Bai Xiao walked back, intending to pull Lin Xiang aside to act as her advisor, but before she could reach her, she heard Ma Yao angrily shouting.
Around them, a crowd had formed a circle, and amidst the chatter, He Juan’s cries could be heard.
Bai Xiao squeezed through the crowd and saw Ma Yao being firmly held by Lin Xiang, He Juan wiping tears, wearing the same sky-blue dress, while two girls stood beside them, smugly saying, "He Juan, hurry up and take off the dress, we’re still waiting to buy it."
"If you don’t have the money, don’t try it on."
"Really, you’re just exuding poverty, did you even consider if you could afford this dress?"
"She’s totally brainless."
"Hurry up and take it off."
In broad daylight! To ask a girl to undress, even with a curtain for privacy, He Juan was overwhelmed with shame.
Bai Xiao extended a hand to block the two women pointing fingers, recognizing them as the same two arrogant locals from earlier, Qiang Xinran and Meng Han. They were clearly looking for trouble.
"Hold on, what’s going on with He Juan?"
How could trying on a dress turn into this kind of situation?
He Juan, sobbing uncontrollably, suddenly clung to Bai Xiao, gasping through her tears.
Bai Xiao comforted her while asking Lin Xiang and Ma Yao, "What happened? What’s going on?"
On the other side, Qiang Xinran, flaunting her red polished fingernails, pointed at He Juan and said, "What’s wrong? Why don’t you ask her? She dares to try on a dress she can’t afford, then is embarrassed when she hears the price, right? Take it off, quickly take it off, we’re still waiting."
They stood there high and mighty, as if they had caught them in some major fault.
Ma Yao couldn’t stand it, wanting to throw a punch! Bai Xiao stopped her, "Hitting someone won’t solve the issue."
If they hit someone now, they would simply give Qiang Xinran and the others more to hold against them, possibly even resulting in a punishment for Ma Yao.
"They’re bullying us, does not having money mean you can’t try on a dress? The salesperson didn’t say that, and besides, who says we can’t afford it, it’s just five hundred yuan, we’ll buy it!" Ma Yao said, her face flushed with anger.
Lin Xiang was stunned, "Buy? How can we buy it?"
This was five hundred yuan we’re talking about. Who could afford that?
They only had a few dozen yuan to live on each month; five hundred yuan was more than a year’s worth of living expenses. This was no joke.
Upon hearing this, Qiang Xinran laughed.
"Did you hear that, Meng Han? What did they say? They actually said they’ll buy it?"
Their tones full of arrogance and provocation.
"Yeah, some people just don’t know their own limits, still talking big at a time like this. Are you planning to starve yourself for years to buy this dress for He Juan? Do you think you’re rich? You, Ma Yao, don’t cause your friends to go hungry, okay?" Meng Han was even more infuriating.
"We can afford it." Ma Yao was provoked, entirely missing the look in Qiang Xinran and Meng Han’s eyes.
Lin Xiang was getting anxious, "Don’t get hot-headed and make a fuss, okay?"
Ma Yao grabbed Lin Xiang and said to He Juan, "If all of us chip in, we must buy it. We might lose the battle but not the spirit. Today’s humiliation, if we can’t hit back, will be used to mock us for life. Look at Qiang Xinran and their faces; once back at school, they’re likely to spread the word. Think about it, how could He Juan bear being laughed at by the whole school then?"
Just thinking about that scenario made He Juan feel like dying. Why on earth had she tried on that dress?
This was a disaster out of the blue.