With Liu Rui done, it was Xiao Mu’s turn. Judging by her timid demeanor she was much more reserved than Xiong Ziyao and Liu Rui which seemed to make her all the more sympathetic to the guys present.

She sat there, wiping tears from her face, and finally spoke. “I…I put my own phone in Liu Rui’s bag.”

If Liu Rui’s confession earlier had caused an uproar, Xiao Mu’s statement brought an instant hush to the room. Xiong Ziyao looked at her in shock. “Xiao Mu, what are you saying?”

Xiao Mu seemed just as surprised by her own words. She opened her mouth to explain. “If you check her bag and find the phone in there, then everything I’ve stolen can be…” Her voice trailed off, and her once rosy cheeks turned pale. It seemed she couldn’t comprehend why she had said those things.

Xiong Ziyao wasn’t dumb. Connecting what Liu Rui had just said, she shot back angrily. “Are you trying to frame Liu Rui? So everything that’s gone missing in the dorm is your doing?”

If Xiao Mu had stayed silent at that moment, she might have salvaged the situation. But she couldn’t control herself, and a torrent of words spilled out. “I like Zhou Yaoyun too! Why does he only look at Liu Rui? I just wanted to frame her. He wouldn’t like a thief!”

Liu Rui, furious, stepped up and slapped Xiao Mu hard across the face. “You have no shame!” She tried to hit her again but was pulled back by several guys nearby.

Xiong Ziyao was angrier than Liu Rui. She had treated Xiao Mu like a little sister, but now Xiao Mu had slapped her hard, nearly driving her to madness.

Xiong Ziyao yelled. “What else are you hiding from me?”

Xiao Mu wanted to shut up, but she found herself responding to Xiong Ziyao’s question involuntarily. “I put glue in your milk, poured foot wash on your clothes, and stole your metro card to use. There are so many things… I can’t even remember them all.”

Xiong Ziyao felt like she was going to faint from rage. “Why would you do that? I’ve treated you so well! Why would you do this?”

Xiao Mu retorted, “Treated me well? What good is that? With you and Liu Rui around, Zhou Yaoyun doesn’t even glance at me. I wish you both would just disappear!”

At that moment, Ji Chenai glanced at his younger brother and noticed that the usual smile on Zhou Yaoyun’s face had vanished. He was now staring blankly at the three girls in the center of the living room.

Seeing this, Ji Chenai felt a sudden urge to laugh. Was this what they called a “disaster brought on by a beautiful face”?

Xiong Ziyao and Liu Rui were both furious. If it weren’t for others holding them back, Xiao Mu would probably have received a serious beating. But even without that, Xiao Mu was in no better shape, crying out in anguish, seemingly desperate and willing to answer any questions thrown at her.

Liu Rui pulled Xiao Mu’s phone from her bag and threw it at her. “Xiao Mu, let me make this clear, you’d better get the hell out of our dorm. If you don’t, I’ll call the cops and have them arrest you, you little thief!” After that, she blushed and quickly muttered an apology to Zhou Yaoyun before grabbing her bag and rushing out.

Xiong Ziyao followed closely behind Liu Rui, still unable to shake off her anger. “I can’t believe I mistook you for my sister, you disaster! Xiao Mu, don’t ever show your face in front of me again. I’ll hit you every time I see you!” She also apologized to the crowd before leaving after Liu Rui.

Xiao Mu sat silently on the sofa, alone as everyone around her whispered and cast disdainful glances in her direction.

She couldn’t understand why this was happening. Desperately, she looked at Zhou Yaoyun, but all she saw in his eyes was an icy coldness she had never encountered before.

“I’ll have someone take you back to the dorm.” Zhou Yaoyun said.

Xiao Mu shook her head in a daze. “Zhou Yaoyun, I like you.”

Zhou Yaoyun stared at her coldly and smiled, saying. “But I only like my brother.”

No more words came from Xiao Mu. Her eyes were filled with despair and pain as she picked up her bag and, unsteadily, walked out with another male student.

Zhou Yaoyun’s once-happy birthday had been abruptly cut short by this chaos. The plan for everyone to go karaoke later was overshadowed by the tension, and soon everyone dispersed.

Zhou Yaoyun, however, found some amusement in it all. As he began cleaning up the mess in the room, he remarked. “Looks like my brother enjoyed the show, huh?”

Ji Chenai felt a bit guilty and tried to change the subject. “Not really. Oh, by the way, the stir-fried celery with beef for lunch was really good.”

Zhou Yaoyun who had been facing away, turned around to glare at Ji Chenai. “Hmm?”

Ji Chenai sighed, “I just thought it was nice to see so many people care about Xiao Yaoyun. It makes me proud.”

Zhou Yaoyun asked. “So does my brother like me?”

Ji Chenai quickly nodded. “You’re the person I like the most, Xiao Yaoyun.”

Hearing this, Zhou Yaoyun finally looked satisfied and continued cleaning up.

Ji Chenai watched Zhou Yaoyun’s back, feeling an inexplicable sense of relief.

=^_^=