TNIBFT -Chapter 43 The One Who Stole Something

“Why?”

Ye Shuangxue looked completely baffled. She rolled up her sleeves, her big black eyes gleaming, daring anyone to challenge her.

Shi Hao stumbled back two steps, his face paling. “I… I just can’t let you go.”

“My brush is missing.”

Shi Hao gripped Ye Shuangxue’s schoolbag tightly. He had already carried out the deed—if he chickened out now, Ye Shuangxue wouldn’t be controlled, he wouldn’t keep his position as the “big brother,” and, on top of that, the brush would be wasted.

“So?”

Ye Shuangxue’s expression shifted, her small brows knitting together as she stared at Shi Hao.

Looking at her face, Shi Hao felt as if the sky itself was falling. Her aura was overwhelmingly threatening. He was terrified.

“So… you think I stole it?” Ye Shuangxue’s expression darkened. In her whole life, nothing angered her more than being accused of theft.

Was it just because she was poor that people always suspected her?

Was it because she was poor that she always got blamed and beaten?

“N… no!”

Shi Hao almost fell to his knees under her gaze. He flailed his hands in panic. If only he had put the brush in Ye Hanjiang’s bag—he shouldn’t have listened to Shen Jie’s nonsense!

Everyone in the schoolroom was staring at Ye Shuangxue.

Ye Yunting stepped forward. “If you want to search her bag, then search it. Who are you to decide?”

“And what if the brush can’t be found?”

No one said a word. All eyes turned to Shi Hao. This was exactly the chance he had been waiting for—the brush he placed himself, how could it not be there?

“Not there?”

He sneered triumphantly. “No brush? Then fine, I’ll lick Ye Hanjiang’s shoes. Will that satisfy you?”

“Hand over the bag!”

Shi Hao shouted.

Immediately, two small followers rushed forward to snatch the bag from Ye Shuangxue.

A tiny little backpack, four or five little hands pulling at it, and Ye Shuangxue was furious. She shouted, “Let go of it, all of you! Or I won’t be polite with him!”

“Not polite with who?”

Tao Ling’er entered the schoolroom with a stern face, and Shen Jie followed behind her, looking as if he were watching a show.

Ye Yunting glanced at Shen Jie, a flicker of gloom crossing his eyes.

Tao Ling’er stepped forward, looking down at Ye Shuangxue. “Did you take it?”

Ye Shuangxue remained silent.

Tao Ling’er already had her answer in mind. She pretended to ask, but if she were unsure, she wouldn’t use that tone or that look to question her. There was no need to say more.

Seeing Ye Shuangxue stubbornly silent, Tao Ling’er grew angry. “First day at school, and you’ve already upset the teacher so much he can’t eat. Impressive, aren’t you?”

“Back in our school, no one ever lost anything,” Tao Ling’er added, leaving the accusation unspoken but perfectly clear.

Ye Shuangxue sneered. “So you just assumed it was me?”

“I’ve been asleep the whole time. I didn’t go anywhere. How could I steal anything? And it was me who got beaten by the teacher. If anyone should be upset, why him?”

“Preposterous!”

Shen Jie snorted coldly, looking at Ye Shuangxue with disdain. Excitedly, he said, “Ling’er, see? I wasn’t wrong. These three kids came to school with a purpose. Their family’s belongings need to be secured. Their father is exactly that kind of man. Who in the surrounding villages doesn’t know it?”

“You’re just too kindhearted,” Shen Jie added, pretending to feel sympathy, his fake concern so over the top it was nauseating.

“Brother Shen Jie…” Seeing Shen Jie, Ye Yunting suddenly rushed forward as if he had found a savior, clutching him while tears streamed down his face. “Brother Shen Jie, please speak well for us to Sister Ling’er! My sister wouldn’t take other people’s things—we’re from the same village, you know that.”

“Last time…”

Before Ye Yunting could finish, Shen Jie pushed him away with disdain. “As long as you admit your mistake, the teacher won’t pursue it. Just take out the brush quickly.”

“Take it out!”

Tao Ling’er, not wanting to keep arguing, snatched Ye Shuangxue’s schoolbag with a sharp tug—rip!

The backpack tore open.

Clatter! Books, brushes, and a small slingshot spilled to the ground.

Ye Shuangxue felt wronged. Holding back a sigh, she knelt to pick up her things. With a glance from Shen Jie, Shi Hao immediately ran over, saying, “My purple jade brush!”

Everyone crowded around to look at Ye Shuangxue’s belongings.

Shi Hao rummaged around for a long time but found nothing. Panicked, he looked up at Shen Jie, muttering, “Impossible… this can’t be… how could it be gone?”

“Are you satisfied now?”

Ye Shuangxue stood up, her stubborn gaze meeting Tao Ling’er. “Did I steal anything?”

“Did you find it?”

Tao Ling’er’s face flushed red. Feeling guilty, she lowered her head. Seeing Ye Shuangxue’s mocking gaze, her heart skipped a beat—maybe she had done something wrong.

Shen Jie was speechless as well. He suspected that Shi Hao’s incompetence was to blame.

“Just because it’s not in the bag doesn’t mean it’s not in the clothes,” Shen Jie said, eyes landing on Ye Shuangxue, full of scrutiny and disdain.

Tao Ling’er remained silent, her face solemn.

She still couldn’t bring herself to frisk someone, and if it turned out the brush wasn’t in Ye Shuangxue’s clothes either, how much harm would that do? Besides, her father would never allow it.

“Why suspect my sister?”

Ye Yunting stepped forward, standing in front of Ye Shuangxue. His mature young face showed no emotion, but his eyes were sharp as he looked at Shen Jie. “Just because last time you tried to frame my sister for stealing in Mingfeng Village and failed, and someone discovered it, now you’re embarrassed and angry, and you’re trying to lead others to falsely accuse her again?”

“Nonsense!”

Shen Jie was hit in a sensitive spot, his face burning with rage.

Tao Ling’er looked at Shen Jie in shock. The Shen Jie she knew never acted like this—gentle, refined, never prone to flying into such a rage. And stealing in Mingfeng Village… what was that about?

Didn’t Shen Jie say that Ye Shuangxue stealing things was orchestrated by Ye Tian to frame him?

“Ling’er, I didn’t do it,” Shen Jie said, realizing he needed to explain to Tao Ling’er.

Ye Yunting lifted his head, calm and resolute. “Since we’re all students here, why only search my sister’s bag? Does someone already know the purple jade brush is in her bag?”

“And frisking too—without evidence, you want to frisk her. If you still don’t find the brush, will you say we need to search my house next?”

“Since everyone here is a suspect, then search everyone—it’s the only fair way.”

After speaking, Ye Yunting first turned his own schoolbag upside down, finding no purple jade brush, and then unbuttoned his coat in front of everyone.

Xiao Jiang imitated his brother, dumping his bag on the desk and then taking off his clothes.

Shi Hao looked tense, completely unable to understand how things had gotten so out of hand.

“If you don’t do the same, you’re suspicious. Shi Hao already said it: there’s only one purple jade brush in the whole Sifang City. You can exchange money to buy one,” Ye Yunting said, and soon the other children began to cooperate.

One.

Two.

Three.

In the end, everyone had proven their innocence—only Shi Hao stood there, dumbfounded, staring at Shen Jie.

Things had escalated.

Shen Jie felt a headache coming on, ready to leave. Ye Yunting rushed forward, stopping him with a hand. “Brother Shen Jie, now I suspect you’re the one who stole the brush.”