The Lost Lamb's Trap - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Moon

Duan Jiayang’s seventeenth summer was exceptionally hot. It was the second half of her junior year, and at this time every year, a few schools in the city would hold joint exams to test their students’ academic foundations. The school had made it clear that these results would directly impact her class placement for senior year.

Duan Jiayang had originally attended a private school for the wealthy, but her foundation was so weak. She couldn’t develop any hobbies or talents, and she was always at the bottom of her class. The private school’s competitive atmosphere was intense, and she constantly came in last. The school’s standards were high, and her father, Duan Litian, was called in for meetings multiple times until he lost face. In less than a year, she was transferred to a public school.

Duan Jiayang was a new student, and her classmates had already formed their cliques. She only got along with He Xiao, and she really wanted to be in the same class as her. He Xiao was a top student, ranking in the top three, while Duan Jiayang was around the thirtieth spot. After a few practice exams, it was clear that He Xiao would get into the honors class, and she would be stuck in a regular one.

Duan Jiayang was so worried that she started to have bad ideas. During the exam, a girl sat in front of her. The girl arrived late, thirty minutes into the Chinese exam. Duan Jiayang had already finished the multiple-choice questions when she came in. The girl moved with a light grace, her figure as slender as a willow in the wind. She didn’t startle anyone, and the teacher at the front of the room was pleased, glancing at her before looking away. The girl picked up her test paper and began writing quickly. When Duan Jiayang finished and handed in her paper, so did the girl. The proctor flipped through her paper and clicked his tongue in approval—the handwriting was neat and the paper was clean. Duan Jiayang looked up and saw the name on the top-left corner as the girl held the paper up: Lin Ke.

The morning was only for Chinese, and the afternoon was for math. Duan Jiayang arrived early, and so did Lin Ke. Duan Jiayang leaned her arm on the desk and poked Lin Ke’s back with her pencil, calling out with a familiar air, “Lin Ke.” Lin Ke didn’t answer. Duan Jiayang assumed she was shy and asked again, “What subjects are you good at?” Saying this was a clear, unspoken understanding between students in the same exam room.

Lin Ke said, “Everything but Chinese.”

“What about science?”

“So-so. Depends on how hard the test is.”

Duan Jiayang felt she had struck gold. It was a shame she hadn’t said hello this morning; otherwise, they could have shared answers. “Let’s check answers for the next few subjects,” she said. Lin Ke didn’t say anything else and looked out the window. There were no teachers outside, but a stylish woman in sunglasses waved at her. Lin Ke just nodded.

For the science exam, Duan Jiayang was hopeless at everything except biology. She knew a few of the multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions for math. Duan Jiayang didn’t copy everything directly. She first checked her confident answers and found they were the same as Lin Ke’s. As for the ones she was unsure of, she thought for a long time and changed all her answers to match Lin Ke’s.

Lin Ke had a good temper. She even passed a crumpled note to Duan Jiayang, kindly reminding her which multiple-choice questions she wasn’t sure about so she could fill them in randomly. The questions looked like they involved sequences, and the symbols were a bit like functions. Duan Jiayang didn’t know how to solve them. She saw Lin Ke circle B and C. Duan Jiayang faked her work on the paper to make it look like she had calculated it carefully. When Lin Ke chose C, she chose B. There were always some questions on a test you weren’t sure about, and the papers couldn’t be identical. Lin Ke would choose one answer, and Duan Jiayang would choose another.

After the exam, Duan Jiayang felt incredibly hot. The classroom fan was no help. The next day, she bought some water and a battery-powered fan for Lin Ke. Duan Jiayang was already thinking of asking her out for a meal after the exams. But Lin Ke finished early. She folded her test paper and scratch paper, put her ruler and pencil in a plastic bag, and left. Duan Jiayang got up to follow her, but she accidentally knocked over her chair, spilling water all over the floor. She knelt to clean it up, and when she looked up, Lin Ke was gone. Duan Jiayang looked at the desk in front of her and saw that Lin Ke hadn’t even drunk the water she’d given her, and the small fan was left behind. Duan Jiayang couldn’t understand what she meant, so she picked up the items and left.

