I Marked My Arch-Nemesis Omega - Chapter 22

The person stopped by Sheng Yu looked at her, then glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before speaking.

“The president was eliminated early in this competition, so this morning a few people gave her a hard time. The things they said were pretty harsh.”

“Oh, really? Who were they?”

The person thought for a moment: “Qian Wei, Yin Sheng…”

Sheng Yu nodded as the names were listed: “Thanks.”

“No problem.” The person nodded and quickly walked away, clearly not wanting to engage further with Sheng Yu.

Returning to class, Sheng Yu took out a notebook and wrote down all the names just mentioned. Including Jiang Di, there were eight in total. Apart from Jiang Di and Yin Sheng, she had no idea what the others looked like.

She stared at the names on the page, her gaze darkening.

“What are you planning to do with that?” Fu Lian glanced at Sheng Yu’s notebook. “A hit list?”

“How did you know?” Sheng Yu raised an eyebrow.

Fu Lian: …

“Do you know where I can find student photos?” Sheng Yu asked.

“The student council’s management system?” Fu Lian lowered his voice. “Why do you keep making more enemies? It’s not like you’ve been doing much lately.”

“Oh, I’m just bored and feel like stirring up trouble.”

Fu Lian: …

That was indeed a very Sheng Yu-like reason.

After a brief silence, Fu Lian advised, “Are you sure you want to target Class 1? Maybe pick someone else?”

“Alphas are more fun.” Sheng Yu closed the notebook and stuffed it into her desk. “Besides, I might just be joking with you.”

Fu Lian: …

“Fine. If you ever provoke more than three Alphas like Jiang Di, let me know. I’ll switch seats immediately,” Fu Lian said.

Sheng Yu raised an eyebrow at him. “So, as long as it’s fewer than three, you think it’s no big deal?”

Fu Lian: ???

Sheng Yu chuckled, but the smile vanished the moment she laid her head on the desk.

Truthfully, she had no real reason to stand up for Song Qing. That person didn’t need her help anyway. So why had she felt that sudden impulse to teach those people a lesson? It didn’t align with her usual behavior or personality.

She’d started questioning herself the last time she spoke up for Song Qing.

Sheng Yu took a deep breath. She’d always considered herself cold and detached, typically observing things with indifference or scorn as long as they didn’t directly involve her.

Yet here she was, about to take the initiative to defend someone else. It was unbelievable.

She tapped her fingers on the desk.

She didn’t like this feeling.

Over the next few days, Fu Lian kept a close eye on Sheng Yu’s actions. But she remained the same—sleeping in class, eating during breaks—with no major changes. The only difference was that she seemed more listless, as if wrestling with something, occasionally flashing a fleeting grimace.

Then, on Thursday evening, the last self-study session was abruptly replaced with a disciplinary announcement.

Song Qing’s emotionless voice echoed through every classroom.

“Due to the lengthy list of names, this announcement will take up the entire period. My apologies.”

“Now, we will begin reading the names of students caught with unauthorized personal devices.”

A collective gasp rippled through the classrooms.

Sheng Yu chuckled. As expected, the president didn’t need her to vent any anger on her behalf.

Song Qing read through the list from start to finish.

“Each of the students named above will write a 3,000-word self-criticism.”

“Now, we will announce the names of students who have spread false information on public platforms, slandered others, and caused severe negative consequences.”

This time, even more names were called.

“I hope everyone understands that the internet is not a lawless space. Your names are visible in the backend.”

The list this time was even longer.

Sheng Yu let out a soft laugh.

“Each of the students named above will write a 6,000-word self-criticism. For those with severe violations, the list has already been submitted to the Juvenile Management Center. Oh, and the word counts are cumulative.”

“Has Song Qing lost her mind?” someone in the class shouted—a person whose name was on the severe violations list.

Fu Lian leaned closer to Sheng Yu. “Song Qing really isn’t afraid of making enemies, huh?”

Sheng Yu smirked, licking her teeth. “Our president here has never been someone to mess with. I thought everyone knew that.”

As soon as Song Qing stepped out of the broadcasting room, she was cornered.

“Song Qing!” Yin Sheng’s eyes were red with fury. “Have you gone insane?”

Many of the posts online had been made by Yin Sheng, so her name would also be handed over to the Juvenile Management Center. If it had been anyone else reporting it, her family might have had ways to get the list removed—but not if it was Song Qing.

Having a record with the Juvenile Management Center might not be a big deal for ordinary people, but for someone like her, who planned to enlist in the military, it would affect her future promotions.

“Relying on powerful connections makes life easier, doesn’t it?” Song Qing glanced at Yin Sheng before stepping past her.

Yin Sheng demanded, “Why didn’t you care about those posts before?”

“If I’d dealt with them earlier, how could I have sent you all to the Juvenile Management Center?” Song Qing’s voice was light.

Yin Sheng froze, watching as Song Qing walked away.

Song Qing’s excuse was a lie. The truth was, she hadn’t bothered before because, in the past, the forum had mostly targeted her alone. Now, there was someone else involved.

Song Qing’s actions this time had earned her a full wave of resentment.

