Chapter 18 You're with Huo Li?

Ning Yao was indeed all alone.

Yan Sifan also made a good impression on her, so she readily admitted it.

"This is indeed my first time here. And I came by myself."

Yan Sifan then said, "Then you can come with us."

Only after she finished speaking did she belatedly turn to the man in the blue robe and ask, "Brother, is it alright?"

Yan Sirui nodded, "Of course."

Ning Yao nodded, puzzled. She didn't quite understand; it was just a gathering, and the chances of meeting again were slim.

But it seems there's no need to refuse.

Ning Yao went with the flow and made these friends.

Now that we've become friends, there's no need to be polite about many things.

Ning Yao asked Yan Sirui directly, "What exactly happened in Beiping? How many people were arrested?"

Yan Sirui glanced at the person next to him, moved a little closer to Ning Yao, and whispered, "It was the people who incited the protest who were arrested."

The man in the blue shirt, Chen Hao, added, "Not only that, but the ones who were talking the loudest also went in together."

Ning Yao's eyes widened. "No, how can they still arrest people?"

In Ning Yao's understanding, this is how diplomacy works: as long as you take a step back, the other party will take a hundred steps forward!

They should stand up and oppose such excessive conditions proposed by the other party!

As far as she knew, those who took to the streets to protest and those who published articles in the newspapers to oppose the cause were all conveying the correct theories.

How can they arrest people?

Ning Yao's innocence made everyone laugh at the same time.

The man in black, Sun He'an, didn't laugh; instead, he frowned. "How did your family let you out like this?"

Ning Yao looked up at him, but saw no malice in his eyes.

She recalled how Ning would take her to school, pick her up from school, and help her with her studies; he always walked steadily ahead of her.

Ning Yao sighed and said in a muffled voice, "I have indeed been very well protected. However..."

She looked up and saw that the others seemed worried about her dejected appearance, and then said, "I know that politics is not a matter of black and white."

"Good to know." Yan Sirui nodded repeatedly and even patted Sun He'an on the shoulder.

"Don't take what this kid says to heart. He's a war correspondent and a pessimist."

Ning Yao heard about a completely new profession, "War correspondent...?"

She looked up at Sun He'an, and for the first time, she really took a good look at him.

Sun He'an has a rugged appearance with thick eyebrows. He doesn't stand out at first glance, but if you look at him for a while, you'll find that he's quite good-looking.

Moreover, judging from the length of his legs when he was sitting, Ning Yao figured he must be quite tall.

"Have you seen many wars?" Ning Yao asked him.

Sun He'an nodded and said briefly, "It's very cruel."

His jaw was clenched, as if some of her words had touched him.

Yan Sifan, who was standing next to Ning Yao, grabbed her hand and said, "You don't need to ask. Sun He'an doesn't like to talk, and he especially doesn't like to talk about anything related to the war."

Ning Yao nodded thoughtfully and turned to look at the others.

"And what about you? What are your professions?"

It seems that it's time for her to choose a future career.

Although Ning Yiwen can earn some money from writing articles, she doesn't feel that she particularly loves this job.

Moreover, writing is not easy for her at all; she can't write as effortlessly as Ning Ge.

Yan Sirui said, "I work as an accountant for a chamber of commerce. Chen Hao is still a student."

Ning Yao nodded and added, "I'm still studying too."

Perhaps because they had registered for a professional career, the distance between them narrowed once again.

Just then, perhaps everyone had arrived, or perhaps it was time, someone walked to the middle and began to speak.

His speech was rapid and highly inflammatory.

It stirred up the emotions of everyone present.

Even Ning Yao felt a surge of excitement within her.

Until, she inadvertently looked up and saw the people on the second floor.

In the dimly lit second floor, a woman stood upstairs, looking down.

She wore a black long-sleeved dress and black gloves while holding onto the second-floor railing.

She was wearing a small black hat.

The hat was attached to a mesh veil, which hung down and covered the upper half of the woman's face.

But the part she exposed...

A small, diamond-shaped mouth, a nose bridge that is neither too high nor too low, and a slightly upturned nose tip.

She looked at her and realized she resembled Miss Cheng, whom she had met at the banquet that day.

*

The next day.

As soon as Ning Yao stepped into the classroom, she felt that something was not right.

She glanced around at the people around her; they were all noisy, talking, and playing, just like usual.

But she always had the feeling that people were secretly watching her.

Ning Yao was acting strangely.

This feeling didn't disappear until class started.

It seems like someone has been watching her all along.

More than one.

Turning my head, I saw that everyone else had turned away as if nothing had happened.

It made her unable to concentrate on the lesson for the entire class.

When get out of class ended, she couldn't hold back any longer and asked her deskmate, Bu Shuli, "Do you feel like someone is watching you?"

Bu Shuli glanced to her left rear, paused, and said, "It's alright, I don't feel anything."

After saying that, he buried himself back in the book in his hands.

But after a moment, he leaned closer and whispered in Ning Yao's ear, "Are you with Huo Li?"

Ning Yao felt like she misheard.

He rubbed his ears. "What did you say?"

Bu Shuli swallowed hard, her face showing struggle, but her voice was much more normal.

