Chapter 48: Resolution

Chapter 48: Resolution

Ji Guojun's voice was so loud that every corner of the academy base could hear it clearly.

Even after hearing it, everyone's heads were left buzzing.

In the midst of everyone's daze, they heard Ji Guojun shouting over the broadcast again—

"Get away from the control panel right now—immediately!"

Xu Qingran felt satisfied.

Indeed, this was the real graduation exercise.

He never really intended to destroy the base, though—it wouldn’t have been impossible if he had.

But most of the students at the academy were decent, and he had no grudges against them, so there was no need to drag them all into hell.

Following Ji Guojun's furious instructions, Xu Qingran calmly operated to lock the safety layers of the large container one by one. His movements even appeared more fluid and skilled than Ji Guojun's, as if he were the container’s rightful operator.

Ji Guojun, watching this through the monitor, was nearly beside himself with anger.

All that talk about him being a good kid, all that appreciation and liking for Xu Qingran—it was all nonsense! He’d never seen anyone like him!!

At the same time the dangerous container was secured, the alien entities that had been troubling the students earlier finally turned into tiny data points and disappeared. The students snapped out of it as if waking from a dream, realizing that everything they had just experienced was fake!

"What... what the hell just happened?"

From sunset yesterday until the dead of night, this was probably the sentence the students had muttered the most.

Their tone had gone from shock and fear to sheer exhaustion.

An hour later, Ji Guojun and the others finally rushed over from Linglong City.

By then, the students had already been assembled in the square.

On the high platform, Su Wenming calmly and methodically laid out the events of the previous night.

This was Xu Qingran’s first time seeing the lieutenant general of the Golden Wing Battalion.

His first impression was of a very tall man, unsmiling and serious. He seemed mature, with a cold aura that seemed to push everything away, completely unlike the impression Shen Tingyu gave.

"In short, your exercise is officially over."

"Congratulations on your graduation."

Only after Su Wenming explained everything did the students fully realize it was an exercise.

Many wore expressions of having narrowly escaped disaster, while some students, perhaps overwhelmed by the day’s chaos, even broke down in tears.

In fact, during this period, many observant students had their doubts, but because the injuries and 'deaths' were staged so realistically, they didn't trust their instincts. And even if they’d guessed, they certainly didn’t have Xu Qingran’s guts to blow up the school!

Who would have thought it was real!

"You knew all along?"

Ling Yuege was right next to Xu Qingran, and recalling his strange reaction earlier, she suddenly understood.

When faced with such questions, Xu Qingran always answered evasively: "Just a guess."

Soon, other students ran over and surrounded them, asking him with childlike curiosity how he had discovered it.

Honestly, Xu Qingran had been skeptical from the moment he heard that Azure Star was in trouble and might not hold up against the alien invasion.

Perhaps because he was an outsider, he could view the situation more objectively. Throughout history, the Kayan Empire has faced alien harassment and attacks every century, but each time, no matter how difficult, they’ve always managed to pull through.

This proves that the Empire's military defense was quite solid.

As for a crucial border region like Azure Star, deeply tied to the main star system housing the palace, he believed it was indeed a high-risk area for attacks. However, he doubted the military defense there was that weak, taking nearly a year to fix the power station issue.

Moreover, if things on Azure Star were really that bad, with devil swarms able to invade at any moment, Ji Guojun, as the commander-in-chief, wouldn’t have had time to personally come to the academy to demonstrate the use of artillery shells.

And someone as capable as Wang Jian should’ve been pulled in to handle the alien invasion, not just brought to the academy to do busywork.

So he always felt something wasn’t right.

During the combat exercise, the simulated targets looked incredibly real.

Xu Qingran almost fell for it.

Later, he examined the fragments left behind by the destroyed targets and noticed inconsistencies with the official data.

Xu Qingran often checked the official website for devil swarm data.

