Chapter 41 Turmoil

In the past, people rarely brought their partners or other friends to the gatherings.

After all, they are all friends who have known each other for many years, so they are qualified to organize this gathering with Lian Yi as the center. Sometimes they talk without any seriousness, which can easily lead to misunderstandings for those who don't know them.

They were all people who acted recklessly and without restraint. After a couple of conflicts arose with the people they brought along, they tacitly accepted this rule.

"...Ahem, I'm a year younger than Lian Yi, so I'll call you Brother Xie."

Xiao Hai enthusiastically turned the club's signature dishes to Xie Ling, gesturing to him, "This is especially delicious, you should try it!"

"Why are you in such a hurry to eat? Here, try this soup. Didn't you just finish your exams? It'll help you replenish your energy." Pei Tu'an put one hand on the table and turned to ask the waiter to bring out the stew pot first.

Lian Yi was still chatting with Li Xilai when she turned to look at Xie Ling, who was surrounded by enthusiasm. She couldn't help but find it amusing. She tapped the table and said, "Just eat what you're given. You're not a child. Do you need to treat me like this?"

"Isn't this just to express our welcome?" Pei Tu'an winked at her.

Gu Xin kicked him under the table, then said with a natural smile, "Xiao Yi is right, everyone should be casual, it's not like it's a formal dinner party."

Although Xie Ling was somewhat unaccustomed to such warm hospitality, she could sense the goodwill behind their actions, even if it was somewhat unfounded.

"You don't need to pay too much attention to me... and you don't need to be so polite."

"Yes, yes, come on, Brother Xie, try this. It's really delicious." Xiao Hai nodded repeatedly and turned the dish in front of him.

Lian Yi seemed to have never seen them treat a stranger like this before. She looked at Li Xilai with a mixture of surprise and amusement, "What kind of wicked idea are they up to? It feels like they're trying to curry favor for no reason."

"The people you brought, of course they should be served the best food and drink." Li Xilai smiled and said meaningfully, "If you want to know why, don't you know it yourself?"

"So you're all really looking forward to watching the show?" Lian Yi naturally thought of the excuse she had given them before, and was once again speechless at the sheer amount of fun this group of cronies had to have.

"Cough..." Li Xilai choked on her soup after hearing her words.

"Oh, there's something I wanted to ask you." Lian Yi patted her back to help her catch her breath and chuckled, "Have you heard about the rumors being spread about a girl named Song Qiqi at school?"

"who?"

Li Xilai frowned, picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth, and tried to recall who this person was.

"Never heard of it, what's wrong?"

“She and I have some history. It was right here, you remember? Cai Dongming and his gang lured that girl here. Xie Ling happened to be working part-time here, and when she went to deliver wine, they deliberately stopped her in a private room.”

Lian Yi said calmly, "I just happened to be passing by and happened to see it, so I helped out."

Li Xilai did have some recollection of this incident, but she wasn't present at the time and only heard about it for fun afterwards.

After all, Cai Dongming and his family at most run a small company, earning a few million or tens of millions a year at most. To put it bluntly, their parents' annual income is less than the amount she spends in a year.

Of course, there are differences between the second generation. Cai Dongming and his group are typical examples of people who are not even worthy of squeezing into the circle and can only pretend in front of others.

Li Xilai said, "Do they really think they have any other ideas and would jump out at this time?"

"I don't know if it is or not, but this matter is somewhat related to me." Lian Yi said calmly, "Help me find out who is jumping around the most in this matter."

“Okay.” Li Xilai nodded, agreeing to this small matter.

As the two talked, their conversation created a completely different atmosphere compared to the other people at the table who practically lived in their own world with Xie Ling.

Li Xilai glanced over there, smiled, and then turned her gaze to Lian Yi, who was eating a meatball. The playful look in her eyes was so obvious that she only restrained herself after Lian Yi gave her an impatient look.

“I said, this isn’t like you at all. Besides, you should know very well how much money you have to throw into doing these things, and that you can’t get it back.”

This kind of thing is thankless and can easily cause trouble for yourself. That girl was extremely unlucky to get into this situation, but she was also extremely lucky to have Lian Yi help her.

