Chapter 29

The classroom they were in wasn’t located at the end of the hallway, and when Zhou Lu called her out of the classroom, it made quite a bit of noise.

Plus, both of them were well-known figures in the grade and even the whole school, so as they walked down the corridor after class, many students saw them.

It was probably then that someone with a gossiping nature notified Li Xi, and she came looking for them.

Although her current situation was vastly different from before, she had still offended quite a few people along the way. Even if she hadn’t directly offended anyone, her arrogant attitude was hard to ignore.

However, because of her strong demeanor, no one dared say anything directly to her, though there were always people gossiping behind her back.

This wasn’t surprising, of course. Once you become the center of attention, it’s impossible to please everyone.

However, Jiang Muti didn’t care about these busybodies.

It was Li Xi’s friend, though, that intrigued her.

With a half-smile, the girl looked at her and said, “Stealing someone’s childhood friend and boyfriend?”

“I’ve never heard such a thing before. Come on, enlighten me and let me expand my horizons.”

The girl was momentarily speechless, realizing she had misspoken in her rush. But now that the words were out, she had no choice but to continue.

She quickly emphasized, “Don’t twist my words. What I meant is, how do you feel about ruining someone’s friendship of so many years? Someone who can steal someone else’s boyfriend must be really low.”

“What was your attitude towards Qiao Yuqi at first? After being rejected, when someone bullied you, it was Li Xi who helped you. Yet instead of blaming the people who bullied you, you turned around and criticized Li Xi. Then you acted all high and mighty, looking down on her and Qiao Yuqi, avoiding them every chance you got.”

“If you could continue like this, I’d respect you, but once Qiao Yuqi became famous, what did you turn into? Don’t you think it looks ridiculous to change your attitude like that? I don’t know what you’ve been saying behind everyone’s back, but you’ve managed to make people who grew up together have such a long-standing cold war. Ten years of friendship and you’ve managed to ruin it. You should be a professional in stirring up trouble.”

The girl finished speaking and, seeing that Jiang Muti still wore an expression of amusement and was completely unaffected by her scolding, felt a pang of self-doubt. Obviously, Jiang Muti wasn’t even slightly ashamed of her actions.

The girl couldn’t help but admire Jiang Muti’s thick skin and thought that it was pointless to try to reason with someone like her.

She then opened the classroom door, and the confrontation between the two was now fully exposed to the people outside.

There were always people walking up and down the hallway, and at first, they had only curiously glanced over, but now some people had even stopped to watch.

The girl continued, “If you want to argue about Qiao Yuqi, maybe that can still be debated, but stealing someone’s boyfriend—that’s a fact, isn’t it?”

“You knew Zhou Lu already had a girlfriend, yet you went ahead and got engaged to him. You think because your family has money, you can disregard someone else’s feelings? Don’t try to deny it. Zhou Lu said it himself just now.”

“I really wonder if you and Li Xi have some deep grudge that makes you target her like this. I’ve never heard of someone helping others only to be resented for it. If that’s the case, then I’m sure many people who’ve seen you at your worst are probably wishing they could distance themselves from you. Are you going to make everyone around you suffer?”

“And what about you, flirting with Qiao Yuqi while getting engaged to Zhou Lu? Do you think you’re the heroine of some novel? You’re straddling two boats, walking around as if it doesn’t even bother you.”

Jiang Muti listened to all of this and sighed inwardly, realizing that the girl only understood things from a one-sided perspective.

Li Xi probably knew a lot more about things, such as Qiao Yuqi’s career and their complicated relationship. Not to mention, the fake cooperation and understanding between her and Zhou Lu were never meant to be hidden from Li Xi.

Although there were many aspects of Li Xi that Jiang Muti didn’t agree with, as the female lead, she still had some qualities that made her shine.

For one, she was never the type to blabber everything out for everyone to know. Li Xi also had her pride, and she would feel embarrassed if her private matters were exposed.

