The center of the storm had calmed down temporarily, but the aftermath was far from over. Overnight, the name Ning Yunmeng went from being the highly regarded daughter of the Ning family at Shenzhen University to a byword for "malicious" and "scheming."
Campus forums, anonymous group chats, and even the low voices in the classroom were like countless tiny needles, everywhere, pricking her shaky nerves.
She locked herself in the luxurious princess room on the top floor of the Ning family villa. The thick velvet curtains were drawn tightly, blocking out all the light from outside and also blocking out those gazes that were either contemptuous or inquiring.
The room was a mess, with torn magazines, broken crystal ornaments, and crumpled expensive dresses scattered all over the floor, just like her shattered reputation and mood.
She huddled on the cold marble windowsill, barefoot, her expensive silk nightgown wrinkled and clinging to her body, her once carefully styled chestnut curls greasy and messy, covering her red, swollen, tear-stained face.
"It's over... It's all over..." She hugged her knees, her body shaking uncontrollably, her teeth chattering. The image of Ning Yunmeng dropping the envelope and the transfer record on the screen burned her retinas like a brand.
Ning Xiwan's cold, all-seeing eyes and the words "It's your turn" circled in her mind like a spell, bringing a chill to her bones.
No! She can't just fall like this! She's the daughter of the Ning family! She still has leverage!
As if grasping at straws, Ning Yunmeng pounced on the phone she had thrown in the corner. The screen was cracked with several lines, just like her current situation.
With trembling fingers, she frantically searched through the address book and finally found the name - Qin Yuheng.
The second young master of the Qin family, the most fanatical and powerful one among her many suitors.
The Qin family had deep roots in the local area, with businesses involved in real estate and entertainment, and they also had a lot of cooperation with the Ning family. Most importantly, Qin Zihao was obsessed with her to the point of being foolish.
The phone rang once before being quickly connected. Qin Yuheng's voice, deliberately lowered but still concerned, came through: "Yunmeng? Are you okay? I've been calling you! Those things on the forum..."
"Brother Yuheng..." Ning Yunmeng instantly let out the weakest and most helpless cry, her voice trembling uncontrollably, filled with endless grievance and fear.
"Save me... I can't live any longer... They're all scolding me, everyone's laughing at me... Ning Xiwan... Ning Xiwan is trying to force me to death!
"Those videos and transfer records... were all forged by her! She framed me! She hates me for stealing my parents' love... Only you can help me... Wuuwuwu..."
Qin Yuheng on the other end of the phone was clearly overwhelmed by her "grievances," and his voice immediately became filled with righteous indignation: "Don't be afraid, Yunmeng! I'm here! I knew it! That Ning Xiwan is no good at first glance!"
"Don't worry, I've already hired someone to deal with those messy posts on the forum! I guarantee they'll disappear completely! And as for those gossipers, I..."
"Not just the forum..." Ning Yunmeng interrupted him and cried even harder, as if she couldn't breathe.
"And... and those media outlets... they took pictures... Brother Yuheng, if those pictures get out... I... I really won't be able to live anymore..."
As expected, Qin Yuheng's voice was stern: "Media? Who dares to publish it?! Yunmeng, don't worry, I will contact them immediately! Whoever dares to publish a photo of you will be punished!
"And that Wang Qiang, damn it, how dare he slander you like that? I'll find someone..."
"No!" Ning Yunmeng screamed to stop him, then softened her voice and pleaded, "Brother Yuheng, don't... don't cause trouble anymore. I just want some peace and quiet... Please, help me suppress those photos and news, okay? I... I only have you now..."
She portrayed herself as a poor little white flower who was framed by her sister, persecuted by public opinion, and could only rely on her lover.
"Okay! Okay! Yunmeng, don't cry! Leave it to me!" Qin Yuheng patted his chest and promised, his voice full of the heroic spirit of "a hero saving a beauty".
"Rest well and don't think about anything! I promise that before the sun rises tomorrow, all the negative news about you will disappear! I, Qin Yuheng, will keep my word!"
After hanging up the phone, the tearful expression on Ning Yunmeng's face disappeared instantly, leaving only cold resentment and a trace of fatigue after surviving a disaster.
She slid down to the ground, leaning against the cold wall, her fingertips digging deep into her palms.
Qin Yuheng, that idiot, could temporarily help her suppress the public outcry. But it was only a temporary solution. Her reputation at Shenzhen University, in the Ning family, and even in that circle, was completely ruined.
Ning Xiwan! All of this is thanks to you!
Crazy hatred burned in her eyes. Just wait. As long as Ning Yunmeng was still breathing, she would never let Ning Xiwan have an easy time!
Just as Qin Yuheng promised, the next day, all the discussion posts, revelations, and even some blurry video clips about the "auditorium incident" on the campus forum were wiped out as if by an invisible hand, disappearing without a trace.
Several local tabloids that were eager to dig deeper into the "feud between the real and fake daughters of wealthy families" have also stopped reporting as if it had never happened.
On the surface, the storm that Ning Yunmeng had ignited with her own hands and almost burned herself seemed to have been forcibly extinguished.
However, there are some things that neither money nor power can completely erase.
Ning Yunmeng plucked up the courage, wearing huge sunglasses and a mask that covered half of her face, and stepped into the Shenzhen University campus for the first time three days after the incident.
She deliberately avoided the busy main roads and chose a relatively quiet path shaded by trees. Her new Chanel suit, her restyled curly hair, and her effortfully straightened back were all part of her attempt to maintain a bit of dignity.
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