For a joint school exam, many teachers graded the papers together, so the results were out in a day or two. During evening study, Duan Jiayang was tidying up her books to move them downstairs. He Xiao was helping her carry them back and forth. Duan Jiayang still had a pile of English newspapers in the office next door. She held a stack of books and said she’d go get them later. He Xiao immediately stopped her, hesitatingly saying, “The results are out, and yours are, too.”

Duan Jiayang immediately thought of Lin Ke sitting in front of her, and that flash of white—Lin Ke was bold enough to wear a skirt to the exam. The old-fashioned teachers at the school didn’t even allow skirts, and they would gossip about students who wore earrings. Thinking this, she saw the bad look on He Xiao’s face. Duan Jiayang’s heart sank. Had she chosen the wrong person to copy from? Lin Ke’s grades were just average? She asked, “Did I do badly?”

He Xiao shook her head, holding the books.

“Did I do terribly?”

He Xiao’s expression got even worse, looking like she wanted to speak but was afraid Duan Jiayang couldn’t handle it. Duan Jiayang’s heart trembled. She tried to stay calm. She couldn’t have gotten last place… Getting last wasn’t a shameful thing… it would just be annoying. Even at her old private school, she was never last. If she went back with that result, her dad would definitely point at her and call her an idiot, and he might even cut her allowance in half.

Duan Jiayang ran her hand through her hair, annoyed. “Just come with me to apologize to the homeroom teacher later. ‘Honest confession will be treated with leniency.’ Nothing bad will happen if we just confess.”

He Xiao said, “You might not be going to the homeroom teacher’s office. You might be going to the dean’s office.”

Duan Jiayang was confused. “Huh? Do you get that kind of special treatment for being last? So, they really want to call my parents? Oh… it’s a joint exam… so annoying.”

Duan Jiayang was thinking of how to handle it. At worst, she’d say she had a stomachache that day and a high fever and filled in the answer sheet incorrectly. Everyone knew she couldn’t possibly be last. He Xiao leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Jiayang, it’s not last place. You got first in the grade, first in the city. You’re number one. You’re a full multiple-choice question ahead of the second-place student. A few deans are furious. The principal and vice-principal are talking to your homeroom teacher and the proctor.”

“What!?” Duan Jiayang’s legs went weak. He Xiao pulled a paper from her pocket and gave it to her. The scores were written on it.

For Chinese, Lin Ke got 140, but she got 139.

For English, Lin Ke got 143, but she got 144.

Their total scores for science were identical.

The only difference was in math: Duan Jiayang got 149, while Lin Ke got 145.

Her name was Lin Ke.

He Xiao whispered, “The math teacher said that giving you 150 points was out of the question; he would have been too embarrassed. So he docked you one point…”

Duan Jiayang’s world went dark.

After hearing the news, Duan Jiayang wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it. Let alone the dean’s office, she didn’t even dare go to the homeroom teacher’s office. She would take detours just to avoid the dean’s office when walking to class. The final results were posted, and her name was on the wall of honor. When she felt mortified, she remembered that she could have just asked Duan Litian for help. With one word, she could have been in the same class as He Xiao. Why had she chosen this path of no return? This was a disaster!

The situation was very serious. Not only was she embarrassed, but the school was also humiliated. The teachers insisted on meeting with her parents. Duan Jiayang texted the housekeeper at home, asking him to lie and say her dad was on a business trip abroad. Her dad was Duan Litian, and the school leaders knew he was rich. But her homeroom teacher was unyielding. Every time he finished class, he would give her a long, deep look.

Duan Jiayang finally learned who Lin Ke was: a transfer student. She had just returned from America and sat in front of her for the exam simply because there happened to be an empty seat there. Duan Jiayang had no idea. She was so brazen that she copied the test paper, and what’s more, she even got a higher score than Lin Ke.