He knew that because they heavily relied on source crystals and source energy, they ran pretty hot, usually around 45 degrees. However, after death, their temperature would drop fast once they lost their energy source. For lower-tier swarms, it took about 10-15 seconds.

The simulated targets copied this data, but the cooling time was slightly off.

It was roughly half the time.

Additionally, the staff’s reactions had subtle flaws.

All of this was enough for him to conclude that even if it wasn’t an exercise, this sudden attack was definitely fishy.

In any case, the military academy’s graduation exercise for its prized students had finally come to an end.

The academy's power network was fully restored, and the medical center was packed. Some students were carried back by staff, still in a ‘fake death’ mode, while others had minor injuries that needed treatment.

That same afternoon, the actual transport ship scheduled to pick up the students finally arrived.

The students, carrying their luggage, boarded with mixed expressions, constantly worried there’d be another terrifying drill.

If Ji Guojun could hear their thoughts, he would surely exclaim in frustration: "No more! Really, no more!"

He almost felt like he couldn’t breathe when he saw the mess in one corner of the school building.

His eyes fell on Xu Qingran, who happened to pass by him, whether by chance or on purpose, and he felt like killing someone. Only Wang Jian, standing beside him, kept patting his back to calm him down, smiling: "It's no big deal, don't be angry. It's just a few buildings that got blown up."

Ji Guojun: "..."

So annoying. Why did Silver Dragon recruit such a student in the first place!

After the exercise ended, the internet was naturally flooded with trending topics and discussions.

Xu Qingran's name, unsurprisingly, was once again in the spotlight.

Someone had captured the moment he blew up the building to force the exercise targets and his skillful unlocking of the large container.

A few short clips, instead of being taken down by official accounts, spread across the entire internet and were widely discussed.

"As expected of the little lunatic, he never disappoints."

"Who would've thought someone would actually help fulfill my childhood dream? (Yeah, right.)"

"Hahaha, wasn't there a shot of General Ji and the others arriving before the live broadcast ended? The general's expression was priceless."

"LOL, but I remember that the large container should only be accessible to high-ranking officials. How did the eldest son manage it?"

"I know this one! My cousin happens to be a staff member at the academy, and he complained in our family group chat right after that night. He said the little lunatic had a card with very high-level permissions, and that card was given by General Shen! So, heh!"

"So envious of the eldest son! Not only did he turn his life around, but he also has such a high-status mentor looking out for him. It's truly a life to look up to, sob sob."

"But that's also the result of the little lunatic's own efforts! Who remembers how miserable he was back then? Whenever his name came up, it was dragged online."

"True, he was the victim, yet people kept bringing up his qualifications. If he hadn't bravely stood up to speak for himself, everyone wouldn't have known about the hardships he endured in the Xu family."

"Correction: bravely stood up to *lose his mind* (?)"

"In that case, we should thank the Xu family and Lu Cheng for helping Xu Qingran wake up from his love-blind mindset and carve out his own path!"

Along with Xu Qingran, the title of the most outstanding graduate was also hotly debated.

While the topic was being fervently discussed, the military academy students had already gone home for the holidays.

Xu Qingran's performance was once again praised by those students.

Netizens were stunned by their over-the-top praises and slowly began to recall the details they had overlooked during the live broadcast.

On Star Horizon, even a hardcore military fan opened a detailed post listing Xu Qingran's performance that night.

After listing everything, the post also included related kill counts.

The poster claimed that he was originally a hater of Xu Qingran, so he recorded all his performance data during the live broadcast, intending to criticize him with evidence later. However, after organizing the data, he found that although Xu Qingran seemed to be coasting, his efficiency was very high, and the numbers were above average.

The poster even said in the opening comment: "I used to love bashing Young Master Xu online, but after today, I'm completely convinced! So, can any of his fans tell me how to convert to fandom?"

The comments were full of laughs.

Because the post blew up, people realized that Xu Qingran's performance might have been underestimated, so they speculated that the title of the most outstanding graduate would go to him.

Until the military academy's official website dropped an announcement.

