Chapter 25: The Forum

Not long after, the top post on the school forum started spreading like wildfire. As Kalvin opened the forum, his face turned pale with anger. He slammed his desk and shouted, "How can they say that!"

His voice echoed through the classroom, catching everyone's attention. Kit, noticing the commotion, looked up with a furrowed brow. She motioned for Kalvin to show her his phone, her eyes filled with curiosity and concern. She couldn't understand what could make the usually gentle Kalvin so furious.

Kalvin gripped his phone tightly, hesitating, his palms slightly sweaty. He knew how malicious the post was and didn't want Kit to be hurt by it. "I don't want you to see it. I'm afraid it will hurt you," he said, his voice low and firm, filled with protectiveness.

Kit frowned, glancing at Fanny, who was also looking at her phone with a complex expression. Fanny knew the post could severely impact Kit. Seeing Kit's gaze, she struggled internally but ultimately chose to be honest.

With a sigh, Fanny handed her phone to Kit, gently saying, "Kit, this must be fake. Don't let it upset you." Her voice was soft and sincere, hoping to ease the blow Kit was about to face.

Kit took Fanny's phone and saw the glaring headline: "Shocking! The Scandalous Private Life of School Belle Kit!" followed by a bold, red "Breaking" tag. She continued reading, seeing a series of photos showing her naked with different boys in bed. The photos were clearly doctored, but their clarity and realism made it hard to tell at first glance.

The post already had a high number of views and comments, with new replies constantly appearing. Scrolling through, Kit saw a series of malicious comments:

- "Who would have thought Kit was so wild behind that innocent facade?"

- "What school belle? She's just easy!"

- "How much for a night with Kit? Can we book her?"

- "Can't believe someone like her can still stay in school."

- "Everyone, come see our 'pure' school belle!"

- "Kit's true colors are finally exposed!"

- "Always knew she wasn't good; now we see the fox's tail."

- "People like her should be expelled from school."

- "Ha ha ha, so this is what she's really like behind the scenes."

Each comment felt like a sharp thorn stabbing Kit's heart. Her face grew paler, her hands trembling slightly, but she forced herself to stay calm. Fanny, filled with guilt and concern, softly said, "Kit, someone is clearly trying to slander you. We'll help you find out the truth."

Kalvin nodded, "We'll definitely find out who did this. They can't get away with smearing you like this."

The other students in the classroom started whispering among themselves, some sympathetic, some skeptical, but most were just curious about the scandal.

Jenny Wu stood nearby, watching Kit's reaction with glee and satisfaction. She was eager to see Kit crumble under the weight of these accusations and for her perfect image to be utterly destroyed.

However, Kit remained composed in the face of the slander. She calmly took out her phone and began typing quickly. Within moments, the top post was replaced by another.

This new pinned post detailed the signs of photo manipulation in the previous images and traced the IP address of the original post, proving the photos were fake. Kit's swift and composed response earned her admiration from her classmates.

Jenny, who had been closely following the situation, immediately saw the new post. She panicked but quickly regained her composure, using her alternate account to comment under the new post: "These photos don't look edited. They're real." Her comment quickly attracted agreement from others, with many expressing doubts about the clarification post's credibility.

Kalvin felt a surge of joy when he saw the clarification post, glad someone had come to Kit's defense. But seeing the skeptical comments, his anger flared again.

"These people are unbelievable!" Kalvin said through gritted teeth.

Kit smiled slightly, a determined look in her eyes. "Some people won't believe it until they see undeniable proof." As she spoke, she tapped her phone and played an audio recording.

The classroom fell silent as the recording played. It was Jenny's voice, cold and venomous: "I don't care how you do it, but make sure those photos are flawless. Kit must be completely ruined. I want her to never lift her head in school again, for everyone to see her 'true colors.'"

Jenny's face turned white as she heard the recording, looking at Kit in disbelief. "How did you do it? I hired a top hacker. How did you find out?"

Kit looked at her coldly and said calmly, "If you don't want anyone to know, don't do it." Her voice was steady but carried a weight of authority and determination.

Jenny felt a chill run through her. She hadn't expected Kit to be so formidable. Not only had Kit quickly clarified the truth, but she had also exposed Jenny's malicious plan, filling Jenny with deep fear and helplessness.

Kalvin and Fanny were also impressed by Kit's calmness and technical prowess, their respect for her growing.

"Kit, you're amazing!" Fanny praised sincerely.

Kalvin clenched his fist, excitedly saying, "We'll find those who smeared you and make them pay for what they've done."

Kit soon compiled evidence, including the identities of those who had made malicious comments. She handed this information to Kalvin, who didn't hesitate to submit it to the headmaster. The school took the matter seriously and launched an immediate investigation.

A few days later, the school issued an official disciplinary notice. Jenny was given a major demerit for maliciously slandering a classmate and spreading false information. Other students who participated in the malicious comments were publicly criticized and required to write a ten-thousand-word apology letter. The school sternly stated, "The internet is not a lawless place. Please be mindful of your words and actions."

The disciplinary notice caused a stir on campus. Many students discussed the incident, shocked and outraged by Jenny's actions, while also admiring Kit's strength and wisdom.

Jenny was stunned when she saw the disciplinary notice. A major demerit meant her academic and future prospects were severely affected, especially her chances of getting into a good university. She knew she had essentially lost her chance at a top-tier university. Her face turned pale, filled with regret and helplessness.