Reborn Aristocrat: Return of the Vicious Heiress

Wen Xinya walked along the pavement and made a turn, only to see that Xia Ruya was standing beneath the sun with a pile of books in her arms. She appeared delicate and deceivingly innocent.

“Ruya, you’re really impressive. You managed to solve such a difficult question and explain it so simply. You made a mind-boggling question appear easy.” Remarked a girl who was wearing a red quilt jacket and staring at Xia Ruya with the utmost respect.

Xia Ruya tucked her hair behind her ear. Feeling a little shy, she blushed and said, “Yuzhen, I also couldn’t solve that problem, at first. I only learned how to after President Chu taught me.”

Li Yuzhen smiled and said, “Ruya, not only are you pretty and intelligent, you’re pure and kindhearted as well. I remember everyone borrowing your notes when we were in Year One! You’re always ready to render help whenever necessary. Stop being so modest.”

Xia Ruya could not help but blush again.

Wen Xinya stared at the scene before her quietly. Apart from the ill and vicious intentions that Xia Ruya harbored deep down, Wen Xinya found that she indeed seemed to be a flawless person on the surface. She was beautiful, classy, bright, and kind to everyone she met. She would also never hesitate to help those in need, so long as it was within her means to.

Although she had embarrassed herself on stage during the performance on the day of the school’s anniversary celebrations and had her reputation stained because of the incident, she did not let the unhappy event hinder her from working hard to climb the social ladder. Wen Xinya often heard about Xia Ruya staying behind in school frequently to help tidy and clean the premises. She had also left her notes in the common reading area of the student union room and allowed the other students to copy them. She would also give clear and thorough explanations whenever necessary.

Within just a month, all the members of the student union began singing praises about her.

Everyone preferred the candid and personable Xia Ruya to Wen Xinya whose aloof and formidable elegance could only be admired from afar.

In fact, Wen Xinya had begun to view Xia Ruya in a different light and even respected her ability to go against all odds and find her balance quickly, regardless of the setbacks she faced.

All of a sudden, Wen Xinya gained more insight and knowledge about Xia Ruya’s personality and kept her guard up higher against her.

“Xinya, why are you here?” Xia Ruya asked, striding towards her in a seemingly gleeful manner.

Wen Xinya raised her brows, wondering what tricks Xia Ruya was getting up to again.

“Ah!” Xia Ruya shrieked while stumbling forward and swaying unsteadily before falling onto the ground.

Li Yuzhen was caught off guard and stood rooted to the ground in shock. As soon as she snapped back to reality, she hurriedly ran towards Xia Ruya to help her up. “Ruya, are you alright? Did you get injured? Let me take you to the medic room!”

Appearing as pale as a ghost, tears welled up in Xia Ruya’s eyes and she bit her lip while moving her leg slowly. “It hurts. My leg really hurts!”

Li Yuzhen frantically pulled her thermal tights up to reveal a huge bruise and some abrasions on her knee that was bleeding profusely, a stark contrast to her porcelain skin.

Li Yuzhen screamed and exclaimed in terror, “Oh my god! You had such a bad fall!”

Staring at the wound on her knee with tears in her eyes, Xia Ruya bit her lip and tried her best to hold her tears back.

Glaring at Wen Xinya indignantly, Li Yuzhen chastised. “Wen Xinya, did you just watch Ruya fall to the ground in front of you? You didn’t even bother to help her. Aren’t you being a little too cruel and inhumane!?!”

“Weren’t you there, too?” Wen Xinya retorted. She stared at Xia Ruya in a moment of epiphany. After putting in so much effort into getting in the good books of the other students for more than a month, she had finally regained her lost reputation. By pretending to have a great fall, Xia Ruya was simply trying to emphasize the difference between her and Wen Xinya by juxtaposing her kindness against the latter’s inhumanity. It would then cause Wen Xinya’s reputation in Lan Feng to be tainted.

Li Yuzhen castigated. “Ruya was clearly nearer to you. When she lost her balance, all you had to do was step forward to help her and prevent her from falling. Had you done that, Ruya wouldn’t have been so heavily wounded.”

Wen Xinya answered, “I just couldn’t react in time because I was frightened by the books darting in my direction.”

Li Yuzhen looked down to see that there was indeed a thick book beside Wen Xinya’s leg. Hence, she was at a sudden loss for words. However, she still felt that Wen Xinya was just trying to defend herself and retorted. “You’re just making excuses.”

Wen Xinya questioned, “How so?”

Li Yuzhen said angrily, “You clearly watched Ruya fall down and deliberately refused to help her.”

Xia Ruya quickly tugged at Li Yuzhen’s shirt and said, “Yuzhen, I was the one who was careless and tripped. This has nothing to do with Xinya, don’t blame her.”

Li Yuzhen defended. “You were careless, but you wouldn’t have fallen and gotten this injured if she was willing to give you a hand. Anyway, she’s just overtly inhumane!”

Xia Ruya hung her head low quietly.

Seeing how aggrieved and innocent Xia Ruya was, Li Yuzhen’s displeasure towards Wen Xinya grew stronger. She chided. “A heartless and unfeeling person like you doesn’t deserve to be the school belle. I can’t believe you actually came in seventh place in the Flower Of Lan Feng. You’re nowhere as kindhearted and pure as Ruya. You merely replaced Ruya after resorting to underhanded means.”

Wen Xinya smirked and sneered. “It’s just a superficial title. Whoever covets it can have it. I don’t care for it, anyway.”

Xia Ruya looked up at her in shock. It had never crossed her mind that Wen Xinya would say such words. She thought, If she doesn’t care for the titles, why would she have gone through such painstaking efforts to set me up during the school’s anniversary celebrations?

If I were to replace Wen Xinya and become the school belle again, I’d just be picking up a title that she discarded.

Li Yuzhen scoffed. “Look how high-sounding you’ve made yourself to be. Of course you can say whatever you want now that you possess those titles.”

Wen Xinya looked at Li Yuzhen and said smilingly, “I understand that you’re full of jealousy and hatred towards me because you don’t have what I do.”

Turning pale from the immense anger, Li Yuzhen questioned, “You… why should I be jealous of you?”

“There are lots of reasons why you should be jealous. For example, the difference in our status, wealth, and power…” Wen Xinya said to Li Yuzhen while keeping her eyes fixed on Xia Ruya. It was as if she was directing her words at Xia Ruya instead.

Xia Ruya looked away, not daring to make eye contact with Wen Xinya who was glaring daggers at her and causing her to be overwhelmed with terror and fear.