Surprisingly, the title of the most outstanding graduate ended up going to Ni Xiaoyuan.

"Objectively speaking, this decision is fair."

"True, I watched the live broadcast that day, and Miss Ni's performance was impressive, with strong leadership qualities."

"Ha, are some of the eldest son's fans about to freak out?"

But the fans who usually defend Xu Qingran were quite gleeful after the results were announced.

"Hahahaha, as we said, the dean and General Ji are among the evaluators, so the eldest son never stood a chance!"

"Fans have always said that the little lunatic who caused chaos at the school doesn't deserve the title of outstanding graduate. It's you haters who keep hyping him up."

"The academy not making the eldest son cover the costs is a miracle in itself, hahaha!!"

"Don't laugh yet, the official just released a new announcement. Check it out before you continue laughing!"

Netizens flocked to the news as soon as they heard about it.

The Grandis Military Academy had indeed posted another update.

This latest announcement still revolved around Xu Qingran.

In short, Xu Qingran's performance in the exercise was commendable.

However, because he used a method frowned upon by the academy to end the graduation drill, causing unexpected losses, the academy decided to deduct part of his excellent score as punishment.

But thanks to some evaluators, Xu, who excelled and was crucial in ending the exercise early, received special commendation.

A special commendation, no less.

Yep, that was the gist of the announcement.

Netizens were baffled and amused, bombarding the Grandis Military Academy with tags, demanding to know what this was all about.

As social media buzzed with chatter, Xu Qingran was already en route back from Azure Star.

Seated in the co-pilot's chair of Shen Tingyu's aircraft, Xu Qingran read the academy's announcement, his eyes crinkling with laughter.

He sighed, "General Ji Guojun is such a penny-pincher."

It had to be Ji Guojun who wanted to dock his points.

He could almost see Ji Guojun banging the table in fury, shouting, "Deduct them all! Every last point!"

Then, Wang Jian likely stood his ground, becoming one of the 'some' who argued on his behalf.

Their back-and-forth, with neither willing to budge, led to this hilarious outcome.

Truth be told, once Xu Qingran decided to blow up the building just for kicks, he stopped caring about the evaluation title.

It was just a fancy title, no cash, no grub.

It just didn't tempt Xu enough.

"What's got you so tickled?"

Xu Qingran was still glued to the netizens' snarky comments when a somewhat resigned voice piped up beside him.

He turned and locked eyes with the black-haired man at the wheel, inadvertently diving into those serene, abyssal depths.

Absolutely stunning.

He mused silently. Among all his traits, those eyes were his favorite—deep, tranquil, like endless blue oceans.

Shen Tingyu held his gaze briefly before turning his attention back to the road.

As he drove, he mentioned, "I was in a meeting at the Golden Wing Battalion HQ when Ji Guojun called me back-to-back, like seven or eight times."

"First, he chewed me out, then threatened to strip my top privileges at the Grandis Military Academy for a year."

With that, he let out a chuckle.

Xu Qingran fell silent.

From Feng Wei's mess to the graduation drill, Shen Tingyu's help had given him quite the stage to shine. "Let's go," Xu Qingran said cheerfully. "Before heading home, pick your favorite restaurant, and I'll treat you to a meal."

"Don’t worry about the cost, feel free to choose anything you like."

Shen Tingyu didn’t hold back.

The two eventually stopped at a restaurant in the Sirius system.

The restaurant's name was Hongyuan.

Though not large, the restaurant had a pleasant, poetic ambiance with just the right lighting, making it very comfortable.

They arrived off-peak, so the place wasn’t crowded. Shen Tingyu instinctively chose a corner seat where they could stay out of sight.

Xu Qingran, noticing his ease, asked, "Do you come here a lot?"

"You could say that," Shen Tingyu replied.

An elderly man brought over the menu.

Catching their conversation, he chuckled warmly and said, "General Shen is a regular here and has been close friends with the owner for years. Without his help, this place wouldn’t exist."

