After Fu Yuan was sent flying by Lan Lingyan's kick right in front of everyone at Imperial Capital University, when Principal Su Ying arranged for someone to take her home, she subtly complained to her parents that she had caused trouble at school. Consequently, Mrs. Fu treated her like a thief for days, constantly lecturing her not to stir up trouble on campus and to focus on pleasing the Qin family, which only served to grate on Fu Yuan’s nerves intensely.

While she would have sought to curry favor with Qin Yi even without her parents’ urging, Qin Yi seemed strangely absent from the Qin household. She had intended to seek information from Li Panpan, but that idiot, perhaps having listened to Ning Yunhuan, now refused her entry into the Li residence! Unable to cross the Li threshold, and knowing the Qin family utterly disdained her, she finally managed to buy information from a Qin family servant: Qin Yi had gone abroad for recuperation. Only then did she dare return to school.

Without Qin Yi, her formidable backer who lent her prestige, his departure effectively nullified nearly a year of her efforts to appease him. She had even sacrificed her first night to him, and now he was gone. If her parents ever discovered she was no longer a virgin, she couldn't imagine the severity of their punishment!

And it was all Ning Yunhuan's fault! Every time Fu Yuan thought of it, hatred bled like poison in her heart. She had dreamt of scratching Ning Yunhuan’s face dozens of times. That façade of false benevolence she used to put up was a complete sham! They had been friends for so many years, yet Ning Yunhuan had set up that man to strike her just to please Li Panpan, causing Fu Yuan not only public humiliation but also the loss of Qin Yi. It was all Ning Yunhuan’s fault!

Had it not been for their years of friendship, Fu Yuan might not have hated her so fiercely. But precisely because they were long-time friends, seeing Ning Yunhuan continuously improving only fueled Fu Yuan’s growing dissatisfaction.

Before returning to school, Fu Yuan had already planned exactly how she would confront Ning Yunhuan, ensuring the entire class isolated her. However, upon arriving, she saw Ning Yunhuan frowning, and her heart leaped with joy. She instantly scrapped her original plan to denounce Ning Yunhuan and have everyone shun her!

“Huanhuan, what’s wrong? Did you break up with your boyfriend?” The moment Fu Yuan entered the classroom, her eyes fixed only on Ning Yunhuan. Suppressing the resentment boiling inside, she walked toward her. “Tell us what’s troubling you. There are so many of us here; talk it out and let everyone offer some advice.”

This was precisely when Ning Yunhuan was feeling down. She hadn't seen Fu Yuan in ages, and for her to approach her with antagonism the moment she entered was galling. With a cold sneer, Ning Yunhuan didn't even blink. “Has your injury healed?”

The incident where Fu Yuan was kicked away had actually been recorded by some students. Although Principal Su Ying had issued orders forbidding the circulation of Lan Lingyan’s photos or any images capturing the Qin family's young master or Ning Yunhuan, no one cared about Fu Yuan’s pictures. Someone had snapped the moment Lan Lingyan sent her flying and posted it directly onto Weibo. Recently, Fu Yuan had become quite famous at Imperial Capital University; many people even used the clip of her being kicked away as their signature image.

They dared not photograph those they couldn't afford to offend, so they captured the face of the only person they could provoke—Fu Yuan—with striking clarity. Even the look of agony on her face as she was kicked was preserved. Now, as a young woman who had been struck down, the poster deliberately made the Weibo caption vague, leading everyone to speculate whether Fu Yuan had provoked someone into delivering such a public humiliation.

This had become the hottest topic at Imperial Capital University. Fu Yuan had achieved the fame she craved for so long, but it was ignominious fame. Because of this exposure, Lan Lingyan never intended to commit murder in front of witnesses. Even someone like Qin Yi would, at most, inflict serious injuries. Fu Yuan had been held back; she should have recovered from minor injuries in half a month, yet she hid for over a month before daring to show her face, too ashamed to return to school!

“You…” Fu Yuan hadn’t expected her veiled sarcasm to elicit such a sharp retort. As she fumed, two other classmates entered, linking arms with Li Panpan.

Fu Yuan’s face immediately darkened upon seeing Li Panpan looking so close with the others. Back when Li Panpan first returned to the country and was assigned to their class, being new and unfamiliar with everyone, Fu Yuan had seized the advantage of sitting beside her, striking up a conversation. Upon learning of Li Panpan’s background, she quickly flattered her and smoothly became her friend.

It was precisely because of her initial closeness with Li Panpan that Fu Yuan became an object of widespread envy among their classmates. Who wasn't jealous that she had managed to cling to such a powerful connection? She and Li Panpan went everywhere together, bringing benefits that extended beyond her elevated status in class. Even her parents treated her with more warmth, as people in business circles reportedly regarded Fu Yuan’s father with more respect because of his daughter’s friendship with the Li family heiress. Even some officials who were previously difficult to deal with seemed much more agreeable. More importantly, through Li Panpan, Fu Yuan was introduced to the high society she had never known, and to Qin Yi, Li Panpan’s fiancé, who also hailed from a distinguished military family.

