“Do you think I care?” Zhao Yu snorted disdainfully. She went back to her seat with the materials that Tang Mengran gave her just now.

  If possible, she did not want to talk to Xu Tingting, lest other people misunderstood that Xu Tingting and her were in cahoots and that they started the rumor about Qiao Nan.

  Xu Tingting noticed the disdainful look on Zhao Yu’s face. She was so angry that her teeth hurt.

  Xu Tingting did not know that there were more to come.

  During the self-study session at night, Xu Tingting had just finished ‘chatting’ with the boy from the next class who came from a good family background. She passed by a corner and was about to go back to her dormitory when a sack was put over her head. Everything turned black in an instant.

  “I have beaten you up previously. You must have forgotten about it.” Zhu Baoguo threw punches at Xu Tingting with a sullen expression.

  Despite taking his punches, this woman could only behave well for a year.

  “Don’t bother to talk sense into her. Let’s beat her up. It is no use to talk reason with her. It is a waste of our time.” Shi Qing was more straightforward. Her only purpose today was to give Xu Tingting a beating.

  Shi Qing and Zhu Baoguo had spent enough time in the army to know the trick to beating people such that it would be painful but would not leave many bruises.

  Xu Tingting was lucky enough for them to use what they had learned in the army on her.

  “Xu Tingting, let me warn you. Since you like to use your mouth, we will use our hands on you. In the future, we will give you a beating every time you use that mouth of yours. I don’t believe that you will not admit defeat.” To them, it was merely having a few more sandbags to play with.

  “I don’t dare to do it anymore.” Xu Tingting might be reluctant to admit her mistakes, but she could not stand the punches.

  That was why she behaved herself after she was beaten up by Zhu Baoguo a year ago. However, she only did so for a year before she went back to her old ways.

  \r \r \r

  Zhu Baoguo and Shi Qing stopped the beating. They were not worried that Xu Tingting would go back on her words. After all, if she stirred up trouble again, they would just have to beat her up again.

  Zhu Baoguo and Shi Qing left at the fastest speed afterward.

  It was getting late. It was time for all students to return to their dormitory. The person-in-charge would be on their way to check the rooms.

  Xu Tingting freed herself from the sack after she could no longer hear any footsteps. She rubbed at the places that were aching. There were tears and snot all over her face.

  “Qiao Nan, I am not finished with you!” She did not believe that Qiao Nan would be so lucky all her life, and that there would always be someone to protect her. She would not stop until she defeated Qiao Nan.

  Xu Tingting was given a beating. Naturally, she wanted to get back at Qiao Nan and Zhu Baoguo.

  Xu Tingting went to the hospital after being beaten previously, but the doctor said that there were no bruises, wounds, or even parts that were swollen. Although she complained that she was in pain and had been beaten by others, the doctors could not tell from his observation. Hence, he could not give the diagnosis that she had been beaten.

  When Xu Tingting refused to accept the doctor’s diagnosis, the doctor suggested for Xu Tingting to have an X-ray.

  In the end, Xu Tingting gave up proving that she had been beaten.

  This time, Xu Tingting knew that her condition was similar to what happened previously.

  Xu Tingting limped back to her dormitory and took off her clothes. True enough, like what the doctor said last time, there was no wound or bruise on her fair skin. If she were to say that she had been beaten by people, no one would believe her.

  Xu Tingting might have maintained her results, but she was no longer the leader in the dormitory.

  She had no idea what exactly had happened. However, all of the third-year students and her own classmates, including her roommates, alienated her and ignored her.

  As a result, although she limped around in the dormitory, the seven people in the dormitory did not bother to show concern for her.

  Xu Tingting lay down on the bed and covered herself with the blanket. She whimpered under the blanket, feeling wronged and sorry for herself.

  Qiao Nan was being too aggressive. Qiao Nan already had everything she wanted, yet she ganged up with everyone to bully her.

  The next day, Xu Tingting woke up feeling tired. She had a date with her ‘new friend’ around noontime, thinking that she could pour her grievances to him.

  In the end, she did not have the chance to complain to her friend before he told her a piece of shocking news. “Xu Tingting, I…… I can’t be friends with you anymore. Please return the revision materials to me.”

  “W-why?” When Zhao Yu and Xu Tingting were ostracized by their classmates, Zhao Yu had tried to get the revision materials from the teacher, but Xu Tingting did not. Xu Tingting behaved as if she had no use for the revision materials. She never asked around in the class either.

  Actually, Xu Tingting was bothered that she did not have the revision materials. She only pretended not to care. She would get her hands on the revision materials through her new ‘friends’. Some of them even volunteered to make a copy for her.

  Xu Tingting was not stupid. She would not shortchange herself or do anything that would affect her results.

  The only thing that set her apart from other beautiful girls was her performance in school.

  Xu Tingting was in a panic now that her new ‘friend’ would not provide her with the revision materials anymore. He would not make a copy for her as well.

  “If I continue to give you the information and to be friends with you, it will be my turn to be without these revision materials,” the boy said resentfully.

  “Qiao Nan is too overbearing! You are innocent. You have done nothing. Why did they bully you as well? They should just come after me. This is not the first time that I am being bullied. What do they want now? Wasn’t it enough to give me a beating? Must they implicate my friends as well?” Xu Tingting was filled with indignation.

  This ‘friend’ of hers did not notice that Xu Tingting gave the impression of weakness and did not read between the lines. “Xu Tingting, I am really sorry. My family places more importance on my studies. If there’s a chance in the future, we can still be friends. But now that we are in our final year in Ping Cheng High School, you…… you must not come looking for me anymore.”

  His father said that this year was the most crucial year. If he did not do well in the exams and was unable to go to university, he could give up his dreams of having his own house and car by then.

  Xu Tingting was not the most beautiful girl in school, and her results were not among the top as well. On the contrary, Qiao Nan had the looks and the brains.

  He did not really like Xu Tingting. But seeing that she was ostracized by others, he felt attracted to her as forbidden fruit was the sweetest. He was not serious about her.

  He did not intend to sacrifice his results for Xu Tingting:

  When he had his house, his car, and money, and he was in the university, he would be able to have any kind of girlfriend that he wanted. He did not need to waste his time on Xu Tingting.