When ordinary people are afflicted with such rumors, they can only try their best to run around clarifying the situation. In the end, they find that it is all in vain, and all they can do is let time forget about it.

Even they mostly choose to handle things discreetly, after all, they also need to consider the time and actual costs.

Only Lian Yi doesn't care about anything; all she wants is a quick and decisive victory.

The problem is that the girl named Song Qiqi had nothing to do with Lian Yi. In fact, Lian Yi had helped her back then, so Li Xilai couldn't figure out why she had intervened this time.

unless--

Li Xilai glanced at Xie Ling next to Lian Yi. His usually aloof and refined features now seemed helpless due to the enthusiastic greetings from a group of people.

She smiled and said, "It's not because of him, is it?"

"yes."

Lian Yi readily admitted it. Leaning back in her chair, her gaze undisguisedly fixed on Xie Ling's face, her eyes slightly narrowed, a smile playing on her lips.

"It's about catering to their preferences. Besides, I can't stand people jumping around in front of me. I guess this whole thing is partly aimed at me." She stared at Xie Ling, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Anyway, whether they are or not, just kill them to stop their annoying buzzing."

Li Xilai nodded noncommittally, then sighed and said, "Alright, I'll make the arrangements later."

She wasn't cold-blooded; it's just that there are too many misfortunes in the world, and often things don't concern her, so there's no need to care too much. The reasons Lian Yi gave sounded both far-fetched and unnecessary to her.

Ultimately, it was all for Xie Ling's sake, and for a moment, Li Xilai didn't know how to react.

Xie Ling was warmly invited to taste a newly served dish when he suddenly noticed something and turned his gaze to the side, unexpectedly meeting Lian Yi's stare at him.

A moment later, he calmly looked away, only to feel a burning sensation on his face.

After a lively meal, the others wanted to continue with the next activity, especially Xiao Hai, who stood on a stool and excitedly shouted to Xie Ling, "Bro! Don't say anything more, I'll take you for a race and let you experience speed and passion!"

That initial arrogance is completely gone now.

It's unclear how he managed to create the atmosphere of a pleasant conversation during the hour-long meal, even though Xie Ling only gave him a brief reply.

Pei Tu'an, Gu Xin, and the others couldn't bear to watch, turning their faces away with expressions of both annoyance and amusement.

After that, Lian Yi didn't force Xie Ling to participate in the itinerary.

Knowing his regular schedule is one thing, but another thing is that these guys are still somewhat controllable now. Once they get carried away, they'll probably drag Xie Ling along and go crazy with them.

Lian Yi pointed out that she should first boost his favorability rating and then directly reduce it to a negative number, but she didn't plan to ask them for help right now.

Despite the sighs and groans of the crowd and the stares of those who looked down on her for being a womanizer, Lian Yi led Xie Ling away without a care.

Sitting in the car, Lian Yi could clearly sense that Xie Ling was no longer as resistant and distant as before.

She was somewhat pleased with the perfect progress of her plan and laughed, "So, aren't they interesting?"

"Hmm." Xie Ling nodded slightly, her clear eyes showing a calm expression.

Lian Yi's friends were not as bad as he had imagined. Regardless of their age, they all had a casualness and innocence that they only showed among friends, which was a latent quality that was difficult to fake.

Although Xie Ling felt uncomfortable in the situation, she did not dislike it.

However, their deliberate attempt to make him blend in was a bit too obvious, something Xie Ling had never quite understood.

But when he glanced at Lian Yi, who was smiling beside him, he was slightly touched, and then a sense of helplessness arose in his heart.

The car quickly entered the villa area where Lian Yi lived. She got out of the car briskly and turned to Xie Ling, "Xie Ling, I've already arranged for someone to handle Song Qiqi's matter, so—"

"For the next date, whether you say yes or no, I'll take it as a yes."

"..."

Xie Ling paused for a moment, then asked, "What are you planning to do?"

"I said it before," Lian Yi said with a relaxed expression. "Whoever participated in this, whoever jumped the most enthusiastically, I will make them pay the price."

