Banjaxed

Chapter 21 - An Xuexi alone is better than all of us being bullied

Chapter 21 

An Xuexi alone is better than all of us being bullied

Although it was not done actively, Lin Jiayi still found out that An Xuexi was from Class 3. On the quest to get a friend, Lin Jiayi was very spirited, but after knowing she was in the same class as the terrible trio, her spirit withered.

An Xuexi in her world was her deskmate and was one of the top 10 students in Class 2.

By now, Lin Jiayi could somewhat expect everyone from her world would be the opposite in this world. Yet she was lucky that Grandpa and Grandma Lin were as nice as they were her own. It was hard to pinpoint any differences they had with their counterpart.

Until the end of school, Lin Jiayi was still debating on whether to still want An Xuexi as her friend. Her feet lingered around as she walked out of the school, her mind listing out the pros and cons when she heard whispers of two students saying that Melissa was at it again, so avoid that place. She does not recognise them, so they were likely to be Class 3 students.

Lin Jiayi walked past them and then picked up her speed. But her ears still caught the conversation.

"That Lin is truly cruel."

Lin Jiayi was not a narcissistic person, but she got a feeling that the Lin she was talking about was her. Or the Jiayi in this world.

Yet why did Melissa being a bully get Lin Jiayi into getting scolded as well?

"An Xuexi alone is better than all of us being bullied."

Her feet unconsciously slowed down, and her desire to flee from trouble diminished as she remembered something she had read from the fifteen-year-old Lin Jiayi's diary.

It was also the most disgusting entry in the entire year of the diary.

'Lin Jiayi' knew that Melissa was a violent person who was addicted to inflicting pain onto others. Melissa knew to pull back from doing any permanent damage, but there was always a possibility of losing control and causing irreversible damage.

So 'Lin Jiayi' picked a 'suitable' person to be their coolie, a 'nicer' term for a punching bag and servant. Someone without a guardian, no money, and a lack of courage to defy them.

There was no name mentioned in the diary, but from what she just eavesdropped, An Xuexi was likely the designated coolie. That might explain the large amount of food and drinks she was carrying earlier.

The writer of the diary explained that the coolie would protect other students of Class 3 from being bullied. 'It was for the greater good,' was what 'Lin Jiayi' heroically gave as the excuse for the bullying.

Lin Jiayi remembered how cold she was getting as the diary wrote more and more cruel excuses for implementing that new 'system'.

Getting involved would ruin whatever effort Grandma Lin put to separate her from the terrible trio, but Lin Jiayi kept on remembering An Xuexi who had given her a birthday present. No one knew if An Xuexi knew what the seven-coloured bead could do, but she was considered her life saviour.

She could not just look away knowing that An Xuexi was in danger.

Grandma Lin would understand why she chose to help An Xuexi, a human, right?

The diary had written a lot of the terrible trio's habits, and Melissa's favourite spot was the second-floor female toilet. Teachers at this time were usually on the top floor or the bottom, and only the teachers on patrol would wander around the middle floors, which would only happen after the sun was down before locking the school gate.

Teachers have their own toilets and cleaners usually clean up toilets before school ends, so Melissa usually lets herself loose during this short period of time.

Straining her ears, she caught sounds from the toilet and Melissa's voice. Confirming the target, Lin Jiayi only then ran up to the highest floor to call for a teacher.

But even teachers do not want to do extra work after school hours.

Lin Jiayi looked hesitantly at the grumpy teacher who tried to ignore her. "Teacher, what if that's a toilet thief that prying the sinks? Won't the headmaster get angry if something is missing?"

There were other teachers in the office and their attention was on them, so this issue could not be ignored easily. Especially if it was really a thief. That idea was not brushed aside as illogical, for there were indeed cases of utility thieves before.

"You lead the way," the female teacher finally said and stopped Lin Jiayi from slipping away.

With a rattan cane in hand, the female teacher with a dark face stormed towards the noisy female washroom. The teacher dropped a sentence at Lin Jiayi before going in, "Wait here."

Lin Jiayi was amazed that the female teacher dared to go in alone. Does she have no fear towards thieves?

Two seconds in, the female teacher's voice roared from inside the washroom. "This female student! Do you not understand that you are to go home after the last bell rings?! Is your home worse than a dirty toilet?!"

Melissa was the first to step out and immediately saw Lin Jiayi, who could not leave after the teacher verbally told her to stay. "You snitched on me?"

'Woah, so scary. Will she still be able to glare if her eyes got stabbed by a pen?'

Lin Jiayi shook her head. "You are mistaken. I wanted to use the washroom but I heard scary noises so I went to ask a teacher for help."

"You think I'm stupid?"

'How could I not? Your action is literally the epitome of letting her brain be controlled by her body. A brawn.'

The female teacher helped An Xuexi out of the washroom and then passed her to Lin Jiayi. "What did you do to this student?"

Melissa stopped glaring at Lin Jiayi. "It's just a harmless game between friends."

Her tone was one that forcefully affirmed her own illogical belief and expected others to do the same.

Yet the teacher readily accepted it!

Lin Jiayi could have just let it go since the teacher stopped the bullying, but she was unwilling to with how ridiculous this situation was. It was the tight grip around her wrist that stopped her mouth.

Watching Melissa strutting away without receiving any punishment, Lin Jiayi turned to An Xuexi who was forcing herself to stand straight. The slight trembling showed the effort she put into protecting whatever dignity she still had.

It was at this moment the bright red colour on An Xuexi's sleeve caught Lin Jiayi's eyes. She also belatedly realized that An Xuexi was wearing long sleeves when she never had to.

Was it to hide her injuries?

'Why did she not flaunt her injuries? Let everyone see, talk and ask what happened to her. Is it more shameful than being bullied like a dog?'

Maybe she did it because no one helped her.

"Alright, time to go home. It's dangerous to go home after the sun is down." The female teacher waved them off and returned to her office.

It was already too late to sneak away, so Lin Jiayi did not slip away quickly. She also wanted to do something about the bleeding An Xuexi.

Breaking away from Lin Jiayi's supportive grip, An Xuexi leaned her back on the wall. "Why do you interfere?"

Aren't you the one who leads everyone to bully me?

Condemned me because I'm an orphan with no one to help me?

Forcing me to be Class 3's scapegoat?

Lin Jiayi really wanted to yell that she did not know anything and she was not the one who did it. But she was now 'Lin Jiayi', and she had to make things right for her.