The Campus Rumors and a Dangerous Suggestion

‘No wonder,’ Qin Ruoxue thought. She rested her chin in her hand, pondering how to broach the subject with Lin Yi. Just a few days prior, she had stumbled upon several peculiar posts detailing rumors about Lin Yi and Chen Sishi. These posts included sensational titles like, ‘Lin Yi, the Player King, Juggles Two Girls,’ or ‘A Male Student Sleeping in Class Ignites a Brawl Among Three Girls.’ The incidents described in these posts were, for the most part, entirely fabricated. Some even concluded with a disclaimer: ‘All of the above are merely the poster’s speculations.’ She had originally been looking to relax, but seeing these posts sent her blood pressure soaring. Had she not been at school, she would have confronted Lin Yi immediately. Such incidents were not uncommon. Lin Yi, once known as the campus ‘player king,’ was frequently the subject of gossip among girls. His handsome looks, which aligned perfectly with many girls’ preferences, often made him the focal point of romantic discussions. There were even instances of girls openly confessing their feelings for Lin Yi on the school’s confession wall. While Qin Ruoxue had grown accustomed to such occurrences, this time, Chen Sishi was also a central figure. Chen Sishi’s academic performance ranked her among the top ten students in this private high school. She had even secured first place several times, both school-wide and city-wide. Beyond her impressive academic achievements, Chen Sishi possessed exceptional beauty, earning her the title of campus belle. Her friendly demeanor and wealthy family background further endeared her to a large number of admirers. Naturally, some daring individuals had even confessed their feelings to her directly on the school forum. However, none of these bold suitors were ever seen within the school premises again after their declarations to Chen Sishi. According to tips from insiders, after confessing to Chen Sishi, these individuals either transferred schools, dropped out, or, in some extreme cases, even fell ill and passed away. This had sparked considerable public outcry at the time, though the student council quickly suppressed the rumors. In a sense, both of them were figures constantly at the center of campus forum controversies. Typically, Lin Yi would simply ignore such matters. However, this particular incident had escalated significantly, leading Qin Ruoxue to believe it was imperative for Lin Yi to grasp the gravity of the situation. With that thought, Qin Ruoxue pulled out her phone, selected a relatively innocuous post, and handed the device to Lin Yi. Lin Yi frowned, narrowing his eyes as he peered at the text on the phone screen. ‘Scumbag Lin Yi… repeatedly harassed campus goddess Chen Sishi. Do these two harbor an unspeakable secret?’ the headline blared. It was clearly clickbait from the first glance, with the accompanying text filled with various unfounded scenarios. Aside from him accompanying Chen Sishi to the rooftop, the cafeteria, and home, nearly everything else in the post was fabricated by the author. The author had even embellished normal interactions, twisting them into tales of flirting and seduction. Rubbing his forehead in exasperation, Lin Yi realized it was a classic case of ‘one picture, endless fiction.’ A wave of anger washed over him. If this weren’t Qin Ruoxue’s account, he would have reported the post instantly. Keyboard warriors, it seemed, existed in every world, and in every world, they were equally infuriating. He genuinely wanted to have a ‘friendly chat’ with the poster, perhaps even teach them a lesson in proper conduct. Observing the expression on his face, Qin Ruoxue sighed helplessly. ‘Lin Yi, this is what I needed to talk to you about.’ ‘This post involves Chen Sishi, and I believe you understand her feelings for you better than I do.’ ‘If she sees this, she will undoubtedly leverage her family’s influence, causing this matter to spiral completely out of control.’ A grave expression slowly settled on Lin Yi’s face. He hadn’t considered this angle before. Qin Ruoxue’s words, however, had effectively reminded him. Given Chen Sishi’s personality, she was entirely capable of such extreme actions. To think worse, it was even possible that she had orchestrated this whole incident herself. ‘Thank you. I’ll figure something out for these matters later.’ Lin Yi sighed. Unexpected incidents like these, outside the original plotline, had become far too frequent. He was starting to feel weary from constantly dealing with them. ‘Oh, it’s nothing.’ Qin Ruoxue quickly waved her hand, then turned her head to gaze at the surrounding trees. Finding herself bored after a moment, she leaned closer to Lin Yi and whispered into his ear. ‘Hey, Lin Yi, want to try the solution I came up with?’ Lin Yi, still lost in thought and frowning over countermeasures, felt a sudden tingling on his scalp as a wisp of girlish scent brushed past him. He couldn’t help but imagine someone suddenly blowing into his ear in the middle of the night—it was a miracle he hadn’t instinctively punched her. Composing his startled nerves, Lin Yi offered a weary smile, curious to hear her brilliant idea. ‘If you just tell everyone you have a girlfriend, Lin Yi, wouldn’t that solve all this trouble?’ The smile on Lin Yi’s lips slowly froze. He stared at Qin Ruoxue with an incredulous look, wondering if he had misheard her. ‘Could you repeat that…?’ As if oblivious to Lin Yi’s expression, Qin Ruoxue continued to speak, seemingly to herself. ‘Lin Yi, how about we take a picture together, and then you post it on the forum, saying you like me?’ Lin Yi’s mouth twitched. He immediately regretted even considering Qin Ruoxue’s suggestion. Leaving aside the fact that Qin Ruoxue would eventually become a yandere, just recalling Chen Sishi’s volatile nature was enough. Lin Yi figured if he followed Qin Ruoxue’s plan, he’d be lucky to end up with a whole body. Noticing the shift in Lin Yi’s expression, Qin Ruoxue playfully stuck out her tongue. She was only joking, of course. Having some understanding of Chen Sishi’s personality, Qin Ruoxue would never let Lin Yi take such a risk. ‘Alright, alright, it was just a joke. I’ll go ask Ling Qianwu tomorrow. The student council has people specifically in charge of the campus forum, so I’ll see if we can ban these kinds of topics.’ Upon hearing Qin Ruoxue’s follow-up, Lin Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Don’t joke like that again next time; you’ll scare people to death.’ ‘Hehe…’ Qin Ruoxue chuckled softly, a hint of slyness dancing in her eyes. With her secondary objective for seeking out Lin Yi now accomplished, it was time for her primary one. Watching Lin Yi and Chen Sishi grow closer and closer these past few days, Qin Ruoxue felt she needed to take action. If she simply continued to do nothing, she feared she would eventually become like Chen Sishi, desiring to possess him, imprison him, and even kill him. Lost in these thoughts, Qin Ruoxue stubbornly took Lin Yi’s slightly rough hand, pressing her body close to his. Lin Yi’s heart jolted. He swiftly dodged to the side. Suddenly deprived of his support, Qin Ruoxue stumbled, nearly falling onto the sandy ground. Once she regained her balance, Qin Ruoxue glared at Lin Yi, her face filled with resentment. Why was Chen Sishi allowed to be so intimate with Lin Yi, but she wasn’t? Puffing out her cheeks in a slight pout of injustice, Qin Ruoxue clenched her small fists. Her golden eyes were alight with an expression of pure indignation. ‘Lin Yi!’