"But now that so many people are involved, this approach probably won't solve the problem well," Xie Ling said with some concern.

"Hmm...maybe others can't, but I can." She smiled.

"Spreading rumors costs nothing, and it satisfies one's voyeuristic desires while allowing hidden malice to fester. If you think I'll pay a high price for doing this, then you can owe me this favor on behalf of Song Qiqi."

Lian Yi knew what he was worried about. Perhaps in other people's eyes, apart from Song Qiqi herself and her relatives and friends, no one had the right to spend too much time and energy to deal with this matter for her.

Even Xie Ling only wanted to do her part to clarify things for her, hoping that the rumors would stop with the wise.

But if it could truly be stopped by the wise, the rumors themselves wouldn't have spread so fiercely.

Lian Yi did not deny Xie Ling's idea. From his point of view, there was nothing wrong with thinking that way. Both her and his ideas were only about solving the rumors, and there was no right or wrong.

The difference is that Lian Yi has money and resources, and she is happy to spend money to act as a bulldozer, fairly crushing every rumor-monger.

When a person does things without needing to consider their reputation or being held hostage by the opinions of others.

It will truly bring you joy and relaxation.

"So, leave this to me. Teacher Xie, just focus on your studies and wait for our next date," she said with a smile.

"..."

This time, Lian Yi didn't wait for his reaction. She closed the car door and had the driver take Xie Ling home.

She didn't really take it to heart.

Those people dare to spread rumors with impunity simply because there are too many of them. Everyone is spreading them, so why should I be the only one caught and punished? With so many people, how can they all be punished?

Whether this is true or false, who cares?

Even if the truth is eventually revealed, as long as it's not what they want, they can still choose not to believe it and fabricate new rumors.

Only when they truly pay the price will they learn to shut up.

Achieving such a result would be extremely costly with minimal gains, making it unnecessary, but—

Lian Yi always does things based solely on whether she feels happy or not, never considering any so-called necessity. Those unspoken rules that have become an unavoidable reality in the public's perception have never been able to restrain her.

How can you simply politely ask someone to leave the table and consider it over if they've made a shady move at the card table?

What Lian Yi wanted was to cut off their hands.

That way, her money would be well spent, and seeing those people's expressions of hatred and pain would make her happy.

Lian Yi walked leisurely towards the villa with her hands behind her back, but then paused slightly as she thought of this.

The fake heiress maintains an elegant and polite demeanor, is worldly-wise and mature, and pursues profit and affection. Because she is afraid of losing everything she has, she is at odds with the real heiress. It takes her several years to let everyone see her true colors.

The real fake heiress is arrogant and domineering, unreasonable and unruly in her behavior, likes to flip tables, and no one is surprised by the bad things she does.

She nodded in satisfaction.

Very good, Lian Xiaoyi. You must guard against arrogance and impetuosity, and keep it up.

Lian Yi walked briskly into the villa, and the butler quickly came to greet her.

"Where are Xu Qingyao and my eldest sister?" She stretched slightly as she walked upstairs.

"Miss Xu and Miss Lian left separately at seven o'clock, without saying where they were going. Miss, should we contact them?"

"Need not."

Lian Yi shook her head, then, as if remembering something, turned to the butler and asked, "How long have you been with me?"

“…It’s been two years since you moved here, Miss.” The butler bowed slightly.

"It's been two years," Lian Yi said with a sigh, continuing her walk towards her bedroom without stopping. Her voice was calm. "Then you should know that there are some things that should be said and some things that shouldn't be said, right?"

"Yes, Miss." The butler's calm expression subtly changed.

Lian Yi pushed open the door and walked in by herself. "My eldest sister is staying with me. Just let the old house know that she's doing well. I don't want others to know too much about her and then come to me to tell me."

"..."

The butler lowered his head and said in a low voice, "Yes, I know what to say, please rest assured, Miss."

"Don't worry?" Lian Yi chuckled and waved her hand. "Prepare my bathwater. Of course, I have complete confidence in your expertise."

