I Am Already A Queen

"Why don’t you go and ask her yourself?" Qiao Meixia replied indifferently, stepping smoothly around the group without losing her steady rhythm.

She did not care in the slightest what conclusions Chen Xiaoqing was drawing in her mind, leaving the group behind without turning back once.

Chen Xiaoqing turned her head around, watching Qiao Meixia’s aloof, striking figure disappear down the corridor. It was becoming glaringly obvious that there was a far darker, more complicated, and scandalous secret buried inside the prestigious Jiang Family than anyone in their social circle had originally thought.

With her gossip instincts burning hot, Chen Xiaoqing strutted directly toward Class 1. The exact moment she pushed open the classroom door, her eyes locked onto Jiang Yanna, who was holding court at her desk.

"Yo, Young Miss Jiang." Chen Xiaoqing called out loudly, her voice dripping with deliberate mock reverence.

Jiang Yanna, who had been smiling gracefully while conversing with her classmates a second ago, turned toward Chen Xiaoqing as her serene composure stiffened into a slightly complicated expression.

"Xiaoqing, why are you suddenly calling me by such a formal title?" Jiang Yanna asked, forcing a sweet, puzzled smile.

"Chen Xiaoqing, if you are only here to stir up trouble again, stay the hell away from Yanna!" Jin Zexi immediately stood up from his seat, stepping forward to shield Jiang Yanna defensively.

"What? Since when have I ever caused trouble for our precious Young Miss Jiang?" Chen Xiaoqing laughed softly, crossing her arms as she leaned against a nearby desk. "I simply wanted to inform her that I just met her ’twin sister’ face-to-face down the hall. To be completely honest, she is breathtakingly beautiful. In fact, her facial features actually resemble your eldest brother far more than anyone in this school ever expected."

"What exactly are you trying to imply by saying that?" Jiang Yanna asked, her delicate voice tightening noticeably.

"Nothing much." Chen Xiaoqing smirked knowingly, leaning in slightly. "By the way... why did she flatly deny that she is your twin sister?"

Jiang Yanna’s brows furrowed into a sharp line for a fraction of a second before she rapidly forced her expression back into a picture of gentle hurt.

"That country girl is probably just deeply jealous of Yanna!" Jin Zexi immediately barked out in Jiang Yanna’s defence, sneering with contempt. "After all, Yanna has been living the life of a cherished princess with the Jiang Family all these years, while she was only recently brought back from nowhere."

"Oh, really? Is that how it is?" Chen Xiaoqing raised an eyebrow, her smirk widening with clear disbelief.

"I... I truly don’t know what Sister Meixia told you out in the hallway," Jiang Yanna stated, lowering her head as her eyes glistened with unshed tears, her entire posture radiating profound loneliness and grief. "Ever since she returned, she has constantly refused to acknowledge me as her sister. Hearing her deny our bond again... I was shocked... and honestly, deeply heartbroken."

Chen Xiaoqing could not help but smirk at the dramatic display. Jiang Yanna really knew how to play the role of the innocent, fragile victim to absolute perfection. If she did not already know what kind of two-faced, calculating person Jiang Yanna truly was behind closed doors, she might have actually believed every single word falling from her lips.

"Heartbroken? Please, Jiang Yanna, you are really getting way too good at acting." Chen Xiaoqing said in a loud, mocking tone, rolling her eyes.

"Chen Xiaoqing, do you really have to target Yanna like this constantly just because of a man?" Jin Zexi asked coldly, stepping forward with his fist clenched.

"Hey, watch what you say, Jin Zexi!" Chen Xiaoqing snapped back at him, her eyes flashing with anger.

"Oh? Now you suddenly know how to get angry?" Jin Zexi scoffed with utter disdain. "Then stop prying into Yanna’s private family matters. They have absolutely nothing to do with you."

Chen Xiaoqing glared intensely at both Jiang Yanna and Jin Zexi. She let out a disdainful scoff before turning around on her heel and returning to her desk.

Jin Zexi leaned closer to Jiang Yanna, lowering his voice to whisper directly into her ear.

