What's Wrong with a Pretty Campus Belle Who Loves Money? (48)

After breakfast.

Shi Zheng took out her phone and looked at the screen.

The campus Forum had exploded again.

An official notice had been pinned to the top, published in the name of the Student Council: [Notice of the investigation results concerning multiple recent incidents of false reports and malicious defamation targeting students of this school.]

[First, the investigation has confirmed that student Su Qingqing was the person who planned and carried out multiple anonymous reports and defamatory Forum posts. Her actions included, but were not limited to, fabricating evidence, hiring people outside the school to operate anonymous accounts, secretly taking photographs with malicious intent, and distorting the facts. The circumstances are serious, and the nature of the offenses is egregious.]

[Second, in accordance with the relevant provisions of articles 21 and 75 of the school regulations, the school leadership and Student Council have jointly deliberated and decided to expel student Su Qingqing, effective immediately. The disciplinary action will be entered into her record and announced to the entire school.]

[In light of the above, the Student Council thanks Shi Zheng, the student involved, for providing key evidence, and calls on all students to work together to maintain a healthy campus environment. The internet is not beyond the reach of the law, and any act of malicious defamation will carry corresponding consequences.]

[This notice is hereby issued.]

An audio clip was attached below the notice.

Although the voice had been altered, the contents were enough for everyone to hear the truth.

The comments section completely exploded.

[Holy shit! Expulsion? They're getting serious?!]

[Su Qingqing... that Arts Department officer who's gentle and sweet all day?]

[You can't judge a book by its cover... she actually did something like that, and even hired someone to take the fall?]

[So she was behind all those exposés on the Forum before?]

[The thing is, the President actually got involved and investigated personally, and even expelled her outright! That's some serious clout...]

[Serves her right. Why didn't she think about the consequences when she was spreading rumors?]

[The campus belle got caught in a disaster out of nowhere.]

[Now she's really socially dead...]

The cafeteria.

Su Qingqing carried her tray and sat down with her roommates at a table by the window.

She had just picked up her chopsticks when she sensed something was wrong.

The looks around her stabbed at her from all directions like needles.

"I really didn't expect her to be that kind of person..."

"She put on such a convincing act. She's always so gentle."

"Tsk, you can know someone's face without knowing their heart."

People pointed and whispered, and some even aimed their phones at her and took pictures.

Su Qingqing's smile froze on her face.

She instinctively maintained her gentle, graceful manner, but a strong sense of unease rose in her heart.

What's going on?

What happened?

"Su Qingqing!"

A startled cry suddenly came from across the table.

Wang Luning stared at her phone screen, her expression terribly complicated.

"You... you're actually that kind of person?!"

Su Qingqing's heart tightened, but she kept a puzzled look on her face. "What? Ningning, what are you talking about?"

Li Wei, sitting beside her, shoved her phone right in front of Su Qingqing's eyes, her voice full of undisguised schadenfreude and contempt. "Stop pretending! The Student Council has already gotten to the bottom of how you spread rumors about Shi Zheng!"

"Su Qingqing, you've been expelled."

"What?!"

Su Qingqing's pupils contracted sharply.

She snatched the phone from Li Wei and scrolled down with trembling fingers.

[Notice of the investigation results concerning multiple recent incidents of false reports and malicious defamation targeting students of this school...]

The color visibly drained from Su Qingqing's face, leaving her as pale as a sheet of paper.

"No... impossible..."

She sprang to her feet, the chair legs screeching against the floor.

The phone slipped from her hand and hit the floor with a smack.

The screen shattered into a spiderweb of cracks.

Su Qingqing knew Shi Zheng was definitely behind this!

She had to find her.

Find Shi Zheng.

Ask her why—why she had to ruin her!

They had clearly agreed to let the matter rest...

Su Qingqing rushed out of the cafeteria.

Behind her came Li Wei's furious shriek. "Su Qingqing, you broke my phone! Pay for it!"

Su Qingqing didn't look back.

The words "expelled from school" kept circling in her mind.

She couldn't hear anything anymore.

Her life... was completely ruined!

A sports car stopped at the school gate, attracting countless gazes.

The car door opened, and Shi Zheng got out.

On the other side, Hua Jinchen came around and naturally slipped an arm around her waist. He bent his head and said something in her ear, making her smile softly.

Whispers rose all around them.

"They look so good together. Who would have thought Young Master Hua would actually settle down?"

"Tsk, Young Master Hua has never dated a girlfriend for more than three months. I bet they'll break up in two."

"Keep your voice down. Don't let them hear you..."

Hua Jinchen seemed to notice something and looked up, sweeping his gaze around. The people gossiping immediately fell silent and scattered like startled birds and beasts.

Shi Zheng gave him a gentle pat. "Let's go. We're going to be late."

Hua Jinchen snorted and walked toward the teaching building with his arm around her.

Suddenly, a figure rushed out and blocked their path.

It was Su Qingqing.

Her face was deathly pale and her hair was disheveled. She looked like an entirely different person from before.

She stared fixedly at Shi Zheng, her lips trembling violently. "Shi Zheng... why... why did you do this to me?"

Shi Zheng stopped and asked calmly, "What did I do to you?"

"Stop pretending!" Su Qingqing's voice rose sharply, drawing countless gazes from the people around them. "Don't think I don't know. You're the one who told Gu Yanshen to do this!"

"You ruined everything I had!"

"Did I lie? You really did those things. The President handled it fairly because that's what the school rules require. You were expelled because you crossed the line."

Shi Zheng sighed softly. "The person who ruined you was yourself, not me. It has nothing to do with me."

"You—!"

Su Qingqing trembled all over with rage and stepped forward to grab Shi Zheng's arm—but a hand shot across and clamped firmly around her wrist.

The grip was so strong it nearly crushed her bones.

Hua Jinchen stood in front of Shi Zheng.

He looked down at Su Qingqing, his eyes devoid of warmth, holding nothing but a chilling warning.

He said, "Just try touching her."