The rumble of the Phantom IX echoed through the courtyard like a clap of thunder that silenced everything around it. Heads turned instantly—students clustered at the gates froze mid-conversation, and the roar of the engine reverberated through their chests.
The luxury car glided to a halt, its polished silver gleam reflecting the sunlight like liquid diamond. The emblem on the hood shimmered with the same quiet arrogance as the girl who stepped out.
The door opened slowly, and Su Ning emerged.
The wind seemed to hold its breath. Her uniform—custom-tailored, stitched with delicate silver thread—fit her like a masterpiece. A faint perfume lingered in the air, soft yet intoxicating.
Her hair cascaded like black silk, slightly tousled by the morning breeze. Diamond-studded earrings caught the light as her cold gaze swept through the crowd, indifferent and piercing all at once.
"Isn't that… Su Ning?" someone whispered.
"No way… she drives a Phantom IX?"
"I thought she was that poor scholarship girl—how can she…?"
Their disbelief spread like ripples on water, but Su Ning didn't even glance at them. Her high heels clicked against the marble path, each step deliberate, echoing against the school courtyard like a rhythm of dominance. The students unconsciously moved aside, creating a silent path for her.
Her expression didn't change as she passed them—a calm, chilly elegance that seemed to separate her from the entire world.
Inside the car, her heart was already simmering with quiet fury. Chen Anya was in trouble. Mo Lingxue. The name alone tasted like poison on her tongue. She gripped her purse tightly, eyes narrowing as her driver's voice faded behind her.
The doors of the cafeteria swung open.
The first thing she saw was Chen Anya—kneeling.
Tears streaked her delicate face. Beside her, Mu Suying stood frozen, her fists clenched, trying desperately to console her friend but powerless before the people surrounding them. The air was thick with mockery and disdain.
Seated at the center of attention was Mo Lingxue, her posture relaxed, her red lips curled into an arrogant smile. She looked down at Chen Anya as if she were a piece of dirt beneath her shoes—shoes that now had a faint smudge of melted ice cream.
"Didn't you hear me?" Mo Lingxue's voice was honeyed venom. "1.7 million yuan. Pay up, or get out of this school."
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
Chen Anya shook her head desperately. "I—I didn't mean to—"
"Apologies don't buy shoes," Xu Jinghan, one of the ROYAL 6 drawled, examining her manicured nails.
The ROYAL 6—six of the wealthiest, most influential heirs in the city. Every student knew their names, every teacher feared their parents' power. Yet, for once, their laughter died abruptly when a faint chill sliced through the air.
Su Ning had arrived.
She didn't speak. She didn't need to. Her gaze—icy, controlled—cut through the noise like a blade. Her heels clicked once, twice, then stopped directly in front of Chen Anya.
"Stand up," she said.
Her voice was low, steady, and oddly magnetic. The kind of tone that carried more power than shouting ever could.
Chen Anya blinked in disbelief. "Ning… NingNing…"
Su Ning's eyes softened for a fleeting second. She reached down and lifted her gently by the arm. "No one kneels before trash."
The cafeteria went utterly silent.
Mo Lingxue's brows furrowed. "Who are you calling—"
Su Ning's gaze flicked to her, cold and unflinching. "How much for the shoes?"
The question caught everyone off guard. Even the ROYAL 6 exchanged glances, unsure whether to laugh or take her seriously.
Gu Yingying, the most composed of them all, the princess of the ROYAL 6 stepped forward with a languid smile. "And who are you to interrupt us? You think you can talk to us like that?"
Su Ning didn't answer. Her expression remained unchanged—like a queen entertaining insects.
She repeated, calmly, "I asked. How much are the shoes?"
Mo Lingxue sneered, "Fine. Since you want to play hero, it's 3.8 million yuan. Unless you think you can—"
Before she could finish, Su Ning slipped her hand into her purse.
Her fingers brushed against the cool metal of her gold card, its edge glinting faintly.
In her mind, she spoke to the system. "System transfer ten million yuan to this card"
"Right away host," the system said
A chime echoed faintly in her consciousness.
She looked up again, her expression unreadable. "Ill give you ten. Take it, this card contain 10 million yuan."
The entire cafeteria seemed to freeze in that moment.
Even the usually unflappable Gu Yingying stiffened.
Su Ning stepped forward with quiet grace, her heels barely making a sound. She reached into Mo Lingxue's designer handbag and slipped the gold card inside as if dismissing the entire scene as something beneath her notice.
"Consider the rest compensation," she said softly. "For daring to open your mouth before me."
A murmur rippled through the students like a rising wave.
"She—she just gave her ten million yuan?"
"Did you hear what she said? She called Mo Lingxue trash—!"
"Ten million yuan! I've never had that kind of money all to myself"
"Who exactly is Su Ning?"
Mo Lingxue's face flushed a deep crimson. She opened her mouth to retort, but when Su Ning's eyes met hers—cold, steady, utterly devoid of fear—her voice caught in her throat. For the first time, she felt something alien. Fear.
Su Ning's presence filled the room effortlessly. The air around her shimmered with a kind of quiet majesty that made even the most arrogant heirs hesitate.
Gu Yingying forced a laugh, trying to recover. "You think you can just do what you want? Do you have any idea who we are?"
Su Ning turned her head slightly, her hair swaying like silk. "Should I?"
Her words landed like a slap.
Gu Yingying's smile faltered.
The silence stretched, thick and suffocating. No one dared move.
Then, without another glance at the ROYAL 6, Su Ning turned to Chen Anya. Her expression softened, voice low but warm. "Let's go."
She gently took Chen Anya's hand and started walking away.
Mu Suying immediately followed, casting one last look at the stunned ROYAL 6 before hurrying after Su Ning.
The crowd parted instinctively, whispering behind their hands as Su Ning passed through them like an empress leaving her court.
Behind her, Mo Lingxue trembled with anger, clutching her handbag so tightly her knuckles turned white. But even she didn't dare chase after the girl who had just thrown ten million yuan in her face as if it were nothing.
Outside the cafeteria, the sunlight hit Su Ning's hair, giving it a golden sheen. Chen Anya's eyes were still red from crying.
"Ningning… you shouldn't have done that," she murmured, guilt in her voice. "That was too much money…"
Su Ning looked at her, a faint smile ghosting her lips. "Money can be earned again, Anya. Dignity cannot."
Mu Suying, walking beside them, glanced at Su Ning in silent awe. The image of Su Ning standing in front of the ROYAL 6—unflinching, poised, radiating quiet fury—was burned into her memory.
The three of them walked toward the school gates. The murmurs followed them like shadows, awe and fear interwoven in every whisper.
From the top floor of the administrative building, the principal watched through the window. His assistant hesitated beside him, unsure what to say.
The principal exhaled slowly, his forehead beaded with sweat. "She has finally decided to come out," he said quietly, "we have a new sovereign in this school."
And from that day on, the legend of Su Ning, the girl who made the ROYAL 6 bow without even speaking loudly, spread through the entire academy like wildfire.