She froze for a moment.
Then she stared blankly at Lin Mu, a complex mix of emotions flickering in her eyes: surprise, admiration, and something else... something she couldn't quite put into words herself.
Silence lingered for a few seconds.
Then Hiyori Shiina hugged the books in her arms a little tighter and silently applauded Lin Mu.
Since they were in the library, she couldn't make too much noise.
But her purple eyes were filled with undisguised surprise and admiration.
The way she looked at Lin Mu had changed.
It was as if she were getting to know him all over again.
The young man before her wasn't just some bystander who coasted through life.
Maybe he was simply too lazy to get involved, but he saw through everyone's thoughts and every move in the class's game of chess.
Seeing this, Lin Mu smiled faintly.
He continued in a quiet voice:
"That's why I said the only solution is to get those three people from Class C to withdraw their accusations of their own accord."
His tone was calm, yet certain:
"I don't think you'll tell Ryuen about this."
He smiled faintly:
"Besides, he's so arrogant that he doesn't pay the slightest attention to the minor players under him.
But human nature is the hardest thing to control, isn't it?"
He looked at Hiyori Shiina, his tone turning serious:
"Someone who rules through violence and intimidation alone can't make everyone follow them willingly.
And they certainly can't make people willingly stake their futures on them, can they?"
Hiyori Shiina still said nothing.
But her gaze wavered slightly.
The shift was subtle, but real.
She looked at Lin Mu as if reconsidering the boy who was always sucking on a lollipop and wearing a lazy expression.
Then Lin Mu suddenly seemed