Chapter 41: It Wasn’t Intentional

“Is it a crime to go to the bathroom?” Lin Juan snapped, her eyes blazing with fury as she glared at the classmate who had spoken. Her gaze was sharp enough to cut glass, filled with venomous resentment.

“The sun was strong today. Everyone either wore their uniform jackets or left them on the bleachers. You were the only one who carried yours with you,” the girl replied calmly, her logic airtight. “More importantly, everyone knows you don’t get along with Cheng Yuan.”

As soon as she said this, a ripple of realization spread through the crowd. More and more students turned their eyes on Lin Juan.

“Don’t believe her nonsense!” Lin Juan cried, forcing a pitiful expression as her eyes reddened. “I just took my jacket with me—now I’m a thief?”

Bei Xiaolin, already furious from the memory of her own Walkman being stolen, could no longer hold back. “Then where exactly were you just now? Let’s retrace your steps. If we find it on your path, that proves it!”

Others immediately voiced their support. A group quickly formed, heading in the direction of the bathroom. Several confirmed they had indeed seen Lin Juan leave with her jacket.

As the crowd marched forward, Lin Juan’s heart pounded wildly. She had never imagined suspicion would fall on her. Why her? Why now?

The students fanned out, searching every corner—under shrubs, behind trees, in the grass. Cheng Yuan watched Lin Juan closely. Her panicked, guilty expression was written all over her face. She was no good at hiding anything. She cracked far too easily under pressure.

But where would she have hidden it?

Could she have thrown it into the bathroom?

The image of her father’s precious gift tossed into a toilet twisted Cheng Yuan’s heart like a blade.

Just then, she spotted Meng Yue playing “step on the grass” with her friends nearby. As Meng Yue stomped down, something metallic flashed from beneath the turf.

“Ouch! Something poked me!” Meng Yue yelped. “What’s under the grass?”

Cheng Yuan rushed over, pushed her aside, and lifted the turf—only to find a shattered personal stereo buried beneath the grass.

“How could a Walkman end up here?” someone asked.

“I swear, I didn’t do it on purpose,” Meng Yue said quickly, looking at Cheng Yuan with feigned innocence.

Cheng Yuan knelt, picking up the broken pieces. Her eyes locked onto Meng Yue. “You did it on purpose.”

“Of course not! How could I have known there was something under the grass?” Meng Yue said apologetically, but her tone held a faint edge of smugness.

Looking down at Cheng Yuan with practiced nonchalance, Meng Yue spread her hands. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to. But honestly—how did your Walkman even end up here?”

Good. It’s ruined. Serves you right for flaunting something that wasn’t yours. You’ll pay for it.

Cheng Yuan said nothing more, her silence sharper than any retort.

“It was obviously Lin Juan!” Bei Xiaolin shoved Lin Juan forward. “What now? Stereos don’t grow legs and bury themselves!”

“How should I know?” Lin Juan muttered, avoiding Cheng Yuan’s gaze. “Who knows how it got there?”

“You stole it and hid it, and now you’re playing dumb?” Cheng Yuan snapped.

“You can’t just accuse me! Where’s your proof?” Lin Juan shouted, her voice defensive and desperate.

“Who else could it be?!” Bei Xiaolin fumed, itching to rip up the whole patch of grass and stuff it in Lin Juan’s mouth. “How are you this shameless?”

Clutching the broken pieces, Cheng Yuan turned and stormed back to the classroom. Her jaw was tight with anger. The casing was shattered, almost beyond recognition. She shoved the fragments into her desk and walked straight to Class Seven.

“Yuanyuan, where are you going?” Bei Xiaolin chased after her.

“To find Yu Qing,” Cheng Yuan replied simply.

Bei Xiaolin was puzzled. What did Yu Qing have to do with any of this?

She soon found out.

“Cheng Yuan?” Ye Mingyu looked up, surprised. “Are you here to…” His sentence trailed off, unsure of her intentions.

Before he could finish, Yu Qing stood up. “What’s wrong? Did you forget something?”

They had returned early from PE and were already back in class. Yu Qing didn’t know about the Walkman incident yet.

“I just wanted to give you…” Cheng Yuan pulled a pen from her pocket and handed it over. “This pen.”

As she passed it to him, she suddenly lost her balance, stumbling into a nearby desk. The desk tipped over, spilling its contents—and a Walkman fell out, right under the collapsing desk leg.

Clang!

There was a sharp crash. The Walkman was crushed under the desk.

“My personal stereo!” Meng Yue cried out, returning just in time to see it flattened.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Cheng Yuan said innocently, blinking at Meng Yue. “I didn’t know it was your desk. I just lost my balance.”

“You—” Meng Yue stared at the dented thermos and destroyed Walkman. She drew a sharp breath. “Do you have any idea how expensive those were?! You’re paying for both!”

“My Walkman was expensive too,” Cheng Yuan said calmly. “You stepped on mine earlier and didn’t offer to pay. So we’re even now.”

She glanced at the thermos in Meng Yue’s hand. “It’s not broken. Just a little dented. It still works fine.”

“You did it on purpose!” Meng Yue exploded. She should’ve known something was off earlier—Cheng Yuan had been far too calm after losing her stereo. On her way to the restroom, Meng Yue had even felt a rush of satisfaction, believing Cheng Yuan would finally suffer.

“No, it wasn’t intentional,” Cheng Yuan replied sweetly. “Did you step on my Walkman on purpose just now?”

Meng Yue: “…”

She couldn’t admit that.

She had only joined her classmates on the grass because she saw Lin Juan hide the stereo there. She was hoping to destroy the evidence before Cheng Yuan found it. If not for the crowd, she would’ve stomped it flat and walked away.

“So it’s settled,” Cheng Yuan said with a bright smile, her voice crisp. “You didn’t mean to step on mine, and I didn’t mean to break yours. We’re even.”

Putting on a beatific expression, she added, “I’m very fair. I never wrongly accuse people.”

Meng Yue: “…”

She was seething. From now on, if she didn’t keep a constant eye on Cheng Yuan’s desk, she wouldn’t be Meng Yue.

Bei Xiaolin stood stunned. Just moments ago, she had been whispering to Meng Yue that Cheng Yuan was definitely plotting revenge. And now, Cheng Yuan had done it—swift, ruthless, and flawlessly executed.

Standing behind her, Bei Xiaolin raised her voice: “Exactly! Yuanyuan is too kind. If it were me, I would’ve made you pay double!”