Zhang Yining led Lu Xuan through several twists and turns before finally stopping at the corner of an abandoned stairwell.
The lighting was dim, a thin layer of dust covered the floor, and the stale air carried a stuffy odor. Almost no one ever came here.
The moment she stopped, Zhang Yining spun around. The sweet smile she had deliberately maintained vanished without a trace, replaced by an expression that mixed panic with forced aggression.
Her voice trembled almost imperceptibly, yet she deliberately raised it as she demanded, “What… what nonsense were you talking about just now? Who told you there was something wrong with my National College Entrance Examination results? I’m warning you, you can eat whatever you want, but you can’t say whatever you want! If you dare spread rumors about me again, I’ll report you for defamation immediately!”
She folded her arms across her chest, trying to use the posture to conceal her panic. However, her slightly pale knuckles and rapid breathing betrayed her.
Lu Xuan seemed completely unaffected by her “threat.” He remained calm and composed, with even a hint of amusement in his smile.
He said nothing.
He simply stared at her quietly and intently with those eyes that had become exceptionally clear and bright after his transformation.
His gaze seemed capable of seeing straight through her. Zhang Yining felt increasingly uneasy beneath it, and a chill crept up her back.
‘He… he couldn’t actually know something, could he? Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Everything was handled flawlessly!’
“Hehe.” Lu Xuan finally chuckled, breaking the suffocating silence. “Zhang Yining, whether I’m talking nonsense or not, shouldn’t you know better than anyone? Or do you need me to refresh your memory?”
He leisurely took out his phone, swiped across the screen a few times, and then turned it toward Zhang Yining.
Displayed on the screen was a blurry photograph of a score report.
The name and identification number were clearly visible.
It was Zhang Yining’s.
However, the score shown on it was exactly 50 points lower than the one recorded in her official file!
Zhang Yining’s pupils abruptly contracted. Her heart felt as though an invisible hand had seized it, squeezing so tightly that it nearly leaped into her throat.
Yet the last remnants of her rationality forced her to remain calm. She even managed to squeeze out a stiff smile as she said, “Hah, what’s this supposed to prove? It’s just some random photo from who knows where. Image-editing technology is so advanced nowadays. Who knows whether it’s real or fake? Besides, there are plenty of people in the country with the same name. What makes you think this is me?”
She was still stubbornly denying it, making one final desperate struggle.
“Oh? Is that so?” Lu Xuan raised an eyebrow, as though he had expected this reaction from the beginning.
He pulled his phone back and tapped the screen a few more times. This time, the cover page of a PowerPoint presentation appeared.
Its title was unmistakably written across the screen.
“Investigation Report on Irregularities in Zhang Yining’s National College Entrance Examination Results.”
Lu Xuan didn’t immediately show her the detailed contents. Instead, he leisurely said, “Same name, huh? Then Zhang Jianguo shouldn’t be such a common name, should it? A deputy division-level official at the municipal education bureau, responsible for admissions-related work… Is that specific enough for you?”
Zhang Jianguo!
Those three words slammed into Zhang Yining’s heart like a sledgehammer.
Her face instantly turned deathly pale. She could no longer maintain any pretense. All that remained on her face was pure fear.
Lu Xuan admired the drastic change in her expression, the curve of his lips deepening as he continued, “There’s a lot more in this PowerPoint than a single photograph. Summaries of phone records, screenshots of bank transfers, descriptions of internal procedures… More than a dozen slides forming a complete chain of evidence. Detailed enough, wouldn’t you say?”
His voice remained gentle, even carrying a trace of amusement as he added, “Tell me, what do you think would happen if I anonymously posted all of this on the university forum? Or perhaps I could simply send it to those media outlets that love breaking major scandals and let the entire internet analyze it for themselves.”
To Zhang Yining, his gentle voice was more terrifying than a devil’s whisper.
Every word was like an icy blade scraping across her nerves.
She simply couldn’t understand it.
