I created a foundation

On the other side, Yukinoshita Yukino was quietly reading a thick hardcover book, exuding a cold aura that kept strangers away.

And sitting among them, as if at the center of this dazzling little circle, was Lin Qing.

He did nothing but close his eyes and pretend to sleep, breathing steadily and slowly. But his mere presence made this group composed of a genius writer, a genius painter, and an icy beauty seem extremely harmonious and unbreakable.

They were like creatures from another dimension, accidentally landing in this ordinary classroom, their own halo making everything around them dim.

This light deeply hurt the girl who was sitting in an inconspicuous position not far away.

Iwasaki Maika.

With ordinary looks, average grades, and a mediocre family background, her life was like a gray backdrop casually thrown into a corner, and Kasumigaoka Utaha was the most dazzling and eye-catching presence in the center of that backdrop.

She stared at the small circle silently, and the mechanical pencil in her hand was almost broken by the strength of her fingertips.

She looked at the gentle smile on Kasumigaoka Utaha's lips when she occasionally whispered to Lin Qing, which she had never seen before.

She looked at the shy and expectant blush on Ying Lili's face as she handed the portrait she had just drawn to Lin Qing as if presenting a treasure.

She even looked at Yukinoshita Yukino, who was as cold as ice. When Lin Qing opened her eyes, she paused for a moment while turning the pages of the book.

Why.

Why do all good things happen to that one person?

The poisonous ivy of jealousy grew and spread wildly in Iwasaki Maika's heart, becoming entangled until it completely took over her mind.

What she saw with her own eyes yesterday after school became the last straw that broke the camel's back.

A black car with smooth and elegant lines, which she had only seen in top car magazines, stopped silently at the school gate. A driver dressed in a smart suit and white gloves got out of the car and respectfully opened the door for Kasumigaoka Utaha.

And Shiyu just sat in the car naturally and left with Lin Qing and Ying Lili in the car.

At that moment, Iwasaki Maika felt that there was an insurmountable chasm between her world and the other person's world.

Why.

That unwillingness and resentment finally turned into the most vicious weapon.

The next day, a rumor began to spread quietly on the campus of Sobu High School like a ghost.

"Hey, have you heard about that rumor about Kasumigaoka-senpai?"

"Which one? Isn't she a talented beautiful girl writer? What other rumors could there be?"

"That's it. Some people say her private life is very immoral, as if... as if she's being kept by someone."

"Eh?! Is this true? No way, isn't her family very rich?"

"Who knows? Look at her lately. Hasn't she been hanging out with some shady-looking people outside of school? Someone even saw her getting into a middle-aged man's luxury car yesterday."

"Wow... is this true? I can't tell. You usually act so high and mighty."

Rumors spread much faster than the truth. Like a living virus, they multiply among the crowd through whispers, ambiguous glances, and meaningful smiles.

At first, it was just speculation on a small scale.

Soon, it evolved into an exaggerated "fact".

The versions of the story gradually escalated from "being kept" to "having improper relationships with several people in society at the same time", and some people even claimed with certainty that the inspiration for her novels came from those "dirty deals".

Vicious words, like soft knives dipped in poison, attempt to cut that flawless image into pieces and then paint it with the dirtiest colors.

During lunch break, in the cafeteria.

Several girls, carrying their plates, deliberately sat at a table not far from Kasumigaoka Utaha and the others. Their voices were neither too loud nor too soft, but just loud enough for people around them to hear clearly.

"You really can't judge a person by his appearance. I didn't expect Kasumigaoka-senpai to be that kind of person."

"That's right, I used to admire her so much and considered her an idol. Now I feel sick just thinking about it."

A girl with short hair lowered her voice in a mysterious manner.

"Let me tell you something even more shocking. A friend of a friend of mine saw her in the bar district of Shibuya, cuddling with a man who looked like he could be her father. They were acting very intimately."

"Oh my god, this is so depraved!"

Eriri's hand holding the chopsticks suddenly tightened, the joints turned slightly white due to the force, and her golden twintails seemed to stand up because of the owner's anger.

Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes became increasingly cold, and the temperature of the air in the cafeteria seemed to drop a few degrees.

Only the protagonist of the discussion, Kasumigaoka Utaha, was still cutting the hamburger meat on the plate with an elegant posture, as if those dirty words were just the buzzing of flies, not worthy of her even a glance.

Lin Qing opened his eyes, calmly picked up a glass of juice and took a sip.

His [Heart Net] had already locked onto the source of everything. The girl named Iwasaki Maika was currently sitting in another corner of the cafeteria, pretending to eat while secretly observing everyone's reactions with a look of satisfaction.

