10 Chapter Ten

"Zhou Hua Fan!! You're back!!" "Hua Fan, welcome back!!" "Hua Fan, did you know this strange child is coming out of your family's car these days you were gone?" Zhou Hua Fan ignores the students who stare at her with pitying looks and gossipy eyes and continues walking forward. Her grandfather specifically called the principal to allow Hua Fan a week to rest and recover from the setback Zhou Feng Meng had attempted to set on her reputation.

Without Hua Fan's injury as a base for gossip and speculation about Huang Gou Heng's own rise in popularity. Now, the boy was at an impasse where his status was unknown and strange, keeping people away from him as they were unsure why the boy was showing up in place of the beautiful girl. And without Hua Fan to inform the pack of starving wolves exactly who this person was, they dare not take the first step towards this new species that had suddenly made its home on their territory. Was he an illegitimate child? Was he a distant cousin?

Who was this boy who rode the Zhou family car as if he was the prince of the Zhou family? Where was the Princess who would have arrogantly strode down confidently to her classes without a backward glance? Ever since this boy had shown up, the Zhou Flower had disappeared without notice. Now that she was back they all clamored over to try and get information from her on the status and identity of the boy. The girls in particular hung close by as Hua Fan unpacked her books into her desk to question and whisper by her ear with sly side glances.

"Hey, Hua Fan who is that boy? How is he using the Zhou family car, and you're not? Is he your half-brother?" Another girl jabs that one out of the way to stand beside Hua Fan, who still had a cold disposition and didn't appear to want to answer her. This girl was from the Tang family and her family was almost as wealthy as Hua Fan's, so it was not too big of a leap to say she was someone who considered herself the best suited to be Hua Fan's best friend.

But her eyes shone with a greedy light that Hua Fan despised and mocked her past self for not seeing before till now. Her eyes coldly access this young preteen with such a delicate body and frame who was trying to be strong in the face of all the others. The Tang miss gave them all fierce looks and defends Hua Fan from their questioning while blocking their way like a true Mary Sue. "Don't be ridiculous! All these years we have been by Fan's side, she had never mentioned a brother! How could one pop up so suddenly, and he is even older than Fan by a year! It's just not possible!"

The girls surrounding them all fail to hide their ridicule, without hiding the glee in their eyes at her "demise". A boy who was older than her claiming to be her brother? In the past, how did she react? Her cold eyes flash momentarily as she recalls what she had done that day. When she was provoked in her past life, she had sneered at everyone and clambered to have their families prosecuted for spreading false rumors. Ah, she had even threatened to claw their lips off for speaking nothing but nonsense.

Hua Fan can still faintly recall the feeling of soft skin under her pampered nails back then, her hands twitch, and she glances at her clean fingers and ponders if it was worth doing the same thing over again just to get that satisfaction of scratching them up. Leaning her hip against her desk, Hua Fan crosses one arm across her chest while admiring her manicured nails on the other appearing very calm under their questioning. Being a doll look-alike with a cold face, she was bound to be beautiful no matter what she did. The girl's back was turned from the sun coming in from the window, casting a light glow around her petite but oppressing frame. Her enchanting face was highlighted by the lovely sunny day outside and her pale skin resembled smooth snow, causing the other girls to pursue their lips with dissatisfaction.

Tang Ai Rou looks at the calm face of the pretty girl before her and felt a bit confused and worried. Wouldn't anyone be red in the face after being humiliated by their own family? But why is she so calm? Hua Fan even glances at her at this moment and a smirk flashed across her pink lips directly at her, making Tang Ai Rou's stomach flutter nervously; however, she calms herself by mocking Hua Fan in her heart haughtily. So what if you are a little pretty? Now that your father brought back a mistress's child, who also happens to be a boy, what will you do? In the end, a girl will be married off while the boy takes over the family name. You're nothing but a vase that will be sold to the highest bidder in the future.

