Reaping What She Sowed

In the Set Sail Class, Mo Xue'er had been keeping an eye on the campus forum.

She was pleased. With those two posts, she wanted to see how Ji Chuxing could possibly get by at Nanzhong.

Although the Mo Family had some standing in South City, it wasn't a particularly prominent family and still had to depend on others.

In particular, she had to stay on good terms with Wen Xinyue. Although Wen Xinyue hadn't said anything, Mo Xue'er just knew she didn't like this so-called older sister who had suddenly appeared.

No matter how well she usually hid it in front of others, didn't girls understand other girls?

So, from Ji Chuxing's first day at Nanzhong, Mo Xue'er had begun targeting her.

She truly hadn't expected Ji Chuxing to show up at school today. It seemed she really had latched onto some wealthy backer; otherwise, Wen Xinyue wouldn't have been so surprised to see her that morning.

Clearly, the Wen Family hadn't done anything yesterday.

That made sense. Why would the Wen Family waste a favor on an outsider who wasn't connected to them by even the remotest of ties?

It was the same this time. She refused to believe that, after fighting and being taken to the police station, Ji Chuxing could still get by at Nanzhong.

And now there was Zhou Sixue from Class 16. Class 16 had been dragged into it too, and with Lu Xing's and Zhao Feifei's tempers, would they put up with it?

Forget Nanzhong-Ji Chuxing probably wouldn't even be able to stay in South City!

Without losing a single soldier or having to do much herself, she could easily get rid of Ji Chuxing. She believed her relationship with Wen Xinyue would be even better afterward.

Once the Mo Family latched onto the great tree that was the Wen Family, its fortunes would rise with the tide too.

Mo Xue'er watched with satisfaction as replies piled up on the forum page, feeling immensely smug.

People around her were still whispering.

"Someone like Ji Chuxing is actually Wen Xinyue's younger sister? It's an insult to School Belle Wen's reputation."

"Exactly. I don't know how she can be so thick-skinned. After all this, she still won't withdraw from school of her own accord. Can't she leave herself a way out?"

"Hey, forget it. I don't think she's any kind of decent person anyway. Her and those thugs outside, who knows... tsk, tsk, tsk."

Mo Xue'er was delighted to hear it. She was just about to add a few more replies and subtly point out that Ji Chuxing must have a wealthy backer, since she'd gotten out so quickly after being taken to the police station yesterday.

She wanted to seize the chance to make Ji Chuxing's reputation stink even worse.

But when she refreshed the page, she found that today's two viral posts were gone.

They wouldn't come up.

Clearly, the people around her had noticed too, and they all began murmuring about it.

A new notice from the school had replaced the viral posts on the campus forum.

It appeared to offer an explanation concerning what had happened on the forum today.

It stated that Ji Chuxing had gone to assist with the investigation of an important case, and that Zhou Sixue's father had been falsely accused and was himself a victim. It also included a statement about the Set Sail Class students being beaten yesterday.

It clarified that Ji Chuxing had acted to defend her classmates. Although her methods had been inappropriate, she had protected them, earned the school's praise, and received a three-thousand-yuan award for her courageous action.

The sudden reversal left everyone who had been busy eating melon on the forum dumbfounded!

The school had personally stepped in to issue a statement.

The campus forum was really more of a place for gossip, where everyone could anonymously say things they wouldn't normally say. The school generally didn't intervene, and this was the first time it had issued an official statement.

Under the post, wave after wave of comments slapped people in the face.

"What a foul mess. There's always been plenty of gossip on the campus forum, but it's never been full of rumors like it has these past two days. I don't know who's being so malicious."

"Hey, the school said it long ago: rumors stop with the wise. I don't know why, but I keep feeling like someone's deliberately steering things. Otherwise, why would all the viral posts these past two days be about Ji Chuxing?"

"I suspect Ji Chuxing offended someone. What rotten luck."

"Good thing I didn't join the crowd in attacking people. Come to think of it, Zhou Sixue has terrible luck too. I don't know who made the post, but they spouted nonsense without getting the facts straight. If things hadn't been cleared up so quickly, they could have ruined someone's life. The poster is seriously rotten. May it bounce right back at you [smile]."

More and more replies appeared beneath the school's statement.

Suddenly, everyone around Mo Xue'er cried out in alarm, as though something very serious had happened.

They all went pale and fumbled with their phones, only to turn even paler.

"I can't delete it!"

"Damn it, why won't it delete?!"

Someone even threw their phone to the floor, and quite a few others followed suit.

Mo Xue'er had no idea what had happened, but the people around her seemed to have noticed her, and the looks they gave her were full of anger and resentment.