"Yanna, I am certain your twin sister must have said something malicious to Chen Xiaoqing earlier." Jin Zexi stated with absolute conviction.

"Zexi, you can’t just accuse someone like that without proof." Jiang Yanna reminded him softly, her tone sounding purely benevolent.

"You heard it yourself earlier! Chen Xiaoqing met your twin sister in the hallway and immediately came straight over here to question you." Jin Zexi insisted, his brows tightly knit. "Your twin sister even flatly denied that you two are related. She must have spread some nasty rumours to Chen Xiaoqing."

Jiang Yanna remained silent for a long moment, her eyes downcast.

Jin Zexi was actually right.

That bitch Qiao Meixia must have said something revealing to Chen Xiaoqing. She realised she desperately needed to confront Qiao Meixia later today to strictly remind her not to go around talking nonsense that could damage the family’s reputation.

...

Meanwhile, Qiao Meixia had already arrived at her own classroom. The moment she entered through the door, she walked over to her desk and sat smoothly in the seat that was officially assigned to her, since the coveted window seat originally belonged to that strange boy.

"Morning, Meixia!" Ruan Jiaojiao greeted her cheerfully, waving her hand.

"Morning, girls." Shou Meiling chimed in, having just walked through the doorway as well.

"Good morning..." Han Mengyu yawned lazily while stretching her arms overhead and popping her stiff neck.

Qiao Meixia simply offered a small, quiet nod in response.

"By the way, why are you sitting in that seat today?" Ruan Jiaojiao asked curiously, resting her chin on her hands.

Yesterday, Qiao Meixia had been sitting directly by the window.

"Didn’t you girls mention yesterday that the window seat belongs to that student?" Qiao Meixia answered in her usual matter-of-fact tone. "Since it is officially his designated desk, I should not occupy it."

The three girls exchanged subtle glances before silently nodding to one another in admiration of her logical fairness. They wisely changed the topic afterwards to lighthearted chatter, while Qiao Meixia simply listened quietly without interrupting.

Not long afterwards, the subject teacher entered the classroom, and everyone returned to their respective seats.

After some time had passed in the morning lecture, Yin Junjie casually walked into the classroom as usual. He was slightly surprised when he noticed that the aisle seat he had occupied yesterday was now taken by the new girl. Since only his original window seat remained empty, Yin Junjie quietly walked over and sat down there without causing a scene.

Qiao Meixia glanced at him briefly out of the corner of her eye before calmly returning her full attention to the teacher at the podium.

Finally, the gruelling first period came to an end.

Everyone stretched their stiff bodies after sitting still for so long. Qiao Meixia lowered her head onto her folded arms on the desk, intending to take a quick, restorative power nap. Her face happened to be turned sideways, facing directly toward Yin Junjie’s desk.

Yin Junjie, who had also been lazily resting his head on his desk, slowly opened his eyes. The very first thing that met his gaze was Qiao Meixia’s sleeping face merely inches away. He froze completely. For a brief, suspended moment, he found himself entirely mesmerised by her cool, almost ethereal beauty.

He had to mentally admit that Qiao Meixia was nothing like the typical, soft-spoken, gentle beauties who usually wore their long hair straight down. Instead, she possessed a striking, cold, and razor-sharp beauty that was perfectly enhanced by her textured, layered short bob haircut. The sharp hairstyle suited her calm, detached, and dangerous personality so naturally that it was almost impossible to imagine her with any other look.

Before long, the bell rang to signal the start of the second period.

Yin Junjie, who had been unconsciously staring at her facial features the entire time, was startled so badly by her sudden waking that he nearly let out an embarrassing shout when their eyes almost locked. He frantically pulled his head back, his heart pounding against his ribs.

Qiao Meixia noticed that Yin Junjie seemed strangely flustered and startled, but she had zero idea what could have possibly frightened him so suddenly. She did not think too deeply about it and simply shifted her attention back to the teacher who had just stepped onto the podium.

Before anyone realised the passage of time, the lunch bell rang across the campus.

Qiao Meixia politely declined the three girls’ enthusiastic invitation to eat together at the cafeteria.

***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***