The morning light filtered through the windows of Class 9, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. The bell for the morning reading session hadn't rung yet, but the classroom was already buzzing with the low hum of students copying homework and gossiping.
At her desk, **Lily** was holding a black notebook as if it were a sacred text. She had spent the previous night poring over the pages **Ren** had casually tossed to her, and what she found had left her stunned.
"This is incredible," Lily whispered, tracing the ink on the page with her finger. "The logic in these derivations... it's not just correct; it's beautiful. It cuts through all the unnecessary steps the teacher uses. It's like a cheat code for the physics competition."
Ren was sleeping next to her, her face buried in her arms, her hoodie pulled up to block out the world. She didn't react to Lily's praise. To Ren, that notebook was just a stack of paper **Alpha Juan** had forced **Mook** to deliver—a nuisance she was happy to offload.
**Joey**, the class clown and resident rich kid, sauntered over. He had a strawberry lollipop in his mouth and a mischievous glint in his eye.
"What are you drooling over, Lily?" Joey asked, reaching out to snatch the notebook.
"Hey! Be careful!" Lily yelped, trying to protect it, but Joey was faster.
He flipped it open, scanning the pages with a grin that quickly faded into genuine surprise. Joey might have been a slacker who relied on his family's money, but he had seen enough high-level tutoring materials to recognize quality when he saw it. The handwriting in the notebook was bold, sharp, and commanding—the strokes of the pen digging deep into the paper with an aggressive elegance. It radiated power.
"Holy crap," Joey muttered, chewing on his lollipop stick. He looked down at the sleeping Ren. "Ren, did you write this? No way. Your handwriting looks like a chicken had a seizure."
Ren stirred. She annoyedly pulled her hood down, revealing messy hair and eyes that were still half-shut with sleep. "Give it back."
"Who wrote this?" Joey pressed, waving the notebook. "This isn't a student's handwriting. Is it a tutor? A professor?"
Ren snatched the notebook back and tossed it onto Lily's desk. "A neighbor," she rasped, her voice thick with sleep. "Now shut up."
"A neighbor?" Joey raised an eyebrow, laughing. "You have some interesting neighbors. Even **Xavier** doesn't have notes this good."
At the mention of his name, Xavier, who was walking down the aisle to collect homework, paused. He glanced at the notebook lying open on Lily's desk. His eyes caught a complex formula for angular momentum, solved with a method he had only seen in university textbooks.
Xavier's gaze shifted to Ren. She was already back asleep.
He frowned. The handwriting was unfamiliar, yet the level of knowledge was terrifying. *A neighbor?* Who exactly was living next to this girl? And why did she treat such valuable material like trash?
Ren's pocket buzzed. She ignored it. It buzzed again. And again.
Irritated, she pulled out her phone. The screen flashed with the name **"Vera"**.
Ren stared at it for a second, then rejected the call. A moment later, a text message popped up.
*Vera: I am at the coffee shop across from the school. Come out. We need to talk. Madam Vivian is here too.*
Ren stared at the message. Her expression went cold. She shoved the phone back into her pocket, kicked her chair back, and stood up.
"Where are you going?" Lily asked. "Class starts in five minutes."
"Bathroom," Ren lied effortlessly. She grabbed her black windbreaker, threw it over her shoulders, and walked out the back door.
***
The coffee shop across from Wolven High was a trendy spot for students, filled with the smell of roasted beans and sugary pastries. It was usually noisy, but in the corner by the window, there was a bubble of uncomfortable silence.
**Vera** and **Madam Vivian** sat there, looking completely out of place.
They were dressed in immaculate designer suits, their hair perfectly coiffed, their jewelry catching the light. They looked like royalty visiting a peasant village. The plastic chairs and the chatter of teenagers seemed beneath them.
Madam Vivian took a sip of her coffee and grimaced. She set the cup down with a soft *clink*, wiping her mouth with a napkin as if she had tasted poison.
"She's late," Madam Vivian said, checking her diamond-encrusted watch.
"She'll be here," Vera said nervously, smoothing her skirt. She was anxious. The revelation from **Mr. Vane Sr.** regarding Ren's violin skills and the million-dollar check had kept her awake all night. She didn't know how to face her daughter.
The bell above the door chimed.
Ren walked in.
She stood in stark contrast to the two women. She wore her uniform loosely, the top button undone, with the oversized black windbreaker billowing around her like a cape. Her hands were shoved into her pockets. She walked with a lazy, predatory grace, her eyes scanning the room before landing on them.
She pulled out a chair and sat down, her long legs stretching out under the table. She didn't greet them. She just looked at them, her expression bored.
"What do you want?" Ren asked, her voice raspy.
Vera flinched at the tone. She looked at Ren's face—pale, with dark circles under her eyes—and then at her right arm, which was hidden inside the windbreaker pocket.
"Your hand," Vera started, her voice sounding tight. "How is it?"
