Chapter 77

You Changqing was sleeping deeply and had no idea that Shen Lihuan had gone out for a bit last night. When she woke up in the morning, she didn’t sense anything strange. After some playful whining and clinging, she finally got a kiss from Shen Lihuan, and only then did she get out of bed with her, satisfied, to wash up.

521 saw the new owner kissing a girl and quickly covered its eyes. Although it had seen Qin Aocheng flirt with other women before, it knew it shouldn’t watch indecent things, so it had always blocked out Qin Aocheng and his escapades.

Besides, it couldn’t stand Qin Aocheng’s sleazy behavior, and was quite disgusted by things like kissing or sex. But now, seeing the new owner kissing her girlfriend, it actually found the scene to be beautiful.

Turns out it’s not desire that’s filthy, but the people who act on it.

Men like Qin Aocheng, who think only with their lower halves, are the ones who taint something as sacred as a kiss or intimacy.

After washing up, the two girls shouldered their backpacks and went downstairs for breakfast. After greeting the elders, they sweetly served each other food like gluey lovebirds.

Thinking about how worried her dad had been last night, Shen Lihuan scooped up a bowl of mushroom and lean pork congee for Shen Jiashu, carefully placed it in front of him with both hands, and said, “Dad, this lean pork congee is really good. Try some.”

Shen Jiashu gave her a sideways glance and smiled. He picked up the bowl and took a spoonful, tasting it carefully. “Not bad. Tasty.”

Shen Lihuan immediately beamed a big smile.

Gu Qinglan sharply sensed something and looked at the father-daughter pair curiously. “Are you two hiding something from us? You’ve been acting a bit strange.”

Hearing this, Gu Tingyu also gave them a probing look. Shen Lihuan leaned over and bumped his shoulder. “Little Uncle, are you always this nosy?”

Her movement was light, and Gu Tingyu didn’t feel much. He just covered his arm and grinned sneakily.

Shen Jiashu calmly continued drinking his congee and casually picked up a dumpling for Gu Qinglan. “Don’t overthink it. If there’s something going on, I’ll tell you.”

Seeing her daughter and husband looking calm and unbothered, Gu Qinglan figured she might be overthinking things and didn’t pursue it further. She lowered her head and took a bite of the dumpling her husband had picked out for her.

After swallowing a spoonful of warm congee, Shen Lihuan said, “Mom, Dad, in about a month we’ll be able to go see little brother at the hospital, right?”

Talking about the newest member of the family brought a smile to Gu Qinglan’s face. “Actually, we could’ve gone to the hospital to see him when I was a little over three months pregnant. I already called the doctor—he said our second child is developing well. His arms and legs are already growing. He’ll call again in a few days to let us know when we can come.”

Shen Lihuan’s peach blossom eyes lit up. “That’s great! I can start doing prenatal education for my little brother.”

Gu Tingyu blinked. “So what you’re saying is—I’m about to have a little nephew?”

“Oh gosh, I forgot to tell you. My brain’s a mess.”

Gu Qinglan slapped her forehead in frustration. “This child was something we applied to have at the hospital over two months ago. So much has been going on lately, I completely forgot to tell you.”

“It’s fine. Better late than never.”

Gu Tingyu waved it off without much care. “Then I’m coming with you to visit my little nephew. Gotta start bonding early, let him know I’m his uncle.”

“Alright, we’ll all go together when the time comes. He’ll be happy to know he has so many people who care about him.”

Gu Qinglan smiled as she said this.

Shen Jiashu imagined what his youngest son might look like—probably a blend of himself and Qinglan. Of course, if he ended up looking like their daughter, he’d be just as happy. No matter what the boy looked like, he’d love him just the same.

Little did Shen Jiashu know that he was about to be completely slapped in the face by reality.

After breakfast, Shen Lihuan and You Changqing got into the car heading for Ming High. It was Monday again, and the school was as lively as ever. Since Shen Lihuan had gained some fame from the last competition, quite a few classmates greeted her blushingly on the way to class.

You Changqing pouted and pinched Shen Lihuan’s waist. “Hmph!” Such a flirt magnet.

Knowing she was jealous again, Shen Lihuan casually stuffed one hand into her pocket and used the other to wrap around You Changqing’s waist, clearly declaring their relationship to everyone around.

No one at Ming High was dumb—anyone could see what was going on between the two. They sighed inwardly that all the good women were into girls now, but wisely chose not to get in their way.

