I Am Already A Queen

Chapter 108: Chapter 108: Keep Your Guard Up

"Jiang Yanna, maybe you should actually use your eyes and ask around before jumping to wild conclusions." Chen Xiaoqing mocked openly. "That way, you would not end up making such an absolute fool of yourself in public!"

Subtle giggles and muffled hushed whispers immediately broke out among the watching crowd.

Jiang Yanna felt a wave of burning humiliation rush to her face as her cheeks turned bright red. She wished the floor would split open right now so she could crawl inside and hide from the mocking stares. Lowering her head, she turned around, desperate to flee the embarrassing scene.

However, before she could take two steps, Ruan Jiaojiao’s sharp voice called her out once again.

"Hold it right there! Are you seriously planning to run away without making things right?" Ruan Jiaojiao stated loudly.

"That’s right, Jiang Yanna." Chen Xiaoqing added with an amused smirk. "You should properly apologise to your fraternal twin sister for making false accusations against her in front of everyone."

Jiang Yanna clenched her fists so hard her fingernails dug into her palms. Gritting her teeth in bitter humiliation, she slowly turned back around and bowed her head toward Qiao Meixia.

"Sister Meixia... I am deeply sorry for wrongfully accusing you earlier. I would not do it again." Jiang Yanna choked out softly.

The second those words left her mouth, she spun on her heel and fled the area as fast as her legs could carry her.

Meanwhile, the group of freshman girls who had bumped into Han Mengyu tried to use the distraction caused by Jiang Yanna to slip away quietly. However, Shou Meiling’s sharp eyes caught them instantly. In a flash, she glided forward and grabbed Su Weiwei tightly by the wrist.

"Did you really think you could sneak away without offering a proper apology?" Shou Meiling leaned down close to Su Weiwei’s ear, dropping her voice to a chilling whisper. "Do you still wish to continue attending Hannan First High School?"

Su Weiwei shuddered violently, her face draining of all colour. "I... I will apologise properly right now!"

Only then did Shou Meiling release her grip, stepping back with a smooth, graceful composure.

"Good girl." Shou Meiling smiled sweetly, though her eyes remained devoid of warmth. "Now stand up straight and apologise to my friend like you mean it."

"Yes! Yes! Immediately!" Su Weiwei nodded frantically. She turned to face Han Mengyu, bent her waist, and gave a deep, ninety-degree bow. "Senior! Please forgive me for bumping into you so recklessly earlier! I promise I will never let it happen again!"

Han Mengyu sighed softly, waving her hand dismissively. "Hmm... Apology accepted. Just be careful next time."

Su Weiwei let out a breath of relief and prepared to make a quick exit with her friends. However, after taking a few hesitant steps, she suddenly paused, turned around, and walked back toward Ruan Jiaojiao and the others with a nervous, hesitant expression.

"Seniors... To be completely honest with you... Someone actually paid me to bump into that senior as hard as I could." Su Weiwei began, lowering her voice to an anxious whisper as she cast a fearful glance toward Qiao Meixia. She raised her finger and pointed directly at Qiao Meixia before continuing in a hushed tone, "He gave me 1,000 cash on the spot to do it."

Even though she was officially the daughter of a corporate director, her current financial situation was dire. Her father had recently cut off her credit cards and allowance as a punishment for her poor grades, leaving her completely broke. Since she was accustomed to a lavish lifestyle and desperate for shopping money, she had greedily accepted the quick cash without second thought.

"What?!" Ruan Jiaojiao’s eyes flared with instant rage. "Who paid you to do that?!"

"I... I really don’t know!" Su Weiwei stuttered nervously, shrinking back. "It was a male student wearing a dark cap and a face mask to conceal his identity, so I could not see what he looked like at all!"

Hearing Su Weiwei’s confession, Qiao Meixia’s dark eyes narrowed imperceptibly, a razor-sharp glint passing through her calm expression.

"Alright, you can leave now." Shou Meiling dismissed her with a casual wave of her hand.

Su Weiwei bowed her head frantically once more before quickly scurrying away with her friends, eager to escape the suffocating atmosphere.

