She is Hope
Hugging her waist
Lin Shu woke up ten minutes earlier than usual.
She wore a designer dress of the latest style, which perfectly outlined her slender waist. The pure white color, paired with a light and fresh style of makeup1, made her small face appear even more pure and charming.
Looking closely, one could see a unique pride in her delicate features, the corners of her eyes tilting up slightly, noble and beautiful.
Shen Man looked her up and down and praised her with a smile, “Shushu looks so beautiful.”
“Of course. I can’t lose to anyone,” Lin Shu said smugly, walking over to sit down in the living room.
Shen Man sat across from her.
The two ate breakfast.
They drove to the school.
Shen Man parked the car.
She turned her head to look at Lin Shu, her expression serious as she instructed, “Shushu, we are going to see Teacher Flins today. You must maintain your best composure at all times.”
“Even when facing Wan Qing, you must be polite and smile. You absolutely cannot get angry.” Towards the end of her sentence, her tone became heavy.
Lin Shu bit her lip and nodded reluctantly.
Shen Man reminded her, “Shushu, you need to smile.”
Lin Shu huffed, then curved the corners of her lips into a standard smile.
“That’s more like it,” Shen Man said, smiling with satisfaction.
The two got out of the car.
Wan Qing happened to be standing not far away.
When Lin Shu saw Wan Qing’s figure, her round eyes unconsciously filled with anger.
Just as she was about to scold her, Shen Man’s voice sounded from the side.
“Shushu,” Shen Man reminded in a low voice, taking the initiative to wave at Wan Qing. “Good morning, Wan Qing.”
Wan Qing was taken aback for a moment, but quickly put on a smile. “Class Monitor, Lin Shu, good morning.”
“Good morning,” Lin Shu forced herself to curve her lips, the words practically squeezed through her teeth.
“Lin Shu, are you still unwilling to forgive me?” Wan Qing walked closer, blinking her eyes with a wronged expression on her face.
Shen Man immediately reached out and gently nudged Lin Shu.
Lin Shu secretly took a deep breath and revealed a fake smile. “I won’t lower myself to the level of certain shameless people. For the same piece of work, if I can make one, I can make a second.”
As she spoke, the corners of her eyes tilted up, her eyes revealing an aura of being high and unreachable.
Wan Qing was hit by this wave of mockery, and her heart was instantly filled with anger and indignation.
At the same time, she felt a little worried.
She lowered her head to hide the emotion in her eyes and said with a gentle and harmless smile, “I believe you can definitely do it, Lin Shu.”
Lin Shu snorted contemptuously and walked towards the classroom.
Shen Man smiled, looked at Wan Qing, and said, “We’ll go on ahead. Remember to come to class. You’ve been absent a lot these past two days.”
“Thank you for your concern, Class Monitor. I will,” Wan Qing tilted her head slightly, showing a docile expression.
Shen Man caught up with Lin Shu.
Seeing Lin Shu’s pouting face, she praised her with a smile, “Shushu, you did very well just now. Keep it up.”
“I know.” Lin Shu let out a frustrated breath, still very unhappy. “Having to smile at that kind of person is truly disgusting!”
Shen Man chuckled lightly.
With Lin Shu’s proud nature, asking her to join the occasion and act the part2 was indeed difficult for this proud and pampered young lady from a wealthy family3.
Actually, Lin Shu could have used her family background to pressure the other party.
But doing so would only solidify her reputation as a “vicious female supporting character4,” which would not help her at all and would instead be playing right into the other party’s trap.
Shen Man entered the classroom.
She scanned the room, picked a seat surrounded by other people, and said to Lin Shu, “Let’s sit there.”
Lin Shu frowned with some dissatisfaction. “There are so many people there. Why do we have to sit there?”
“You’ll know in a bit,” Shen Man smiled.
Lin Shu pouted.
She walked over, put down her schoolbag, and stared at the doorway.
When she saw Wan Qing’s figure appear, she immediately looked away in disgust.
Wan Qing scanned the room.
The seats next to Lin Shu were already taken, so she had to pick a spot in front, where Lin Shu could see her just by looking up.
“So annoying. I should have sat in the front row,” Lin Shu said, propping her head up and looking out the window.
“If you sat in the front row, she would likely sit next to you,” Shen Man said with a smile.
Lin Shu was stunned for a moment, instantly understanding why Shen Man wanted her to sit here.