Shen Tingyu gave a small smile.

Xu Qingran looked surprised.

"Your social life... is pretty surprising," Xu Qingran said.

Shen Tingyu raised an eyebrow, "Do I really come off that strange?"

Xu Qingran said bluntly, "When I first saw you at the Tower of Evil, that’s exactly what crossed my mind."

"And now?" Shen Tingyu asked.

"Still do," Xu Qingran said, mirroring his smile.

Shen Tingyu: "..."

The friend the old man mentioned was the restaurant’s chef.

Recognizing them, he personally brought out the dishes he’d prepared.

The chef was a middle-aged man, average height, with a bit of a belly.

He had a round face, and when he smiled, his eyes turned into slits, giving him a cheerful look.

The chef greeted Shen Tingyu first, then noticed Xu Qingran and was even more stunned.

"Young Master Xu!" the chef exclaimed, "Oh my god, I’m seeing you in person for the first time!"

"I’m a huge fan! I watched the academy exercise live—you’ve come so far! Can I get a photo with you?!"

Xu Qingran was caught off guard.

Before he knew it, it turned into a photo op, with Shen Tingyu even snapping the pictures.

Now he was convinced they were close.

After all, if they weren’t, how could they so naturally boss Shen Tingyu around?

"The general here vouches for my cooking, Young Master. If you like it, come back anytime—I’ll make sure you get a discount!"

"Oh, I remember you and Tingyu are somewhat related, right? No problem, if you ever forget your wallet, just charge it to his account, hehe!"

Shen Tingyu smiled politely.

The cute chef chatted with them for a bit, until a waiter came over to hurry him along, mentioning a backlog of orders in the kitchen. He left reluctantly, glancing back every few steps.

The food served was grilled steak.

Xu Qingran wasn't much of a food connoisseur, but he knew it tasted really good: "So, what made you decide to back this restaurant's owner?"

"You're not an irrational Type E user, but you don't strike me as the type to do good deeds without a reason."

At the question, Shen Tingyu seemed to drift into memories.

After a while, he replied, "I was helped out a long time ago."

"Back then, I thought his meat dishes were pretty good. Later, when we crossed paths again, he was in a bit of a bind," Shen Tingyu smiled. "I hate being in debt, so I lent a hand."

"Otherwise, if something comes up between us later, it could get messy."

Xu Qingran nodded in agreement.

So, gripping his knife and fork, he paused thoughtfully before suddenly asking, "You mentioned earlier that your spiritual pool has severe trauma, right?"

Shen Tingyu paused, then answered, "Yes, but with inhibitors, it doesn't interfere with daily life."

"Of course, once the medication loses its effect, who knows."

"As things stand, it might just hold out for a few more years."

Xu Qingran nodded.

Then he asked, "Is a high-level D-type required to attempt healing?"

"Uncle Xie mentioned that," Shen Tingyu replied. "It's just a theory that it might work."

After saying this, he looked puzzled and asked, "Why do you ask?"

Xu Qingran looked down, slicing a piece of meat, and said casually, "Let me give it a shot."

In the cozy corner of the restaurant, as Xu Qingran finished speaking, the clink of utensils against the plate echoed.

Shen Tingyu's eyes flickered, and he looked up, startled, "...What?"

Xu Qingran popped the tasty morsel into his mouth, puzzled by Shen Tingyu's over-the-top reaction.

After a while, he said, "What I'm saying is, you've been a big help to me lately."

"I'm not one to leave favors unpaid. If this is the best I can do for you right now, I'm all in for your treatment."

Shen Tingyu's lips tightened, his expression far from pleased.

It took him a moment to find his voice, and he spoke hoarsely, "Do you know what they mean by spiritual healing?"

Xu Qingran blinked, tilting his head slightly.

Shen Tingyu could tell at a glance that he didn't understand the deeper meaning.

