After Scumming The Eldest Lady Of A Wealthy Family - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

In late October, the temperature dropped sharply. After an autumn rain the previous night, it felt like winter had already arrived.

The drains were clogged with garbage, and the rainwater, unable to flow away, surged over the steps and flooded the ground floor of the apartment building. After the rain stopped, it slowly receded, leaving behind trash no one came to clean up.

A strange stench lingered in the air. The hallway was crammed full of electric scooters and bicycles, almost completely blocking the exit.

Wen Yan tiptoed and, familiar with the way, deftly maneuvered through the narrow gaps to get out.

The bicycle parked below had been rinsed clean by the rain, but the rust on the frame was now even more apparent. Wen Yan pulled off the plastic covering on the seat and shook off the water droplets clinging to the bike.

“Wen Yan!”

Hurried footsteps echoed from the stairwell. A figure ran out of the building, but Wen Yan didn’t even look back. She got on her bike and rode away.

Her tires rolled across the damp pavement. Twenty minutes later, she arrived at the north side of the school.

Every school had its share of rebellious teens, and City No.1 High School was no exception.

They liked to hang out in groups around the north and south sides of the school, smoking cigarettes with exaggerated bravado, puffing out clouds of smoke while casting provocative glances at passersby—showing off their “don’t mess with me” attitude.

If it weren’t for the parking restrictions and fees at the school’s main entrance, Wen Yan wouldn’t have parked her bike here either.

After locking her bike, she avoided the troublemakers loitering nearby and quickened her pace toward the school gate.

The junior high and senior high divisions of City No.1 shared the same campus. There weren’t many dorms on-site, and priority was given to students in their final years. For the other grades, about a third of each class commuted from home.

Perhaps because of the rain last night, many parents were driving their children to school that morning. The street leading to the school gate was jammed with traffic, and the honking was relentless and irritating.

Suddenly, a gap opened up in the dense traffic. A sleek, obviously expensive car glided through it. The vehicles on both sides kept their distance, and even the honking seemed to quiet down.

Wen Yan didn’t know car brands, but some cars were obviously luxurious even if you didn’t recognize the make.

Like the long, polished, gleaming luxury vehicle that had just pulled up—avoided by every other car on the road.

That was the private car of the recently transferred heiress—Xie Buchi.

“What are you staring at? Trying to suck up to your class’s princess again?”

Caught off guard, Wen Yan was shoved hard from behind. She stumbled, barely catching herself by grabbing the tall black iron fence set into the stone wall.

She steadied herself and straightened up. Wen Yan turned around to face a group of boys, three to five of them with their arms slung over one another. The ringleader had a buzz cut and wore his school uniform unzipped, grinning smugly and acting all playful.

“Always sucking up to her, but the rich girl doesn’t even care to look at you. Can’t you tell? Or do you not know what shame is?”

The boys around him jeered: “What do you know? That’s called persistence! Too bad it’s wasted. If Xie Buchi were a guy, maybe it would work. But she’s a girl, too bad!”

“Come on, what’s so wrong with Wen Yan wanting to cling to someone powerful? Her family’s dirt poor. If Xie Buchi dropped even a few coins, it’d be enough to pay for her sick mom, her crippled sister, and her cheating dad. Being a lackey is a good deal!”

“If you ask me, since Xie Buchi clearly isn’t buying it, she should just suck up to someone else. Our Chen-ge’s family is rich too. Why not go kiss his shoes?”

Buzz-cut guy looked a little uncomfortable and snapped, “Stop spouting nonsense! Just because Xie Buchi doesn’t like her doesn’t mean I do! I’ve got better taste than that…”

All the noise faded into the background for Wen Yan. Her attention was locked on the luxury car that slowly rolled to a stop about ten meters from the school gate.

It was close.

The sharply dressed chauffeur stepped out from the driver’s seat and walked around to open the rear door.

“Hey! I’m talking to you! Are you deaf?” Buzz-cut guy suddenly raised his voice in irritation.

Through the gap between the bodies, Wen Yan’s gaze met Xie Buchi’s just as she stepped out of the car.

Xie Buchi’s eyes lingered on her for only two seconds before she looked away, slung her bag over one shoulder, and walked toward the gate.

Wen Yan called out, “Xie Buchi!”

Xie Buchi acted like she hadn’t heard her and quickly disappeared out of sight.

Buzz-cut guy blocked Wen Yan’s way, sneering, “Didn’t you see? She doesn’t care about you. Stop wasting your time.”

Wen Yan clicked her tongue and finally looked him in the eye. “Can’t you see I don’t care about you?”

His little gang suddenly fell silent. The change in tone and the look in her eyes made Buzz-cut guy squirm. He lashed out, “Don’t flatter yourself! I’d never go for a bootlicker like you!”

Wen Yan replied, “A good dog doesn’t block the road. Move.”

“You just call me a dog?!” Buzz-cut guy’s voice shot up as he seized on the excuse to reach for her. “I’m gonna teach you a lesson today!”

Wen Yan dodged and reached behind her to grab her backpack strap, ready to swing it at him and bolt. The school gate wasn’t far—she could run there, find a teacher, and settle the problem for now. Later, she’d find a quiet spot to give him a proper beating.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!”

