"There's no need to get so angry." Song Yu smiled nonchalantly, picking up a bookmark and slipping it into her book before closing it.
"Qi Chengji doesn't like me, and he doesn't like the engagement that our families arranged. I've known that from the start, so I'm not bothered by it." Song Yu smiled, not at all troubled by the situation.
"Moreover, I'm not sure where my future is headed. The engagement is just a temporary arrangement, there's no need to lock things down now. Who knows what will happen in the future?"
She patted Guan Xiaolin's arm. "Let this go! There's no need to stoop to the level of those spreading rumors, and there's no need to be angry with Wei Ran or Qi Chengji."
Guan Xiaolin shook her head. She could never understand Song Yu's calm nature. No matter what happened, she was always so composed.
Wei Ran had heard some rumors, and even if she hadn't, she could sense the increasingly strange glances from those around her.
At the end of the school day, she noticed the entrance to the classroom was crowded with people, and there was a lot of noise.
When she grabbed her bag and was about to leave, she finally understood the cause.
Qi Chengji was waiting right at the door of her classroom, and some students, eager to gossip, were openly watching them.
Qi Chengji gave them a warning look, which was enough to make them restrain themselves from being too blatant.
"Let's go, I'll walk you out! You won't be able to get out on your own," Qi Chengji said when he saw Wei Ran.
Wei Ran nodded and allowed him to escort her.
As they left the building, the eyes around them continued to scrutinize them.
Wei Ran didn't intend to avoid it. She straightened her back and lifted her chin. She had nothing to be ashamed of, so she didn't care about what they thought.
"Sorry for causing you so much trouble. I should have protected you," Qi Chengji said, his voice tinged with frustration.
Wei Ran shook her head. "I don't care how they see me. As long as I know I've acted with integrity and have no regrets, that's enough."
She boldly turned her head and scanned the curious eyes around her, meeting each one with an unwavering gaze. Eventually, the others awkwardly turned away.
"Those outsiders don't know anything. They're just making assumptions based on rumors, which is ridiculous. It's not me who should be despised, it's them for losing their dignity." Wei Ran glanced back at him.
"Qi Chengji, I do have feelings for you," she began, but before she could finish, she saw Qi Chengji's eyes light up, shining brightly.
Her expression became serious as she shook her head. "But I don't get involved in someone else's relationship, even if it's something beyond my control. You say you don't like Song Yu and you don't want the engagement, but as long as Song Yu is still your fiancée, being with you would hurt her."
"You might not care, but I'm a woman. I understand how cruel that would be for another woman, and I won't be the one to cause that pain."
Wei Ran turned her head and noticed the Wei family car had already parked at the school gate.
She thought about Lin Qiuyue's reaction this morning and felt a little afraid to face her again.
But if she had to face her, she preferred to do it sooner rather than later.
"I'm going back now," she said, quickly walking toward the school gate.
"What if I told you that Song Yu doesn't care about this engagement, and she doesn't mind who I'm with? Would that change your mind?" Qi Chengji called out hurriedly from behind her.
Wei Ran stopped in her tracks, turned around slightly, and paused for a moment. "If that's true, I would consider it."
Then, she hurriedly left.
Wei Ran stopped abruptly in front of the Wei family's car. She noticed that the driver, who was standing by the car door, looked at Qi Chengji for a moment, then quickly averted his gaze, hiding any emotion in his eyes.
Wei Ran got into the car and thought about what Wei Ziqi had said last night.
Her muscles tensed, and she raised her head to look at the back of the driver's head.
"Someone reports everything about me at school to him, right?" Wei Ran spoke in a calm tone.
The driver glanced up through the rearview mirror at Wei Ran in the back seat.
He paused for a moment, and just as Wei Ran thought he wouldn't answer, he spoke. "Master Qi is just concerned about you, Miss. He's worried that you might be wronged at school."
Wei Ran scoffed and sneered with cold sarcasm. "Since when has he been so considerate?"
The driver remained silent, and Wei Ran coldly tossed the words out. "You'll report the things that happened just now to him, won't you?"
She wasn't sure if the driver had heard Qi Chengji's words.
She wasn't sure what Wei Ziqi's reaction would be if he found out. Instinctively, she felt that it would be better if he didn't know.
"I didn't see anything just now," the driver said indifferently. "I'm just the driver, responsible for picking up and dropping off the Miss. Reporting to Master Qi is not my duty."
In other words, someone else was monitoring her.
Wei Ran wasn't sure whether she should feel relieved or even more worried. She turned her gaze toward the window and fell silent.
When she arrived home at the Wei family, she stood at the entrance and suddenly felt a sense of suffocation.
Although Wei Ziqi wasn't home yet, it felt as though he was everywhere. Every corner seemed to have his presence.
She felt as though she were trapped in a cage woven by Wei Ziqi, the strands of a spider's web tightening around her. The more she struggled, the tighter the bonds became.
Wei Ran took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell.
Xiao Lian came to open the door. As soon as Wei Ran stepped into the foyer, she heard Lin Qiuyue's voice. "Xiao Lian, is Xiao Ran back?"
"Yes, Madam!" Xiao Lian called back.
Wei Ran changed her shoes and walked into the living room, where she immediately came face-to-face with Lin Qiuyue.
Lin Qiuyue rarely came home so early. She was still wearing the same loungewear from this morning, which meant she hadn't gone out today and had likely stayed home to wait for her.