After organizing his thoughts for a long time, he finally explained, "If you want to help me repair the trauma in my spiritual pool, you first need to establish a temporary bond with my soul at the very least."

"It's like entering a romantic relationship," Shen Tingyu said. "The two people are no longer separate individuals; there will be an unbreakable connection between them."

"Every touch feels like a lover's caress."

"Every soul connection and exchange feels like a kiss."

After straightforwardly stating these things without changing his expression, Shen Tingyu then asked him, "Do you get it now?"

Xu Qingran paused.

It sounds... pretty intimate? As an outsider, he still finds it a bit hard to wrap his head around.

But considering that Shen Tingyu is his target to win over, he said, "I think I understand, and it's okay, I don't mind these things."

If it works out, we'll keep going; if not, we'll just go our separate ways.

"I care."

For once, Shen Tingyu's tone and expression were dead serious.

There was no frivolous smile, nor the usual nonchalance.

His earnest gaze fell on him, and he said word by word, "Xu Qingran, what I want isn't a bond forced by owing favors or any sense of obligation."

"What I want is sincerity, a bond that comes from genuine love."

Xu Qingran was taken aback again.

After saying this, Shen Tingyu's tense body relaxed slightly.

He knew Xu Qingran's situation was unique, and he might not have a deep understanding of soul connections.

So he didn't really get angry with him. After rubbing his temples, he said, "For Type E users, even a temporary connection that can be broken needs to be thought through carefully."

"If it's rushed, it'll hurt a lot." At this point, Shen Tingyu's tone returned to its usual gentleness.

A faint smile, tinged with a hint of bitterness.

Type E users are really picky about soul connections.

If they form a soul connection with someone they don't love, they'll be miserable.

If they connect with someone who doesn't love them, they'll feel the other's true feelings and be even more miserable.

Xu Qingran stayed quiet.

Finally, he put down his fork and said seriously to Shen Tingyu, "I'm sorry."

Shen Tingyu looked up, his eyes showing obvious surprise.

Probably not expecting someone so proud to apologize on his own.

"Don't give me that look, I'm not being unreasonable," Xu Qingran raised an eyebrow. "I meant to help you, but I didn't take it seriously enough and didn't think about your side."

As for sincerity, Xu Qingran hasn't really thought about it much.

Since his transmigration, he has been more focused on finding ways to improve himself, to stand taller and steadier in this world. For Shen Tingyu, his target to win over, with no experience in love, he hasn't carefully thought about the future of this relationship.

Just focused on leveling up his spiritual pool and getting his powers back faster.

But from Shen Tingyu's perspective, he was completely unaware of all this.

Seeing the plan through to the end meant they would have to be tied together.

If he made Shen Tingyu fall in love with him in the future, while he himself only had insincere feelings, it would be too unfair. Especially for someone with such lofty spiritual aspirations, discovering the truth would cause even greater pain.

Xu Qingran grew more and more absorbed in thought, slowly realizing how despicable it was to treat this matter merely as a task.

Just like what he had said to Feng Wei before.

How could one expect a sincere response without giving genuine feelings?

So he decided to temporarily set aside the idea of using the bond treatment with Shen Tingyu as leverage.

He also planned to ease up on his strategic efforts.

Perhaps, he could try to understand Shen Tingyu a bit more.

Only after genuinely liking him could he move forward with these feelings.

"Don't worry, I get it," Xu Qingran said decisively after thinking it over.

Shen Tingyu had just picked up his utensils again when Xu Qingran added, "If I ever truly fall in love with you, I'll let you know."

"Then we can discuss the spiritual pool treatment."

Shen Tingyu was momentarily taken aback by his bluntness.

After a moment, he chuckled.

Xu Qingran, who had been focused on his meal, looked up at him, puzzled.

Shen Tingyu smiled and responded, "Alright."

Maybe that's why he enjoyed being with Xu Qingran.

They were on the same page, always so open and unrestrained.

And great at comforting others.

—Even if unintentionally.

After the meal, Xu Qingran picked up the tab.