So, even though the girl was a friend of Li Xi’s, it was likely that she only knew what was obvious in school—some shared interactions between them and a bit about how Li Xi felt about the situation.

With just this, the other person managed to concoct an entire set of logic, covering both cause and effect, and was thoroughly convinced of her own reasoning.

When she opened the door and exposed the two of them to the crowd, it was a classic move, as if trying to show everyone the “true nature” of Jiang Muti. This was the moment it became clear just how much she was jumping to conclusions.

Jiang Muti watched the girl’s aggressive stance and the onlookers’ curious expressions.

She smiled and said, “I’ve always thought that a dog catching a rat isn’t trying to meddle, but rather it’s because it has already imagined itself as a cat, so when something happens, it gets even more indignant than a cat would.”

“What do you mean by that? Speak clearly, stop being so sarcastic,” the girl retorted. “Aren’t you just bullying Li Xi because she doesn’t know how to deal with people like you? I’ll tell you, I’m not afraid.”

“Huh? Don’t get it?” Jiang Muti smiled and said, “I thought you should understand very clearly.”

Then, with a look of sudden realization, she added, “Oh~ I get it. You must be feeling all self-righteous, defending your friend, thinking you’re so noble. You’ve convinced yourself that you’re completely selfless, right?”

“Haha! When it comes to making excuses for yourself, you’re a natural, huh? Not bad, not bad. You must think you’re really great right now, protecting your friend.”

The girl scoffed, “I didn’t say I’m great, but at least I’m a normal person, unlike you.”

“Stop!” Jiang Muti sneered. “A few polite words and you’re already getting all defensive. When did I ever say you could be compared to me? If I had to stand on the same level as you, I’d think life is hopeless, a total failure, and I’d cry.”

The girl choked, gritting her teeth, “You really think you’re superior? Someone who stirs up trouble, sabotages others, and plays both sides? You really think you’re so noble?”

Jiang Muti didn’t want to get caught up in her circular arguments. “Actually, I’ve been curious from the beginning. Forget everything else for a moment, but your claim that I’m trying to sabotage a childhood friendship—do you really think I’m having a conversation with Qiao Yuqi and you were just there watching?”

“I don’t remember either of us ever inviting someone to observe our conversations. How did you come to such a conclusion?”

“Then how do you explain Li Xi getting more upset recently because of you two?” the girl said. “You can deny it all you want, but the facts are right here. Could it really just be a normal friends’ chat?”

“Yeah, I don’t know why she’s so upset,” Jiang Muti said, puzzled. “So, if Qiao Yuqi and I were just normal friends talking, then there would be no problem. But if it’s more than just friends, that’s what makes her depressed and upset?”

“Wait, what kind of theory is that? She’s almost eighteen, already has a boyfriend, yet still has such strong possessiveness over her male childhood friend? I’m really curious, though—what will happen if Qiao Yuqi actually gets a girlfriend?”

“From the looks of it, if she’s this upset now, will she even be able to handle it when that happens? But wait, isn’t she already dating someone? Then—”

The crowd gasped and started to stir. After all, Qiao Yuqi had been a campus idol, and now he had become a rising star with a considerable following.

For someone like him, who everyone could only admire from afar, to have someone act so possessive over him and think it was justified was shocking.

The surrounding girls started giving the girl disapproving looks, and while their disdain was mostly aimed at Li Xi, the girl was defending Li Xi, so naturally, she received the same negative reaction.

The girl wasn’t foolish, but she hadn’t expected Jiang Muti to be so devious and twist the facts.

Panicking, she said, “You’re talking nonsense. Stop twisting my words and trying to flip the situation. From the beginning, I’ve been talking about how you’ve been stirring up trouble.”

Jiang Muti nodded. “Right, so let me ask you, were you eavesdropping while Qiao Yuqi and I were talking? You’ve made such a firm judgment without knowing anything. As far as I know, for someone to be this blindly stubborn, they must either be stupid or unbelievably arrogant.”

