Yan Jiaojiao smiled and leaned in, whispering into Wang Jingshuang's ear, "Who do you think you are? What if I don't listen?"
Wang Jingshuang hadn't expected Yan Jiaojiao to dare provoke her like this. Her blood rushed to her head, and she instinctively raised her hand to slap Yan Jiaojiao!
Yan Jiaojiao was prepared. She stepped back, dodging the blow. Her body then tilted, and she fell to the ground, still holding her food.
However, her movement was so quick that others couldn't tell Wang Jingshuang had missed. They assumed she had fallen because of the slap.
The courtyards of their residence were constantly frequented by students, all from the same sect. While internal bullying did occur, it wasn't usually so obvious or excessive.
Immediately, some students stepped forward to intervene.
"Wang Jingshuang, how could you hit someone?"
"Even if the newcomer is ignorant, you should guide her properly. That's what a senior disciple is for."
Wang Jingshuang had managed to vent some of her anger with the attempted slap, but to have missed and been misunderstood by others left her feeling wronged.
"She's faking it, I didn't hit her at all!"
But who would listen to Wang Jingshuang? They only believed what they saw with their own eyes.
Some students, having just returned from the assembly hall and heard about Yan Jiaojiao's tragic experiences, felt a pang of sympathy. Witnessing the subject of their pity being bullied now, their compassion surged. They began to accuse Wang Jingshuang of bullying and being a coward who dared not admit her actions!
"I really didn't!" Wang Jingshuang shouted indignantly. "Now get up from the ground!"
"If Senior Sister says so, I'll get up," Yan Jiaojiao immediately complied, pushing herself up with her hands.
Someone squeezed through the crowd and offered a hand to Yan Jiaojiao, helping her up.
Yan Jiaojiao turned her head to see Zhou Sze.
His brows were furrowed, and he looked quite angry. "Why didn't you fight back?"
"It's not that I didn't fight back, but out of respect for Senior Sister, I endured this blow."
Yan Jiaojiao's demure appearance only made Wang Jingshuang seem more hateful.
"She provoked me first!" Wang Jingshuang immediately cried out again. "Yan Jiaojiao, you're truly two-faced and hypocritical!"
Calling her a "green tea bitch"? Yan Jiaojiao really wanted to laugh. She wondered who had repeatedly provoked her first. Her not retaliating before didn't mean she wouldn't fight back.
Feigning innocence, who couldn't do that?
Immediately, Yan Jiaojiao said with a hint of melancholy, "Perhaps I don't please Senior Sister, so it's understandable she has some misconceptions about me."
Zhou Sze was usually calm, but as a peer, seeing Yan Jiaojiao suffer in silence made him feel that if he didn't speak up, he himself would be bullied one day.
"Although we are new disciples and don't understand many rules, if Senior Sister Wang is dissatisfied, she can speak to us properly. But one shouldn't hit someone's face. Doesn't Senior Sister Wang think she went too far?"
Upon hearing this, even those who believed newcomers should be disciplined felt too ashamed to speak. Wang Jingshuang, unable to defend herself, was left speechless.
Another senior disciple, of higher standing, fearing the situation would escalate, stepped forward and said to Wang Jingshuang, "Enough. This is not a major issue. Apologize to the new disciple, and this matter will be over."
Wang Jingshuang stared in disbelief, pointing at her own nose. "I apologize? To her?"
The senior disciple frowned. "Hurry up. Everyone has things to do and needs to get back to them!"
Wang Jingshuang's shoulders slumped slightly. Daring not to say more, she reluctantly and irritably said to Yan Jiaojiao, "I'm sorry!"
The senior disciple's brow relaxed, and he smiled with satisfaction. "Alright, everyone disperse now."
With that, he left first. The other students dared not linger to watch the spectacle and followed suit.
In an instant, only Yan Jiaojiao, Zhou Sze, and Wang Jingshuang remained at the entrance of the courtyard.
"Senior Sister Wang, do you have any further instructions?" Yan Jiaojiao asked innocently.
Wang Jingshuang stomped her foot in anger. "You just wait!"
"Senior Sister Wang, you should be more careful with your words," Zhou Sze said calmly from beside her.
Seeing the two newcomers sticking together and having already suffered a setback, Wang Jingshuang could only glare at them angrily, then turn and run away.
Yan Jiaojiao looked at Zhou Sze. "Thank you for your help just now."
Zhou Sze opened and closed his mouth a few times before saying, "You shouldn't be too weak. I won't offend others if they don't offend me."
Yan Jiaojiao was a little confused. How did she seem weak? Even her feigned weakness earlier was merely a display of timidity due to the so-called "rules."
Zhou Sze continued, "Since you've already endured the abuse from the Yan family and had to re-cultivate your inner core, you've essentially died once. You should know that weakness and yielding are not the answer."
So he had already heard about Yan Jiaojiao's "wretched life." No wonder he, with his usually indifferent nature, couldn't help but stand up for her.
"Look at you..."
Zhou Sze glanced at the food Yan Jiaojiao was holding, his brow furrowed. After a pause, he surprisingly took out a packet of pastries from his embrace and thrust it into Yan Jiaojiao's hand.
"Here, take this too. It's a famous local specialty from my hometown, very delicious. I really like eating it, so I brought some. It's all for you. You... sigh, eat more. It'll be alright."
With that, Zhou Sze shook his head and returned to his own courtyard without waiting for Yan Jiaojiao to refuse.
Yan Jiaojiao looked down at the packet of pastries. The oil paper still carried the warmth of his hands. Was he seeing her as an orphan who couldn't even afford to eat?
Yan Jiaojiao had never expected the seemingly aloof and handsome guy to be so full of pity. More importantly, for a man to enjoy such sweet pastries was a complete subversion of his character.
Thinking this, Yan Jiaojiao turned and walked back to her room. As she opened the door, she saw Wei Congling already sitting up in bed.
Yan Jiaojiao closed the door, placed the food on the table, and opened all the closed windows, letting sunlight stream into the room, instantly brightening it.
However, Wei Congling remained silent this time, merely watching Yan Jiaojiao go about her tasks.
After Yan Jiaojiao finished, she said to Wei Congling, "Do you want to wash your hands before eating? I saw you've been lying here for so many days; have you started to smell?"
Wei Congling immediately retorted, "How is that possible? I cleanse myself with magic daily. Where would any odor come from?"
Then, Wei Congling paused, finally understanding Yan Jiaojiao's words. "What do you mean? Are all these food items you brought for me?"
"Otherwise?" Yan Jiaojiao pulled up a chair, propped her elbows on the table, and rested her chin on her hands, calmly saying, "I've already eaten my fill. I thought since you've been confined for so long, you might be hungry after abstaining from food, so I brought you some out of convenience."