"I bet Jiang Yanna is the mastermind behind this whole setup." Shou Meiling stated flatly, her eyes narrowing as she watched Su Weiwei scurry away.

"I think so too." Ruan Jiaojiao chimed in, crossing her arms thoughtfully. "She probably instructed that freshman to pull or shove Meixia into the crowd, but that idiot made a blunder and targeted Mengyu instead. That completely explains why Jiang Yanna stepped up to accuse Meixia before even knowing what happened. She was operating under the assumption that the freshman had actually succeeded in pulling Meixia."

"But why on earth is she so desperate to cause trouble for Meixia?" Han Mengyu asked, a frown forming on her face.

All three girls turned their heads in unison toward Qiao Meixia, quietly waiting for her to offer an explanation.

"I don’t know." Qiao Meixia replied with a light shake of her head, her tone completely indifferent.

"I bet Jiang Yanna wants to systematically ruin Meixia’s reputation across the entire school." Shou Meiling analysed calmly. "She wants to paint a picture for the student body that Meixia is an aggressive, unruly country bumpkin. If she can push Meixia into reacting, she can easily frame her as a bully."

"Yeah... That sounds exactly like something she would pull." Han Mengyu warned softly, looking at Qiao Meixia with genuine concern. "Meixia, you really need to keep your guard up around her."

"Hmm..." Qiao Meixia gave a small, composed nod.

....

Once the school day came to an end, Qiao Meixia had zero intention of returning directly to the suffocating atmosphere of the Jiang Family Residence. Instead, she mounted her dark purple superbike and rode straight back to her private penthouse apartment.

As she navigated through the city traffic, her mind drifted to the high-end art commission Yang Mingxia had mentioned a few days prior.

Yang Mingxia had already forwarded the potential buyer’s secure contact details to her encrypted device. All that remained was for Qiao Meixia to reach out directly and confirm whether the collector was still interested in acquiring a custom piece.

Moments after unlocking her private penthouse, she logged into her secondary terminal and opened an encrypted messaging platform. She pulled up the buyer’s contact and sent a message using her legendary, elusive artist handle—’M’.

[M]:I am M. Do you still require a custom piece?

It was an agonisingly concise, straightforward message. Yet, on the other end of the server, the collector, a renowned, ultra-wealthy art enthusiast who practically worshipped M’s rare works, nearly leapt out of his seat with sheer, unadulterated excitement upon seeing the notification.

[M’s Painting Lover]:Of course! Absolutely! Master M, I am beyond honoured! Please, I humbly beg you to create a masterpiece for my private collection!

[M]:State your desired subject matter.

[M’s Painting Lover]:I would love nothing more than to see Huishan Mountain captured entirely through your unique perspective, Master M!

[M]:Huishan Mountain?

[M’s Painting Lover]:Yes! The legendary, fog-shrouded peak located in Huishan County! I am willing to pay ten—no, twenty million dollars for it!

[M]:Understood. I will notify you once the piece is completed.

[M’s Painting Lover]:Thank you, Master M! I will patiently await your response!

Closing the chat window, Qiao Meixia immediately pulled up high-resolution satellite imagery and geographical data of Huishan Mountain on her tablet. It was indeed a breathtaking, majestic landscape renowned for its unpredictable mist and rugged cliffs.

Since the buyer had specifically requested a depiction of the mountain from her personal perspective, capturing its essence through photos alone would not suffice. She would need to trek up the terrain and observe it with her own eyes. She resolved to find a suitable window in her schedule to make the trip to Huishan County.

Setting the art commission aside for the moment, Qiao Meixia tapped on her phone and ordered a heavy portion of takeout from a nearby high-end restaurant.

Ten minutes later, her interphone chimed. The residential security guard at the main gates was calling to confirm whether she had placed an incoming delivery order. Once Qiao Meixia verbally confirmed it, the security guard granted the delivery rider entry into the gated high-rise complex.

A minute later, her phone rang again. It was the delivery rider calling directly from the main lobby. He informed her that he was stuck on the ground floor because the private elevator required a high-security keycard to access her top-floor penthouse suite.

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