Chapter 16: Big Truth

The rumored post on the Forum was deleted a long time ago.

After all, having gone through high school and college in previous life, Zhou Sisi didn’t particularly care about the closeness of her classmates or the gossip around her.

It was a self-study class now, and the class was no different from before.

However, after knowing that the culprit was Hu Guomin, the nature of the matter became different for Zhou Sisi.

The human brain was somehow similar to a computer, all the things you had experienced would be stored as memories.

Some of the old, insignificant pieces were not lost, but they were just pressed onto a corner, and with time or an opportunity, they were opened up like a boot file.

From memory of the previous life, Zhou Sisi remembered some things that Hu Guomin had done in high school. 

Zhou Sisi considered herself a commoner, so she would rather be an ordinary person than a great and good person, she must take revenge on the wicked.

The next day at noon, she did not take a lunch break instead went back to the classroom purposely.

Taking advantage of no one being present at the class, she put the printed note into Lu Meihe’s pencil case. 

After that she passed the day as usual.

Yi Ting returned to school after her sick leave and asked Sisi privately: “What’s the matter? You shouldn’t have talked to Mo Yifan… right?”

Before Zhou Sisi could reply, she denied it herself: “Definitely not.”

“Hmm.” Zhou Sisi asked, “Has your fever gone down?”

“It has already gone down.” Yi Ting used the excuse of being sick and played at home for almost two days.

“If you are okay, do your homework.” Zhou Sisi opened a folder and pulled out a pile of test papers. “These days.”

Yi Ting’s single eyelids turned round in fear. “So many? Am I going to do all of it?”

“Yes, that’s what teachers said.” Zhou Sisi smiled warmly.

Yi Ting fell on the table. “…… crap.”

There was no teacher present in the self study.

The classmates in the back row whispered. “Someone is looking for Zhou Sisi outside.”

Zhou Sisi looked out.

“It’s Mo Yifan.” Yi Ting also saw it.

Zhou Sisi didn’t want to go out.

“Mo Yifan is looking for you,” Hu Guomin’s voice was high and sharp in the already quiet classroom, as if she was afraid that no one would hear her. “Zhou Sisi, why don’t you go out?”

“What was the matter with this woman?” Yi Ting was disgusted with her as she spoke, “Why are you forcing her? On duty, do remember Hu Guomin’s name.”

“You! I didn’t say anything to you?”

“I am maintaining class discipline by stopping you.”

“… …”

Zhou Sisi turned around and gently asked the student at the back table. “Please tell him to come after class if there is something.”

“Oh, oh.” The classmate passed the message back.

Holding the pen, Zhou Sisi concentrated on the exercises.

She had a small advantage, such as she could get rid of distractions and enter the study state in a second if she wanted to.

When the bell rang, Yi Ting tugged on Zhou Sisi’s coat corner and whispered in her ear, “Mo Yifan is here again.”

Upon seeing Zhou Sisi, Mo Yifan tried to talk to her right away, “I…”

“Is there something you want?” Zhou Sisi stopped a meter away.

“There’s something, I don’t know who spread those rumors. They’re basically fake, but not all of them. Don’t misunderstand me.” Mo Yifan spoke so fast he didn’t have time to catch his breath.

Zhou Sisi was indifferent, and only said. “It has nothing to do with me.”

“Ah, many people say that we are dating…”

“We don’t have a relationship beyond that of ordinary classmates. So if there’s nothing serious,” Zhou Sisi maintained her basic manners and blurted out, “don’t come and bother me.”

Mo Yifan’s expression flashed a bit of sadness. “Uh, I understand.”

“Excuse me.” Zhou Sisi turned around and went back to the classroom.

A very few good-hearted classmates, who watched from the sidelines, believed that Zhou Sisi and Mo Yifan really had no impure relationship. At least Zhou Sisi didn’t have the slightest impression of Mo Yifan.

The calendar turned page after page.

