Chapter 53: I’m Done For, I’m Famous Across the Campus
In the news section of the University Town forum, almost every highlighted headline included the name “Jiang XX.”
Even that short line alone conveyed the poster’s intense outrage, as if Jiang was some sort of heinous villain who murdered without blinking.
Even Jiang Zhou himself was fuming after reading them.
“Damn, this guy’s disgusting. Using his handsome looks and so-called ‘loving heart’ to deceive girls?! If that weren’t me, I’d be posting right now to curse him out!”
But deep down, Jiang Zhou already knew that the person being described in these posts was definitely himself.
After all, who else would pull off the legendary feat of dating three girls in one night?
To confirm, he clicked into a few of the threads and scrolled through.
The content was juicy, practically like a drama script.
In short: someone had taken photos of him dining out with three girls the previous night. The whole process, from Han Rou all the way to Chu Yuwei, captured clearly.
And the person behind the camera was clearly malicious.
They deliberately froze the camera on Jiang Zhou’s most unflattering expressions.
Since they were only photos, not videos, the poster went ahead and fabricated dialogue. Stuff like:
“Babe, don’t go home tonight. Let’s get a hotel.”
“Name your price. As long as you’re with me, I can afford anything.”
“What are you crying for? If you’re pregnant, I’ll give you money to get it taken care of. Don’t bother me.”
Basically, they threw in every cliché in the book to portray Jiang Zhou as a rich but sleazy scumbag.
If someone adapted this into a novel, it’d definitely go viral.
But something seemed off. Han Rou was the only girl who wasn’t associated with any nasty rumors, while Huang Qi, Su Nan, and Chu Yuwei all were.
That’s when Jiang Zhou realized: it had to be one of Han Rou’s admirers behind this.
He remembered that when he picked up his sister near the woods, there were a lot of people watching.
Someone must’ve followed him from school and started the smear campaign.
Jiang Zhou kept scrolling, looking for clues, and realized that although the story was set in 2009, netizens were already wildly resourceful.
They had photos of him shopping with Chu Yuwei, boating with Feng Siruo, even watching Su Nan dance at a store.
All these were used as “evidence,” and the forum posters added their own dramatic interpretation. By now, he had officially become the poster boy for toxic masculinity.
Ah, the power of the internet. Once darkness descends, the storm wipes out every last ray of sunlight.
Just then, Ding Yue’s voice snapped him back to reality.
“So? Got nothing to say now, huh?
“I used to think you were just immature. Turns out you’re disgustingly scummy.
“You don’t deserve someone like Siruo. Don’t go near her again!”
Jiang Zhou handed her the phone and said, “Man, that low resolution cut at least 60% of my handsomeness.”
Ding Yue was dumbfounded. “That’s what you’re focused on?! I’m speechless!”
He shrugged. “Honestly, yeah the photos are real, but the made-up stories? Absolute trash.”
“Oh? Can’t even take responsibility? What kind of man are you?!”
Jiang Zhou fell silent for a moment. “What, you want me to pull down my pants and prove my innocence?”
Ding Yue blushed furiously and took a step back. “You’re hopeless!”
“Don’t tell Feng Siruo yet. Let me explain it to her myself.”
And with that, she turned and stormed off without looking back.
Jiang Zhou lit a cigarette and sat there for a while, brooding.
So this is what a scandal feels like?
Ever since he reincarnated, he hadn’t done much, aside from accidentally receiving a kiss from Huang Qi. Now this?
If he’d known this would happen, he would’ve asked Luo Tianwang for some pointers in his last life.
But what’s done was done. He needed to fix it. Step one: track down the poster.
It was just past 5pm, still plenty of daylight. It was perfect for some chaos.
He borrowed Xu Haodong’s student ID to register an account on the forum, then dove into every post and started leaving replies like a madman:
“Yeah, I’m a scumbag. Come bite me, you simps!”
“Can’t get the girl so you hate me? Y’all don’t know how awesome being a player is.”
“I am Jiang Zhou. A scumbag, but proudly so!”
“To the anonymous clown who posted this, think you’re safe? Watch me find you!”
“I’ll seduce more girls. Let’s see how long you can keep up!”
“Apologize? Hah! I was born to be a scumbag!”
“DM me for tips. I’ll open a college dating course!”
“Keep dreaming in your dorms, keyboard warriors!”
As soon as the replies went up, the forum exploded.
No one knew if it was the real Jiang Zhou, but the arrogant tone enraged everyone.
“Jiang Zhou, get the hell out of Shangjing University! You’re a disgrace!”
“How dare you act righteous after disrespecting women? Apologize now!”
“That’s it, I’m done. Who’s joining me tonight to beat this guy up?”
“Let’s go! Beat him first, then make him apologize to the entire school!”
“I called the student office. Director Yan said they’ll start an investigation.”
“Expel him! If the school doesn’t act, we’re reporting him to the police!”
Jiang Zhou smirked. Perfect, just what he wanted.
The bigger the scandal, the better.
People forget that false accusations online could also land you in legal trouble. If this stayed small, the school would’ve swept it under the rug. But now? They had to act.
This was the perfect setup. He’d been planning to find a way to make money anyway, and now, someone just handed him the opportunity.
Secret photos + slander? That was enough to sue for emotional damages.
He’d seen this before in his last life — scandals like the Qinghua dorm girl, the inspection queen Zhang Meiyu, and the earbud thief princess from KeTech.
None of them were resolved until they blew up online.
First cause chaos, then force an apology, then flip the script.
And finally, he’d post a smug status update: “The view from the rooftop sure is nice.”
Then hit them with a hefty settlement demand.
If someone wanted to set him up from the shadows, there was no way Jiang Zhou would let them get away clean.