After Mistaking My Stepsister’s First Love - Chapter 35

Shangwu Academy’s forum had extremely high daily activity, and with students spreading rumors like wildfire, the gossip quickly gained traction.

In the short time it took Rong Yunshu to walk to the office, the post had already accumulated dozens of replies. Frowning deeply, she arrived at the office door and knocked without hesitation.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the office was unusually tense especially after Jian Mo finished speaking, leaving He Wenxi stiff-faced and utterly unable to refute her.

Seeing her like this, everyone understood immediately. The fact that He Wenxi had made a shady deal was now undeniable. Not only had she slandered Ye Wenjin, but the incident could even be traced back to the previous selection process.

Teacher Guan was both shocked and furious, staring at He Wenxi in disbelief. Yet no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t reconcile this version of He Wenxi with the polite, well-mannered student who used to greet teachers warmly.

Teacher Guan had to admit she, an adult, had failed to see the true nature of one of her own students.

Feeling deeply defeated, her spirits momentarily sank.

Jian Mo, who had been waiting for a response in vain, suddenly smiled though her smile was icy. “He Wenxi, why aren’t you saying anything? Is it because you have nothing left to say?”

Her lips curved upward, but her eyes held no trace of warmth, sending an inexplicable chill down the spines of those who saw it.

But Ye Wenjin wasn’t afraid. She had simply never seen this side of Jian Mo before, and now that she did, she found it intriguing.

Still, she understood. After all, Jian Mo was the head of a company, if she were too soft-spoken, the business would likely collapse.

Moreover, Jian Mo’s personality had never been particularly warm to begin with. This version of her actually aligned more closely with Ye Wenjin’s first impression.

To He Wenxi, however, this Jian Mo was nothing short of a terrifying demon, pressing her relentlessly.

That woman seemed capable of seeing right through her, stripping away every lie she might have told and forcing out secrets she thought were buried deep.

All the ugly truths had been laid bare. He Wenxi knew she was finished.

The lead dancer position and her future were gone.

Her mind buzzed, her ears ringing. For some reason, she suddenly remembered that day.

It had been an ordinary day, yet not entirely ordinary because she had received a strange text message. The sender had emphasized the importance of the performance and tempted her with a deal: if she helped with one thing, not only would she secure the lead dancer role, but she’d also receive a substantial sum of money.

That “one thing” was reporting Ye Wenjin.

He Wenxi had been skeptical at first, afraid that if the accusation turned out to be false, she’d be implicated.

But the sender had been so confident, insisting they had thoroughly investigated and that the claim was absolutely true.

Risk and opportunity always went hand in hand. With that assurance, He Wenxi decided to take the gamble.

Though she believed in her own abilities, she feared unexpected setbacks and to her, Ye Wenjin was exactly that kind of setback.

Sure enough, she secured the lead dancer position.

But when she later learned that Ye Wenjin had nearly been chosen instead, a surge of resentment and unease rose within her.

Ye Wenjin was incredibly skilled. Even if she wasn’t the lead, as a featured dancer, she would still draw plenty of attention.

And that would drastically reduce He Wenxi’s own chances of being noticed.

At that moment, she suddenly recalled the things she had overheard earlier and realized that Ye Wenjin and her mother didn’t get along. Seizing the opportunity, He Wenxi devised a plan to combine these two incidents and expose them together.

She couldn’t allow Ye Wenjin to participate in this performance. The best way was to disqualify her outright.

And someone with a tarnished reputation, riddled with negative rumors, would certainly be barred from performing.

This was her backup plan, but to ensure everything went smoothly, she had even discussed it with her accomplice.

The two hit it off immediately, and the other party even volunteered to handle the matter herself.

Before coming to the office, He Wenxi had no idea she was walking into a judgment. As planned, the forum post had already gone live.

Initially, when she realized her scheme had been exposed, He Wenxi panicked, fearing the consequences would further damage her.

But the woman had uncovered too much there was no way to turn the tables. She was doomed.

