Bai Xifeng turned her back with an air of cold indifference, fully intending to walk away and put a definitive end to what she considered a tedious and pointless encounter.

"Someone, call a teacher! We have a blatant trespasser in our division!" Bai Chunhua screamed at the top of her lungs.

Her sharp, shrill voice sliced through the air, echoing loudly and harshly against the stone walls of the corridor.

Several students who were passing by immediately halted in their tracks, their curiosity instantly ignited by the sudden, dramatic commotion. They began gathering in a loose, shifting circle, eager to watch the spectacle unfold. One of them, a young man who appeared to be an acquaintance of Chunhua, stepped forward with a look of genuine concern etched across his features.

"Chunhua, what on earth is the matter? What has happened here?" The young man asked, his voice thick with worry.

"This girl... she is not a member of our division." Bai Chunhua declared, her chest heaving as she pointed an accusing and slightly trembling finger directly at Bai Xifeng’s retreating back.

"Not a student here? Then she must have sneaked into our halls with ill intent." The boy concluded.

He spoke loudly, jumping to the most dramatic and scandalous conclusion possible to please Chunhua.

The surrounding group of students, now fully invested in the conflict, began whispering feverishly among themselves.

"Wait, is that Student Bai Xifeng?"

"Huh? Who?"

"Bai Xifeng! The one who was reported dead! People were gossiping about her disappearance all day yesterday."

"Oh! Her! The one involved in the Xien Stone Cave incident? I remember now... So, the rumours were wrong. She did not actually die after all."

"Yeah, it was probably just an exaggeration. I heard that a group of students who were already in the area returned to the school and reported the incident. Since this student did not return on time, everyone simply assumed she had perished in the chaos."

Bai Chunhua had been entirely preoccupied within the seclusion of her workshop yesterday and had not set foot outside, leaving her completely oblivious to the sensational rumours spreading throughout the academy like wildfire. Hearing this now, she felt a surge of pure, venomous irritation rise within her gut.

A dark, jagged thought flashed through her mind. ’Why didn’t you just die there and save me all this trouble?’ However, even someone as arrogant as Bai Chunhua did not have the sheer audacity to voice such a cruel sentiment in front of so many witnesses. She had a reputation to maintain, after all.

"Why are you here?" Bai Chunhua demanded once more, her stubborn pride and burgeoning jealousy preventing her from letting the matter drop.

"That is none of your damn business." Bai Xifeng replied, her voice dropping to a level of icy finality that made the air feel several degrees colder.

"If you continue to refuse to explain yourself, then I will personally escort you to the faculty and report you for trespassing." Bai Chunhua threatened.

She stood her ground firmly, her chin raised high in a display of unearned authority.

"Oh? Then by all means, go ahead and report it. Your teachers are already heading this way." Bai Xifeng said.

A faint, mocking smile touched her lips as she lazily pointed a hand toward the figures approaching the crowd.

The teachers were Jia Zixin and Yi Shanyuan. Bai Chunhua spun around and saw them walking toward the gathering with serious expressions. Since she lacked the personal power to deal with Bai Xifeng directly, a gleam of cruel triumph entered her eyes. She believed she could simply use the absolute authority of the teachers to crush her rival once and for all.

"Student Bai..." Jia Zixin called out as they drew near.

Bai Chunhua immediately assumed Jia Zixin was addressing her. Just as she was about to respond eagerly and launch into her accusation, she realised with a jolt of shock that Jia Zixin did not even bother glancing in her direction. Jia Zixin’s eyes were fixed straight on Bai Xifeng. In fact, Yi Shanyuan was doing exactly the same, ignoring the surrounding crowd entirely.

"Student Bai, why have you not left for your quarters yet?" Jia Zixin asked, her tone surprisingly neutral.

"Well... if not for someone who blocked my path and demanded an interrogation, I would have already left. She even expressed a great desire to report me to the teachers for the crime of trespassing." Bai Xifeng answered calmly, her gaze shifting briefly to the side.

"What? Trespassing? Who exactly wanted to report such a thing?" Jia Zixin asked again, her brow furrowing as she became visibly puzzled.

"Her." Bai Xifeng raised a hand and pointed a single, steady finger directly at Bai Chunhua.

Both teachers turned around simultaneously and looked at Bai Chunhua. Yi Shanyuan’s eyes narrowed as he seemed to recognise her identity immediately.

"You are Student Bai Chunhua, correct?" Yi Shanyuan asked with a steady tone.

"Yes, Teacher Yi." Bai Chunhua replied, offering a respectful, practised nod, though her heart began to race with unease.

"So, tell me, why are you accusing her of trespassing?" Yi Shanyuan asked sternly.

"She... she is not a member of our division, Teacher. Who knows how she entered our private grounds or what she was looking for?" Bai Chunhua stated, her voice turning defensive as she felt the eyes of her peers on her.

"How did she enter? She entered this place as a guest of the faculty, accompanied by me." Jia Zixin spoke up coldly, her voice ringing with authority. "And there is no rule in this academy stating that students from other divisions are forbidden from entering this place. If a student has a valid reason to consult with our division, then they are permitted to enter."

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko*