That night, Lin Jinran finished washing up and logged onto the school forum. She posted a thread titled "Hello everyone, I'm Lin Jinran".
She explained that initially saying her parents were dead was just a joke she made with Su Qinian. She never expected the classmates in her class to overhear it. Then they started to take care of her both openly and secretly. She was very grateful and would always remember this friendship.
It was not until the parents' meeting later that she realized everyone had misunderstood. She clarified that her parents were not dead. Due to the disharmonious family relationship, she decided to come to Wannnan City to study alone.
She got into No. 1 High School by her own strength, never through under - the - table deals. She achieved her current ranking through hard work.
The so - called boyfriend in the photos didn't exist at all. He was her childhood friend. Besides, she had another childhood friend, and the three of them grew up together.
Moreover, she had never had a boyfriend.
The reason she threw away the bread for Lin Tingnian a few days ago was that there was milk powder on it. She was a bit allergic to it. And with the big exam coming in a day or two, she couldn't be careless.
Lin Jinran wrote roughly these things. She read it through one more time and then clicked send.
On the first floor of the thread, she attached her top - ten grades in the second year of senior high school. On the second floor, there was a group photo of the three of them, all pixelated.
Shen Tingsi and Xu Jiaxin showed up in time to defend Lin Jinran.
[Shen Tingsi]: "Hello everyone, I'm the boy who was slandered. Lin Jinran, another girl and I have grown up together since childhood. We are very familiar with each other. There is only friendship between us. I hope the students of No. 1 High School can be more rational and objectively view the relationship between childhood friends."
[Xu Jiaxin]: "Hello, friends of No. 1 High School. I'm one of Lin Jinran's three childhood friends. Having gotten along with Lin Jinran for decades, we know best what kind of person she is. Many things are groundless rumors. She only has study on her mind and nothing else. There should be a limit to spreading rumors. Otherwise, be careful or I'll send you a lawyer's letter."
In just one minute, the number of comments rose at an astonishing speed.
"Sure enough, there's a reversal. I knew it. Lin Jinran couldn't be such a person. If her grades were bad, the school wouldn't have accepted her."
"Hey, she was in the top ten in her previous school, and now she's also in the top ten in our school. I'm so envious. The gods are jealous of the talented. Why does one person get all the good things?"
"Lin Jinran, you're still my goddess, my eternal hero."
"But I just can't believe it. Anyway, she shouldn't have spread the rumor that her parents were dead. Isn't this a great disrespect to her parents? How many children would curse their parents like this?"
"Exactly. Saying that Lin Jinran only has study on her mind is only suitable for deceiving a three - year - old kid. Otherwise, what's the deal between her and Su Qinian?"
"They're just ordinary friends. Can't Lin Jinran even make a friend? You people are really nosy. Don't you even look at your own grades?"
"..."
The comments were polarized, but the majority were in favor of Lin Jinran.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated. Lin Jinran picked it up and saw a message from Song Langqing.
[Song Langqing]: "Sis, you're finally willing to come out and explain. During your exam period, they all said you were too ashamed to stand up and explain. I knew you were taking exams, so I didn't dare to bother you. By the way, sis, isn't your 100 - day oath - taking ceremony coming soon? My mom said she must invite you to our home for a meal."
The 100 - day oath - taking ceremony?
Lin Jinran exited WeChat and opened the college entrance examination countdown app. A big number "107" was clearly shown in the middle of her phone screen.
[Lin Jinran]: "Yes, it's next week. We'll have to see what the school's arrangement is. Maybe they'll make a decision after the results of this joint exam come out."
Time passed so fast. She still remembered that when she first came to Wannnan City, she was lucky enough to meet good friends and the second most important person in her life after her mother.
It was the beginning and also the end of her experience in Wannnan City.
It ran through her entire experience in this city.
Lin Jinran got off the stool and threw herself onto the soft big bed. Like a little kitten, she rubbed against the soft quilt. It felt like home.
She smiled and giggled. She flopped and rolled on the big bed, then turned over, looking forward to the future after graduation.
Holding her grades in her hands, with the boundless sky above her head, the solid earth under her feet, and a visible road ahead.
Everything was fine, except for her mother.
"Mom, I hope you can really wake up. Don't you want to see how much your daughter has grown up? You'll definitely be proud of me."
In the long night, there came a soft murmur.
During the big break the next day, the grade director used the school's broadcast to publicly criticize Cheng Siyuan and asked her to go home and rest for three days. If she made such mistakes again, a disciplinary record would be put in her file.
This was also a warning to other students in the school not to be led by rumors and lose their own judgment.
Tao Wan, who was sitting in the front row, learned about what happened to Lin Jinran last night from the broadcast. She was greatly surprised. She quickly turned around and carefully checked Lin Jinran from head to toe to make sure she was safe.
"It's really scary. There's actually such a person in our school." Tao Wan patted her chest to calm herself down. "Lin Jinran, are you okay? Nothing serious, right?"
Lin Jinran took a big sip of the soy milk that Su Qinian bought early in the morning. She shook her head contentedly: "No. Fortunately, Su Qinian showed up in time. If it weren't for him, I don't know what kind of absurd things would happen next."
"Lin Jinran, you should really thank our class monitor. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be sitting here joking with us now." A classmate next to them leaned over with a smile.
Lin Jinran turned her head and glared at Su Qinian. She said crossly: "If it weren't for this troublemaker Su Qinian, I wouldn't have encountered what happened last night. Oh, beauty can be a distraction and a disaster!"
Huh? Su Qinian, the innocent victim, looked at Lin Jinran in confusion. Seeing her beating her chest and sighing, he couldn't help but find it funny: "It can be regarded as an eye for an eye."
Lin Jinran's eyes widened, black and white clearly distinguishable: "What eye for an eye? If it weren't for the past, there wouldn't be the present."
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, Ranran. As compensation, I'll be responsible for your breakfast for the next week, okay?"
The boy's voice sounded in her ear, tinged with a bit of laughter. It was like a feather gently falling into her heart, making it itch. And his voice was extremely pleasant to listen to; she could never get tired of it.
Lin Jinran rolled her eyes. Immediately, her face broke into a big smile. She nodded repeatedly, afraid that Su Qinian would go back on his word the next second.
"Okay, okay. It's a deal. You have to be responsible for my breakfast for the next week. Don't lie to me. If you do, you'll be a little piggy."