"It's attached," Ren said dryly. She kicked the leg of the table lightly. "If you called me out here to ask about my health, I'm leaving."
Vera bit her lip. She wanted to say more, to ask about the violin, about the injury, about the pain. But the words stuck in her throat. The distance between them felt like an ocean.
Madam Vivian cleared her throat. She wasn't here for small talk.
"Ren," Madam Vivian said, her voice cool and authoritative. "I don't like beating around the bush. I'm here to discuss the Vane case."
Ren leaned back in her chair, a smirk playing on her lips. "Go on."
"Mr. Vane Sr. came to the Lin house yesterday," Madam Vivian said, watching Ren closely. "He apologized. He admitted his grandson was in the wrong. But more importantly, he offered a settlement."
Ren didn't react. She just stared at Madam Vivian, her eyes dark and unreadable.
"The Lin family has a reputation to uphold in Moon City," Madam Vivian continued, tapping her manicured fingernails on the table. "Having a stepdaughter involved in a criminal trial, testifying in court... it's unsightly. It brings shame to your stepfather, to **Lance**, and to **Faye**. We want you to accept a private settlement."
Ren laughed. It was a short, sharp sound.
"Private settlement?" Ren asked. "Is that what you call it? Or is it hush money?"
"It's a practical solution," Madam Vivian said, her eyes narrowing. "They offered one million dollars. That is more than enough for a hand injury. You take the money, sign the papers, and we drop the charges against **Vane**. Everyone moves on."
Vera looked down at her hands. She felt a pang of guilt, but she stayed silent. She was terrified of Madam Vivian, and she was terrified of the scandal.
Ren looked at the two women. She saw the calculation in their eyes. They didn't care that Vane had tried to assault **Luna**. They didn't care that Ren had almost lost the use of her hand. They only cared about how it would look at their next dinner party.
"One million," Ren repeated. She pulled her right hand out of her pocket slightly, revealing the white gauze. "You think this is worth one million?"
"For a student from the countryside, it's a fortune," Madam Vivian said bluntly. "Don't be greedy."
Ren stood up abruptly. The chair screeched against the floor, drawing the attention of the entire cafe.
"You can keep the money," Ren said, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I don't want it."
"Ren!" Vera stood up too, panic in her eyes. She pulled a bank card from her purse. "Don't be stubborn! This is the money Mr. Vane gave us. Take it! Do you know what you are doing? If you press charges, you make enemies with the Vane family forever!"
Ren looked at the card.
"I don't care about the Vane family," Ren said calmly. "And I don't care about the Lin family's reputation. Vane broke the law. He hurt my friend. He goes to jail. That's the price."
"You ungrateful child!" Madam Vivian hissed. "We are trying to help you! Do you think you can survive in this city by fighting everyone?"
Ren adjusted her windbreaker. She looked at Vera, who was holding the card with trembling hands.
"Keep the million," Ren said, her lip curling into a mocking smile. "Use it to buy a better violin for **Faye**. I heard she's still struggling to pass Grade 9. She needs all the help she can get."
Vera froze. The insult hit its mark perfectly. Ren knew exactly what Mr. Vane had said yesterday—that Ren was a professional genius while Faye was mediocre.
"Goodbye," Ren said.
She turned and walked out of the coffee shop, stepping into the bright sunlight without looking back.
Vera collapsed back into her chair, the card slipping from her fingers onto the table.
"She knows," Vera whispered, horrified. "She knows everything."
Madam Vivian stared at the door where Ren had disappeared. Her face was no longer composed; it was dark with anger and a dawning realization.
"That girl," Madam Vivian muttered. "She is not simple. She is dangerous."
***
Ren walked back to school, the wind cooling her flushed face. She pulled her phone out and typed a message to **Luke**.
*Ren: The Lin family tried to buy me off. Proceed with the lawsuit. Maximum sentence.*
She hit send and shoved the phone back into her pocket.
As she walked through the school gates, she saw **Faye** standing near the bulletin board. Faye was looking at her phone, a strange, triumphant smile on her face.
Ren ignored her and walked past.
Faye looked up, her eyes gleaming with malice. She looked at the photo on her screen—the blurry image of Ren and **Mayor Feng** by the luxury car.
"Just wait, Ren," Faye whispered to herself. "You act so high and mighty, refusing the money, pretending to be righteous. But we all know where your power comes from. Let's see how arrogant you are when the whole school knows you're a kept woman."
Ren felt a sneeze coming on. She rubbed her nose. "Someone is talking trash," she muttered.
She returned to the classroom just as the bell rang.
Lily was waiting for her. "You're back! Did you get in trouble?"
"Nope," Ren said, sitting down and pulling her hoodie up. "Just dealt with some trash."
She closed her eyes, ready to sleep through the first period. The physics notebook lay on the desk, its pages fluttering slightly in the breeze, a silent testament to the fact that Ren's world was far bigger than anyone in that school could imagine.
**[Chapter 29 End]**