Chapter 0140

The rumors grew wilder and wilder, pushing Liu Ruxue to the third most trending topic on the school forum, with many students demanding her expulsion. The school, however, remained silent.

Walking across campus, Liu Ruxue no longer enjoyed the admiration she once did. Everywhere she went, she felt the weight of pointing fingers and hushed whispers.

"Wow, so this is the kind of person our school’s beauty queen really is. Eye-opening."

Liu Ruxue finally responded on the forum: ["It wasn’t me. Stop spreading lies."]

But no one believed her. Instead, the rumors only intensified.

["She even confessed to Lin Ran before. Thank goodness he turned her down—smart move."]

["Wait, did you guys not know? Lin Ran and Liu Ruxue are actually cousins."]

["What?"]

["Not blood-related, though."]

And just like that, a second scandal was unearthed.

The Suran Group’s change in leadership couldn’t stay hidden for long, and Lin Ran’s identity was thoroughly exposed by the school’s relentless internet sleuths.

His background wasn’t particularly complicated—it’s just that no one had bothered digging into it before.

Now that Lin Ran was the new owner of the Suran Group, combined with his existing popularity, attention naturally gravitated toward him.

The reason for this sudden spotlight? Aside from his recent achievements, credit also went to Lin Jian’s lackeys.

With Lin Jian absent from school lately, his followers grew restless. Some among them were surprisingly resourceful, soon uncovering shocking news:

The Suran Group had changed hands. Lin Tianba had been ousted.

At first, many assumed Lin Tianba had made a wise decision—after all, the Suran Group had long lost its former glory.

But then, insiders revealed the truth: Lin Tianba had been forcibly removed. Lin Jian and his mother had been literally thrown out.

Soon after, a set of jaw-dropping photos surfaced on the forum—images of Lin Jian and his mother bound together with duct tape as they were ejected.

The forum’s automated moderation swiftly deleted the pictures, but they still circulated in some students’ private albums.

It was explosive—even more scandalous than Liu Ruxue’s drama.

As people dug deeper, they uncovered something even more shocking:

Lin Ran was the Suran Group’s new owner.

No one had expected him to wield such influence.

Just like that, Lin Ran’s true identity as the Lin family’s legitimate heir was laid bare.

His relationship with Lin Jian as brothers became a hot topic, and details of Lin Ran’s difficult upbringing in the Lin household were leaked—reportedly by former high school classmates.

The rags-to-riches story instantly captivated everyone.

["I’m actually crying. Was Lin Ran’s youth really this tragic? What kind of monster father is Lin Tianba? And Lin Jian, that fake heir, stole everything—meanwhile, Lin Ran suffered in silence."]

["A stepmother means a stepfather too. I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole family bullied Lin Ran. Lin Tianba’s parenting is next-level awful."]

["If Lin Ran had it so rough, where did he get the money to buy the Suran Group? Did Luo Yao, that chaebol heiress, bankroll him?"]

["Do you think Lin Ran is really with Luo Yao? Or… is he being kept?"]

["Doubt it. Lin Ran doesn’t seem like the type to live off someone else."]

["Lin Ran’s so pitiful. I want to take care of him and love him."]

["Hypothetically… if Lin Ran is Luo Yao’s man, then you, my friend, are walking a dangerous path."]

["What, is Luo Yao the only one allowed to decide who’s happy?"]

["No, you’re the one interfering."]

["The one who isn’t loved is the third wheel."]

Then, a new set of photos sent the forum into a frenzy, skyrocketing to the top of trending discussions.

The post showcased lavish, extravagant villa interiors, filled with staff.

But the real bombshell was the caption:

["The boss let us film at his place. He’s so good to us."]

At first, no one paid much attention, assuming it was just another flex. But soon, people noticed something staggering.

The poster was an art student—and their profile listed them as an employee of Nuanyao Media.

Instantly, speculation about Lin Ran’s connections exploded. Many rushed to question Nuanyao Media’s students, but none got a straight answer. The employees seemed to have been instructed to feign ignorance.

This was all Wu Zhishang’s doing.

He wasn’t trying to hide the truth—he just wanted to leverage the buzz around Lin Ran and Luo Yao to promote his upcoming web series.

So he allowed a few hints to slip, but nothing too revealing.

Once the series dropped, he planned to go all out—ensuring it would blow everyone’s minds.

Meanwhile, in the principal’s office, Principal Tang and the Dean of Instruction pored over the forum’s contents, deep in thought.

"Principal Tang, our school is facing quite some turmoil today. There’s been an overwhelming flood of shocking news. Do you think we should suppress some of it?"

Principal Tang rubbed his temples. "Suppress which one?"

"Let’s start with Liu Ruxue. Should we expel her?"

"No. That man made it clear—Liu Ruxue isn’t allowed to leave until she learns Burmese."

"Who said that?"

"...Let’s move on to the next issue."

"Alright. Lin Jian hasn’t attended school for a long time, and the current situation on the forums is causing serious damage to the school’s reputation. Should we expel him?"

"That’s a family matter. What does it have to do with the school? Just give him a demerit and leave it at that."

Principal Tang was inwardly frustrated. He knew Lin Jian and Lin Ran were brothers, but Lin Ran had remained conspicuously silent—clearly intentional.

If Lin Ran wanted to, he could make Lin Jian disappear in an instant with the influence he wielded now.

"Then let me bring up the third matter—this is the most urgent. What should we do about the situation between Lin Ran and President Luo? Should we suppress it?"

This wasn’t just a headache for the Dean of Instruction; it was Principal Tang’s biggest concern.

One wrong move, and they’d be ruined.

Dean of Instruction: "Who even leaked this? Very few people in the school knew about it."

Principal Tang’s anger flared instantly.

"Are you suspecting me?"

"No, no! I’m just stating the facts."

Principal Tang quickly cooled down. The Dean’s suspicion wasn’t entirely unfounded.

If he could suspect him, what about President Luo?

"Go handle your work for now. I need to make a call."

After the Dean left, Principal Tang didn’t dare waste a second. He immediately called Liu Meng…

Hanging up, Principal Tang sucked in a sharp breath and hurriedly summoned the Dean back.

"You—go contact Lin Ran immediately. Isn’t the centennial anniversary coming up? Use that as an excuse to invite him back for a speech."

"What about President Luo’s situation? What did Assistant Liu say?" the Dean pressed.

"What do you think?"

"Fine, I’ll have our people suppress it."

"Suppress your mother’s—"