108. The Mastermind, Part One

Ling Xue persistently demanded, “A Feng, tell me the truth—did you ever secretly like me at school? Or did you hate me for being unreasonable and ungrateful?”

I replied, “When I first saw you, I was indeed captivated by your beauty and grace, but you were like the moon in the sky—forever out of reach. So, I never indulged in foolish hopes. As for hating you, when Granny Li fell ill, my mind was consumed with how to earn money and solve the medical expenses. I had no energy to explain such trivial matters to you. After I dropped out, I thought I’d never see you again, so why bother explaining?”

Ling Xue said, “I hated that you didn’t explain to me. If you had, we wouldn’t have had so many misunderstandings later.”

Curious, I asked, “What misunderstandings? Are you talking about what happened when you were drunk?”

She said, “Don’t be so impatient. Listen. Later, through various inquiries, I found out you worked at a KTV bar. I deliberately pretended to be drunk there to catch your attention. But unexpectedly, Jin Baoqiang showed up. He thought I was truly drunk and tried to take advantage of me—luckily, you saw it. Actually, the whole thing was planned by me. I wanted to see how you would react. Even if you hadn’t intervened, I would have stopped Jin Baoqiang myself.”

I was shocked. “So it was all your arrangement? Then why didn’t you clear my name back then?”

Ling Xue explained, “At first, I wanted to see how you’d handle it, so I wasn’t in a hurry. When I finally decided to clear your name, you had already confessed. I was stunned. I wanted to understand why you did that, so I watched and waited.”

I couldn’t help but say, “You’re really calm. I’ve heard that the calmer a girl is, the greater her heart, and the less likely she is to make mistakes—that is to say, she comes from a good background and is destined for great wealth and honor.”

Ling Xue said, “Don’t blame me. If I had cleared your name then, wouldn’t it have ruined your affair with Jin Yulian? I was helping you fulfill your desires.”

Angrily, I retorted, “Even if you were helping, why did you slap me?”

She replied calmly, “When I realized you were willing to sacrifice your integrity for money and beauty, I was deeply troubled. That’s why I slapped you—I pitied your misfortune and was angry at your lack of fight. I hoped the slap would wake you up.”

Embarrassed, I asked, “How did you know I was after money and beauty?”

Ling Xue said coldly, “Do you think I’m a fool? Jin Baoqiang’s sister was flirting with you, and after you went out with her, you changed your statement. It had to be for money and beauty.”

I said, “I had my reasons. You don’t really understand me.”

Ling Xue replied, “At the time, I didn’t understand you. But later, I found out you needed the money to treat your adoptive mother’s illness. When I realized I had misunderstood you again, it hurt me deeply. I wronged you twice.”

I said, “Enough. It’s all in the past, and you’ve cleared up the misunderstandings. But there was no need to deliberately drive away A Yun tonight, right?”

Ling Xue said, “If I hadn’t driven her away, how could we have this quiet conversation?”

I said, “You could have explained things to me later. Why rush tonight?”

She said anxiously, “I was worried about you, you know? I thought, what if you died? How would I explain then?”

I cursed, “You’re such a jinx. Who curses people like that?”

Ling Xue said, “Don’t blame me. The first time I tried to apologize, you had already dropped out. The second time, you were in prison. When I heard you’d been beaten unconscious, I worried you might never wake up. So I couldn’t wait to come.”

I was stunned. “You really care about me?”

She said, “Of course. Don’t you believe me? After you went in, I asked someone to look after you. Tell me honestly, did any other inmates bully you?”

Suddenly, I said, “I understand now. The senior guard who often took care of me—was that you?”

Ling Xue didn’t deny it, tacitly confirming.

I thought of the character Xiao Yu’er in Gu Long’s "The Legendary Twins," who grew up in the Valley of Villains to sharpen his skills. Growing up among villains gives you the experience to handle bad people.

If a chicken learns from an eagle, it can fly to the sky. But if an eagle lives among chickens, it eventually becomes a chicken.

I asked, “Aren’t you worried that I might give up and turn bad inside?”

Ling Xue smiled slightly. “Don’t forget, someone was always watching you. You never had the chance to go astray.”

I recalled the senior guard who cared for me—not only teaching me academics but also combat skills. She was entrusted by someone.

My heart stirred with mixed feelings—whether to be grateful for her silent care or fearful of her cunning.

Seeing my dazed expression, Ling Xue smiled brightly and said, “If you’re not strong, no one will be brave for you; if you don’t laugh, no one will cry with you; if you don’t love yourself, no one will cherish you—because you are a child without parents.”

I suddenly exclaimed, “So you’re that rainbow after the rain…”

Ling Xue said, “Exactly. I feared you’d give up after prison. I’ve been watching over you, hoping you could truly become strong.”

I suddenly asked, “Since you’ve been watching me all this time, you know what I did after I got out, right?”

She said, “I can’t say I know everything, but I know some things. For instance, when you met Luo Dingguo, the chairman of Dongzhou Group, in Tongshan.”

I was shocked. “You know Luo Dingguo too?”

Ling Xue smiled without answering.

Suddenly, I realized and exclaimed, “Did you arrange for Luo Dingguo to meet me?”

She didn’t deny it. I thought, no wonder Luo Dingguo was willing to help me so much—it was all orchestrated by Ling Xue behind the scenes.