Chapter 37
After the system’s explanation, Chi Lin realized she had accidentally cast her phone screen to Lou Mi’s device during a video conference with the entire team.
And the post was about her and Lou Mi, filled with accusations of a scandalous relationship.
Had Lou Mi seen the words “kept woman” and “old hag”?
Chi Lin felt dizzy with shame.
She had never been so embarrassed in her life.
Modern technology was a curse.
As she was about to hide under her bed, Lou Mi knocked on her door.
Lou Mi knocked repeatedly, but there was no response.
“Come out,” she said, trying to control her anger. “I won’t hurt you. Let’s talk.”
The door slowly opened, revealing Chi Lin’s wide, anxious eyes.
“I haven’t even said anything yet, and you’re already looking guilty?”
“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to. Did you see it all?”
“Every word,” Lou Mi replied.
“And not just me. My entire team saw it.”
Chi Lin’s eyes widened. “Why? Were you…”
“Yes, I was in a video conference. Your… projection skills are impressive. You hijacked my screen. Everyone saw it. That post was… huge.”
Chi Lin felt like she couldn’t breathe.
Those scandalous accusations, seen not only by Lou Mi but also by her entire team…
“It was an accident,” she said, her voice trembling. “I didn’t mean to. I swear.”
She showed Lou Mi how she had accidentally cast her phone screen.
“But how did it connect to my phone?” Lou Mi asked.
“I don’t know. The system connected automatically,” Chi Lin replied.
The system helpfully explained, “Chi Lin’s phone was previously connected to HighTowerMiyuki’s device, so it automatically connected again.”
“But how did you know my password?”
Chi Lin, still struggling to understand the concept of “casting,” had no answer.
Only the original owner would know.
She remained silent, her head lowered. Lou Mi assumed she was feeling guilty.
“You somehow stole my password, hoping to create some family drama, right? Typical,” she said, then softened her tone, seeing Chi Lin’s dejected expression. “But you said it was an accident. Yelling at you would just make me seem like a bully.” She poked Chi Lin’s head. “Go to your room and do your homework. I’ll deal with this and come back later to settle the score.”
“Will you really forgive me?” Chi Lin asked.
“What choice do I have? We still have to live together. Being angry at you will only hurt me. But I have some questions for you. Be prepared.”
Chi Lin knew she wanted to ask about the “kept woman” accusation.
She had no idea how to explain that.
Seeing her continued silence, Lou Mi, wanting to reassure her, offered her a carton of milk.
Chi Lin took the milk, relieved.
Lou Mi chuckled. “What’s this? The victim comforting the perpetrator? Go do your homework!”
“Okay,” Chi Lin said, retreating to her room.
Lou Mi knew Chi Lin wasn’t responsible for the post. She was also a victim.
But the person who took those pictures and wrote that post… they had to be punished.
Returning to her bedroom and rejoining the video conference, she apologized to her team. “Sorry about that. My… little sister was messing around. Let’s continue.”
She maintained a calm and professional demeanor, finishing the meeting without further incident.
Her composure, however, was not shared by her teammates.
They had been furious during her absence.
“What the hell was that?!”
“That was Mi-jie in the pictures!”
“Kept woman?! Who is Mi-jie keeping?”
“It was probably just her sister in the taxi. How did it turn into this?”
“Those words are disgusting! I’m so angry!”
“How dare they slander Mi-jie like that! Those little brats are asking for trouble!”
The trainees had also recognized their idol. They could identify her from a single strand of hair.
These trainees were professional gamers when holding their controllers, and fierce protectors of Lou Mi when online.
The internet was a toxic place, and celebrities like Lou Mi had both fans and haters.
Most of the trainees were experienced in online battles, their skills honed in defending Lou Mi against her detractors.
Seeing her insulted like this, they were ready to unleash their fury on the perpetrator.
After the meeting, Lou Mi logged off. Xie Buyu immediately found the offending post on the school forum and created a “Revenge Squad” group chat, inviting her enraged teammates and the trainees, who promptly offered over fifty newly created accounts.
Xie Buyu: “That was fast!”
Trainee A: “Of course. I’m a one-person army.”
