Chapter 65: The Rumor Mill, Lunchtime.

Li Tingting carried her tray and found a seat in a corner.

She had only taken a few bites when she heard hushed whispers from the next table.

“Did you hear?”

“Hear what?”

“About Zhou Duoduo.”

“What about her?”

Li Tingting’s ears perked up.

The girls at the next table lowered their voices.

“I heard from a sophomore that in high school, she was involved with a lot of guys.”

“Really? Is that true?”

“It’s true. And not just guys, but girls too.”

“I know some of them went to the same school as me. There was the rich kid Qian Duo, the class monitor Li Xuetong, and the school bully Zhao Ritian.”

Li Tingting’s chopsticks stopped.

She quickly activated her special ability. This was an advanced function of her ability, allowing her to check a person’s favorability towards specific individuals (as long as she knew who they were).

[Zhou Duoduo towards Wang Xue: 77 (Best friend, but occasionally likes to tease her)]

[Wang Xue towards Zhou Duoduo: 88 (Likes her, willing to do anything for her)]

She already knew that.

But “involved with a lot of guys”?

She checked Zhou Duoduo’s past favorability records for those boys—

[Zhou Duoduo towards Li Xuetong: 58 (Tutoring tool, discarded after use)]

[Zhou Duoduo towards Qian Duo: 55 (Wallet, no real feelings)]

[Zhou Duoduo towards Zhao Ritian: 62 (Interesting bad boy, but got bored quickly)]

… …

There were indeed quite a few.

But the term “involved”…

She thought about it.

It wasn’t exactly an unfair accusation.

She heard the girl continue.

“And I heard she was really close with a senior. When that senior graduated, she cried for a long time.”

“A senior? Which senior?”

“Her name was Lin Yuanyuan, I think. It definitely happened.”

Li Tingting froze.

A senior?

She hurriedly checked Zhou Duoduo’s favorability towards that senior—

[Zhou Duoduo towards Lin Yuanyuan: 75 (Really liked her once)]

(°Д°)

Holy crap.

It’s true.

—

Afternoon.

Outside the girls’ dormitory building.

A group of people had gathered.

Zhou Duoduo stood in the middle, her expression grim.

“What are you all talking about?”

A girl stepped forward.

“We’re talking about you. We heard that in high school, you were involved with a bunch of guys and girls?”

Zhou Duoduo’s face changed.

“Who said that?”

“Everyone is saying it.”

Zhou Duoduo gritted her teeth.

“That’s a rumor!”

The girl laughed.

“A rumor? Then explain, what was going on with that senior?”

Zhou Duoduo was stunned.

The senior…

How did she know about the senior?

“I… I was just ordinary friends with the senior…”

“Ordinary friends? Then why did you cry for her for days?”

Zhou Duoduo couldn’t speak.

The murmurs around them grew louder.

“Is it true?”

“It seems like it is…”

“Tsk, acting so innocent all the time.”

Zhou Duoduo’s face turned pale.

Just then—

“That’s enough.”

A voice came from outside the crowd.

Everyone turned.

Wang Xue was standing there.

She walked over and stood beside Zhou Duoduo.

“I know about Duoduo and the senior.”

Zhou Duoduo was stunned.

“Xue’er…”

Wang Xue looked at the group.

“The senior was very good to Duoduo, and Duoduo was good to her too. But that’s all in the past. Is it fun for you to bring this up now?”

Someone muttered quietly:

“Of course you’d defend her, aren’t you two always stuck together?”

Wang Xue’s face flushed red.

“We… we’re best friends…”

“Best friends? Then why is your face red?”

Wang Xue couldn’t speak.

Zhou Duoduo grabbed her hand.

“Let’s go. Let’s get out of here.”

The two of them pushed through the crowd and headed towards the dorm.

Laughter erupted behind them.

—

In the dorm room.

Zhou Duoduo sat on her bed, face pale.

Wang Xue sat beside her.

“Duoduo…”

Zhou Duoduo didn’t speak.

Wang Xue looked at her.

“That thing about the senior… who could have told people?”

Zhou Duoduo shook her head.

“I don’t know… only you and I knew…”

Wang Xue’s tone held a hint of grievance.

“Do you suspect me?”

Zhou Duoduo looked at her.

