Shi Qiu in the illusion was suffering terribly, and Shen Cuiyu and the others felt her pain as if it were their own.
Although they were watching this truth as onlookers, the contemptuous looks and the malicious exclusion were so real that they couldn't help but feel a twinge in their hearts whenever they saw An Peng. How much worse must it have been for Shi Qiu at that time?
Zhang Yushu in the illusion also more or less sensed the resistance of the students towards this new classmate. He didn't understand the reason. Out of sympathy, he would always say a few words to Shi Qiu whenever he saw her. But for some unknown reason, the look in Shi Qiu's eyes when she looked at him became more and more panicked...
Suddenly, the scene in front of them shifted, and what appeared before Shen Cuiyu and the others was a pond.
In the depths of winter, a thin layer of ice had formed on the pond outside the village, and the cold was biting.
At this moment, An Peng and a group of children from the village had surrounded Shi Qiu by the pond.
Shi Qiu looked at An Peng timidly and said weakly, "Today... Today, Young Master Zhang took the initiative to talk to me..."
A crisp slap interrupted Shi Qiu's words. She covered her face blankly, and tears streamed down uncontrollably as she stood there at a loss.
An Peng withdrew her hand, the corner of her lips curling up, but there was no trace of real smile in her eyes.
"What do you think you are? How could he take the initiative to talk to you? Your mouth is so stubborn... I really want to see if the bones of a poor girl are stronger?"
As soon as she finished speaking, someone immediately forced Shi Qiu's hands into the bone-chilling ice water!
Originally, these half-grown children were a bit hesitant to take action. But with An Peng's tacit approval and seeing that those who had bullied Shi Qiu had remained unscathed, they gradually grew bolder and joined in the bullying one after another!
It wasn't until Shi Qiu cried out for mercy, her fingers turning red and purple from the cold and almost losing all feeling!
The several celestial masters looked at the crowd with grim expressions. They couldn't believe that among so many people, there wasn't even one who dared to stand up and expose the injustice!
Finally, someone in the crowd seemed unable to bear it any longer and wanted to step forward to stop it, but was held back by a companion!
"Are you crazy? Offend the An family for a groom's daughter? Just stay here quietly!" the companion hissed.
The courage that the person had just mustered was instantly extinguished by these words. Amid Shi Qiu's screams, he turned away reluctantly, no longer looking at her expression.
Shi Qiu's face was as pale as a sheet at this moment. She curled up on the snow, covering her hands, while An Peng held a hand warmer and said nonchalantly to the others:
"Look, she can really endure the cold better than us."
After saying that, she turned around lightly and left, leaving only Shi Qiu groaning in pain.
After that day, Shi Qiu's hands were covered in chilblains, which were festering and itching. She couldn't even hold a pen.
Even more sadly, Shi Qiu used to be able to do some embroidery to supplement the family income, but now she couldn't do it anymore. This made the already poor family situation even worse.
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Shi Qiu tearfully told her father everything. But her father was also helpless. Although he loved his daughter dearly, the whole family relied on the An family for their livelihood, and he really had no way out...
So, after hesitating for a long time, Father Shi only managed to say, "Why don't you stop going to school tomorrow? If we can't afford to provoke them, can't we just avoid them..."
This so - called solution made Shi Qiu burst into tears. The grievances of many days finally erupted at this moment. Going to the private school to study was something she had finally managed to achieve, but now she had to give it up voluntarily. How could she not be heart - broken?
But she really had no other choice. She could only wait until tomorrow to go to school and pack up her books.
Little did she know that it was this very day that would push Shi Qiu towards death...
This was Shi Qiu's last day at the academy.
An Peng's carefully prepared schoolwork essay was praised by the teacher in front of the class, and Shi Qiu, because of her unique insights, also received a comment from the teacher saying, "Although the writing is immature, the thinking is ingenious."
What An Peng couldn't bear even more was that when school was over, she saw Zhang Yushu actually walking up to Shi Qiu's lonely seat on his own initiative and whispering a few words to her about the essay.
The poisonous fire of jealousy completely burned away An Peng's rationality at that moment.
After school, she took a few loyal followers and blocked Shi Qiu in an abandoned mill on the way back to the stable.
This place was rarely visited by people, and only the huge stone mill stood silently in the shadows.
"Do you think that after reading a few days of books, you can become a phoenix? " An Peng's voice was as cold as ice. She took a step closer, "Do you think you can get involved with Young Master Zhang? Don't you even know what you are!"
Shi Qiu was forced to keep retreating. Her thin back pressed against the cold and rough millstone, with nowhere else to go!
She mustered the last bit of courage in her life, raised her pale face, and said in a trembling but clear voice:
"I... I'm just studying. I'm not getting involved with anyone... Miss An, please spare me..."
"Spare you?" An Peng let out a shrill laugh and suddenly reached out to push her hard. "I just want you to remember that you only deserve to live in the mud for the rest of your life!"
Shi Qiu was caught off guard. Her lower back hit the protruding edge of the millstone hard. The intense pain made her vision go black, and she let out a short cry of pain. This seemed to open the floodgates of violence. The followers swarmed up, pulling, shoving, and cursing...
In the fierce struggle and chaos, someone pushed too hard. Shi Qiu's head slammed into the hardest corner of the millstone!
There was a dull thud.
The world suddenly fell silent.
Shi Qiu's slender body slid softly to the ground. A terrifying wound on her forehead gushed out blood, which quickly spread between her pale cheeks and disheveled black hair. Her big eyes, which were always filled with fear and longing, now stared blankly at the dilapidated roof of the mill, losing all their sparkle.
The air seemed to freeze. All the bullies stood there stiffly, their faces drained of all color.
An Peng was the first to react. Overwhelming fear seized her. She rushed forward and tremblingly reached out her fingers to feel for Shi Qiu's breath... Then she quickly withdrew her hand as if she had been burned.
"...She... She's not breathing..." Her voice was distorted by extreme panic.
After a brief moment of silence, there was even greater panic!
Among these children, some were so scared that they started crying, while others were in a complete daze and turned around to run!
"Shut up!" An Peng roared sharply. She forced herself to suppress her fear, and her eyes became extremely calm, even cold. "No one is allowed to say a word! If you want to live, just listen to me!"
She looked around, and her gaze finally landed on the huge, heavy stone mill.
"Stuff her... under it." Her voice was low and determined. "Hurry! While there's no one around!"
Driven by great fear, these half - grown teenagers used all their strength to move the heavy millstone with difficulty. They carelessly stuffed Shi Qiu's still - warm and surprisingly light body under the dark, damp millstone.
Then, they worked together and "boom"! The heavy millstone was pressed back down again!
The heavy millstone covered up a once - vibrant life and suppressed all the truth and grievances...