“It was her! She told me Vivian Wen had bad morals! She lied to me!”
Arthur Yao had completely lost control. His voice cracked as he dragged Bianca Fang by the arm, desperation twisting his face.
“I was deceived—misled! Please, Dean, Minister, give me one more chance! I swear it will never happen again!”
He was panicking, clawing at any chance to save himself, trying to shove all the blame onto Bianca in hopes of redemption.
Bianca struggled violently, shrieking, “You’re lying! I never said that! Why would I ever look twice at an old, fat man like you? You forced me!”
Her words snapped what little composure Arthur had left.
With a furious snarl, he slapped her hard across the face.
Bianca stumbled and fell, clutching her swollen cheek as tears streamed down.
“You hypocrite!” Arthur shouted, trembling with rage. “You were the one who threw yourself at me—tempting me like a snake!”
“I didn’t! I didn’t!” she cried, voice cracking, mascara running down her face.
Arthur lunged again, but the others in the room quickly restrained him.
Moments later, several security guards rushed in, grabbed him by both arms, and dragged him out of the office like a criminal.
And just like that, the chaos ended.

Vivian Wen stood frozen in place, still trying to process what had just happened.
Minutes ago, she had been on the verge of expulsion—
and now, everything had turned upside down.
It was surreal.
Too sudden.
Almost impossible.
Someone must have intervened.
But who?
As Victor Wen and Minister Liang prepared to leave, Victor passed by Vivian.
He glanced sideways, his lips curving into a sly smile—and winked.
Vivian blinked, dumbfounded.
They’d never even met before.
Why did he look at her… as if he knew her?
She walked out of the administration building, thoughts spinning.
Among all the people she knew, only Mike Lu—her gaming partner—had both the connections and confidence to pull something like this off.
He had told her last night that “those people wouldn’t stay smug for long.”
Had he done it?
But if so… why didn’t he tell her?
Either way, someone had helped her.
And gratitude, she decided, should never go unsaid.
Standing on the sunlit steps outside the building, Vivian pulled out her phone and sent a message.
Vivian Wen: “It’s over. Everything’s fine now. Thank you.”
Thousands of miles away, in a quiet dorm room in the U.S., Mike Lu frowned at his screen, puzzled.
He had no idea what she was talking about—
but seeing her relieved made him smile.
Mike Lu: “That’s great. When I get back, we’ll celebrate.”

Two days later, the university released an official statement.
The chief dean was demoted.
Arthur Yao and Bianca Fang were expelled.
Bianca’s past three “national first-class scholarships” were revoked, and the titles were rightfully awarded to Vivian Wen.
The news exploded across campus.
The student forum was ablaze—
some claimed they had long suspected an affair between Yao and Bianca,
others condemned the corruption that tainted academia.
But no one—no one—questioned Vivian’s qualifications.
Her talent and record spoke louder than gossip ever could.
Students who had once believed the rumors now lowered their heads in shame when they passed her in the halls.

As for Bianca Fang—
she packed her belongings in silence.
When she walked out the university gates under the weight of countless stares and whispers,
her face was pale, but her eyes…
burned with venom.
She hated Vivian Wen.
Everything—her fall, her humiliation, her expulsion—
was Vivian’s fault.
If not for her, Bianca would still be the department’s golden girl.
She was grinding her teeth in rage when a red sports car screeched to a stop in front of her.
The tinted window slid down.
A woman with heavy makeup and designer sunglasses looked her over.
“So, you’re Bianca Fang?”
Bianca frowned. “Who are you?”
The woman’s lips curled into a knowing smile. “Kicked out by Vivian Wen, huh?”
Bianca froze.
How did this stranger know about that?
The woman—Helen Zhao—had, of course, planted her eyes and ears all over campus.
And after the recent scandal, Vivian’s name was on everyone’s lips.
Helen didn’t even have to ask.
“Who are you?” Bianca demanded again, her voice wary.
“Who I am doesn’t matter,” Helen said smoothly. Her eyes gleamed with calculation.
“What matters is—I know how to ruin Vivian Wen. Completely.”
She paused, tapping the steering wheel with one manicured finger.
“Work with me.”
Bianca’s lips twitched.
She let out a bitter laugh.
So I’m not the only one who hates her.
She hesitated for only a moment before dragging her suitcase to the car.
When she rapped lightly on the trunk, Helen smirked through the rearview mirror and popped it open.
Bianca tossed her luggage inside, then slid into the passenger seat.
Helen extended a perfectly manicured hand toward her.
“I like a woman who makes quick decisions,” she said with a smile. “Pleasure doing business with you.”
Bianca gave a cold, crooked grin and shook it.
“Pleasure.”

That night, Vivian Wen was in the middle of an online match when her phone buzzed.
The caller ID flashed across the screen—
Simon Min.