After Teasing the Villain and Running Away - Chapter 13

Jiang Ruosheng’s shoulders and back were straight and slender. The angle at which she bent over caused her white blouse to outline the elegant contours of her bones, her raised shoulder blades resembling fluttering butterflies. Her waist-length curly hair nearly brushed the floor.

Ruan Xin instinctively reached out to lift it, but the moment her fingers touched the warmth of Jiang Ruosheng’s body, they stiffened involuntarily. Her expression shifted slightly.

Unaware of Ruan Xin’s reaction, Jiang Ruosheng urged, “Hurry up, didn’t you say we’re running late? Old Chen is on duty for morning study hall today—don’t drag me down with you.”

“Got it,” came a muffled reply before a soft, fragrant body pressed against her back. Ruan Xin’s long arms rested lightly on Jiang Ruosheng’s shoulders.

Jiang Ruosheng straightened up, hooking her arms under Ruan Xin’s thighs and adjusting her grip slightly. The skin beneath her hands was smooth as milk, and Ruan Xin’s weight was surprisingly light, clinging to her back so obediently it was as if she barely existed.

The Ruan Xin-brand backpack accessory—worth every penny.

Perched on Jiang Ruosheng’s back, Ruan Xin’s mind wandered. The words Jiang Ruosheng had just spoken to the servants still echoed in her ears.

It wasn’t the first time Jiang Ruosheng had lumped her in with “the Jiang family.” And from the sound of it, she was being oddly protective?

This feeling was… novel. Ruan Xin lowered her gaze. Though she didn’t understand the reason behind Jiang Ruosheng’s sudden change, if this was some new twisted game, she wouldn’t mind playing along.

Jiang Ruosheng felt the sudden tightening of fingers on her shoulders and assumed Ruan Xin’s foot was hurting, so she slowed her pace even more.

Yet, in the end, they still managed to be spectacularly late.

The classroom buzzed with the sound of students reciting lessons, though many were merely going through the motions—mouthing AO physiology formulas while their heads turned toward the window, watching Jiang Ruosheng get lectured.

Old Chen’s voice boomed unnervingly loud, drowning out even the mindless drone of rote recitation. His words reverberated down the hallway and seeped into the classroom.

Gradually, the recitations died down as students pricked up their ears, wishing they could press themselves against the door.

And for good reason—the information was just too juicy.

“Late again, and with excuses? What’s next, helping a little old lady cross the street? Carrying an injured classmate to school? If you’re late one more time, don’t bother coming to morning study hall!”

“Ruan Xin got hurt at your place, and you had to bandage her up—that’s why you’re late? You expect me to believe that?”

“Dragging Ruan Xin into this? It’s obvious you forced her. Stop making up excuses to bully people!”

“…You want me to trust you, Jiang Ruosheng? Have you even seen your test scores? Dead last in the class—you should be ashamed!”

Every word of the scolding reached the eavesdropping students, who then turned their gazes toward the other party involved, sitting in the corner of the classroom.

Ruan Xin kept her head down, murmuring along with her textbook. Even when her name was mentioned, her expression remained unreadable, as if it had nothing to do with her.

Beneath the desk, her foot was wrapped in layer after layer of bandages, suggesting a serious injury.

The class exchanged knowing glances. The foot injury was real. Living with the Jiang family was real. Being carried to school by Jiang Ruosheng—also real. Pieced together, the fragments formed a clear picture.

After finally managing to argue her way out of trouble—and miraculously avoiding a deduction from her already meager conduct points—Jiang Ruosheng dragged her exhausted body back to the classroom.

But… why were people looking at her with such strange expressions?

Their gazes held disbelief mixed with accusation and criticism, resentment tinged with indignation and an intense aversion to even looking at her.

Under the scrutiny of these piercing stares, Jiang Ruosheng felt thoroughly insulted.

What on earth had happened?

Her brows furrowed tightly as her cold, intimidating aura swept across the room, forcing all those bold enough to stare at her with odd looks to avert their eyes.

