Chapter 25: Rumors

When Jiang Ling arrived today, she could clearly sense that Fang Chenxi was in a good mood.

She was in a very good mood, even humming a little tune occasionally during class.

Jiang Ling didn’t even have to guess why she was so happy.

It was definitely because she saw that Ji Qingyan’s club was about to be disbanded.

Despite saying she wasn’t angry anymore, she clearly still cared.

‘Fang Chenxi is the truly narrow-minded one,’ Jiang Ling thought as she looked down on her.

She tapped Fang Chenxi’s arm, and once the other girl turned around, Jiang Ling asked, “Has Lu Yuyao said anything to you lately?”

Fang Chenxi didn’t understand why Jiang Ling would suddenly ask this, but she tried her best to recall.

She and Lu Yuyao talked almost every day — though most of the time, Fang Chenxi was just trying to fish for information about what Jiang Ling was doing at home.

“Not really. She just complained about some trivial little things.”

“Did something happen to Yuyao?”

Fang Chenxi asked, looking confused at Jiang Ling’s sudden inquiry.

Jiang Ling sighed.

Lu Yuyao had seemed off lately.

The absent-minded state she had seen a few days ago was still continuing.

She thought that since Lu Yuyao and Fang Chenxi were close, Fang Chenxi would know something, but it seemed Lu Yuyao hadn’t even told her.

This was a bit strange.

‘What kind of secret does Lu Yuyao have that even Fang Chenxi doesn’t know about?’

Jiang Ling tried her best to recall the plot in the original book, but she couldn’t remember anything relevant.

However, this was a good opportunity — an opportunity to make the two female leads close again.

Jiang Ling patted Fang Chenxi’s shoulder and said seriously, “Lu Yuyao has been absent-minded lately. She must have something on her mind. If you have time, ask her about it. You’re closer to her.”

“Alright.”

Fang Chenxi nodded hesitantly.

“What about the club? Have you thought of a solution?”

Fang Chenxi’s smile was uncontrollable as soon as the topic shifted to this.

Jiang Ling was truly fed up with her.

“It’s just recruiting a new member. Is it really something to be so happy about?”

“Not at all. I’m just concerned about your club. If it doesn’t work out, I can help, you know.”

“No thanks, I don’t need it for now. If it’s just recruiting one person, it’s still very simple.”

Jiang Ling promptly shut down Fang Chenxi’s idea.

If she let Fang Chenxi help, there was no telling what kind of demands the girl would make afterward.

“Then remember to tell me if you need me.”

A smile was hidden in Fang Chenxi’s phoenix eyes.

While she said that, she was already calculating what kind of interest she should collect when Jiang Ling finally asked for her help.

Jiang Ling simply pretended not to hear her.

***

“Jiang Ling, are you a member of the Literature Research Society?”

After the lunch break, Jiang Ling had just returned from the restroom and sat down when Xiao Tongqi suddenly turned around to ask her.

There was a hint of excitement in her eyes, as if she were trying to confirm something.

Although Jiang Ling didn’t really want to say it, there was nothing to hide, so she nodded and asked, “How did you know?”

After getting a definitive answer, Xiao Tongqi became incredibly excited.

She immediately pulled out her phone from under her drawer to show Jiang Ling.

“Look at this. Is this talking about you?”

“Be careful, aren’t you afraid of getting caught?”

Jiang Ling was startled by Xiao Tongqi’s boldness.

She quickly looked toward the door, but Xiao Tongqi wasn’t afraid of being caught by a teacher.

She lowered her hand and used the books on her desk to block the view.

“What is it?”

Confused, Jiang Ling looked at the content on the screen.

Xiao Tongqi was showing her a new post from today on the Tianhua Middle School Confession Wall.

She looked at it and read softly, “Submission: Is the rumor about the Fifth Floor true? Is there really a yuri couple in our school who’s that bold? I’m so envious. Are there any sisters interested in yuri like me? Let’s add each other and chat. WeChat ID…”

“There are also these.”

Xiao Tongqi swiped a few more times.

Jiang Ling didn’t look closely, but all these posts were about the Fifth Floor rumors, a yuri couple, and one of them having eye-catching blonde hair.

She swiped until she reached the latest post:

“The blonde girl… I remember there’s only one blonde girl in the school, right? Is it the one in Senior Year 2? She’s very pretty. Could it be…”

It was over.

Jiang Ling felt like her heart was dead.

Jiang Ling could tell at a glance that they were talking about her.

Moreover, it was about the time she and Ji Qingyan had accidentally fallen and were seen by those two girls.

‘I should have known. I should have stopped those two girls then and threatened them not to talk or spread rumors.’

After letting Jiang Ling finish reading, Xiao Tongqi put her phone away.

The excitement in her eyes was still uncontrollable as she asked in a certain tone, “Jiang Ling, it’s you, isn’t it?”

Jiang Ling covered her face, not wanting to face any of this.

She said in a muffled voice, “If I say it isn’t, would you believe me?”

“No.”

“It really is you!”

The two of them hadn’t intentionally lowered their voices, and the students sitting nearby had heard their conversation.

Some people took out their phones to check, and some even went as far as to ask her for more specific details.

“Wow, Jiang Ling, you look quite shy. I didn’t expect you to be so brave. You actually did it right in the club room…” a female classmate she wasn’t very familiar with joked.

Many people had only just found out, and for a moment, the surroundings were filled with the sound of discussion.

Seeing that the rumors were really showing signs of intensifying, Jiang Ling could only try her best to explain to the nearby students that it was all a misunderstanding.

Then, she recounted the events of that day from start to finish.

But how should she put it?

Jiang Ling explained, but whether they believed her or not depended on them.

Xiao Tongqi was quite observant.

Seeing Jiang Ling’s serious expression and that she didn’t seem to be joking or making excuses, she also helped explain to the people around them.

“Everyone, stop spreading rumors. It might really be a misunderstanding. If you talk nonsense without definite evidence, it will be very troublesome for Jiang Ling.”

Jiang Ling was truly grateful.

Xiao Tongqi was very active in the class and had dealt with many people.

Once she spoke up, the people around them stopped talking, but the post had been made on the Confession Wall, which all the students in the school could see.

As for the mouths of others, Jiang Ling couldn’t stop them.

Fang Chenxi’s mood had originally been very good today, but while she was out buying water during the break, she happened to pass by two Grade 10 juniors and heard them talking about the ‘Fifth Floor rumor.’

Out of curiosity, Fang Chenxi slowed her pace.

But as she listened, things started to feel wrong.

The club classroom on the Fifth Floor, a blonde beauty boldly confessing her love.

Fang Chenxi already had a faint feeling that something was wrong.

Then she heard the two girls say that the blonde beauty had pinned the other person down and was unscrupulously doing shameful things.

As they spoke, their voices grew smaller and smaller, as if even they were embarrassed for the blonde beauty they were talking about.

A blonde beauty — was there a second blonde girl at Tianhua Middle School?

The answer was obvious.

Fang Chenxi’s breathing quickened, and she felt as if the sky were falling.

She didn’t think Jiang Ling was capable of such a thing at all, but the two girls spoke so vividly that Fang Chenxi felt frantic.

Her hand tightened unconsciously, and the beverage bottle she had taken a sip from was slightly deformed by her grip.

She quickened her pace toward the teaching building.