"What..."
Just as Que You was about to ask, Yu Wenli's expression changed drastically, and he pushed him away with a cry that was almost heart-wrenching.
"Yi Yi!"
The sudden movement sent Que You stumbling. He regained his balance and turned back.
He saw a truck out of control, crashing towards a little girl on the sidewalk!
At the same time, Yu Wenli was rushing towards the roadside as if seeking death.
The dazzling high beams blinded Wen Tingxue, paralyzing her.
In the nick of time, Yu Wenli pounced on her, rolling several times with her to the side.
Almost simultaneously, the truck slammed into a tree, and thick smoke quickly billowed from the hood.
Que You, who had witnessed the entire event, felt a cold sweat break out on his back uncontrollably.
It was a matter of mere seconds.
He dared not imagine what would happen if Yu Wenli had been even a moment slower; the two of them would have been on the social news tomorrow.
The deafening crash rang in Wen Tingxue's ears. She finally snapped back from her shock.
With a pale face, she turned her head to look at the tragic scene behind her.
Yu Wenli, lying beneath her, raised his hand and cupped her head.
"Don't look."
His voice was slightly hoarse, weak, and filled with suppressed pain.
Wen Tingxue immediately got off him, supporting him as she anxiously asked, "Are you hurt anywhere? Besides your hand, are there any other injuries..."
Seeing the glaring red scrapes on the back of his right hand, the girl's tears immediately welled up.
His skin was fair, making even a small injury obvious, let alone such an ugly scrape.
It was heartbreaking.
"I'm fine," Yu Wenli said, stopping her searching hands with a wry smile. "I'm really fine. And you? Are you hurt or uncomfortable anywhere?"
He examined her with genuine concern, more so than for himself.
Wen Tingxue glared at him with tear-filled eyes, "What could happen to me? You protected me so tightly. You're the one who's hurt."
Saying that, she tried to examine him again. Yu Wenli couldn't stop her, so he let her.
Que You, stunned, quickly ran over. "Are you two alright?"
He looked at the two survivors of the near-death experience with trepidation.
Yu Wenli calmly shook his head, then ordered, "Call the police."
It was late at night, but there were people on this road.
Not many, but someone had already called the police and an ambulance.
Yu Wenli's right wrist was severely swollen. After a brief inquiry, the police let him go with the ambulance.
-
Hospital.
After an X-ray, it was confirmed that his right wrist had a minor fracture.
Wen Tingxue's eyes immediately turned red with concern.
"Doctor, will this leave any after-effects?" the girl anxiously asked.
His hand was meant for playing the piano and composing music; it absolutely could not be injured.
The doctor looked at the film again. "It's not very serious. Just need to rest well."
Que You instantly breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."
Honestly, if any lasting problem had occurred, he would have felt guilty for the rest of his life.
If he hadn't suggested buying cigarettes, this would never have happened.
Wen Tingxue and Yu Wenli didn't blame him much. The incident was sudden, and no one could have predicted it.
After the cast was applied and they were about to pay, Wen Tingxue realized her phone was missing.
Que You said, "Did you drop it at the accident scene?"
Wen Tingxue, who had already checked all her pockets twice, nodded mournfully. "Probably."
As they were talking, Que You's phone rang.
It was the police, saying they had found a phone at the scene, with a cracked screen. They asked if it belonged to them.
Que You immediately said, "Yes! It's ours!"
The police said, "Then come and pick it up. It should still work after repairs."
Que You agreed. After hanging up, he said, "No matter what, this is my fault. I'll cover all the expenses. Don't argue with me!"
Wen Tingxue opened her mouth, and he tossed her the car keys. "You two go and pick up the car. I'll be there shortly."
With that, he turned and left without waiting for their agreement.
He was in a hurry.
Wen Tingxue looked at Yu Wenli. Yu Wenli said, "Let him be."
-
It was already two in the morning when they arrived at the police station.
The moment they stepped inside, Wen Tingxue heard a voice from a corner, which sounded very much like Meng Xiyao.
But when she turned, it was a completely unfamiliar face.
Her movement was too abrupt. Yu Wenli followed her gaze, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "What's wrong?"
Wen Tingxue hesitated, bit her lip, then quietly explained the reason.
Yu Wenli's eyes deepened as he listened.
Perhaps it was because they were lingering at the entrance for too long, but the officer who had handled the accident came over and casually asked, "Do you know someone?"
Yu Wenli smiled. "They look familiar. What's their situation?"
Yu Wenli responded with a neutral expression, then said to Wen Tingxue, "It's too late tonight. Let's go back first. We'll fix your phone tomorrow."
Wen Tingxue, only concerned about her lost drafts, nodded listlessly without paying much attention to their conversation.
-
The next day, at the specialty store.
The technician held the badly damaged phone for a while before saying with a troubled expression, "This... it's difficult to repair. How could it be broken like this?"
Wen Tingxue briefly explained the incident and then clasped her hands together, pleading, "Please, sir, you must fix it. The contents inside are very important to me. Really, please~"
Her sweet voice and beautiful demeanor were irresistible to the technician, who smiled and said, "Alright, alright, I'll do my best, but it will probably take a few days. You're not in a hurry, are you?"
