As these words were spoken, the entire crowd widened their eyes in shock. People looked around in disbelief, their faces etched with astonishment.
Liu Ruxue owed Lin Ran money?
“Holy crap! Did I just hear that? Liu Ruxue owes Lin Ran a million? Since when was Lin Ran this rich?”
“Dude, he literally owns a company. But even if he’s loaded, he shouldn’t have humiliated the campus belle like that. She was confessing to him, after all.”
“A million is enough to make any woman confess—except Luo Yao, of course.”
“If Senior Lin Ran lent me a million, I’d gladly be his girlfriend too! I’d take care of him day and night, washing his underwear and socks—no problem!”
“Girl, you’re not that pretty, but you’ve got some audacity.”
On stage, Liu Ruxue’s face turned deathly pale. She stumbled back two steps, staring at Lin Ran in disbelief.
“Lin Ran… Brother, you—”
Lin Ran cut her off, addressing the entire school instead. “Also, I already have someone I love. We’re in a committed relationship, and my principles don’t allow me to entertain side chicks. Liu Ruxue knew this, yet she kept harassing me. Sometimes I genuinely wonder if she’s just starved for attention.”
“So, to all the guys, teachers, professors, and uncles here—listen up. If any of you want to get with Liu Ruxue, better start working on it now. It shouldn’t be too hard.”
“Wouldn’t you agree, Lin Jian?”
Suddenly called out, Lin Jian—who had been glaring venomously from the crowd—froze. Immediately, dozens of eyes turned toward him.
Lin Jian stiffened, his brows furrowing. “Liu Ruxue is my cousin. I think she’s a decent person.”
Lin Ran smirked. “Great. Since she owes me a million and you’re her dear cousin, why don’t you pay it back for her? What do you say, Young Master Lin?”
Lin Jian felt like he was being roasted alive. Then it hit him—this was a trap.
“That’s nonsense! My cousin would never borrow money from you!”
Lin Ran feigned exaggerated surprise. “Really, Lin Jian? Do you not check the forums? There’s literally a post about how she ended up in debt.”
The reminder sent everyone scrambling for their phones. Sure enough, a video surfaced—Liu Ruxue and Huo Haini recklessly smashing Lin Ran’s car despite their classmates’ protests.
What had once been a rumor known only to a few was now exposed to the entire school.
“Holy hell! So Liu Ruxue really did wreck Lin Ran’s car!”
“Wait, Lin Ran is the guy who drives the Koenigsegg? Damn, he’s loaded AND hot.”
“That car’s worth like a hundred million, right? Jesus, why can’t I be rich too? What did I do to deserve this poverty?”
“Some comments say Lin Ran used to be Liu Ruxue’s simp, but once he stopped chasing her, she suddenly turned around. Is this some kind of novel plot?”
“Art imitates life. Liu Ruxue only started chasing him after realizing he was rich. Our whole class saw how she treated him before.”
“Who knew such a pure face hid such a disgusting personality? How does someone like her even qualify as the campus belle?”
“Disgusting? She’s just realistic! If I were her, I’d chase him too. Lin Ran’s hot AND rich.”
“I can’t believe a billionaire was right under my nose this whole time, and I was too blind to see it.”
“Liu Ruxue—certified gold-digger. And Huo Haini’s just her lackey.”
“Sometimes the lackey’s worse than the actual villain.”
Whispers and murmurs spread like wildfire. Liu Ruxue’s reputation was officially ruined—far beyond her status as the campus belle.
Lin Jian’s face darkened as he read the forum posts. How had he not known about this?
Liu Ruxue’s complexion was ghostly pale. This wasn’t just humiliation—it was a public execution.
If Lin Ran knew what she was thinking, he’d laugh.
Public execution? Oh, the real show hadn’t even started yet. Soon, she and Lin Jian would be dragged through the mud together—not just in front of the school, but the entire society.
Liu Ruxue’s mind raced. She knew she was finished. The only way out now was to play the victim.
As a woman—especially the campus belle—if she fainted, surely people would pity her, right?
More importantly, passing out would get her carried away, sparing her further humiliation.
She staggered dramatically, but Lin Ran immediately called her out.
“Everyone, heads up! Liu Ruxue’s about to ‘faint’ to avoid paying me back.”
Liu Ruxue: ???
Just then, the principal finally snapped out of his daze and snatched the mic from Liu Ruxue. Before he could speak, Luo Yao stormed out from backstage.
In three quick strides, she reached Liu Ruxue and—without a word—slapped her so hard she crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
The entire audience gasped.
This school event just got a whole lot more entertaining.
Luo Yao’s voice was ice. “You asking for death?”
To outsiders, her fury seemed like righteous anger—a donor disgusted by the school’s disgraceful behavior.
Whether Liu Ruxue was truly unconscious or just pretending didn’t matter. One slap from Luo Yao had done the job.
Luo Yao took a deep breath, barely holding back her rage—until a warm hand enveloped hers.
“Don’t be angry,” Lin Ran murmured gently.
Her fury ebbed at his touch. After a long look, she turned and left. Meanwhile, a team of bodyguards swarmed the field, forcing students to delete any footage of Luo Yao’s slap.
Some resisted, but it was pointless. Even if they kept the videos, no one would dare leak them beyond campus.
One question burned in everyone’s minds:
What was the relationship between Lin Ran and Luo Yao?
How did he calm her down with just one sentence?
And when Luo Yao said “my person”—was she referring to Lin Ran?
The principal wiped his sweat and gave a rushed closing speech. The event “concluded successfully,” and the crowd dispersed. Lin Ran headed to the parking lot with Wu Zhishang.
There, Luo Yao stood, her gaze sharp as a blade, fixed on Lin Jian.
Lin Jian fidgeted. “M-Miss Luo Yao… thank you for seeing me.”
Luo Yao narrowed her eyes. “Cut the crap. You said you had something to tell me about Lin Ran. What is it?”
Earlier, Luo Yao had cleared the area to wait for Lin Ran—only for Lin Jian to show up, claiming he had “important information” about him.
Assuming Lin Jian was plotting something, she’d allowed him in.
Lin Jian swallowed hard. “Miss Luo Yao… are you the one keeping my brother? Why would you do that?”
Luo Yao’s eyes turned glacial.
“Who told you that?”