Chapter 18  : Followed

“Oh! I just had a grand idea! Why don’t we make the school forum blow up today?”

“Should we? This newcomer has put Yap Ran’s position as the campus belle in jeopardy the moment she arrived in our school. If her academics were only a little better, I don’t even think Yao Ran?would be a match for her at all. She’s so beautiful, I’m afraid to even breathe the same air she does!”

“Well, between the two of them, Yao Tang?is obviously superior. She has this cold aura that just makes her extra special, you know?”

“That’s right! Her aura is just magnetic. It makes me want to revere her.”

“Do think she would go up against Brother Yang, then?”

“Oh forget it! Can’t you see how gorgeous he is? I bet Meng Yang?is also going to fall for her at first sight. He’s probably going to hand over the throne to her without any fuss.”

It didn’t take long for a crowd to gather in the hallway outside Class 12.

They fought over a vantage spot at the windows and the doorways, but Yao Tang ignored them all.

She kept her focus on her phone instead. She unlocked the device, and realized that someone had sent her several messages.

: Yao Tang, you are being followed.

: They’ve been trailing you since you left Yingxiu Village.

: I did some digging and discovered that these people are from the Cheng family?of?City A.

: How in the world did you manage to offend the Cheng family?

Yao Tang’s brow furrowed as she read the texts one by one.

‘The Cheng family?had me followed? And they have been trailing me since I departed from the village?’ But she didn’t recall having any encounters with anyone from the?Cheng family?here in?City A.

She found it troublesome to type her responses, so Yao Tang?slipped out of the classroom and huddled in an empty and quiet corner near the stairs to make a call.

It barely finished ringing once before someone picked up.

“Hello, little ancestor,” a man’s voice answered. It was deep and charismatic, seductive even. “Have you read all the messages I sent you? How did you get involved with the Cheng family, exactly?”

The frown was back on Yao Tang’s face. “I’ve never come into contact with anyone from the?Cheng family.

These people, particularly the ones from the City A?branch, were considered as the most powerful and influential in all of?country Z.

If the high society clans were to be categorized into levels, then the Yao family?would be somewhere around the upper class, while the?Cheng family?sat at the top of the hierarchy.

They were practically at the pinnacle of prominence.

Not that they were absolutely out of reach for Yao Tang.

She simply couldn’t be bothered with such a huge and well-connected family. Things would only get messy.

Especially when they had someone as ruthless as Cheng Yan?among their ranks.

“Then why are they spying on you? If it’s just some passing curiosity, then we have nothing to worry about. But if they’re doing this under the orders of the current head of the family…”

The man drifted off, though Yao Tang?understood what he wasn’t saying. When he spoke again, his voice was laced with worry. “Tangtang, you might be in a dangerous situation.”

Regardless of the motive, it was never good to be targeted by someone like this.

Especially for someone with a significant identity like Yao Tang.

The spies might not discover anything of importance any time soon, but they were bound to find something that would warrant further investigation.

“I’ll see if I can identify which faction of the Cheng family?is behind this,” the man said after a while. “We’re still in the clear as long as?Cheng Yan?doesn’t have anything to do with it.”

He had mentioned the name twice now, and not without a trace of fear. Yao Tang?narrowed her eyes in irritation. “So what if it is?Cheng Yan? I won’t do anything to him unless he attacks me first. The moment he makes the mistake of provoking me, I will show him just how powerful I am.”

“Yes, yes, of course, little ancestor. I know you’re powerful and all, no one would dare to cross you.” The man laughed with obvious affection. “Of course, I believe in your capabilities, but the Cheng family?is a little tricky to handle. If we really come down to a fight, it would only result in an endless series of trouble. There’s no way of knowing who else is going to come after you once your identity is exposed.”

When Yao Tang?said nothing, the man continued, “You can decide on what to do next after I learn their purpose. Don’t worry, I’ll have the information for you by tomorrow morning.”

“Hmm,” Yao Tang?said distractedly. “Go ahead and do your thing.”

“Feeling tired?”

“Yes.”

“I’m hanging up, then. Let’s catch up another time.”

Yao Tang murmured another lazy yes before ending the call.

Meanwhile, in Class 1…

Whenever a class period ended, a swarm of boys would usually flock to Yao Ran. Today, however, her admirers had visibly dwindled.

“Is there anything going on at school today?” she couldn’t help but ask. “Why is everyone running out of the classroom every break?”

“I heard that a new student was admitted to Class 12,” a boy piped up. “Apparently, she’s called Yao Tang, and she’s very pretty. Everyone is grabbing the chance to take a look at her.”

When Yao Ran?heard this, her hands balled into fists. A spiteful haze fell over her eyes.

So that bumpkin had actually entered No. 1 High School? How did that even happen with the deplorable grades that she had?

‘Did Dad beg the school administration or something?’ she thought furiously.