Hearing that there was hope, Wen Tingxue's face lit up immediately. "Not in a hurry, not in a hurry, as long as it can be recovered."
The technician accepted the difficult task.
After settling the old phone, the two of them also picked out a new one at the specialty store.
Then they put their SIM cards in.
Having been out of touch all night, there were many messages.
However, the person who had called the most was the girl from the next dormitory who had borrowed her computer.
"?"
Wen Tingxue, confused, called her back.
Almost instantly, the call was answered.
Before she could even ask, she heard the girl crying and saying, "I'm so sorry, really, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to?"
"?" Wen Tingxue's mind was filled with question marks, and a sense of unease began to creep in.
"What's wrong? Take your time and tell me, don't just cry."
"It's, it's like this..."
The girl, sobbing, explained the cause.
"Yesterday, I took the computer to a coffee shop, and on the way back, I was accidentally bumped into, and the computer fell into the ornamental lake..."
"What?!" Wen Tingxue's head buzzed.
"I, I, I, I've already sent the computer to the repair shop! Don't worry!" the girl said quickly.
"..." Wen Tingxue rubbed her head, feeling overwhelmed, and asked with a suppressed temper, "What did the technician say?"
Mentioning this, the girl apologized again, then stammered, "From what the technician said, it's probably, probably difficult to fix, and it might cost a lot of money..."
She knew her family's financial situation was average.
But this matter had truly angered her.
Her phone was ruined for no reason, and her computer inexplicably fell into a lake.
She felt like a complete misfortune magnet!
Oh my god.
Was she experiencing a streak of bad luck recently?
Wen Tingxue covered her head, pacing back and forth irritably. On the phone, the girl kept apologizing.
She was even crying from distress.
Wen Tingxue calmed her emotions and said, "Don't cry. I'll pay for the repairs. Tell me, where are you now?"
"A repair shop near the school," the girl immediately reported the address.
Wen Tingxue hung up the phone. Yu Wenli happened to come over after finishing the payment, holding quite a few free gifts.
"What's wrong?" Seeing her little face furrowed with frustration, he gently smoothed her brow with one hand.
Wen Tingxue didn't explain. She directly asked, "You can fix computers, right?"
"Yes..."
The moment he nodded, he was pulled away.
They rode their bikes to the repair shop. The girl was already waiting at the entrance. Seeing them, she apologized again.
Wen Tingxue was soft-hearted and couldn't stand seeing someone apologize so abjectly. She immediately waved her hand and said, "Don't be like this. It wasn't intentional. Haven't you finished your homework yet? Go back and write it. I'll keep an eye on the computer."
"Thank you," the girl said, her eyes welling up with tears, embarrassed. "Don't worry, when I have money, I will definitely return it to you."
Wen Tingxue took out a tissue from her bag for her and smiled gently. "No rush, you can go back first."
The girl insisted on writing an IOU before hurrying away.
While they were talking, Yu Wenli had already examined the extent of the water damage to the computer.
Wen Tingxue walked to his side and asked, "How is it? Can it be repaired?"
Yu Wenli nodded. "Yes."
Wen Tingxue immediately offered to take the computer and paid part of the repair fee.
It wasn't that she was reluctant to spend money, but the series of coincidences made her feel strange.
Most importantly, there was too much content on her computer.
She didn't feel at ease entrusting it to outsiders.
-
After sending Yu Wenli home, Wen Tingxue rode her bike to the school art studio.
She wanted to finish her unfinished painting while he was fixing the computer.
She painted all afternoon.
She was completely unaware of what was happening online.
It wasn't until sunset that Lu Youran and Jiao Yutong found her, and she learned that she had become a hot topic online again.
And, just like last time, it wasn't for a good reason.
"What should we do?" Lu Youran was frantically anxious. "There's no way to prove anything in this kind of situation."
Jiao Yutong also felt that the matter was serious.
"Why don't you contact your mentor and see if there's any way?"
Wen Tingxue shook her head with a complex expression. "It's best if they don't get involved at this time."
The cause of all this was a short video posted yesterday by Qiao Xixi, which had gone viral.
Someone followed the video platform to her Weibo and discovered a post from September: My good sister's painting.
The accompanying photo was the group photo from that time.
However, only she and Wen Tingxue, along with the painting that won the gold medal, were clearly visible.
Due to recent controversies, people quickly recognized Wen Tingxue, and at the same time recognized the painting.
Soon, a trending topic titled "Scandal in the Art Exhibition Gold Medal" climbed to the top of the hot search.
It had now reached the very top.
The speed was astonishing.
And the discussions were numerous.
Netizen A: [She's so young! Not even twenty, right? Is this gold medal really clean?]
Netizen B: [I don't see anything special about this painting, so why did it win a gold medal?]
Netizen C: [Was the gold medal earned by sleeping her way up?]
Netizen D: [The "Beauty School Flower's" mentor is the chairman of the Art Association. You think about it, you think carefully.]
Netizen E: [Thanks to the above, I suddenly understand!]
Meanwhile, in the apartment.
