Everyone was truly dumbfounded.

No one had expected Lu Yicheng to step forward and say all of this. In these kinds of rumours, the men involved almost invariably kept their mouths shut — they simply never spoke up. Most of the time it was the woman, or the woman’s circle of friends, who came forward to explain. The men seemed perfectly content to remain above the fray. But Lu Yicheng had spoken. He admitted that he had developed feelings for Jiang Ruoqiao long ago, and he admitted that after her breakup with Jiang Yan, he had been rather abrupt in pursuing her.

The forum post kept getting bumped back to the top —

【Are you kidding me!! A real man!! I used to not fully accept the “campus heartthrob” title on him, but from today onwards, I declare — I’m convinced!! 】

【I think he simply did what any decent man would do. We don’t need to blow this out of proportion. The reason people feel he’s so admirable is entirely because of how low the bar is set by comparison. Some men are truly something else — cowardly and useless. And honestly, I’m baffled by the whole thing to begin with. Lu Yicheng was pursuing Jiang Ruoqiao. Jiang Ruoqiao had already broken up with Jiang Yan. How on earth did that become “she’s two-timing”? (I am so tired of narratives that portray men as the hapless victims)】

【Exactly — I’m confused too. I can’t make sense of the tone of the Weibo comments. Let me quietly say: if Jiang Ruoqiao weren’t straight, and if I weren’t straight, I’d like her too! There’s absolutely no need for all this public shaming. In a situation involving three people, why on earth does the woman end up as the one being criticised and condemned at the end of it? Did Jiang Ruoqiao hold a knife to those two men’s throats, forcing them to like her, forcing them to fall out with each other? Hilarious.】

【Foreign Languages students!! Listen to me!! This is a matter involving our own faculty. Regardless of how you personally feel about Jiang Ruoqiao — whether you like her or not — she’s being targeted by outsiders right now. We need to stand together and not let one of our own be bullied. Because if we don’t, people are going to think the Foreign Languages Department has no backbone. Understood??】

【I’m heading to Weibo right now. Allies, come quickly. You know what to do.】

That night was destined to be anything but quiet.

All of Jiang Ruoqiao’s friends were on the front lines watching the situation unfold, and naturally they spotted Lu Yicheng’s post at the first opportunity. While buzzing with shock, they all messaged and called Jiang Ruoqiao simultaneously. Jiang Ruoqiao struggled her way onto the forum and found the post. Her eyes came to a stop. When she reached the line in the original post — “I admired and was drawn to Jiang” — her nose began to sting. In truth, she had planned to stay quiet through this whole incident. The worst outcome she had prepared herself for was a banned account and losing the Outstanding Student nomination. She hadn’t expected that he would go online and post this — and still be naïve enough to invite everyone to blame him instead.

You blockhead!!

The biggest, most hopeless blockhead in the world!!!

She had no way of knowing how public opinion would shift from here. It was out of her hands.

She wanted to call Lu Yicheng. She dialled out, then for reasons she couldn’t quite explain, fumbled and hung up in a panic.

What would she even say to him?

Ask him why he posted that?

Wasn’t the answer obvious? He simply didn’t want her to be misunderstood, so he did what little he could.

But he didn’t know — what he thought was a small gesture felt to her like a rushing tide of unstoppable force.

She sent him a WeChat message: 【.】

Just a full stop.

Lu Yicheng seemed to live inside his WeChat, because he replied instantly: 【I’m sorry.】

Jiang Ruoqiao: 【?】

Is “I’m sorry” your personal catchphrase?

Lu Yicheng: 【I should have been more rational then. More careful. I shouldn’t have impulsively sent you breakfast — it’s what led to people misunderstanding you.】

Even though there hadn’t been a better solution at the time, looking back now he still felt regret — regret for having been so impulsive and leaving behind this problem.

On her end, Jiang Ruoqiao pressed her lips together with a smile.

The warmth in her eyes was genuine.

What kind of person was Lu Yicheng? It seemed like every time something happened, his first instinct was to examine himself and take the blame.

Yet he hadn’t actually done anything wrong, had he? If he hadn’t come out and sent her that breakfast, the things those people were saying would probably have been even worse.

At least he had stepped forward. From beginning to now, he had been unwavering — never once thinking of staying silent or running away.

Jiang Ruoqiao: 【Nothing of the sort. Thank you, genuinely.】

Lu Yicheng: 【I only did what I should have.】

He couldn’t bear to receive her thanks.

He had only done what he felt was right.

In truth, the atmosphere between the two of them through the phone felt oddly charged, and even Jiang Ruoqiao on her end held her breath. It really was… the kind of moment perfectly suited for a confession.

Would Lu Yicheng say something?

He wouldn’t.