While waiting for the housekeeper to lead the way in setting up the bathroom, Lian Yi checked her phone for a while.

Li Xilai is very efficient. Although she is still having fun with Pei Tu'an and the others at some unknown place at this time, she has not neglected the tasks that Lian Yi asked her to do, and sends a document from time to time.

Lianyi asked her to handle this matter because Li Xilai had a very special uncle.

Her uncle was considered a disgrace to the entire family, bringing shame upon them.

When Li Xilai's uncle was young, he was quite irresponsible. After he got married, he seemed to be honest and self-disciplined, always wearing a suit and going out. But no one knew what kind of work he did.

Later, his family became really worried that he would get into trouble, so they investigated and found out that he had a group of people working for him who did things like paparazzi and private investigators.

He made a lot of money through these gray-area businesses, but he angered several families to the point of losing their minds and feeling utterly ashamed.

But Li Xilai had always loved playing with this uncle since she was a child, and through him, she saw many of the other sides of the world beneath its glamorous facade.

For the mature, streamlined industry that Uncle Li Xilai now controls, it's impossible to understand the scope, which is limited to a single middle school as the core, radiating to several nearby middle schools, and at most, sporadic online posts and submissions.

It's like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut; a huge waste of talent.

Through various means, they have now infiltrated numerous student groups of all sizes, and some have even used roundabout methods to quickly purchase a large number of student accounts.

By examining and screening the roaming messages, we have identified the sources of several versions of the rumors, as well as the individuals who spread them most aggressively.

As for how these rumors initially spread, it requires obtaining information through various means, but in their view, this is incredibly easy.

You can easily find topics that interest the other person by chatting for a few minutes, and then generously give them a skin, and you'll become good friends instantly, sharing everything without any reservations.

Lian Yi had no interest in opening those files; she didn't care who did them.

[Keep it to yourself for now, don't alert them. We'll act together once we find the real culprit.]

【transfer】

She didn't care whether Li Xilai would accept the money or not, put down her phone, and hummed a song as she walked to the bathroom.

…

…

The day after the final exams ended, before it was time to return to school to pick up report cards, the whole school seemed deserted.

Xie Ling stood in the corridor, her shadow elongated by the slanting sunlight streaming in.

He lowered his eyes, as if he had been standing outside the director's office for a long time, his whole being like a silent pine tree.

After a long while, Xie Ling raised her hand and knocked on the door.

"Please come in."

He pushed open the door and entered, meeting the director's slightly surprised gaze. He paused for a moment, then said, "Director, regarding Song Qiqi's matter, I would like to assist the school in issuing a clarification announcement..."

...

Students have entered the holiday season, but they haven't fully entered it yet.

There are still countless papers to be done, but at least I can catch my breath, and there are more opportunities to slack off.

Their most frequent topic of discussion was still Song Qiqi.

'Abortion', 'Saw it with my own eyes at the hotel', 'I heard', 'Old man', 'Luxury car pick-up and drop-off', 'Thousands at a time', 'Hospital gynecology department', 'Tsk tsk tsk'.

Words like these always appear in the rapidly scrolling messages on the screen.

How can one not gossip about a girl who has a side so different from her usual self?

No wonder Song Qiqi's leg gap is so big usually~

"Didn't they say Lian Yi was doing something to her? Hahaha, probably trying to get in touch, but that rich girl wouldn't even look at her. She got a lesson, huh?"

Everyone laughs at her for being exploited, but everyone envies her for making a fortune.

'My daughter too...'

Many others shared this mysteriously with friends from other schools, appearing profound and enigmatic, their tone full of smug satisfaction at knowing that only they knew this 'big thing,' watching with satisfaction as the other person responded with repeated expressions of shock after hearing it.

By afternoon, the clock had struck the number three.

Today is truly a beautiful day. A few days ago, around this time, the sky was already quite dark, and the low temperatures made people feel drowsy.

But right now, with clear skies outside, it doesn't feel so cold anymore.

They chatted excitedly in the group, some wanting to invite friends and classmates out for fun, their words filled with the ease and enjoyment of the holiday.

Suddenly, someone posted a message.

