Chapter 30: A Classmate's Character

[Warning: This chapter contains mention of suicide. Read at your own risk.]

Finally, it was the last week of the school year at Chang Yue, graduating students are known to spend this week in a leisurely manner, mostly saying their goodbyes to friends who will be transferring to different senior high schools. In particular, Qing Mei has been looking forward to the end of the school year ever since she had met Su Ning. For the past 3 years, Qing Mei felt as if she was living under the shadow of Su Ning.

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Authors Note: In C Country where our story is set, students study for 3 years in junior high and enroll in a senior high school where they will complete another 3 years of studies before taking the standardized college entrance examination.

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Qing Mei had been used to being the center of attention for her pretty looks and singing. She was also from a relatively well off family so she grew up confident and spoiled. But ever since "a changed" Su Ning came back to school after her heart surgery, all the attention that used to go to Qing Mei went to Su Ning instead. 'That little b*tch must be faking it. How could someone's personality change completely?' thought Qing Mei as she bit her nails. Qing Mei was always conscious of Su Ning since she noticed that the other girl was prettier than her in appearance.

In the beginning, Qing Mei was mollified seeing Su Ning was bad at studying and had no other talent. In fact, Su Ning used to be an awkwardly quiet girl who liked to wear princess clothing. She also didn't interact much with other students at all, so the class naturally thought she was standoffish. But "the Su Ning" this past 3 years is completely different, she is pretty with an attractive personality. The entire class has been charmed by her and worse yet she can sing too, beautifully at that.

Qing Mei had felt so threatened that she began to bully Su Ning when she was instigated by Ma KeLi and Qiu Wei. Who knew those tricks will backfire on her and the entire class will take Su Ning's side. Afterwards, even her so-called friends Ma KeLi and Qiu Wei slowly began to distance themselves from her after she lost to Su Ning at the annual singing competition. Since then she lived like an outcast at school and her hatred for Su Ning slowly grew. As she watched Su Ning surrounded by friends rising to the top of the class in grades, Qing Mei became more and more filled with loathing.

When she heard that Su Ning had met and befriended the beautiful Lin JinYan, it was like the straw that broke the camel's back. Lin JinYan, the son of the CEO of XIIN Entertainment, was someone what Qing Mei always idolized. A musical prodigy with an exquisite lyric baritone voice. At such a young age, Lin JinYan had an extensive vocal range that even made many trained adult opera singers envious. He was also an incredibly gifted violinist and pianist, winning countless international awards.

'How could someone like Su Ning be friends with Lin JinYan?'

'That should be my place beside him! If only she had not stolen my place at the ACISC!'

'I hate Su Ning! I hate her so much!'

These thoughts ran through Qing Mei's mind continuously in the period of three years. Qing Mei believed that she needed to be in a higher position than she was currently to be noticed by Lin JinYan. So, she threatened her mom that she would take her life if she cannot get into M Academy. At first Qing Mei's mother did not believe her after all why would a pretty and pampered young girl need to commit suicide because she could not attend the senior high school of her choice? However, that all changed when Qing Mei was found unconscious in her room having swallowed a bottle of sleeping pills.

Qing Mei was quickly taken to the hospital and was fortunately saved by the medical personnels' immediate attention. Yet as soon as she regained consciousness, Qing Mei just turned to her mother, Wang MeiNa, and said "Do you still think I am not serious?" That day Wang MeiNa had cried for hours. She couldn't understand where she had gone wrong in raising her daughter. But Qing Mei was her only daughter afterall what mother would not do everything for her child. So, Wang MeiNa sought out one of the directors at M Academy responsible for enrollment and spent 300,000 in bribes. It was an enormous amount of money for the Qing Family who could only be considered upper middle class at most.

After receiving the news that she had been admitted to M Academy, Qing Mei had promised her mother that she will no longer attempt to hurt herself. She looked down with a sinister smile.

'After all, I won't be the one hurt this time. Su Ning it will be your turn next.'

'Just you wait! I will unmask that face of yours and show the world your fakeness.'

'I will take back what is mine! Popularity! Singing! Lin JinYan! They are all mine!'