When they entered the classroom, their classmates greeted them. Shen Lihuan responded with a smile. You Changqing, always reserved in public, simply nodded and returned the greeting with a bland “Good morning.”

Their classmates were used to her cold personality and didn’t mind. They continued with their own business. Shen Lihuan pulled out a tissue to wipe You Changqing’s desk and chair before letting her sit down. The way she behaved like a perfect girlfriend made Cheng Ziqian jealous—he and Bo Wen’an had grown up together, yet he’d never seen Bo Wen’an treat him this sweetly.

Noticing Cheng Ziqian’s envious gaze, You Changqing sat down with a smile. Oh well, even if a bunch of bees and butterflies swarmed around Shen Lihuan, she would never look at anyone else—she was the only one Shen Lihuan loved.

Still, even though she knew that deep down, being a little jealous now and then added some spice. It also reminded Lihuan that she didn’t like others hovering around her. And just now, Lihuan had done great—clearly asserting her claim to everyone. She was quite satisfied.

A flurry of thoughts ran through You Changqing’s mind, finally ending with a contented smile. Shen Lihuan had no idea she’d imagined so much in just a few seconds. If you asked her, she didn’t care what other people thought of her—only the opinions of those she cared about mattered. If outsiders ever tried to affect her, she wouldn’t bother smiling at them.

If Changqing really minded others buzzing around her, she’d just glare them away—no need for words. Even if the entire school banded together, they couldn’t compare to a single finger of Changqing’s.

Starting from the first period—Physics—they had an exam. So during morning reading time, Shen Lihuan and You Changqing couldn’t whisper to each other anymore. They behaved and quietly reviewed the key points in their textbooks.

The physics teacher, Ms. Chen, had already returned to teaching. After what happened with Wang Qingqing last time, she deeply reflected on her own mistakes. Now, even when students struggled to understand no matter how she explained, she stayed calm and patient, explaining the concept thoroughly until they grasped it.

It had to be said—Ms. Chen, with her improved temper, was now much more well-liked by the students.

She handed out the test papers through the group leaders and said, “This exam is to test your learning over the past two-plus months. Many of the questions are ones we’ve practiced before, so you’d better watch out. If there’s any question I’ve taught and you still get it wrong, then you’ll have to copy the entire test three times for me.”

Quite a few students shivered slightly at her words and lowered their heads in silence. Please, dear heavens, let me pass this test.

Shen Lihuan and You Changqing exchanged a smile as they took the papers passed down to them. Their grades were decent, but they still had to stay alert—Ms. Chen was known for putting traps in her questions. One careless mistake, and they’d be copying until their hands fell off.

The physics exam lasted two hours. When it ended, some students looked confident, some looked anxious, and others quickly left it behind—they figured there was no point worrying when grades weren’t even out yet.

There was a 15-minute break after the test. Cheng Ziqian was sneaking a look at his phone when he suddenly lunged toward You Changqing. Shen Lihuan quickly pulled You Changqing aside to dodge. Bo Wen’an’s eyes darkened instantly. Cheng Ziqian ended up sprawled on You Changqing’s desk, but he didn’t mind—he stood up excitedly and said, “Changqing! Justice! That scumbag Qin Aochen is done for!”

He had been furious yesterday seeing those idiots online attacking Changqing. Although Changqing always seemed indifferent in public, he considered her a friend. Watching her be insulted so unfairly infuriated him. He couldn’t out-argue Qin Aochen’s rabid fans alone, so all he could do was spam hate comments on Qin Aochen’s social media.

Now that Qin Aochen had finally fallen, he felt incredibly vindicated.

You Changqing had no idea what he was charging over for, but when she heard that, a smile bloomed on her face. “Really?”

She instinctively glanced at Shen Lihuan. Lihuan had mentioned getting revenge for her just the other day—had she already made a move? That was fast.

Shen Lihuan gave a small smirk, as if everything had gone just as expected.

“Yeah, remember how they said Huo Ran was doing drugs? Turns out Qin Aochen framed him. Now Huo Ran’s name has been cleared and he’s been released from prison. His fans found out he was framed by Qin Aochen and now they’re so mad they want to kill him. Qin Aochen’s Social media is a bloodbath.”

Cheng Ziqian handed his phone to You Changqing. “Look for yourself—he’s already been arrested. And those dumb fans of his actually had the nerve to curse you out? I can’t believe people stan someone with no morals.”

You Changqing scrolled through the news on the phone. Seeing that Qin Aochen had indeed been arrested, she felt immense satisfaction. She turned and gave Shen Lihuan a kiss on the cheek. “Lihuan, thank you for standing up for me.”