[Um, does anyone know Song Qiqi?]

This person is a typical high-achieving student who rarely appears in group chats. His sudden appearance surprised some people, who wondered why he was in this separate group of classmates.

Wow, this student is really being so blatant! I'd call you a warrior, hahaha!

Soon a bunch of messages appeared, jokingly making fun of him and Song Qiqi.

【？】

My dad asked me if I knew this girl; he said she's probably from our school.

She was brought to the hospital today and is currently having her stomach pumped.

[He cut his wrists and swallowed a bottle of sleeping pills.]

I was originally going to ask if anyone knew her or knew what had happened, but now it seems...

After sending his last message, he disappeared. Only the group owner and administrators received notifications that he had left the group.

The group fell into complete silence.

But countless private and group chats are circulating screenshots of his words.

At the same time, Wanghai Senior High School issued a notice clarifying and stating its position on various rumors circulating in the school recently.

The announcement was worded very formally and seriously, criticizing the students for spreading rumors and fabricating stories. It also expressed the hope that all teachers would play a supervisory role and that every student would not forget their identity as students, maintain proper thinking, and pay attention to moral character.

However, only one section of the announcement, which clarified the incident itself, attracted everyone's attention and sparked discussion.

So, Song Qiqi was just deceived in a puppy love relationship, and isn't this Cai the same Cai Dongming who dropped out of school before?

[Why is Xie Ling working part-time at a club? Holy crap, is this the wild side of a top student in private??]

[@xre Can you please get this straight? Xie Ling only took a part-time job because his family was struggling financially. Are you trying to spread rumors and harm people? Besides, he was the one who helped Song Qiqi get out of trouble. Would you have dared to offend Cai Dongming and the others back then?]

[...I told you long ago not to make baseless accusations against others. Song Qiqi was completely innocent, and now she couldn't bear your slander and committed suicide.]

[Am I the only one who remembered what someone said before? Does anyone else recall?]

[Is it true that when Song Qiqi was taken to the club by Cai Dongming and the others, it was actually Lian Yi who orchestrated the whole thing, and that she set it up to pursue Xie Ling?]

Holy crap, if that's the case, it explains things...

Poor Song Qiqi, and poor Xie Ling too. To be honest, even before this incident became so widely known, some people were already saying it was related to Lian Yi. Now, it seems...tsk.

…

…

When Xu Qingyao received the news, she was in a meeting with her team members to choose a location.

With Lian Suning joining the company, the previous situation of being unable to handle everything was greatly improved. She stayed at the company to oversee things, while Lian Suning was responsible for external affairs. The two worked together.

During the meeting, everyone assumed to put their phones on silent. Xu Qingyao didn't see the 99+ message notifications until she needed to open the notes app to find something she had written down.

She hadn't planned to check it at first, but considering how many message notifications she had, she eventually opened the chat software.

The messages that came into view were from many classmates, some of whom I had been in contact with and some of whom I hadn't.

A casual glance revealed many words that made her frown.

Xu Qingyao stood up abruptly, clicked on several profile pictures to look at their messages, and her beautiful face instantly turned expressionless, as cold as if it were frozen.

"...Qingyao, what's wrong?"

Because of the age difference, they still address each other as senior and junior in private, and it feels a bit awkward to use a general title. Therefore, Xu Qingyao took the initiative to let them address each other by their names in private.

Xu Qingyao took a few deep breaths, but when she saw those self-righteous questions, she still felt a chill creep up her spine to the back of her head.

The team members frowned and looked at her with concern, and all got up to check on her.

"I'm fine...I'm fine."

Xu Qingyao closed her eyes. Her first thought was indeed to find Lian Yi immediately to confirm the situation. She never expected that in just one day, the whole situation would change completely.

Announcement...Clarification...

Yes, they made it very clear that Song Qiqi encountered some students with bad behavior, and it was specifically noted that she had been expelled. She was deceived, so she serves as an example to discourage early romantic relationships.

It was Xie Ling, who was working part-time at the time, and another student from the same school who came to Song Qiqi's rescue in time. Their actions deserve praise and encouragement.

