The post about the homewrecker spread like wildfire and covered a wide range. Gossip like this was what young people loved to talk about the most. Although Li Duo immediately asked a hacker friend to break into the school forum and delete the post, the rumor had already spread far and wide and was out of control.
As Xie Bingxia walked on campus, she instantly attracted hundreds of strange looks focused on her.
"It's her, the homewrecker who seduced her brother."
"Gu Bei already has a fiancée. How shameless!"
"The Xie family should have changed its surname to Gu long ago. I heard she's just living on their charity and has no real power."
"Having no power, she can only use her body to climb up. Disgusting!"
"The homewrecker should get out of here and stop ruining the school spirit!"
Xie Bingxia heard all these remarks. Under everyone's noses, she walked up to the school bulletin board. Someone had posted photos of her and Gu Bei on it, along with big-character posters that read "Homewrecker, get out of campus!", "The goddess has turned into trash! Serves her right!", and "What goes around comes around. Breaking up a family will surely bring retribution!"
She raised her hand and quickly tore down the photos and posters, then shredded them into pieces and threw them into the trash can beside. Suddenly, an unfinished milk carton flew out of the on - looking crowd and headed straight for Xie Bingxia.
"Goddess, watch out!" At the critical moment, Li Duo rushed out and blocked the milk carton, getting splashed all over.
"Are you okay?" Xie Bingxia quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe him. "You shouldn't have come out to help me. Be careful of becoming a target too."
"I believe the goddess wouldn't do such a thing!" Li Duo's eyes were burning with determination. He once saw Xie Bingxia risking her life to save Qin Feng and Yan Xiaoyi. She was like a female war god. How could she be a homewrecker?
"Thank you," Xie Bingxia said sincerely. "Don't worry. I won't let the bad guys behind this be happy for long." As she said this, she turned to look at the promotional poster on the bulletin board that read "Summer Night Ball - Dance Hand in Hand with Your Loved One!"
Li Duo exclaimed in surprise, "Goddess, you're not going to attend the ball, are you? No way. If you go, it'll be like getting slapped in public. It'll be really bad."
"Humph, it's not certain who will slap whom in the face." Xie Bingxia noticed the small print at the bottom of the poster: Looking forward to your attendance with your dance partner. This was a perfect opportunity. Xie Bingxia took out her phone and contacted Gu Bei. "There's a school - organized ball. Be my dance partner."
After a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, he replied, "Okay."
At this moment, Gu Bei was in his company's office. He had read the post on the school forum early on. Yuan Yiyun had launched a fierce attack and intended to crush Xie Bingxia completely. But how could he bear to let others bully his little white rabbit?
It would be good to accompany Xie Bingxia to dampen Yuan Yiyun's arrogance. Anyway, he would be the one to have the last laugh. He, Boss Gu, hated being threatened the most. Since the Yuan family insisted on being pushy, he might as well take them down completely.
A confident smile curled up on Gu Bei's lips. Then he called Yuan Yiyun. "I'll accompany you to the campus ball you mentioned yesterday."
*
The Summer Night Ball was a tradition at Qingya University, a night of revelry for handsome men and beautiful women. In the huge dance floor, colorful lights were flashing. There was a full range of delicious food and drinks. Fine red wine and champagne were lined up on the tables. Of course, they were only for adults.
Yuan Yiyun was determined to be the belle of the ball tonight. She was wearing a tight mermaid dress, and the gemstone necklace around her neck sparkled. As soon as she stepped into the venue, she successfully attracted everyone's attention, and everyone couldn't help but let out sounds of admiration.
If Gu Bei showed up later and danced with her, it would surely have a great effect and confirm the rumor that she was the real fiancée and Xie Bingxia was really the homewrecker.
She sat down on a bar stool beside the dance floor and casually picked up a glass of champagne and started drinking on her own. Gu Bei was a bit late. She couldn't help but feel anxious.
In the dance floor, people were dancing hotly. The DJ was swaying his head to the rhythm of the music. After a song ended, the dancers took a break. Not long after the excitement died down a bit, it was immediately reignited by the people who appeared at the door.
Xie Bingxia walked in with her head held high. Her white lace mini - dress was cute and playful. She had carefully put on makeup and taken off her glasses, revealing her extremely delicate and beautiful face. She could easily outshine Yuan Yiyun.
The crowd immediately erupted. They started discussing one after another. "The homewrecker actually dared to come?" "Isn't she afraid of being drowned by people's saliva?" "Shh, the real fiancée is here. Watch what you say."
Xie Bingxia didn't care about their strange looks. She shouted to the person behind her, "Come in!"
As a tall figure entered the venue, everyone held their breath. Wasn't that Gu Bei, the center of the gossip storm?
Xie Bingxia intimately hooked her arm through Gu Bei's and walked into the dance floor as a couple. Seeing this, the DJ hesitated with his fingers on the console, not knowing whether to start spinning the records or not. Xie Bingxia signaled to the DJ, "Hey, handsome. Play a more exciting song." Then she asked Gu Bei, "Can you handle it?"