On Friday morning, when Sheng Yu went downstairs, she didn’t see Song Qing.

For some reason, she felt a little disappointed.

At noon, Sheng Yu went to find Song Qing.

“You haven’t been eating in the cafeteria for a long time,” Sheng Yu said, arms crossed.

Song Qing was eating another nutrient bar. Though it provided enough nutrition and kept her full, it tasted awful. Sheng Yu couldn’t understand why, in such an advanced technological era, the flavor of nutrient bars hadn’t improved at all.

She never thought she’d see someone willingly eat a nutrient bar for lunch when proper meals were available.

“Don’t feel like eating.”

“You didn’t wait for me this morning,” Sheng Yu said, picking up the cat and placing it on her lap. She stroked its fur gently, and the kitten purred contentedly, its eyes half-closed in pleasure.

Song Qing glanced at her. “Your probation period is over. There’s no need to wait for you anymore. And you haven’t been sneaking over the wall lately, have you?”

She knew Sheng Yu had run off the day she was caught watching the livestream, but occasionally turning a blind eye wasn’t out of the question.

“Tch.”

“Besides, it’s better if you keep your distance from me for now,” Song Qing added.

“I thought you weren’t afraid.”

“I’m not. But I think you should be.”

“Oh.” Sheng Yu scratched the kitten’s head and glanced at Song Qing. “Looks like I can’t leave the cat here next week?”

Song Qing: …

Song Qing looked up at Sheng Yu and remained silent for a long while.

Sheng Yu narrowed her eyes and couldn’t help but click her tongue in irritation, visibly annoyed.

“I’ll come pick up the cat tonight,” Sheng Yu said coldly.

“Oh.” Song Qing sighed.

The kitten noticed that Sheng Yu’s petting had suddenly become rougher and discontentedly patted her arm with its paw.

Sheng Yu then set it down, and the kitten stared at her blankly before meowing twice in protest.

“I’ll come get you tonight.”

With that, Sheng Yu left.

Song Qing finished her energy bar, tossed the wrapper into the trash, and glanced at the closed door again.

So, what was she upset about this time?

Song Qing reached out to pet the kitten’s head, but it dodged her again.

She sighed, unable to understand why it was so afraid of her. She was usually quite popular with other fluffy creatures.

Truly Sheng Yu’s cat.

Fu Min keenly sensed that Sheng Yu had been in an extremely foul mood since returning at noon, making his afternoon nerve-wracking.

Fortunately, school let out early on Friday. As soon as the bell rang, Fu Min bolted without looking back, his speed even stirring up a gust of wind.

When Sheng Yu went to pick up the cat, Song Qing wasn’t there. She tucked the kitten into her pocket and had just stepped out when she spotted Yin Sheng standing at the door.

Yin Sheng’s expression was grim, and she seemed about to say something when the door opened—until she realized it wasn’t Song Qing and immediately shut her mouth.

“What are you doing here?” Yin Sheng asked.

“What’s it to you?” Sheng Yu shut the door behind her and locked it, giving Yin Sheng a once-over before smirking. “By the way, how much longer are you stuck in juvenile detention?”

Yin Sheng’s face darkened. “No need to gloat.”

“I was just showing concern, you know? I don’t know many people in Class 1, and… it’s not like we had any real conflict before, right? Just a couple of disagreements. No need to be so hostile—I meant no harm…” Sheng Yu’s voice softened and drew out sweetly.

Yin Sheng shuddered at her tone, irritation flaring. “Where’s Song Qing?”

“How should I know?” Sheng Yu replied nonchalantly, thoroughly enjoying Yin Sheng’s frustration and inability to act on it.

Yin Sheng eyed Sheng Yu up and down, her gaze landing on the bulging pocket that seemed to be moving. “What did you take from inside?”

“None of your business,” Sheng Yu said. “Goodbye, I’m leaving.”

“You probably stole something, didn’t you?”

“No wonder you ended up in juvenile detention—accusing people out of nowhere?” Sheng Yu paused mid-step, shooting Yin Sheng a sharp look, her smile gone.

“So you did take something.” Yin Sheng reached for Sheng Yu’s pocket.

Sheng Yu swiftly caught her wrist. The kitten had stopped moving the moment Yin Sheng noticed the pocket. “Yin Sheng, what I took from inside—what business is it of yours?”

Yin Sheng wasn’t actually concerned about what was in Sheng Yu’s pocket—she just wanted someone to take her anger out on.

Sheng Yu happened to be the perfect target—undifferentiated, on good terms with Song Qing. Bullying Sheng Yu was almost like comforting oneself by proxy, as if they’d gotten to Song Qing.

Moreover, Yin Sheng had been spoiled rotten since childhood, given everything she ever wanted. This time, having her name submitted to the juvenile detention center was the biggest setback she’d ever faced. The more Sheng Yu resisted, the more she wanted to see them break.

“Let go,” Yin Sheng glared at Sheng Yu.

Sheng Yu smirked back at her. “You know what? You’re actually quite pretty.”

“Like I need you to tell me that?”

“Pity.” Sheng Yu sighed, then slowly began tightening their grip.