Chapter 48
"Look, look, it's Yuan Luoyi!"
"Where?"
"At the school gate on the left, just got out of the car!"
The students of Star Galaxy Middle School buzzed excitedly, running towards the school gate and gathering in a crowd, craning their necks, standing on tiptoes, jostling each other, all trying to catch a glimpse of Yuan Luoyi.
Yuan Luoyi had performed brilliantly in yesterday's knowledge competition, deriving the true pendulum equation on stage using calculus, and her calm demeanor when competing against Su Xun in the rapid-fire round had instantly won her many admirers.
Who wouldn't admire a brilliant and beautiful girl?
However, due to their fear of the Yuan family, everyone only dared to admire Yuan Luoyi from afar, keeping a distance of at least ten meters away, their eyes shining as they gazed at her, occasionally letting out exclamations of awe.
When Yuan Luoyi approached the school gate, everyone let out a chorus of exclamations, all highly excited. Especially the girls, who were so thrilled to see Yuan Luoyi that they almost jumped up and down.
"Yuan Luoyi! We're rooting for you, senior! Go for the championship!"
"Wow! So cute! I want to take her home!"
"Shh! Her big brother hasn't left yet!"
Yuan Luoyi's face flushed slightly, and she gave a shy smile, lowering her head and hurrying through the school gate.
Not used to it, really not used to it!
Before, ordinary students were all afraid of her, and if they accidentally bumped into her, they would either turn pale or run away, as if they had encountered a raging flood or a ferocious beast.
Now, they had all transformed into devoted fans, welcoming her so enthusiastically at the school gate. The contrast was too stark, and she felt really unaccustomed to it.
Yuan Luoyi thought of her fourth brother, Yuan Si. He was very used to being admired, so perhaps she should seek his advice on the matter.
As she walked towards the teaching building, a few ordinary students from Class C caught sight of Yuan Luoyi and, looking terrified, scurried away.
Yuan Luoyi heaved a sigh of relief.
Ah... much better, this is the normal treatment...
The number of people who admired her had increased, but those who feared her still existed.
Especially the ordinary students in Class C, they had heard too many evil rumors about Yuan Luoyi, and their fear of her was deeply ingrained, not something that could be easily changed.
The true heiress, Ye Min, was also an ordinary student in Class C. Yesterday on stage, Yuan Luoyi had briefly made eye contact with her, and just like all the Yuan children, Ye Min's eyes were emotionless and icy cold. She definitely wasn't afraid of Yuan Luoyi.
Now, Yuan Luoyi had decided to go to Class C to see Ye Min, and she strode forward purposefully.
Whether she was the true culprit or the victim, she would know as soon as she heard her voice.
The ordinary students from Class C who had run away earlier realized that Yuan Luoyi was following them, and they panicked, running even faster. But no matter how fast they ran, they couldn't shake off Yuan Luoyi, because their destination was the same.
Upon entering Class C, they shouted in alarm.
"Everyone, Yuan Luoyi is here!"
"What! What is she doing in our Class C?"
"Could it be that she's going to expel a few more students from our class?"
"Aah! What did you guys do to bring her here!"
"We don't know!"
Yuan Luoyi stood at the entrance of Class C, watching the students inside become a mess, unable to move forward or backward, only able to stand still.
She said, "Is your class president, Ye Min, here?"
A familiar voice spoke up, "What do you want with her?"
Yuan Luoyi looked over and saw Su Xun, who, unlike the terrified Class C students, stood with her arms folded across her chest, glaring at Yuan Luoyi with hostility.
Yuan Luoyi said, "It's none of your business. Why are you in Class C?"
Su Xun let out a cold snort. "You really don't pay any attention to me at all, do you? Yesterday, during the knowledge competition, I was caught cheating and was supposed to be expelled, but my mom didn't want that, so she had me transferred to Class C instead."
Yuan Luoyi said, "A proud person like you would cheat? What were you trying to do?"
This question seemed to strike a chord with Su Xun, and she paused her breathing for a moment, averting her gaze and no longer glaring at Yuan Luoyi.
"That's none of your business either! Ye Min went to get worksheets from the math teacher, so if you want to find her, hurry up and go!"