Fu Yuan was painfully aware of her own standing. Although she and Li Panpan were "best friends," and that friendship brought tangible benefits, no closeness could compare to that of a husband and wife. She had seen the Qin family’s young master—once so lofty and unreachable. Now, she actually had chances to meet him. Without Li Panpan knowing, Fu Yuan progressively and deliberately used their friendship as an excuse to obtain Qin Yi’s phone number, culminating in her making the first move six months ago, leading to their consummation.

Just when she thought marrying into the Qin family was a real possibility, Qin Yi met with misfortune, and Li Panpan grew distant. In little over a month, Li Panpan already had new companions. Fu Yuan felt a panic she had never known. She was now Qin Yi’s woman; relying solely on the Fu family’s capabilities, she stood no chance of reconnecting with him. She knew that the young masters and princes of high society viewed her merely as a diversion, but she refused to accept that fate. She still needed Li Panpan to help win back Qin Yi’s heart.

With this thought, Fu Yuan forced a strained smile. She dared not continue antagonizing Ning Yunhuan, despite the hatred she felt. Instead, she rushed toward Li Panpan, trying to jostle one of the girls holding Li Panpan’s arm. But that girl was no pushover; she gripped Li Panpan tighter. Fu Yuan pulled several times without managing to free Li Panpan’s arm, causing Li Panpan to frown:

“Fu Yuan, you’re hurting me.” Li Panpan said this with a distinctly cold expression, and the look she gave Fu Yuan carried a chilling sense of unfamiliarity. Li Panpan was usually so kind and considerate; this was the first time Fu Yuan had seen her like this, and she immediately panicked, hastily forcing out a weak smile:

“Panpan, what’s wrong? Aren’t we friends?”

“What friends? Haven’t you any idea what you’ve done?” Li Panpan’s expression hardened the moment she mentioned this. She stopped paying attention to Fu Yuan, snatched her hand free from the grips of the two girls, wrinkled her nose, and sniffed before walking over to Ning Yunhuan. “Huanhuan, want to grab lunch after class?”

The Li family daughters were always the ones seeking favor, yet this was the first time Li Panpan had actively invited someone. Fu Yuan froze upon hearing this, then immediately recalled the previous incident, exploding in anger. Pointing at Ning Yunhuan, she raised her voice:

“Panpan, are you really believing everything some outsider says just because of what she spouted last time, and not trusting your own friend?” As Fu Yuan said this, she felt a pang of guilt mixed with overwhelming fury. At this moment, she felt like tearing Ning Yunhuan limb from limb, but she forced herself to maintain composure in front of everyone, though her expression was hideous. “We are best friends. Are you really going to believe the words of someone Brother Qin himself called a slut last time?”

“Watch your tone,” Ning Yunhuan hadn't anticipated Fu Yuan would blow up in public. Judging by the sheer volume of her voice, Fu Yuan was clearly enraged and frustrated, which suggested that Ning Yunhuan’s previous accusations might actually be true! This person was treated as a friend but used as a stepping stone, all while coveting her friend's fiancé. Such a supposed confidante was truly shameless.

The moment Ning Yunhuan spoke, Fu Yuan found her vent. In a fit of rage, she snapped back, “What? Am I wrong? You are a shameless slut, stealing someone else’s boyfriend, and then slandering others with fabricated nonsense! I’ve considered you a good friend since childhood—how could you harm me like this?”

Since Fu Yuan’s beating last time was entirely related to Ning Yunhuan, all her accumulated grievances—new and old—surged to the surface. Fu Yuan’s face grew increasingly contorted as she fought the urge to lunge forward and wrestle with Ning Yunhuan. She sneered:

“Just because you’re shameless, you think everyone else is like you? Back then, Xie Zhuoyin from the Xie family was dating Gu Yingxi, who was in her senior year, and you dared to interfere, causing them to break up! You’re that kind of person, so you assume everyone else lacks integrity and decency like you?”

“Do you want another beating!” Ning Yunhuan immediately threw the book she was holding toward Fu Yuan’s face. Caught off guard, it struck her squarely. Fu Yuan staggered for a moment, about to charge forward, but then she heard Ning Yunhuan’s chilling threat. She remembered how the man referred to by Gu Yingxi as Brother Lan, who beat Qin Yi—whom she considered invincible—had emerged unscathed. Furthermore, Principal Su treated that man with great deference, suggesting his status was undeniably high. If Ning Yunhuan truly complained, any further assault on her would likely result in a loss she couldn't contest!

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