"I think so. Don't you guys know? The pretty girl on stage is our senior. I heard she founded the English Corner, won a scholarship, and came first in the provincial English competition."
"Really? I never imagined she's not only beautiful but also so talented. Oh, and the other two girls..."
The three on stage heard the discussions and praise from below. They exchanged glances, bowed to the audience, and headed backstage.
Jiang Yuwei and Sun Ling also heard the sustained and warm applause. The latter's gaze fell on the now empty table in front of her, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
What was the point of stealing the spotlight? The higher you climb, the harder you fall.
As Chen Lishu and the other two emerged from the front, Sun Ling was the first to greet them. "Big sister, Chen Lishu, Zhang Xue, you three sang beautifully. Yuwei and I were mesmerized."
Sun Ling had never shown them such a pleasant demeanor since the start of the semester. Chen Lishu's eyebrows twitched slightly, and she didn't reply, instead walking to her seat.
As soon as she sat down, she felt something was amiss with her shoulder bag hanging on the back of her chair. She was already wearing her own clothes and didn't need to change, so her bag only contained her scarf, hat, and gloves. However, it felt much bulkier than before.
Recalling Sun Ling's unusual behavior, Chen Lishu subtly scanned her surroundings. Although she didn't know what had been placed in her bag, she was certain it wouldn't be anything good.
Seeing Sun Ling looking at her with a malicious smile and about to speak, Chen Lishu quickly stretched out her leg and hooked the stool beside her with her toe, aiming it at Sun Ling.
"Ah—"
Sun Ling was caught off guard. Her calf was hit hard by the stool that fell to the ground, throwing her off balance as she tumbled to the side.
Seeing this, everyone rushed to help her up. Chen Lishu seized the opportunity, quickly opened her shoulder bag while everyone's attention was diverted, her pupils contracting, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Chen Lishu, what's your intention? You hit me with a stool. What were you thinking?" After a while, Sun Ling was helped up from the ground. Ignoring the burning pain in her leg, she angrily accused Chen Lishu.
"What does the stool falling have to do with me? Everyone saw me sitting here quietly. Besides, you bumped into it yourself because you couldn't react in time. We have no enmity between us, why would I do something so obviously foolish?"
"Yes, Sun Ling, I was close by. I saw you bump into it yourself," Zhang Xue affirmed with a knowing nod.
"Everyone knows you two are inseparable and always stick together. Of course, you'd side with her!"
As Sun Ling was about to say more, Jiang Yuwei stopped her. "It's okay, Sun Ling. Our performance is coming up soon. Let's find a place to get ready and change."
Reminded by Jiang Yuwei, Sun Ling remembered the more important matters ahead, a calculating smile appearing in her eyes as she looked at Chen Lishu.
"Oh dear, where are our performance outfits?"
Soon, Sun Ling pointed at the table in front of Chen Lishu. "Yuwei and I left our clothes on the table when we went to the restroom."
Prompted by her, someone who had stayed backstage quickly corroborated, "I remember that. They even asked Chen Lishu and the other two to keep an eye on them."
With that testimony, everyone's gaze turned to Chen Lishu, Zhang Xue, and Yang Lili.
Zhang Xue became agitated. "We just came back from the front stage. Why are you all looking at us? Who agreed to watch your things just because you asked? If you don't keep your belongings properly, whose fault is it?"
"Each of my outfits costs twenty yuan. Who knows if you secretly hid them before going on stage?"
"You're spouting nonsense! Is a twenty-yuan outfit that great? Do you really think we're desperate for your cheap clothes? We wouldn't even want them if they were given to us for free."
"I don't know if you care, Zhang Xue, but the two beside you are from the countryside. Perhaps they've never seen anything good before, so they got greedy and hid my and Yuwei's clothes."
"Sun Ling, I... we really didn't take your clothes. I only brought this one shoulder bag today. You can look if you don't believe me."
Yang Lili, flustered and anxious by her words, eagerly pulled her shoulder bag from the chair and opened it for everyone to see.
Seeing that there was nothing but a hat and gloves inside, everyone's gaze shifted to Chen Lishu.
"To prove your innocence, why don't you show us your bag too?" Sun Ling asked with a hint of urgency.
Chen Lishu glanced at everyone, her gaze finally settling on Sun Ling. "Why should I show you my bag to prove my innocence? If I show you, doesn't that mean I accept your suspicion? Besides, it's just two pieces of clothing. They're nothing in my eyes."
"...Next, please welcome Jiang Yuwei and Sun Ling from the Class of '77 English major to the stage for their performance."
As the few of them were in a stalemate, the host on the front stage suddenly called the two to come up.
In this era, being able to play a musical instrument was a rare skill, especially after the decade of turmoil. Being able to play Western instruments was even rarer. Thus, the department had placed Sun Ling and Jiang Yuwei's performance in the final, climactic slot.
However, with the matter of the stolen clothes unresolved, Sun Ling and Jiang Yuwei had no intention of going on stage.
In fact, they hoped to escalate the situation further. Then, a teacher would surely intervene. Caught red-handed in front of everyone, Chen Lishu would have no defense. Someone with questionable character would not only be unable to become an assistant lecturer but might even be expelled from school.
"Didn't you say you didn't take our clothes? Then why are you afraid to let us search your bag now?" Sun Ling said, reaching for Chen Lishu's shoulder bag, only to be roughly pushed aside by the latter, nearly causing her to fall.
"Why should I let you search my bag? Are you a police officer or a judicial officer? Do you have that right?"
"What's going on here?"
A student ran to the front to report the situation, and soon, their homeroom teacher, Chen Yinchu, the department head, Huang Jianjun, and the counselor entered from outside.
"Teacher, Head..." Sun Ling, seeing the two arrive, immediately and angrily recounted the events with embellishments.
"Teacher, Head, it's not that I don't want them to search, but they are truly insulting. Instead of looking for the lost clothes, their first thought is that we stole them. If nothing is found in the end, will they simply dismiss it by saying it was all a misunderstanding?"
After listening to Chen Lishu, Chen Yinchu and Huang Jianjun both nodded.
"Losing things is not a minor issue, and stealing is even more serious."
"Teacher, Head, for fairness, why don't we all have our bags checked?"
The counselor, a student from the Class of '75, who generally had a good impression of Chen Lishu and the others, made the suggestion.