"Who would have thought she was one of them? Did you all hear that? They want her to 'see clients.' What kind of clients exactly?" Shen Mei spoke in an intentionally loud, piercing voice the moment Yu Qi and Feng Yue stepped into the classroom.
Yu Qi and Feng Yue simply chose to ignore the provocative words being hurled by Shen Mei. Their silence only seemed to agitate the girl further.
"You still dare to show your face here? Are you not even a little bit ashamed of yourself? You're acting like such a whore." Shen Mei continued, her words dripping with malice.
"This is exactly what we call 'an idiot plus a stupid person.'" That single, calm sentence from Yu Qi was more than enough to make Shen Mei explode with rage.
"What did you just call me?" Shen Mei screamed, her face flushing red.
"What? Did Yu Qi even say your name?" Feng Yue mocked, tilting her head with a smirk.
A student sitting nearby in the classroom couldn't help but chuckle. Shen Mei whipped around to glare at the girl.
"What are you laughing at?" Shen Mei shouted, redirecting her bottled-up anger toward the innocent bystander.
The student was flabbergasted for a split second before she decided to retort. "Well, I actually find myself agreeing with Yu Qi's words. It really is a case of 'idiot plus stupid.' In fact, I'd like to add something to that, you're an idiot, plus a stupid, plus a total moron."
At that, more and more students began laughing at Shen Mei's expense. Wang Fu Ya, who had been standing beside Shen Mei the entire time, was completely dumbfounded by how quickly the situation had shifted. She had desperately wanted the other students to isolate Yu Qi and Feng Yue from the rest of the class, but the result was the exact opposite.
Yu Qi, who had been quietly observing Wang Fu Ya, noticed her expression change and let a small, knowing smile play on her lips. Wang Fu Ya caught Yu Qi watching her and felt a surge of resentment.
Yu Qi smirked elegantly, the confidence in her eyes undeniable. Wang Fu Ya clenched her hands into tight fists. Again and again, she found herself losing to a mere orphan. She took a deep, shaky breath to calm her racing heart. 'I will destroy this bitch soon, she thought venomously. In the end, I will be the winner.'
The school day officially began when the teacher arrived and started the lesson, and the usual routine of student life took over. Once school let out for the day, Yu Qi began her walk toward the Godly Herb shop.
Feng Yue had wanted to follow her, but Old Man Feng was already waiting for his granddaughter in front of the school gates. Having no other choice, Feng Yue reluctantly followed her grandfather back home.
Upon arriving at the shop, Yu Qi was greeted by Song Nan, who was silently and meticulously arranging the display of herbs. She walked straight into the backyard, where she found her master busy digging into the dark earth.
"Hello, Master." Yu Qi greeted Grandpa Tang warmly.
Grandpa Tang turned to look at her, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. "Good timing. Go and change your clothes quickly. Our lesson for today is gardening."
"Gardening?" Yu Qi repeated, a bit surprised.
"Yes. I want to plant some Angelica dahurica and some licorice today." Grandpa Tang replied.
"Okay! I will be back as soon as I've changed." Yu Qi replied.
After five minutes, she returned to the yard and began helping her master with the labour. As they worked, her master began to explain the absolute best methods for planting these specific herbs.
He reminded her that truly mastering the art of Chinese herbs was not just about knowing their names and their medicinal uses. It was also about understanding the soul of the plant and knowing exactly how to help it grow from the ground up.
This chapter is edited by Tzin99. Thank you for your help...