That kind of pure malice that stemmed from jealousy seemed to him like a cloud of dirty black smoke.

At this moment, the girl with short hair probably felt that her performance was not good enough, so she raised her voice again.

"So, maybe the image of a genius writer is just a fabricated persona. Maybe she sold her body to buy all those books."

The voice just fell.

The entire noisy cafeteria suddenly fell into silence.

Kasumigaoka Utaha put down the knife and fork in her hand, making a crisp clash sound.

She didn't look at the girls who were gossiping, but slowly wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin, then raised her beautiful eyes, her gaze passed over everyone, and fell accurately on Iwasaki Maika, whose body instantly stiffened in the corner of the cafeteria.

There was a cold and playful smile on Shiyu's face, her red lips parted slightly, and her voice resounded clearly in the silent cafeteria.

"It seems that there is always some garbage that needs to be sorted and processed."

Chapter 142: Warning from the Blonde Lady! Resentment That Should Not Exist

Kasumigaoka Utaha's cold and playful words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples in the silent cafeteria.

Iwasaki Maika, who was locked in her gaze, stiffened instantly, the chopsticks in her hand fell onto the plate with a "click", and her face turned pale.

The eyes of everyone around subconsciously moved back and forth between Kasumigaoka Utaha and Iwasaki Maika.

Although they didn't know what was happening, the oppressive feeling of impending storm made everyone feel an inexplicable palpitation.

The girls who were talking loudly just now were now silent, with their heads lowered, wishing they could bury their faces in their plates.

"Shiyu..."

Eriri looked at her best friend with some concern.

However, Kasumigaoka Utaha simply withdrew her gaze, picked up the knife and fork again, and continued to cut the food on the plate elegantly, as if nothing had happened just now, with a faint sneer on the corner of her mouth.

She never bothered to argue with ants.

But the buzzing of ants is annoying after all.

Eriri looked at her, then turned to look at Iwasaki Maika, who was in a daze and on pins and needles in the corner of the cafeteria. A hint of determination flashed in her golden eyes.

Shiyu can be disdainful and ignore it.

But she can't.

She couldn't tolerate anyone using such dirty words to defame her friend.

The lunch ended in an eerie silence.

In the afternoon class, Eriri seemed a little absent-minded.

Her fingers twirled the paintbrush unconsciously, but her mind drifted far away. She observed Iwasaki Maika, who had been completely distracted the entire afternoon, afraid to meet anyone's gaze, especially not Kasumigaoka Utaha's.

That guilty look further strengthened Eriri's judgment.

The school bell rang.

Students left the classroom in groups of three or four, and the noise gradually faded away.

"Eri, aren't you leaving?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha packed her schoolbag and looked at the blonde girl who was still sitting in her seat without moving.

"You and Yukino go first," Eriri raised her head and put on a slightly forced smile, "I still have some inspiration and want to paint here for a while longer."

Yukinoshita Yukino glanced at her, her cold eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts, but she said nothing, just nodded slightly.

"Okay, then we'll go wait for you in the parking lot."

Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't think much about it and left the classroom with Yukinoshita Yukino.

It was not until the entire teaching building became empty, with only the afterglow of the setting sun shining through the windows and casting long shadows in the corridor, that Eriri slowly stood up.

Instead of going to the parking lot, she walked to the stairs on the other side of the teaching building and leaned quietly against the wall, like a patient hunter waiting for her prey.

A few minutes later, a flurry of footsteps came from the bottom of the stairs.

Iwasaki Maika, carrying her schoolbag and with her head down, almost ran up, as if she wanted to escape from this suffocating place as soon as possible.

When she ran to the corner, a figure blocked her way without warning.

Iwasaki Maika was startled and looked up suddenly. The moment she saw who was coming, her pupils suddenly contracted.

It's Eriri Sawamura Spencer.

The golden twin ponytails shone brightly in the setting sun, and the beautiful face that usually showed a bit of pride and shyness was now covered with a layer of frost, without any warmth at all.

"Sawa... Sawamura-kun?"

Iwasaki Maika's heart skipped a beat and she subconsciously took a half step back, her voice trembling with an imperceptible tremor.

"It's you who's spreading rumors about Shiyu, isn't it?"

Eriri didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point, her voice as cold as the winter wind.

Iwasaki Maika's face suddenly lost all color and her eyes dodged around in panic.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about! What rumors? I know nothing!"

She was still being stubborn and trying to get away with it by playing dumb.

Eriri's eyes grew colder as she watched her clumsy performance.

She didn't say another word.

Words, at times, are the least effective form of communication.