Lin Ke, the transfer student who hadn’t even officially enrolled yet, was instantly famous. A transfer student from abroad, second place in the city, and a good person (willing to let someone copy her test). According to everyone in the exam room, she was also a beautiful girl, possibly over 170cm tall. Because she hadn’t started school yet, everyone who wanted to see her couldn’t. So they all went to see Duan Jiayang instead. Then they found out Duan Jiayang was a great beauty, but a foolish one. Suddenly, seven or eight boys wrote her love letters.

Duan Jiayang was speechless.

Duan Jiayang felt like she was living in hell for a week at school. When she was about to go home for the long weekend at the end of the month, her homeroom teacher honked his horn behind her in his new Volkswagen. He rolled down the window and said he would drive her home and meet her parents. Duan Jiayang sullenly grabbed her backpack and got into the car, waving to He Xiao. Then she texted the housekeeper. The homeroom teacher wasn’t a talkative person, but he was very serious. He asked with a puzzled look, “Duan Jiayang, what were you thinking, copying the paper word for word? How did you dare?” “Does your dad ever discipline you?” Duan Jiayang kept her mouth shut, feeling miserable.

When they arrived at the community, the homeroom teacher looked at the landscaping and facilities. “Your community is very big,” he said. Only then did Duan Jiayang dare to speak. She corrected him, “Teacher… this whole area is my family’s. This is my maternal grandfather’s old estate.” Their villa wasn’t in the Duan family’s name; it was in the Dai family’s. Her grandfather’s name was Dai Xuetang. The Dai family was old money from the last century, starting in Hong Kong and expanding into finance, real estate, and automotive industries in the mainland. Unfortunately, her grandfather died early, and only the automotive business flourished under Duan Litian’s management. When she mentioned her grandfather’s name, the homeroom teacher knew. He was about to say, so your dad is that gigolo?

The villa was expansive. After many turns, Duan Jiayang entered the house, clutching her backpack and looking down guiltily. She heard the housekeeper’s meaningful greeting, “Miss.” She looked up and saw there were guests at home. When she saw the guests, she froze—it was Lin Ke.

Lin Ke was wearing a white short-sleeved polo shirt. The collar was white, and the rest was a pleasant green, a style similar to domestic school uniforms. Compared to the white dress she wore before, she looked like a good, obedient student now. Next to Lin Ke was a woman who looked somewhat like her. But Duan Jiayang felt a profound dislike for this woman. At that moment, Duan Jiayang wasn’t thinking much. She suspected the school had called her parents and was having a home visit, or maybe the parents had found out she copied Lin Ke’s paper and came to confront her.

Lin Ke’s mom spoke first, patting Lin Ke’s shoulder. “Lin Ke, say hello to your sister.”

Lin Ke didn’t move. She looked up, pursing her lips. She wasn’t as friendly as she was when she let Duan Jiayang copy her test. Duan Jiayang looked at her. Her most profound impression of Lin Ke was her face. She was very pale, like a fragrant white jasmine flower. It made her lips look very red, like frozen little cherries. It instantly brought a word to mind: ethereal. Duan Jiayang was different. At seventeen or eighteen, she was at the peak of her beauty. She had plenty of money and often bought expensive skincare and makeup. She would curl her hair into big waves and wear a pair of pearl hair clips. When she put her hair up, she looked like a rich young lady from a Hong Kong drama. If Lin Ke’s mom hadn’t told her to call her “sister,” she would have thought she was older than Lin Ke. Duan Jiayang really wanted her to call her “sister.” She couldn’t look away from those cherry lips and stared for a few more seconds. When their eyes met, Lin Ke’s expression was unfamiliar, not as warm as before. It was as if they had never met.

Duan Litian lazily looked at Duan Jiayang and said, “Duan Jiayang, say hello to your sister.”

Duan Jiayang slowly realized something was wrong. Sister?

One second, Duan Jiayang had a good impression of Lin Ke. The next second, Duan Litian completely shattered her worldview. Duan Litian introduced them, “This is your Auntie Lin Wan, and this is her daughter, Lin Ke. She’s a year older than you. She’ll be living here from now on. You should understand what that means.”