Zhuo Jinglan: “Don’t do anything rash…”
Trainee B: “They dare slander our Mi-jie? We’ll bury them alive!”
Trainee C: “Should I call in reinforcements? I have two hundred people in my fan group ready to go.”
Xie Buyu: “Don’t overdo it. It’s just a school forum. We don’t want to be accused of bullying.”
Pagoda: “They didn’t hold back when they attacked Mi-jie! Did you see those disgusting words? Our Mi-jie hasn’t even had her first love, and they’re accusing her of keeping a girl! I’m so angry!”
Xie Buyu: “…If Mi-jie hears you say that, she’ll be even angrier.”
The trainees, each recruiting a hundred more, declared, “For Mi-jie! Charge!”
Zhuo Jinglan’s heart pounded. “Don’t go too far. Don’t cyberbully them.”
Pagoda: “Lan-jie, they started it. This is self-defense.”
Trainee A: “Don’t worry, Lan-jie. We’re just… unrelated fans. This has nothing to do with the club.”
“I have 108 insult templates. Sharing them now.”
“Charge!”
Zhuo Jinglan: “…”
How can I possibly be reassured by that?
Lou Mi went to Chi Lin’s room and knocked on the door.
Chi Lin, during Lou Mi’s absence, had managed to finish her homework and review her geography and math notes, despite her racing thoughts.
She opened the door immediately.
Lou Mi, surprised by her uncharacteristic eagerness, said, “Wow, you’re quick. So enthusiastic.”
“Did you… take care of it? Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Don’t worry about it. The meeting is over. They won’t say anything.”
“Do you want a late-night snack? I can make something.”
“No, thanks,” Lou Mi said, sitting on the sofa. “I want to ask you about that post. What’s going on?”
Chi Lin had prepared an explanation, eager to reassure Lou Mi.
Before she could speak, Lou Mi asked, “Are you being bullied at school?”
Chi Lin had expected accusations, not concern.
She hadn’t considered those petty incidents “bullying,” but Lou Mi’s concern made her want to confide in her.
“Not exactly bullying… just some… disagreements with a few classmates. I tried to ignore them, but sometimes, ignoring them doesn’t make them go away.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Chi Lin was taken aback. Was that the main point?
“You’re always so busy. I didn’t want to bother you with such trivial matters.”
“You’re treating me like a stranger?”
“No…”
Chi Lin felt a sense of frustration, but she wasn’t panicking.
The Empress had also used these tactics, feigning anger to elicit apologies and affection. Chi Lin had initially struggled to respond, but she had learned to appease the Empress.
“I just didn’t want you to worry,” she said. “And those… rumors… I didn’t want to… taint your reputation.”
Lou Mi knew what “rumors” she was referring to.
The “kept woman” accusation wasn’t the main source of her anger. Being seen with a high school girl, even as her designated guardian, was bound to attract gossip.
And with the legalization of same-sex marriage, rumors about two women together were not uncommon.
What angered her were the insults about her age and appearance.
But she couldn’t reveal her vanity to Chi Lin.
“You should tell me everything, whether it’s related to me or not. Especially if someone is bullying you. As long as you call me ‘Sister,’ I’ll protect you.”
Chi Lin looked at her, touched by her sincerity.
Peng Ziyuan had also vowed to protect her.
“Thank you, Sister,” she whispered.
“Don’t mention it. Do you know who wrote that post?”
“I have a pretty good idea.”
It couldn’t be Xu Yifang and Jiao Minxuan. They had just been punished and were avoiding Chi Lin.
The anonymous poster, judging by the tone and writing style, was likely Liu Huixin.
“Good,” Lou Mi said. “I’ll have a… chat with her.”
“No, please don’t,” Chi Lin said quickly. “I’ll handle it myself.”
“How?”
Lou Mi, surprisingly persistent, opened the forum on her phone and found several threads about Chi Lin, accusing her of being manipulative, two-faced, poor, and kept by an “old hag” who drove a taxi.
Lou Mi read them all, a growing unease settling in her stomach.
She wasn’t easily offended. She had endured far worse insults online.
But seeing Chi Lin targeted like this… it angered her.
