chapter 24
At that moment, a disdainful voice sounded, “Hey.”
Gu Qingning followed the source of the voice with her eyes. As they moved upward, two youthful faces came into view.
Unlike the purple-and-white uniforms of first-year students, the two boys were wearing black-and-white uniforms.
They were third-year students at No. 1 High School.
“I’m talking to you. Get up quickly,” one of the boys said again, exuding an aura of “asking for a beating.”
Gu Qingning narrowed her eyes, her voice calm and unreadable, showing neither anger nor joy. “Are you talking to me?”
“Of course I’m talking to you. Who else would I be talking to, the air?” The boy had a short temper and grew impatient after only a few words.
“Stop pretending. Get up now.”
Gu Qingning lowered her eyebrows lightly. “Trying to be a robber in broad daylight?”
“Did you just call us robbers?” The boy’s expression darkened. He frowned and glared, “Say that again if you dare.”
Gu Qingning bit her straw, her tone steady and unhurried. “You want to take my seat. If that’s not robbery, what is?”
“This is Dong Ge’s seat every day. If you don’t want to get beaten, get up now.” The boy following him spoke in a nasty tone.
Gu Qingning sneered. These brats are pretty arrogant, huh?
“Is your name written on this seat, or did you actually buy it, hmm?”
“I…” The boy was silenced by her words and threatened, “Stop talking nonsense. If you don’t give up your seat, be ready to get beaten.”
Gu Qingning crossed her right leg over her left, her tone icy. “Then go ahead and try to hit me.”
The boy was speechless. He turned to the first boy. “Dong Ge?”
The commotion attracted many curious glances. Yao Dong’s face darkened; he felt stuck, frustrated, and unable to act.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted an elderly lady who had just boarded the bus. An idea struck him.
He handed his backpack to his companion, then went over to support the old lady.
“Grandma, come sit here. There’s a super kind young lady who said she’ll give up her seat for you.”
Gu Qingning raised an eyebrow. So he’s involving her now?
“This young lady, please stand up.” Yao Dong looked at Gu Qingning with a triumphant smile.
If he had no seat, she shouldn’t either.
With so many people watching, he couldn’t believe she wouldn’t obediently give up her seat.
“The offer to give up the seat is yours. I never said I would, nor did I agree,” Gu Qingning said calmly.
Unexpectedly, she didn’t play by the usual rules, and Yao Dong froze for a moment.
“Little girl, look at how this young man respects elders. Haven’t you learned?” The old lady glared at Gu Qingning, displeased.
“I’m already a senior. What’s wrong if I don’t give up my seat?”
Gu Qingning retorted, “You know you’re old, so why don’t you respect the young?”
“You…” The old lady’s chubby finger jabbed at Gu Qingning, her face flushed with anger.
“You little girl, young as you are, your mouth is sharp, and you have no manners at all.”
“Do you even know what manners are?” Gu Qingning snorted lightly, her voice cold. “Don’t try moral blackmail on me. I won’t indulge you.”
“You…” The old lady frowned, her dark face twisting with sharpness.
A calculating gleam flashed in her eyes. Suddenly, she clutched her chest and wailed loudly, “This little girl is bullying me, an old lady! Everyone, look at this!”
She bent over, pretending to be weak. “I feel dizzy, I can’t breathe…”
More and more people gathered, pointing and whispering.
“The world has changed. Young people don’t know how to respect elders anymore.”
“Young people today really can’t compare to the old times.”
“The old lady could be her grandmother. What’s wrong with giving up a seat?”
The whispers continued, and Yao Dong smirked maliciously.
A crowd blocked her path. Gu Qingning’s eyes narrowed. “Is that enough?”
“Is moral blackmailing others fun?” She stood up, the warm sunlight streaming through the window, highlighting the smooth lines of her profile.
“Being young doesn’t mean you have no right to sit. Giving up a seat is kindness; refusing is your right. Don’t act like a saint, standing on your moral high ground and babbling.”
She sneered coldly, “I’m not a good person. I like to act when words fail, so don’t try to show off in front of me.”
Before she finished, a middle-aged man lost his patience. He raised his hand to grab her. “You little girl, you talk big. Today I’ll teach you a lesson for your parents.”
Unexpectedly, his hand grasped nothing; her wrist was caught.
Before he could react, a sharp pain shot through his wrist, as if his tendons and bones were being twisted.
“Ah—”
A scream like a pig being slaughtered echoed through the bus. Everyone shivered, and their eyes toward Gu Qingning changed instantly.
So the little girl is tough.
This time, they had hit a brick wall.
Her two fingers pinched the man’s wrist, seemingly gentle, but only he knew how much force she had actually used.
“It hurts, it hurts.”
Gu Qingning tugged her lips. “So, should I give up my seat, hmm?”
“No, no!” The man gasped for air, his words forced. “Seats are first-come, first-served. We shouldn’t have forced you. It’s our fault. Please let go of me.”
Gu Qingning snorted coldly and shook off his hand. “Anyone else wants me to give up my seat? Stand in front of me and say it.”
As soon as she said this, the crowd scattered.
Whether she gave up her seat was none of their business. They didn’t want trouble.
Gu Qingning looked down at the old lady sitting on the ground, her tone gentle. “Do you still want me to give up my seat?”
Having witnessed Gu Qingning’s power, the old lady immediately cowered. She didn’t dare linger or play the victim.
She hurriedly got up and got off the bus.
Seeing her resolve the standoff so easily, Yao Dong clenched his fists, embarrassed.
Suddenly, a cold gaze shot toward him. “Enjoying the show?”
Yao Dong lowered his head and unexpectedly met the girl’s icy dark eyes. Without the backpack to hide him, he could clearly see her face.
Her brows were elegant, her delicate features flawless. His anger turned to amazement, and he froze for a moment.
A surprised voice sounded beside him. The boy standing next to Yao Dong recognized her first. “You’re Gu Qingning?”
Gu Qingning raised a brow. She’s that famous at school?
Yao Dong snapped back to reality and turned to the boy. “You know her?”
“Dong Ge, she’s the student who recently transferred and repeated a year. Pretty face, nothing else. I heard she can’t even speak,” the boy blurted out, forgetting she was right there.
“She’s also last in the entire first-year grade. She got the lowest score in the history of No. 1 High School.”
After saying this, he realized his mistake, glanced timidly at Gu Qingning, and then hid behind Yao Dong.