Shen Tingyu didn't protest and accepted his gesture gracefully.

Despite a few minor hiccups, it ended on a very positive note overall.

·

So, Xu Qingran went back to Shen Tingyu's place.

His current 'marriage partner', Shen Tianyi, wasn't there; he had reportedly moved in with his cousin temporarily for school and would only come back on weekends and holidays.

After military academy training, he went back to his boring daily routine.

Shen Tingyu was the same as ever, hardly ever home.

He kept up his healthy lifestyle and stuck to his daily workouts. However, to look after Shen Tianyi while he was away, Shen Tingyu had also sent the dependable Auntie Song to stay with him.

The house is really quiet these days.

As a result, Xu Qingran has been streaming more often.

Unless Shen Tingyu is home, Xu Qingran has to cook for himself.

Shen Tingyu asked him if he wanted to hire a cook. Or if he had someone in mind, he could go ahead and hire them.

Xu Qingran refused.

He's not picky; as long as the food is cooked and fills him up, it's good enough.

Shen Tingyu knows Xu Qingran often throws together leftovers to whip up some wild creations. When fresh ingredients are delivered, Shen Tingyu, if he gets a chance to come home, portions them into meal-prep boxes.

So when Xu Qingran feels like cooking, he just grabs a box at random.

Even if Xu Qingran dumps everything in at once, it still turns out fine. If he has time, he even adds sticky notes with cooking tips on the lids.

"No way, the eldest son is actually making spicy pork strips!"

"I feel you, sis! And it's legit spicy pork, no extra stuff needed!"

"Did military training finally fix the little lunatic's taste buds?"

"About time he started eating decent food!"

"Wait, are the ingredients prepped in advance now? Did the little lunatic do that?"

"Eldest son! I'm back for more scolding—hit me with it!"

Even with more streams, Xu Qingran still pulls in a big crowd every day.

Watching D-type streams is relaxing and fun, even if it doesn't recharge your mental energy.

Except for the occasional hater.

Once he's done cooking, Xu Qingran digs in with some rice.

As he wraps up the stream and his meal, the chat suddenly blows up.

At first, they didn't make sense.

"Xu Qingran, you at it again??"

"Is it true? Did you really have something to do with Feng's injury?"

"Did you really mess up Feng's graduation?"

Then he started to catch on.

"Eldest son! Check Xingbo, quick!"

"Little lunatic, can't catch a break, huh? Just got some downtime and now this."

"See? I told you not to be so friendly—now look what happened!"

Xu Qingran grabbed his phone and opened Xingbo.

The Kayan Empire's biggest social platform.

He clicked into the trending topics and found the key hashtag.

He skimmed through it and quickly grasped what had happened.

In short, the public found out that Feng Wei was severely injured and unconscious in the hospital.

This was uncovered by Feng Wei's fan club.

As a child with ties to the royal family and backed by the Feng family, Feng Wei had a small fan base from a young age.

Later, when he got into the Grandis Military Academy, Prince Ningluo proudly promoted him, and he was interviewed on enrollment day, gaining popularity thanks to his good looks and background. During the Linglong City disaster, he appeared in a live broadcast, and his top-notch 3S performance boosted his fame even more.

Today's drama started because Feng Wei's fans couldn't find him during the graduation exercise.

They started frantically tagging the military academy for answers but got no response. So they blew up, spamming comments on every post and news story about the military academy.

They even hopped onto posts about famous military academy students to get attention.

They also spread rumors that the military academy was targeting and isolating Feng Wei.

Finally, they managed to stir up a big fuss.

Then, some fans found out that Feng Wei was closest to Xu Qingran at school. But after Feng Wei disappeared, Xu Qingran didn't seem to care and never mentioned him, which made them tag Xu Qingran in a rage.

As they kept questioning, conspiracy theories started popping up.

Anyway, it was pretty much like the suspicions when Xu Qingran was investigated after Feng Wei disappeared.

