “Heartless little thing.”
Xia Chenge glanced at him, not replying.
“Alright, alright, I’ll allow you to say that about me. Get in the car.” Ling Hanmu walked around to the passenger side and personally opened the car door for Xia Chenge.
Xia Chenge stood still: “No, thank you!”
“Why?” Ling Hanmu asked, aggrieved. “You’re crossing the bridge and then demolishing it, ignoring me again!”
“Overthinking is a sickness…”
“I know, it needs treatment!”
Okay, she had nothing more to say.
“Hurry up and get in the car. You’re not in good health, there’s no rush to exercise.” Ling Hanmu pushed Xia Chenge towards the passenger seat.
Xia Chenge: “……”
Ling Hanmu was too smart. Xia Chenge didn’t want to cause any trouble or have him suspect too many things about her, so she could only accept his kindness.
“The scandalous information online, you leaked it, didn’t you?” Ling Hanmu asked as he started the car after she got in.
Xia Chenge’s heart skipped a beat. This guy knew too much! She had hidden all traces when she leaked that scandalous information. Only Wei En knew about it, and most people wouldn’t have thought she would be the one to smear herself!
“How did you know?” Xia Chenge asked back.
Ling Hanmu smiled: “Only you, this little rascal, would do the opposite. Everyone would think you’ve latched onto my coattails and would never do something that completely ruins your reputation.”
“After all, in the eyes of ordinary people, marrying into the Ling family requires not only a good family background but also a good reputation…”
“Who wants to marry you!” Xia Chenge said irritably.
“Didn’t I just say? Others, not you, little brother. If you, little brother, wanted to marry me, I’d accept even if my reputation was ruined,” Ling Hanmu seized the opportunity to tease Xia Chenge.
Xia Chenge glared at him angrily: “Young Master Ling, please have some self-respect. It’s your reputation that’s ruined!”
As for who spread the rumors about Ling Hanmu, if they stepped forward, she promised not to beat them to death. This was too much!
Ling Hanmu laughed heartily. He really enjoyed seeing Xia Chenge’s lively expressions.
“I hope you laugh yourself to death!” Xia Chenge huffed, deciding to remain silent and ignore Ling Hanmu.
Every time she talked to him, she would break her resolve.
Xia Chenge still got off at the intersection before their destination. Ling Hanmu couldn’t persuade her otherwise and had to let her have her way.
When Xia Chenge reached the school gate, Ling Hanmu’s supercar was ostentatiously parked in a ‘No Parking’ zone, displaying the might of Young Master Ling, quite eye-catching and arrogant.
“Are you Xia Chenge?” a soft yet familiar voice sounded in front of Xia Chenge.
Xia Chenge looked up. Li Yuming’s extremely beautiful and aggressive face was close at hand, her gaze filled with scrutiny.
It was the peak time for students returning to school. With Li Yuming blocking her, the students entering the school immediately stopped, watching with schadenfreude as Xia Chenge was troubled by the School Belle.
“I am,” Xia Chenge replied calmly. “Is there something, senior?”
Li Yuming was also a second-year senior high school student. Xia Chenge deliberately called her senior.
It had been a week. Xia Chenge thought the incident in the grove had passed, but it seemed it hadn’t.
Xia Chenge didn’t want to get involved in other people’s feelings. Falling out with Li Yuming was one way to avoid it.
However, to Xia Chenge’s surprise, Li Yuming didn’t correct her title, seemingly unconcerned about what she called her.
Li Yuming curved her lips into a slight smile: “There are some things I want to discuss with you privately.”
“What things?” Xia Chenge asked.
“Private matters.”
“Now?”
“Anytime is fine.”
Xia Chenge looked at Li Yuming. What was she planning to do? Was she really going to make her stay away from Ling Hanmu?
Before Xia Chenge could agree, someone beside them spoke up:
“Yuming, don’t meet with Xia Chenge privately. She’s very scheming.”
“Did you see the online exposé? Be careful she doesn’t harm you. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do.”
“She didn’t even spare her own sister, let alone someone as beautiful as you.”
……
Everyone attacked her, as if she were an unforgivable villain.
Unexpectedly, Li Yuming coldly stopped them: “My affairs don’t require others to worry about. I will judge Xia Chenge’s character myself. All of you, shut up!”
The surroundings immediately fell silent, and no one spoke.
Xia Chenge, who had seen her fair share of beautiful women feigning weakness, was surprised by Li Yuming’s reaction and inexplicably admired her.
“I’ll find you after school this afternoon,” Li Yuming said, then turned and left.
So individualistic, what a mature woman!
Xia Chenge watched the School Belle’s proud back, a hint of interest in her eyes.
“Xia Chenge, I’m warning you. If you dare bully Yuming, I won’t let you off.”
“Ugly monster, if you act recklessly, I won’t be afraid even with Young Master Ling backing you.”
“Stay far away from Yuming. People like you don’t deserve to be by Yuming’s side.”
……
Xia Chenge swept a cold glance over them. Her gaze was as sharp as knives. Those people were startled into silence and walked away dejectedly, heads bowed.
Hmph!
Xia Chenge then walked towards the teaching building.
As soon as she entered the classroom, Xia Chenge sensed that the atmosphere in the class was not quite right.
She looked around and quickly noticed what was wrong.
Ling Hanmu had moved from her usual seatmate position and occupied a corner at the back of the classroom.
The classmates looked at her with expressions of schadenfreude.
Ling Hanmu was sleeping on his desk as usual, uninterested in his surroundings. The girls around him were extremely excited, looking at Ling Hanmu from time to time, seemingly eager to use this opportunity to strike up a conversation with him.
Xia Chenge quickly understood. She had smeared herself, and he was playing along by distancing himself from her.
Xia Chenge chuckled inwardly and quietly walked to her seat and sat down.
Perhaps thinking Xia Chenge had no one to support her, those who used to bully the original owner started to stir again.
The shadows that loomed in the original owner’s memory reappeared with mockery and sarcasm:
“A social degenerate like you, how dare you still come to school?”
“Young Master Ling sees through you and isn’t backing you anymore. Let’s see how arrogant you are now, you mentally ill person who attempted murder!”
“Did you see the exposé? Her parents were incestuous, which is why they gave birth to a pervert like her.”
……
*Slap!*
A book was thrown at her, and Xia Chenge dodged it by turning her head.
“Waste, hand me my book,” Yu Dejiang commanded. He had been following Zhou Shaohua before, but he hadn’t attended school for the past two weeks, thus escaping the ordeal.
Xia Chenge glanced at it and slowly picked it up.
Yu Dejiang smiled with satisfaction. Wasn’t she just that little waste they could amuse themselves with during their free time!
The next moment, the book was thrown into the trash can, landing precisely inside.
The sound was like a slap. The smile on Yu Dejiang’s face froze.
“Waste, you dare throw my things away?” Yu Dejiang was enraged and walked over angrily, slamming his hand on the desk.
No one saw it, but Ling Hanmu moved.
Xia Chenge spoke indifferently: “So what if it’s thrown away? Its owner doesn’t cherish it, so why should I treat it well?”
“You, you’re asking for death!” Yu Dejiang flew into a rage and reached out to flip Xia Chenge’s desk.