The school also emphasized that it does not recommend students spend their time and energy on things other than studying. If they encounter any difficulties or need help, they should contact their homeroom teacher promptly and seek assistance from the school.

However, with the news of Song Qiqi's suicide, combined with this clarification announcement...

So those who had previously fantasized and spread rumors about Song Qiqi quickly changed their tune, as if they had forgotten how they had fabricated baseless accusations against an innocent girl.

But they will feel that they have been misled and deceived.

Song Qiqi responded to those rumors in an extreme way, which frightened them, who were afraid that they would become the executioners in the current mainstream discourse who led Song Qiqi to make the decision to commit suicide.

So they found the most suitable target.

Why would Song Qiqi rather commit suicide than explain? Xie Ling was even willing to issue this clarification statement to cooperate with the school.

Why didn't the school mention the other student's name in the announcement? What exactly are they trying to cover up?

They instantly understood each other, feeling themselves to be righteous and to condemn the unscrupulous rich heiress for the sake of the pitiful and innocent Song Qiqi.

Of course, this is limited to online and private communication only.

Xu Qingyao leaned on the conference table left by the previous tenant, looked up at the team members who looked worried, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "I'm sorry, I've delayed the meeting due to personal reasons."

"Let's continue. We were just talking about that piece of land in the south of the city, right? Okay, please start introducing its commercial value..."

She believed that Lian Yi could resolve these issues.

More importantly, Xu Qingyao understood that Lian Yi would not want to see her lose her composure and panic when faced with problems, abandoning everything in a rush.

Xu Qingyao forced herself to calm down, ignoring her worries about Lian Yi and her uncontrollable anger towards Xie Ling, and focused on listening to the data results compiled by the team members.

...

It was already dark when Xie Ling walked back to her residential compound.

After discussing his thoughts on clarification with the director in the afternoon, and after communication between the director, the principal, and several other people, it was decided to grant his request.

The school does not want any students to be hurt by such malicious rumors. Children of this age already face various pressures, and their resilience is not yet fully developed, especially at such a critical time.

The school itself is discussing how to properly resolve the issue, and is even considering whether to make an example of it.

Although the school also did not want Xie Ling to get out about working part-time at the club, one reason was that they were worried about the negative impact, and the other was that Xie Ling would be criticized as a result.

But Xie Ling had thought it through clearly; he didn't think there was anything shameful about working part-time as a waiter at the club.

He couldn't bear to watch Song Qiqi continue to endure such overwhelming rumors just because of a little face-saving and unnecessary pride.

The omission of Lian Yi's name in this story is the result of a consensus reached between Xie Ling and the school.

Xie Ling did not quite agree with Lian Yi's idea. In his view, simply catching a few people and forcing them to shut up was just a drop in the ocean.

These rumors will only continue to circulate in private, and the way they are kept quiet only makes more people believe that they are true.

However, he was also aware of Lian Yi's concerns; given her status, it was not appropriate for her to get involved in this matter.

Therefore, Xie Ling ultimately chose to have only his name appear in the official report. He had a clear conscience and naturally didn't care whether anyone was talking about his part-time job at the club. But as long as he did this, he could clearly explain that Song Qiqi was innocent.

After resolving this matter, he rushed off to tutor a junior high school student recommended by a teacher.

Xie Ling stopped in her tracks when she reached the entrance of the residential compound.

Two sports cars, clashing with the style of the neighborhood, were parked at an angle at the entrance of the complex, which didn't even have bumpers.

The three, Pei Tu'an, Xiao Haiyang, and Gu Xin, who were still full of enthusiasm last night, ignored the cold weather and the curious stares from the residents coming and going in the community.

They leaned against the sports car, a few cigarette butts scattered at their feet. Only Xiao Haiyang and Pei Tu'an were smoking, puffing out clouds of smoke.

Through the thin wisp of smoke, they looked at Xie Ling with expressions ranging from indifferent to slightly mocking to expressionless.

"Xie Ling, I've been waiting for you for quite a while. I figured good students would be studying hard at home during their holidays." Pei Tu'an grinned at him, but his eyes were cold.

