Chapter 741: Become the Scapegoat Again
“Isn’t it good that things have quieted down?” Tang Mengran asked, looking baffled.
“Of course it’s good. It’s just that it seems to have died down faster than expected.” Qiao Nan touched her chin. Unless Xu Tingting had been dealt with some blow, she would not have stopped so soon.
“I can’t be bothered. She’s sick in the mind if she wants to continue to stir up troubles. I heard that she is very close to a male student from another class and they have intentions to become a couple. She then requested the other party to help her photocopy your revision materials. Now, that student doesn’t seem to dare to bother about Xu Tingting anymore. In the future, she really won’t have any materials to study anymore. She deserves it!” At the mention of Xu Tingting, Tang Mengran was full of gloating in her tone. “Right. There’s a new rumor in the school. Have you heard of it?”
“New rumor?” It should have nothing to do with her. “What rumor?”
“Someone said that Xu Tingting’s family background is not as good as it appears to be. Her father works for Zhao Yu’s family. As for her mother, it’s rumored that she’s a loose woman who has messy romantic relationships outside. No wonder Xu Tingting’s temperament is like that. So, she took after her mother. In the past, she seemed so arrogant. I thought she came from a good family. It’s all her pretense.”
Upon hearing what Tang Mengran said, Qiao Nan could figure out roughly what had happened.
There was a problem with Xu Tingting’s mother. So, most likely, those pretty clothes worn by Xu Tingting were paid by her mother’s boyfriends.
Nevertheless, Qiao Nan never expected that Xu Tingting’s father was working at the factory that belonged to Zhao Yu’s family.
In their first year, Xu Tingting bullied Zhao Yu to the extent that the latter could not even stay in the dormitory, and Zhao Yu had wanted to transfer to Qiao Nan’s dormitory. At this moment, Qiao Nan was at a loss of what to say.
“I’m not clear about Xu Tingting’s family situation. I also don’t know if the rumors are true. However, I know that Xu Tingting seemed she couldn’t lift her head in the school recently. She has been avoiding everyone. Her situation is quite pitiful.” At the thought that Xu Tingting had fallen from grace after two years of arrogance, Tang Mengran felt proud and elated.
In the past, Xu Tingting looked down upon and bullied her. She had thought that Xu Tingting was very capable. In the end, she was just a fox in a tiger’s clothing, pretending to be fierce and powerful.
Qiao Nan closed her book and stopped writing. “Do you know where this rumor came from?”
It was no wonder Xu Tingting did not have time to deal with her. So, Xu Tingting had brought trouble upon herself and could not even take care of herself now.
Tang Mengran snorted. “Her temper has never been good. She has also offended many people. I’m not sure who’s making fun of her now. I can only say that it has nothing to do with me. If I had known about Xu Tingting’s family situation earlier, I wouldn’t have allowed her to be arrogant for so long. With her attitude, I had believed that she was a little princess at home.”
Qiao Nan laughed. “If you don’t know, so be it. What’s the point of saying so much?”
So, this disaster was brought upon Xu Tingting because she had really offended someone?
Qiao Nan was someone who was reborn. Her mental adaptability was certainly better than those of the ‘same age’ as her. She could withstand malicious gossip but that did not mean that Xu Tingting would be able to endure such stress.
“You sympathize with her?” Tang Mengran held her face and looked at Qiao Nan in disbelief. “She’s been so mean to you. She’s always at odds with you and even talked bad about you. Most likely, eighty to ninety percent of those adverse rumors about you were spread by her. The remaining ten or twenty percent were spread by Zhao Yu. Why do you pity this kind of person? They deserve it.”
“Sympathize? I don’t have so much excess sympathy.” Qiao Nan laughed. She opened her book again. Just like what Shi Qing said, if one repaid injustice with kindness, then what did one repay kindness with? Requite injustice with honesty and fairness and requite kindness with kindness.
This should be the right way.
“Then, why are you asking so much?” Tang Mengran expressed her doubtfulness. Nan Nan had always been so gentle. She had not seen her lose her temper or vent her frustration on anyone. It was as if she did not have any temper. “Nan Nan, let me advise you. Don’t sympathize with Xu Tingting just because she’s in a lot of trouble. If you’re in her shoes, she’d definitely stand aside and watch you become a laughingstock while she snacked on her melon seeds.”
“There’s only one reason why I have so many questions. Because like you, I’m a busybody. She has harmed me so many times. It’s rare that something has happened to her once, so shouldn’t I find out more?” Sympathize with Xu Tingting and soften her stance toward her?
She really did not intend to do so.
Otherwise, if anyone utilized the tactic of self-torture to gain pity on her, she would fall into the trap.
At the thought of Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin’s tricks, Qiao Nan had long dismissed all her excess feelings of sympathy since the day she was reborn.
“Alright, it’s time to study. We’ll be taking the college entrance examination soon. If we don’t study hard now, it’ll be a tragedy during the college entrance examination.” Qiao Nan stuffed the book in front of Tang Mengran and reminded her to study and that it was useless looking at her. She did not have any exam questions written on her face.
“Really going to study?” There was a loud sound of Qiao Nan writing furiously. Her speed was fast but the handwriting was still as beautiful as her usual one. Tang Mengran then felt more at ease. “Tsk, tsk, tsk, your reaction is too cold and quick. It’s over so soon.”
She had thought that Nan Nan would at least gloat over this news even if she did not sympathize with Xu Tingting. She did not expect that Nan Nan did not have any further reaction after questioning her.
There was no kick.
Ever since such a rumor appeared in Ping Cheng High School, Xu Tingting had changed a lot, becoming very aloof. When she was alone, she seemed extremely quiet.
However, each time she bumped into Qiao Nan accidentally at school, she would definitely disappear from Qiao Nan’s sight at her fastest speed.
“Nan Nan. Xu Tingting is so frightened of you now that she has to hide from you.” At the sight of this situation, Tang Mengran was overjoyed. It was as if Xu Tingting was avoiding her and not Qiao Nan.
Qiao Nan was not pleased. She knitted her brows. “Why is she avoiding me?”
“What can it be? Most probably, she thinks that you were the one who spread those rumors in the school.” Fang Fang wiped her glasses.
In the entire school, Nan Nan had the greatest enmity with Xu Tingting. When something happened to Nan Nan, Xu Tingting was most likely the one who did it. In the eyes of a typical person, if the situation was reversed, Nan Nan must be involved too if something happened to Xu Tingting.
“Uh…” Qiao Nan was dumbstruck as she opened her eyes wide in disbelief. “So, unknowingly, I’ve become the scapegoat again. Moreover, I don’t even know whose scapegoat I have become.”
“Very sorry to tell you this. Yes, Nan Nan, I send my condolences.” Tao Zhenqin patted Qiao Nan’s shoulder. This misunderstanding was irreparable. “Don’t feel disheartened, and don’t feel disappointed either. We will definitely believe you even if no one else does. This matter definitely has nothing to do with you.”