Xia Miao's guess was correct—Fu Lan indeed acted swiftly.
As Xia Miao walked to the classroom, several people "accidentally" bumped into her. Among them were both men and women, their movements exaggerated as they collided with her.
"Oh my, I didn’t realize the campus belle was passing by!"
"Oops, sorry about that."
"Hey, you guys, don’t tell me you deliberately bumped into her just to take advantage of the situation?"
They laughed and joked, their tone irreverent, as if Xia Miao were beneath their notice.
Not far away, a strikingly beautiful young man stood surrounded by a crowd, watching the scene with amusement. His curved eyes were breathtakingly lovely.
Xia Miao smiled and pulled out a black card from her bag. "If anyone can make these people ‘accidentally’ trip and fall, the money in this card is yours to use as you please."
The onlookers’ desire for the young man was instantly replaced by greed. A swarm of people rushed forward, surrounding those who had bumped into Xia Miao, beating them senseless in a frenzy.
Through the chaotic crowd, Xia Miao’s gaze met Fu Lan’s.
The smile vanished from Fu Lan’s face—only to reappear on Xia Miao’s.
Later, when Xia Miao went to the cafeteria for lunch, she noticed hostile glares directed her way. With a single sweeping glance, she silenced them.
Perhaps reminded of Xia Miao’s obscenely wealthy background, some retracted their half-tipped lunch boxes, while others hastily pretended to sip from their soup bowls. Everyone busied themselves, lowering their heads as they passed by.
Luo Xiaoluo had been occupied with a research project under her professor’s guidance lately, leaving Xia Miao without her usual entourage. These days, Xia Miao moved alone.
The moment she sat down, the surrounding tables emptied. People whispered among themselves in the distance, their eyes flickering toward her with poorly concealed malice.
A less composed person might have crumbled under the weight of such exclusion, fleeing the crowded space with bowed head.
But Xia Miao was different.
She answered a phone call. "Yes, the first floor of the second cafeteria. Just bring it straight here."
Soon after, a delivery rider from "Starving Now" rushed in, arms laden with packages. "Miss, your order is here!"
Grilled oysters, garlic scallops, spicy Boston lobster… A lavish spread took up half the long table, its rich aroma overpowering the meager appeal of everyone else’s twenty-yuan spicy noodles.
To make matters worse, a bottle of red wine was placed on the table.
Xia Miao elegantly folded a napkin in half, draped it over her lap, then poured herself a glass of wine. She swirled the crimson liquid before taking a delicate sip.
Perhaps the wine was exceptional—her brows relaxed in satisfaction. Slowly, she donned a pair of gloves and peeled open the first lobster, savoring the tender meat.
Red wine paired with spicy lobster—an absurd, extravagant combination.
But then again, Xia Miao was nothing if not extravagant. Beautiful, wealthy, and untouchable, everything she did seemed justified. More than justified—it made people wonder if this was how the elite truly dined.
After barely eating a bite, she sighed. "Oh dear, I’m already full. Should I just toss this to the dogs?"
"Miao Miao!" Someone finally couldn’t resist approaching. "There you are! I didn’t even see you earlier—what’s wrong with my eyes? Useless!"
With the first bold soul breaking the ice, others naturally followed.
"Miao Miao, I’ve been so busy with studies lately, I haven’t had time to hang out with you. How could I prioritize academics over you? I’m such a terrible friend!"
"Miao Miao, look at me! Without your radiant beauty and melodious voice, I’ve grown haggard—I’ve lost three whole pounds!"
"If it weren’t for my mom dragging me to my dad’s funeral, I’d never have disappeared on you for so long. His timing was truly awful—how dare he die at such an inconvenient time!"
Amid the clamor, Xia Miao remained the picture of grace. Dabbing her lips with a napkin, she smiled flawlessly. "Oh, so that’s why my dear friends have been absent. How understandable. Come, sit and eat. We’ll go shopping together soon, yes?"
In mere moments, Xia Miao was once again the center of attention, surrounded by sycophants.
Across the room, her eyes locked with Fu Lan’s once more.
This time, his expression was darker than before—a thick, viscous, venomous blackness threatening to seep from his eyes, fracturing his pale face like shattered porcelain. The teardrop mole beneath his eye seemed to deepen in hue.
Xia Miao deliberately opened a tin of caviar. "Freshly airlifted. Personally, I think it tastes awful—fishy and mushy. But it’s supposedly expensive, so help yourselves. If it runs out, I’ll just order more."
Fu Lan’s composure shattered entirely. Like a volcano on the brink of eruption, his rage simmered uncontrollably.
Perhaps because he stood in the shadows, his figure seemed indistinct, flickering at the edges. Through the crowd, Xia Miao thought she glimpsed his form splitting apart.
That evening, Xia Miao had two more classes. Afterward, she ducked into the restroom. When she emerged from the stall and pushed the door, it didn’t budge.
Realization dawned. She checked her phone—no signal.
Outside, a tall, distorted silhouette loomed. The young man’s narrow eyes curved with malice. "Xia Miao, beg me. Maybe I’ll let you out."
Since his first day at school, rules had bent to his will. No matter how outrageous his demands, people clamored to fulfill them. For him to act personally now—he must have been pushed past his limits.
Yet, no sound came from beyond the door.
Fu Lan whispered, "Have you heard? On the fourth floor of this building, the women’s restroom gains a thirteenth stall at midnight. Long ago, a pregnant student died there during childbirth. When the clock strikes twelve, she returns, cradling her baby… knocking on each stall door. If she finds someone inside—"
He left the sentence hanging, laughter dripping with cruelty. "You’ll die, won’t you?"
There was still no movement inside until, after a long while, a sudden "bang" echoed, only for the commotion to die down again.
Fu Lan frowned slightly. He had no idea what was happening inside, but if Xia Miao had knocked herself unconscious, wouldn’t that ruin the fun of the game?
The door swung open, and the young man stepped inside.
His pitch-black eyes swept across the surroundings when, out of nowhere, a foot slammed into his back. Caught off guard, he stumbled forward and crashed into the partition door, a swollen bump rising on his forehead.
"Ha! You brat! How dare you pull this 'dark room imprisonment' stunt on me? Today, I’ll teach you a lesson!"
Xia Miao gripped a mop like a spear, her expression stern and her aura formidable—reminiscent of Mu Guiying taking command on the battlefield, as if no demon or evil spirit could stand before her.
Fu Lan clutched the swelling on his forehead, his body trembling, his figure flickering with an unstable, fragmented sensation. A sinister chuckle escaped him. "Oh? Do you want to kill me now?"
He didn’t sound angry—if anything, he seemed delighted.
Yes, if she wanted to kill him, wouldn’t that prove she was no different from those who had sought to possess him, tearing him apart in their greed?
Xia Miao shuddered at his twisted grin. "I’m not going to kill you! I’m just going to beat some sense into you today—make you understand that trapping a girl is the worst way to win her over!"
Before Fu Lan could react, the mop in Xia Miao’s hands came crashing down on him like a storm.
Who knows where she hit him, but the young man let out a muffled groan. When he glared back at her, his pale face flushed with an uncharacteristically healthy redness. He seized the descending mop, his features contorting as a dangerous tension saturated the air.
Through gritted teeth, he hissed, "You’re asking for—"
Before he could utter "death," Xia Miao shuddered again. "Holy crap, why are you blushing like you’re enjoying this?!"
She immediately let go of the mop, tossing it aside, and took two quick steps back.
"I wanted to teach you a lesson, not get you off!"
Fu Lan: "..."