He patted the roof of the luxury sports car with the hand holding the cigarette, not caring that the ash would fall onto the roof, and squinted as he said, "So, how about we find a place to talk?"

"Come on, let's talk about it here." Gu Xin couldn't stand the sight of him at all, and said coldly, "I'm afraid Xiao Hai might get angry and start speeding with our classmate Xie in the city, which wouldn't be good."

Xiao Haiyang scoffed, "No, don't be ridiculous."

"...Is there anything you need?" Xie Ling frowned slightly, a hint of coldness appearing in his eyes. He didn't know why these people's attitudes changed so suddenly, but it was none of his business.

They were just Lian Yi's friends; he had no obligation to flatter or fawn over them.

“He’s certainly arrogant.” Pei Tu’an scoffed, threw the still-burnt cigarette on the ground and crushed it with the sole of his shoe. He waved to Xie Ling, opened the car door with his other hand, bent down, took out his phone from the car, and swiped it.

"You're actually quite capable. Lian Yi brought you to meet us for dinner last night, and this is the first thing you do today? Brother, if you don't like it, just say so. Don't try to be hypocritical."

After opening the photo gallery, he casually tossed his phone to Xie Ling, not caring whether she would answer it or not.

"To tell you the truth, we came here without Lian Yi's knowledge." Gu Xin's tone was slightly mocking as she watched him take the phone, his eyes lowered as he looked at his increasingly furrowed brows and darkening expression.

She said coldly, "I don't care what your relationship is, but since Lian Yi was willing to bring you to see us, and you're here, you can at least be considered friends."

"Ha, is this how you treat your friends?"

Xie Ling wasn't unable to understand what they were saying; it was precisely because of this that she felt somewhat puzzled, and the slight annoyance that surfaced in her heart was suppressed by a vague sense of unease.

Until his gaze fell on the phone screen, all he saw were screenshots. Judging from the thumbnails at the bottom, there were seven or eight similar screenshots.

The screenshot that was clicked was a blog post published by a contributing blogger.

Xie Ling read it word by word. Although the submission did not specify the characters and locations, how could he not see that it all corresponded to Song Qiqi's recent events?

However, the article he submitted was about something completely different from his understanding.

This blog post, using various euphemisms, describes how a wealthy heiress, relying on her family's wealth, took a liking to a boy at school. After finding out where he worked part-time, she ordered her "assaults" to set a trap so that the boy would be humiliated and bullied for trying to save an innocent girl.

The wealthy heiress seized this opportunity to play the hero, and in the end, she and the boy really did get together.

As for that innocent girl, she eventually became a victim of the rich heiress's desires, and was subjected to a barrage of lewd rumors spread about her by her classmates. Unable to bear the slander, she even made an extreme decision.

The submissions from seven or eight different bloggers all described the same event in different tones and from different perspectives.

“We’ve already dealt with these blog posts.” Gu Xin looked coldly at his increasingly stern and cold face and sneered, “If we hadn’t discovered it early, Lian Yi would have been exposed everywhere by now.”

Pei Tu'an lit another cigarette, took a deep drag, and said casually as he exhaled the smoke, "I've inquired around, and this matter actually has little to do with you and Lian Yi, right?"

"When you took the initiative to clarify this matter, did you consider the repercussions? I mean, why would you expect these brainless people to... become normal?"

Xie Ling stood there, holding her phone, her usually calm mind now feeling incredibly confused.

He raised his eyes to look at the three people whose expressions were so cold, as if this was their true selves, and his voice was a little hoarse, "I'm sorry..."

Xie Ling hadn't expected things to develop this way. For a moment, he was in a daze. Lian Yi's always smiling face flashed before his eyes, and her voice, sometimes spoiled and willful yet innocent and smug, rang in his mind.

"It's my fault... for not thinking things through enough." Xie Ling pursed her lips, feeling helpless for the first time at the prospect of failure.

He thought of the words Lian Yi had said, which now felt like tiny needles pricking his heart, leaving him almost speechless.

"You don't need to explain, and we're not the ones who should be apologizing."