Xu Qingran calmly read through all the hate directed at him online.

Meanwhile, his live stream audience was really worried, constantly asking about his mental state and telling him not to let the haters get to him.

"Affected? What's it gonna do?" Xu Qingran laughed when he saw this.

"I still eat and sleep just fine, and I haven't lost any weight. You guys should stop letting that nonsense bother you."

"Ending the stream. See you."

Xu Qingran really meant what he said.

But it happened right before he ended the stream, so haters took the clip to say he was just putting on a tough act. They said he acted all cool but was probably crying after the stream ended.

The drama brewed online all day, and Xu Qingran didn't respond.

Mostly because he forgot about it.

Then in the evening, Shen Tingyu, who hadn't updated his account in a while, went online and posted a few videos.

He also tagged Feng Wei's most aggressive fans, who were also the ones trashing Xu Qingran the most.

Shen Tingyu's account was as popular as ever.

The videos quickly became trending topics.

They were all surveillance videos of Feng Wei's behind-the-scenes mischief that were accidentally found by Mu Ningluo's team.

Shen Tingyu is quite scheming.

He was worried that the Feng family might still cause trouble, so he secretly backed up the surveillance videos that Mu Ningluo intended to have destroyed. Sure enough, they now came in handy.

Netizens who were still following the drama in the afternoon: ???

"No way?"

"Is this for real?! If it's true, Young Master Xu is beyond pitiful!"

"Pitiful is an understatement! Talk about bad luck! He befriended someone, only to be betrayed, and now he's being insulted and questioned by the other person's crazy fans!"

"No wonder the eldest son of the Feng family didn't want to respond. If it were me, I wouldn't want to speak up either!"

"Poor little lunatic (referring to Xu Qingran), why is he always targeted by bad people?"

Feng Wei's supporters and critics, of course, refused to believe and accept it. They even lashed out at Shen Tingyu, saying he doctored videos to protect Xu Qingran and slander Feng Wei.

Two hours later, the official account of the military academy reposted Shen Tingyu's latest post.

With a note of three words: It's true.

This escalated the incident to its climax.

Interestingly, the military academy students and staff who were present and knew the truth also came forward to repost General Shen's video, echoing the military academy's official account: It's true.

The most recent comments on the hot topic were all the same three words.

Then, another wave of marketing and news accounts posted articles.

They uncovered Feng Wei's dark past from elementary and middle school.

They said he had always used his status to bully others. While his public image in the media was positive and kind, in reality, he was a person with a volatile and violent personality. One moment he could be playing nicely with you, and the next, he might violently attack you over a minor disagreement.

Later, it was also revealed that the class monitor who had a good relationship with him in middle school was beaten into a coma by him and has been lying in the hospital ever since. The leaks even included that Feng Wei was an obsessive D-type admirer, who had previously attempted to kidnap a D-type and force a soul bond, collecting photos and tracking their movements—all kinds of perverse behavior.

These secrets, as if suddenly stripped of their cover, were exposed to the public.

Netizens were shocked.

"Oh my god, this is so pitiful!"

"What goes around comes around. All I can say is Feng Wei deserves to be lying in the hospital now!"

"He could do something so brutal to a friend he's known since childhood, and all over some trivial argument. Does Feng Wei even have a heart? Is he really not an E-type?"

"E-types refuse to take the blame. This is just a spoiled brat raised with too much indulgence!"

"Only 18 years old... It's shocking to see such a dark side beneath the surface."

"The Feng family, capable of raising such a child, likely has its own issues."

In an instant, the haters who were ranting suddenly vanished.

Only a handful of heartbroken Feng Wei loyalists were left.

Xu Qingran only found out about the online reversal when Ni Xiaoyuan bombarded his phone with messages.

He was convinced the Feng family had stoked the flames before the scandal erupted.

So he logged into his account and directly tagged the Feng family and Mu Ningluo, asking, "It's been two months. Where's the apology I deserve?"