C19 19

The bell signaled the end of class, and Han Shuangjiang declared it was time to pack up. Jiang Yining's phone buzzed in her drawer, right on cue. It was a message from Snowy. "I've got a lead on what you asked me to look into. You were spot on. The Ming family was initially against taking you back, but the Ye family is pushing hard. I'm still digging into why the Ye family is so adamant about you rejoining the Ming family. By the way, have you enrolled at Jiangde?" Jiang Yining fixated on the words "Ye family" for a moment before starting to type her response. "Thanks. Keep me posted on any updates. Yes, I have. Is there a problem?" The reply came swiftly. "Hehe, no worries. Just focus on your class." Jiang Yining's lips curled into a half-smile, not quite buying the "no worries" part. As footsteps approached, she quickly turned off her phone and slid it back into the drawer, then looked up. Ming Qingcheng stood in the aisle, her face beaming with a sweet smile. "Sister, it's wonderful that we're in the same class. Dad will be thrilled when he hears about it." The class's attention shifted toward them. Ming Qingcheng was so kind to her foster sister. Anyone else would struggle to muster a smile. Jiang Yining responded with a noncommittal "Hmm." Undeterred by Jiang Yining's cool demeanor, Ming Qingcheng continued to smile. "Sister, why don't you come sit with me? It would make it so much easier for me to look after you." Jiang Yining looked up, her eyebrows arching inquisitively. "You want to look after me?" "Absolutely. Taking care of my sister is my duty," Ming Qingcheng affirmed with a nod. Jiang Yining's lips curled into a slight smile, the first she had shown since entering the classroom. "Well then, thank you in advance. Could you fetch my textbooks for me?" The smile on Ming Qingcheng's face nearly crumbled right there. Jiang Yining had actually asked her to fetch textbooks. "What?" Jiang Yining challenged with a raised brow. "Wasn't it you who said you wanted to take care of me? Or was that just talk?"

"Hey, there's a limit to shamelessness. Why should Qingcheng fetch textbooks for you?" Jiang Yining arched an eyebrow and turned her gaze to the girl defending Ming Qingcheng. "No reason. She can go if she wants to." The subtext of her words was clear to everyone. Nobody was forcing Ming Qingcheng to do anything; she was the one making a fuss over nothing. Stifled by her own indignation, the girl muttered under her breath, "Shameless." "Lin Fei, it's an older sister's duty to look after her younger sibling," Ming Qingcheng said, gently tugging at the girl. Then she flashed a smile at Jiang Yining. "I'll go get the books for you now." The classroom was eerily silent during the break. Those who were fond of Ming Qingcheng saw her sweet smile and felt a pang of sympathy, and their dislike for Jiang Yining grew stronger. She might be attractive, but she was rotten to the core. Zhou Minghai stood up with a bang. "Let the class monitor handle this kind of task." With that, he dashed out of the classroom before anyone else could react. A moment later, someone else spoke up. "Exactly. Let us guys handle the heavy lifting from now on. Qingcheng's hands are meant for playing the piano, not for lugging books around." Ming Qingcheng's eyes reddened slightly. "Thank you." "Haha, we're all classmates here, no need for formalities." After observing the heartfelt camaraderie, Jiang Yining withdrew her attention with a lazy shift of her eyes. Ming Qingcheng remained in place. "Sister..." Jiang Yining propped her cheek, her expression tinged with impatience. "Is there something else?" Ming Qingcheng bit her lip, her gaze on Jiang Yining filled with a mix of helplessness and a touch of grievance. "Sister, why don't you sit with me? It would make our parents happy if we looked out for each other."

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