As the third graders handed in their exams for the last mock exam, the middle school students were getting ready for their examinations. It was just around the corner.

The sophomore year was still taking new classes.

The chart, voice mail, and other things in the classes weren’t replaced for the time being.

Friday afternoon, June 4th, Physical Education class.

Yi Ting brought her own badminton and racket, and invited Zhou Sisi and another female classmate to play together: “Come on, three people are fun, whoever loses three rounds first will be replaced.”

Qi Minhui, a female classmate, responded cheerfully. “Yes!”

“I’m not good at playing.” Zhou Sisi said.

Yi Ting said, “Eh, It’s all about participation, come on.”

“It’s okay, I’m also a novice.” Qi Minhui followed.

Qi Minhui and Yi Ting had a good relationship. Recently, Yi Ting often brought Zhou Sisi to do everything. She didn’t like it, but she took the initiative to accept Zhou Sisi.

The three happily agreed to play badminton.

There were many people doing activities in the playground track and field. So, Yi Ting pulled them to the open space under the dormitory.

“Can we play here? Will it disturb others? ” Zhou Sisi was a little concerned.

Yi Ting waved. “This place is 180 meters away from the teaching building. It’s impossible for anyone to sleep in the dormitory at this point. Don’t worry.”

“I saw Lu Meihe and the others went up.” Qi Minhui said.

Yi Ting pulled open the badminton equipment bag and asked, “What do you care about them? Come on, who’s first?”

“Minhui.” Zhou Sisi humbly gave in.

Qi Minhui, who was eager to try: “Okay, I’m first.”

No, the beautiful, gentle and generous Zhou Sisi, how could she hate it?

From time to time there was a cool breeze and green shade.

Zhou Sisi, the second player, was not very skilled in receiving.

“Teacher Lan! Eh!” Yi Ting turned to her two partners. “Teacher Lan entered the dormitory building just now, her face was very serious.”

Qi Minhui grabbed the badminton racket with her left hand. “Why is the head teacher going in?”

“I also want to know, let’s go up and have a look?” Yi Ting suggested.

The first three rooms on the east side of the fourth floor were dormitories of the sophomore (1) class girls.

The three of them turned the corner from the stairway, and they heard a faint female voice. The door to the 402 dormitory was open, they went little closer 

“…… bracelet was lost and found in her locker.” It was Lu Meihe’s voice.

“I, I don’t, it’s none of my business.” Hu Guomin’s weaker voice.

Yi Ting and Qi Minhui looked at each other in shock.

Zhou Sisi, who was standing at the end, was relatively calm, but it took longer than she anticipated.

Lu Meihe: “Do you want to make excuses? Well, this, my last month’s missing signed limited edition handbook with my name on the last page! This, my custom bracelet that disappeared yesterday, my surname engraved on the metal circle!”

Hu Guomin: “I , I, someone else put it here, and wronged me. Yes it is”

“What a joke! I have a video on my phone.” Lu Meihe said loudly. “Yesterday, the process of Hu Guomin stealing my bracelet was ‘accidentally’ recorded by my phone.”

The headteacher Wu Lan was talking about something, but compared to those two her voice was calm and soft so the three outsiders could not clearly hear Wu Lan’s words.

“Sorry teacher, I ‘accidentally’ sent the video to the students in the school news broadcasting department.” Lu Meihe’s mouth said sorry, but her tone and attitude was too firm.

Yi Ting whispered in a voice full of shock. “Holly Crap!”

Even Qi Minhui couldn’t help but twist her mouth in surprise: “It’s a bit rigid.”

“Let’s go.” Zhou Sisi said in a breathy voice, “They’re coming out soon.”

“Oh, the things found in Hu Guomin’s cabinet are not only mine, but also those of other classmates. Teacher please check carefully.”

Before Lu Meihe’s words were finished, Hu Guomin’s cry sounded. Mixed with the voice of the head teacher and another classmate, the scene became chaotic.

