Sweet payback

Mu Huai'an's dorm room

Zhang He and Cao Dong were there too. The three of them couldn't have been happier as they read the comments attacking Yan Wen on the post.

Although Mu Huai'an outwardly acted worried about Yan Wen, he was the happiest of the three.

Cao Dong asked mockingly, "Someone here says they saw Mu Yan Wen working as a drinking companion at a bar. Could that actually be true?"

Zhang He asked as well, "Mu Huai'an, you should know whether it's true, right?"

Mu Huai'an thought back for a moment. "I don't know about that, but there was a stretch when Wen often stayed out all night. We don't get along, so I didn't dare ask where he'd been."

Zhang He sneered. "Once we dig up proof that he bought his way into Shengyuan, I'll make him get on his knees and lick my shoes."

Mu Huai'an's brows knitted slightly. "But what if Wen really did get in by passing the entrance exam himself?"

Cao Dong was adamant. "That's absolutely impossible. Do you know how hard it is to get into Shengyuan? Even the sons and daughters of wealthy families can't necessarily pass, let alone a country bumpkin like Mu Yan Wen."

Mu Huai'an said nothing more, thinking how easy these two idiots were to fool.

Yan Wen was playing a game with Tang Yun. As soon as the match ended, Xiao Qi urged him to check the academy's Confession Wall.

A post by a user named "Seven Seven Forty-Nine" already had over 99 replies.

It was only a little past nine thirty.

The post contained a video set in the infirmary. Three people appeared in it, their faces and voices so clear it was as though someone had enhanced them to high definition.

The caption read: This is a video I recorded in the infirmary a while ago. Given the missing-person post that's been getting so much attention over the past two days, I think the two might be related.

First comment [I finished watching the video. Oh my god! I never thought they'd staged the whole thing themselves. That's disgusting!]

Second comment [I'm honestly confused now. Who's telling the truth?]

Third comment [It'd be really something if both were fake. They're playing us for fools.]

Fourth comment, replying to the first [I watched it too. If this video is real, that's seriously scary. What kind of grudge could make them go this far to hurt someone?]

Fifth comment [I asked my older brother. He studies information security. Guess what he said?]

Second commenter, replying to the fifth [What did your brother say? Don't leave us hanging!]

Fifth commenter, replying to the second [My brother said the video is real. It hasn't even been edited. It's the original footage.]

Fourth commenter, replying to the fifth [Really?! Then these three have gone way too far. He never did anything to them.]

Sixth comment [I know the guy who got beaten up in the video. He's Zhang He from Class Five. The one who beat him up was Mu Yan Wen from Class One.]

Seventh comment [I'm in Class One. Mu Yan Wen said Mu Huai'an from Class Five is his family's adopted son, so technically his older brother. I have a friend in Class Five who said he asked Mu Huai'an about it, and it's true.]

Eighth comment [Is there something wrong with Mu Huai'an's head, then? He's helping other people hurt his own younger brother?]

Ninth comment, replying to the eighth [Didn't they say he's adopted? Maybe he's twisted in the head.]

Tenth comment [I'm curious about Zhang He and Cao Dong, though. What are their backgrounds? Are their families powerful in Weicheng?]

Seventh commenter, replying to the tenth [Weicheng's four great families are the Gao Family, the Jiang Family, the Qin Family, and the Ouyang Family. Above all four is the Mu Family. As for the Zhang Family and the Cao Family, I've never heard of them.]

Fifth commenter, replying to the seventh [Isn't Mu Yan Wen a member of the Mu Family? Doesn't that mean they're utterly screwed?]

Fourth commenter, replying to the fifth [I'd say so. Those three have really messed with the wrong person this time.]

Tang Yun shook Yan Wen's shoulders excitedly. "A Yan, is this the plan you were talking about? That's brilliant! What sweet payback!"

Yan Wen pushed Tang Yun's hands off his shoulders. "This is just the appetizer. They like spreading rumors, don't they? Then let's give them a taste of it themselves."

"What are you going to say, then? How about I do it?"

"Why spread false rumors when spreading true ones is so much more fun? Once they finally clear their names and prove all those stories false, only for someone to dig up evidence that every one of them is true, what do you think will happen to them?"

Tang Yun's eyes widened, and he was utterly awestruck. "That's ruthless! Absolutely ruthless!"

Following Xiao Qi's instructions on his computer, Yan Wen replied, "They were the ones who tried to hurt me first. I'm just getting them back. If they want to play dirty, they can't blame me for doing the same. The moment they framed me, they should've known I'd make them pay."

"Exactly. They have to pay the price."

Xiao Qi asked, its tone curious, "Host, how are you planning to teach Mu Huai'an a lesson this time? He's gotten smarter. Zhang He and Cao Dong were the ones sticking their necks out, while Mu Huai'an stayed behind the scenes the whole time, looking completely innocent."

There must be times when he couldn't keep up the act. Just look for them.

The more Tang Yun read the post, the more he wanted to laugh. "I can just imagine the looks on those three's faces right now. Serves them right."

"Look at this one, too. They've even dug up Zhang He's and Cao Dong's backgrounds. Their families are just nouveau riche. They only got into Shengyuan through sheer dumb luck."

Yan Wen marveled, "Never underestimate what people online can do these days. They can dig up anything."

Tang Yun said good night to Yan Wen and went back to his own dorm room, humming cheerfully.

Xiao Qi sounded bright and happy. "Host, want to see what's happening over at Mu Huai'an's place? Xiao Qi can show you a live feed."

Of course I do. Put it on. Let me grab a bag of sunflower seeds.

Whether from panic or anger, Mu Huai'an was trembling all over and breathing heavily. Before he could collect himself, the doorbell rang insistently.

Zhang He charged in first. "What's with that video? Huh?! Mu Huai'an, you fucking played me!"

Frightened, Mu Huai'an denied it over and over. "I didn't do it! How could I possibly do something like that? Zhang He, you've got me all wrong. I don't know what's going on with that video either."

"You don't know? What, did I record it, then? We all know damn well that there wasn't so much as a fly in that infirmary besides the three of us. I stood up for you out of the goodness of my heart, and you fucking made a fool of me!"

Cao Dong spat. "No wonder you put on that good-big-brother act whenever we insulted Mu Yan Wen. And here I thought you really were being bullied. Turns out you're one hell of an actor. Why don't you go into acting? What are you even going to school for?"

"Now they've dug up everything about my family. My dad just called and chewed me out. This all started because of you. If you don't sort it out, you know what'll happen."

"You have three days. If you haven't fixed it by then, I'll beat you up every time I see you at Shengyuan!"

After delivering their threats, Zhang He and Cao Dong slammed the door and left, leaving Mu Huai'an alone again. His legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees. He picked up his phone and frantically scrolled through it. The attacks against him were only growing fiercer. Everyone who had insulted Yan Wen before had now come back to insult him instead.

Mu Huai'an felt as though every ounce of strength had been drained from him. He muttered to himself, "It's over. What do I do? What do I do now? How did this happen? How did things turn out like this?"