The four of them slowly strolled back after enjoying the lavish dinner sponsored by Miss Huayin.
Full and satisfied, Ange pushed open the familiar door to her room.
She let out a small, contented burp and subconsciously reached out to touch her belly, which had noticeably rounded out a bit after the heavy meal.
‘It’s fine, it’s fine. Just one meal won’t make the Majia Line I worked so hard to develop disappear completely…’ she thought with a bit of relief.
She cared quite a bit about the only lines on this body that she was actually satisfied with.
Ingrid followed behind Ange, her face still wearing a pleasant flush after the delicious meal. She stopped at Ange’s doorstep and gave a polite, slight bow.
“Angela Teacher, thank you for your guidance today. Goodnight.”
After receiving a casual wave from Ange in response, she headed back to her own room with a light step.
Sakika did not leave immediately. Her gaze fell upon the out-of-place luxury sports car still parked outside the Old Dormitory, a glimmer of greed flickering in her black eyes.
She turned to Ange and offered a suggestion in a matter-of-fact tone.
“Angela Teacher, since you don’t drive that sports car much, why not consider renting it out to earn some rent? It should be a considerable income.”
Hearing this, Ange wore a bitter smile and spread her hands helplessly.
“I want to as well, Classmate Sakika, but that car is a special Academy allotment. It’s just for me to drive. If I actually dared to rent it out, that woman Rita would definitely jump out and take the car back immediately. She might even dock my salary.”
At the thought of the Green-haired Witch’s ways, a chill ran down Ange’s spine.
Sakika blinked, seemingly understanding the rules involved. Without another word, she offered a faint goodnight and returned to her room.
The last one remaining in the corridor was Huayin, who held a bottle of exquisitely packaged liquor that looked quite strong.
She looked at Ange, her red eyes shimmering with a certain ill intent under the dim lights of the corridor, and followed her as she squeezed into the room.
When Ange turned around and saw the bottle of liquor in Huayin’s hand, her heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition surged within her.
Sure enough, Huayin shook the bottle in her hand, her chin slightly raised. Her face wore an arrogant and playful expression, as if to say she was here to fulfill a promise.
“I’m a woman of my word. This morning, you made a complete mess of my bed. Now, it’s time for me to pay you back.” She patted the bottle. “With this.”
Ange froze for a moment. Looking at the expensive-looking bottle and remembering her grand boast from that morning — that anything was fine as long as she didn’t have to pay — a look of struggle appeared on her face.
After hesitating for a long while, she finally sighed in resignation and nodded.
“…Fine, do whatever you want. Anyway… I’m a woman of my word, too.”
She stopped worrying about Huayin, who seemed ready to “commit a crime,” and turned to head toward Huayin’s room to fulfill her promise of washing the sheets.
After all, she was the one who had dirtied them, so she had to take responsibility.
For a moment, Huayin was left alone in the room. She held the bottle and surveyed Ange’s room, which was practically bare except for the basic furniture.
Her gaze finally settled on the bed, which was relatively tidy but had clearly aged sheets.
‘I really don’t understand. Surely she isn’t so poor that she can’t even replace her sheets,’ she muttered to herself.
She had originally intended to pour it all out and have a blast, but the moment she raised the bottle, she hesitated.
‘Does this girl… not have any spare sheets?’
She looked at the small, empty wardrobe in the room and then at the only bed.
‘She still has to sleep in this bed tonight… If I soak it in wine, it’ll be wet, sticky, and smell like alcohol…’
After imagining such a terrible sleeping experience, the Eldest Miss Huayin could not accept it.
‘Forget it, forget it… Why bother bickering with her? It makes me look petty.’
She tried her best to give herself an out. ‘Making her sleep on the floor is punishment enough! Yes! That’s it!’
In the end, the act of revenge died in its tracks, and Huayin dejectedly put down the bottle.
But looking at the bottle in her hand — supposedly an excellent vintage from her family’s private cellar — she felt she couldn’t just let it go.
‘Since such a rare bottle is already open, I should at least… have a taste, right?’
Pop.
The cork was pulled out. A rich and mellow aroma of alcohol immediately filled the room. Huayin found a relatively clean-looking cup and poured herself half a glass.
The crystalline liquid rippled in the cup, its luster enticing.
She first took a small sip. The complex flavor — spicy yet with a sweet aftertaste — exploded on her tongue, making her frown slightly.
But then, a warm current slid down her throat into her stomach and spread throughout her entire body.
‘It seems… not bad?’
She took another sip, this time a larger one.
The burning sensation and the slight buzz brought by the alcohol began to go to her head, chasing away her previous unhappiness and hesitation.
After finishing the glass, Huayin felt her cheeks begin to burn and her body grow a bit lighter.
Looking at the empty cup and the more than half-full bottle, the idea that she shouldn’t let it go to waste — and the fact that it felt quite good — took over.
And so, a second glass… then a third…
She didn’t even bother with the cup anymore, occasionally taking a swig directly from the bottle.
By the time Ange had exerted every ounce of her strength to finally finish hand-washing Huayin’s expensive but stubbornly stained sheets and duvet cover — praying they wouldn’t shrink or lose their shape — hung them up to dry, and dragged her exhausted body back to her room, this was the scene she saw…
Huayin was leaning against her headboard, her fiery red hair a bit messy.
Her originally fair cheeks were now flushed with an inviting crimson that spread all the way to her ears and neck.
She was still clutching the bottle, which was now nearly half empty.
Her eyes were glazed, and her watery red pupils had lost their usual sharpness, clouded by a hazy drunkenness.
Hearing the door open, she sluggishly raised her head to look at Ange. Breaking into a silly grin, she mumbled incoherently.
“Mm… Ange… you’re back… This wine… hic… is actually pretty good…”
Ange looked at the Noble Lady before her, who was clearly wasted, and the expensive wine in her arms that had been so ruthlessly guzzled down.
Her lip twitched violently.
‘It’s over… This seems like… even more trouble now…’