Chapter 6 — The Seat Not Meant for Me

The commotion in the hallway had grown unbearable, leaving the roommates at their wit's end and with no choice but to alert their families. Upon learning that Xiao was being wronged in the dorm, her family did not hesitate for a second. They immediately drove back to the campus, entirely convinced in their hearts that the roommates were simply bullying their fragile, spoiled girl. In their frantic rush, however, they mixed up the floor and room numbers, accidentally marching straight into my quarters. The moment mother, father, and brother stepped inside and took in the serene, impeccably clean room and the harmonious atmosphere—finding me sitting quietly at my desk absorbed in my books—they blurted out in sheer confusion, entirely by instinct.

Is the atmosphere in this room not exceptionally pleasant? Where on earth is all this quarreling? Did Xiao not claim that her roommates were targeting her and causing endless friction?

My roommates were initially startled by the sudden intrusion, but they quickly collected themselves and spoke up with gentle warmth.

Auntie, Uncle, you must have the wrong place. This is Man's room, not Xiao's.

Our room has never had any disputes, and our bond has always been wonderful. Man is such a remarkable person—gentle, quiet, hardworking, and deeply considerate. There has never been a single conflict between us.

At the end of the semester, she even earned a scholarship and was honored as a Three-Good Student.

Whenever the rest of us fall behind in our studies, she patiently explains the material to us. Her English proficiency is stellar, and during finals, she guided all of us through our revisions so that everyone's grades in the subject improved significantly.

In her spare time, she even works part-time jobs, showing incredible self-discipline and maturity. Whenever she comes and goes for her work, she moves with such care that she has never once disturbed our rest. She is truly gentle and kind-hearted, and all of us cherish her dearly.

These sincere praises fell clearly and distinctly upon the ears of my family. Father, mother, and my brother froze in their tracks, their faces instantly draining of color, replaced by looks of absolute shock and dull disbelief. For so long, they had blindly believed Xiao’s malicious slander, always imagining me as gloomy, unsociable, and selfish. Yet here I was, painted in the words of my roommates as gentle, self-motivated, kind, and sincere—a stark contrast to the twisted image they had held in their minds. It was only at this very moment that they fully realized they had stumbled into the wrong room. The quiet, exceptional, amiable, and diligent girl right before their eyes was me, Man. Not the Xiao they dreamed of day and night, the one they had sworn to protect at all costs. I slowly raised my head, gazing calmly at the three rigid figures standing by the door, my expression serene, bearing a smile that did not quite reach my eyes.

You have the wrong room. Xiao's dorm is on the floor right next to this one. I will show you the way.

I rose from my seat and calmly gestured toward the stairwell at the end of the corridor.

I led them straight to the threshold of Xiao's dormitory. Even before we drew close, the raucous sound of shouting and arguing echoed from within. The moment the door pushed open, the scene unfolded entirely in plain sight for everyone to see. Xiao was seated on the floor, her eyes red-rimmed and swollen, crying noisily and throwing a tantrum. Her voice was piercing and petulant as she relentlessly complained about the terrible living conditions, accusing her roommates of refusing to accommodate her and claiming that everyone was conspiring against her. Meanwhile, her roommates stood around her, utterly drained, exhausted, and deeply wronged, taking turns to voice the unvarnished truth.

We have never targeted her; it is simply that she is entirely too delicate and cannot bear the slightest grievance.

Everyone was assigned identical beds; others can live here just fine, so why is she the only one who cannot?

Her daily habits in this room are completely self-centered. She stays up late making noise, scatters her belongings everywhere, and has never once cared about anyone else's feelings.

The most outrageous part is that she goes around telling everyone—including her family—that her older sister Man has a terrible character, a vile disposition, and is deeply selfish. But some of us have actually met Man, and she is both gentle and brilliant, treating everyone with immense kindness. We all wish we had a twin sister just like her.

Every single lie was unmasked right there in front of everyone. All the petty fabrications crumbled into dust. The entire facade of falsehoods shattered completely. Father, mother, and my brother stood outside the doorway, their complexions shifting between pale and ashen. At long last, they were forced to look the truth squarely in the face. The person who was eternally spoiled, selfish, and maliciously slandered her own flesh and blood was none other than Xiao, the very girl they had cradled in the palms of their hands and doted on without limit. And the person who remained silent, understanding, and silently striving against the odds was me—the daughter they had neglected and cast aside for all these years. This stark, unvarnished truth was laid bare before them, serving as a brutal, stinging slap across the face of their years of blatant favoritism. With grim, unsightly expressions, they ushered the still-weeping Xiao away from the scene. After a prolonged, heavy silence, they ultimately chose to pursue me, intercepting my path in the quiet corridor. When my parents finally spoke, their voices were stiff, laced with an unprecedented caution and hesitation.

You did not return home for the entire winter break. How did you manage living at school? And why did you never share your new phone number with us?

I looked straight at them, feeling not a single ripple of emotion in my heart, and replied in a voice that was calm and completely detached.

You never really cared anyway, did you?

That single sentence struck them dumb, instantly locking their jaws and leaving them frozen in place, utterly incapable of fabricating a single word of defense. The atmosphere grew heavy, thick with an unbearable, suffocating silence.