Before the backpack could land, a stern teacher from the school gate arrived with a security guard, barking furiously.

The little gang that had been full of bravado scattered like startled birds within seconds.

Wen Yan moved fast. Just as buzz-cut guy tried to flee, she stuck out her foot and tripped him. He crashed to the ground with a howl of pain—caught red-handed by the teacher and security guard.

“What were you all doing? Ganging up to bully a classmate?”

“I didn’t! She tripped me on purpose!” Buzz-cut guy cried, his face twisted with pain.

His chin was scraped and bleeding, his limbs still tingling with pain. Meanwhile, Wen Yan didn’t have a scratch on her.

She lowered her head, lips tightly pressed together, looking like a frightened little rabbit.

The teacher thought she looked familiar. After a closer look, he remembered—Wen Yan from Class 1, Grade 11. Poor background, but diligent, top of her class, her photo still hung on the honor roll. The homeroom teacher often praised her.

The teacher softened his tone and gently patted her arm. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here now. Tell me—was he bullying you just now?”

Wen Yan bit her lip and glanced timidly at the snarling buzz-cut guy, then bowed her head. “He and his friends cornered me. He said… if I didn’t agree, he’d teach me a lesson.”

She deliberately left the “what” he wanted vague, letting the teacher’s imagination fill in the blanks.

The teacher’s face darkened. A delinquent cornering a pretty, well-behaved student—what kind of sinister ideas could he have had?

Buzz-cut guy growled, “She provoked me first!”

Wen Yan didn’t argue. She just hid behind the teacher, pretending to be scared, then lazily looked up at buzz-cut with a hint of mocking amusement at the corner of her lips.

Buzz-cut guy shouted, “Teacher! Did you see that—”

“Enough!” the teacher snapped. “I saw you all ganging up on her when I arrived! Still trying to deny it?”

“Do you even know you’re in high school now? Do you know what it means to be a student? Instead of studying, you spend your time bullying classmates! Do your parents know what you’re doing?!”

The bell for morning class prep rang from the speakers. The teacher turned to Wen Yan and spoke gently, “Class is starting—go on to your classroom. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure this is handled properly.”

Wen Yan nodded obediently, sincerely thanked him, and turned to leave.

“What class are you in? Who were the boys with you? Names?” the teacher barked behind her. “Not talking? Then I’ll take a photo and send it to the class group chat—let your homeroom teacher identify you!”

The bell ended, and the wind carried the teacher’s angry voice behind her. A slight smile curled on Wen Yan’s lips.

She didn’t look back once as she entered the school.

She figured things would be quiet for a while.

But it was strange. Security guards usually stayed in the booth, and teachers stood inside the school gate. How had they shown up so quickly?

Could someone have tipped them off?

Who?

For no reason, Xie Buchi’s cold, elegant face flashed through Wen Yan’s mind—but she quickly dismissed the thought.

Impossible.

A proud and aloof heiress like Xie Buchi wouldn’t help her.

After her family ran into trouble, Wen Yan had taken two years off from school. When she returned, she was placed in Class 1 of Grade 11. Two weeks later, Xie Buchi transferred in. Wen Yan was her seatmate by default—hers was the only open seat.

Everyone in class was envious—not because of Xie Buchi’s looks or grades, but because on the day she arrived, her entourage handed out expensive fountain pens as gifts to every student.

As Xie Buchi’s desk mate, Wen Yan received an extra gift—a pair of wireless earbuds worth over 3,000 yuan.

Later, as classmates gossiped, Wen Yan learned that Xie Buchi’s family owned a luxury goods company in Luo Hai. The pens that cost thousands were nothing to them.

The wealthy heiress quickly became the most sought-after figure in school. Everyone wanted to befriend her and ride her coattails.

Wen Yan was no exception.

She sold the pen and earbuds for 4,000 yuan—more than what she made in a whole month of part-time work.

And that was just one of the dozens of welcome gifts Xie Buchi handed out.

Using her desk mate status, Wen Yan tried her best to get close to her—friendly, attentive, even flattering—but with little effect. Within days, the class monitor had arranged a seat swap under some excuse.

Xie Buchi didn’t react at all to the change. She clearly didn’t care who she sat with. Wen Yan, moving from the back to a better spot, had no grounds to complain.

There were too many people eager to get close to Xie Buchi. Even after being her desk mate for a few days, she probably didn’t even remember Wen Yan’s name.

But Wen Yan hadn’t given up. She knew her chance would come soon.

The cold, socially clueless heiress always kept people at arm’s length—whether it was scheming or genuine kindness, she met everything with apathy and distance.

No one ever got anything out of her. They just hit wall after wall, and left frustrated.

Students, sheltered and idealistic, raised to believe “everyone is equal,” weren’t prepared for the cruel reality of class division. To them, school was half their world.

At first, the gap between her and everyone else seemed to fade. But gradually, Xie Buchi changed in their eyes—from a dazzling heiress to a cold, rude, standoffish snob.

In less than a month, the classmates who once flocked to her stopped talking to her altogether.

And finally, Wen Yan’s chance came.