After Becoming the Abused Heroine in a Campus Story - Chapter 14: If You’d Been This Smart Earlier, None of This Would’ve Happened...

Chapter 14: If You’d Been This Smart Earlier, None of This Would’ve Happened…

[Are you there? I’ve got some leads on the confession wall issue. I had someone trace the IP address of the person who posted it. They posted from an internet café on the street behind the school, but it’s a big place, so it’s hard to pinpoint who it was.]

[That’s fine. The confession wall has the exact posting time. The person who posted my love letter is definitely from our school. We can check the surveillance footage later.]

[Got it. I’ll have someone check the surveillance tomorrow morning.] Jiang Xianzhi lay on her soft bed, her fingertips lightly tapping the phone screen as she typed this message.

[Thanks, I appreciate your help with this. (Doggy rubbing jpg)]

Jiang Xianzhi saw the emoji Zhou Yining sent and her eyes curved with a smile. “Childish.”

Though she called it childish, she immediately sent Zhou Yining an emoji back.

[Petting dog head jpg]

The two chatted for a while. Jiang Xianzhi felt in a great mood as she got ready to sleep.

Zhou Yining felt a bit relieved. Not catching the person left a thorn in her heart.

She soon fell into a deep sleep. The next morning, Zhou Yining woke up to her alarm as usual.

In the living room, Zhou Jiaming and Zhou Yuanfei were laughing and talking about something. Zhou Yining ignored them and went straight to the bathroom.

Zhou Yuanfei’s face darkened when he saw himself ignored. “How rude.”

“Dad, she’s got issues. Acting like everyone owes her something. She’s such a jinx.” Zhou Jiaming added fuel to the fire.

Zhou Yuanfei took a few heavy breaths. “Good thing I have you. If I relied on her, I’d starve to death.”

“Exactly, exactly.” Zhou Jiaming gloated.

Zhou Yining washed her face and changed in the bathroom. Then she went to the living room, acting as if Zhou Yuanfei and Zhou Jiaming weren’t there. She sat at the dining table, waiting to eat.

Zhou Yuanfei’s face grew even darker. He glared at Zhou Yining and scolded, “Ungrateful brat. Your mom’s busy in the kitchen, and you can’t even help?”

Zhou Yining looked at Zhou Yuanfei. Under the table, she turned on her phone’s recording function. “Yeah, my mom’s busy in the kitchen. Why aren’t you helping? Is your hand broken or your leg? Do you need someone to serve you your meal?”

“You’re out of line! I married a wife to do housework. If your mom doesn’t do it, what’s she good for?” Zhou Yuanfei was so angry he threw his chopsticks across the room.

Zhou Yining laughed in anger. “Marriage is supposed to be equal. No one’s obligated to do housework. Being your wife must be miserable. My mom’s just a maid you married, huh? Middle-aged men like you with your patriarchal attitude are disgusting. What era do you think this is, still pushing male superiority?”

“Zhou Yining, you think I won’t hit you?” Zhou Yuanfei said, raising his hand.

Zhou Yining pulled out her phone. “Go ahead, hit me. I’ll call the police afterward, get a medical check, and take the police report to your workplace. I’ll let everyone see what kind of person you are. Favoring sons over daughters is bad enough, treating your wife like a maid, and hitting your daughter. Let’s see which company would still hire you.”

“Zhou Yining, you dare!” Zhou Yuanfei was so furious the veins on his forehead bulged. He rushed toward Zhou Yining to grab her.

Zhou Yining didn’t dodge. She just looked at him coldly. “Hit me. Men like you with no real ability can only rage at home.”

Zhou Yuanfei, ignoring everything, tried to grab Zhou Yining. Zhou Jiaming shrank to the side, stunned. Was this his meek sister? She was like dynamite, daring to go head-to-head with their dad?

In the end, Zhao Xiuna rushed out from the kitchen and stopped Zhou Yuanfei. She cried as she pleaded, “Both of you, say less. Yining, how can you talk to your dad like that? He works so hard every day for you…”

Zhou Yining cut her off before she could finish. “Stop. That sounds fake. You could say it’s all for his precious son, maybe.”

Zhou Yining continued, “Anyone who’s not blind can see your bias toward Zhou Jiaming. We’re both your kids, but Zhou Jiaming’s decked out in brand-name clothes, even his baseball cap is the latest season’s. Look at me. All my clothes are cheap brands, and they’re old. Ask yourself, as parents, have you really been fair?”

Tears were still on Zhao Xiuna’s face. She didn’t expect Zhou Yining to say these things so bluntly. She froze for a moment but quickly recovered. “Yining, are you blaming me? You didn’t used to be so aggressive.”

“True. The old me was a meek lamb anyone could step on. But now I’m dynamite. If I’m unhappy, I explode. If someone messes with me, no one’s getting off easy.”

