Xu Chu quickly flushed crimson. As a dedicated shut-in who rarely left her room, her usual enjoyment came from reading romantic tales of scholars and beautiful maidens. She had never encountered anything so overtly provocative, coarse, vile, and low-brow. She was utterly stunned!

After only listening to half of "Blowing the Trumpet," she yanked off her headphones, deciding she wouldn't even bother with the other track, "Angel No. 13." It was too shocking!

"Is this really the kind of music Wang Zhuo likes?" A doubt surfaced, not of Hu Zhiyuan harboring any conspiracy, but that he was either joking or that the person he consulted for recommendations had played a prank.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me," Hu Zhiyuan smiled calmly. "I didn't want to tarnish the perfect image of him you hold. But if I told you he only listens to songs like 'Invisible Wings,' just like you, wouldn't that be deceiving you?" Xu Chu fell into turmoil: "It's not that I doubt you, but this song..."

"Actually, there's something else very important I haven't shown you," Hu Zhiyuan sighed, shaking his head. "Never mind, I won't show you. It will spoil your mood." What important thing? Sitting on a shaded park bench five hundred meters away, 'watching the scenery,' Wang Zhuo paused slightly, wondering what new trick Hu Zhiyuan was trying to pull.

"I want to see it!"

Xu Chu was a girl who cared deeply about things, but she wasn't cunning. Hu Zhiyuan's simple ploy worked instantly. At her urging and pleading, he "reluctantly" opened his laptop and downloaded an inconspicuous file from the attachments.

After changing the file extension, it became an encrypted compressed file. Xu Chu stared with wide, curious eyes at the computer screen. Wang Zhuo adjusted his gaze to a multi-screen mode, observing their lip movements while keeping an eye on the monitor.

Hu Zhiyuan was also a minor computer expert; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to use the school's surveillance system intrusion to monitor Wang Zhuo. His actions didn't surprise either Xu Chu or Wang Zhuo; they both knew he possessed that skill.

Inside the opened archive were only three image files. As soon as Wang Zhuo saw the name of the first file, he understood everything. He stomped his foot, half-angry and half-amused, and stood up, walking toward the girls' dormitory building.

The first picture was the "Brother Suzuki Nude Photo" that had briefly gone viral online some time ago. The following two were screenshots Hu Zhiyuan had pulled from the school's historical surveillance footage: one showed Wang Zhuo parking that Suzuki Wagon R in the school parking lot, and the other was a magnified view of the car's license plate.

Although the resolution of the school surveillance wasn't high, with the enlarged picture, everything was clear enough.

As he walked, Wang Zhuo watched Xu Chu scrolling through the three pictures with a complex expression, thinking that Hu Zhiyuan had truly gone to great lengths!

Xu Chu was completely convinced!

If she had doubted Hu Zhiyuan’s claims about the two songs earlier, seeing these three pictures now—what reason did she have left to doubt his words?

Had the image of her perfect idol crumbled? Perhaps not entirely, but the original perception had executed a 180-degree reversal. Wang Zhuo was already the kind of spirited young man—vibrant, full of life, flesh and blood. What impression did this set of pictures give Xu Chu? It broke through the previous boundaries; the content was too intense!

It was common knowledge that Wang Zhuo had a girlfriend at school, and that the campus beauty He Ye was trying to steal him away was an open secret. Xu Chu knew that Wang Zhuo and his girlfriend inevitably engaged in such activities. But knowing about it was one thing; seeing it firsthand was quite another!

Hu Zhiyuan watched Xu Chu closely, unable to quite decipher the meaning behind her expression. He decided to strike while the iron was hot and dropped another bombshell: "This woman is not Wang Zhuo's girlfriend."

"Ah?!" This surprise caused Xu Chu to gasp lightly. Hu Zhiyuan secretly rejoiced. Just as he was about to say more, his phone rang.

It was an unfamiliar, very ordinary number. Hu Zhiyuan hesitated for a moment before answering, as the Student Union had been busy lately, and this might be a consultation call from a freshman.

"Hu Zhiyuan, come downstairs. I need to speak with you." The tone from the other end was calm and flat, but the wording was decidedly impolite. Hu Zhiyuan frowned and asked coldly, "Who is this?"

There was a faint, cold laugh before the person on the line said, "Look down from the window, and you'll know."

Hu Zhiyuan felt a surge of anger, replying coldly, "I'm not in a classroom or my dorm right now. Just say what you need to say."

Xu Chu noticed the tension and finally looked up, watching Hu Zhiyuan as he spoke on the phone.

"I'm right downstairs from Xu Chu's dorm," a voice filled with disdain hissed clearly through the receiver. "Hu Zhiyuan, you have three minutes to appear before me, or you'll face the consequences."

Click! The call ended abruptly.

Hu Zhiyuan's heart jolted. The arrogance of the caller made him feel threatened. He exchanged a glance with Xu Chu, nervously stood up, walked to the window, and leaned out to look down. He was instantly struck dumb, his body freezing stiffly!

Down below, Wang Zhuo stood with his chest out and hands shoved in his pockets, feet planted wide apart near a flowerbed a dozen meters away. Hu Zhiyuan, peering through his gold-rimmed glasses, clearly saw Wang Zhuo's cynical smile, and every hair on his body instantly stood on end.

It was the campus tyrant, the local overlord of Jiangzhou—Wang Zhuo himself!

