Outside the abandoned classroom corridor, a crowd had gathered, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the commotion inside.
Shen Muran released the empty syringe and slowly scanned his surroundings.
Labored breathing, scattered recording devices, a young woman’s disheveled dress…
No matter how you looked at it, it seemed as though he had ill intentions.
At that moment.
Everyone’s eyes held a look that said, “I knew it.”
“I told you that bastard would follow in his dead father’s footsteps. How dare he commit kidnapping?”
“How could someone like him even think of coveting Miss Jiang? He should take a good look at himself!”
Mockery and ridicule filled the air, with no attempt to hide the scorn directed at Shen Muran.
Compared to the son of a murderer, people were far more willing to believe the words of an innocent young woman.
The man stood with his back to the light, half his face hidden in shadow.
Only the tight line of his lips beneath his nose was visible. His white T-shirt was crumpled, the collar stained with grimy dust, yet he stood tall and straight.
Shen Muran let out a soft, almost imperceptible laugh.
Even without evidence, these people would pin the blame on him.
It seemed that from the moment the judge declared his father guilty, his very existence in this world was nothing more than a pollution of the air.
He should have been used to it by now.
The kidnapping involved the wealthy Jiang family, and as the crowd of onlookers grew, the police hurriedly dispersed the students, only allowing doctors and the Jiang family’s bodyguards to enter through a narrow opening.
Shen Muran closed his eyes, standing there enduring the accusations from all sides, when a soft, slightly breathy voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.
“If you’re not in the wrong, don’t lower your head, Shen Muran. You’re the victim here!”
The man turned his head to look at her.
His narrow eyes flickered with emotion, clouded by a thick fog of confusion.
After a moment, Jiang Li gradually regained her strength.
She walked slowly over to Zheng Shuman and raised her hand, slapping the other woman hard across the face.
The force was so great that it sent an earring flying.
“Who do you think you are? How dare you pin this on him in front of me?!”
“Ah—!”
“You actually hit me for that scum? My father will never let you get away with this!”
Zheng Shuman grimaced in pain and lunged forward, trying to claw at Jiang Li’s face, but the bodyguards swiftly restrained her.
Jiang Li’s crimson lips curled into a smirk as she yanked Zheng Shuman’s hair back. “Thanks for the reminder. You’re such a filial daughter!”
With that, she waved her hand and casually instructed the bodyguards, “Tell the investment department to withdraw funding from the Zheng family.”
Zheng Shuman panicked and begged for mercy. “No, my father will kill me—”
Jiang Li: “Too noisy.”
A bodyguard casually picked up a dirty cloth and stuffed it directly into Zheng Shuman’s throat before helping to escort her into the police car.
After this display of making an example of someone, the murmurs gradually died down.
The young woman lifted her delicate chin, her gaze sweeping over the crowd outside the corridor.
In a clear, resounding voice, she addressed the police officer taking notes, as well as the onlookers outside, “It wasn’t Shen Muran who kidnapped me. It was Zheng Shuman.”
“She drugged us and tried to record the process to blackmail the Jiang family. It was Shen Muran who gave me a sedative in time.”
Silence fell over the scene.
The police officer shot Shen Muran a suspicious glance. “Miss Jiang, there’s no need to be afraid. You’re safe now. No one can threaten you anymore.”
With those words.
He dismissed Jiang Li’s testimony and struck a precise blow at Shen Muran.
In her previous life, because she had despised Shen Muran from the bottom of her heart, she had silently accepted the accusations against him, causing him to be permanently banned from participating in all tennis competitions.
He was the most talented tennis player!
One was the impoverished descendant of a murderer, tainted by a sullied reputation; the other was a pampered and haughty young lady from a wealthy family.
At Jincheng University, an elite institution where social hierarchies were starkly defined, Jiang Li’s likes and dislikes easily became the campus’s “trendsetter.”
Perhaps all it took was a single disdainful glance from her, and someone would inevitably step forward to mock and humiliate him in turn. Verbal abuse and foul language became the norm, and Shen Muran turned into the most convenient punching bag.