How could this boy, someone who had previously possessed almost no presence in their class, possibly know so much?
Some of these details weren’t even completely known to her!
Where had he gotten all of this?!
Fear surged over her like a tidal wave. Her body began trembling uncontrollably, and even her teeth started to chatter.
“No… don’t…” Zhang Yining finally broke down completely. Her voice became tearful as she looked at Lu Xuan with pleading eyes. “Don’t… don’t post it… I’m begging you…”
Lu Xuan calmly watched her, waiting for her to continue.
Zhang Yining bit her lower lip so hard that she nearly drew blood.
She knew she was finished.
She had completely fallen into the hands of this mysterious young man.
Taking a deep breath, she seemed to make up her mind before saying, “Tell me… how much money do you want? As long as you don’t tell anyone about this and give… give me that PowerPoint, I’ll pay whatever you want! 10,000 yuan? 20,000 yuan? Or… 50,000 yuan?”
She cautiously offered the highest amount she believed she could afford, a glimmer of hope appearing in her eyes.
As far as she was concerned, if he had gone to this much trouble, he had to be after money.
“Pfft…” Lu Xuan burst out laughing as though he had just heard the funniest joke imaginable.
“50,000 yuan? Zhang Yining, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about the value of your future and your deputy division-level father’s political career? In your eyes, all of that is only worth 50,000 yuan?”
His laughter echoed through the empty stairwell, sounding especially piercing.
Zhang Yining’s face grew even paler.
She finally realized that Lu Xuan didn’t care about such a small amount of money.
Driven into desperation, a trace of vicious recklessness suddenly emerged within her. “Then what the hell do you want?! Don’t go too far! If you push me too hard, I’ll drag you down with me! Neither of us will get out of this unscathed!”
“Drag me down with you?” The smile on Lu Xuan’s face gradually disappeared, and his gaze turned icy.
“You still don’t seem to understand the situation. You’re definitely going down, and you’ll be completely finished. As for dragging me with you…” He paused before stepping closer and looking down at her.
“Do you really think that flimsy network of connections your father built can even save him? Once this comes out, he’ll barely be able to protect himself. He’ll be like a clay idol trying to cross a river, unable to even save his own skin, yet you think he’ll still have the power to stand up for you and deal with me? Are you dreaming?”
His words were like a bucket of freezing water, instantly extinguishing Zhang Yining’s final trace of hope.
‘He’s right. Once this is exposed, Dad will definitely be implicated. He might even end up in prison. How could he possibly have the power to take revenge on anyone then?’
Her courage completely disappeared.
Her eyes dimmed, and her shoulders slumped as though she were a flower battered by a violent storm.
She murmured, “Then… then what exactly do you want? You don’t want money…”
At that point, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.
Ever since she was young, her outstanding appearance had attracted countless boys who showered her with attention and tried every possible method to catch her eye.
Could it be…
Could Lu Xuan have gone through all this trouble because what he really wanted was…
A faint blush quietly crept across her cheeks.
She instinctively straightened her back, and some of the reserve and pride belonging to the “class belle” returned to her eyes, accompanied by a complicated emotion.
Lifting her chin, she spoke with an air of self-satisfied understanding, “Hah, I get it now. You went through all this trouble because you want me to be your girlfriend, don’t you?”
She even tucked a loose strand of pink hair behind her ear, deliberately trying to make herself appear more attractive as she continued, “If you wanted to pursue me, you could’ve just said so. Was there really any need to come up with all this stuff just to scare me? Considering how much ‘effort’ you’ve put into this, maybe I could…”
Before she could finish, Lu Xuan suddenly reached out and grabbed her smooth, delicate chin.
He didn’t use much force, but his grip carried an unquestionable sense of control, instantly cutting off the rest of her words.
“Bitch!” Lu Xuan’s voice was bone-chillingly cold, his eyes filled with undisguised disgust and mockery.
“Even now, you still think you’re some untouchable goddess standing above everyone else? Be my girlfriend? You think you’re worthy?”