Chapter 27 Rumors Find Another Opportunity
"I never expected her to be this kind of person. She always put on such a good act. It's true that you can't judge a book by its cover. This old saying is absolutely true."
"They seem honest and reliable all the time, but it turns out they're all fake. What can you believe in this world anymore? Although the gossip in this world is a mix of truth and falsehood, based on my experience of gossiping, the most unbelievable gossip is often the most true."
"No wonder she always acted so frail in front of someone before, so that's why."
"..."
Just like in a TV series, if someone speaks ill of the main character, the main character will definitely hear the whole conversation from behind the person's back, which they can't see. Therefore, even though the two people in this conversation weren't the main characters in a TV series, Ning Yanzhao and Jing Yiran overheard it.
It is said that the words that can hurt a person the most are often those spoken by people they know well. He Shenmo has only been in this city for a short time, and apart from his parents, the people he knows best are the classmates he spends every day with in the classroom.
The time everyone spent with He Shenmo in this classroom was neither too long nor too short. Although most of them were just "spectators," such rumors could easily spread to every corner once someone took the lead. With various "interested individuals" lurking in the shadows and fueling the flames, many things became "natural."
In that case, He Shenmo would undoubtedly suffer great harm.
Ning Yanzhao had previously been in the hospital recovering from a car accident, so she had not witnessed firsthand the injuries He Shenmo had suffered.
Jing Yiran was not familiar with He Shenmo and did not know the inside story, so she did not comment too much. She did not mention this matter to Ning Yanzhao. Therefore, Ning Yanzhao only realized that He Shenmo was experiencing more pain and suffering than she had imagined when she witnessed it with her own eyes.
"Wait a minute, you people are being really rude." Ning Yanzhao couldn't stand it anymore and quickly stopped the three people chatting in the corridor.
“Exactly, do you have any evidence to support your claims?” Jing Yiran echoed, trying to stop them.
Those few people didn't say anything more, exchanged glances with their companions, and walked back to their classrooms dejectedly.
These people don't usually chat much with Ning Yanzhaojing, so they don't know much about her and don't know that she is like this.
"But what exactly happened? Why didn't we know anything about it? It's all because we were busy with other things yesterday. But it shouldn't be on the school forum or anything like that, because I checked online yesterday and didn't find any 'gossip'." Thinking about what the three people had said earlier, and watching their departing figures, Jing Yiran said this.
In just one Saturday, in a corner unnoticed by Ning Yanzhao, He Shenmo's "rumors" began to spread.
Even though Ning Yanzhao was somewhat prepared, seeing it with her own eyes still made her feel very uncomfortable. At this moment, she couldn't tell Jing Yiran what she might know, so she chose to keep it a secret for the time being. She shook her head and said to Jing Yiran, "I don't know either. Let's go to class first. We can check on this on our phones after school."
"Uh-huh."
Since it wasn't in a "traditional" place like a school forum, it seems that it first spread in small groups and then, through a series of interconnected links, achieved its current dissemination effect.
There's a saying that goes, "School is a microcosm of society," and that's certainly true.
Only when you grow up can you truly understand that school is a place that is both simple and not so simple. Classmates who seem friendly on the surface may hurt others for all sorts of unimaginable reasons.
Ning Yanzhao has seen many conflicts between students who are in competition with each other over various bonuses.
However, this is only in high school. The scholarship model of No. 1 High School adopts the calculation method of the comprehensive score of two semesters plus the score of daily civility and discipline. In other words, it will also take into account whether the student has violated school rules. Even if He Shenmo has excellent grades and may take the scholarship of the top three in the grade, it is not something that can be done in this semester. It is too early to premeditate and frame him.
Therefore, given that things are still relatively fair and the students are not involved in any financial conflicts, Ning Yanzhao still couldn't figure out why someone would deliberately spread rumors about her.
Regarding this incident, Ning Yanzhao doesn't know if there will be any breakthroughs like in Xu Yongqing's case.
The two walked into the classroom and saw He Shenmo reading a book. Her true expression was not yet visible because the book was obscuring her face.
In such situations, it is a difficult choice for bystanders to decide whether to approach and offer concern or remain silent when the person at the center of public attention is in the eye of the storm.
While Ning Yanzhao hesitated, He Shenmo glanced over, but quickly returned his gaze to his book.
Jing Yiran nudged Ning Yanzhao's arm and then simply shook her head. Ning Yanzhao understood what she meant and continued walking forward, looking for another opportunity.
Soon it was time for class, and the morning of study passed by as fulfilling as usual.
But for some reason, not only during breaks this morning, but also during the long break between classes, Ning Yanzhao couldn't find a chance to talk to He Shenmo. It was as if He Shenmo was deliberately avoiding her. It was really strange. It wasn't until lunchtime in the cafeteria that Ning Yanzhao was able to "intercept" He Shenmo there.
Ning Yanzhao noticed a hint of awkwardness in He Shenmo's eyes the moment he saw her, but after a few seconds of brief "struggle," He Shenmo still greeted Ning Yanzhao with a "Hi," though it sounded a bit "dry" compared to usual. However, Ning Yanzhao didn't care about such trivial matters.
Then the two sat together after getting their food. Later, Jing Yiran, who was a little slower in the run, also came over. About ten minutes after class ended at noon, the three of them, each with their own thoughts, finally sat down at the same table after the "rumor" had spread.