"She started all of this! If it weren't for her, this wouldn't have happened!"

"I never thought Mo Xue'er was such a green tea. That's right, she misled us all. If she hadn't spread rumors, how could we have been tricked into saying those things?"

"Pah! Trash! Someone like her should get out of Nanzhong!"

"Trash! Rumormongers should be sentenced! Yes, she should be sentenced!"

"She's an adult. She should go to jail!"

Mo Xue'er's face went pale. Her finger reflexively tapped her phone, taking her out of the school's official statement.

She saw that the two viral posts that had disappeared from the campus forum had reappeared.

Her heart panicked. She instinctively tapped one open and took a look, then abruptly widened her eyes.

Her name and student number were right there in the original poster's slot.

The replies underneath all displayed student numbers and names as well.

Even the profile pictures had been replaced with the photos from their student IDs. Not a single post was an exception.

All the anonymous users had been identified by their real names.

With their student ID photos there too, there was no chance of mistaking them for someone else.

For the first time, the rumormongers and keyboard warriors tasted the backlash.

The virtual world was not a place beyond the law.

Mo Xue'er opened the other post, the one saying Ji Chuxing had been taken to the police station for committing an offense. The original poster's name there had also been replaced with her student number and name.

Even the earlier post claiming that the Set Sail Class students had been beaten because of Ji Chuxing had suddenly appeared on the front page.

The school's official statement, meanwhile, had been pushed down to fourth place.

Every post now showed its author's real name. Who had said what was clear at a glance.

Some people tried to delete their posts, but couldn't. They no longer had permission to manage their own accounts and could only watch helplessly as those utterly vile words sat beside their names.

When they were anonymous, no one thought what they'd said was particularly unbearable to see or hear. But when those rumors and nasty words appeared beside their real names, it was like a basin of filthy water had been dumped over them. All their humiliation, wretchedness, and filth had nowhere to hide.

It was as though they had been nailed to a cross.

That was especially true of the people who had said the nastiest things. Almost all of them were from the Set Sail Class.

They usually looked so well-dressed, so beautiful and charming, but a single sentence shattered the whole façade.

The Set Sail Class was practically falling apart. Many of them were children from wealthy, influential families, and some had even caught the eye of universities in the country. Once something like this came out, it would be a stain on their lives that could never be wiped away!

And all of this was Mo Xue'er's fault.

One of the more hot-tempered students couldn't bear it and came over to snatch Mo Xue'er's phone. "How can you be so vicious? You made us do something like this!"

The students of Class 16 weren't particularly happy either; they just found it rather ironic.

"So it was this Mo Xue'er. I was wondering who it was." Zhao Feifei gave a disdainful laugh.

Ji Chuxing turned to look at her, a little puzzled.

Who was Mo Xue'er, that Zhao Feifei would even remember her? Although Ji Chuxing had been in the Set Sail Class before, she really had no particular impression of its students.

Zhao Feifei explained, "She's Wen Xinyue's little lackey. She's always leading people around, stepping on those beneath her and sucking up to those above. Wen Xinyue's school belle title is all thanks to her blowing her trumpet. Pah! I'm this gorgeous and I don't even call myself the school belle, yet that white lotus, green tea Wen Xinyue dares to?"

Ji Chuxing nodded in agreement. "Mm, you're very beautiful."

Zhao Feifei instantly beamed. "In my heart, God Ji is the prettiest!"

The people around them were left speechless by this round of mutual flattery.

Zhao Feifei said, "All right, I'll take care of this."

She clenched her fists. "I beat up men and women alike!"

Ji Chuxing patted her on the shoulder, speechless. "Take it easy. Someone will handle it."

Zhao Feifei: "?"

Ji Chuxing: "As students, we should treat others equally and kindly, and speak and behave politely and appropriately."

Zhao Feifei: "?"

Why did that sound a little familiar?

Then she heard Zhou Sixue continue reciting, "Voluntarily give way to others and queue up, maintain public hygiene, and care for public property. Article six of the student code: respect the rule of law..."

At that point, she stopped, stood up, and said to Ji Chuxing, "God Ji, I want to hold them legally accountable. Do you think I can?"

God Ji had been slandered time and again for helping her. Even a person made of clay had some temper. Others could talk about her, but they couldn't talk about God Ji!

Zhao Feifei was startled. "You can, Little Sisi! That's right, not only should they be expelled, we should sue them too! They're all adults and should bear legal responsibility. Don't worry, I'll help you find a lawyer!"

"I'll help you find one too!" Lu Xing suddenly stood up and looked steadily at Zhou Sixue. "We'll find the best lawyer!"