“I’ll take care of it,” she said, locking her phone.
“Take care of what?” Chi Lin, seeing her darkening expression, feared she might go on a rampage, like in “Return to Jianghu.”
Lou Mi, dressed in a formal suit for the video conference, her makeup impeccable, her lips a vibrant red, leaned back against the sofa, a confident smile playing on her lips.
She exuded an aura of mature sophistication.
“Don’t worry about it. Just watch the show.”
Her cryptic response only piqued Chi Lin’s curiosity.
But she wasn’t one to pry. She knew Lou Mi had her own methods.
And being protected… it was a surprisingly pleasant feeling.
After Lou Mi left, Chi Lin checked the forum thread again, thinking she was seeing things. She refreshed the page.
Seventy-seven pages. She hadn’t been mistaken.
How had it grown so much in such a short time?
And the replies were all… defending her, attacking the original poster.
What had happened while she wasn’t looking?
Had the post gone viral outside the school forum?
Lou Mi, browsing the thread earlier, had also noticed the unusual activity, the newly created accounts and their fervent defense of Chi Lin. It seemed… familiar.
She messaged Xie Buyu:
“Are you guys behind the activity on the South Lake Third High forum?”
Xie Buyu, at home, juggling multiple devices and accounts, was in the midst of an online battle.
Several users were fighting back.
“So the perpetrator is feeling the heat. Looks like the OP was telling the truth.”
“Is Chi Lin losing sleep over this? Showing her true colors?”
“CL, be a decent human being and shut your trap.”
What the hell? They’re not just spreading rumors, they’re provoking us?
“Attack!” she commanded in the Revenge Squad group chat.
Lou Mi, not receiving a reply from Xie Buyu, refreshed the page. Eighty-two pages.
This is a war zone.
She wasn’t interested in online battles. She took a bath and went to bed.
Xie Buyu and the trainees fought until 2 am, then finally collapsed from exhaustion.
When she woke up the next morning, the thread had reached 208 pages.
What happened last night? Did they stay up all night fighting?
She didn’t know that Pagoda had spent the entire night battling online, using three computers and four phones, almost adding a tablet to the mix.
Liu Huixin, on the other end, juggling multiple accounts, had almost passed out from exhaustion. Her mother’s banging on her door had finally forced her to stop and go to bed.
She overslept, missing her bus stop and waking up at the end of the line, startled by the cleaning robot.
She rushed back to school, arriving late and earning a lengthy lecture from the Dean of Students in the cold morning air. She felt utterly defeated.
Chi Lin hadn’t slept well either, plagued by chaotic dreams.
She couldn’t remember the details, but the lingering fatigue was evident.
She skipped her morning exercises, her eyes half-closed as she went to wash up, almost bumping into Lou Mi.
“Sorry… I didn’t see you,” she mumbled.
Lou Mi poked her head. “You’ve been apologizing a lot lately. Where’s your mind? Rough night?”
Chi Lin nodded.
“Such a fragile little flower,” Lou Mi teased.
Peng Ziyuan, having woken up early, had prepared a special lunchbox for Chi Lin, filled with char siu and chicken wings.
“Baby, don’t forget your lunch. It’s by the door,” she said.
Chi Lin thanked her, but her mind was elsewhere.
She left the house without the lunchbox.
Peng Ziyuan, seeing the forgotten lunchbox, sighed.
“I even reminded her…”
Lou Mi, overhearing her, said, “I’ll take it to her. You go to work.”
“That’s too much trouble,” Peng Ziyuan said.
Lou Mi smiled. “It’s fine. I have some business at South Lake Third High today. It’s on my way.”
With Lou Lixing and Peng Ziyuan gone, Lou Mi was alone in the house.
She put on a new designer outfit, applied elaborate 3D-printed makeup, spritzed herself with perfume, and looked at her reflection in the mirror, her long hair cascading down her back.
She looked stunning, her beauty radiating confidence and power.
She usually tried to avoid being recognized in public, but today was different.
Today, she wanted to make a statement.
She twisted the ring on her finger, Chi Lin’s matching ring.
She would show those ignorant little girls what a real woman looked like.
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