Li Na woke up early the next morning, feeling a little more refreshed after a good night's sleep. She got dressed and headed downstairs. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she could hear the sound of her father's voice coming from the dining room.
As she entered the dining room, she saw her father sitting at the head of the table, reading the newspaper. Her younger sister Li Jing was already at the table, eating her breakfast. Her mother Zhang Mei was nowhere to be seen.
The dining room was large and spacious, with a long table in the center that could seat ten people. The walls were painted a soft shade of green, and the room was filled with natural light from the large windows that looked out onto the garden.
"Good morning, Father," Li Na said, taking her seat at the table. Her father briefly looked up from his newspaper to nod at her.
Just then, Li Na's mother walked into the room, a scowl on her face.
"Good morning, mom," Li Na said tentatively.
Her mother ignored her and walked over to the table, pouring herself a cup of tea.
Li Jing sat at the dining table, a sly grin spreading across her face. She looked over at her older sister, Li Na and said, "So, how are your grades this semester?"
Li Jing's eyes darted towards Li Na, who sat quietly at the table, her eyes trained on her food "I heard from someone at school that she's been struggling with her studies," Li Jing said, her voice laced with fake concern.
Li Na knew exactly what was happening. Li Jing was trying to start drama again.
In her past life, Li Na had been a straight-A student, but she had pretended to be a poor student at the request of Li Jing, who begged her to do so in hopes that their parents would pay more attention to her own academic achievements. Now, in her rebirth, Li Na had no intention of letting anyone manipulate her like that again.
Li Jing's comment about Li Na's grades immediately caught the attention of their parents. Zhang Mei sat up straight in her chair, her eyes narrowed as she looked at Li Na. "Is this true?" she asked, her voice cold and clipped.
I haven't seen my test scores yet, "Li Na replied coolly, "but I'm sure they'll be fine.
Zhang Mei cut her off mid-sentence. "Don't try to make excuses here," she said sharply. "Your sister is right to be concerned. We can't have our family's reputation tarnished by your poor grades."
Li Jing got excited with how things were progressing and continued. "I just thought we should make sure sister's getting the help she needs."
Li Na knew that Li Jing was lying. They went to different schools, so there was no way that Li Jing could know anything about her grades. But she decided not to engage with Li Jing's stupid behavior.
Li Na's father, looked at Li Jing, then turned to Li Na. "We've invested a lot in your education," he said sternly. "We expect you to perform well."
Li Na's father added, "If you don't improve your grades, we'll have to take drastic measures. We can't afford to have a daughter who doesn't take her education seriously".
As Li Na's parents continued to discuss her grades and the potential damage it could bring to the family reputation, her father spoke up, "If your grades continue to slip, Li Na we might have to consider alternative options."
Li Na remembered this "alternative option" since in the past life they tried to used her to save themselves.
"What exactly do you mean by 'alternative options'?" Li Na asked with a smirk playing on her face.
"Marriage," her mother interjected, her tone cold and unfeeling. "We have already received a proposal. He's a bit older, but he can provide for our family."
Li Na felt her parents had gone insane by trying to marry her off to that old man. "I will not marry someone simply because you say so; if you are so interested in bringing both families together, you can marry Li Jing off in my stead." Li Na declared, her voice rising with anger.
Her mother yelled, "How dare you drag your sister into this! You think you have a choice? As long as you're living under our roof, you will do as we say."
You're nothing without this family, Li Na," her father said sternly. "Don't forget that."
Li Na pulled back her chair and stood up from the table, glaring at her parents for a while before storming out of the room. She told herself as she walked out that they would come to regret their decision, but it would be too late.
With that, Li Na left for school.
…
Li Na walked through the school gates, realizing that everyone was staring at her. The whispers and murmurs from her classmates made her uneasy, but she couldn't quite figure out what was going on. As she approached her locker, she noticed a group of girls huddled together, snickering in her direction.
"Hey, Li Na," one of them said with a smirk. "We heard you've been busy lately."
"What are you talking about?" Li Na asked
"Oh, you know," another girl chimed in. "We heard you've been seeing some older guy, someone with a lot of money. You're not trying to be a sugar baby, are you?"
The student shoved their phone in Li Na's face, revealing a post with a picture of Li Na and the caption "Caught in the act with her sugar daddy."
She couldn't believe that someone would stoop so low to start a rumor like this.
"I never did anything like that," she said, her voice firm. "I don't know who started it. However, whoever started it should be ready to face the consequences of their actions.
The girls just laughed and rolled their eyes, clearly not believing her. As she was about to walk to her seat, she heard a familiar voice behind her.
"Hey, Li Na. Heard any good rumours lately?" It was Xiao Mei, flanked by her two friends.
Li Na whirled around, her fists clenched at her sides. "What is your problem?" she snapped.
Xiao Mei just smirked. "What? Can't take a little bit of gossip?"
Li Na said through gritted teeth. "Someone set me up, and I have a feeling it was you."
Xiao Mei shrugged. "Why would I bother with something like that? I have better things to do than spread rumors about you."
Xiao Mei's smiled and continued. "You're always so dramatic, Li Na. It's just a rumor. No big deal."
Li Na's eyes narrowed as she looked at Xiao Mei, who stood in front of her with a smug expression on her face. Xiao Mei's appearance was plain, with an average height and weight, and her hair tied back in a messy ponytail. Her face was round and her features were unremarkable, except for her beady eyes that always seemed to be watching and judging.
Li Na could see the satisfaction in Xiao Mei's face, knowing that she had successfully spread the false rumour about her. She clenched her fists, fighting the urge to lash out at her.
Instead she took a deep breath and walked away, she planned to clear her name first and deal with Xiao Mei later.