Chapter 57: Cheng Yuan’s Counterattack

“If you don’t do as I say, I won’t be so polite,” Cheng Yuan warned coldly, grabbing Second Yellow Hair just as he tried to run and pinning him to the ground. “Attempted rape carries a minimum sentence of three to five years.”

Second Yellow Hair sneered inwardly. Three to five years? That’s better than losing my life.

“I know you don’t care about a prison sentence,” Cheng Yuan continued, her voice steady. “You probably think you’ll just come out tougher, right?”

She suddenly smiled. Under the moonlight, her red cotton jacket made her look dazzling. The silver light bathed her like a divine glow, casting her in an ethereal, almost sacred beauty. Her smile was brilliant, and her peach blossom eyes curved like crescent moons—charming yet chilling.

But all three Yellow Hairs felt a chill creep up their spines. One terrifying thought echoed in their minds: This woman is not to be messed with.

“Oh, and I forgot to mention—I’m not afraid of trouble,” Cheng Yuan said casually, as if chatting about the weather. “Worst case scenario, I’ll spend some money to make sure you all quietly ‘expire’ in prison.”

As expected, Second Yellow Hair hesitated. “Aren’t you just an ordinary little girl?”

His tone revealed doubt, suggesting Qian had claimed Cheng Yuan lacked background and power.

Cheng Yuan snorted. “You actually believed her? Should I call you dumb, or just hopeless? Do you even know who my cousin is? Do you really think dealing with a few street rats like you would be hard for me?”

She spoke with zero guilt or hesitation. The calm in her voice, paired with her earlier combat prowess, convinced Third Yellow Hair that she wasn’t bluffing.

Her cousin’s reputation was legendary—and Third Yellow Hair had definitely heard of that name.

Elsewhere, Meng Yue hesitated as Li Liang dragged her forward by the wrist. Clutching her camera, she resisted. “You still want me to take photos? This isn’t something I should be doing myself.”

“Stop overthinking,” Li Liang muttered, tightening his grip. They soon arrived at the grove.

Meng Yue frowned. “Li Liang, where is everyone? Are you sure you’ve got the right place?”

Suddenly, a soft rustle came from the shadows, followed by what sounded like a girl’s sobs.

Meng Yue assumed she just needed to take a few incriminating photos to finish the setup. With that in mind, she stepped boldly into the grove. But the moment she entered, a hand clamped over her mouth—and what happened next would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Meanwhile, Cheng Yuan tossed a camera at Li Liang. “Take the photos.”

“I don’t know how…” Li Liang muttered nervously.

“I’m not asking for quality shots!” Cheng Yuan snapped, irritated by his cowardice. She grabbed the camera, ducked behind a tree, and took several photos without worrying about the lighting or composition. As long as Meng Yue’s face was visible, it was enough.

Afterward, she led Li Liang away. They ran through their cover story quickly, rehearsing the details. But as they walked, Li Liang couldn’t hide his nerves. “Cheng-jie, are you sure this won’t get us in trouble?”

Now, at last, the fear began to sink in.

Cheng Yuan gave him a sideways glance. “Weren’t you afraid when you helped her scheme against me?”

So what if she had no connections? Did that mean she deserved to be bullied?

“Cheng-jie, I…” Li Liang scratched his head. Despite all the times she had beaten him up—and how much he used to resent her—he couldn’t help but admire her boldness now.

If Meng Yue hadn’t set this whole thing in motion, she wouldn’t have ended up with such a bitter outcome.

Ever since Li Liang had realized Meng Yue’s poisonous nature, whatever little crush he once had on her completely vanished.

Before Cheng Yuan even had time to arrange her next move, Meng Yue and her gang were caught red-handed by the Dean of Discipline.

Worried that students might get up to no good during the school event, the Dean had organized patrols. He never expected to stumble upon such a shocking scene: Meng Yue’s flushed face as she hastily pulled up her pants, while three blond-haired boys bolted from the grove.

The Dean’s face turned purple with rage.

Several Student Council members were present. They stared, dumbfounded, as Meng Yue stood there in utter disarray. Her image was shattered.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Meng Yue covered her face and fled in humiliation. She couldn’t report Third Yellow Hair—if she did, he’d expose her involvement.

Cheng Yuan, I hope you rot in hell!

“Scandalous! Absolutely disgraceful!” the Dean of Discipline thundered, nearly smashing his flashlight in fury.

Glancing at the crowd that had gathered and the horrified Student Council members, he knew Meng Yue’s reputation was destroyed. This was not something that could be swept under the rug.

When Yu Qing returned to the school and heard what had happened, his heart sank. He rushed to Class Ten and was relieved to find Cheng Yuan casually peeling an orange at her desk.

“Thank goodness you’re safe,” he said, breathless.

“What could possibly happen to me?” Cheng Yuan said indifferently. “It’s Meng Yue who’s in trouble.”

Once Li Liang developed the photos, she planned to circulate them. She was certain the school would devour the scandal.

“Don’t look at that stuff,” Yu Qing muttered, ears reddening. “It’s too disgusting.”

At nineteen, he knew exactly what had happened.

The next day, Bei Xiaolin was stunned by the news. She looked at Cheng Yuan, her mouth agape, hesitant to speak. Finally, when they were alone, she asked nervously, “Yuanyuan, the Meng family won’t come after you, will they? I should talk to my dad and ask him to help you.”

“Xiaolin,” Cheng Yuan said gently, grabbing her hand. “Don’t. It’s already over.”

She was about to reassure her further when an even bigger bombshell dropped: Meng Yue’s father had been accused of serious corruption and bribery. He was immediately removed from office and placed under investigation.

Yesterday, Meng Yue was publicly humiliated. Today, her father fell from grace. The students couldn’t concentrate on anything—the entire school buzzed with gossip.

At the Meng residence, chaos reigned.

Yesterday, Meng Yue had been smug, convinced she could take down Cheng Yuan. But her hired thugs had long vanished. Bitter and terrified, she couldn’t bring herself to tell her mother the truth and waited to complain to her father. But Mr. Meng never returned home that night.

She had no one to turn to. Madam Meng, caught up in her own crisis, barely noticed her daughter’s distress.

When the arrest warrant came, Madam Meng fainted on the spot and had to be rushed to the hospital. Meng Yue spent the entire night awake, her world crumbling around her. The people who once flattered her now avoided eye contact—or worse, openly mocked her fall from grace.

Her eyes swollen from crying, she frantically tried to call Ye Mingyu. No answer.

“Waaaah…”

Staring at the failed call screen, she redialed again and again. First, the line was busy. Then, it was shut off.

Ye Mingyu had turned off his phone on purpose. The memory of what had happened disgusted him. Seeing her name flash on his screen, he felt nothing but revulsion.