Chapter 7

“Teacher, what exactly is going on here? How could something like this happen at school? I’ve noticed my child has been unusually quiet at home lately—does this have something to do with it?

My daughter is a good girl; all she does is study. She has no time for dating, yet she’s being falsely accused. I demand an explanation!”

Luo Manman’s mother had barely sat down before she anxiously voiced her concerns.

Her words quickly gained the support of several other parents, except for Ma Shishi’s mother, who looked visibly awkward. After all, it was indeed her daughter’s fault.

Then there were the parents of the three other girls—they remained completely silent.

Because their children really were in relationships.

Lin Nanzhi glanced at Luo Manman.

It had been a while, so she wasn’t entirely sure, but she vaguely remembered that just a day before the anonymous report surfaced, Luo Manman had been seen with a male student from the third year—her neighbor, in fact.

She couldn’t say for certain, and she wasn’t planning on bringing it up. After all, people are naturally biased. Luo Manman was her dormmate and had treated her well—it was better to stand together on this matter.

Some might criticize her for this, but that’s just human nature. People instinctively take sides unless something is truly unforgivable.

“Everyone, please don’t be hasty.” The young female teacher raised her hand to calm them down. The parents fell silent, and she continued, “Let’s first hear what Principal Chen has to say.”

Principal Chen’s expression stiffened immediately.

…Wait, weren’t you supposed to handle this?!

“Parents, I sincerely apologize. Our school was negligent in this matter. We failed to investigate thoroughly at the start, which led to some students being wrongly accused. As a result, the responsible teachers have been suspended. On behalf of the school, I extend my sincerest apologies. Additionally, each of the five affected students will receive 500 yuan as compensation.”

The parents weren’t unreasonable.

Their children still had over a year left in this school—it wouldn’t be wise to make too much fuss. Who knew if the teachers might hold a grudge and make things difficult later?

Now that the school had admitted its mistake and was offering compensation, the parents decided to accept the 500 yuan and let the matter rest.

After that, the principal publicly reprimanded the three girls who had been in relationships. Their parents promised to discipline them strictly before taking them home.

“Wang Zi’s mother, please wait a moment.” The principal called out to one of the parents.

Hearing her name, Wang Zi shrank back, biting her lip. She instinctively looked toward Lin Nanzhi, but Lin Nanzhi wasn’t looking at her at all. She suddenly felt lost, unsure of what Lin Nanzhi was thinking.

Among all the students involved, Lin Nanzhi had suffered the most.

The dating rumor had been completely baseless, yet she was the one who had been slandered the worst.

Lin Nanzhi’s father didn’t look pleased. He held the 500 yuan compensation in his hand, but there was no sign of satisfaction on his face. When he heard Wang Zi’s name, he glanced at her. With his naturally imposing presence, his dark expression made him seem even more intimidating. Wang Zi shrank back in fear.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door—it was the police.

They greeted the principal and other school staff with handshakes before getting straight to the point.

“Who is Wang Zi?”

Wang Zi remained silent.

Her mother, on the other hand, looked completely shocked.

They’re looking for my daughter?

A sudden realization struck her, and her expression darkened even further. She glared at Wang Zi before turning to the officers.

“Officers, I’m Wang Zi’s mother. What’s this about?”

“Lin Nanzhi has filed a police report,” one of the officers explained. “Someone at the school spread false rumors about her being pregnant, seriously damaging her reputation. After investigating, we confirmed that these rumors originated from your daughter.”

The moment the officer finished speaking, an eerie silence filled the room.

Lin Nanzhi’s father’s expression darkened even more. His fists clenched tightly, veins bulging—he looked like he was about to strike someone. But he was an elder, after all. He wouldn’t do something like that.

However, someone else would.

Wang Zi’s mother froze for a moment before snapping back to her senses. Overwhelmed with rage, she slapped Wang Zi so hard that she fell to the ground, crying.

Wang Zi’s mother wasn’t done—she was about to hit her again, but a female teacher quickly pulled her back.

“Calm down and talk things out,” the teacher urged.

“Talk things out?!” Wang Zi’s mother spat.

“Wang Zi, I can’t believe you! How could you do something like this?

What kind of child did I raise?!

What’s your relationship with Lin Nanzhi? If someone else was gossiping about her, you should have defended her, not spread even worse rumors!

I swear, I’ll beat you to death—”

She tried to lunge at Wang Zi again, but the young teacher held her back.

Wang Zi’s mother was furious.

Their families were distantly related, and now that Wang Zi had done something like this, how could they ever face the Lin family again?

Lin Nanzhi, however, wasn’t surprised at all.

Back when she had been hospitalized, only two teachers and one female classmate had accompanied her—this very girl, Wang Zi, whom she had trusted completely.

And yet, because she trusted her, she had never once suspected her.

It wasn’t until years later that she finally realized the truth.

Only four people had known about the incident. It wasn’t the teachers or herself who had spread the rumor—so who else could it have been?

“Ma’am, please calm down,” one of the officers interjected. “Hitting her won’t solve anything. The important thing now is how to resolve this situation.” He turned to Lin Nanzhi.

“Lin, given the circumstances, this is just slander—it hasn’t caused major harm. Also, Wang Zi is a minor, so the best course of action would be a private settlement. How do you want to handle this?”

Lin Nanzhi knew there was no other choice.

—-

It was December 26, 2012. The crime of false accusations and defamation would only become legally enforceable in September 2013. Even if this happened a year later, Wang Zi was still a minor and would only receive a warning.

“Sir, this was entirely my daughter’s fault,” Wang Zi’s mother quickly said before anyone else could speak. “She’s caused harm to Nanzhi, and we sincerely apologize. How about this—I’ll have her apologize to Nanzhi and compensate you with… 1,000 yuan as a token for the emotional damage?”

She had initially wanted to offer just 50 yuan, but seeing as the school had compensated 500 yuan for a dating accusation, and her daughter’s offense was far worse, she gritted her teeth and raised it to 1,000 yuan.

—-

In a small town in 2012, 1,000 yuan was a significant amount—equivalent to over ten days of Lin Nanzhi’s father’s wages.

“Zhizhi, what do you think?” her father asked.

“I don’t need an apology. I just want her to stay away from me from now on,” Lin Nanzhi said coldly.

She knew any apology would be forced and insincere. If Wang Zi had truly felt guilty, she wouldn’t have spread the rumors in the first place, nor would she have remained silent for over ten years.

A fake apology meant nothing—it was just for Wang Zi’s own peace of mind.

Better to keep her distance instead.

“I have no objections,” her father said.

Wang Zi’s mother sighed in relief. She handed over the 300 yuan she had on her and promised to send the remaining 700 to the Lin family later. Then she took Wang Zi and left.

As she walked out, Wang Zi shot a glare at Lin Nanzhi.

Lin Nanzhi saw it but didn’t care.

Wang Zi was probably holding a grudge over the 1,000 yuan.

It didn’t matter—she wasn’t afraid.