Even stray dogs would inexplicably chase him for blocks…
Who could have imagined that after two years of humble endurance, Shen Muran would shed his tarnished reputation and transform into the head of national sports events, the most commercially valuable professional tennis player, ruthlessly crushing everyone who had ever looked down on him.
Including Jiang Li, who by then had been reduced to a wreck.
The young woman’s gaze shifted back to Shen Muran.
Standing at 189 centimeters tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, his brow bone sharp and cold, his slightly tousled hair partially obscuring his aggressive eyes.
He looked every bit like a rebellious young wolf, yet he stood there meekly, not daring to utter a single word in his defense.
Jiang Li didn’t understand why she had been reborn, but if her silence had been the catalyst for Shen Muran’s descent into obsession and sensitivity, what if she corrected her attitude and firmly clarified the truth?
In this life, she wanted to treat him better, much better.
“I’m not afraid, and no one is threatening me.”
Jiang Li pointed at the camera lying shattered on the ground. “The evidence is right there. Check it, and you’ll find it’s covered in Zheng Shuman’s fingerprints, just like the syringe for that drug.”
Her words carried immense weight. “Shen Muran and I are both victims in this matter. What I’m stating is the truth.”
The air suddenly grew tense. Everyone, including the police, exchanged bewildered glances, unable to comprehend why this young lady had suddenly started speaking up for Shen Muran.
The classroom was making Jiang Li restless. She looked up at her bodyguard and commanded with her usual haughtiness, “You handle the rest.”
With that, she picked up the shabby black backpack in the corner and turned to Shen Muran.
“Come with me.”
The man raised his eyes, watching the woman stride away, her high heels clacking loudly against the floor.
As she passed, the hem of her skirt brushed against his pant leg, leaving behind a lingering sweetness that only further clouded Shen Muran’s mind.
He didn’t want to get too entangled with Jiang Li.
But what game was she playing now?
Suppressing his doubts, Shen Muran followed her.
People standing in the hallway instinctively made way, falling silent as if struck dumb, their mouths agape in shock.
Everyone knew how arrogant Miss Jiang was and how she despised Shen Muran the most.
Seeing her roll her eyes at him was the norm.
Wow—
The tides have turned!
…
Under the willow tree.
Jiang Li stood with her arms crossed, waiting for the man to slowly make his way over.
She extended her hand, speaking in a tone that brooked no argument. “Give me your phone.”
Her voice was slightly softer than before.
“What do you need my phone for?”
“To add you as a friend.”
Shen Muran looked at her coldly, his tone laced with clear reluctance. “I don’t want to.”
So she could send him abusive messages every day after adding him?
He had no time to be the young lady’s emotional dumping ground.
Jiang Li knew he was probably imagining some dramatic scenario where the poor boy stood firm against oppression.
But it didn’t matter.
His dislike was his problem; establishing contact came first.
Shen Muran was likely so poor he hadn’t bought new underwear in years. Money was his weakness.
Jiang Li parted her lips slightly and offered a reason. “My dress is very expensive. You dirtied it, so consider being my errand boy for a month to pay off the debt.”
Afraid he might have too many concerns, she added another sentence.
“Don’t worry, I’ll just have you do more physical work. It won’t interfere with your part-time job schedule.”
Sure enough.
The man reluctantly took out his phone and opened the QR code.
After they became friends, Jiang Li handed over the sedatives and gauze she had gotten from the doctor, along with her backpack. “Here, bandage the wound quickly so it doesn’t get infected.”
The gentle sunlight fell on her bright face as Jiang Li tried to put on a relatively friendly smile. “If you need help, I can…”
“No need, thanks.”
The cold, blunt refusal left Jiang Li’s words stuck in her throat.
Shen Muran took the items and left immediately, taking large strides that made it impossible to catch up.
Jiang Li took a deep breath.
The husband who had once cherished her was gone. The Shen Muran now harbored nothing but resentment toward her.
However, after feeling down for a moment, she suddenly straightened her back.
One rejection was no big deal. After all, she would cling to Shen Muran like a ghost!
Jiang Li silently cheered herself on, completely unaware of the faint shutter sound coming from the bushes.