“I don’t suspect you. But—” She didn’t finish.

Wang Xue’s expression changed.

“Duoduo, I really didn’t…”

Zhou Duoduo looked up.

“I know. But what do we do now?”

Wang Xue was silent for a moment.

Then she said:

“I’ll investigate. I’ll find out who’s spreading this.”

Zhou Duoduo nodded.

Wang Xue stood up and walked towards the door.

At the door, she turned back.

“Duoduo, no matter what happens, I’m on your side.”

Zhou Duoduo looked at her.

She smiled.

A very forced smile.

“Thank you.”

The door closed.

Zhou Duoduo sat alone on the bed. Her mind was a mess.

The thing with the senior.

The thing with those high school boys.

And also…

The way Wang Xue looked at her.

She suddenly couldn’t tell.

What was real.

What was fake.

—

Night.

Li Tingting lay in bed.

Scrolling through her phone.

The group chat was still discussing today’s events.

「Zhou Duoduo is socially dead now, right?」

「Serves her right, always acting so innocent.」

「I heard that senior was quite pretty.」

「Tsk, she really knows how to play.」

Li Tingting looked at these messages.

The corner of her mouth curved up.

She had checked.

The thing about the senior was true.

The things about the high school boys… were also true. Though those boys were just tools she used; she hadn’t even let them touch her hand. What a bunch of pathetic simps.

Only—

The “involvement” with girls… there was only Wang Xue.

But the others didn’t know that.

They would just think, “Sure enough, there are even more.”

That’s how rumors work.

A mix of truth and lies, that’s how they spread.

She put her phone down.

Closed her eyes.

Tomorrow.

She’d continue.

—

Li Tingting had been in a very good mood these past few days. Extremely good.

So good she felt like humming while walking.

Ever since that incident in the cafeteria, Zhou Duoduo’s reputation had plummeted.

People discussed it in the group chats every day.

“Did you hear? About Zhou Duoduo’s high school stuff.”

“Heard it, heard it. Involved with a bunch of guys.”

“And there was a senior too.”

“Tsk, she really knows how to play.”

Li Tingting looked at these messages, the corner of her mouth curving up.

But she felt it wasn’t enough.

Just those high school stories, the heat would die down soon.

She needed to add some fuel.

She thought for a moment, then opened the school forum.

Using a throwaway account, she posted a thread:

[Expose] There’s one more thing about Zhou Duoduo you don’t know

The content was written subtly:

“I heard she’s been giving a lot of ‘special attention’ to a certain new girl lately. That kind of attention… you know what I mean. She was like this with the senior before too.”

Below was a picture—

A photo of Zhou Duoduo and Shen Qingyue standing together talking.

The angle was chosen well; it looked like Zhou Duoduo was standing very close, as if whispering something.

After posting, she waited a while.

Comments started appearing:

“Holy crap, is she targeting freshmen now?”

“Shen Qingyue? The one who’s always with Lin Mo?”

“Is Zhou Duoduo that bold?”

“No wonder she’s always hanging around Lin Mo, turns out…”

Li Tingting looked at these comments and nodded in satisfaction.

But what she didn’t know was—

Someone was giving it a push from behind.

—

Su Qing sat in her dorm room.

Holding her phone. Looking at that post.

The corner of her mouth curved up.

Li Tingting’s move was good.

But too green.

She thought for a moment, then switched to another throwaway account.

This account was registered with Alice’s help, with fake IP addresses, untraceable. (Who is Alice? That will be revealed later.)

She replied underneath:

“What I heard is even more explosive. Zhou Duoduo towards Shen Qingyue isn’t just ‘attention.’ Someone saw her corner Shen Qingyue downstairs at the dorm, backing her against a wall. The way she moved… tsk tsk.”

After posting, she switched to another throwaway account and replied to her own comment:

“Really? Any proof?”

Su Qing smiled.

She was already prepared.

She opened her photo album and pulled out a picture.

It was from a few days ago, Zhou Duoduo and Shen Qingyue talking downstairs. Zhou Duoduo was indeed standing quite close, and Shen Qingyue had taken a step back.

From a certain angle, it looked like Zhou Duoduo was backing Shen Qingyue against a wall.

She cropped it a bit, removing the extra people in the background.