"Did you really not hear me, or do you just not want to talk about it?"

After saying that, he waved his hand and said, "If you don't want to talk about it, then I won't ask. A friend's privacy is also very important."

Ning Yao frowned and shook her head. "I thought I misheard. When did I get involved with him? Where did you hear that?"

Bu Shuli was stunned for a moment. "Many people are saying it. You can ask Hongye if you don't believe me. Hongye told me."

Ning Yao turned and glared at Wan Hongye.

Wan Hongye reacted quickly, like a startled rabbit, and stood up, pulling Lou Yu beside her, "Come on, come on, come with me to that place."

Ning Yao stopped him abruptly, "I'll go with you."

Wan Hongye: "...Then I won't go."

"Then you speak." Ning Yao pulled up a stool and sat down next to Wan Hongye.

Wan Hongye buried her face in her hands, looking distressed, and pressed her head to the table.

He said in a muffled voice, "Ning Yao, I only heard about it, it has nothing to do with me."

Ning Yao put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer: "Who told you that?"

“Many people say…” Wan Hongye said softly.

Ning Yao: ? ? ?

She looked up at Lou Yu, who shrugged and shook his head.

These three people...

Ning Yao let out a heavy sigh.

Thinking about how a bunch of people secretly watched her during class, I finally understand what it means for rumors to spread from all directions.

She, the victim, didn't even know how to clarify the situation.

It wasn't until Geng Yunrui came to her seat specifically to look for her that she said, "Ning Yao, come out with me."

What are you doing? Why aren't you calling me boss yet?

Ning Yao glanced at him, but still followed him out of the classroom.

The first thing he said was, "What, you've come all this way and you don't recognize me as your boss anymore?"

Geng Yunrui rolled his eyes. "That happened years ago, why bring it up again?"

Then, he approached Ning Yao and said mysteriously, "I brought you out today because of our past relationship."

Ning Yao immediately understood the point: yet another person who had fallen for a rumor!

"You also want to ask about Huo Li?"

Geng Yunrui: "Yes."

As she spoke, she clasped her hands together in front of her chest, "I didn't realize you were so capable, actually getting together with Huo Licheng."

Ning Yao sighed, "I didn't, I didn't, don't talk nonsense!"

With a triple denial, Ning Yao asked with a bitter face, "Who exactly is spreading rumors about me?"

Geng Yunrui raised his eyebrows and explained the cause and effect to her.

“A few days ago, someone heard Huo Li calling your brother Ning ‘brother-in-law’ in the hallway. Yesterday afternoon, you and Huo Li both asked for leave. Doesn’t that prove something?”

Ning Yao's eyes widened, her jaw almost dropping: "Huh?"

Geng Yunrui's eyes widened as well: "Huh? What 'huh'? You, the person involved, look even more surprised than me."

As she spoke, she continued, "My childhood friend came to my house late last night to gossip! Knowing that you, Huo Li, and I were all in the same class at the Elementary School, he even asked me if you had any contact with Huo Li at the Elementary School."

Ning Yao: "..."

She was stunned.

Geng Yunrui got excited and continued babbling, "If you ask me, you shouldn't be with him anymore. Let me introduce you to someone new. As for Huo Li, I think he's arrogant, spoiled, and domineering. He won't be a good match."

As she spoke, she began to doubt herself again, "But, it seems that Huo Li is quite serious about you. He calls you 'brother-in-law' and even treats you to candy and stuff."

Ning Yao was extremely helpless, "But I really have nothing to do with him!"

Where did these rumors come from?

Ning Yao sighed and glanced around the classroom. Huo Li was lying face down on the desk, fast asleep.

This matter has been spread so widely that the person involved would definitely be the one to know the truth.

Yesterday's leave request was just a misunderstanding, but what about the "brother-in-law"?

Ning Yao thought to herself that she didn't want to waste a moment, so she simply turned around and ran towards the middle school where Ning Yiwen was.

"If the teacher arrives before I return, please let them know I'm off duty, thank you."

Geng Yunrui stood there with his mouth agape, reaching out to stop people, but to no avail.

Hearing her words, he could only reply with an "Oh".

I don't know who I was saying it to.

Ning Yao ran along the corridor, her long braids fluttering in the air.

Although it was break time, there were still very few students from different grades in the corridor.

Ning Yao made it very smoothly, passing through several small courtyards before stopping breathlessly in a corner in front of the middle school courtyard.

If you go any further, you'll enter the middle school.

She stopped and raised her hand to pat herself back to calm down.

I'll catch my breath before going in to find Ning Yiwen.

Just as she caught her breath and lifted her foot, a soft voice came from the other side of the wall.

"Yiwen, what do you think?"

Someone is calling out for Brother Ning.

It was a female voice.

Her voice...her tone...

They seemed to know each other well.

Ning Yao's eyelashes trembled, and she subconsciously pulled her foot back.

Moreover, the voice sounded somewhat familiar.

-----------------------

Author's Note: The original rumor is in Chapter 17. I wrote it now because I was afraid I'd forget it after so long. [doge]

Don't believe or spread rumors. Ten small red envelopes will be randomly given away in this chapter. This promise is valid for 24 hours. [Heart emoji]