Again

Ning Li was not the one who released the video.

Only a handful of personnel could get their hands on the security footage in Second High.

Though if she wanted to, getting her hands on this security footage was not a problem. 

However, she knew Second High management well enough to know that they would never make a stand on the matter. They would just wait it out and let the problem solve itself.

Yet now, someone had released the footage online. 

It would cause a ripple of effects.

[CoolPurpleSweetPotato: OMG! So this is the truth? Does it mean that we wrongly accused her?!]

[HuahuaRO: Honestly, scolding and criticizing someone like that would make even a saint furious. Leave people's parents alone, isn't that common sense? If you can't control your mouth, don't blame others for beating you up.]

[LilAnTriedHerBestToday: What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Just because someone called you names, so you pushed them off the rail? It's a fact that her father is in prison. There are a ton of ways to teach people a lesson. If she decides to go with the most dangerous, it's definitely going to be a problem.]

[Monica: You above me, the olden days are gone. Being punished for your family or relative's crimes is not something we do now. If someone called me that and insulted my family, I'll chop her head off. Smile.jpg]

[YMGOrder: Frankly, the girl had it hard. The video released earlier was obviously edited with malicious intent. If you take sides too early, you might end up getting a slap on your face. I hereby apologize to her for what I said earlier. Sorry, Ning Li.]

Below that particular comment was many more comments that apologized to Ning Li.

Other than a few who were still bickering, the common viewers had already sided with Ning Li.

The plot twist happened so quickly that it felt like a tornado.

Ning Li pondered. 

Who helped her?

She grabbed her bag and headed to the night class for the Physics competition.

"Ning Li?"

Ren Qian came up to her from behind with a flattering smile.

"Mathematics class and Physics class are next to each other, and I have a question that I want to ask you. Why don't I walk you there and you can explain it to me on the way?"

Ren Qian's action silenced the class, and many of his classmates looked at him strangely.

A guy from the competitive Mathematics class asking a girl from the competitive Physics class for help? It was probably the strangest thing that they had ever heard.

Ren Qian was a well-known Mathematics genius in Second High. The top scorer in the Mathematics exam always belonged to either him or Pei Song.

When he said he wanted to ask Ning Li for some advice in Mathematics before, everyone thought he was joking. Who would expect him to do it for real?

Ning Lig nodded. She did not mind the request.

"Sure." 

Ren Qian turned around and said, "Brother Pei, let's go."

…

There were quite some students who joined the competitive Mathematics class, so it was common for a few of them to attend class in a group.

The three of them left together.

The class finally reverted to the lively atmosphere a while after they left.

Ye Ci stared at the three of their receding silhouettes with a frown on her face.

Pei Song was a cold person, and even though Ren Qian was always smiling, he was arrogant. 

He did that because he wanted to help Ning li. 

Since Pei Song did not say anything else too… 

Buzz.

Her phone vibrated. 

[Lil Ci, have you seen that video on the internet?]

Ye Ci knew that the video mentioned was the school's security footage. 

The other party continued before she could reply. 

[That video has and someone has already started to investigate this matter. This someone is also powerful, so I've deleted your email. You should be careful on your side. Don't leave any trails behind. It's nothing but trouble if someone traces it back to you.]

Ye Ci bit her lips.

[Thank you, cousin. I understand.]

A slight pause later, she could not help but ask a question. 

[Cousin, who's investigating this matter?]

Ning Li came from a poor background. By right, she should not have connections to people who had access to the surveillance footage.

However, judging from her cousin's tone, Ye Ci sensed reverence. 

It was something she had not seen before.

[Don't ask. Remember, you have nothing to do with this.]

Ye Ci was smart enough to leave the topic.

She deleted the chat history and some other things on her phone before she finally sighed a breath of relief.

…

Principal's office.

A young man in a black suit was sitting on the couch, looking comfortable and laid back, but the blue blood presence was distinct.

A man in his fifties sat opposite him, sighing.

"Are you happy now?"

Lu Huaiyu shifted his eyes away from his phone and looked at the man. His lips were curled into a grin.

"Thank you, Uncle Shi."

Shi Song shook his head and asked curiously, "What is with you and this Ning Li? Why are you protecting her?"

He had never heard Lu Huaiyu mentioned the girl before. 

However, because of her, Lu Huaiyu gave him a call and even personally paid him a visit.

The second young master of the Lu Family was known for his laid-back and proud personality.

He had never seen Lu Huaiyu care about someone to this extent.

When he got the call from Lu Huaiyu, he immediately brought up the surveillance footage and even called his men to do a background check on Ning Li.

A senior transfer student from Lingcheng, the stepdaughter of Ye Family.

If the Ye Family asked Lu Huaiyu for help…

However, that was unlikely because the Ye Family was not that influential.

Moreover, he saw the footage himself and Ning Li's mother's attitude was more than enough to explain the situation.

Lu Huaiyu raised his brows but did not answer the question.

"Second Master Lu."

The door opened and Cheng Xiyue came in, waving his phone at Lu Huaiyu.

"Okay." 

Lu Huaiyu nodded.

Shi Song swept his gaze back and forth at the both of them. "What now? Isn't this over?"

He had a feeling that Lu Huaiyu did not plan to stop here.

Cheng Xiyue said succinctly, "Uncle Shi. The video was taken by a student named Ting Xi in Second High but the one who leaked it…"

Cheng Xiyue smiled profoundly. "Was Ye Family's precious daughter."

Shi Song was shocked. "Ye Ci? Are you saying…"

"Her cousin, Ye Yiming, had some connections with the media."

By now, it was clear.

Shi Song went silent for a while.

"She has nothing against Ning Li, why would she do it? Is it possible that you've got it…"

The last word, 'wrong', failed to escape his mouth.

Given Cheng Xiyue's methods, he would never get it wrong.

However, they were the students of his school. If he exposed them…

"Huaiyu, what are you going to do about this?" 

Lu Huaiyu chuckled.

"It depends on her." 

By 'her', he meant Ning Li.

Shi Song found himself in a difficult position to argue.

"Should I bring her over?"

"That won't be necessary."

Lu Huaiyu looked at his watch.

"The night self-learning class has started. Let her finish her class."

It would be better to not disturb a senior-year student's study.

Cheng Xiyue clicked his tongue.

It had always been others who would wait after him, never the other way around.

It seemed like the girl was his bane.

…

9:00 p.m., class was over.

Ning Li kept the papers that she got from Zhou Fei and walked out of the classroom.

Right after she walked out, someone called her from behind.

"Ning Li." 

She turned around and saw Pei Song walking to her with her water bottle.

"You forgot this."

Before she could take the water bottle, the phone in her pocket suddenly buzzed.

She took it out and saw Lu Huaiyu's name.

She hesitated for a while before she answered the phone.

"Second Master Lu?"

"Why didn't you answer my calls earlier?"

She heard two voices — one from the phone and one from downstairs.

Surprised, she looked down and saw a young man looking back at her. 

He was holding the phone with one hand and pocketed the other.

It was dark, and the streetlamp cast a long shadow behind him.

She blinked and said, "I'll hang up…'

Lu Huaiyu's gaze was abysmal as though he could be one with the night.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"I thought I told you to call this number if anything happens."