Chapter 2

New day, new duty — little did she know that she would be met with such an eventful day.

Just when Mu Gu was already focusing on documentation from one to another, a bunch of people suddenly barged inside the library. They began arguing out of nowhere, and not to mention, it truly left her a lasting perception of speechlessness.

Mu Gu glanced everywhere, afraid that she would be held accountable. Honestly, not quite in that part, but rather in ‘that’ part — where she would have to think of another paragraph in her mind. How draining it was, especially when what eventually came out was entirely different. She often makes these kinds of mistakes and it's frustrating.

However, the atmosphere suddenly felt odd the more she focused on it. It's about how the people inside remained indifferent, like it was a normal day for them. No — rather, it refers to the person that caused it. Otherwise, with such a strict prohibition of loud noises, people would’ve long taken part in diminishing it.

That said, Mu Gu got a feeling that she shouldn't be involved in such things but she still has to reconsider that she holds the responsibility, so, whether she’s willing or not, she had to step in.

She’d merely come between them when the girl on the left lifted her upper body towards the other one.

A small flinch ran through her at the unexpected action.

The left girl’s eyes were big in mockery and anger, while the other one remained composed.

Mu Gu naturally followed the course of the episode in front of her, trying to grasp something from their expression and attitude towards the situation.

“What are you two doing?”

One wouldn't have imagined that she’s quite nervous handling them now, given how nonchalant her expression is. Her mellow voice resounded low, infiltrating uninterested tones — just like one who is forced, and reluctantly pouring out more unnecessary energy.

She’d assumed that those very moments, without uttering much, her mere presence projected her of someone highly respected — but who would have guessed what could your thought and action be projected towards others perspective, was it aligned or in two different ways?

Mu Gu's mind couldn't stop but recalling what had happened in her late school, however, she’d rather just brushed it off her mind and detached herself any further about it eventually.

“What are we doing? Can’t you see?”, the girl on the left looked at her with annoyance.

“Li Shuina! This is between us, you better not involve her!”

The tension between them, as if a net, restraining everyone in place.

With no one to take action, the squabble continues to resound in each corner of the room, inviting many interested passerby near the class.

“Hey. It’s the new student!”, the other murmurs in admiration, “If only she’s in my class.”

The other passerby carries on the conversation. “You’re right. She was such a nice person. But don’t you think it was such a disgrace?”

“What do you mean?”

“Look at Li Shuina arguing with the new student. Such embarrassment!”, the other cursed in a low tone.

The few others quickly followed in a hum of agreement.

"Shu MengMeng! Don't think that you're Su Han's friend, I will just let you go. Don't you think you've gone too far? As to snatch away something that is supposed to be mine?"

Hearing such baseless accusations, saying this, saying that, Shu MengMeng folded her arms on her chest and stared at Li Shuina as sharp as a razor. It's been a while now that Shu MengMeng began thinking that Li Shuina must be only finding fault with her for fun. As a result, she tightly braced herself, trying to accumulate bravery, and began scolding, “I told you. The result was not on me", she pointed at Li Shuina again, getting closer each time, "You should have found fault in the one who managed the school's grade. There. Old Bao. You should find him in the teacher's room. Why would you bother on finding someone incapable in this matter?”

To be honest, she did find it a little reasonable, but aware of how Shu MengMeng was bound to be her enemy, her pride just couldn’t accept it. In the end, she just stood there, unable to make any decision. Her body froze like a mannequin, and her complexion became troubled.

On the other hand, Mu Gu was merely overlooked, as worst as the one who was cast aside. It was for this reason that she just sat still in place and became part of the audience of the entire scene. Even the conflict eased on its own.

Thankfully, the teacher walk passed there long after the ruckus. The two didn't end up in a punishment as they should have.

Long after both Li Shuina and Shu MengMeng were gone, Mu Gu’s face still hadn’t recovered from incredulity as she tried settling down in her place. Mu Gu in her usual position, leaning hands on desk, with her head on it and thinking, ‘Was I merely a decoration? I’m quite sure that we saw each other in the eyes. But how come I ended up as just one of the statues facing them?’

Mu Gu sighed.