“Now, about this whole thing with me ‘stealing’ her boyfriend—where exactly are you getting that from?”

The girl was about to explain her earlier statement, but Jiang Muti had already turned it into a final judgment and followed up with an even more important question that forced her to respond.

“Everything has a sequence, right? I don’t know how people like you rich folks think, but knowing that Zhou Lu already had a girlfriend, you still went ahead and accepted his engagement proposal. Haha! This is called being a third party, and you don’t even feel uncomfortable about it.”

“If we’re talking about the sequence of things, then Li Xi is probably the latecomer, right?” Jiang Muti said casually.

The girl stared at her in disbelief. “What?”

“After all, getting engaged to me represents the will of Zhou Lu’s parents, who have raised him for more than a decade. If you, Li Xi, really have the guts to do anything for love, then go confront Zhou Lu’s parents and argue with them! So now you’re blaming me for not rejecting for her convenience?”

“Hey, you guys really have some nerve. You want benefits, but then expect others to bear the consequences. I’m not taking on that responsibility, and now I’m the one at fault?”

“But you know—” The girl tried to emphasize.

Jiang Muti smiled, “You need to understand, whatever decision I make, I don’t have to be responsible to Li Xi. Whether I agree or not, I’m only responsible to my family and my parents.”

“Still the same thing—if you’re unhappy, you should go argue with Zhou Lu and the Zhou family, not our family. Who told you that I agreed to the engagement because I like Zhou Lu?”

There was an uproar around them. Teenagers, especially, tend to believe that mutual affection is essential, and it’s wrong for others to interfere in such a relationship.

But Jiang Muti’s attitude was so natural that it seemed reasonable upon further thought. After all, they were being forced into this engagement by their families. If you want true love, you can’t just expect the problem to be solved by the guy’s side, and you can’t blame the girl for agreeing to the engagement.

In reality, life isn’t like a novel. Not everyone feels like the protagonist and sees the supporting characters as wrong for not understanding their role.

Thus, people began to view the situation more objectively and logically.

And from what was being said, it seemed Li Xi was also possessive of Qiao Yuqi and expected others to clear the way for her in her relationship.

Although Jiang Muti’s usual personality was arrogant and domineering, people didn’t dare to voice their anger. Some secretly enjoyed watching her misfortune. But on the other hand, why was Li Xi always the one to have it all?

And now, Li Xi wasn’t even handling it herself—she had her friend step in, which made it seem like she was trying to benefit without putting in the effort.

The girl didn’t want this result, and with everything backfiring, her friend was being dragged into the mess.

Li Xi, usually so low-key, didn’t even greet Qiao Yuqi at school to avoid being targeted by that group of crazy girls.

Now, looking at the crowd’s attitude, it seemed Jiang Muti had a rather plain public image—people admired her appearance and family background, but her domineering personality left a bad impression.

Although her actions weren’t exactly right, they could be understood in context. Li Xi, however, was different. Her reputation couldn’t even be compared to that of someone like this flashy woman.

The girl was about to speak in Li Xi’s defense, but she didn’t realize that for Jiang Muti, Li Xi wasn’t even the main focus here.

Simply put, Jiang Muti could see what Li Xi was thinking. It was understandable that a girl surrounded by two charming, outstanding guys might feel conflicted.

As long as she kept her feelings private and didn’t bring them up in front of Jiang Muti, it was fine.

But now, her friend had to intervene, thinking she was standing up for justice. So naturally, Jiang Muti wasn’t going to be kind and considerate in her response.

While Li Xi was the one involved, it was really the girl standing in front of her that was the problem.

Jiang Muti spoke again, “Ah! Why are we airing all these private matters so openly for everyone to hear? It doesn’t bother me, but when it comes to your friend’s issues, it really doesn’t sound good when you open it all up.”

“Oh, I remember now. It was you who opened the door and attracted the crowd, almost like you wanted to make the situation bigger.”

