Since the day Lin Fang agreed to the classmates’ request for portraits in class, Dou Yalin had held a grudge against her. Whenever they met, Dou would either ignore her or glare at her with hatred. Lin Fang didn’t take it seriously—after all, she was just a spoiled little girl who had suffered a blow to her pride. It was only natural for her to feel upset.
Besides, Lin Fang was busy running the shop, helping with book editing, and tutoring Rouqiu with his studies. She had no time to deal with a sulky child. She figured Dou would get over it eventually. Even if Dou held a grudge against her for the rest of high school, so what? At worst, they just wouldn’t interact. It wasn’t like Lin Fang would lose anything. After graduation, they’d go their separate ways, and they might never see each other again. This was just a minor episode in life.
Lin Fang didn’t care, but that didn’t mean others felt the same. Soon enough, gossip reached her ears.
One day, Lin Fang and Rouqiu returned early from Teacher Gao’s house. Since evening self-study hadn’t started yet, Lin Fang remembered she hadn’t finished the homework assigned for the last class. Too lazy to walk, she had Rouqiu ride her to the classroom door. From a distance, they could hear the noisy commotion inside.
Rouqiu teased, “Your class really lives up to its ‘Wild Horses’ reputation. That noise could shake the heavens.”
“No, someone’s arguing.” Two girls were fighting, with some trying to mediate and others egging them on. The chaos made it hard to hear clearly, but Lin Fang’s sharp ears caught every word.
“Did I say anything wrong? She flirts with Teacher Shangguan on one side and sticks to Rouqiu like glue on the other. What else is she but a shameless tramp?” That was Dou Yalin’s voice.
“You’re talking nonsense! You’re the one obsessed with Teacher Shangguan just because he’s handsome. You can’t stand other girls talking to him!” That was Yang Xiuqin.
“Ha! Why are you defending her? Do you want to be a tramp too—”
“Your filthy mouth can’t spit out anything decent. I’ll make sure you regret it today—”
Before they even reached the classroom, the sound of a scuffle erupted.
Lin Fang was furious. She jumped off the motorcycle and kicked the classroom door open with a loud **BANG!**
Silence fell instantly. As Lin Fang stormed in, a cold gust of wind swept through the room, making the students shiver. The quicker ones immediately stepped aside.
Dou Yalin, who had been in the middle of her tirade, was momentarily stunned by Lin Fang’s sudden entrance. But she quickly recovered, ready to speak her mind. What could a sickly weakling like Lin Fang do to her? She’d say it right to her face.
**SLAP!**
Before Dou could open her mouth, Lin Fang’s palm struck her cheek, sending her crashing to the side. Half her face went numb, her ears ringing. She lay there, too dazed to get up—more accurately, too shocked to move.
No one in the class expected Lin Fang to strike without warning. The silence was even heavier than when she’d kicked the door open.
“Dou Yalin,” Lin Fang said coldly, her voice low but laced with menace, “I won’t waste words on you. If there’s a next time, I won’t even give you the chance to be hit.”
Then she calmly sat at her desk, pulled out her homework, and started writing. The rest of the class quietly returned to their seats, not daring to make a sound. Dou Yalin struggled to get up, her face burning with pain, but she didn’t dare cry.
When Lin Fang jumped off the motorcycle, Rouqiu was confused. By the time he turned off the engine and locked it, she had already finished her business. As he straightened up, he heard Lin Fang’s chilling words.
Rouqiu’s classroom was next to Lin Fang’s, and he had planned to study a bit before class.
Lately, many classmates had teased him about being a “model husband” for escorting Lin Fang every day without fail. He had laughed it off, treating it as a joke. But now, hearing Lin Fang’s words, he guessed what must have happened.
He had grown up with Lin Fang. Though she could be temperamental, she rarely lost her temper—especially not like this. In Rouqiu’s memory, he had never seen her this furious. Whatever Dou Yalin had said must have been unforgivable, and it was probably tied to the recent rumors.
Furious, Rouqiu was about to storm into Lin Fang’s classroom when someone grabbed his arm. He turned, ready to curse, but the words died in his throat when he saw who it was.
Teacher Su held his arm, while Staff Officer Shangguan urgently gestured for him to stay quiet. They pulled him back, and Rouqiu had no choice but to follow.
Once they were far enough from the classroom, Teacher Su released him. Staff Officer Shangguan explained the situation, and Rouqiu nodded. He quietly pushed his motorcycle toward the dormitory.
After evening self-study, the girls in the dorm were unusually quiet. Only after lights-out did Yang Xiuqin whisper to Lin Fang, “You were terrifying tonight. Like a completely different person.”
Lin Fang sighed. “Thanks for standing up for me. I’ve never lost my temper like that before. I just couldn’t take it anymore.”
After a pause, Yang Xiuqin asked, “Are you okay? Your condition… you shouldn’t get too worked up.”
Touched by her concern, Lin Fang replied, “I’m fine. Here’s a little secret—the doctor says I’m slowly getting better. I might even recover completely.”
“Really? That’s amazing! But you still need to be careful. Even if you recover, you shouldn’t get too emotional. Just in case.”
Lin Fang smiled. “I know. I didn’t expect to hit someone today. Honestly, my hand still hurts.”
Yang Xiuqin giggled. “Typical—complaining after getting your way.”
Their whispers faded as they drifted to sleep. But two others lay awake—Dou Yalin, nursing her bruised face, and Fu Hongxia, haunted by the murderous look in Lin Fang’s eyes.
Lin Fang expected the school administration to reprimand her for hitting someone. Surprisingly, they didn’t. Instead, the incident unexpectedly earned her some extra cash.
The next day during break, Liang Xiaoyan came to chat with Lin Fang, accompanied by another girl. The conversation quickly turned to the fight, and the girl pressed for details. Unwilling to discuss it, Lin Fang brushed her off, but the girl wouldn’t let it go.
Eventually, the girl saw the portraits Lin Fang had drawn for classmates and insisted on one for herself. Annoyed, Lin Fang snapped, “Fine, but only if you pay.”
To her surprise, the girl immediately pulled out ten yuan. “Here. When can you draw it?”
Lin Fang took the money and sketched quickly, but the girl protested, “You used nice paper for theirs! I paid—I deserve the same!”
Lin Fang handed the money back. “They brought their own paper. Take it or leave it.”
The girl huffed. “I’ll buy the paper myself!”
Lin Fang assumed she’d forget, but that afternoon, the girl returned with sketch paper—and two more classmates. Lin Fang drew the portrait, took the money, and thought that was the end of it.
But word spread. Soon, a group of girls cornered Lin Fang, demanding portraits. Some even paid in advance. Overwhelmed, Lin Fang told them to organize a list and schedule.
Two days later, Liang Xiaoyan brought her the list. Lin Fang was stunned. “This many? Half your class must be on here!”
Liang Xiaoyan laughed. “Not just our class—others too.”
Lin Fang sighed. “Why not just take photos? They’d look more realistic.”
“Because photos are *too* real. They want your artistic touch.”
“Fine. But tell them not to expect miracles. I’ll do my best, but I’m not a magician.”
“Got it. Anything else?”
“I’m busy. Have them come to the antique book restoration shop on weekends.”
“Where’s that?”
“Across from the Xinhua Bookstore. You can’t miss it.”
After settling that, Liang Xiaoyan grinned. “So… when are you drawing mine?”
“Anytime.”
“I’m not paying.”
“Good. I wouldn’t take your money anyway.”
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