Everyone knew about Lin Qingya and Su Banxia’s close relationship. Su Banxia’s rivalry with Mu Ruxue at school was something that had been witnessed by many. When it was revealed that Lin Qingya was the source of the post, many people believed it.
The Flower Deity Cup competition had only recently concluded, and Su Banxia had already started criticizing Mu Ruxue after winning one competition. This behavior didn’t sit well with the students and damaged her reputation.
Those students who had previously admired Su Banxia for her performance in the competition now turned against her upon learning about this news. They joined in mocking and insulting her in the forum post, telling her not to be too arrogant.
The comments on the post were quite offensive, and reading them would make anyone furious.
Su Banxia hadn’t been checking the academy’s forum, so she was unaware of this situation. Instead, it was Lin Qingya who rushed to her apartment, looking troubled.
“Banxia, it really wasn’t me. I might be silly, but I wouldn’t do something so brainless,” Lin Qingya said, her face filled with worry.
Su Banxia poured her a glass of water and said, “Don’t worry, take your time to explain.”
With teary eyes, Lin Qingya took out her phone and showed Su Banxia the forum post. She raised her hand and said, “I swear, it really wasn’t me. If it was, may I be struck by lightning.”
Su Banxia jokingly replied, “What if you do get struck by lightning?”
Lin Qingya was serious, “I have to swear it.”
Su Banxia teased, “What if you really get struck?”
Su Banxia began by reading the first provocative post. The original poster seemed to understand Lin Qingya’s personality, including her online communication style, so suspicions quickly arose, leading people to investigate the account behind the post.
After the post gained attention, it didn’t take long for people to start suspecting Lin Qingya’s involvement. Within a few hours, another thread was created, presenting evidence that linked Lin Qingya to the poster mocking Mu Ruxue.
Lin Qingya felt frustrated because she genuinely hadn’t done anything like this.
Regardless of the poster’s motives, they had succeeded in turning the entire forum against Su Banxia and Lin Qingya, labeling them as problems. Some even called for an investigation into whether there was any foul play in the Flower Deity Cup.
Su Banxia furrowed her brow. The more the situation escalated, the worse it would be for her.
The academy’s forum was not anonymous; every account needed to be registered. However, there was no guarantee that some accounts hadn’t been bought or sold for nefarious purposes.
As they walked through the campus, they encountered their fellow students who cast strange glances and whispered among themselves.
Lin Qingya’s face looked particularly unpleasant, and she glared at them, saying, “What are you looking at?”
The girls quickly averted their eyes.
Su Banxia grabbed her arm and said, “Don’t pay them any mind. Let’s go find the forum administrators.”
The academy’s forum had dedicated administrators, and with their intervention, the troublemakers could be quickly dealt with.
Upon learning their intentions, the administrators accessed the post and confirmed, “This account belongs to Lin Qingya, verified with her real name.”
“What about the registered phone number?” Su Banxia asked.
To prevent trouble, the forum required real-name verification using both a national ID card number and a valid phone number.
The administrators conducted a more detailed investigation and showed them the information.
Lin Qingya’s eyes were filled with anger as she looked at Su Banxia. “This isn’t my phone number.”
She didn’t frequent the forum, and it seemed that someone had maliciously used her ID number to verify an account and then posted to cause trouble, tarnishing her reputation.
As they left the office, Lin Qingya’s face displayed her barely concealed anger. She vowed, “Once I find out who did this, I will make them regret it. How dare they frame me.”
“Feeling more lively now?” Su Banxia teased.
Lin Qingya put her arm around Su Banxia’s shoulder and said, “It’s not about me; I don’t care what others say. But I don’t want it to affect you.”
The situation wasn’t over yet. The administrators traced the IP address of the poster, which was linked to the campus network. It was known that the perpetrator was a student, but their identity remained unknown.
Even if it was confirmed that someone had used Lin Qingya’s ID, it wouldn’t necessarily prove that Lin Qingya wasn’t behind the posts.
The person behind this had malicious intentions, attempting to sow discord between Su Banxia and Lin Qingya while tarnishing both of their reputations. It was crucial to identify this individual as soon as possible.
As Su Banxia was about to go to bed after a shower, she received a transcontinental call from Shang Lu. “I heard you had an incident at school.”
Su Banxia hadn’t expected him to be so concerned about her affairs even while working abroad. She didn’t want such minor matters to worry him. “I’m fine, I should be able to resolve it in a few days.”
In reality, the situation was not going to be resolved so quickly. Over the next few days, the news had spread from the school forums to various major platforms. Many idle students saw it as gossip and spread the news further.
Classmates accused her and Lin Qingya of being cunning and malicious, using the anonymity of the forum to attack Mu Ruxue while pretending to be innocent. However, they were eventually exposed when their anonymous identities were revealed, making it a comical turn of events.
In the school, many students openly or covertly targeted them with harsh words and criticisms.
Lin Qingya had almost gotten into a fight with someone and decided to take a break from school. She was so upset that she even considered reporting the matter to the police for investigation.
Su Banxia comforted her and thought about the other post that the administrators had investigated that day. The person behind the malicious posts had no apparent connection to her, so there didn’t seem to be any ill will involved.