Zhou Yining said, looking provocatively at Zhou Yuanfei. “Don’t believe me? Try hitting me. I’ll make sure you lose your job. Isn’t it just about who’s more ruthless? I don’t care about anything now.”

“You, you, you’re trying to kill me with anger.” Zhou Yuanfei’s chest heaved, his anger stuck with nowhere to go.

“Yining, I’m begging you, say less.” Zhao Xiuna sobbed.

Zhou Yining shook her head and mocked, “What a fitting pair. Honestly, you two are quite the match.”

Zhao Xiuna and Zhou Yuanfei never imagined Zhou Yining would mock them like this. Was this still their timid daughter?

Zhou Yining looked at them and said, “Don’t stir up trouble for no reason. I didn’t want to get mad today. Zhou Yuanfei, if you hadn’t provoked me, I wouldn’t have said this. I’m not hungry for breakfast anymore. Give me some money. I’ll eat out.”

“You’ve got the nerve to ask for money?” Zhou Yuanfei was so angry he could’ve strangled her.

“Why not? Otherwise, I’ll take a bowl and beg at the neighborhood entrance. If the family that favors sons won’t feed me, I can’t starve, can I?”

Saying this, Zhou Yining went to the kitchen, grabbed a bowl, and walked out. She picked up her backpack in the dining room and, ignoring Zhou Yuanfei and Zhao Xiuna’s shock, left the house with the bowl.

Zhou Yuanfei swallowed hard. He spoke as if comforting Zhao Xiuna and Zhou Jiaming, or maybe himself. “No way. She’s a girl. She wouldn’t have the face to do something like that. That little beast just wants to piss me off.”

At this moment, Zhou Jiaming, who hadn’t spoken, said, “Dad, what if she really begs at the neighborhood entrance?”

Zhou Yuanfei choked, unable to catch his breath. “Go check on her. Don’t let her do something so embarrassing.”

“Okay, okay.” Zhou Jiaming was stunned and rushed out. Zhao Xiuna stopped him. “Jiaming, here’s fifty yuan. Give it to your sister.”

Zhou Jiaming reluctantly took the money and jogged out.

When he reached the neighborhood entrance, he saw Zhou Yining holding the bowl, about to squat down. His eyes widened, and he rushed over.

This neighborhood had his classmates. If they saw his sister begging, how could he face going to school?

“Wait, Zhou Yining, here’s fifty yuan from Mom. Stop this. It’s so embarrassing.” Zhou Jiaming whispered, holding out the money.

“Not embarrassing. I don’t mind. Why do you?” Zhou Yining didn’t take the money and sat smugly on a stone post at the entrance.

Under Zhou Jiaming’s shocked gaze, Zhou Yining shouted loudly, “Uncles and aunties, spare some change!”

Zhou Jiaming wanted to cry. He rushed over. “What are you doing? I gave you the money already!”

Zhou Yining looked at Zhou Jiaming. “Fifty’s too little.”

Zhou Jiaming saw people looking their way. He wanted to cry. Seeing Zhou Yining about to shout again, he quickly stopped her. “Don’t shout. I’ve got another fifty. It’s all yours.”

He gritted his teeth, took out another fifty from his pocket, smoothed out the two fifty-yuan bills, and handed them to Zhou Yining.

Zhou Yining took the money and stuffed the bowl into Zhou Jiaming’s arms. “If you’d been this smart earlier, none of this would’ve happened. What a hassle.”

Zhou Yining took the money and walked to school in a great mood, leaving Zhou Jiaming holding the bowl, his face twitching.

He muttered under his breath, “She’s crazy. Really crazy.”

Though he used to dislike Zhou Yining, the old Zhou Yining was kind to him, always patient and putting him first. But now? She was like dynamite, ready to explode and take the whole family down.

He looked at the bowl in his hands, his teeth grinding. She even swindled his fifty yuan allowance!

Zhou Jiaming trudged home. Zhao Xiuna had calmed Zhou Yuanfei down. Seeing only Zhou Jiaming return, she quickly asked, “Jiaming, how’s your sister?”

Zhou Jiaming put the bowl on the table and said glumly, “When I went out, she’d already picked a spot. She really meant to beg. She even shouted once. I had no choice but to give her the money. Oh, and she said fifty was too little, so I gave her my own fifty too.”

“How outrageous. How did I end up with a daughter like this?” Zhou Yuanfei was furious. He couldn’t believe his once quiet daughter had become so brazen. No, he had to find a way to deal with her.

“Forget it. Maybe she’s under too much academic pressure. Let’s not fight. The house hasn’t felt like home these days.” Zhao Xiuna’s eyes reddened as she spoke. Her daughter was now even defying her.

“What pressure could she have? I don’t believe there’s no way to make her back down.” Zhou Yuanfei said angrily.