Zhou Sisi went downstairs first.

Yi Ting and Qi Minhui followed immediately.

“I didn’t expect Hu Guomin…hands and feet are unclean.” Yi Ting was still in shock.

Qi Minhui: “The stolen stuff seems to be quite a lot.”

“Lu Meihe is really awesome. She caught such a thief. In other words, there was a girl next to her who had been stealing from her” Yi Ting shrugged as she replied, “she’d be sick to her stomach if she wasn’t sick already.”

Qi Minhui slammed her fist into the air. “Grandpa’s name has the same name as Hu Guomin, I feel disgusted.”

The next period was self-study after physical education.

The seats of Hu Guomin, Lu Meihe and two other classmates were vacant for a whole class.

On the evening of the self-study, Hu Guomin did not show up, nor did she appear in class the next day.

It was said that because the parents of the victims, such as Lu Meihe, insisted on demanding a statement, and because the accumulated amount of valuables stolen by Hu Guomin was not low, she was invited to the bureau for tea and was immediately expelled from the school.

It was unsure where this turmoil came from, but within a few days, almost the whole school was aware of it.

It was another night when Ms. Xu Xuelin worked overtime.

Lu Xi was having dinner at Zhou Sisi’s house.

“Have you completed the Chemistry Knowledge Framework that I asked you to sort out the day before yesterday?” Zhou Sisi asked warmly.

“Are you for real?.” Lu Xi chopsticks clip off the potato strips. “You’re talking about this during mealtime?”

Zhou Sisi: “The senior high school entrance examination will take place in thirteen days.”

“Yeah. Time is running out. So what’s the point of holding Buddha’s foot?” Lu Xi’s brain would spin very fast when he was barreling.

“When you’re ready to grind your guns, you will not be happy!”Zhou Sisi said. “And you have to look far ahead. The high school entrance examination is just a small goal, and then there’s the college entrance exam, and then there’s …”

(** TL note-  Also known as Sharpening guns before battle is unpleasant, but it is also light.  It is a metaphor for preparing in a hurry. Meaning – Although it will not be very sharp, it is at least brighter than no grinding. inspiring people to work hard even at the last minute**)

“Stop.” The corner of Lu Xi’s lips twitched in response, “I didn’t want to hear that, did you break your head in protest?”

Zhou Sisi condensed it into one sentence: “Learning now is equivalent to laying the foundation that will be useful for the future.”

“Let me eat as I wish, okay?” Lu Xi grabbed the bowl and took a mouthful of rice.

At school, I have to listen to the teacher’s nagging, at home, I have to listen to Ms. Xu’s rambling, and here I have to listen to the big reason, it’s really annoying.

Click! The door opened.

Zhou Sisi’s house was different from that of Lu Xi’s house, and it was much smaller. The structure of two rooms and one living room can directly see the entrance of the living room from the dining table. 

Lu Xi shouted to Chen Cui, who had just come in. “Hello, Auntie.”

“Hey, hello.” Chen Cui took off her shoes and hurried into the room.

Not long after, the room door opened, and Chen Cui, who had changed her clothes, came out with a bag in hand.

“I’m going out, you guys eat more.”

“Where are you going?” Zhou Sisi’s face was expressionless.

“A friend asked me to play mahjong.” Chen Cui quickly changed her shoes as she continued, “and introduced me and the others to a successful boss.”

“Is mahjong the only thing in your eyes?” Zhou Sisi stood up, the light in the living room flowing around her.

Zhou Sisi’s tone was not that intense, but Lu Xi felt her anger.

He had never seen her in such a state before. Ahem, I shouldn’t be sitting here now, I should be under the dining table.

“It’s not the way you said it.” Chen Cui said angrily. “I’m going out today mainly to make friends. Besides, I’ve changed now, and it’s fun to play two games at most for two yuan each.”

“Don’t say it, It’s almost eight o’clock.”