Wang Aixiang nodded, "Leave this to me. I'll ask around for you later."
Chatting as they walked, the two quickly arrived at the rented warehouse. After helping Wang Aixiang put the fabrics away, Chen Lishu took a car back to school.
Just as she reached the classroom door, she suddenly heard a commotion from inside. She quickened her steps and saw Sun Ling standing on the podium with a displeased expression.
"Who stole my money? If you return it now, out of consideration for our classmate relationship, I won't pursue it further."
Chen Lishu returned to her seat and asked curiously, "What's going on?"
"She's got a screw loose. She didn't take her schoolbag with her after class and then claimed her money was lost. Now that she's found it gone, she's started shouting," Li Zhiwei chimed in.
He hadn't realized it before, but he now saw that Sun Ling was simply ill-minded.
"I'll ask one last time. If no one confesses, I'll report it to the police. Let's see if you can stay so calm when the police arrive," Sun Ling said, her gaze falling on Yang Lili.
Yang Lili's heart tightened as she met Sun Ling's gaze. Thinking of something, she subconsciously touched her pocket. Her already pale face instantly lost all color.
Hearing Sun Ling's words, the classmates began to whisper amongst themselves. Some opposed, while others supported Sun Ling's intention to call the police.
"We're all classmates. There's no need to call the police, is there? If this gets out, our class's reputation will be ruined."
"If you ask me, stealing from your own classmates is the most despicable act. They wouldn't even be missed if they were sentenced."
The class monitor, Yao Bin, frowned and stood up. "Why don't we search again? Calling the police will have a negative impact on the school and the class. Only a few of us stayed in the classroom for lunch. Let me set an example. Sun Ling, you can check me. I have two yuan and two jiao on me, and it's all here."
Yao Bin was the first to turn out all his pockets and open his schoolbag.
To prove their innocence, the other classmates who had stayed in class also began to turn out their pockets and show their schoolbags. Only Yang Lili remained seated, her head bowed and silent.
Upon hearing Yao Bin's words, Sun Ling said no more. She descended from the podium and began to carefully check each student's desk.
Until she reached Yang Lili's side.
"If I recall correctly, you also stayed in the classroom during lunch, didn't you?"
Yang Lili looked up. "I did stay in the classroom, but I didn't take your money."
"Whether you took it or not, just like the other students, take out the money in your pockets and show everyone, and we'll know."
Yang Lili's fingers clutched her pocket tightly, her lips pressed together. She sat there, her face flushed red, not moving an inch.
Seeing her reaction, the students, who had been whispering about who was most suspicious, fell silent.
Everyone in the class knew that Yang Lili came from a poor family. She was always thrifty, and while others would get new clothes for school, she still wore patched clothes. She even skipped lunch at the cafeteria almost every day to save money.
Could it be that she really stole Sun Ling's money? If it was her, it would make sense.
"You don't really want me to call the police, do you?" Sun Ling looked down at her.
Upon seeing the flicker of panic on Yang Lili's face, Sun Ling couldn't help but show a smug smile.
This morning, as she left the dormitory, she had seen Yang Lili secretly tucking a roll of money into her pocket. A plan then formed in her mind.
She didn't intend to escalate the matter. As long as she could catch Yang Lili in a 'compromising position,' she would never speak up about anything. Dafeng Novel Network.
"I really didn't steal your money. I was sitting at my desk reading..."
Sun Ling interrupted her, "If you didn't steal it, then take out the money in your pocket and show everyone. Otherwise, you're just being guilty."
Chen Lishu frowned as she looked at the aggressive Sun Ling and then at Yang Lili, who was covering her pocket and shaking her head.
"Yeah, Yang Lili, if you didn't take it, just turn out your pockets and show everyone. Or are you hiding something shameful?" a boy in the class egged her on.
"What could Yang Lili have that's shameful? You're a boy, watch your mouth."
Just as the boy was about to retort, he saw that it was Chen Lishu speaking and reluctantly shut his mouth.
Chen Lishu had confidence in Yang Lili's character. If anyone else stole something, it might be possible, but she absolutely did not believe it was Yang Lili.
Sun Ling suddenly lunged at Yang Lili, grabbing her wrist. With her other hand, she quickly pulled the money out of Yang Lili's pocket. "Everyone, look at this!"
Everyone looked over. In Sun Ling's hand was a wad of money, with bills and change. But it was obvious to anyone with eyes that there were at least twenty to thirty yuan.
"This is my money," Yang Lili scrambled to her feet to grab it back, but Sun Ling dodged to the side.
"Your money? Who doesn't know you're the poorest in the whole class? Where did you get so much money? You stole mine, didn't you? As long as you admit your mistake now, I'll let it go."
Yang Lili was on the verge of tears, but she didn't mention where the money came from, only repeating, "This is really my money."
Sun Ling sneered dismissively, "You say it's yours, then where did you get this money? Don't tell me it's from your family. Everyone knows your family situation, you're so poor you can barely eat, right?"
As Sun Ling was speaking triumphantly, the money in her hand was suddenly snatched away. She turned to see Chen Lishu standing behind her.
Yang Lili looked at Chen Lishu approaching and said with trembling lips, "Lishu, this is really my money. I didn't steal a cent from anyone."
Chen Lishu nodded at her reassuringly, then looked coldly at Sun Ling. "What, is being poor grounds for you to attack and suspect someone? On what basis are you so sure this money is yours?"
"It's as obvious as a louse on a bald man's head. I lost money, and she just happens to have this much..."
"How much money did you lose?"
Sun Ling was stunned by Chen Lishu's question. After reacting, she replied, "Over thirty yuan."
Chen Lishu continued to ask, "How much exactly?"
Sun Ling was somewhat at a loss for words. She had only estimated based on the money in Yang Lili's hand. How could she know the exact amount? But this didn't affect her plan.
"I don't remember the exact amount."
Chen Lishu smiled. "You don't remember how much money you have? Thirty yuan is not a small amount, is it? Even if you can't recall the exact amount down to the cent, you should still remember the approximate figure. Your families are probably not wealthy enough to spend money carelessly. Who wouldn't know exactly how much money they have? And many students have the habit of keeping accounts to avoid overspending, right?"
"Yes, I keep accounts every day, for fear of overspending at the end of the month," a female classmate quickly chimed in.
"It's only been a few days since the beginning of the month. You can roughly estimate how much money you brought from home, can't you?"
Hearing the other students' discussions, Zhang Xue looked at Sun Ling and sneered, "Sun Ling, could it be that you're playing the 'thief crying stop thief' act again? At this rate of self-destruction, will your university graduation file still have room for it?"
Her sore spot exposed, Sun Ling almost spat blood in anger. "You don't need to mind other people's business. What does my searching for my money have to do with you?"
Chen Lishu raised an eyebrow and replied, "If the road is uneven, people will step on it. You are even more so, so people will step on you even more."