“But every time you talk about ‘thinking about your friend,’ ‘seeking justice for your friend,’ I can’t help but feel like you’re just itching to expose all her business for people to gossip about.”

“You’re full of crap. You’re the one twisting the truth,” the girl yelled, seeing Jiang Muti shamelessly defaming Li Xi and trying to shift the blame onto her.

She was furious. “Who doesn’t know Jiang Muti’s reputation? You can ^[1]“Turn black into white” is a figurative expression meaning to distort the truth or manipulate facts to make something wrong seem right, or to change a negative situation into a positive … Continue readingturn black into white, and everything is some conspiracy theory with you. In your eyes, there’s no real friendship, is there?”

Jiang Muti shrugged, “I don’t know about others, but you—hiding behind your friend, peeping and scheming, while repeatedly using the excuse of ‘defending your friend’ to offend others, that’s real ‘friendship,’ huh?”

“I didn’t—”

“But the result is this. Don’t tell me you don’t understand such simple logic. If I call you stupid, it’s because Li Xi hasn’t even said a word, and yet, you’ve willingly handed over ownership of both boys to her.”

“Normally, people wouldn’t think like that, right? The last time I saw something like this, it was just some game nerd who imagined themselves in a girl’s game.”

“Heh! You don’t think you’ve turned Li Xi into some kind of strategy project for yourself, do you? Wake up, this is reality. Li Xi is your friend, right? How can you treat her as a tool to manipulate your fantasies?”

The girl was nearly in tears from being wrongfully accused, but she was meddling in matters that didn’t concern her, and her actions made it clear she wanted to make the whole situation known to everyone.

Even if Jiang Muti’s words weren’t entirely true, the result of her actions was undeniable: they caused the most negative impact on Li Xi.

At this moment, a girl from the crowd, probably trying to watch the drama, sneered and mocked, “Every time something happens, Li Xi hasn’t even said anything, and she jumps in, acting like they have such a great relationship, but it’s all just fake.”

“Now that I think about it, every time the topic is about those two, she seems even more worked up than Li Xi herself.”

“Of course, she’s the ^[2]“white lotus” (白莲花) is a metaphor used to describe someone who presents themselves as pure, innocent, or virtuous but is actually manipulative or scheming behind the scenes. The … Continue readingwhite lotus type—wants everything but also wants to look pure and clean, so she has to find someone to take the lead for her. Too bad her accomplice is just as scheming.”

“Heh! Last time I asked Li Xi to step in and convince Zhou Lu to support our club, she hadn’t even spoken yet, and this one jumped in and scolded me, acting like I was asking her to go cause trouble with her boyfriend.”

The whispers around her made the girl’s face grow darker, and she didn’t expect the malice of people to spread so easily.

Looking up, she saw Jiang Muti’s calm and indifferent expression.

It was her. She did this on purpose. This bitch never intended to be reasonable. Her seemingly calm and logical words were nothing but traps, carefully laid to make her step in and then magnify and distort any small mistake, using it to stir up trouble.

From the moment she opened the door and was surrounded by people, Jiang Muti’s real target wasn’t to clear up the truth or shift responsibility to Li Xi. Those were just side effects. The real goal was to make herself seem innocent and to frame others with malicious intentions, ultimately leaving her with no way to explain herself.

Just because she confronted her? It was like the emperor’s way—those who obey prosper, and those who oppose perish.

Jiang Muti noticed her expression, smiled faintly, and walked out through the door that had been opened beside her.

She clicked her tongue inwardly. Looking back, she had really changed a lot since coming here.

In her past life, she would have indulged in much worse behavior. Now, even when Li Xi’s issues affected her, she would just passively let things be. If a good guy liked her, she didn’t keep him on standby.

If the old her saw herself now, she would be shocked at how well-behaved she was.

After half a year here, most of her conflicts and disputes had been because others provoked her first. If it was a matter of self-defense, then so be it. She had always focused on losing weight, and didn’t get into unnecessary trouble.

