"I’m telling you, Fang Tong, Shen Qinglan is so shameless, do you guys know that? You’re in the same dorm, so you must know a bit," grumbled a girl from the neighboring dorm as they crossed paths, taking delight in the misfortune.
Fang Tong glanced at her, didn’t get angry, and instead spoke calmly, "If it’s not something you’ve seen with your own eyes, better keep your mouth shut to avoid a slap in the face later—it’ll hurt."
The girl knew Fang Tong was not one to be provoked, so she glared at Fang Tong and scoffed coldly, "What’s there to be so proud of? You might just be birds of a feather, hmph."
Fang Tong quickly bought her breakfast and had just entered the dorm when she saw Shen Qinglan about to leave. "Qinglan, why aren’t you going?"
"Qinglan just got a call from the counselor, saying that she should stop by the principal’s office," explained Yu Xiaoxuan, her face full of worry.
Fang Tong didn’t understand. "How would the principal know about this?"
"Qinglan, let me go with you," Fang Tong said, placing her breakfast on the table.
"No need, I’m just going to take a look; it won’t be a problem. Don’t worry about me."
But Yu Xiaoxuan and Fang Tong were still worried, especially Fang Tong—her dad was Lin City’s top official, and the principal knew about her status; this would surely afford her some respect.
"Really, it’s not necessary. I’m just going through the motions."
Shen Qinglan left alone for the principal’s office, while Fang Tong and Yu Xiaoxuan remained in the dorm, looking at each other in silence.
Suddenly, a ringtone broke the quiet.
"Xiao Xuan, your phone is ringing—pick it up quickly."
Both turned their gaze to Shen Qinglan’s desk where her phone lay, singing a cheerful tune. Shen Qinglan had forgotten to take it with her.
The ringing paused before starting again. Fang Tong initially didn’t want to answer, but worried it might be something urgent, she picked up the phone. The caller ID showed "Fu Hengyi."
"Qinglan," came a deep, magnetic voice filled with a hint of weariness and longing.
Fang Tong paused, glanced at the phone, and brought it closer, "Sorry, Qinglan isn’t here right now. I’m her roommate. If it’s something urgent, tell me, and I’ll pass on the message. If it’s not urgent, you might call back in half... an hour."
She meant to say half an hour but, thinking that Shen Qinglan wouldn’t be done so soon, she changed it to an hour.
The unfamiliar voice made Fu Hengyi hesitate, "Where did Qinglan go?"
His voice had returned to normal.
Fang Tong hesitated, unsure of the caller’s relationship with Shen Qinglan, although he seemed quite familiar with her.
"She had some things to do and left. She forgot her phone in the dorm," Fang Tong explained, deciding not to give away too much.
"If she gets back, please tell her to call me," said Fu Hengyi.
Fu Hengyi hung up and rubbed his forehead. He had just returned from a military exercise and hadn’t contacted Shen Qinglan for three days, missing her. Suddenly, he paused his rubbing, looked at his phone, and dialed back.
Fang Tong answered the call again.
"Is Qinglan in trouble?" Fu Hengyi asked. It was true that Shen Qinglan might not carry her phone at home, but she surely would have it with her when out.
Shen Qinglan continued towards the principal’s office, ignoring the many overt and covert gazes and whispered discussions. Her expression unchanged, she disregarded the stares.
After turning a corner, suddenly a figure blocked her path, and Shen Qinglan stopped.
The man wasn’t tall and had a forgettable face—one you’d lose in a crowd.
With a teasing smile, he looked Shen Qinglan up and down, "Name your price."
Shen Qinglan’s eyes flickered coldly for a moment.
"I know you’ve been with many men, but I don’t mind. Just name your price, as long as it’s not too high, I can take care of you. I may not pay as much as those old men, but I’m younger, and I can satisfy you better than they can," he said, his gaze lingering on Shen Qinglan’s face, eventually resting on her chest.
Shen Qinglan’s calm face turned icy as she looked at him with a frosty stare and lightly parted her lips, "Get lost."
The man’s face shifted, "Don’t act all high and mighty, you’re just a whore. I’m offering to take care of you, and you’re looking down on yourself."
The man cursed, and Shen Qinglan’s eyes grew colder. A recent encounter with a hacker had left her with a taste of defeat that hadn’t been felt in a long while, and her mood wasn’t great.
"I’ll say it one last time, get lost." Her voice was icy.
The man intended to curse out loud but fell silent upon meeting Shen Qinglan’s gaze and ran off like a scared rabbit.
Shen Qinglan continued on her way to the principal’s office, this time undisturbed.
In the principal’s office, besides the principal, there were the department head, class advisor, and counselor—all the necessary people had arrived.
As soon as Shen Qinglan entered, all eyes fell on her, scrutinizing her seriously.
"Shen Qinglan, you know why we’ve asked you here, right?" The counselor spoke first.
"I don’t know." Shen Qinglan’s detached response stunned everyone.
The counselor pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "Then we’ll speak plainly. Is what that post on the university forum said true?"
Shen Qinglan glanced at him, her gaze cool, "Do teachers now prefer to believe rumors without investigating the truth?"
The counselor stiffened, and the principal’s face darkened; he had never encountered such a defiant student.
"Shen Qinglan, we just want you to explain the situation clearly."
"Why would I explain something I haven’t done?" Shen Qinglan asked innocently, her tone hinting at impatience.
The class advisor and department head exchanged looks, and the class advisor spoke up, "Principal, I also think this is a misunderstanding. I know Shen Qinglan, and she’s an exceptionally academically gifted student, always earning top scholarships. She’s also very principled in her conduct; she certainly wouldn’t do such a thing."
The department head added, "Teacher Li is right. I’m her thesis advisor, and I can vouch for her character. The photos online might not be genuine, after all, there are plenty of people capable of falsifying images with Photoshop."