Chapter 90: Reputation Ruined

She furrowed her brow, looking pitiful, her eyes reddening at once.

When she heard him call out Lu Yunzhou’s name with both his surname and given name, Shen Chaoxi’s gaze darkened slightly.

She lifted her cool, clear eyes and studied Mu Ting in front of her for a moment without a word.

Several thoughts flashed through her mind.

Could she be an ex-girlfriend?

An old flame?

But none of it seemed likely.

Lu Yunzhou could not possibly be involved with someone like that.

Unless the woman was merely deluding herself.

Mu Ting could hardly believe he would treat her this way.

She could not help looking at the girl seated beside him.

“It’s you, isn’t it?”

As a newly enlisted student in the capital university’s training program, she had not even worn the training uniform.

Yet here she was, in a dress, eating with Lu Yunzhou.

If that was not blatant seduction, what was?

“Did you seduce him? ...”

Mu Ting’s eyes were red as she stepped forward, reaching to seize Shen Chaoxi’s arm.

But the moment she stretched out her hand, before she could even touch Shen Chaoxi, her wrist was suddenly caught in a firm grip.

A tall, straight figure in crisp military uniform stood before Shen Chaoxi.

The man’s hand clamped down on her with great force.

His dark eyes seemed to hold surging coldness, their temperature dropping as they fell upon her face.

In a frosty voice, he said, “Mu Ting!”

“Don’t act so outrageously here.”

“I’m being outrageous?”

Seeing him step forward to protect this girl, Mu Ting’s heart instantly turned sour.

“Heh. Lu Yunzhou.”

“My brother is still lying in the hospital, and he’s still unconscious. What right do you have?”

“What right do you have to make my brother pay for your mistake!”

At her words, Lu Yunzhou’s expression turned abruptly cold.

In a chill voice, he asked, “Who told you that?”

“What, did I hit a nerve?”

Mu Ting gave a bitter smile.

“What I hate most is your kind of face!”

“My brother had his bright future, his youth, his whole life ahead of him, and because he saved you, he ended up permanently in a hospital bed.”

“He still hasn’t woken up to this day...”

Her eyes reddened.

“And you?”

“What right do you have to sit here sweetly and tenderly with another girl?”

The meaning behind those words was clear.

My brother is still lying in a hospital bed.

So what right do you have to be happy?

By the time Mu Ting finished speaking, Lu Yunzhou’s face had turned icy, as though he could endure no more.

He called out in a deep voice, “Someone.”

“Yes!”

At the command, soldiers patrolling the officers’ mess quickly stepped forward.

Lu Yunzhou’s voice was cold to the bone.

“Take her away.”

“Yes, Captain Lu!”

These soldiers were responsible for security within the military base.

Now that someone was causing a scene and disrupting the base’s order, taking Mu Ting away was inevitable.

“Lu Yunzhou!”

“I’m not leaving...” Mu Ting’s eyes were red.

As the two soldiers held her in place, she glared furiously at the man shielding the girl and cried out in a near frenzy, “What right do you have?”

“What right do you have to sit here so calmly...”

She struggled.

Tried to resist.

But she was still dragged away.

Only when the dining hall fell quiet once more did Lu Yunzhou’s dark eyes slowly ease.

His brow softened a little.

Then he turned back, little by little, to look at the pale-faced girl before him.

“Did I scare you?”

His voice was low and husky, his gaze deep, his Adam’s apple moving once.

Compared with his earlier composure, there was now a trace of loneliness in his eyes.

The girl shook her head.

What Shen Chaoxi thought to herself was that something like this was hardly worth being frightened over.

It was him, rather.

Though Shen Chaoxi did not know exactly what had happened between them before, from what had just occurred, that female reporter named Mu Ting seemed to hate him.

But not quite.

It was hatred, yes, but also a kind of challenge toward Shen Chaoxi, tinged with sorrow.

As though she liked him.

Within that resentment, there was an unhinged, constrained affection.

She could not bear to see another girl appear by Lu Yunzhou’s side.

Still less could she bear to see Lu Yunzhou treat Shen Chaoxi gently.

While to her, he acted as though she did not exist.

“You and her...”

Shen Chaoxi’s pale lips moved slightly. Lu Yunzhou’s gaze remained deep; he lowered his eyes, and then a profound darkness swept through his black pupils.

Pressing his lips together, Lu Yunzhou said to her, “Explain it to you another time, all right?”

His expression carried a hint of complexity.

Shen Chaoxi nodded.

As for whether he explained it or not, she did not particularly care.

It was just that, from the way he looked, it seemed they really had some sort of history.

Otherwise, Shen Chaoxi would already have used what had just happened to throw a fit.

That way, would he not grow tired of her?

So long as she was unreasonable.

So long as she lost her temper and always needed him to soothe her.

No matter how good-tempered a man was,

she could wear away even his patience.

Yet all of a sudden, Shen Chaoxi found herself unable to bear it.

If there truly had been something between Lu Yunzhou and that Mu Ting, and between him and the brother Mu Ting had mentioned...

If something had really happened.

Then for her to make a scene like this,

would that perhaps be a little inappropriate?

So she held back.

Not to mention that she still did not know the truth.

Given Lu Yunzhou’s position alone, it was impossible for him to be entangled with someone like Mu Ting.

Unless there was some hidden reason.

Because there were few people in the officers’ mess, only a handful of instructors who came here to eat after training ended.

So they kept their mouths tightly shut and did not let word of what had happened spread.

And the next day,

Shen Chaoxi became the target of public attack.

The capital university forum was in uproar over rumors about her.

The capital university training student has a chaotic private life and no sense of propriety.

The capital university trainee has a murky relationship with a male instructor.

There was even worse.

The capital university student is a mistress who destroyed someone else’s love.

Xiaoxiao’s expression was grave as she read further and further, only to find the contents more and more absurd.

Some people even began speculating about Shen Chaoxi’s identity.

But after hearing these discussions from Xiaoxiao, Shen Chaoxi did not react much.

Because the last time, in the bathing house, she had already heard some rumors.

Only this time, they had spread rapidly onto the capital university student forum.

The matter had erupted.

Suddenly, Xiaoxiao frowned.

“Miss, there’s even a photo of you on here!”

Moving a finger across the tablet screen, Xiaoxiao looked at the discussion about Shen Chaoxi.

Then she suddenly saw an accompanying image: a training ground beneath the blazing sun.

Shen Chaoxi’s figure was clearly visible, and one could even faintly make out her pale face turned toward Lu Yunzhou.

The man, in a sharp military uniform, had no frontal photo.

It was just enough to arouse suspicion.

Clearly, whoever posted the picture knew Lu Yunzhou was from the military district.

So they did not dare post his photo.

But they had posted Shen Chaoxi’s.

Heh, Shen Chaoxi lifted a brow and smiled.

“So they’re trying to ruin my name completely.”

If she were a student at capital university, after something like this, she would probably never be able to lift her head again.

Unfortunately for them, they had miscalculated.

Xiaoxiao’s face was serious and focused.

Her fingers tapped rapidly on the tablet, quickly tracing the person who had made the post.

“Miss, it’s the IP address from this military base...”

Shen Chaoxi’s eyes grew dark.

“Contact the military oversight office.”

“Yes!”

The capital university forum was still buzzing with rumors and discussion about her, but the person spreading them

was not someone from the new student training unit.

It was Mu Ting.