Gu Bei laughed, "You underestimate me too much!" With that, he put his arm around Xie Bingxia's waist and pulled her into his arms. "I can even dance while holding you."
It was definitely showing off their love! The DJ coughed twice and was about to start when he heard Yuan Yiyun shout, "Wait!"
Yuan Yiyun strode over in her high - heeled shoes. People made way for her. Everyone held their breath, waiting to watch a good show of dealing with the homewrecker.
"You still dare to come?" Yuan Yiyun scolded Xie Bingxia. She knew she had been played by the two of them and was furious. She didn't hold back at all. "A homewrecker, have you no shame?"
Seeing that Yuan Yiyun was about to tug at Xie Bingxia's dress, Gu Bei reached out to block her and protected Xie Bingxia.
"You're protecting her?" Yuan Yiyun's eyes widened in anger. "She's ruining our marriage and our relationship! I'm the victim!"
Xie Bingxia grabbed Gu Bei's sleeve and suddenly lowered her head, looking extremely aggrieved. "I'm not the homewrecker. You are..."
"What?!" Yuan Yiyun exploded. "Who gave you the nerve to bite me back? I'm the official fiancée who's engaged to Gu Bei!"
"I'm not lying!" Xie Bingxia's eyes were filled with tears, looking like she had suffered a great injustice. "If we're talking about engagement, I was engaged to Brother Gu when I was just born and sent to the United States." As she spoke, she glanced at Gu Bei, and Gu Bei cooperated very well. He said bluntly in front of everyone, "Yes, I've always known about this."
"Bullshit!" Yuan Yiyun roared. "Do you think people will believe you just because you say so?"
"Aren't you the one who's lying?" Xie Bingxia faced Yuan Yiyun squarely and boldly. "You've been spreading the news everywhere that you're engaged to Brother Gu, but where's the engagement banquet? It hasn't been held for more than two years."
"The media reported it back then!" Yuan Yiyun thought she had caught Xie Bingxia's flaw and counterattacked.
"As far as I know, the media back then was bought off by the Yuan family. Moreover, your family took advantage of my father's critical illness and threatened Brother Gu with business to accept the alliance. Brother Gu never agreed. I haven't even settled this score with you yet!"
"You, you, you—" Yuan Yiyun was so angry that she stammered. "You're lying! Where's the evidence?"
"I have the evidence of your family buying off the media back then. If you want to see it, I can show it to everyone. As for whether Brother Gu ever promised to marry you, just ask him and you'll know the truth."
Gu Bei continued, "Back then, it was really Uncle Xie and the Yuan family who discussed it privately without my consent."
Yuan Yiyun's face turned from red to white. There were many secrets behind the engagement back then. She had no solid evidence to refute, and hearing the whispers around her, her anger welled up. She kept repeating, "You're lying!" and "You're talking nonsense!", unable to say anything else. Xie Bingxia and Gu Bei stared at her until she felt panicked.
"You two are teaming up against me!" Yuan Yiyun messed up her well - styled hair. At this moment, she was like a witch in a fairy tale, with a terrifying expression. She grabbed a glass of red wine and splashed it on Xie Bingxia. The white dress was instantly stained blood - red. Still not satisfied, she pushed Xie Bingxia hard. Xie Bingxia staggered back a few steps and fell to the ground.
"Damn homewrecker, I'm going to kill you today!" Yuan Yiyun was about to rush forward to attack. Gu Bei pulled her away and roared, "Yuan Yiyun, you've gone too far!"
Gu Bei turned around to help Xie Bingxia up. Xie Bingxia propped herself up with her hands, her eyes filled with tears. She sobbed to Yuan Yiyun, "Brother Gu and I are in love with each other. It's you who used coercion and threats to force your way in and slandered me as a homewrecker."
"You're the homewrecker!"
Boom - the crowd erupted. One was Yuan Yiyun, who had shed her gentle and ladylike appearance and turned malicious. The other was Xie Bingxia, who had endured humiliation and false accusations but still held on to her love. Not to mention Gu Bei's own admission. Everyone quickly understood and accepted the reversal of the situation.
"So it was a deliberate rumor. Poor thing."
"We were deceived by her one - sided story!"
"She seems understanding on the surface, but she has a black heart."
"Yeah, we misjudged her."
Facing the scathing accusations from everyone, Yuan Yiyun felt dizzy. Countless magnified mocking faces seemed to be staring at her. The anger in her chest burned fiercely, with nowhere to vent.
"Ah—" she let out a howl and angrily swept the food and tableware on the table to the ground. There was a clattering sound, and it was a complete mess. She was like a crazy beast, and the crowd scattered and avoided her.
"Xie Bingxia!" After throwing things around, Yuan Yiyun picked up a piece of broken glass on the ground. "I'm going to kill you!"