Now that things had come to this, an eerie calm settled over her.

He Wenxi would never admit her mistakes. She would only blame herself for trusting the wrong person and for being outmatched. Even if her fate was now disastrous, at least Ye Wenjin would suffer alongside her.

Even if they could clear their names, rumors were always easier to spread than to dispel.

She could already imagine the backlash Ye Wenjin would face.

A faint smirk curled at He Wenxi’s lips, her eyes glinting with defiance.

Butler Wu had been observing He Wenxi closely. Noticing the shift in her expression, he frowned slightly. “Miss, I fear she still has something up her sleeve.”

Jian Mo had also caught on, her expression turning even colder.

Just as she was about to speak, the office door was suddenly knocked on urgently.

The abrupt sound made everyone pause. They exchanged glances, puzzled about who could be arriving at this moment.

Ye Wenjin, who had been standing near the door, reflexively opened it when the knocking started. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Rong Yunshu standing outside.

“Yunshu? Why are you here too? Did the teacher call you?”

Rong Yunshu shook her head, her gaze sweeping across the room. Disgust flashed in her eyes when she spotted He Wenxi, but she visibly relaxed upon seeing a familiar figure.

“I came because a post suddenly appeared on the forum, claiming Wenjin is being kept as a mistress. There are also many other false accusations about her. The post has already gone viral.”

“What?!”

Everyone was stunned. No one had expected trouble to erupt on the forum as well.

The dean’s brow furrowed deeply. “Professor Guan, go find the forum administrator immediately and have the post taken down. No matter what, we can’t let these rumors spread further.”

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Professor Guan nodded and hurried out.

Meanwhile, Ye Wenjin had already pulled out her phone and opened the forum the moment Rong Yunshu mentioned it. Sure enough, a post marked with a blazing “HOT” label caught her eye.

She skimmed through the contents, her frown deepening.

Jian Mo took the phone from her and silently read the slanderous claims about Ye Wenjin.

She didn’t speak, but everyone could sense the storm brewing.

Things had somehow managed to get even worse.

The dean, who had never anticipated this turn of events, felt a headache coming on.

The silence didn’t last long.

Jian Mo’s calm tone seemed to conceal anger. “Aunt Wu, gather and preserve the evidence. The reposts and views have already met the threshold. Once the poster is identified, we’ll sue directly.”

Housekeeper Wu, equally furious after reading the post, suppressed her anger and left the office after acknowledging the order.

Rong Yunshu had initially worried that public opinion might turn against Ye Wenjin, but the atmosphere in the office eased her concerns.

Meanwhile, Ye Wenjin kept her eyes fixed on the forum. Though someone was handling the situation, she remained uneasy, monitoring the post’s trajectory while also ensuring evidence was preserved in real time.

Noticing her actions, Jian Mo turned to He Wenxi.

He Wenxi, now resigned to her fate, met Jian Mo’s gaze without fear.

Yet Jian Mo remained unprovoked. Instead, she said, “I have some rather interesting information here. Perhaps the dean would like to take a look.”

The dean, caught off guard by the sudden shift in focus, took the phone from her despite her confusion.

Her frown deepened as she read, and she shot a sharp glare at Teachers Li and Yue.

The two teachers stiffened under her gaze, already dreading what the information might reveal.

Their last shred of hope shattered the next moment.

“Utter foolishness! Teachers Li and Yue, you’ve both been here long enough. How could you stoop to something like this?”

Seeing the dean’s disappointment, Teacher Li panicked. Realizing the truth was out, she pleaded, “Dean, it was a momentary lapse in judgment, I didn’t mean it! Please give me another chance!”

Teacher Yue, though pale, remained composed. “I wasn’t confused. I knew exactly what I was doing but I needed the money.”

Her gaze swept over Ye Wenjin and He Wenxi. “This shouldn’t have been difficult. Among this year’s students, only these three stood out, with comparable skills. Even if He Wenxi got the lead role, it wouldn’t have raised eyebrows.”

