Volume 3 Chapter 42

Volume 3 + Chapter 42: Little Sister Is Bullied

“Big brother is truly the best!” Looking at the photos Wang Qian had sent her of Ouyang Qianxue shining brilliantly in various sports events, Ouyang Qianyue cheered with delight. 

Her brother had always been her idol, not only was he outstanding in his studies, versatile in sports, and proficient in all kinds of talents, but even his looks were as beautiful as a celestial being.

“Ah, I almost forgot, big brother hates it most when people say he’s pretty. But his appearance is just too unfair, I can’t help but compliment him!” Murmuring to herself, Qianyue walked into the bathroom. Gazing at her own reflection in the mirror, a face somewhat resembling her brother’s, she couldn’t help but daydream.

Would she herself one day become as beautiful as her brother? Surely she would, right? After all, they were siblings! With that thought, Qianyue skipped off to school.

Lately, Qianyue has been in high spirits. Because her brother had transferred to Sakura High, she had more and more opportunities to see him.

“Once Mother is cured, I’ll be able to see big brother every day, right? So while my brother is working hard for this family, Qianyue must be a good little sister who doesn’t cause him worry!” With that, Qianyue entered the classroom.

But as she stepped inside, she sensed something strange about the atmosphere. All her classmates were staring at her. When she reached her own desk, she saw that someone had written on it with a marker: “Bitch Ouyang Qianyue.”

Who could harbor such deep hatred toward her and do something so cruel? Staring at the words on the desk, Qianyue fell into thought. And just then…

“Ouyang, class has started. Why are you still standing there?” The homeroom teacher walked into the classroom. Because the teacher was far from Qianyue’s desk, she didn’t notice the graffiti.

“Ah, I’m fine!” Qianyue quickly sat down and wiped the marks off the desk with a tissue. After class, she asked her classmates about it, but everyone said they hadn’t seen the culprit.

Thus, Qianyue spent the rest of the school day feeling uneasy.

“Who could be playing such a mean prank?” Sighing, Qianyue headed toward the dormitory, ready to put the matter behind her. But just then, five girls suddenly blocked her path.

“You’re Ouyang Qianyue, right?” the leader of the group said.

“Yes, I am… What do you want with me?” Qianyue asked timidly, eyeing the unfriendly expressions on the girls.

“Looks like we’ve got the right person. Come with us.” Without another word, the girls dragged Qianyue to a small grove behind the teaching building.

“What are you…”

“Smack!” Before Qianyue could finish, the leader slapped her hard across the face. A searing sting spread across Qianyue’s cheek.

“Do you know why I hit you?” The leader had the other girls restrain Ouyang Qianyue, then stepped closer and asked.

“I, I don’t know. I’ve never offended you!” Qianyue said, looking utterly innocent.

“Smack!” The girl slapped her again.

“Since you can’t remember, let me refresh your memory.” With that, she punched Qianyue in the stomach. Qianyue doubled over in pain, but the two girls beside her pressed down on her back to straighten her up.

“Remember now?” The leader lifted Qianyue’s chin and asked.

“I, I truly have never offended you!” Qianyue said, on the verge of tears.

“You sure know how to play dumb. Fine, I’ll give you a hint. You know Senior Wu Fan, don’t you?”

At that, Qianyue suddenly remembered. Last week, a senior named Wu Fan had indeed confessed his feelings to her. But she had heard that he was usually a flirt, so she turned him down.

“Senior Wu Fan did confess to me, but I didn’t accept him,” Qianyue explained to the girl in front of her.

“Him confess to you? Do you even deserve that? If you hadn’t seduced him like the vixen you are, would he have broken up with me?” The girl grabbed Qianyue’s collar, her voice trembling with emotion.

“But I really didn’t seduce him!”

“Still being stubborn?” With that, the girl kicked Qianyue in the stomach, making her cough dryly.

“Alright, let her go.” At the leader’s command, the other girls shoved Qianyue forward.

“Let me tell you, this isn’t over yet! And don’t think you can solve this by telling the teacher, got it? My father donates a hundred thousand every year to the school to sponsor needy students. So even if you do report this, the school won’t discipline me.”

With that, the girls walked off smugly.

Qianyue lay on the ground for a long time before she could barely stand up. Fear gripped her heart. She desperately wanted to tell the teacher, but recalling the girl’s words, she abandoned the thought. She was terrified that if the teacher didn’t help her, the bullies would retaliate even more viciously.

But what she never expected was that her forbearance would only invite even worse harassment. Every time school ended, or even when they crossed paths in the hallway, the girls would drag her to a secluded spot and subject her to insults and beatings. 

She became too afraid to leave the classroom during breaks, and as soon as school was out, she would dash to the dormitory, terrified of being caught.

“Qianyue, I’ve noticed you seem unhappy lately. Has something happened at school? Can you tell Mom?” One day, as she came to the hospital to take care of her mother as usual, her mother, lying in the hospital bed, immediately noticed something off about Qianyue.

“Nothing, Mom. I just think the coursework has gotten a bit difficult lately, and I’m falling behind.” Qianyue knew she couldn’t hide her gloomy expression from her mother, so she simply lied.

“Is that so? Then you shouldn’t come to take care of me so often, I don’t want it to interfere with your studies!”

“No, Mom! I’ve just been slacking off recently. Trust me, I’ll bring my grades back up!” Qianyue said anxiously, hearing her mother’s words.

“Studying is important, but don’t wear yourself out. You and your brother are both precious to Mom.”

Hearing her mother say this, Qianyue’s heart ached. How she wished she could tell her mother what was happening at school. But she couldn’t. Her mother’s health was already fragile. 

If she found out about the bullying, she would surely worry about her. And if that worry caused her condition to worsen, how could Qianyue ever face her brother? So she buried the matter deep inside.

Only after leaving the hospital did Qianyue crouch down in a nearby park and weep softly. Then she thought of her brother. Countless times, she picked up her phone, wanting to call him. But each time, thinking of how hard her brother was already working for the family, she put the phone back down.

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