Yu Wenli received a call from Fu Yushen. "Have you seen what's happening online?"
Yu Wenli, who had been busy fixing the computer: "???"
"What is it?" he asked, opening his tablet.
As he saw the trending search list, Fu Yushen briefly explained the situation.
Yu Wenli instantly became enraged. "Did you do this? Using the same old trick?"
"It wasn't me."
Fu Yushen pinched his temples, his head aching. "This time it really has nothing to do with me. I suspect my good brother did it."
"Fu Yuchuan?" Yu Wenli raised his hand to light a cigarette. "Reasons?"
Fu Yushen didn't answer, only saying, "From any angle, this incident benefits me in no way, does it?"
He was known for his "no profit, no move" character.
Yu Wenli knew this, but...
"This incident doesn't benefit him either, does it?"
Implying that he still suspected Fu Yushen.
Fu Yushen chuckled. "That's not necessarily true. What he wants might not be what you think."
Yu Wenli, biting on his cigarette, asked, "What do you mean?"
Fu Yushen said, "Shouldn't this be what you're concerned about right now?"
Yu Wenli smiled, but his eyes lacked emotion. "The fact that you called means you at least have a solution."
Fu Yushen paused for a moment, then nodded. "Indeed, but... plans can't keep up with changes."
His pause was a bit long. Yu Wenli's heart sank. Looking at Weibo again, he saw new revelations.
Netizen 1: [The mentor is the chairman of the Art Association, the teacher is the vice-chairman, and the senior who was rumored to have a scandal with her a few days ago is also a core member of the Art Association. With such a background, it's normal to win a gold medal, right?]
Netizen 2: [Normal! Very normal! But can you stop being disgusting and give ordinary people a chance?]
Netizen 3: [Exactly! Others work hard to paint, but it's not as good as someone's strong backing. It's disheartening!]
Netizen 4: [@National Art Exhibition, don't play dead, give an explanation!]
Netizen 5: [What explanation is needed? Go and see those revelations; someone is quite skilled!]
Wen Tingxue also saw this comment and clicked on the link attached. She was dumbfounded.
It was a Weibo article, not very long, but every word was dramatic.
Tens of thousands of words, but in summary, there was only one sentence: Wen Tingxue was promiscuous.
From senior Song You to visiting professor Fu Yushen.
In any case, it was described in great detail.
So detailed that during military training, Song You gave her the easiest standing position, and this part was specifically marked: At this time, they had only met a few times, which shows how extraordinary the "Beauty School Flower's" methods are!
Whether her methods were extraordinary or not, Wen Tingxue didn't know, but the writing style was certainly extraordinary.
She and Song You had absolutely no ambiguous relationship, yet in his writing, they seemed to be intimately familiar.
Even Fu Yushen, whom she tried to avoid, had become her "guest in her chambers."
One of the most suggestive passages read: The young visiting professor had rejected all WeChat friend requests, but Wen Tingxue was the only student who managed to get his WeChat.
Moreover, before and after this, no one else succeeded.
"Damn it!"
Lu Youran couldn't help but curse. "Someone who can bring up such old matters must be from the school! Otherwise, they wouldn't know so clearly!"
"Exactly," Jiao Yutong was also furious. "Not many people know that Professor Fu gave you his contact information. This exposer is definitely a classmate from the Design Department!"
Wen Tingxue watched the revelations pop up one after another, feeling uneasy.
She had a feeling that this matter was not that simple.
As expected, not long after Song You and Fu Yushen were exposed, Ding Xi was also dug up.
Netizen F: [Does anyone remember the national competition for 'Xing Er Milk Tea'? Wen Tingxue was not only the champion but also the chief designer of Xing Er's design department back then. She was only eighteen!]
Netizen G: [I remember! I also remember that just because Wen Tingxue casually mentioned wanting to drink milk tea, Ding Xi drove a milk tea truck to Lingxi! Back then, Xing Er wasn't a national chain yet! There was only a store in Di Du!]
Netizen H: [Holy crap! If these two have no relationship, I'll kick my head like a ball!]
Netizen Six: [Speaking of outdoor sketching, I also remembered something. Near the end of the sketching trip, Song You specifically went to Lingxi. They met, late at night~]
Netizen Seven: [Is the Beauty School Flower so good at playing? How many men is this now?]
Netizen Eight: [Whispering a leak, that visiting professor originally went abroad, but he specifically came back because of the online stuff.]
Netizen Nine: [Emmm, actually, she has a boyfriend, not any of the people mentioned above.]
Netizen Ten: [Damn! This gossip is getting more and more outrageous. I even want her to open a class, I'll be the first to sign up!]
Netizen I: [I'm second! Damn it, how can she attract so many handsome and excellent men? Just give me one, and I'd be happy!]
Netizen J: [This must be a time management master. With so many men, hasn't her boyfriend noticed?]
Netizen K: [I'll tell you something even more outrageous, but it's true: she's also involved with the helmsman of the Fu Group... really.]
"???"
Wen Tingxue's vision went black upon seeing this comment.
What a joke!
She had nothing to do with Fu Yuchuan!
However, a photo that followed directly slapped her in the face!