Was being late such a crime that they had to look at her like she was some death row inmate?

The corner of Jiang Ruosheng’s mouth twitched in exasperation. Was she attending school or being sent to prison?

No sooner had she taken her seat than the eyes of several rows of classmates swiveled toward her. Qi Qian in front of her couldn’t help but blurt out, “Jiang-jie, you and—”

“Turn around!” Jiang Ruosheng pinched the bridge of her nose irritably, cutting him off mid-sentence.

“Everyone, turn around!” she added impatiently.

The others froze, baffled by Jiang Ruosheng’s sudden domineering presence, but their bodies instinctively obeyed her commanding tone.

Qi Qian complied too, but quickly snapped out of it. “Wait, why did I turn around? I was trying to ask—”

“What’s with all the chatter? If you don’t want to attend morning self-study, then get out—and don’t bother coming to my class ever again.” Teacher Koukou Chen stormed back to the podium, her glasses glinting ominously as she threatened in an even more terrifying voice, “I’ll deduct all your usual grades to zero.”

Unaware of her deskmate Qiao Nan’s hesitant expression, Jiang Ruosheng finally felt the world quiet down as more enthusiastic recitations filled the air.

Little did she know, she had just missed her only chance to salvage her reputation and clear her name.

In school, gossip and rumors spread the fastest. After being passed from mouth to mouth, the truth would be distorted beyond recognition.

By noon, the story of Jiang Ruosheng and Ruan Xin being late had spread like wildfire—with multiple versions to boot.

Version One: Ruan Xin, who lived with the Jiang family, had angered Jiang Ruosheng and gotten her foot injured. Hobbling to school, she was then forced by Jiang Ruosheng to carry her as an excuse for being late.

Version Two: Ruan Xin, who lived in the Jiang family’s basement, had ventured upstairs into the main house, angering Jiang Ruosheng, who kicked her down the stairs and broke her foot. Afraid Ruan Xin might talk, Jiang Ruosheng then pretended to be kind by carrying her to school.

Version Three: Realizing she was about to be late, Jiang Ruosheng deliberately stomped on Ruan Xin’s foot to break it, fabricating a story about helping someone in need to excuse their tardiness.

Qiao Nan recounted all three versions with relish. “Personally, I think the first one’s the most believable. What do you think, Ruosheng?”

Jiang Ruosheng’s murderous intent was barely concealed. “They’re all garbage.”

“How did these even start? Why is Ruan Xin’s injury my fault in every version?”

What was she, some kind of villain?

Jiang Ruosheng gritted her teeth. “Can’t I just be helping someone? Ruan Xin did get hurt at my house, but it wasn’t me who did it.”

Qiao Nan shrugged. “Well, before this, only a few people in our class knew you liked bullying Ruan Xin. Now, the whole school knows.”

This baseless rumor circulated through St. Thomas Academy for three days, attracting crowds who came to see the supposedly deranged new campus tyrant. Jiang Ruosheng gnawed on her incomprehensible textbook, her mood hitting rock bottom. The icy expression on her face grew colder by the day, mirroring the dropping temperatures around her.

Qiao Nan rubbed the goosebumps on her arm while sitting beside the “Great Demon King.” “You should look on the bright side. Haven’t you noticed more omegas coming to see you today?”

“No,” Jiang Ruosheng replied coldly.

“Beautiful people really are different. Even when they’re cursing you, they suddenly start praising your divine looks.” Qiao Nan handed her phone to Jiang Ruosheng and pursed her lips. “Look, some are even talking about forming a fan club for you, campaigning to get you into the top three Alpha rankings.”

The phone screen displayed a large discussion group with over 999 new messages. The group name read “St. Thomas Royalty Gathering Spot.”

Too exhausted to comment on the pretentious yet tacky group name, Jiang Ruosheng’s eyes immediately landed on the latest pinned post in bright red:

—”Exposing That Campus Tyrant Jiang Who Makes Us Love and Hate Her~ Mom, I Think I’m in Love.”