And indeed, Lu Yicheng was thinking exactly the same thing. Even if there were something to say, now was not the time — saying it now would be taking advantage of the situation. He meant exactly what he had written: he had simply done what needed to be done. He didn’t deserve her thanks, and he didn’t feel as though he had done anything particularly worthy. If he were to say he liked her right now, he would feel like a despicable person.

If there was something to be said, he wanted to say it when things were calm, when life was good.

Perhaps on a sunny day. Perhaps on a rainy one.

He was waiting for her answer, and he wanted her reply — whether it was yes or no — to come from her true heart, undistorted by anything else.

A few minutes passed. Jiang Ruoqiao came back to herself, then covered half her face with her hand, laughing at her own expense.

She was being a blockhead too.

Was now the time to be thinking about romance? Of course not!

Jiang Ruoqiao replied: 【Okay.】

Really, compared to the original story, this was already so much better.

What had happened in the original story — that had been a genuine mudslinging campaign, genuinely vicious.

By comparison, what was this? Barely a drizzle. Nothing to be afraid of.

She couldn’t help herself and sent one more message: 【Do you believe me? I won’t give them what they want.】

Do you believe me?

She stared steadily at the screen. The status above showed “typing…” for a long, long time — so long that she almost thought he was writing her an essay. Then three words came back: 【I believe you.】

Of course he believed her.

Someone who, at the moment Siyan arrived — when she should have been panicking and overwhelmed — instead adapted as quickly as possible and took on her responsibilities without hesitation.

Someone who, moments after crying her heart out, could dry her eyes, compose herself, and calmly and methodically arrange for a family member’s hospitalisation and surgery.

Someone whose hands were shaking, yet still managed to sign her name steadily on a medical consent form.

How could he not believe her?

He believed in her — that no matter the circumstances, she would stand back up.

He also believed that she didn’t truly need anyone to prop her up or carry her. But he still hoped that he could stand beside her, if only to say, in a moment like this: “I believe you.”

……

That night, the vast majority of people were discussing the post Lu Yicheng had made.

Students from university A, and particularly those from the Foreign Languages Department, took it upon themselves to head to that Weibo post and clear Jiang Ruoqiao’s name, and they turned the tide of public opinion quickly. Jiang Ruoqiao also had her own connections. Even though the original person had posted anonymously, in an age of big data, no one could truly hide behind a screen. Jiang Ruoqiao just wanted to confirm one thing: who exactly was the knife that had cut her in the original story?

Lin Kexing had naturally heard about the incident too.

She was a little surprised. She hadn’t expected someone to go out of their way to anonymously post about Jiang Ruoqiao.

Lately she had been tormented by everything surrounding Jiang Yan — torn between his words on one hand, and unable to stop herself from checking on Jiang Ruoqiao on the other, wanting to see whether the two of them had reconciled. She knew it was wrong of her, and she desperately wanted to break this habit of following Jiang Ruoqiao’s account. But she couldn’t stop herself. She had vented about it to Chen Yuan, saying she never wanted to see Jiang Ruoqiao’s account again — and then a few days later, this happened to Jiang Ruoqiao.

She watched people’s comments attacking Jiang Ruoqiao in the thread.

Beneath her shock, there was also a feeling she couldn’t name — a certain lightness.

Because Jiang Ruoqiao was the person Jiang Yan liked, and because she herself liked Jiang Yan, she had always felt she couldn’t measure up to Jiang Ruoqiao. Why else would Jiang Yan never notice her?

But this lightness came with a guilt that made her uneasy.

She knew she shouldn’t feel this way.

After all, Jiang Ruoqiao hadn’t done anything wrong.

Right as the wave of attention reached its peak — three hours after Lu Yicheng had posted — deep in the night, Jiang Yan also posted on the forum:

【Hello everyone. My name is Jiang Yan.

I am the other person involved in this situation. I hadn’t intended to say anything, but seeing so many people questioning Jiang, I feel I have a responsibility to come forward and clarify things on her behalf.

I apologise. Throughout the time we were together, I failed to do anything meaningful for her. Instead, because of this relationship, she has faced so much trouble.

Ruoqiao, I’m sorry. Truly sorry.

There is something Ruoqiao helped me conceal. Her friends didn’t say anything either. And I, selfish as I was, chose not to bring it up myself. But now I want to say it.

There was another reason we broke up.

I had no sense of boundaries. While we were together, I failed to maintain a proper distance from other girls, and ultimately caused irreparable damage.

From beginning to end, I was the one who wronged her. If there is anyone who deserves reproach right now, it is me. She did nothing wrong.

I’m sorry!】

Lu Yicheng knew something, and so did Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan knew that Jiang Ruoqiao was competing for the Outstanding Student award.

Thinking it over carefully — throughout their relationship, he had done nothing for her. Now that Lu Yicheng had stepped forward, if he continued to say nothing, what did that make him?

He just wanted her to feel that he wasn’t entirely worthless.

—