Shu Yu squeezed her eyes shut. The inevitable had finally arrived.
Si Yiheng still wasn’t going to let her off. That was it—she was running for it.
ATM: Forum link.
ATM: Read this post.
Shu Yu opened the post sent by Gu Yunjing and read it from start to finish.
The whole thing painted her as a gold digger with nothing going for her looks, who’d used some underhanded trick to leech off Si Yiheng’s money. And Si Yiheng—this fool—couldn’t even spot stock photos, getting played for huge sums by such a clumsy gold digger.
Shu Yu: “……”
So he believes all this… and that’s why he’s coming after me?
Karma really did move fast.
Tie Dan: [Don’t admit anything! If he’s confronting you, there’s still room to turn things around.]
Tie Dan: [Send him a voice note—tear up a little! C’mon, act it out!]
Shu Yu gathered her feelings and sent a call request. He picked up almost instantly.
“Brother… they’re lying about me.”
“I never used stock photos to trick you.”
“They’re just jealous of you.”
Her voice was soft, faint, trembling with suppressed tears.
Si Yiheng: “Jealous of what?”
“Jealous that you have such a good girlfriend… jealous that you’re taken. They’re just lonely and crazy, jealous of what we have.”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Si Yiheng’s mouth. “Mm.”
She really was like a skittish kitten—hiding away at the first sign of people, seeking somewhere safe. But she knew she was a good kitten, and anyone who had her should feel lucky.
Indignation bubbled up in her. “Brother… how dare they frame me? This is all your fault.”
Si Yiheng: “Mm.”
The more she spoke, the surer she was. “If you hadn’t gone out in the rain holding an umbrella for me, drawing all those eyes… none of this would’ve happened.”
Tie Dan gasped: [That’s some masterful deflection! Exactly—if Si Yiheng hadn’t been attracting attention, you wouldn’t be getting dragged through the mud!]
Si Yiheng’s smile stayed light. “You’re right. Should I apologize?”
“Apology’s not necessary… I don’t hold grudges.” She paused. “But…”
Si Yiheng: “But?”
Her voice dropped smaller. “If I mess up later… please don’t be angry with me. Promise you’ll forgive me? Even if we break up… don’t hate me too much.”
What she really meant was: even if I swindle you out of millions, please don’t throw me to the dogs. But she didn’t dare say that—so she settled for “break up.”
Si Yiheng never thought he’d hold anger against her. Not everything was worth bearing a grudge over—least of all matters of the heart. If things ever fell apart, they’d end peacefully. He’d never force her to stay.
“Alright. Even if we break up, I won’t be angry.”
All the tension drained out of her. Smart move—securing a get-out-of-jail-free card ahead of time.
“Wait… say that again. I want to record it.”
He looked down, voice steady and sincere. “No matter what you do… even if we part ways, I will not be angry. I will respect you and give you your freedom.”
Shu Yu breathed easier.
“Now… shall we talk about the post?”
“Yes!”
“You wanted someone who takes charge like a father outside…” He paused, then asked gently, “Shall I handle this for you? Or do you want to do it yourself?”
Her mind was still spinning—she only knew he wasn’t mad anymore. As for what exactly needed handling… she had no clue.
She answered without hesitation: “You do it!”
Si Yiheng respected her choice. Now that he understood what scared her, he would never force her into anything. Everyone moved through the world differently; no one was ever obligated to do things they feared.
“Send me your ID card. I’ll file a lawsuit in your name—for defamation. They will compensate you and issue a formal apology.”
Shu Yu: “……”
Send him a photo of my ID? No way.
“Never mind… I’ll handle it myself.”
“I’ve already sent you the lawyer’s contact. Explain everything clearly to him, and he will take care of every step.”
Slowly, the pieces clicked. “……You sent me this lawyer… so I could sue the people on the forum?”
“Yes. I asked Shen Qinghan for the referral. He specializes in reputation-rights cases.”
Shu Yu: “……”
So that’s how it is: he saw the rumors, asked for a lawyer. Shen Qinghan assumed Si Yiheng was suing me, warned me to run… and I got so scared I told him I didn’t want to see Si Yiheng.
She wanted to laugh—but held it back, terrified of further bad luck. Shen Qinghan, you absolute idiot.
But she’d never admit she was wrong. No matter who messed up—she was never at fault!
She hung up the call.
The thought of messaging a stranger already made her want to retreat. But she couldn’t let Gu Yunjing smear her name unchecked.
She knew exactly who was behind it—only Gu Yunjing had motive and history to act this way.
Maybe she could borrow Si Yiheng’s power to scare her straight. But she worried it might backfire. “Tie Dan… can you preserve all their information? Like official evidence—forensic-standard?”
Tie Dan: “[Easy. I’ll handle it properly, legally and officially, and send everything to your registered email.]”
Shu Yu relaxed. She pulled up Gu Yunjing’s chat and forwarded the post.
Little Fish Swimming Around: Apologize.
Gu Yunjing: Why should I?
Gu Yunjing: Prove it was me.
Little Fish Swimming Around: If you don’t, I’ll sue you.
Gu Yunjing’s heart skipped a beat. She’d assumed Shu Yu would brush it off—she’d always been such an easy target before. Still, she refused to back down.
“Who does she think she is? Asking for an apology? Can she even afford a lawyer? Everyone knows she’s dirt poor.”
Xie Mengying looked up at the familiar name. “Why is Shu Yu suing you?”
Gu Yunjing would never admit she’d started the rumor on the campus forum.
“Who knows? She’s just crazy.”
Gu Yunjing replied to Shu Yu: You’re only brave because you have a rich boyfriend. Without Si Yiheng… would you dare talk to me like this?