If Su Fang’s current condition was genuinely caused by her insults, Xu might have been able to stomach it. But it was evident she had been set up and framed by Su Fang, and that was a pill Xu Laidi couldn’t swallow.
Yet, she had no way to explain herself.
Watching Xu Laidi’s face shift through a palette of emotions like a color wheel, Song Wei nearly burst into laughter.
Hahaha…
Xu Laidi’s shameless behavior had long disgusted the other educated youths in the dormitory. She borrowed numerous items, including money and ration tickets, and had yet to return anything. No matter how much people tried to hold her accountable, she’d pretend not to hear or twist the situation to her advantage.
Now, finally, someone had managed to put her in her place.
Song Wei was practically singing in her head with joy.
In the shared dormitory, Xu Laidi pointed at the items on the floor by her bed and yelled, “See? Look at this! She threw all of my stuff down—this little wretch is just pretending!”
The others exchanged looks, unsure what to believe.
Meanwhile, Su Fang stood with her head bowed. As the crowd turned to look at her, they noticed she had started silently crying. Her thin, frail frame made her look utterly pitiful and helpless.
“I’m sorry, Xu Laidi,” Su Fang whispered, her voice trembling. “I didn’t mean to. I should have held back more.”
Although her voice was soft, it carried clearly to everyone present.
Xu Laidi’s confidence surged upon hearing Su Fang’s admission. “You all heard that, right? She just admitted it!”
Su Fang, her voice choked with tears, continued, “The doctor said my emotions are unstable right now, and I might act impulsively. Earlier, when Xu Laidi insulted me—and even insulted all of you—I couldn’t hold back… I’m sorry. Next time, I’ll try harder to endure it.”
Bai Yunjiao’s mouth twitched at Su Fang’s explanation.
This behavior felt oddly familiar, yet Su Fang’s execution seemed even more exaggerated.
Although Bai Yunqiao saw through the act, she chose not to expose her. Instead, she glanced toward Song Wei.
Sure enough, she saw Song Wei standing at the back of the crowd, her shoulders trembling slightly as she fought to suppress laughter.
Noticing Bai Yunjiao’s gaze, Song Wei knew she’d been caught. Unbothered, she grinned back, flashing her perfectly white teeth.
Things didn’t go as Xu Laidi had anticipated. Rather than siding with her, the others began reprimanding her instead.
“If you hadn’t provoked Su Fang with your nasty mouth, would she have done this? Honestly, she only threw your things off the bed. If it were me, I’d have started a fight with you!”
Xu Laidi was rendered speechless, practically shaking with anger.
The situation finally settled, ending with Xu Laidi’s humiliation and the group comforting Su Fang.
As they helped Su Fang back onto her bed, Liu Linlin and the others expressed concern. “Are you sure you’ll be okay staying here? What if Xu Laidi tries to bully you again?”
Xu Laidi’s face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.
“Who would dare bully her?!” she snapped, her frustration boiling over. “I’m the one being bullied here, okay?!”
Su Fang, however, expressed gratitude. “Thank you all. I’ll be fine. I’ll try my best to get along with Xu Laidi.”
The mention of “getting along” sent a shiver down Xu Laidi’s spine. There was something unsettlingly ominous about Su Fang’s tone.
After Su Fang persuaded the group to leave, everyone warned Xu Laidi one last time before departing.
Outside, Heidan followed Song Wei like a little shadow, his hand outstretched to reveal a small pile of carefully peeled sunflower seeds.
“Sisyer Song, I peeled these for you,” he said earnestly.
Song Wei’s heart warmed at the gesture. How could this little boy be so thoughtful?
The others looked on enviously.
“Song Wei, Heidan really treats you well,” Liu Linlin remarked, edging closer. “Heidan can you share some with me too?”
Heidan’s cherubic face immediately darkened, his expression changing faster than the Monkey King’s legendary transformations.
“No way! These are for Sister Song. Nobody else can have them!”
His protective behavior was endearing but highly selective—he only shared with Song Wei.
Song smiled and pinched Heidan’s little face, looking a little proud.
“I raised Heidan to be so white and fat, so of course he’s good to me.”
Heidan nodded enthusiastically. To him, Sister Song’s deserved everything he could offer.
The others: “…”
In the end, Song Wei took half of the peeled seeds, leaving the rest for Heidan to enjoy.
Back in the shared dormitory, Su Fang returned to her composed self under the dim candlelight.
Across from her, Xu Laidi seethed with anger. “What exactly do you want?”
Su Fang tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her smile faint but her eyes chilling.
“Relax, Xu Laidi. All I want is to ‘get along’ with you. But maybe you should stop screaming and bringing everyone here—you wouldn’t want to disrupt their rest, would you?”
She added, “It’s late. Let’s sleep, Xu Laidi.”
Without waiting for a response, Su Fang turned over and lay down, determined to rest well and restore her strength. She absentmindedly traced the scars on her arm, reminders of the torment she had endured.
Song Wei had been right. Revenge was possible if approached the right way.
Xu Laidi, meanwhile, was too unnerved to say anything further. Something about Su Fang now felt… wrong.
Her unease only strengthened her resolve to leave the dormitory. With Song Jing possibly leaving soon and the prospect of staying alone with Su Fang, Xu Laidi felt increasingly desperate.
Xu Laidi emerged with dark circles under her eyes, her gaze fixated on Song Jing, who had come to visit Song Wei.
Su Fang noticed and immediately understood. Her expression darkened as she lowered her eyes, hiding the disdain gleaming within.
Xu Laidi really dares to dream.
After Xu Laidi left, Su Fang sought out Song Wei and shared her observations.
“Song Wei, some of the educated youths will go to extreme lengths to leave, even harming themselves. Right now, your brother is Xu Laidi’s only way out. She might try something reckless before he leaves.”
Song Wei was surprised by Su Fang’s keen intuition, deducing so much from a single glance.
Her heart ached, cursing the Luo family for destroying such a bright young woman.
Sensing Song Wei’s silence, Su Fang grew anxious. “Even if it’s just my suspicion, it’s better to be cautious. Your brother doesn’t deserve to have his future ruined by someone like her.”
She had suffered immensely herself and didn’t want anyone else to endure such misery.
“I know,” Song Wei replied.
These simple words reassured Su Fang.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on Xu Laidi.”
Hearing this, Su Fang exhaled in relief and smiled, though tears shimmered in her eyes.
“That’s good… Being prepared is good.”
If only…
But no, there were no “what ifs.” She had to move forward. Only by fully escaping the Luo family could she repay Song Wei for saving her life.
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