Chapter 51: The Self-Cultivation of a Canary (16)

"Leg."

Ling Qiong lifted her skirt and draped it directly over Shen Hanlan’s leg, her movement so natural it was as if she’d done it countless times before.

Shen Hanlan: “…”

He took a deep breath. “Ye Qingtang, do you have any sense of shame?”

“What?” What had she done now!

Shen Hanlan pressed on, “You’re doing this in front of a man?”

Ling Qiong glanced at her long, exposed leg, then looked at Shen Hanlan. “I’m wearing something underneath,” she said languidly, “Besides, what’s the big deal? There are plenty of girls outside in ultra-short shorts, half their backsides showing… Surely you’re not that old-fashioned?”

Shen Hanlan: “…”

Was this really a question of what she was or wasn’t wearing?

No, it was the fact that she could do such a thing in front of a man.

He took another deep breath, suppressing his anger, and began to remove the bandage from her leg.

…

With her injury, Shen Hanlan ordered her to rest until she’d recovered before returning to school, and instructed Kelly to keep an eye on her, giving her no opportunity to sneak out.

When Ling Qiong finally returned to school, she found herself the talk of the campus.

Photos of her and Shen Hanlan had been posted to the school forum. There were images of them eating together in the cafeteria and walking side by side at the lantern festival.

[Wow, I heard from a friend that she’s been doing that kind of thing outside. Could that man be Shen Hanlan?]

[Who’s Shen Hanlan?]

[He’s our academy’s new male idol, so handsome it’s almost a crime… though a bit cold.]

[Someone like her with Shen Hanlan? I bet she’s just shamelessly clinging to him.]

[Shen Hanlan? He’s impossible to get close to, and has a terrible temper.]

[Ye Qingtang is actually pretty…]

Ling Qiong scrolled through the comments—either accusing her of wild behavior or discussing Shen Hanlan’s notorious bad temper. Others were convinced she was the one pursuing him.

Some users pored over the photos, offering their own “analysis.”

[They’re standing so far apart in the photo—it’s obvious she forced herself on him.]

[My new idol would never be with a girl like that.]

[A girl like her is capable of anything.]

In the neighboring thread, someone was posting detailed accounts about her, as if they shadowed her with a recorder every day—so convincingly even Ling Qiong almost believed it.

She logged onto the forum and began typing out a post.

#Don’t mess with me, I’m capable of anything#

The title was bold and defiant.

The body was brief: malicious slander and defamation harming her reputation would be met with a legal letter.

[Front row.]

[Wow, first time catching the gossip as it drops. She’s pretty bold!]

[Trying to attract attention with threats of legal action? That’s hilarious.]

[Oh, I’m so scared. Waiting for my legal notice.]

[There’s all kinds in this world—who does she think she is, threatening with a lawyer’s letter? I’d be more worried about embarrassing myself.]

But Ling Qiong had nothing to fear.

She was, after all, entirely innocent.

So when someone actually received a lawyer’s letter, the forum was stunned.

The school forum was anonymous, but by suing both the forum and its users, Ling Qiong could get the account information. Registration required student ID numbers, so it was easy to track people down.

With their real identities, she could take legal action.

She’d even had dealings with one of them before: the original Ye Qingtang’s “fake friend”—Jiang Yao.

Most of the posts about her on the forum had been started by Jiang Yao.

Now that Ling Qiong was suing, unless they could prove every rumor was true, they were at a dead end.

But how could they prove it? Neither Ling Qiong nor the original owner had done any of the things described. Apart from a few photos with Shen Hanlan, they had nothing.

[Wait, she’s really suing?]

[So, does that mean the rumors aren’t true?]

[Not necessarily—some people bluff and make noise to cover their guilt.]

[I think, since she’s standing her ground, the rumors are probably false.]

Jiang Yao never imagined Ling Qiong would actually sue.

Previously, no one had ever done that on the forum; instead, some victims had simply dropped out under the pressure.

Clearly, Ling Qiong wasn’t one to be cowed.

Whether or not she ultimately won, she’d already taken the upper hand.

Some who received the lawyer’s letter were intimidated and quickly posted public apologies. Others remained defiant, convinced they’d done nothing wrong and stood on the side of justice, refusing to bow to “evil forces.”

But how could they possibly win?

So her father liked to gamble—so what?

You can choose the life you lead, but not the parents you’re born to. The actions of parents don’t define their children.

Besides, her father was nowhere to be found these days.

If they didn’t settle, they might end up paying dearly themselves.

To ruin a young woman’s reputation so thoroughly that the whole school knew—

This school had nearly forty thousand students.

Even Jiang Yao eventually had to apologize, admitting everything she’d posted was fabricated, earning a storm of condemnation in return.

The school, worried the matter would make waves beyond campus, scrambled to smooth things over on both sides.

Ling Qiong insisted on a public apology to the entire school and a formal demerit for those involved.

Given the scale of the incident and her status as the victim, the school found her demands reasonable.

…

For several days, the campus broadcasts were all apologies to Ling Qiong.

Now, she was truly famous—no matter where she went, people stared.

A few days later, on her way to class, Ling Qiong ran into Jiang Yao.

Jiang Yao looked terrible, haggard and drawn.

Seeing Ling Qiong, she suddenly seemed to come alive, glaring at her with gritted teeth. “Are you satisfied now?”

Now she was the one being scorned.

Ling Qiong smiled sweetly and said, “Jiang, you’re the one who slandered and defamed me. I’m only reclaiming my own name—there’s nothing about satisfaction or not.”

Jiang Yao spat back, “Ye Qingtang, this isn’t over between us.”

“Hmm…”

Jiang Yao seemed to want to shoulder into Ling Qiong as she left, but Ling Qiong moved aside faster, dodging her.

Jiang Yao, missing her mark, staggered and nearly fell.

She spun around to glare at Ling Qiong.

Ling Qiong: “…” Really now, is this my fault too?

Jiang Yao’s glare was almost frightening, so Ling Qiong spoke up: “Sorry for not letting you bump into me.”

Jiang Yao: “…”

She nearly choked with rage and raised her hand as if to strike.

“Ye Qingtang.”

Not far away stood Shen Hanlan, his voice cold as ever.

Jiang Yao met his gaze, her raised hand suddenly frozen mid-air.

A chill surged up from her feet to her scalp, icy dread spreading through her body.

Ling Qiong flashed a smile at Jiang Yao, then turned and walked toward Shen Hanlan.

He withdrew his gaze and led her away.

Only when they’d disappeared did Jiang Yao feel the tension in the air ease.

Shen Hanlan…

Yes, that boy was stunning, but… he was terrifying, too.

—Little Fairy—

The above is pure fiction; please do not take any of it as reality.