She said angrily, “How can she be so annoying.”
“She did something so shameless, yet she still dares to parade around in front of me so brazenly.”
“Some people are just like that,” Shen Man comforted her.
She had seen many scheming people like Wan Qing.
From her perspective and experience, Wan Qing’s methods were still too amateurish.
But for Lin Shu, who was unversed in the matters of the world5, they were already quite formidable.
After two classes were over.
Wan Qing slung her bag over her shoulder and was the first to leave the classroom.
Shen Man unhurriedly asked the teacher for leave, then pulled Lin Shu and walked out.
The two didn’t walk fast, and they could see Wan Qing’s figure from a distance.
Flins Borg was currently in the private lounge the school had specially prepared for him.
Except for a very small number of people, no one else knew his whereabouts.
A knock sounded on the lounge door.
The assistant went to open it. Seeing it was Wan Qing, he said with a serious expression, “Please come in, Teacher Flins is waiting for you.”
Wan Qing bowed politely and followed him inside.
Shen Man and Lin Shu happened to see Wan Qing’s figure entering.
Lin Shu anxiously wanted to run over.
Shen Man grabbed Lin Shu’s wrist and shook her head with a light laugh. “Shushu, let’s wait outside for a while.”
“Why don’t we just go in directly?” Lin Shu asked, puzzled, her small face still filled with anger.
Shen Man chuckled lightly. “We’ll go in when you’re no longer angry.”
Lin Shu was momentarily choked up. She pouted and tried hard to control the expression on her face.
She forced a smile. “Is this okay?”
“Too stiff,” Shen Man shook her head.
“What about this?” Lin Shu’s eyes widened as she curved her lips, revealing her pearly white teeth.
Shen Man couldn’t help but laugh. She patted Lin Shu’s head soothingly and said in a gentle voice, “Shushu, don’t be nervous or worried. Just be your usual self.”
“As if I’m nervous,” Lin Shu’s small face turned red, betraying her words.
Her eyes fluttered twice, and she suddenly hugged Shen Man’s waist.
Shen Man’s body stiffened.
Her entire person seemed to be frozen in place, and the smile on her face instantly solidified.
“I’m not nervous at all…” Lin Shu closed her eyes, burying her head in Shen Man’s shoulder.
She took a deep breath and quietly encouraged herself, “What’s there to be nervous about…”
A glint flashed in Shen Man’s eyes as she came back to her senses.
She reached out her hands, gently held the girl’s soft waist, and comforted her in a deep voice, “Don’t be afraid, Shushu. I’m here.”
That simple sentence, like a gentle breeze blowing into her heart, smoothed away all her unease.
Lin Shu’s heart suddenly settled down.
She opened her eyes, looked up, and what met her gaze was an exceedingly beautiful face.
Those eyes were gentle and calm, as if no storm, no matter how fierce, was worth fearing, making one trust her unconsciously.
“You can do it, Shushu,” Shen Man chuckled lightly.
Lin Shu dazedly returned to her senses, a blush appearing on her cheeks.
Suddenly realizing she was still hugging Shen Man, she hastily took a step back, her hands fidgeting helplessly.
Soon, she crossed them over her chest and said with a proud and aloof expression, “I am not nervous…”
She说完, she fell silent for a moment, then her round eyes looked cautiously at Shen Man. “Do I really look that nervous?”
“It’s the first time meeting the idol you admire most, not to mention you want to prove yourself in front of him. Anyone would be nervous. Relax, Shushu,” Shen Man comforted her gently.
Hearing this, Lin Shu let out a soft breath, adjusted her facial expression, and revealed a perfect smile. She said seriously, “Okay, I’m ready.”
Shen Man nodded.
Looking at the closed door, she walked over and knocked politely.
After a short while, the assistant came to open the door. Seeing two unfamiliar faces, he asked sternly, “Who are you?”
“My name is Shen Man. My teacher asked me to come see Teacher Flins,” Shen Man said with a smile in fluent German.
A trace of surprise flashed across the assistant’s face.
It wasn’t just because Shen Man spoke in their native language, but more so because he hadn’t expected a student who had not yet left her thatched cottage6 to have such a calm and composed demeanor.
Her every word and action were humble and polite, leaving no room for criticism.
Shen Man pointed to Lin Shu and added, “Her name is Lin Shu. She is a loyal fan of Teacher Flins and is here on behalf of all the students in our class to present a small gift to him.”