The atmosphere was a bit strange at first, and it was precisely at times like these that someone was needed to break the deadlock.
"By the way, Shenmo, what do you like to do besides studying during your holidays?" Ning Yanzhao asked first.
"Me? I like to go see small animals." He Shenmo originally thought Ning Yanzhao would ask about the "rumor," but she suddenly asked such an unrelated question, which caught her off guard.
"Where are we going? To the zoo?"
"Yes, besides the zoo, I know of a university in this city that keeps some small animals. And that university doesn't have a gate, so people from outside can go in. So when I have time, I go to the university to see the animals. There are lambs, rabbits, alpacas, and some very old tortoises. Whenever I see those cute little animals, my heart is healed."
"Which university is it?" Jing Yiran asked.
"It's M City Agricultural University. It's not actually that far from our school. I heard about it online first, and then I went to check it out before the semester started. It really is there. The little animals there are so lively!"
M City Agricultural University? Where was that again? Ning Yanzhao had a strange sense of familiarity about it.
"Really? I grew up in this city and I didn't even know that."
"Actually, this is quite normal. Just like when you travel, you will find that many tourist attractions are the first choice and gathering places for tourists, but locals may never have been there in their entire lives."
"It's because they can set off anytime they want to go, unlike us. If we finally manage to travel all the way to another place, we're determined to make the most of it and visit as many of the attractions we want to see as possible in the limited time we have."
"So that's the logic. The attractions you overlook might be places that tourists from other places have already planned to visit online."
"..."
He Shenmo and Jing Yiran's conversation continued, while Ning Yanzhao listened to them talk and ate her meal, desperately trying to figure out why she cared so much about M City Agricultural University. Finally, she remembered.
When Ning Yanzhao was little, her father would take her to practice riding a bicycle and they would also stop by a local university. There were many small animals at that university. Now that she thinks about it, the university she went to when she was little was probably the M City Agricultural University.
Ning Yanzhao used to really like the animals kept there, so she would often go whenever she had time. But as she grew up and her studies became busier, she stopped going as often.
Ning Yanzhao also remembered that because the university had many gates, there were many roads to enter. The road closest to Ning Yanzhao's home seemed to be the one that turned slightly from "M Plus" street, which led directly to the west gate of the agricultural university.
So, are these two things related to He Shenmo's future? Ning Yanzhao still couldn't figure it out for the time being.
That said, perhaps Ning Yanzhao asked He Shenmo something she was interested in and knew about, which opened up her uproar. He Shenmo was clearly different from her initial state and seemed much more relaxed.
Aren't you all going to ask me about what everyone was talking about today?
Just as the atmosphere was easing, He Shenmo, even though he knew that what he said might affect the atmosphere of the conversation, still asked the question that had been bothering him. Normally, most people would be unable to resist gossiping about such questions.
Just like many times before, when he thought he wouldn't be hurt by this person, the person who hurt him would often make He Shenmo face reality in the most cruel way. Some pain is better to start sooner rather than later. Without expectations, there is no disappointment.
“There’s no need to worry too much about such ambiguous matters. The innocent will prove themselves innocent.” Ning Yanzhao put down her chopsticks and looked very seriously into He Shenmo’s eyes.
“Yes, you don’t need to pay attention to these people’s gossip. Just do your best. As long as you know you are innocent, rumors will naturally fall apart over time.” Jing Yiran said with the same expression as Ning Yanzhao.
"Thank you, you are all very kind people." He Shenmo smiled again, just like he did on the spring outing.
"You don't always have to thank us." Last time, because Ning Yanzhao and Jing Yiran agreed to let He Shenmo walk with them, He Shenmo thanked them in the same way as now. Actually, these are just normal ways of getting along between friends, and there is no need to be so "cautious".
"let's go."
"good."
As Ning Yanzhao emerged from the cafeteria, she saw a clear, cloudless sky and a gentle spring breeze. She hoped that what followed would be just as pleasant as the weather and not too bad.
In the afternoon, everyone attended classes as usual. After evening self-study, since Jing Yiran's parents had not yet returned from out of town, Ning Yanzhao and Jing Yiran went back together.
Because the weather has improved, Ning Yanzhao once again "forced" her parents not to pick her up from the school gate. Under her strong insistence, her parents reluctantly agreed.
So after saying a brief goodbye to He Shenmo, the two of them took the bus home together.
After the two of them got off the bus, Ning Yanzhao, having heard He Shenmo mention visiting the M City Agricultural University to see the small animals earlier that day, decided to try and see if the path she used to walk as a child could lead to the west gate of the university. When she saw a small sign next to the path, she was right.
"Yan Zhao, why are we taking this road today?" Jing Yiran is usually not very familiar with directions unless it's a road she's traveled countless times before, such as going home or to school. As for the road to Ning Yan Zhao's house, apart from the main road that the bus takes, she doesn't know any other directions. Therefore, when she observes Ning Yan Zhao's various "detours" today, she doesn't actually know if they are taking a detour or not; she just finds the road very unfamiliar.
"It's good to take a different route every now and then to keep your mind clear."
"What's the logic behind this?" Jing Yiran didn't quite understand.
“Um…” Actually, Ning Yanzhao didn’t know how to explain. She originally wanted to ask He Shenmo how to get to the M City Agricultural University to see the small animals, but before she could say it, Jing Yiran pushed her hard.
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