Cheng Ziqian looked at Shen Lihuan in sudden realization. “Ohhh—so you were behind all this? Damn, you’re amazing. Protecting your girlfriend like a boss.”

You Changqing smiled even sweeter at that. Shen Lihuan ruffled her hair. “Of course I was. And those people who insulted you—I won’t let them off either. What, you think just because they hide behind the internet I can’t find out who they are?”

She gave a mocking snort.

【521】immediately chimed in excitedly: “Don’t worry, Master! I can track their IP addresses online and dig up all their personal info too!”

Shen Lihuan praised 【521】in her mind, making it so happy it spun in circles.

Cheng Ziqian gave her a thumbs-up. “Damn. Savage.”

The exposure of Qin Aochen framing Huo Ran caused a massive uproar, sending shockwaves through the entire entertainment industry.

> “Holy sh*t! That scumbag Qin needs to die!!! I knew someone as decent as Ranran couldn’t be doing drugs—it was all Qin’s dirty tricks!”

> “Qin Aochen needs to die! How is someone like that even allowed in the industry? Just because Huo Huo was more popular, he had to ruin him? How black is his heart?!”

> “I don’t stan anyone, but this is seriously disgusting. Qin Aochen is morally bankrupt. How do people still support someone like that?”

> “I don’t believe it! Someone must be jealous of Chenchen winning Best Male Singer and framed him! Until it’s officially confirmed, I’m not buying it!”

> “Ha! Framed? Qin fans, please. Huo Ran’s already been released—if he wasn’t innocent, how could that even happen? How is that not proof?”

> “To the person above: never try to wake someone pretending to be asleep. Even with hard proof, they’ll still act like Qin is some innocent flower who was framed.”

> “I want to cry… Huo Huo must’ve suffered so much. He’s gotten so skinny, and he looks exhausted. What did he do wrong? Just being talented?”

> “Back when this all broke out, so many people mocked him. You internet bullies don’t owe him an apology? And those ex-fans who turned around to bash him—shouldn’t you be apologizing too? You didn’t even understand your idol and just followed the crowd. People like you don’t deserve to be Huo Huo’s fans!”

When the drug scandal first hit, only Huo Ran’s most devoted fans stood by him. The rest unfollowed, saying they’d supported the wrong person, and some even turned into haters who kept bashing him. That time came to be known as “Black Week” among Huo Ran’s fanbase. Remembering it still hurt. If Qin Aochen hadn’t been caught, Huo Huo might have spent years behind bars. What future would he have after that?

A celebrity who’s done time—who would dare support someone like that? The stigma might follow him for life. His entire future would’ve been destroyed.

Back then, Huo Huo had even praised Qin Aochen for his talent and helped promote him. And yet Qin Aochen repaid kindness with betrayal, sending Huo Huo to prison. What a fine example of a “grateful junior”—just perfect!

After walking out of prison, Huo Ran looked up at the bright sky and suddenly smiled. So this is what freedom feels like. He could finally understand that feeling.

Huo Ran’s manager burst into tears as she hugged him, heart aching at the sight of his messy hair and scruffy beard. “Thank heaven, you’ve finally been released and proven innocent.”

Who knew her artist better than she did? Huo Ran had always been extremely health-conscious—he didn’t even dare eat spicy food. How could he possibly touch something as dangerous as drugs? But the evidence had been so damning that she had no way to help, only able to watch as he was taken away.

Fortunately, justice prevailed, and the person who framed Huo Ran was caught.

Thinking of this, the manager quickly wiped her tears. “Huo Huo, you really have to thank Miss Shen this time. If she hadn’t found the evidence, you’d still be stuck in there.”

Although Huo Ran was a little puzzled as to who this “Miss Shen” was, he didn’t rush to ask. Instead, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and gently helped wipe the tears from his manager’s face. “I’m fine. I didn’t suffer much in there.”

When a crowd of reporters suddenly swarmed toward them, the manager quickly pulled Huo Ran into the car. The driver floored the gas and sped away from the press. Frustrated at missing the interview, the reporters stomped their feet in annoyance.

“You have no idea—it was that scumbag Qin Aochen who set you up. Just because of that Best Male Singer award. Everyone thought you’d win, and in order to take you down, he went straight for the kill. I swear, I wish I could shoot him right between the eyes.”

Her eyes were full of hatred. She had worked with Huo Ran for over a decade and already considered him family. What Qin Aochen did to him—she wanted nothing more than to tear him apart with her bare hands.