‘Blamed me for having such a harmless face’. Though that matter left her in a sense of embarrassment but it was still reassuring that she got off the hook. For someone who was in charge of, that is.

These issues lingered inside her for a while until it slowly shifted weirdly. Because in a long alley between her dreams or consciousness, voices keep calling out her name, becoming sharp each time her psyche rises up. “Zhi Chunning! Zhi Chunning!”

Mu Gu was wondering, how come there was such a sense of foreboding preceding her, not to mention, in broad daylight?

And there was a hard shaking like a nightmare of a whole earthquake after her.

At long last, she hardly put a force on her eyelids so that it would open and wake her up. Turns out, it was not. a. dream. after all. It was Teacher Lin Meng who was calling for her. “Zhi Chunning! Good for you! You said that after you are done here, you would not skip classes again but here you are! Go back to class!”.

Teacher Lin Meng was one of the four pillars of the school — widely known as the tigress. Nearly all of the students in this school were afraid of offending her. She was indifferent to mercy. With mistakes in sight, she would not hesitate to point it out, and with such an ear-splitting voice, that is. Everyone could sharply hear her from one end to another end, and would quickly scatter from the place out of fear.

As a result, Mu Gu received a hard earful from her, though her mind was still not clear at the present. Who knows that she'd truly got it glued to her mind or already flying elsewhere.

Then, once again, she lifted her body up, uttered some casual grateful words towards the teacher, though she still didn’t finish up her words. That’s because the looping had long worn into her — the same words over and over again. Hence, after a sincere utterance of apology, she made her way to the toilet to freshen up again, of course, with a fresh splash, both mind and physical.

Mu Gu had just walked past the door. But a girl stopped exactly in front of her.

Mu Gu looked at her.

Someone so arrogant, yet emitting naivety at the same time. Beautifully innocent, yet entwined with a sharp blade among the bouquets of flowers. Yes, it was Shu MengMeng who was in front of her. She remembered that face.

Shu MengMeng — a girl with black short bob hair. Her face was beautiful and lovely at the same time. Not sharp, but small and a bit round. Her round eyes were beautiful in hazel, with her straight eyebrow making her appear more soft in features.

Staring a bit while, Mu Gu couldn't understand the meaning behind, so she tilted her head and her eyebrow lifted up in innocent confusion. Shu MengMeng suddenly rolled up her eyes in arrogance and created the accidental intention of bumping hard on her. It looks like she did want to go for business but in a quite unreasonable way.

Mu Gu realized it for sure.

The deliberate accident never felt this transparent. As a result, Mu Gu was pushed aside a bit by the sudden force.

For a moment, Mu Gu was astounded, yet was calm. Whatever reason there is, her face turns expressionless in a scary way. She began facing her. Her eyebrow twitched and curled inexplicably — who would have known that those complexions were showing sadness or merely mocking Shu Meng Meng right to the face.

Her feet strode closer, and twice the energy that was put onto her earlier, a short, yet hard force was pressured on Shu MengMeng’s back until she fell down to the floor. Following the act, Mu Gu crouched a little, lips parted small, and smirked again, unclear of the reason whether she was upset or merely just mocking her. The point is, she neither looked angry, nor was fulfilled, and it's unsettling; completely different from her usual self.

Shu MengMeng’s anger held no place. She originally wanted to lift herself up, but resulted in paralysis upon seeing the very girl who's in front of her, staring at her, penetrating deep into her soul. Shu MengMeng was completely glued to the floor, unable to vent out. Those stares, for her, were rather dangerous. Like a knife slitting between, it was knitted down to her nerves for reminder.

A moment passed before she was finally able to let out her breath, because by the time, Mu Gu already walked away to the classroom.

In spite of that, Shu Meng Meng was completely frustrated. Her eyes slowly darkened, filled with deep resentment. She gritted her teeth hard, with veins vigorously evident on her forehead. For her who has never been treated to that extent all her life, for the first time ever felt her pride being crumbled into pieces. A nerve-wrecking wail starts hollowing across the empty space, as if gushing out the discontentment at once, while in fact, a series of laughs of amusement suddenly altered.

It was then that she knew, “Turns out, this student is not an easy one either. You better appreciate my gift.”

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