She hadn’t expected Ye Wenjin to perform so brilliantly so well that they had to argue fiercely just to secure He Wenxi’s position.

When the list was released, they’d braced for Ye Wenjin’s backlash. Instead, it was Yi Huan who protested.

Relieved that Ye Wenjin remained silent, they thought the matter was settled.

But one intervention led to another. Once involved, they had no choice but to comply.

Besides, if Ye Wenjin could be disqualified, everyone would be satisfied.

At least then, Teacher Yue wouldn’t feel guilty every time she saw Ye Wenjin in class.

While Teacher Yue accepted her actions without remorse, Teacher Li grew increasingly agitated. Yet no matter how much she protested, the truth was out, punishment was inevitable.

For abusing their authority, both teachers faced foreseeable consequences.

This stain would follow them for life, barring them from ever teaching in higher education again.

Sacrificing their futures for money, would they regret it?

Even the secretary couldn’t hide her disappointment, promptly drafting disciplinary measures on the spot.

There was no doubt that both teachers would be dismissed. Moreover, as the offending parties, they would receive no compensation, and this misconduct would be truthfully recorded in their personnel files.

Such a grave mistake had effectively ruined their careers.

By this point, Teacher Li knew there was no room for reversal. She finally slumped onto the chair in defeat.

Yet, Jian Mo had no intention of letting it end there. “Who made the deal with you?”

Seeing that Teacher Li couldn’t answer, it was Teacher Yue who mustered the strength to reply, “We don’t know who that person is. They contacted us unilaterally.”

Jian Mo didn’t even furrow her brow as she slowly walked toward He Wenxi. “Who made the deal with you?”

After witnessing the fate of the two teachers, He Wenxi was both furious and terrified. Unable to suppress her fear, she couldn’t help but cling to a sliver of hope when Jian Mo questioned her. “If I tell you, will you let me go?”

Jian Mo chuckled lightly. “I’m merely giving you a chance to confess, but it seems you don’t want it.”

He Wenxi understood her meaning, her face twisting momentarily. “Ha! Aren’t you so good at investigating? Then go investigate! I won’t say a word.”

Seeing her stubbornness, Jian Mo lost interest in pressing further. In truth, she already had some suspicions.

Standing up, Jian Mo turned to the dean and the others, speaking calmly, “Dean, now that the truth is out, the disciplinary measures for He Wenxi should be finalized today.”

The dean nodded, clearly overwhelmed by the situation. After a long pause, she said, “He Wenxi’s behavior is egregious. Therefore, her performance eligibility is revoked, and she will receive a formal reprimand…”

She glanced at Jian Mo as she spoke, noting her unchanged expression before continuing, “Additionally, she will be placed on probation. What does President Jian think?”

Jian Mo gave a faint smile. “The dean’s decision is fair.”

The dean sighed inwardly and instructed the department head to draft an announcement immediately.

He Wenxi stood frozen in place, seemingly dazed, but no one paid her any further attention.

At the same time, Teacher Guan returned. “Dean, the post has been deleted. However, the poster wasn’t a student from our school their account was hacked.”

The dean felt her headache worsen. “Have the administrators issue a statement immediately to clarify the facts.”

Teacher Guan nodded.

Hearing this, Ye Wenjin refreshed the page. Sure enough, the post was gone.

But though the post had disappeared, everyone knew the repercussions of this incident wouldn’t fade so easily.

At that moment, Butler Wu also returned to the office, whispering something to Jian Mo.

Jian Mo nodded calmly. “Since the matter is resolved, we won’t stay any longer.”

The dean had wanted to exchange pleasantries, but the thought of the trouble caused by the students and teachers made her head throb. She could only suggest meeting again another time.

Jian Mo neither agreed nor disagreed.

Seeing this, Ye Wenjin quickly approached Jian Mo. “Sister, let me walk you out.”

Jian Mo gave a soft hum, and the three of them turned to leave the office.

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