Lin Shu quickly bowed, nervousness and unease clearly visible on her fair little face. She said in Chinese, “Hello, my name is Lin Shu…”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Shen Man is the only one on Teacher Flins’s appointment list. Ms. Lin Shu, please wait outside,” the assistant replied in Chinese, his face stern as he spoke the polite words.
Lin Shu immediately looked at Shen Man, a hint of helplessness in her eyes.
Shen Man gave her a reassuring smile. “Shushu, wait outside for a bit. It won’t be long, the teacher will see you.”
She spoke with great confidence.
Lin Shu couldn’t help but believe her.
She nodded and handed the work from her schoolbag to Shen Man.
Shen Man took the work, pulled out her phone and tapped it a few times, then followed the assistant into the room.
Seeing the two people inside chatting, she greeted them politely, “Teacher Flins, hello. My name is Shen Man.”
When her gaze fell on Wan Qing, she clearly saw a flash of shock and suspicion on Wan Qing’s face.
“Student Shen, we’ve met before,” Flins said with a kind smile.
Shen Man immediately showed an expression as if suddenly waking to a great realization7, smiled happily, and restrained her excitement as she said, “So it was you! I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you then.”
“Thank you, Teacher, for giving me this opportunity to visit you. I have a piece of work here and would like to ask for your guidance.”
“Alright,” Flins agreed readily.
Wan Qing, standing to the side, her expression changed as she questioned loudly, “Is that your own work you’re holding?”
Shen Man smiled and shook her head, her expression serene.
“It’s not even your own work, you have no sincerity at all,” Wan Qing accused with an imposing air that oppresses people8. “How can you be so thoughtless as to trouble the teacher to look at it for you?”
Shen Man noticed a clear tension in her tone of voice.
She looked at Flins Borg, seeking his opinion.
“It’s alright,” Flins Borg said with a smile. “Let me see the work.”
Shen Man reached out and respectfully handed the work over, the corner of her eye glancing in Wan Qing’s direction.
Wan Qing’s heart leaped into her throat, and she rushed over in a panic, trying to snatch it.
Shen Man was already prepared and deftly dodged to the side.
Wan Qing lunged at empty air and nearly fell to the ground.
She quickly steadied herself and tidied her hair.
“Wan Qing, what are you doing?” Flins Borg frowned, his benevolent face turning serious.
Fear struck Wan Qing’s heart, and tears quickly welled up in her eyes. She said pitifully, “I just… wanted to help you get it, Teacher.”
As she spoke, she lowered her head, aggrieved.
Seeing this, Flins Borg didn’t want to argue with a young girl and softened his tone. “Alright, no need to trouble you.”
After speaking, he looked at Shen Man. “Let me see the work.”
Shen Man smiled lightly and handed the work over.
Flins Borg’s eyes widened in astonishment. “Isn’t this Wan Qing’s work? Why is the signature Lin Shu?”
Shen Man glanced at Wan Qing.
Wan Qing’s heart trembled, and she hurriedly explained, “That is my work. Lin Shu must have stolen my idea.”
“Our project this time was a group collaboration. I really didn’t expect she would be this kind of person…”
Shen Man’s fingers gently tapped the phone in her pocket, watching this clumsy performance with settled qi and a composed spirit9.
It was a good thing Lin Shu wasn’t here.
Otherwise, with Lin Shu’s temperament, she would have definitely acted rashly out of anger and fallen into Wan Qing’s trap.
“Student Shen, I would like to hear your explanation,” Flins Borg said with a grave expression.
Plagiarism and theft were things that absolutely could not be tolerated.
Shen Man smiled politely, her expression composed as she said slowly, “This assignment was indeed completed as a group project. Lin Shu and Wan Qing were in the same group.”
“The core concept of this piece came from Lin Shu…”
“You’re lying! It was clearly my idea!” Wan Qing shouted, interrupting her, tears of grievance falling. “You’re the class monitor, and you’re good friends with Lin Shu, but you can’t just blindly defend her because you’re close…”
“This is unfair to me…”
Flins Borg frowned.
Shen Man sneered internally, but the expression on her face remained calm. She didn’t argue with Wan Qing on this topic.
At a time like this, if she were to be provoked into anger and start explaining her relationship with Lin Shu, she would be inadvertently shifting the topic and tacitly admitting that she was biased towards Lin Shu.
