Mu Beiyin felt like dying even more. She closed her eyes and said, "What are you laughing at… Isn't it all because of you!"
Huo Shiqing, thinking of her strange way of walking, replied slowly, "Mrs. Huo, you'd better take the whole morning off. Unless, of course, you want everyone to know the reason why you're late?"
Mu Beiyin glanced at the time. The first class had already started. If she went now, she'd definitely be late.
On top of that, her thighs were sore—she could barely walk…
She covered her face, feeling hopeless, gritting her teeth. "Fine. I'll request the leave myself."
She messaged her counselor to take the day off, then went back upstairs to rest.
Once her figure disappeared, the gentle smile on Huo Shiqing's face instantly turned cold. His eyes swept toward Bai Ji. "Found anything?"
"Sir, the ones who drugged you were some of the Huo family's lackeys. The mastermind behind them is too cunning—we didn't catch them."
Huo Shiqing let out a cold laugh. "The Huo family—who else could it be?"
It could only be his dear stepmother—or perhaps his wonderful father.
Bai Ji asked respectfully, "Sir, shall we continue the investigation?"
Huo Shiqing crushed an orchid bud between his fingertips, his tone casual. "Keep digging. The bigger the mess, the better. I want the entire Huo family to know what happened."
Bai Ji hesitated for two seconds but had never once questioned Huo Shiqing's decisions. He nodded at once. "Yes, sir."
…
That afternoon, after lunch, Mu Beiyin felt much better.
She asked the driver to take her to school. But as she got out of the car and walked toward the Computer Science building, she noticed that her classmates were giving her strange looks.
Mu Beiyin frowned. What's going on?
"That's her, right? She actually has the nerve to show up at school?"
"She's so young, yet already messing around with older men. With people like her here, isn't An University's reputation going to the dogs?"
"I heard she grew up in the countryside and didn't get much education. No wonder she does such disgraceful things!"
The voices of gossip reached her ears. Mu Beiyin narrowed her eyes.
Were they talking about her?
"Hey! Don't you feel even a little ashamed? After messing around with five or six older men last night, you still have the energy to come to school?"
Suddenly, a student stepped in front of her.
Mu Beiyin recognized her. It was Wu Lina. Her family had some money. She was Mu Qianrou's little follower—always helping her bully other students.
Wu Lina absolutely hated Mu Beiyin's face!
Why was she allowed to be so pretty? She'd heard from Qianrou that Mu Beiyin had done all kinds of dirty and exhausting work in the countryside. How could someone like that be worthy of being her classmate?
Seeing Mu Beiyin remain silent, Wu Lina grew furious. "Cat got your tongue?!"
Mu Beiyin tucked her hair behind her ear. "It's best not to spread rumors about things you didn't see. Slander is illegal, you know?"
Wu Lina pointed at her nose, shouting angrily, "Stop talking nonsense! Who says I'm spreading rumors? You probably don't even know, do you? Photos of you drinking with old men at a bar last night have already been posted online! Everyone's seen them!"
As soon as she said that, a crowd of students stopped in their tracks.
The dean of students had just received notice that a very important guest was coming to campus. Seeing a commotion here, he rushed over in fear it would affect the school's reputation. "What's going on here? Why are you shouting?"
Wu Lina, spotting the dean, felt like she'd found backup. Her fury exploded:
"Director Xu! I'm reporting Mu Beiyin! Her private life is a mess—drinking and sleeping around at bars! She's damaging the school's reputation!"
"I'm just thinking of the school and wanted her to explain, but she completely denied it and even accused me of slander! Everyone knows how dirty she is!"
Several others, jealous of Mu Beiyin, chimed in.
"Yeah, she went drinking late at night—we've all seen the photos."
"She's always getting out of different luxury cars, and there's this guy she's really close with. They even disappeared down the corridor together—we don't know what they did!"
"Director Xu, you have to deal with this properly! If this gets out, what will happen to An University's reputation?"
Director Xu frowned. "Mu Beiyin, is this true?"
Mu Beiyin let out a cold laugh and was about to speak, when suddenly a soft voice came from not far away.
"Director Xu, please don't be upset. Even if my sister went to the bar, I'm sure she didn't sell herself."
Mu Qianrou appeared, looking like she'd just heard the news. She came over like a delicate willow swaying in the wind, eyes red-rimmed, bowing repeatedly.
"I'm so sorry, everyone. My sister has caused you trouble. I apologize on her behalf. She rarely goes to bars—only drinks occasionally… I'll make sure to talk to her more. Please don't say such things about her…"
The students looked at each other in surprise, secretly thinking what a good sister Mu Qianrou was—rushing all the way to the Computer Science building just to defend Mu Beiyin.
Mu Qianrou's expression grew more pleased with herself.
All she did was post two photos and start a few misleading rumors, yet the result was this explosive.
Mu Beiyin smiled.
This was Mu Qianrou's usual trick—pretending to apologize for her, when in reality, it was a veiled confirmation that she often went to bars and drank with older men.
Now that public opinion was firmly in her grasp, Mu Qianrou tried to fan the flames further. "Sis, why don't you just explain? There's no need to—"
"Mu Qianrou, aren't you disgusting!"
A sharp female voice suddenly interrupted her.
Everyone turned around—and gasped.
The university president, board members, department heads—people with real power and status—were all standing behind them!
At the center of the group was a man, expression icy cold, eyes calm yet sharp as blades. The students shuddered in unison.
The woman who had spoken stood at the front. Mu Qianrou, shocked, turned around—and her face froze. She then feigned grievance, asking, "Miss Chu, what did I do wrong for you to scold me like this?"
Chu Zhi sneered, "So what if Mu Beiyin went to a bar? Does she need your fake concern and insincere apology? Are you really trying to help her—or are you just trying to ruin her name? You know exactly what you're doing."
Tears rolled down Mu Qianrou's cheeks. "I just wanted to explain for my sister. I didn't want everyone to misunderstand her…"
Wu Lina was furious. "If Mu Beiyin is really innocent, then why did she go to a bar?!"
Chu Zhi raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Because she owns that bar, of course."
Boom—gasps rippled through the crowd.
That bar was one of the most luxurious in Ancheng. How could the owner possibly be Mu Beiyin?
Mu Qianrou's face instantly turned pale. She shook her head desperately. "Miss Chu, what nonsense are you spouting? My sister's from the countryside—how could she possibly…"
"Mu Qianrou, still trying to deny it at this point? The name of the bar's owner isn't even a secret. Anyone can look it up. Why would I lie to protect Mu Beiyin?"