Chapter 5 — The Bias Box

Opening the box, I found a diamond necklace shimmering with a cold, artificial light.

"Van Van, this is something I bought with money I saved up myself just for you."

"I neglected you in the past. From now on, I will give you everything that is best. Can you forgive me?"

He looked at me, his eyes filled with an anticipation so intense it bordered on madness. I stared at the necklace, feeling nothing but a profound sense of mockery. He would never understand what I truly wanted. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a stack of photographs and threw them at his face. The pictures scattered across the floor; they were all close-up shots of the blind boxes from the past fourteen days, each one marked with a small cross I had pressed into the base with my fingernails.

"Shen Yen Chi, do you honestly believe a necklace can erase your calculations over the last two weeks?"

"You knew perfectly well that my stomach is delicate, yet to buy seafood fried rice for Shen Kieu Kieu, you forced me to eat steamed buns laced with low-quality, expired supplements."

"You took my spot in the bayonet drill performance and handed it to her as a gift."

"During that torrential downpour, you snatched my first-aid kit and abandoned me alone in the wilderness."

With every word I spoke, the color drained further from Shen Yen Chi’s face.

"I wasn't calculating against you..." he stammered weakly, his defense crumbling. "I just felt that you were sensible, that you were strong, and that you could sympathize with my situation..."

"I do not sympathize," I interrupted, cutting him off. "And I no longer wish to be the sensible one."

"Shen Yen Chi, the bias you are so proud of is nothing more than a form of self-indulgence built upon the foundation of exploiting me."

I stepped over the photos and the velvet box on the floor, walking straight ahead without looking back. "Do not ever appear in front of me again. You disgust me."

Shen Yen Chi stood frozen, his gaze fixed on the photos. Suddenly, his knees gave way and he collapsed to the floor. He buried his face in his hands, his shoulders heaving with the weight of muffled, broken sobs. I did not turn around. At the end of the corridor, the head coach was leaning against the wall, waiting for me.

"Are you finished?" he asked.

"Yes, let's go."

I strode out of the academic building. The sunlight outside was blinding, but for the first time, it felt genuinely warm.

I had barely reached the school gate when two figures blocked my path. It was my mother and father, their faces twisted with fury. My mother lunged forward, her hand raised to slap me.

"You white-eyed wolf! Your sister has suffered such injustice at this school, and instead of helping her, you humiliate her in front of everyone!"

I caught my mother’s wrist and shoved it aside with force. "What injustice has she suffered?"

My father poked a finger at my face, shouting, "Kieu Kieu says you stole all the attention and even drove a wedge between her and Yen Chi! Do you have any idea how frail Kieu Kieu’s health is? If she gets angry and something happens to her, I will never forgive you!"

Nearby students began to stop and point, whispering among themselves. Shen Kieu Kieu hid behind my parents, her eyes rimmed with red, playing the part of a fragile white lily who had suffered endless bullying. Shen Yen Chi arrived shortly after, and upon seeing the scene, he immediately rushed to stand in front of me.

"Aunt, Uncle, please don't blame Van Van. It’s all my fault."

Watching them play out this picture of a harmonious, loving family, I couldn't help but laugh. I pulled out my phone and played a recording I had kept for half a year. Kieu Kieu’s voice filled the air, thick with boastful arrogance:

"Brother Yen Chi said I’ve gained a bit of weight lately, so eating these steamed buns is the perfect way to slim down..."

"Brother Yen Chi also promised that when the military training ends, he will give me the lead spot in the performance..."

Once the recording finished, the silence was absolute. My parents' faces turned a sickly shade of gray, and Shen Kieu Kieu’s complexion turned as white as a sheet of paper. She shook her head frantically. "No, that’s not true! I never said those things. She must have edited that audio!"

I gave a cold laugh and tossed a copy of a medical report at her. "Then explain this medical report to me."

"You’ve been faking your illness since you were a child, exploiting my parents' bias and Shen Yen Chi’s care as if it were your birthright. In reality, your health indices are more normal than anyone else’s!"

This report was something I had obtained through contacts during my time at the training camp. Shen Kieu Kieu stared at the paper on the ground, her composure shattered. "No, it’s not… Father, Mother, please, let me explain..."

The surrounding students began to murmur in disgust.

"So she’s just a manipulative fraud, faking sickness to steal sympathy!"

"How revolting, plotting against her own sister."

My parents looked from the report to the pointing students, their faces alternating between shame and rage. They valued their reputation above all else, and now they had been humiliated before the entire campus. Shen Yen Chi stared at Shen Kieu Kieu, his eyes wide with shock and betrayal. He finally understood that the "fragile one" he had been so carefully protecting was nothing more than a calculated liar. And for the sake of that fraud, he had destroyed the girl who had once seen only him.

"Shen Kieu Kieu!"