As the saying goes, if you haven't done anything wrong, you don't fear ghosts knocking at your door. Hu Zhiyuan had just smeared Wang Zhuo in front of Xu Chu, and now Wang Zhuo had shown up. Even an ordinary person summoned by Wang Zhuo in that manner would be anxious and uneasy, let alone the guilt-ridden Hu Zhiyuan?

He backed away, his face pale. Xu Chu, waiting nearby, poked her head out the window to look down. Seeing that it was Wang Zhuo, she too froze in astonishment.

Crash! Hu Zhiyuan knocked over his chair but didn't bother to right it. Snapping back to reality, he rushed to the computer, deleted the downloaded files, pictures, and songs—everything—then completely wiped his laptop clean and restarted it before finally relaxing slightly.

Then, he managed a strained smile for Xu Chu, only to realize she was still standing stock-still by the window. He wryly adjusted his hair to steady his nerves, then turned and walked toward the door.

He had to hurry downstairs; Wang Zhuo had given him only three minutes, or the consequences would be his own. He felt it was best not to test the other man's patience!

Hu Zhiyuan hurried out in a panic. Xu Chu heard the door close and turned back in surprise, realizing Hu Zhiyuan was gone.

This Wang Zhuo is truly domineering... Recalling Wang Zhuo’s "ultimatum" during the phone call, Xu Chu felt complicated, turning back to look at Wang Zhuo again.

To her utter astonishment, Wang Zhuo offered her a gentle smile at that moment and raised his right hand, making a gesture as if calling someone on the phone.

What did that mean? Xu Chu was utterly bewildered, her heart pounding wildly. He smiled at her? Had she seen correctly?!

Then, she watched Wang Zhuo take out his phone. After a few taps, the phone on her desk began to ring.

It was incredible—he had her cell phone number? Xu Chu's brain completely short-circuited. She quickly picked up the phone, answered, and timidly whispered, "Hello..."

"Don't speak," Wang Zhuo said. "And don't hang up. Listen carefully to my conversation with Hu Zhiyuan."

Wang Zhuo tucked his phone back into his pocket after saying just that, as he saw Hu Zhiyuan reaching the first floor, forcing a look of calm, wiping his face, and putting his glasses back on, ready to step outside.

Xu Chu soon understood what Wang Zhuo meant, because when she saw Hu Zhiyuan approach Wang Zhuo, Wang Zhuo casually raised his hand, seemingly said something, and simultaneously, Wang Zhuo's voice came clearly through her phone: "This way." Hu Zhiyuan then obediently followed Wang Zhuo. The two walked a distance before disappearing from Xu Chu's line of sight.

Xu Chu slowly retreated from the window, clutching her phone, and unconsciously walked into the bathroom, sitting down on the closed toilet lid. Everything had happened too suddenly; she still hadn't processed exactly what had transpired.

Reaching a grove of trees where few people passed by, Wang Zhuo stopped, turned around, and asked Hu Zhiyuan lightly, "Do you know why I sought you out?"

"Uh, I'm not sure," Hu Zhiyuan feigned confusion.

"With that acting, I could have seen through it when I was in primary school." Wang Zhuo spat onto the nearby grass with no regard for his image. "Hmph. You used the school surveillance system; you tracked me for over a month last semester. Did you think I didn't know?" Hu Zhiyuan immediately broke out in a cold sweat. It wasn't that his composure was poor; it was that Wang Zhuo's violent image was deeply ingrained in his consciousness. When collecting data on Wang Zhuo for Xu Chu, he had watched all of Wang Zhuo's fighting videos, fully aware that if his actions were ever discovered by Wang Zhuo, the outcome would surely be tragic and deeply felt!

Seeing him speechless, Wang Zhuo smiled dismissively: "Just this much courage, and you dared to slander me behind my back?" Hu Zhiyuan hastily said, "I... I didn't slander you. Can you let me explain?" Wang Zhuo tilted his chin up and laughed, "Sure, explain it." Hu Zhiyuan was quick-witted, and besides, desperation can make a person leap walls. His mind raced, and he quickly formulated his defense, describing Xu Chu as a pitiful girl with social anxiety and portraying himself as a kind-hearted, enthusiastic young man. Under his smooth-talking narrative, the situation transformed into a tale of a good Samaritan whose methods were slightly off.

Wang Zhuo's Bluetooth earpiece, clipped to his lapel, clearly transmitted his narration to Xu Chu. The girl, whose eyes spoke volumes, couldn't help but sob, her sorrowful tears quickly turning into twin beaded curtains.

Hu Zhiyuan knew Wang Zhuo supported charitable causes, but he had never mentioned this to Xu Chu. Instead, he used this knowledge to paint Wang Zhuo as a warm-hearted, compassionate person despite his cold exterior. After his long speech, he felt his fabrication was flawless, and coupled with Wang Zhuo's potential sympathy, he should be able to escape this dangerous situation.

What next? Of course, wait for Wang Zhuo's anger to subside, then beg him not to mention this incident to anyone else, lest it reach Xu Chu's ears. If he added more embellishments describing Xu Chu as a girl prone to obsessing over small details, Wang Zhuo wouldn't want her to hear the news and resort to cutting her wrists, hanging herself, or taking sleeping pills.

Just as Hu Zhiyuan was smugly thinking his scheme had succeeded, and just as Xu Chu was weeping sadly because her secret crush had been exposed to Wang Zhuo, and she had learned Hu Zhiyuan’s "true opinion" of her, leaving her utterly desolate, they both heard Wang Zhuo's calm voice.

"Mr. Hu, I must admit, I'm somewhat impressed by your talent for fabricating lies now."