That would be falling right into Wan Qing’s trap.
Shen Man smiled slightly and said in a gentle voice, “Teacher, her words and mine are just our respective claims, making it difficult to tell what’s true. Why don’t we let the work speak for itself?”
“I believe, the work is incapable of deceiving people.”
Flins Borg smiled. “Good. Let the two of them confront each other.”
“Thank you, Teacher. Lin Shu is right outside, I’ll go get her,” Shen Man said with a light smile.
“No need, my assistant will go invite her in,” Flins Borg waved his hand.
The assistant went out.
Shen Man stood straight and tall, looking at Wan Qing with a smile.
Her gaze was faint, yet it held a sharp edge.
Wan Qing didn’t dare to meet her eyes.
She turned her head away, biting her lip, her heart in a state of panic.
Lin Shu walked into the room.
Seeing Wan Qing, a surge of anger couldn’t help but rise in her eyes.
Meeting Shen Man’s gaze, she quickly controlled her inner fury and looked at Flins Borg, saying, “Hello Teacher, my name is Lin Shu.”
“I’ve heard the introduction from Student Shen,” Flins Borg said, holding up the work in his hand. “I hear you completed this?”
Lin Shu nodded earnestly.
“Wan Qing also completed a piece identical to yours. She said this work mainly expresses the beauty of all things being reborn as spring arrives. I would like to hear your見解.” Flins Borg said, leaning back comfortably in his chair.
The assistant took the artwork and showed it to Lin Shu.
Lin Shu let out a soft breath, calming her wildly beating heart.
She pursed her lips and spoke with clear structure and no disorder10, “My work does not express the beauty of spring, but rather…”
As she spoke, she glanced at Shen Man and continued with determination, “Hope.”
Shen Man’s pupils constricted slightly, and her slender fingertips couldn’t help but clench together.
Those two words landed on her heart with the weight of a thousand jin11, stirring up frightening waves and terrifying billows12.
In that instant, she found she didn’t dare to look directly into Lin Shu’s eyes.
“Hope?” Flins Borg’s eyes lit up, his interest suddenly piqued.
“In people’s eyes, spring is when all things revive and a hundred flowers bloom in unison13. What is easily overlooked is that this beauty is only displayed after overcoming the harsh winter and conquering the long, dark cold. Its vitality itself carries a tenacious and unyielding will, heralding the end of the severe winter and the arrival of warmth,” Lin Shu said slowly and confidently.
“Excellent, excellent, excellent,” Flins Borg clapped excitedly, his eyes filled with admiration. “This is the work I was looking for.”
“Teacher, didn’t you say my work was the best?” Wan Qing began to cry aggrievedly, staring at Lin Shu with resentment. “Anyone can say those things. You can just look up the teacher’s works online and say that.”
“Teacher, you mustn’t believe her…”
“Wan Qing, Shen Man was right. The work will not lie,” Flins Borg looked at Wan Qing with disappointment. “The core of both these pieces is hope, yet your eyes only see beauty. You are not qualified.”
“Please leave. I have some things I’d like to say to Lin Shu.”
Wan Qing instantly dropped to her knees, crying and kowtowing14 as she begged, “Teacher, you said you were going to choose me…”
Before she could finish, the assistant expressionlessly grabbed her arm and forcibly led her out.
Shen Man followed them out.
Looking at Wan Qing’s pathetic state, the corners of her mouth tilted up slightly, forming a mocking curve.
She let out a soft laugh and said slowly, “Wan Qing, that which is not yours will never belong to you, no matter what schemes you use.”
“Don’t you get complacent!” Wan Qing’s expression twisted, all traces of her usual docility gone.
She roared, nearly losing control, “She’s just bullying people because of her good family background! It was clearly mine, by what right did she get to snatch it away…”
As she spoke, she squatted on the ground and burst into loud sobs.
Shen Man’s eyes turned cold.
Even at this point, Wan Qing was still persisting in delusion without awakening15.
She used tricks to claim the work Lin Shu had painstakingly created as her own, and after being discovered, she pretended to be the wronged party, inverting black and white16 to continue framing Lin Shu.
There was no need to sympathize with someone so skilled in the heart’s schemes17 and who refused to admit their mistakes.
Flins Borg would not bother himself with such a young girl.
But she would definitely get justice for Lin Shu and make sure Wan Qing received the lesson she deserved.
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