It has been more than ten minutes since the search started. However, the search party still has not yet found the bracelet. Seeing this, Lizzy’s face was pale beyond comparison. Of course, this was not from crying but from her anxiousness which was increasing every minute. The person whom she paid had clearly said that they will find it the moment they open the bag. The problem was that didn’t happen.

The approaching footsteps woke her up from her stupor. She stared at Li Yue who had just arrived with the women who checked her.

“We didn’t find the bracelet.” One of the guides said. “The small bag she was carrying doesn’t have the bracelet too.” The guide then gave Lizzy a meaningful look. In response, she immediately avoided the woman’s gaze and lowered her face. The initial plan was to make Li Yue refuse the search. Even though Lizzy insisted the bracelet was inside Li Yue’s pouch, it was actually in the huge bag to make it look like Li Yue had tried to hide it after she stole it from her.

This way, Li Yue could not use the reason that she coincidentally found it and was planning to return it. After all, it was already stuffed in her bag. It would be a different matter if it was still in her small pouch. Lizzy soon gritted her teeth in frustration. Was it possible that Li Yue was able to find out her scheme before she even approached her?

Is that why she had been very eloquent in her answers?

Lizzy tried to hide the turbulent emotions in her heart from showing on her face. On the outside, she looked rather pitiful with her swollen eyes and pale face. This easily attracted a lot of sympathy from the people around her. Many then started consoling her. Of course, the people who hated Li Yue immediately took advantage of the scene to add fuel to the fire.

On the other hand, Li Yue was calmly looking at them as they checked her things over and over again, as if afraid that she secretly put it inside some secret pocket in her jackets. She sneered inwardly while maintaining her silence. She then eyed the tent. Even now, Mo Li was still pretending that he was sleeping.

It seems that he only wants to watch a show, Li Yue thought.

Not long after, everyone seemed to finally realize that the bracelet really was not amongst Li Yue’s belongings. “We couldn’t find it.” The administrator said. To everyone’s surprise, what followed his words were the loud sobs of Lizzy. Her shoulders started to shake as she called out her grandmother’s name over and over again to beg for an apology. This made Li Yue frown. This woman really loves crying. Does she have an endless supply of tears?

“Miss Lu…” Every time the administrator would try to call Lizzy, she would start crying even louder and louder. In the end, the administrator shook his head. Of course, he understood why this woman suddenly started crying. His years of experience weren’t for nothing.

“Aren’t you going to apologize?” However loud her cries may have been, how could Li Yue forget about the apology?

“Li Yue… can’t you see? Lizzy can’t even speak properly right now. Her heart is broken because she lost her bracelet. How could you be so heartless?” the woman who said that was also the one who also claimed that she saw Li Yue with the bracelet.

However, instead of getting irritated, Li Yue gave a knowing smile. “Administrator, I want to file a case of slander against this woman.” Her words made the woman pale drastically. Once someone has a case filed against them, it will forever be a black stain in their records. Their prospects of getting into a good college would surely diminish by at least seventy percent. If they could not settle the case, their dreams of going to a prestigious university would surely end. How could she allow this to happen?

“Alright…. Since I’ve already promised this, I will issue a statement by the school. I will also act as a witness to attest to this case due to my direct involvement.” The administrator nodded reluctantly. In truth, he does not want to offend the woman’s parents. He knew that this woman came from a well-off family. Unlike Li Yue, this woman has great prospects for their college days and the corporate industry. However, under the eyes of the other similarly influential students, the administrator believed that it would be better to offend this woman than to lose the trust of these students.

Once this incident reaches the parents of these students, the administrator would not want them to think that he was being impartial solely because of Li Yue’s current status. The administrator could only sigh inwardly. As a senior, he could easily tell that Lizzy must have been scheming to get Li Yue out of this mountain. However, he still pretended not to notice it, thinking that the scheme will succeed.

The administrator’s words immediately made the other students whisper to each other. Some people nodded in approval while others frowned in disagreement. Of course, some of them immediately understood that this Lizzy Lu was only scheming and had already made a mental note to stay away from this woman in the future.

“Hmph! Isn’t it only a case?” the woman recovered from her shocked state and glared at Li Yue. “Her parents can surely help her fix this!”

“So?” Li Yue raised an eyebrow and ignored the woman. “Are you going to apologize now?” She looked at the crying Lizzy Lu.

“I told you! She’s too distraught right now! Just leave her be for a while!”

“It’s fine. I can wait.” Her words surprised both Lizzy and the woman. Seeing this, Li Yue sat on the log and smiled. She then rested her elbows on her knees and propped her chin on top of her palms. Surely, this woman’s tears will run out soon. “She can apologize after her tears run out.”

Li Yue’s unreasonable words made everyone speechless. They eyed the nonchalant Li Yue then the crying Lizzy. With Li Yue’s stubbornness, how could a schemer like Lizzy continue her act? “You!” Before she could continue, Li Yue suddenly said something outrageous to the woman who sat next to the crying Lizzy.

“Give her some water. Her tears will run out soon.” She mocked before laughing. She does, after all, have all the time in the world.

“…”

…..

Note:

Lizzy is not a side plot. T.T

Naturally, the plot already changed because of Li Yue’s closeness to Mo Li. I was not planning to explain this but I understand the pacing is too slow. I wanted the relationship to develop as much as possible while Li Yue is also learning about the rules of the system.