My Arrogant Young Lady

"What!?" Hearing Tang Ning's words, Zhang Xuan and I exchanged a surprised glance. Gradually, Zhang Xuan's pretty face turned red, and she gently bit her lip. Zhang Xuan pretended to hit Tang Ning, "Little Tang Ning, how dare you take advantage of me? Tell me, who's your sister!?"

"Hahaha..." Tang Ning immediately laughed and ran away.

Seeing two pretty girls arguing in front of me, I couldn't help but smile warmly. But I knew this wasn't over, and Tang Wendi would never let me off so easily.

Back in class, Tang Ning helped me sit down before leaving. Zhang Xuan thanked Tang Ning and said she would treat her to dinner on the weekend. Then I gently touched the table and found it was incredibly clean. I looked at Zhang Xuan in surprise and said, "Sis, did you wipe my table for me?"

"Heh, I'm not that kind-hearted," Zhang Xuan sneered, her tone tinged with jealousy.

"Who is that?" I asked in surprise.

“It’s your good deskmate, Fatty.” Zhang Xuan glared at me fiercely, then left.

Watching Zhang Xuan leave, I couldn't help but show a surprised look. Then, I saw Fatty come in with a small bag of snacks. As soon as she saw me, Fatty's eyes lit up with joy, "Useless Wang Xi, you actually came back to school?"

"Fatty, did you wipe the table for me?" I asked her in surprise.

“Yes, I was worried when I saw you weren’t coming to school. Then I noticed your desk was dusty, so I wiped it for you. What’s wrong? Are you sick again? I was worried that you might miss school for half a month again like before,” said the chubby girl.

I'm a junior in high school now, and Fatty and I have been deskmates for two years. Maybe it's because I'm overweight and not very good-looking, but many classmates dislike me. And me? I don't have my parents' love, I'm a bad student, and I'm not doing well in school, so my classmates all dislike me. Nobody wanted to sit next to us, so the teacher put us together.

Although Fatty and I have looked down on each other over the past two years, Fatty still knows a lot about my situation. Every few months I get seriously ill and my uncle takes me to the hospital to stay alive. So when I didn't come this morning, Fatty thought I was sick.

Seeing how clean she had wiped my table, I felt an indescribable surge of emotion. All I want to say is, when making friends, don't care about their looks, and don't be too materialistic. This world is fair; if you're kind to others, they'll be kind to you in return. When you're sick, having someone care about you is enough.

I was deeply touched; I was incredibly moved by how kind the chubby girl was to me. After thinking for a moment, I earnestly told her, "If I ever become successful, I will definitely repay you."

"Forget it, I don't need you to repay me. Just don't get sick and come keep me company. Heh, wearing a fake fur coat makes you think you're rich?" The chubby girl rolled her eyes dismissively.

"Haha, then I'll never make you angry again," I said.

"By the way, I brought a lot of those comic books again, do you want to read them?" the chubby girl asked me.

"Let's take a look," I said.

Since I was falling behind in my studies anyway, I spent my time reading comic books with Fatty. My main purpose in coming here today was to see Zhang Xuan and let her know that I hadn't left; I had achieved my goal.

But after class, I suddenly sensed something was off about the atmosphere around me. I saw Chai Jin and his henchmen staring at me with malicious intent. More and more members of the Thirteen Eagles walked into the classroom, glanced at me deliberately, and left. Their menacing gazes made me feel uneasy.

Lu Zhicheng also came, and he seemed very happy to see me. He called me into the washroom, lit a cigarette, and said, "Wang Xi, do you know, you haven't come all morning, and a lot of people have been missing you."

"A lot of people really miss me?" I looked at Lu Zhicheng in surprise.

“That’s right. I had a meeting with Thirteen Eagles this morning, and Young Master Bao and Chen Xun specifically asked me where you were. They said they saw you and asked me to let you know that they’d treat you to dinner after school tonight,” Lu Zhicheng said.