At that moment, Duan Jiayang remembered clearly that her dad’s first love was named Lin Wan. It was because this woman repeatedly hooked up with Duan Litian that her dad cheated again and again, harming her mom and causing her to die young and filled with hatred. In terms of looks, Lin Ke’s mom was nowhere near as beautiful as her own. Her mom had a naturally ethereal beauty, the kind you wouldn’t dare to hurt. Lin Ke’s mom had long, straight hair. At forty, she dressed like she was in her early thirties. Lin Ke’s mom’s beauty was built with powder and makeup, a look any woman could achieve.

Lin Wan smiled sweetly at her. “Hello, Jiayang.” She pursed her lips and smiled, looking especially sweet.

Duan Jiayang exploded. She was tense. Her greatest hatred since childhood came from this woman. She clenched her hands again and again. “Homewrecker…”

Duan Litian heard her and gave her a look, telling her to shut up. But Duan Jiayang kept muttering, “A homewrecker who ruins other people’s families…”

Duan Litian glanced at the homeroom teacher next to him. He thought for a moment. It wasn’t convenient to discipline Duan Jiayang with an outsider present. He changed the subject. “You’re the homeroom teacher?” The homeroom teacher had just heard the introductions and was still confused by the plot. He nodded woodenly.

Duan Litian became a little more polite, acting like a serious father. He sat up straight and asked, “Is this home visit because of Duan Jiayang’s poor grades?”

The homeroom teacher’s words got stuck in his throat. “Duan Jiayang, she…” He had originally planned to talk about her cheating and family education, but after witnessing the family drama, the topic became: she copied her stepsister’s test paper and became first in the grade… “Can you discipline her?” He felt his toes curl in embarrassment for Duan Jiayang. He didn’t expect the family to be in such an uproar. The atmosphere was incredibly awkward, and he couldn’t possibly conduct a home visit about her grades anymore. The homeroom teacher held it in and said, “Duan Jiayang… she has shown great improvement in her exam results.”

Duan Jiayang was still gritting her teeth and cursing. Her voice grew louder. “Vixen, what are you laughing at? Is it funny? Why aren’t you the one who died!”

Duan Litian’s face turned dark. He turned his head and angrily shouted, “Duan Jiayang! What are you acting so high and mighty for? Anyone would think you got first in the grade!”

That was the wrong thing to say. Duan Jiayang became a cannon and exploded on the spot. She clenched her fists and charged at Lin Ke’s mom, looking like she was about to hit someone. Before the homeroom teacher could react, he grabbed Duan Jiayang and held her tightly. Duan Jiayang screamed, spewing insults like “homewrecker” and “vixen,” flailing her arms and legs. She threw her phone and backpack at them. Lin Wan quickly moved out of the way, and the phone fell at Lin Ke’s feet.

Lin Ke stood still, not moving. She just blinked, like a human doll. Duan Jiayang, her eyes red, screamed at her, “You did this on purpose! You definitely did this on purpose!”

The scene was a spectacle, and Duan Jiayang’s insults got worse. Duan Litian had the housekeeper drag Duan Jiayang upstairs and lock her in her room. The homeroom teacher tried to say this was bad for a child, but Duan Litian put a stop to it with a single sentence and asked him to leave.

“I’ll donate a bunch of air conditioners to the school later.”

The homeroom teacher was sent away. Duan Jiayang smashed and threw things in her room, kicking the door wildly. Duan Litian ignored her and took Lin Wan out for dinner.

Duan Jiayang was so angry she climbed out her window to the next room. The balconies were far apart, and her room was on the third floor, but she was young and hot-headed. She climbed onto her balcony and jumped to the left, landing with a heavy thud on the other side. When she looked up, she found that Lin Ke had already moved into the room next to her. Lin Ke was leaning against the door, her hands at her sides. The room was dark and dim. The young girl was in the shadows, her overly slender frame looking gaunt. Her eyes were not bright and lively, but empty as she stared at the balcony.

Duan Jiayang used her legs to prop herself up, wincing in pain as she got to her feet. She limped inside, looking ferocious. She wasn’t sure if her ears were ringing from the fall, or if Lin Ke had actually said it, but she heard Lin Ke say, “I did it on purpose.”