Chapter 51: The Prelude to the Coming Storm (5)

"Enough!" Mo Qingyu shouted angrily. The sudden outburst startled her, and her beautiful face paled; she patted her chest in fright, but soon her expression returned to its usual composure.

After shouting, Mo Qingyu collapsed onto the floor, her eyes dull and vacant. In a faint voice, she said, "I won't stay here. My sister will come to take me home soon." The word "home" was spoken with particular emphasis.

Seeing that her goal had been accomplished, Zhao Yiya couldn't hide the smug smile on her lips. Even as she reached the doorway of the hospital room, she didn't forget to stab deeper: "Let's hope your sister can quickly find you another benefactor to keep buying you time."

The word "benefactor" was like thousands of tiny needles piercing every inch of Mo Qingyu's skin, pain so sharp she felt numb.

From the moment Mo Qinghan entered the school that morning, every corner she passed—wherever there were people—she was met with strange, scrutinizing stares, accompanied by whispered gossip she couldn't quite catch. She wondered if perhaps her "period" had stained her pants, and hurried to the bathroom to check herself. After inspecting her clothes and finding nothing amiss, she shook her aching head and muttered to herself, "Looks like my 'visitor' is late. I'm just scaring myself."

But just then, as the sound of a toilet flushing faded, the conversation between two girls nearby made Mo Qinghan's legs tremble with fear, rooting her to the spot.

One girl said, "Did you check the school website?"

The other replied, "I did. Can you believe how fake Qinghan is? She acts all innocent at school. Who knows how many guys have confessed to her, but she ignores them all. I used to think she was just too good for the rest of us, some kind of talented snob."

The first girl scoffed, "Good? Please, that's just an act. She only looks pure because the price wasn't right. Once the money's on the table, she shows her true colors."

The second girl covered her mouth, giggling for a long moment, then said, "Exactly. Did you see those photos? The way she poses and flirts—I'm speechless. I wonder how the school will handle her now."

The first girl shrugged, "Who cares? Since she decided to sell herself, maybe she doesn't even care about finishing school anymore. Lying in a man's arms, making easy money—how effortless."

Inside the bathroom stall, Mo Qinghan didn't dare make a sound, terrified they'd realize she was there. Her mind went blank; she stood frozen, drenched in cold sweat from her forehead, down her back, to her palms. Her hands and feet shook uncontrollably. When the voices outside finally faded, she fumbled for her phone with trembling hands, so nervous she entered her passcode wrong several times. She dialed He Zheyu's number, but no one answered. Forcing herself to calm down, she tried to recall Han Mo's number, but no matter how she arranged the digits in her mind, she couldn't piece it together.

She could easily imagine what was now on the school's website: countless indecent photos and waves of verbal abuse.

Suddenly, her phone rang, shattering the silence of the bathroom. The name "Mo Qingyu" flashed across the screen—so familiar, yet now so frightening. Mo Qinghan didn't know whether to answer or not. She knew exactly what this call meant: Mo Qingyu must already be aware of her unspeakable disgrace.