"You're inviting me to dinner?" I was even more surprised.

“That’s right, Young Master Bao said he’ll never hit you again, and Chen Xun also said he’d apologize to you. In my opinion, all of this is thanks to Brother Wendi. Brother Wendi is such a good person; it’s the first time I’ve ever met such a kind older brother. Wang Xi, we must take the opportunity to thank Brother Wendi properly,” Lu Zhicheng said.

"Brother Cheng, you still want me to thank Brother Wendi?" I stared at him with wide eyes.

“Yes, Brother Wendi is a good person. He’s been so kind to us, we really need to thank him properly.” Lu Zhicheng nodded.

"Heh... Do you know that Lu Zhicheng is actually a scumbag?" My eyes immediately turned cold.

"Wang Xi, what do you mean?" Lu Zhicheng looked at me in surprise.

"I said, Lu Zhicheng is a scumbag!" My voice suddenly rose, filled with anger.

“Wang Xi, how could you say that about Brother Wendi? Although we are good brothers, it doesn’t seem right for you to talk about him like that. What did Brother Wendi do to you? What did he do to offend you? He kindly saved us, and you still talk badly about him to me? Don’t you know that talking badly about people behind their backs is a bad habit?” Lu Zhicheng was a little unhappy and frowned as he looked at me.

So far, I only have four friends: Lu Zhicheng, Zhang Xuan, Tang Ning, and Pang Mei. Lu Zhicheng is my only male friend. He's very good to me; he was willing to go against Thirteen Eagles for my sake. He even broke his bracelet because of me. I'm very grateful to him and consider him my best friend. But seeing him so protective of Tang Wendi, I still couldn't help but get angry. I never imagined he would get angry with me because of Tang Wendi.

"You idiot!" Thinking this, I suddenly shoved Lu Zhicheng hard.

As I shoved him, I saw a flash of anger in Lu Zhicheng's eyes. Without giving him a chance to speak, I shoved him again. With one leg down, I angrily said to Lu Zhicheng, "Lu Zhicheng, I consider you my best friend. And you, you're angry with me because of that scumbag Tang Wendi. Do you know how Tang Wendi treated me? He likes Zhang Xuan, and to get Zhang Xuan, he tricked me into going to his house, beat me, threatened me with Zhang Xuan, and even made me take off my clothes and poured cold water on me."

"From childhood to adulthood, I've never suffered such humiliation, not even at my aunt's house. But at Tang Wendi's house, I was almost tortured to death. And you, you actually believe that scumbag and not me. Do you know that if you hadn't been so clever as to ask Tang Wendi to protect us, I wouldn't have offended him and been tortured like this? And you still don't believe me? Has your good student brain been eaten by a dog?!"

As I spoke, my eyes welled up with tears. I couldn't help but yell at Lu Zhicheng.

"Wang Xi, what did you say? Brother Wendi, is he really that kind of person?" The anger in Lu Zhicheng's eyes gradually disappeared, replaced by deep shock.

“He likes Zhang Xuan; he's after her family's money and her body. I like Zhang Xuan, so I fell victim to his cruelty. Even Zhang Xuan can see he's not a good person, yet you still think he is. That's all I have to say; believe it or not. If you really believe Tang Wendi and not me, then forget it…” I hesitated before saying the last sentence, but still gritted my teeth and finished it.

“No…” Lu Zhicheng said.

"Still not right? You still don't believe me!?" I exclaimed in surprise.

"No, it's your bracelet that's wrong..." Staring intently at me, Lu Zhicheng suddenly grabbed my bracelet. "Wang Xi, your bracelet has been switched..."

"What!?"

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Young Master Bao's Feast at Hongmen

"The pattern is wrong, and the colors are off too." Frowning, Lu Zhicheng gently grasped my wrist. Then, touching the exposed beads, he said, "The texture is wrong too; this is clearly a fake. Wang Xi, where's your original bracelet?"

