After Mistaking My Stepsister’s First Love - Chapter 34

The moment she saw the person, Ye Wenjin was utterly bewildered.

She mentally reviewed all her memories since enrolling, but couldn’t recall a single instance of conflict with He Wenxi.

She was certain there had never been any animosity between them.

So why would the other girl slander her?

What struck Ye Wenjin as even more absurd were the so-called “evidence” just a few ambiguous-looking photos.

To her, disproving them would be easy. All she needed was to call Aunt Wu over, and her innocence could be proven without a doubt.

So what was the point of this? How could He Wenxi be so sure the photos depicted the truth?

If she couldn’t be certain, wouldn’t He Wenxi be the one left in a passive position once Ye Wenjin cleared her name?

Ye Wenjin was completely baffled. Frowning at He Wenxi, she couldn’t understand why the other girl was so determined to push forward with this.

Meanwhile, He Wenxi was indeed starting to feel uneasy, especially when she noticed how many people were in the office. A sense of foreboding crept over her.

She had initially assumed Teacher Guan called her in to discuss the situation, but now it seemed things had taken an unexpected turn.

Her expression shifted slightly. After casting a glance at Ye Wenxi, who seemed lost in thought, He Wenxi lowered her eyes and reluctantly followed Teacher Guan into the office.

Back in the dance studio, the rehearsal had been paused when Ye Wenjin was called away, but she hadn’t returned for a long time.

Speculation began to spread. Everyone had noticed the woman in uniform heading to the office and wondered if it had something to do with Ye Wenjin.

Now, not only had Ye Wenjin not returned, but He Wenxi had also been summoned. The chatter in the dance studio grew even louder.

With the teacher absent and two students missing, the rehearsal couldn’t proceed. Everyone switched into full gossip mode.

Rong Yunshu was also keeping an eye on the situation. She considered going to the office to see what was happening, but doubted she’d learn anything useful. For now, she decided to stay put and monitor the forum for updates.

The teachers had no time to worry about the dance studio. Instead, the atmosphere in the office had shifted noticeably with He Wenxi’s arrival.

The tension made He Wenxi’s stomach tighten, but she forced herself to remain composed on the surface.

When the dean saw her, his brow furrowed slightly. “This student—”

Teacher Guan quickly interjected, “Dean, her surname is He.”

The dean nodded and continued, “Miss He, did you take these photos?”

He Wenxi’s heart skipped a beat as she looked at the photos. She shook her head. “Dean, I didn’t take them.”

Her answer made everyone frown.

The party secretary narrowed his eyes. “You didn’t take them? But you were the one who reported this, weren’t you? Miss He, are you aware of the consequences of making false accusations?”

He Wenxi paled slightly and hurriedly explained, “I didn’t take the photos, but I saw it happen with my own eyes. I hesitated about whether to speak up, but I happened to learn how important this performance is and didn’t want any issues to arise, so I decided to inform the teachers.”

Teacher Guan’s frown deepened. “He Wenxi, you said you ‘happened to learn’ about the performance’s importance. Where did you hear that?”

After a brief hesitation, He Wenxi lowered her head and said, “I overheard some teachers chatting about it. But I really didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”

The dean’s furrowed brows did not relax as she asked, “In that case, what about the photos? How do you explain them?”

He Wenxi hesitated even more visibly, but under the scrutiny of so many people, she had no choice but to confess, “The photos were found in my locker one day. I don’t know who put them there.”

Her explanation immediately struck everyone as uncomfortable. Despite He Wenxi’s efforts to clear her name, all the leaders and teachers present could see that her motives were far from pure.

And Teacher Guan felt this most acutely. After all, the two of them were direct competitors, and He Wenxi’s decision to report the incident at this critical moment made her intentions all too obvious.

Disappointment was unmistakable in Teacher Guan’s eyes.

Among the promising students she had mentored this year, there were only a few truly outstanding ones. Yet one of them had turned out to have such poor character, a good seedling gone astray.

One student framing another purely for personal gain, this was the last thing she, as a teacher, wanted to witness.

Teacher Guan’s heart was heavy, knowing that He Wenxi would undoubtedly face punishment.

The situation was now clear: He Wenxi had submitted so-called evidence and accused Ye Wenjin of misconduct out of personal motives. However, there were still some unresolved questions, such as the origin of the photos.

After a moment of contemplation, the dean said, “It seems the matter is quite clear now, Student Ye is indeed innocent. However, there are still some details that need to be investigated. Therefore, the disciplinary action against Student He will be announced after further discussion once the investigation is complete.”

As she spoke, her gaze drifted toward Jian Mo, as if seeking her opinion.

Yet after the dean finished speaking, Jian Mo remained silent for a long while.

Ye Wenjin stood obediently beside Jian Mo, pretending not to hear anything either.

She was no saint. After being falsely accused, she wasn’t about to let the matter slide so easily at the very least, she wanted to hear the specifics of He Wenxi’s punishment.

The dean had mentioned waiting for the investigation to conclude, but there was no clear timeline. How long would the investigation take? Until after the performance?

Ye Wenjin understood the leaders’ intentions, they wanted to minimize the fallout. Rehearsals had already been underway for some time, and replacing someone now would cause disruptions. But she wasn’t willing to just let it go.

In the past, for the sake of the bigger picture, she might have endured it. But now, with her sister by her side, the courage she had long lost returned. Ye Wenjin wanted justice for herself.

The office fell into an uneasy silence, with no one speaking for a while.

When it became clear that Jian Mo wasn’t going to respond, the dean realized that without a resolution today, the other party wouldn’t let the matter rest. This only deepened her dissatisfaction with He Wenxi.