Now it looked like—

Zhou Duoduo had Shen Qingyue cornered against a wall.

Perfect.

She uploaded the photo.

Added text:

“Pics or it didn’t happen. See for yourselves.”

Posted.

Waited.

The comment section exploded.

“Holy crap holy crap holy crap!”

“Is this real? Is Zhou Duoduo that perverted?”

“Shen Qingyue looks so pitiful…”

“Damn, I used to think Zhou Duoduo was nice, turns out she’s this kind of person!”

Li Tingting also saw this reply.

She was a bit dumbfounded. Was this for real??

This photo…

She didn’t take it. Who took it? But it didn’t matter. The messier, the better. Who cares? Ruining Zhou Duoduo’s reputation was the goal, right?

So she didn’t think about it further.

Someone helping her add fuel to the fire? She’d take it.

She quickly used her throwaway account to repost and spread it everywhere.

—

The next day.

Cafeteria.

As soon as Zhou Duoduo walked in, she felt something was very wrong.

It felt like everyone was looking at her.

Their eyes were all strange.

Some avoided her gaze, some looked disdainful.

Some… were just watching the show?

She frowned.

Walked to the food service window.

The people next to her immediately shuffled away.

Zhou Duoduo was stunned.

“What are you doing?? Are you crazy?”

No one answered.

She got her food and found an empty seat to sit down.

As soon as she sat, the people at the next table picked up their trays and left.

Just left.

At that moment, Wang Xue hurriedly ran over, looked around, found Zhou Duoduo, and came over with her phone.

Zhou Duoduo’s face turned pale.

She also took out her own phone and opened the forum.

She saw that post. That photo.

She also saw those comments.

Her hand trembled.

No, it wasn’t like this.

She had indeed approached Shen Qingyue, but only to ask about Lin Mo. And her tone was just normal conversation.

She had stood close, but she definitely didn’t corner her. It wasn’t like this. She wanted to explain.

But explain what? To whom? How?

This photo…

Looking at the photo, she suddenly noticed a detail.

That angle…

How could it be so perfect?

—

Elsewhere.

Shen Qingyue also saw the post.

She was also stunned.

When was this taken?

She thought back, remembering that day—

Zhou Duoduo had indeed come to her, asking what Lin Mo usually liked to eat. She wanted to find out Lin Mo’s preferences herself, and Shen Qingyue didn’t want to answer those questions.

She had been a bit nervous and took a step back.

But it was absolutely not “cornered against a wall.”

Who took this?

Why write it like this? Could it be they wanted people to think she was a lesbian? That she’d been forced? If something like this reached Lin Mo’s ears… the consequences would be unthinkable.

As she was thinking, her phone vibrated.

A message from Su Qianqian:

「Qingyue, did you see the post on the school forum?」

Shen Qingyue: 「I saw it…」

Su Qing: 「Those people are going too far. Don’t pay attention to them.」

Shen Qingyue: 「But that photo…」

Su Qing: 「It must be the angle. Don’t worry, I’ll help you find out who’s behind this.」

Shen Qingyue looked at this message.

Felt a bit touched.

「Thank you, Qianqian.」

Su Qing: 「What’s there to thank? We’re good best friends. It must be that Zhou Duoduo, wanting to mark you, to let people know you’re her woman, or that she did something to you. That girl is strange. The rumors that she likes girls might be true.」

Shen Qingyue put her phone down.

Her heart felt warm.

But what she didn’t know was—

At this moment, Su Qing was looking at her phone screen. The corner of her mouth curved.

Perfect.

Zhou Duoduo was socially dead, and branded with a promiscuous reputation.

Shen Qingyue was “protected.” But she was also rumored to be involved with Zhou Duoduo. She’d figure out a way to add more fuel to that fire later.

And Li Tingting was doing the work for her.

She herself did nothing, just moved her fingers a bit. Used her connections, set up a few things. These little vixens were still too inexperienced.

She stood up and walked to the window.

Looked downstairs.

Lin Mo was passing by below.

Walking with Zhang Yang and the others.

Her gaze fixed on Lin Mo.

She watched for a long time.

Then said softly:

“Brother, look.”

“These people, they’re all fighting over you.”

“Fighting until the end…”

She didn’t finish.

But her smile deepened.