"What? This is the original bracelet? This is the bracelet I've always worn!" My heart skipped a beat, and my eyes widened in surprise.

"My dear Xi-ge, how could this be the bracelet you always wear? Did you lose your original bracelet and have it secretly replaced?!" Lu Zhicheng looked at me in shock, his face pale.

"What? My original bracelet was secretly switched?" I asked again.

“That’s right!” Lu Zhicheng said with certainty.

After hearing Lu Zhicheng's words, I felt a sudden dizziness, as if I had been electrocuted. Then I looked at my bracelet, feeling an indescribable shock.

No way, that's impossible. I've always worn this bracelet on my wrist, how could someone have switched it? Besides, ever since Lu Zhicheng said this bracelet was very valuable, and after my aunt's attitude, I've been very careful to protect it. How could someone have secretly switched it?

However, Lu Zhicheng has no reason to lie to me. He previously said my bracelet might be genuine, but now he's certain it's fake. Furthermore, my aunt had an expert examine it, and she also said it's fake. Could it be that my previous bracelet was genuine and was secretly switched?

But who could it be? I've never let this bracelet out of my sight, nor have I entrusted it to anyone else for safekeeping. Except when I'm sleeping, no one has had the opportunity to switch it. And who could possibly sneak up to me while I'm sleeping and switch the bracelet? I've always lived peacefully at home; only my aunt and Zhang Xuan live there…

As I thought about it, a chill suddenly ran through me.

"So, do you think of who swapped your bracelet?" Lu Zhicheng asked me.

I shook my head vigorously, quickly banishing the vivid image of her from my mind. Then, I gritted my teeth and told myself, "It's impossible, she would never do this to me."

Even though I told myself that, I still felt indescribably sad. Because besides her, no one else could get close to me.

Did she deceive me?

“Wang Xi, think about it carefully. Has anyone approached you recently, or have you given the bracelet to someone? This doesn’t make sense. This bracelet looks a lot like the previous one, but anyone with a discerning eye can tell the difference at a glance. Although I’m not rich, I’ve been obsessed with these kinds of collectible bracelets for two or three years. I’m not mistaken, this bracelet is definitely a fake.” Seeing that I didn’t speak, Lu Zhicheng started to get anxious for me.

"Wang Xi, you really need to think this through. Your previous bracelet looked very similar to the real thing; it might actually be the real deal. You absolutely must figure out who stole it and get it back. If your previous bracelet really is genuine, you'll be rich!"

As I listened to Lu Zhicheng's constant accusations against me, a sudden, sharp pain shot through my heart. Although I didn't believe she would do such a thing, now all the blame was being placed on her.

Because no one but her will have a chance to get close to me.

Even breathing hurt. I suddenly gritted my teeth and smiled at Lu Zhicheng, "Zhicheng, actually, I was the one who switched that bracelet."

"What? You replaced it?" Lu Zhicheng looked at me in surprise.

“Yes, because that bracelet was something my mother left me. Even though it might be a fake, it’s still a keepsake. So I was afraid of losing it, so I took it off. Then I thought wearing a bracelet was quite interesting, so I bought a similar fake one,” I said.

"Oh, I see." Lu Zhicheng breathed a sigh of relief, then patted his chest and said, "You scared me to death! I thought you'd lost your original bracelet. It's good that you did it this way; it's safer. Take the bracelet out when you have time, and we'll get an expert to appraise it. If it's genuine, you'll be rich, hahaha..."

"Okay." I smiled, but a bittersweet feeling welled up inside me.

Then, we looked at each other again. Suddenly, Lu Zhicheng hugged me tightly and said, "Brother, how could I not believe you? Even if you lie to me, I will always believe you."

"kindness?"

“I believe what you said. Tang Wendi is not a good person. I’m sorry, I went too far with my words just now. I shouldn’t have been so sarcastic towards you,” Lu Zhicheng said.

