She clearly hadn't expected me to counterattack on the spot.
She bit her lip and looked at me pitifully. "Thea, my throat has been sore and I can't sing. You know that. Are you trying to make things difficult for me because I didn't pour water for you in the dorm?"
Emilia stood up, her voice clear and melodious as she said, "If everyone wants to hear someone sing, let me substitute for Leila!"
...
Her pretty face and kind demeanor earned her a lot of praise.
This also made it seem like I was being petty about Leila.
I decided to mimic Leila's emotional display.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
Then I said, "I know you look down on poor people, but there's no need to fabricate stories.
"So what if I'm poor? It doesn't affect you, does it?
"I may be poor, but I also have dignity. You can't trample on that!"
As a result, the three of us became the talk of the student forum.
The post detailed the incident, and the comments were split into three groups.
One group supported the idea that poor people have dignity and human rights.
Another group thought I was overly sensitive and petty.
The last group said they were just curious onlookers.
I read the post in the counselor's office.
The counselor handed me a form to apply for financial aid for underprivileged students.
I was dumbfounded and declined.
...
The counselor, probably trying not to hurt my pride, said gently, "Thea, financial aid is meant to help you fulfill your academic dreams. There's no intention to discriminate against you."
...
I rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache coming on, and repeatedly said I didn't need it.
The counselor looked at me firmly.
I reluctantly showed her the smallest income section of my financial records.
It was from a book I wrote a long time ago, and I received the payment for it just last week.
It was about 20,000 dollars.
Counselor was stunned.
She remained silent for a while.
I could almost read her thoughts: it turns out I was the fool.
...
Back in the dorm, Leila was smugly flaunting Emilia's invitation letter to the freshman welcome party in front of me.
"Why are you so smug? It isn't even addressed to you," I said.
Leila was angry at first, but quickly recovered her smile and said, "I'm best friends with Emilia, so I feel happy for her. Unfortunately, someone, even after showing off at military training, isn't invited."
I rolled my eyes and went to my bed to write my novel.