Yuan Luoyi took a step forward, preparing to leave, but hesitated and pulled her foot back.
She said to Su Xun, "Looks like you don't have to put on an act in Class C anymore..."
The observing Class C students all gasped.
Anyone with even a bit of intelligence knew that Su Xun's cuteness was an act, but many people still fell for it, making her one of the most popular girls on campus.
And only Yuan Luoyi would dare to call out Su Xun like that in public.
Su Xun was angry, shooting Yuan Luoyi a sharp glare, but then she shook her head helplessly and laughed at herself.
Ever since she had lost, her status was no longer what it used to be. The victor becomes king, the loser a peasant, so it was no wonder Yuan Luoyi dared to come and provoke her.
Even she, proud as she was, had to admit that Yuan Luoyi had changed.
Although in the final results of the knowledge competition, Su Xun had scored 94 while Yuan Luoyi scored 96, a difference of only 2 points.
But Su Xun, who had faced off against Yuan Luoyi directly, was very clear that the gap was much bigger than 2 points. At the end, her mental state had completely collapsed, while Yuan Luoyi had remained steadfast throughout.
Yuan Luoyi had become an existence that was out of her reach.
Su Xun yelled at Yuan Luoyi, "Just go! I really don't want to see you!"
Yuan Luoyi said, "I used to put on an act too, but in the opposite direction from you. After stopping the act, it's much more relaxing. People care too much about others' opinions, and it can make you lose yourself."
With that, Yuan Luoyi hurried away.
Su Xun angrily slumped over her desk, muttering under her breath, "Damn it, she had to come lecture me first thing in the morning! But... it's true... I did lose myself."
When Yuan Luoyi reached the corridor, she ran into Ye Min, who looked just like yesterday, with her hair in two braided buns and thick, straight bangs partially covering her eyes, making it difficult to read her expression.
She was carrying a stack of math worksheets, walking slowly, glancing at Yuan Luoyi before quickly averting her gaze, as if indifferent.
But Yuan Luoyi, who had spent years with her brothers, could sense a subtle hint of aggression in Ye Min's eyes.
Yuan Luoyi stopped Ye Min, "Wait."
Ye Min said, "What is it, classmate?"
This voice!
No!
Ye Min's voice was soft and melodious, while the culprit's voice had a higher pitch!
Unlike boys going through puberty, a girl's voice doesn't change much after she grows up. Yuan Luoyi could confirm that Ye Min's voice was different from the culprit's!
Yuan Luoyi was puzzled, and Ye Min seemed puzzled too.
Ye Min said, "Um, if there's nothing else, could you let me go? I need to hand out these worksheets. If I'm late, the teacher will get angry."
Yuan Luoyi didn't move aside. "Do you have an older sister?"
Ye Min said, "Yes, she's also a student at Star Galaxy Middle School, currently in tenth grade. Did you want to find her?"
Yuan Luoyi shook her head. "I came to find you. On the rankings, I often see your name, scoring 83rd place for four consecutive exams."
Ye Min smiled. "What a coincidence."
Yuan Luoyi didn't believe it was a coincidence at all. The Yuan family's intelligence was very high, and Ye Min had undoubtedly inherited that trait.
For this situation to occur, there was only one possibility: Ye Min could precisely control her ranking, ensuring she stayed in Class C without scoring so low as to be bullied.
"Ding ling ling!"
The warning bell rang, and students around them started running, afraid of being late and punished with standing.
Ye Min looked troubled. "Um, I really have to go."
Yuan Luoyi stepped aside, watching Ye Min leave.
The news said that on the day Yuan Luoyi was kicked out of her family, the true heiress Ye Min was also killed.
If Ye Min was the culprit, she would have had to fake her death and undergo a drastic voice change after growing up, which would be too difficult to achieve both.
So was she really just a victim?
If that is the case, the real culprit killed the fake daughter Yuan Luoyi, and also killed the real daughter Ye Min, one after another killing the five Yuan brothers, sparing no one. It is truly terrifying.
But no matter how terrifying, Yuan Luoyi must find the real culprit. She will not let the tragedy of her previous life repeat itself.