Zhang Hongmei paused for a moment, then hesitated and said, "This...isn't this reason a bit far-fetched?"
Lu Jingui narrowed his slightly swollen eyes with a half-smile: "Far-fetched? They used to be roommates. Their relationship has become so strained. Who knows if Ding Lan fabricated the story to get revenge on her?"
“But… Ding Lan…” Zhang Hongmei hesitated.
She couldn't help but advise, "Chairman Lu, please don't be angry. Chu Hongyu is just bluffing. She definitely doesn't have any evidence, otherwise she would have complained to the school long ago. Why would she wait until now?"
"Evidence? Hmph, of course she doesn't have any!" Lu Jingui sneered.
She pursed her lips, a glint of malice flashing in her eyes: "Just a spoiled young lady, does she really think she can outsmart me with a little cleverness? She's utterly overestimating herself! I'll report Ding Lan first, then let's see what witnesses Chu Hongyu has left!"
She refused to believe it!
“Ding Lan is no pushover…and she’s helping us out, isn’t this a bit much?” Zhang Hongmei frowned and whispered.
If she finds out that I was the one who reported her, who knows how she might retaliate against me later.
"What's there to be afraid of? She's just a country bumpkin, what trouble can she possibly cause?"
Lu Jingui frowned impatiently, his eyes full of disdain: "Besides, does she have any dirt on you?"
Zhang Hongmei bit her lip and chose to remain silent.
Seeing this, Lu Jingui softened his tone and coaxed, "Hongmei, listen to me, Ding Lan is like a rotten apple spoiling the whole barrel. Her presence at the school only corrupts the school's atmosphere; we're doing a public service!"
Disgust flashed in her eyes: "There's not a single good thing in Ning Yuan's dorm. It's all been tainted by her money-grubbing! The world is going to the dogs. There were better days back then!"
Lu Jingui was filled with emotion. Back then, she was such a young and promising young woman, yet she commanded a huge following. Even the principal and teachers had to kneel and kowtow to her, admitting they were intellectuals, and being beaten on stage.
Unlike now, when we have to avoid school rules, a few years ago, she was the rule!
Zhang Hongmei was somewhat swayed by Lu Jingui's "righteous" remarks. She bit her lip.
Chairman Lu is right. Ding Lan is from a rural area and has no one to rely on. Even if she knows that they were the ones who reported her, what can she do to them?
Thinking of this, Zhang Hongmei's hesitation and unease vanished.
and……
Zhang Hongmei bit her lip. She could no longer disobey Chairman Lu's orders, after all, Miao Sanlu had already won the chairman's favor.
As Lu Jingui watched Zhang Hongmei's departing figure, a contemptuous yet satisfied smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
...
When Ding Lan was called to the school office by the teacher, she felt a little uneasy, but she didn't show it on her face.
"Ding Lan, someone reported you for posting big-character posters about Chu Hongyu. Do you realize how serious this matter is?"
Director Chu, with a serious expression, threw several big-character posters in front of Ding Lan.
When Ding Lan saw the contents of the big-character poster, her heart sank.
She quickly waved her hands, denying it with an innocent expression: "Director Chu, I didn't put that up! I don't know anything about it!"
"You didn't put it up? Then tell me, who did? Your handwriting is exactly the same as the one above! You still want to deny it?" Director Chu raised his voice and slammed his hand on the table, clearly not believing Ding Lan's explanation.
Ding Lan's face turned pale: "I..."
Damn it, I forgot about the handwriting; she copied it back then.
"The school has repeatedly warned against this before. Why did you slander and attack Chu Hongyu?" Director Chu asked sternly.
Ding Lan panicked. Her face turned deathly pale, and she stammered, "I didn't, I didn't spread rumors. Besides, Chu Hongyu's father was already arrested. I, I just..."
"The school has already investigated the matter concerning Chu Hongyu's family, and the higher authorities and the local police station are still investigating. There is no conclusion yet." Director Chu's tone became serious as he glared at Ding Lan.
Director Chu: "Before the truth of this matter is revealed, no one should make any unfounded speculations, let alone use this as an excuse to do anything to harm their classmate! Ding Lan, you knowingly committed this crime, and the nature of your actions is egregious!"
He was also holding back his anger, because someone at the school had been secretly putting up big-character posters before.
The security guards had barely torn it down when someone else put it back up. They're treating school rules like a joke!
The school leaders are outraged by this kind of unhealthy trend, and now that they've finally caught one, they're determined to deal with it seriously!
Ding Lan's face paled, and she hated Chu Hongyu even more in her heart.
That love-struck idiot, no matter how magnanimous he pretended to be that night, he still ended up going straight to the school office the moment he turned his back!
Ding Lan sniffed and said pitifully, "Director, I feel wronged..."
"You're going to resort to such vile tactics to attack your classmates because you feel wronged?" Director Chu slammed his hand on the table and said angrily.
Ding Lan's eyes darted around, and tears welled up instantly: "Director Chu, I... I really didn't mean any harm to Chu Hongyu. I'm wronged because Chu Hongyu is framing me..."
Ding Lan sniffed, wiped away her tears, and said with a wronged expression—
"Director Chu, Chu Hongyu and I used to be roommates, but she always looked down on me, thinking I was a country bumpkin and not good enough to live with her. Later, she deliberately tried to drive a wedge between me and Ning Yuan, and kicked me out of the dormitory... She reported me, and you believe her? This is a frame-up!"
Ding Lan became more and more upset as she spoke, tears streaming down her face like pearls from a broken string, as if she had been wronged terribly: "Handwriting is something that can be imitated as long as it is copied. How could the school assume that I did it?"
Director Chu frowned. What was all this about? How did it get to the point that Chu Hongyu was framing her?
"It wasn't Chu Hongyu who reported you, don't talk nonsense! I think you're the one framing her!"
Ding Lan was stunned. It wasn't Chu Hongyu? Then who was it?
Director Chu looked at her displeasedly: "Your student union members also found the same paper and glue used for the big-character posters in your dorm room, and even receipts for buying these things. Are you still trying to deny it?!"
Ding Lan felt a buzzing in her mind, and her mind went completely blank.
A receipt? And the student union members searched her dorm room?
Yes, she remembered. She had asked Zhang Hongmei to reimburse her for the money she spent on paper and paste for the big-character posters.
According to school regulations, the use of funds by the student unions of each department must go through a formal process, including filling out an application form and having it signed by the department chairperson, before reimbursement can be processed.
But at the time, Zhang Hongmei specifically told her that she didn't need to go through any procedures and could just give her the receipt directly.
She even felt she had gotten a good deal, so she secretly increased the amount on the receipt by one yuan.
Looking back now, Zhang Hongmei, no, it was Lu Jingui who was setting a trap for her from the very beginning.
Did Zhang Hongmei give the receipt to Director Chu?!
Ding Lan's face turned deathly pale instantly. She instinctively wanted to retort, but the words just wouldn't come out.
Looking at Ding Lan's pale face, Director Chu had already made a judgment in his mind.
"Ding Lan, is there anything else you want to say?" Director Chu's voice was devoid of any emotion.
"I really didn't..." Ding Lan bit her lip, weakly trying to defend herself, a surge of intense humiliation and anger welling up inside her.
Zhang Hongmei… no, Lu Jingui, how dare she! Do they really think she's a fool?!
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