Gu Xin said coldly, "Our purpose in coming to you is very simple. If you think that Lian Yi likes you, so you can disregard her feelings and reputation, or if you think that because her family is rich, she has that kind of personality and that even if she were the one being attacked and slandered, she could handle it and wouldn't be affected at all."

"Then I hope you will be more self-aware and never appear in front of Lian Yi again."

“If you’re short of money, I don’t mind helping you with the cost of moving and changing schools,” Xiao Haiyang sneered. “Anyway, with your excellent grades, I’m sure you’ll be popular wherever you go.”

"I'm sorry, I don't have those thoughts."

Xie Ling took a light breath, his usually indifferent eyes becoming somewhat sharp as he lowered his eyelids, trying to calm his chaotic mind.

“I want to meet with Lian Yi first. As for this matter… I never intended to hurt her.” He paused, his voice slightly lowered, “But no matter what I have to pay for my mistake in the end, I should meet with her first and make things clear.”

"damn it--"

Xiao Haiyang couldn't help but curse out loud, "If you could get in touch with Lian Yi, do you really think your buddy really wants to come looking for you?"

"Xiao Hai!"

Pei Tu'an glared at him with displeasure, then waved his hand to fan away the lingering smoke in front of him, and looked at Xie Ling, who was slightly stunned.

"We had already found out most of the details of this matter before we came. Xie Ling, if I weren't Lian Yi's friend, I could praise you for being responsible."

He put his hands in his pockets and said calmly, "But I'm her friend, and I know what kind of person she is. You're not wrong, but now Lian Yi is the one caught in the crossfire because of your righteous act. You might regret it, you might want to make amends, but—"

"What can you do to make amends? What abilities or qualifications do you have?"

“I came to you to advise you to make a statement about this matter and keep your distance from her in the future, okay?” He said calmly, his eyes drooping.

They didn't take the matter too seriously, but they could see from it Xie Ling's indifference towards Lian Yi and the impact he had caused.

Lianyi can play around with him or use him to distract herself, but they cannot accept that Lianyi is being dragged down by such a person.

"I'd like to meet Lian Yi first."

Xie Ling understood Pei Tu'an's meaning. Only at this moment did he finally realize that his confidence was causing Lian Yi a serious injury no less severe than that suffered by Song Qiqi.

Thinking of the smile on the girl's face when she openly admitted her feelings for him, thinking of the things she said, and the scenes of the two of them together.

For the first time, Xie Ling felt endless regret in her heart.

Where is she now? What are her feelings? Does she think, like her friends, that he doesn't care about the harm he caused her?

"Whether I should keep my distance from Lian Yi in the future, I will make the right decision after this matter is resolved, but at least let me meet with her. I should apologize to her in person and take responsibility for the consequences I caused."

"I'll let you down..." Xiao Haiyang was so angry he wanted to hit him, but with "brother" on one side and "sister" on the other, and threatening from both sides, he could only angrily swallow back the curse he hadn't finished saying, the words squeezed out from between his teeth.

"We can't contact her now, and we have no idea where she is." They came to Xie Ling partly to find out his attitude, and partly hoping that they might be able to find Lian Yi through him.

Xiao Haiyang gritted his teeth and said, "I've never seen Lian Yi disappear after something happens, and it's not because of you—"

"If you want to see her, then go find her if you dare!"

Upon hearing this, Xie Ling felt a sense of powerlessness. As he imagined Lian Yi's current situation, his handsome face grew even colder and more somber. He took a deep breath.

"Okay, I'll go find her."

"Fine, you managed to find it, that's pretty impressive." Pei Tu'an scoffed, opened the sports car door and got in. "We'll settle this score after Lian Yi and you have done it."

"..."

Having failed to find Lian Yi with him, they decided not to waste any more time.

The sports car quickly drove away with a roar, leaving Xie Ling standing alone at the entrance of the residential area, her back view appearing somewhat desolate.

He lowered his eyes in a daze. It was always Lian Yi who took the initiative. He seemed to have never understood her at all.

If we're going to look for it, where should we look?