The original post detailed how a junior, drawn by Jiang Ruosheng’s “notorious reputation,” ended up captivated by her beauty and switched from hater to fan. The discussion below had thousands of replies—some passionately cursing for dozens of posts, others torn between shock and admiration for her stunning looks, and some simply waiting to join the fan club.

“1213L: My only question is why Jiang Ruosheng wasn’t on last year’s Top Alpha ranking?”

“1214L: Same here! She’s been here for a year, and only now discovered? What a hidden gem of a top-tier Alpha!”

“1215L: Probably because of her terrible reputation?? Just guessing—everyone in the neighboring classes knows she’s not to be messed with.”

“1216L: She’s seriously both handsome and coldly elegant—an untouchable flower, a domineering top Alpha. That aura, who gets it? WHO GETS IT?”

“1217L: We get it. We all get it. That refined yet wicked vibe is irresistible… Add a cigarette, and she’d perfectly hit all my aesthetic preferences.”

“1218L: The ranking next door added her. As expected of the group leader—St. Thomas’s Royal Knight Captain works fast.”

“1219L: Let’s vote for Jiang Ruosheng! I want her in the top three.”

Qiao Nan, “The tide’s turning. Those rumors are dying down. Honestly, you should take this chance to market your beauty properly.”

Jiang Ruosheng expressionlessly returned the phone. “Not interested. No time. I’m studying.”

A crack appeared in Qiao Nan’s composure as she tapped the freshly graded physiology test: “…You really wanna say that while holding this twelve-point exam?”

Jiang Ruosheng’s face twisted as she clutched her shattered academic pride, barely resisting the urge to tear the paper to shreds.

She had never scored this low before.

Twelve points out of a hundred—even the old Jiang Ruosheng had never sunk this far.

No wonder Professor Chen steamed with rage whenever he saw her now.

Jiang Ruosheng tightened her grip on her pen. “…Don’t distract me.”

Qiao Nan sighed. “Fine, I won’t distract you. Not even if your crush is chatting happily with your sworn enemy.”

Jiang Ruosheng was momentarily stunned, pondering the concepts of “goddess” and “mortal enemy” before suddenly turning her gaze toward Ruan Xin’s seat.

There, Su Qi was placing a packet of nutritional powder on Ruan Xin’s desk, smiling as she chatted with her. After a while, she crouched down with a concerned expression to examine Ruan Xin’s heavily bandaged foot peeking out from under the desk.

Seeming somewhat embarrassed, Ruan Xin quickly tucked her foot back and slipped on the oversized plush slipper.

Su Qi then stood up again, enthusiastically saying something while preparing the nutritional drink for her. Ruan Xin kept waving her hands in polite refusal by her side.

Jiang Ruosheng frowned, her expression complicated.

Over the three days since Ruan Xin’s injury, Su Qi had visited her seat at least three to five times daily without fail.

This “care package delivery” routine was getting excessive. Watching their relationship visibly warm up, Jiang Ruosheng felt increasingly agitated.

Qiao Nan noticed Jiang Ruosheng’s laser-focused stare: “No interest in voting or studying, just obsessed with Su Qi, huh? Relax—Su Qi’s just being softhearted helping Ruan Xin. She’s the class monitor after all; caring for classmates is normal.”

“If you’re jealous, why direct it at Ruan Xin? Shouldn’t your target be… Xin Ran?” Qiao Nan’s tone abruptly shifted.

Following her gaze toward the classroom door, Jiang Ruosheng saw a mature, sexy woman with domineering aura glaring displeasedly at the chatting pair.

None other than Xin Ran, returned from her heat cycle.

Ding! New character unlocked.

Name: Xin Ran

Personality: Arrogant yet charming, combat skills off the charts.

Danger Level: 50%

Friendly reminder: She’s a love-struck fool.

Sensing the brewing storm of a love triangle, Jiang Ruosheng’s frown deepened enough to crush flies.

If Xin Ran nearly beat Ruan Xin to death—should she intervene?