This likely gave people the illusion that she wasn’t all that impressive.

Heh! Did they think she was going to publicly expose her and label her as shameless? Let’s see if you like this instead.

The break was short, and Jiang Muti returned to class.

But since this was the school where the main characters of a novel went, sometimes Jiang Muti wondered how their school maintained such high rankings and acceptance rates.

If we’re talking about overall results, the school did rank among the best in the city, but they were no strangers to gossip.

For example, by noon, nearly the entire grade knew about the engagement issue.

During lunch, Yun Duo asked her, “I told you, let me and my brother go and deal with Zhou Lu. We could have gotten him into some trouble and dragged you into it. Now, everyone knows you’re getting engaged to him.”

“Some people say you’re interfering in their relationship. Others feel sorry for your fiancé, who’s getting engaged to you while still clinging to his girlfriend. It sounds so complicated.”

Jiang Muti picked up a chicken wing from her bowl and passed it to her, then took a rib from her bowl and casually said, “What’s the big deal? If we don’t talk about this, we can talk about something else. If you really don’t want to hear it, just ask the teacher to assign more homework. Kids shouldn’t sweat the small stuff.”

Yun Duo wanted to hit her. Always treating people like children, thinking she could belittle them.

She added, “But since they started picking on you, don’t think you’ll come out unscathed. What’s the deal? It’s not even your fault.”

“Li Xi doesn’t even look at how many people her boyfriend has caused trouble for, and that girl is even more inexplicable. Anyway, if people are going to gossip, let everyone be in the gossip. If they’re going to blame everything on you, how about they just go to heaven?”

“Oh? So you upstairs already know all the details?” Jiang Muti asked.

Yun Duo nodded. “Anyway, they’re saying everything. They’re calling you thick-skinned, saying Li Xi is greedy and fake, and that her friend is like a dog trying to steal someone else’s boyfriend and childhood friend by using the friend card.”

She glanced at Jiang Muti and said helplessly, “Forget it, you’re not scared of this. And you’re different from them. You’re already a walking controversy, as long as it’s not an obvious, one-sided mistake, people are pretty tolerant of you.”

“But they’re not the same. Is this the so-called ‘^[3]“Fat Tiger Effect” (胖虎效应) refers to a situation where a person, typically someone who is in a position of power or privilege, is criticized or disliked simply for their perceived … Continue readingFat Tiger Effect’?”

Jiang Muti laughed and ruffled her hair. “I’ve noticed you’ve gotten smarter lately. You can see through all this? Not bad, not bad. Keep learning and be more cautious, it’ll come in handy later.”

She wasn’t trying to teach the kid to be bad, but school was different. The environment there was simple, if you treated people with kindness, they’d generally return it. After all, there’s no vested interest.

But outside of school, it’s different. There are all kinds of people, all kinds of malice you could encounter. Even if you stick to your principles, you still have to be able to see things clearly.

While they were talking, Qiao Yuqi walked over and sat down opposite her.

His expression was complex and weary. “How did things get this far in just one morning?”

Jiang Muti shrugged. “You should know how this went, right? Honestly, every time I say a couple of words to you guys, I get looked at like a third party. I’m not happy about it either.”

“Not happy or not, I didn’t start anything. Over there, they came at me directly. If their teeth are broken, are you going to blame me?”

Qiao Yuqi was also frustrated. He always said he would never be friends with fools, but he still felt like Li Xi looked a bit awkward now that people were pointing fingers at her.

He said, “You don’t need to—”

Jiang Muti understood his unfinished thought, and with a meaningful look in her eyes, she said, “Well, accidents happen when you’re in a bad mood. But this isn’t even an accident.”

Qiao Yuqi immediately realized she was referring to the time he had rejected her and had been bullied because of it. Her meaning was clear.

Anyone could say that, but you, Qiao Yuqi, are the last person who has the right to.