Gu Qili was taken by him to a slightly secluded grove, which was relatively quiet and spared her from hearing assorted gossip.
Her back was leaning against a thick poplar tree, the coarse bark was somewhat painful against her skin.
Facing the tall figure before her, she had been keeping her head down, the tips of her ears flushed with a glaring red.
"Qili, why do you put yourself through such hardship?" His voice was refined and pleasant to the ear, like a feather, gently comforting her heart.
The white T-shirt he wore carried the fresh scent of laundry soap, its tendrils weaving around her, and his clear, bright eyes looked into hers, soft and handsome features bathed in the light filtering through the tree leaves.
Gu Qili raised her head, looking at him puzzled, not quite grasping his meaning but feeling as if he had struck a chord, suddenly feeling weak.
"The woman in the photo might look a lot like you, but she's not you," Chen Yishu said with certainty, his bright gaze making her feel even guiltier, "The Gu Qili I know is as clean as a lily, she could never be the person in that photo."
"In this world, all that can be clearly seen as clean is the surface, maybe I'm not at all like what you imagine."
"No, I trust my own eyes." He said in a rush, involuntarily grabbing her hand, the soft sensation making his heart shiver, "Qili, just say the word, and I will help you take care of this matter, shut those people up, no one has the right to impose such an accusation on you."
His words moved her, but she still silently withdrew her hand from his grasp and shook her head: "There's nothing to explain."
"Why?" Chen Yishu was anxious and couldn't contain himself, he grabbed her shoulders with both hands and shook her a bit, "Qili, if you let this go unchecked, your reputation will be ruined. People will wag their tongues behind your back, you might not even be able to stay in this school."
"I stopped caring about reputation a long time ago." Gu Qili looked at him squarely, her eyes moist with sincerity that was particularly heart-wrenching to behold; he knew that inside she must be collapsing, yet she still held her head high with such firmness, as if fearing nothing. Google seaʀᴄh novel✶fire.net
He really wanted to wrap her in his arms and comfort her with all his might, but he knew such an act would only repel her; he was so careful in maintaining their friendship.
"Yishu, thank you for helping me. To be honest, I didn't expect things to turn out so sudden. In a few months, I'll graduate. I didn't want to stir any trouble at school, but now that it has happened, there's no need to hide anymore. I'm not afraid of people's gossip, mouths belong to them, and I can't control that. I just want to study quietly, submit my graduation thesis; everything else cannot affect me."
"But that person obviously isn't you." Chen Yishu was anxious, he couldn't stand idly by and watch her being thrust into the eye of public opinion.
"Whether it's me or not, that's my life. I don't owe anyone anything, and there's no need for me to explain to anyone."
"If you have any troubles, I can help you," Chen Yishu said earnestly, "Don't force yourself."
"You've already helped a lot, smashing the school's bulletin board is going to cost money."
She smiled gently, as if she truly didn't care anymore, but Chen Yishu was still deeply worried, his face showing his concern.
"Qili, have you ever thought about who would put the photo up there?"
"I haven't really offended anyone lately." She had already been racking her brain but couldn't think of any useful clues.
His gaze suddenly turned a few degrees colder, the photo in his hand wrinkled by his anger into scrap paper: "I will definitely find out who this person is."
Gu Qili kept quiet, the men in the photo were all well-known figures in high society, it seemed the culprit was careful not to offend these people, hence the meticulous mosaic censorship, how careful indeed.