Hearing Lu Zhicheng's words, I was instantly moved to tears. Then I clenched my fists, looked at him earnestly, and asked, "Why do you trust me so much?"

“Because I believe in it.” Smiling, Lu Zhicheng gently patted his chest.

"Your heart?" I asked.

“Yes, I believe that the friends I make with sincerity would never lie to me,” Lu Zhicheng said earnestly, looking at me.

"Thank you." I nodded gently.

"If Tang Wendi really is a scumbag, then what should we do next? Tang Wendi is so hypocritical. If you hadn't told me, I would still think he's a good person. I can tell that Young Master Bao has always been dissatisfied with Tang Wendi. What do you think, should we eat the dinner that Young Master Bao is treating us tonight, and then take the opportunity to team up with Young Master Bao to deal with Tang Wendi?" Lu Zhicheng asked me.

"Heh, neither of them is any good." I sneered.

“Indeed.” Lu Zhicheng nodded gently.

"Neither Young Master Bao nor Tang Wendi are good people. I've offended them both, and now they're our enemies. We're in danger, caught in the middle between Young Master Bao and Tang Wendi. Young Master Bao is a fox, and Tang Wendi is a wolf. They might already be in cahoots. Tonight's dinner party could be a trap set by Tang Wendi at Young Master Bao's behest," I said.

“Just now, I saw the Thirteen Eagles come over to look at me. Their eyes were hostile, clearly meant to deal with me. Also, I did offend Tang Wendi, but I still have Tang Ning to protect me. With Tang Ning protecting me, Tang Wendi can't show his face, which further suggests that tonight's dinner party will be detrimental to us. Young Master Bao may be acting on Tang Wendi's orders to deal with us.”

“Wang Xi, your analysis is very comprehensive. Now that you mention it, tonight’s dinner party is indeed a trap.” Lu Zhicheng looked at me in surprise, then nodded slightly.

"Hmm..." I stared blankly at the faucet in the water room, feeling a little confused.

"So, what should we do?" Lu Zhicheng asked me.

“I’m not going!” I said.

"..." Upon hearing my words, Lu Zhicheng's expression immediately turned awkward.

After I parted ways with Lu Zhicheng, class had already started. As I entered the classroom, I saw Zhang Xuan looking at me with concern. The moment our eyes met, my heart was filled with complex emotions. But Zhang Xuan's eyes were clear; there was nothing impure in her bright, clear eyes.

Looking into Zhang Xuan's clear eyes, my heart ached even more. I gave Zhang Xuan a slight smile and quickly strode back to my seat.

I lost all interest in reading comics with Fatty and sat there blankly, my mind wandering. Because Lu Zhicheng had revealed the truth about my bracelet, the broken clue I'd previously obtained had been reconnected.

A precious bracelet, an identity my parents can't reveal. And that mysterious girl who's been following me—I feel like I'm getting closer and closer to the truth.

Perhaps, everything will soon come to light. Just a little bit more, just a tiny bit more, and I'll soon know the truth about my origins.

Lost in thought, I didn't even react when class ended again. And when the third period, English class, arrived, my political textbook was still in front of me.

"Wang Xi, Young Master Bao is inviting you to dinner." Suddenly, a voice interrupted my thoughts.

I looked up and saw Chai Jin and his henchmen standing in front of me. Outside the classroom, a dense crowd of people had already gathered.

My heart skipped a beat; I realized school was already over. Looking out the window, I saw a huge crowd gathered outside the school.

Among the crowd, I recognized a few familiar faces. I realized then that this trap wasn't something I could simply avoid.

"Wang Xi, Young Master Bao is inviting you to dinner. What, are you not going to give him face?" Seeing that I didn't speak, Chai Jin repeated himself in a sarcastic tone.

"I'm not going!" Suddenly, a cold voice came from the classroom.

Chapter Forty: The Sudden Phone Call

When that cold voice fell, Chai Jin and his henchmen's expressions changed drastically. They never expected that anyone in the class would dare to oppose them.