"I need to talk to you."
Guo Jialiang's eyes were sunken, laced with sorrow and streaked with red veins.
Shu Lanzhou had done well on the exam and was in a good mood. Seeing the bloodshot eyes of Guo Jialiang gave her an odd sense of satisfaction.
Oh yeah, it's finally their turn to lose sleep.
She pulled on her gloves and adjusted her scarf. "Talk about what? What's left to talk about at this point?"
Guo Jialiang stared at her.
The girl had been away from the research team for just under three months, but her face had already filled out.
The dark circles under her big round eyes were gone, replaced by a healthy rosy flush.
It was like she'd become a whole new person.
Adorable.
"I know you won't forgive me—and I'm not expecting you to." Guo Jialiang let out a sigh. "But for the sake of the time I truly cared about you, would you at least hear me out?"
"Cared about me?" Shu Lanzhou gave a bitter laugh. "What part of it was real?"
She tugged the hood of her down coat over her head. "Every sweet word you ever said to me had an agenda. You only got close to me so I'd help you get in good with Luo Jialin."
"Then Lin Muyao showed up, and when you realized he treated her even better than he treated me, you dropped me like a stone and ran to her side."
"All that sweet talk, all that so-called 'true affection'—you gave it all to her instead. Guo Jialiang, I don't hate you. Really. I just pity you."
"Go pour your heart out to Lin Muyao now. With her background, she'll bring you more than I ever could. Just remember—don't ever mess with me again. I won't show you a shred of mercy."
Watching her walk away, her back straight and unyielding, Guo Jialiang knew—he had made a monumental mistake. There was no forgiveness coming, and there was no future for him at this school.
He didn't believe a single word Lin Muyao said about Professor Han trying to help. Han Weicheng cared too much about appearances. He'd already given Guo Jialiang a warning—there was no way he'd step in again.
His expulsion was a done deal.
Guo Jialiang tilted his head back. Warm tears welled up in his eyes, but no matter how hard he tried, they wouldn't fall back in.
He pulled up his hood, burying his face as he made his way, step by step, toward the student affairs office.
Shu Lanzhou headed into the school cafeteria and made her way to the table their team usually sat at.
"Muside said you're treating us today, so I ordered two extra dishes—hope you don't mind!" He Sixin winked at her playfully.
As she took off her scarf, Shu Lanzhou smiled. "Why would I mind? Order whatever you like—your girl's rich now!"
After all, the first-place prize for the campus competition had been 300,000 yuan, and her cut had been a full 100,000.
She later learned the prize money was divided by team, not headcount. Their team had fewer people—so naturally, each member got more.
"Look at our generous queen Shu." He Sixin pulled her into a seat. "Cold out there, right? The soup just came—have some while it's hot."
Shu Lanzhou picked up the bowl and drank heartily. Soon, Muside returned with his tray.
"How'd the test go?" He Sixin waited for her to finish a few sips before getting down to business.
Shu Lanzhou put down her chopsticks. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I feel… something's off."
"What, it was too hard?" He Sixin blinked. "Doesn't make sense. The review materials I gave you covered all the key points from the past few years. With your level, a basic exam shouldn't be a problem."
Shu Lanzhou shook her head. "Not that it was hard—it was too easy. I breezed through it all. It just didn't feel real. I'm worried I'm imagining it… and when the results come out, I'll be too ashamed to show my face."
"No way." Muside plopped a spare rib into her bowl.
"If it felt easy, it means you knew your stuff. He Sixin's right—given how well you've been studying, there's no way you flopped it. Relax and eat!"
Shu Lanzhou kept her head down. "It's just that I've been thinking about those materials Professor Han has."
"What materials? Why is this about Professor Han again?" He Sixin narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
Before Shu Lanzhou could answer, Muside cut in:
"Forget the materials. I care more about whether Guo Jialiang's finally getting punished. Eat up. When we're done, we're heading straight to the student affairs office. It's been too long—we need results!"
He had no intention of waiting on any bet. They had to pressure the school into dealing with him.
Shu Lanzhou agreed. She should've never agreed to that ridiculous wager with Han Weicheng in the first place.
Guo Jialiang didn't deserve forgiveness—he deserved consequences.
"Oh come on! Will someone please explain what's going on?" He Sixin was about to explode from frustration.
Just as Shu Lanzhou opened her mouth to explain, her phone rang. It was the student affairs office.
She glanced at her two teammates before answering. "Director Huang?"
Director Huang's voice came through the receiver:
"We've completed the investigation into Guo Jialiang's accusations against you. He's confessed—it was him who sent the messages. He resented you for making him look bad and wanted to humiliate you in return."
"The school has decided he must issue a public apology. The letter will be pinned on the official website for a full week. Additionally, he will be expelled."
"He's already submitted his apology letter and accepted the school's decision."
"But he did make one request, and after some deliberation, the school agreed."
Shu Lanzhou pursed her lips. "Let me guess—he doesn't want his name revealed publicly. He wants the announcements to refer to him as 'Student Guo' or 'Mr. G'?"
"You got that half right," said Director Huang. "His other request is to delay the formal expulsion process until the start of next semester."
"We agreed because our main goal is to clear your name and set an example for the student body—to promote academic ethics alongside knowledge."
"Now that the goal's achieved, there's no need to drive him to the edge. It would go against our core mission as educators."
"Well, if you're saying that, Director, who am I to argue?" Shu Lanzhou said with a faint smile.
All in all, she was satisfied with the outcome. A public apology would clear her reputation just fine.
As for the delayed expulsion… maybe Guo Jialiang was still holding out hope because of her bet with Professor Han.
But bet or not, as far as Shu Lanzhou was concerned, this was over.
All she ever wanted was his apology.
His expulsion was a bonus—especially if he'd somehow managed to stay. The apology, paired with her published paper in the campus journal, would leave him publicly disgraced, stripped of both dignity and credibility.
Social death was inevitable—just like what she'd experienced in her previous life.
Dragged into the public eye, judged by all.
If your mental strength was even a little fragile, you wouldn't survive it.
She wondered—how strong was Guo Jialiang's mind, really?
She'd never been out to destroy him in one blow.
That would've been far too kind.
Shu Lanzhou ended the call and looked up. "No need to go to the office. Guo Jialiang admitted to sending the messages. The school won't investigate further. This afternoon, the disciplinary results will be made public. He's being expelled."