With a sigh, the dean was about to speak when she noticed Jian Mo lifting her head, her eyes fixed on He Wenxi. The dean’s heart skipped a beat.

He Wenxi, too, felt an undeniable gaze piercing through the silence. Unable to resist, she glanced up slightly, only to meet a pair of icy eyes.

The owner of those eyes was stunningly beautiful, but the look she directed at He Wenxi felt like a barrage of sharp arrows, making her breath catch.

When He Wenxi realized the woman was standing beside Ye Wenjin, she understood, this woman had been brought here by Ye Wenjin.

But who was she?

Jian Mo let out a soft, mocking laugh. “This student certainly has quite the acting talent. What a shame she chose dance.”

He Wenxi’s expression darkened, and she averted her eyes without a word.

Teacher Guan paused, hesitating before asking, “Miss Jian, what do you mean by that?”

At some point, Manager Wu had left the office, and now, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he reentered from outside, whispering to Jian Mo, “Miss, we’ve found out everything.”

Jian Mo took the phone, casually swiping through the screen with an inscrutable smile. “Guess what evidence is on here?”

He Wenxi’s eyelashes trembled slightly as a wave of unease suddenly surged in her heart.

But even if she wanted to play dead, she couldn’t ignore the questioning gazes of the higher-ups.

The dean and the party secretary exchanged glances, their expressions growing serious, realizing that the other party indeed had concrete evidence.

“Miss… Miss Jian, what evidence is it? Show it to everyone.”

The moment this address was uttered, the room fell silent.

Jian Mo acted as if she hadn’t noticed, lifting her gaze. “Miss He, was that 100,000 yuan easy to take?”

He Wenxi’s face paled, her eyes widening. “How dare you investigate me!”

Jian Mo’s eyes were calm, then she suddenly chuckled. “How dare I? Because the person you slandered is my legally married spouse. Is that reason sufficient?”

Her words left the room in stunned silence.

If Teacher Li had earlier been able to refute Manager Wu, claiming his words were one-sided, now the irrefutable evidence was laid bare before everyone.

Ye Wenjin and this Miss Jian were legally married spouses. And since they had witnessed Manager Wu acting on Jian Mo’s behalf, it was clear their relationship wasn’t what had been insinuated.

Hearing this truth, He Wenxi was rooted to the spot.

She had never imagined that Ye Wenjin was legally married to this woman. Even more shocking was that all the actions she thought were hidden had been uncovered by her.

How much had she found out? Did she know everything?

Only now did He Wenxi feel a wave of terror, almost suffocating her.

After a long silence, the party secretary sighed, breaking the tension.

“Time flies. I never thought Shen Xiyun’s child would already be married.”

The party secretary was likely the most familiar with Jian Mo among them, though back then, she hadn’t held her current position. Shen Xiyun had been one of her graduating students, and her name still adorned the alumni honor wall.

As for Jian Mo, aside from being Shen Xiyun’s child, she had established scholarships, invested in facilities, and sponsored performances. Her presence was everywhere, even if they rarely met in person. But that didn’t mean they didn’t know her.

They just hadn’t expected her to be married.

The dean now snapped back to attention, realizing this matter needed to be resolved swiftly.

“Miss Jian, how much more have you uncovered? As long as the evidence is solid, we will reach a decision on He Wenxi’s punishment today.”

Her words made it clear this wouldn’t be brushed aside lightly.

He Wenxi’s face turned deathly pale.

Meanwhile, Teacher Li and Teacher Yue exchanged nervous glances, both sensing trouble.

Jian Mo’s cold gaze swept over He Wenxi before settling on the two teachers.

“Someone instructed you to slander Ye Wenjin, didn’t they? They promised you quite a few benefits. They even told you about the importance of this performance and assured you the lead dancer role. Am I right?”

Though phrased as a question, her tone left no room for doubt.

Teacher Guan was also startled, but not by Jian Mo’s words rather, by her gaze. When Jian Mo spoke, her eyes weren’t fixed on He Wenxi. Instead, she was looking at… Teacher Li and Teacher Yue?

Could it be…?

He Wenxi’s lips trembled as she tried to refute, but her throat felt glued shut, rendering her speechless.

Moreover, Jian Mo wasn’t wrong.

She had indeed struck a deal. Upon learning the significance of this performance, she had resolved to secure the lead dancer role by any means necessary.

Even though everyone said the lead and supporting dancers were equally important, there was only one lead naturally, it drew more attention.

But He Wenxi also knew her biggest competitors were Ye Wenjin and Yi Huan, and between the two, she feared Ye Wenjin more.

Sure enough, the lead role had nearly gone to Ye Wenjin.

He Wenxi had a bad feeling. If Ye Wenjin performed as the supporting dancer, the spotlight on her would likely diminish by half.

She absolutely couldn’t tolerate that outcome, so she wasn’t innocent in framing Ye Wenjin.

In fact…

It wasn’t just the report. She had made other arrangements, and now…

He Wenxi suddenly clenched her fists.

At the same time, in the classroom, someone gasped, “Quick, check the forum!”

Rong Yunshu’s heart sank. She swiftly opened the forum and found an anonymous post filled with photos falsely accusing Ye Wenjin of being kept by a wealthy older woman. The post also claimed insider knowledge, spreading rumors that Ye Wenjin was an ingrate who refused to acknowledge her own mother…

Gossip was human nature, especially when the topic was this juicy.

The moment the post went up, hordes of curious students flooded in, instantly turning it into a trending thread.

Rong Yunshu cursed under her breath. Without hesitation, she bolted for the office.

Since Butler Wu was here, that woman would surely come too. Though she hated to admit it, this situation was beyond her alone but that woman.

She could handle it.

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