Chapter 5: Ruthless Retribution Before the School Belle—Punishing the Former Schemer!

Lu Yuanqiu simply wanted Bai Qingxia to stay and witness the spectacle that was about to unfold.

This girl had died without ever realizing that a small act of kindness she once performed had unwittingly paved the way for someone else’s happiness.

It was the sort of memory that left a bitter taste in one’s mouth.

Back then, Lu Yuanqiu was like so many others in his class—one of those infatuated boys quietly pining for Hu Caiwei. When he found out she’d cast her only vote for him, his devotion grew deeper still.

Yet, for all his enthusiasm, Hu Caiwei treated him with the same ambiguity she showed toward the matter of the vote—neither confirming nor denying anything.

Their relationship was never acknowledged, yet she never refused his attentions. She accepted every gift, but kept him at arm’s length. She said this period before graduation was an "observation phase," and told him to do his best.

Lu Yuanqiu understood.

His father supplied goods to the supermarket, while he delivered them to Hu Caiwei—his puppy-like devotion was so obvious even his fourteen-year-old sister looked down on him.

But after graduation, Lu Yuanqiu failed his university entrance exams, while Hu Caiwei went off to a second-tier college.

During her freshman year, Lu Yuanqiu continued to send her all sorts of parcels, and she continued to accept them all. But when he tried to call, she brushed him off, claiming to be too busy with her studies.

It wasn’t until her sophomore year that Lu Yuanqiu learned she’d been dating a senior for a year.

The news left him utterly despondent.

He threw himself into work, started his own business, caught the wave of e-commerce, and—thanks to his family’s savings—built his company into a vast enterprise. By his early thirties, he was worth over a hundred million.

By then, Hu Caiwei had been abandoned by her ex-husband and was raising a child alone. Lu Yuanqiu no longer felt anything for her, but out of old sentiment, he still helped her from time to time.

Until, in a café, he learned that the fabled vote had never been cast by Hu Caiwei at all.

Lu Yuanqiu suddenly found it all rather amusing.

It was as if, in that moment, he finally saw clearly just how many foolish things he had done for this woman over the years.

Angry?

Not really. After everything he’d been through, he no longer cared.

But when he discovered that the real voter was the girl who had died fifteen years ago, that was when true anger surged within him.

How fortunate, then—life had given him a second chance.

…

At this moment, Bai Qingxia stood quietly and obediently by the doorway, holding two schoolbags in her arms.

After Hu Caiwei entered, Bai Qingxia resumed her usual distant and aloof demeanor, the same one she displayed at school—a look that warned others not to approach.

Lu Yuanqiu suddenly realized that this cool and reserved exterior might simply be her habitual armor.

“Oh, so you’re chatting with Bai Qingxia now, Lu Yuanqiu? Tell me, do you think Bai Qingxia is prettier, or am I?” Hu Caiwei leaned over the counter, her tone both mocking and sour.

Lu Yuanqiu sneered inwardly. Was she suffering from arrested development, or had her brain simply stopped growing altogether? Why insist on humiliating herself? Had she no mirrors in her house? Was even her own reflection reluctant to look at her?

Of course, Hu Caiwei was attractive and always well-dressed, but compared to Bai Qingxia’s enchanting, first-love beauty, she was nothing special.

Still, Bai Qingxia was aloof and friendless, so the boys rarely paid her any attention, leaving Hu Caiwei as the class’s adored goddess.

But the moment Bai Qingxia began to interact with the boys, Hu Caiwei’s sense of threat flared.

Arguing with her was pointless. Seated at the cashier’s desk, Lu Yuanqiu spoke indifferently, “She came to buy something. What about you, Hu? Is there anything you want today?”

Hu Caiwei sensed that Lu Yuanqiu was behaving strangely.

If she had to describe it, it was as if the cautious deference he usually showed her had vanished. Instead, his gaze now carried the seasoned confidence of someone well-versed in the ways of the world.

But perhaps it was just her imagination. Maybe, surrounded by so many girls today, he was simply putting on a front.

“Caiwei, your family really owns a supermarket? It’s huge,” one of the girls beside her exclaimed, covering her mouth in surprise.

Hu Caiwei preened, waving her hand dismissively, “Of course. Feel free to look around—take whatever you like. Today, it’s on me.”

The two girls exchanged envious glances and began helping themselves without hesitation.

Bai Qingxia watched in silence, her thoughts unreadable.

She was well aware of Lu Yuanqiu’s infatuation with Hu Caiwei.

Before long, the two girls returned with their arms full of chips and snacks, piling them on the counter—they were clearly here for a feast. Hu Caiwei also grabbed a few packs of gum and some drinks.

Standing on tiptoe, she craned her neck sweetly, “Lu Yuanqiu, could you give us two big bags?”

“Sure.” Lu Yuanqiu responded briskly and began scanning the items.

Hu Caiwei suddenly froze, unable to stop herself from asking, “What… what are you doing?”

“Scanning the prices, of course. Aren’t you here to buy things?” Lu Yuanqiu replied matter-of-factly.

The two girls behind Hu Caiwei exchanged glances, perplexed.

“Didn’t Caiwei say we didn’t have to pay?” they whispered.

Hearing her friends’ murmurs, Hu Caiwei’s pride was wounded. She frowned, “Lu Yuanqiu, why are you being so stingy today? It’s just a few snacks—they’re not expensive.”

Lu Yuanqiu chuckled, “Exactly, they’re not expensive. You said you’d treat us—can’t you afford it?”

“I…” Hu Caiwei was at a loss for words.

Bai Qingxia, standing nearby, blinked in surprise at the scene. She’d always quietly noticed Lu Yuanqiu’s fawning behavior in class, but today, he seemed… different.

The stares from her two friends burned into Hu Caiwei’s back, making her uncomfortable. Embarrassed and growing angry, she slapped her hands down hard on the counter.

“Lu Yuanqiu! Don’t tell me you’re serious! I’m really getting angry!”

Lu Yuanqiu replied, “There you go again, losing your temper. So what if you’re mad? Are you planning to rob me in broad daylight?”

Hu Caiwei was briefly stunned. Something was very wrong with Lu Yuanqiu today.

All at once, a possibility occurred to her. She asked tentatively, “Don’t tell me—you saw me with the class president at the mall yesterday? Lu Yuanqiu, why are you so petty! We just ran into each other by chance!”

“Sorry, I spent all of yesterday sleeping at home. Didn’t go to the mall.”

“Then what’s with you today?!”

“I’m perfectly normal. Isn’t paying for what you want to buy the most normal thing in the world? Don’t you agree, Bai Qingxia?”

At this, Bai Qingxia turned her head away, refusing to answer—she’d just stolen something and didn’t feel qualified to speak.

“Maybe let it go, Caiwei… We don’t really need the snacks that much…”

“Yeah, it’s not worth getting upset over…”

Hu Caiwei’s two friends couldn’t bear to watch any longer. Lu Yuanqiu’s logic was flawless—there was nothing they could say to help her.

After all, Hu Caiwei and Lu Yuanqiu were only classmates, nothing more.

Refusing to let it go, Hu Caiwei played her trump card: “Lu Yuanqiu! For your information, the class president confessed to me yesterday!”