So, who could be manipulating things behind the scenes?
When she returned to her apartment that evening, she stood still in the doorway, taken aback.
Shang Lu, who was abroad, was sitting in his wheelchair, dressed in a suit and tie, exuding a cold and distant aura. There was a hint of exhaustion on his handsome face, as if he had just finished work and rushed back home.
“Come here,” his slightly hoarse voice called out.
Su Banxia snapped back to reality, kicked off her shoes, and tossed her bag aside before running into his arms.
She sniffed the familiar scent of his body, a faint hint of pine and cedar, a unique fragrance that belonged to him alone, refreshing and pleasant.
“Shang Lu, why did you come back?” She felt a slight pang of longing as she buried her face in his chest.
Shang Lu had suddenly appeared before her, like a dream come true, and it had overwhelmed her emotions.
Shang Lu gently caressed her head and spoke softly, “I came back for some business.”
Su Banxia pouted. “I thought you came back because you missed me.”
Seeing the disappointment in her eyes, Shang Lu’s gaze softened. He had heard about the rumors and gossip surrounding her, which had been causing her distress. When they had talked on the phone that night, she had said she was fine, but he still felt worried. After a few more days without any resolution, he decided to rush back from abroad.
He couldn’t say the words “I miss you,” but he lifted her onto his lap and held her as if cradling a child.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the school situation?”
Su Banxia leaned against him, feeling comforted. “I didn’t want to bother you.”
The two of them hadn’t seen each other for almost half a month, and now that they were finally together, they clung to each other affectionately for a while. Shang Lu gently coaxed her to go and take a shower to wash away her fatigue.
His phone rang, and he answered it by the window, his deep voice saying, “Just a few more minutes.”
Su Banxia realized that he hadn’t freshened up or changed clothes since returning. He was still in his formal attire, which indicated that he had to leave again.
Sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed, she furrowed her brows as she looked at him and said, “Don’t tell me you have to catch a plane tonight.”
Shang Lu approached her and replied, “I’m sorry.”
Su Banxia huffed, “Your apology lacks sincerity.”
Shang Lu’s gaze slightly darkened, and he pressed his thin lips together before speaking in a deep voice, “When I come back, you can have whatever you want.”
Su Banxia was taken aback. Shang Lu had become quite skilled at coaxing people, and saying she could have whatever she wanted was a significant promise.
“Whatever I want? Can I tie you up then?” she teased.
Shang Lu paused for a moment, considered it, and replied, “Yes.”
Su Banxia giggled and quickly got under the covers. “Alright, let’s go, hurry up.”
To be honest, she hadn’t expected Shang Lu, who usually prioritized his career, to take a long flight back and forth in a matter of hours just to see her.
…..
Su Banxia and Lin Qingya walked side by side under the camphor tree. As they passed the basketball court, a boy suddenly rushed out, followed by other boys.
“Su Banxia, I’m sorry,” the boy’s voice was loud and clear.
His buddies behind him were like a bunch of monkeys in a zoo, making a scene and drawing the attention of passing students.
Su Banxia was puzzled. “I don’t know you.”
The boy’s face turned red instantly. He stammered, “I’m the one from the forum… I said I would apologize to you in person.”
“Brother, don’t forget your frog jump,” one of his friends shouted.
The forum incident had been resolved. The baiting posts, the identity theft posts, and the person behind it all had been revealed to be Mu Ruxue. She had initially posed as Lin Qingya to start the baiting and mudslinging, and then pretended to be someone else to quickly expose Lin Qingya, defaming Lin Qingya and Su Banxia in the process.
If it weren’t for her making another post, acting like a white lotus and asking everyone not to “insult” Su Banxia anymore, it might not have been resolved so quickly.
Su Banxia had suspected Mu Ruxue before, but she couldn’t fathom why someone would pretend to be someone else to insult her. It seemed insane. Little did she know that Mu Ruxue did indeed have issues in her head.
When the truth came out, Lin Qingya stepped forward and demanded that those who had insulted her in the past come forward and apologize. Most of the anonymous forum users began to play dead.
However, there was one sincere student who offered to apologize to Su Banxia in person and punish himself by doing twenty frog jumps.
“Hey, where are your frog jumps?” Lin Qingya taunted.
The boy glanced at Su Banxia and began to do the frog jumps for real.
Su Banxia chose not to participate and left the basketball court with Lin Qingya. As they reached the entrance of the teaching building, they ran into Mu Ruxue.
Mu Ruxue no longer concealed her hateful gaze and stared at Su Banxia fiercely. She said, “Su Banxia, don’t get too cocky. Sooner or later, I’ll take everything away from you.”
Su Banxia’s gaze turned icy. “You can try.”
“Do you really think no one can see through you, the green tea b*tch?” Lin Qingya retorted. “You’ve been given a major disciplinary action by the school, and you still have the audacity to show your face. If I were a school leader, I would have expelled a low-life like you.”
Mu Ruxue glared at them with resentment in her eyes and quickly walked away as some classmates approached.
“System, I want to change my target for seizing luck.”
The system replied, “Task executed. Please state your new target.”
“Lin Qingya.”
She wanted Su Banxia to lose friends, family, and love, to suffer for the rest of her life.
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