Chapter 19: Echoes of School Secrets

In the classroom, the honest class monitor was quietly cleaning up.

Lily, following Lin Zheng Ran’s instructions, walked to her desk with tears streaming down and a lump in her throat.

The class monitor, who was sweeping, got scared and chose to step aside.

Lily lay on her desk and cried for a while. Seeing that the class monitor was still focused on sweeping and ignoring her, she wiped her tears with one hand and secretly glanced at Lin Zheng Ran hiding by the door.

Meaning: “The class monitor didn’t pay attention to me.”

Lin Zheng Ran clicked his tongue and responded with a look: “You’re so clueless. Don’t just cry—add some words to make it more dramatic. The more serious, the better!”

Lily nodded. A moment later, she suddenly burst into loud sobs: “I’m sorry, class monitor… I’m so sorry!”

The class monitor, who was sweeping, heard Lily say her name and jumped in fright. She stood back, feeling torn as she watched her.

Lily continued pitifully: “Everyone says I stole your things, but I really didn’t. Wuu… I don’t know what’s going on. I’m thinking of dropping out. I won’t go to school anymore. Without school, I won’t find a job and I’ll have to pick trash on the streets every day.”

Lin Zheng Ran, outside the door: “.”

Though a bit exaggerated, it was pretty vivid.

Lily went on, sobbing: “From now on, I’ll only eat rotten apples that others throw away, moldy tomatoes, and… and my mom won’t want me anymore.”

“Lily, you said you’re dropping out?” The class monitor, still a kid herself, couldn’t stand it anymore. She thought it was too sad and she shouldn’t be treated like this. “Please stop crying, okay? Wipe your tears first.”

Lily didn’t expect the class monitor to comfort her. She cried even harder: “Wuu, class monitor… I know you don’t believe me, but I really didn’t steal your phone.”

The class monitor walked over with her broom and saw Lily’s face covered in tears. Heartbroken, she said, “I believe you. I believe you.”

Lily sniffled and stared at the class monitor with wide eyes, her voice choppy from sobs: “Really? You really believe me? But why? The phone was found in my desk, right?”

The class monitor frowned, looking like she was about to burst with words. Lily quickly grabbed her arm:

“Class monitor, do you know something? Tell me, please. I promise I won’t tell anyone it came from you. I’m begging you.”

Under the weight of her conscience, the class monitor decided to come clean. She put down her broom and checked the door for anyone else. Lin Zheng Ran took the chance to dash to another spot.

Luckily, it was PE class, and everyone had already gone to the playground, so no one would come back.

The class monitor handed Lily two tissues to wipe her tears:

“I’ll tell you everything I know. This whole thing seemed weird to me too. I accidentally brought my phone to school that day. At noon, it wasn’t with me anymore—our classmate Jiang Lin borrowed it. She said she needed to call her mom, so I lent it to her.”

The class monitor continued:

“Then… in the afternoon, Jiang Lin told me my phone was stolen. The next day, it turned up in your desk. But it’s all so strange because I gave it to her in the cafeteria. I was worried about losing it, so I kept it on me, but when I went to get it back, she said it was gone. That noon, I remember you were in the classroom cleaning, not eating in the cafeteria.”

Lily nodded: “Yeah, that’s why everyone said I stole your phone while cleaning alone.”

The class monitor sat beside her: “See? This doesn’t add up. I even wonder if someone set you up on purpose.”

Hearing this, Lily felt everything click into place. Lin Zheng Ran, outside, overheard their conversation too.

After PE class, at lunchtime, Lin Zheng Ran and Lily skipped the cafeteria.

They sat on the steps by the teaching building’s rooftop door, munching on bread. The rooftop door was locked, so they couldn’t go up.

Lily watched Lin Zheng Ran chew his bread and said, “So, this has to be Jiang Lin and her group’s doing. The other day, I told the teacher about them playing on their phones, and they must hold a grudge, so they framed me.”

Lin Zheng Ran looked ahead: “Seems like it. But why did your desk mate point fingers at you? So far, it doesn’t look like she’s involved.”

Lily suddenly thought of something and nibbled her bread, her face turning red: “Well, if I have to say, I can find a reason why she’d frame me.”

“Oh?”

Lily said awkwardly: “Can’t you tell?!” Seeing Lin Zheng Ran still confused,

she looked at him like he was an idiot and whispered: “My desk mate likes you! Every time people say we’re a couple, she gets annoyed. And she steals glances at you all the time.”

“Huh? How do you know she steals glances at me?”

Lily sighed: “Because we’re desk mates!”

“So what? I don’t know who my desk mate looks at every day.” Lin Zheng Ran said matter-of-factly.

She blushed and shot back with her eyes closed: “That’s because you’re not like normal people!”

It was actually because Lily occasionally stole glances at Lin Zheng Ran herself, so she noticed her desk mate doing the same, but she kept that to herself.

After snapping at Lin Zheng Ran, Lily huffed and went back to her bread: “Forget it. Telling a dummy like you is pointless. Besides, it’s just a suspicion—maybe she didn’t frame me over that.”

Lin Zheng Ran gazed ahead: “Doesn’t matter. Anyway, you’ve been with me these past couple of days, and I can see your mood improving. The person who framed you must be getting nervous. Let’s secretly follow that group and see what we can overhear.”

“Yeah.”

Lily opened the last pack of pickled vegetables and handed it to Lin Zheng Ran, saying unconvincingly: “Here, you take the last one. I don’t like pickled vegetables.”

Lin Zheng Ran asked curiously: “If you don’t like it, why did you eat two packs?”

Lily felt mortified and snapped back in embarrassment: “Mind your own business! Don’t think I’m doing this for you! You’re overthinking it—I don’t mean anything by it.”

“Oh, I didn’t think that at all.”

Lily gritted her teeth at his attitude and shook her little fist: “Idiot! Big idiot! No girl will marry you when you grow up!”

Lin Zheng Ran replied: “Like anyone’s going to marry someone as noisy as you.”

“You!” She didn’t want to keep talking; the more she said, the worse it got. She muttered to herself: “Then we can just pair up.”

“What?”

Lily wanted to sink into the ground. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud. Blushing, she covered her ears and pretended: “I didn’t say anything!”

A few days later, Lin Zheng Ran and Lily used a recorder to secretly follow that group. Sure enough, a week later, they overheard their chat and got the key evidence for this wrongful case. That very day, the truth came out.