Jiang Linyuan had a rough idea why the counselor had come.
After all, Wang Yun's post on the school confession wall was still trending.
Don't assume the school was too high and mighty to manage gossip among students.
Once the school's image was involved, or a post became too popular, an unseen hand would step in.
What truly surprised Jiang Linyuan was how quickly the school had acted.
Could someone secretly have a crush on me but be too shy to say so, then reported it to the school and pulled off a heroic rescue?
Following the counselor, Jiang Linyuan looked relaxed. Wang Yun, by contrast, seemed nervous and at a loss.
They didn't speak as they followed the counselor to the office.
The moment they stepped inside, Jiang Linyuan's vision swam.
The dean, the secretary, a vice principal, and several police officers were all gathered there.
Oh man, I've barged into the imperial court!
Jiang Linyuan scanned the room and spotted a familiar face among the crowd—Shen Wanyu.
"Department Head, what's going on?"
He hurried over to Shen Wanyu and asked in a low voice.
Shen Wanyu glanced at him coolly and said:
"Don't worry. You're the victim."
"Department Head, this is my first time seeing so many big shots. My legs are shaking. Can I hold on to you so I can stay upright?"
Shen Wanyu said nothing. She lifted her foot and kicked Jiang Linyuan in the shin.
Their little exchange went unnoticed. Everyone in the room had their eyes on Wang Yun.
Nearly everyone there had seen his video, so they recognized Jiang Linyuan's handsome face, too.
"Student Wang Yun, we called you in today to discuss the post you made."
The vice principal cleared his throat and asked sternly:
"Tell me, was what you posted true?"
With so many school leaders watching him, Wang Yun felt his scalp tingle. His voice weakened.
"Some of it was false."
"What do you mean, 'some of it was false'?"
One of the officers rapped the table in displeasure.
"You're a university student. Do I need to explain the nature of spreading rumors? And did the people involved consent to you posting that video?"
"Tell us the truth now, and you won't be in any trouble."
Wang Yun truly panicked. He'd never imagined that a post he'd tossed up on a whim out of jealousy would lead to this.
Looking on the verge of tears, he confessed everything about making the post, leaving nothing out.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
Jiang Linyuan looked at Wang Yun and shook his head regretfully.
He'd been planning to use the secret that Wang Yun had spread rumors to keep him in line for the rest of his life.
"Also, Jiang, when something like this happens, you should contact the school immediately."
At that point, the vice dean turned to him and spoke earnestly.
"If your classmate here hadn't informed the school, we wouldn't have known about this at all."
Jiang Linyuan paused and looked at Shen Wanyu beside him. A few unruly strands of hair fell across her cool, composed face.
Warmth welled up inside him.
"Department Head, if you love me..."
"Say one more word, and we'll discuss your private life."
"I've got nothing to say. Thanks, Department Head."
Jiang Linyuan tilted his head toward the ceiling and sighed dramatically.
My charm really has won over the Department Head. We're not even dating yet, and she's already started caring about my private life.
"Don't flatter yourself."
Seeing Jiang Linyuan's expression, Shen Wanyu looked at him with faint disdain.
"I didn't do this for you. You weren't the only one affected by the rumors."
Besides him, the only people caught up in the rumors were Liu Tingting and Su Muzhi, whose faces had been blurred.
Jiang Linyuan raised an eyebrow. His expression suddenly turned alarmed as he looked at Shen Wanyu.
"Department Head, are you into women?"
Shen Wanyu studied his face and sighed.
"Has your brain finally stopped working?"
Jiang Linyuan grinned and stopped teasing her. After spending so much time with her, he already knew just how formidable she was.
"Am I late?"
Just then, two more people entered the office.
"Hey, Jiang, you got here before me!"
As soon as the door opened, Su Muzhi hurried over to Jiang Linyuan with a beaming smile, wiggling her eyebrows at him.
Liu Tingting followed behind her, looking a little surprised.
"I'm not needed anymore. I'll be going."
Shen Wanyu glanced around and turned to leave.
But Su Muzhi grabbed her, grinning.
"Don't go. If you hadn't told the school about the rumors, it might have taken us ages to find out who started them."
"Let's all get together later so we can thank you properly."
Shen Wanyu didn't even look at her. She shook off Su Muzhi's hand and walked straight out.
Su Muzhi didn't try to stop her again. She rested a hand on Jiang Linyuan's shoulder, looking like a life coach.
"You've got a long road ahead of you, Comrade Jiang."
Jiang Linyuan could only laugh. I feel like you're the biggest threat here.
"Ahem. We called you students in to deal with the rumor-spreading incident. What do you think?"
Seeing Su Muzhi draw close to Jiang Linyuan, the vice dean's eyebrow twitched as he broached the subject.
"Hm? We can just handle it according to the usual procedure, can't we?"
Su Muzhi didn't even glance at Wang Yun. She seemed to have had no interest in the matter from the beginning.
"I'm fine with that. But this affected Jiang the most, right? He must have had a rough time these past few days. I'll go with what he thinks."
Liu Tingting spoke in her usual sugary, affected manner, gazing at Jiang Linyuan with concern.
Jiang Linyuan spread his hands.
"Handle it according to procedure."
With the police here, the school's intentions were obvious. Asking him was just part of the process.
"Very well. We'll issue a formal warning, remove him from his Student Union position, and place him on probation."
The vice dean glanced at Wang Yun and said it casually.
This was no light punishment. From the school's perspective, it was already quite severe.
Besides being a student, Wang Yun was an adult and had to take responsibility for his actions.
"Student Wang Yun, come with us in a moment. We have a few more questions for you."
One of the officers spoke calmly. Wang Yun's face went ashen.
This would probably end up on his record.
The post had gotten too many views. At the most serious, it could be treated as defamation; even the lightest penalty would be administrative detention.
No one said much more. They left the office.
Jiang Linyuan raised an eyebrow and noticed the vice principal was still unmoved.
Did the school not care about its reputation at all?
"Jiang Linyuan, is it?"
The vice principal chuckled and turned to him, looking him up and down. His gaze gradually sharpened.
"Good-looking young man. What year are you in? Which college? Where's your family from?"
Jiang Linyuan frowned, stepped back, and placed Su Muzhi in front of himself.
"He's in my year, and he's in the same college as Wanyu. They're both studying computer science."
Su Muzhi answered for Jiang Linyuan with a smile.
The vice principal's grin grew even stranger, making Jiang Linyuan's skin crawl.
"Good, good. Heh heh."
"If there's nothing else, can I go?"
Jiang Linyuan tentatively asked the vice principal.
Could the vice principal be Su Muzhi's father?
Why was he looking at Jiang Linyuan like a middle-aged father whose daughter had brought home a young punk with a flashy motorcycle?
But his surname wasn't Su, either.
The vice principal looked at Su Muzhi, standing beside Jiang Linyuan with a grin, then at Liu Tingting. His voice was stiff.
"Go on. You're not needed anymore."
Then he added stiffly:
"You young people shouldn't chase after fleeting pleasures. You should look to the future..."
Before he could finish, the three of them were already out of sight.
Jiang Linyuan and the others had slipped away.
Looking in the direction Su Muzhi had gone, he sighed.
"That girl..."
Before you continue