Zhou Hua Fan, you're no better than the rest of us here. One day you will fall into greater misery than us, since we all have older cousins or older and younger brothers to support us in the future. Meanwhile, you have no one but a bastard from a mistress who is going to usurp your fragile throne! Dark brown hair frames the doll's features as her lashes lightly fan her cheeks and those large eyes look up slightly after she had admired her nails long enough. Pretty pink lips raise to reveal a row of perfect white teeth. "Oh? Brother? He is indeed my brother, what's it to you? These days I've been busy visiting my grandfather to pay my filial piety, so I'm not exactly sure what has happened recently in school. You all didn't bully him, did you?"

The surrounding faces instantly become shocked, the boys who were listening in for gossip were also taken aback by her casual response. Tang Ai Rou especially, was taken back since she knew Hua Fan's temper, most of the time Hua Fan would have a short fuse in and out of school these days. It was strange that she did not get angry and bully the girl who spoke just now in a blind rage. Peeking at Hua Fan strangely, Tang Ai Rou saw the girl was already looking straight at herself with an eerie smile. Tang Ai Rou flushes red out of embarrassment and felt a chill go down her spine, sweat broke out across her forehead as the young girl thought she had been seen through.

Hua Fan was terrifyingly gentle when speaking to Tang Ai Rou as though she was actually as considerate as she pretended to be at this moment. This behavior was unlike the usual Hua Fan, who would have thrown a tantrum by now and slapped the girls laughing at her without consideration of her actions. "Ai Rou, as you said we had grown up together, so you should that I had an older brother. Or..Did you forget him? Even though back then you would even visit my home often and played with my older brother the most, calling him older brother and acting as his personal tail. Ah, perhaps it has been so long that you had actually forgotten that brother of mine because he is adopted and not of true Zhou blood. Brother Heng must be heartbroken."

Instantly, the eyes that were staring at Hua Fan turn simultaneously to look at her with doubting eyes taking what Hua Fan said as truth. Well, even if it wasn't true if the Zhou heiress says this was true then it just was, who would dare to refute her? Tang Ai Rou turns pale, seeing her peers quickly turning their faces against her and their looks of contempt and mockery falling onto her shaking frame instead. The girl who she jabbed aside is still bitter about being pushed about and sneers at her while her friends snicker to themselves beside her. "Tan Ai Rou, you... you knew all along Hua Fan had an older brother, what was with your speech earlier? Not to mention, wasn't it you that said that Hua Fan wasn't really sick but was having family problems? What kind of white lotus are you playing, do you still have the face to pretend in front of us?"

Laughter broke out in the classroom as no one dared to not laugh in case they were also associated with the foolish girl who had dug her own grave. Although the Tang family was rich and quite influential, in the end, they were still a family under the Zhou company after being swallowed by the mighty dragon Zhou Jian Kong. Living under Zhou Jian Kong's rule and command, one word from Zhou Hua Fan who still had that man's support was worth a hundred times more than that of Tang Ai Rou's. The second generation pack of wolves all bares their fangs at Tang Xiao Ai, just like that. The queen of roses stood in the center with a mocking sneer. Back then, how could I have been so blind as to fall for your childish provocations? The girl could not take their mockery and runs from the classroom in confusion and tears, unable to utter another word for fear of being spat and cursed at by the hyenas. Hua Fan watches her leave with cold eyes, it was just like that.

This cruel world of the nouveau-riche, who were raised to seek benefits and cut bridges that would cause them losses. Between the one who could stand proud and tall with the Zhou family name and the one who faked niceties with a white lotus banner while leeching off the person they mocked behind their backs. It was a no-brainer those who were smart would choose Hua Fan and those who did not want to be the odd one out also follow the crowd and pretend they heard and saw nothing. The fact that Zhou Hua Fan brought out Zhou Jian Kong's presence without actually saying his name was caught by them. Since the patriarch of the Zhou clan still favored Zhou Hua Fan, who dares to stand up against her and laugh openly anymore? Who said Zhou Hua Fan was no longer the family heiress?

If they were stupid like Tang Ting Ai and spoke too hastily, it would have been them suffering instead. They all felt relieved in their hearts and minds and once more make sure to not provoke the tiger again. If Hua Fan said the boy was her older brother, then he was her brother. No one breached the subject ever again in front of the girl who gave our punishments as easily as an emperor with a smile on her lips. They all act a bit more cautiously, feeling this Zhou Hua Fan had smarted up a bit more after taking her sick leave.