Chapter 1221: Taken Away by the Police

Li Juan had just climbed down from her bunk, clutching the money in her hand, ready to hand over the thirty yuan to Tang Xue when Zhao Ling’s voice cut through the air like a sudden slap.

“Don’t be stupid, Li Juan. Haven’t you noticed something’s off?”

Startled, Li Juan paused and looked over, her fingers still pinching the money. “Zhao Ling, what do you mean?”

Zhao Ling let out a sharp, unimpressed snort. “Are you seriously that naive? Haven’t you realized Tang Xue hasn’t been pushing that so-called ‘miracle repair cream’ lately? And did you even glance at the campus bulletin board this morning? The police posted a notice—apparently a flood of counterfeit skincare products has hit the student market, and they’ve launched a full investigation. There was even a photo. The product in the image? The exact one Tang Xue’s been selling. You really want to lend her money now? What if you end up dragged into a counterfeit ring?”

Honestly, Zhao Ling had no intention of interfering. She’d just wanted a quiet moment to read and take notes. But watching Li Juan—honest, hardworking, frugal Li Juan—about to hand over her savings to someone like Tang Xue was simply too much. She couldn’t stay silent anymore.

Tang Xue’s expression twisted with fury. “You’re full of lies! I didn’t sell fake products! Everything I sold was authentic!” Her voice rose an octave, trembling with both anger and a touch of fear. “You’re just jealous I’m closer to Li Juan than you are!”

Zhao Ling rolled her eyes and gave a lazy shrug. Honestly, she had better things to do than argue. “If you didn’t sell fakes, then why are you running and hiding?”

That shut Tang Xue up. Her guilt flickered through her expression for a brief second before she looked back at Li Juan, eyes wide, trying to regain control. “Li Juan, who do you believe? Me, or her?”

Even the ever-trusting Li Juan couldn’t ignore the truth staring her in the face. Her grip tightened around the money as she said hesitantly, “Actually… I did see the notice this morning. The product in the photo—it really does look like the one you’ve been selling. Tang Xue, just tell me the truth. Were you scammed?”

At that, Tang Xue’s mask dropped. Her eyes darkened with frustration. “I wasn’t scammed! Ugh, I get it now. You just don’t want to lend me money, do you? Fine. Thirty yuan! I see you for who you really are now. We’re done. Don’t ever speak to me again!”

With that, she yanked a face mask out of her bag and shoved it on, storming toward the door like a tragic heroine in a soap opera. But fate had other plans. Just as she threw open the door, she slammed straight into two uniformed police officers—one with his hand already raised, as if about to knock.

“Excuse us,” one officer said, voice neutral but firm. “We’re looking for Tang Xue. Please come with us.”

Tang Xue froze, her body stiffening as her mind spiraled. Behind her, Li Juan stepped closer to the doorway, eyes wide with disbelief.

“Tang Xue… the police? What’s going on? Did you really sell fake goods? How could you be so reckless?”

The officers exchanged a look. One of them pulled out a small notepad and spoke in a crisp tone. “Tang Xue, you are currently under investigation in connection to a counterfeit goods operation and a loan-sharking case. Since you’re a student, we’re willing to give you a bit of dignity. We won’t use handcuffs. But if you try anything foolish…” His tone left no room for interpretation.

Whatever blood had been left in Tang Xue’s face drained completely. Her legs buckled, and before anyone could react, she collapsed in a dead faint.

Li Juan watched helplessly as the girl she’d once called her best friend—someone she’d shared lunches, homework, and secrets with—was carried away. It hurt to see Tang Xue fall so far, but deep down, she knew: Tang Xue had brought this upon herself.

News of Tang Xue’s arrest spread like wildfire across the campus. Whispers turned to gossip, and gossip turned to a full-blown scandal.

Gu Zi heard about it a week later.

She didn’t say much at first, only letting out a quiet sigh. She hadn’t expected this, not entirely, but in hindsight, it wasn’t surprising. Tang Xue had always been too vain, too eager to show off, too blind to the consequences of her own decisions. Gu Zi could already imagine the outcome—expulsion was inevitable. And what a pity. Tang Xue had once held such a promising hand, only to play it all wrong.

Not that Gu Zi felt sorry for her. No—what she mourned was the wasted opportunity. That coveted spot at the Imperial Capital University could have gone to a deserving student from a small town, someone who had worked twice as hard for half the resources. Instead, it had been squandered by Tang Xue’s greed and poor judgment.

But then again, it wasn’t Gu Zi’s concern. Life moved on, and so did she.

Chen Xi, on the other hand, didn’t get off so easily. Because of the scandal, someone had roughed him up—nothing too serious, but enough to leave a mark. Perhaps for the first time, the sting of consequence hit him hard.

The incident seemed to jolt him awake. He started showing signs of ambition and, to everyone’s surprise, begged his brother Chen Yu to ask Su Shen if he could become his disciple—to study martial arts under the military legend.

Chen Yu was more than pleased. Not only did this show some long-awaited drive from his brother, but it also aligned perfectly with something else. Su Shen’s wife was due to give birth soon, and Chen Yu, being Su Shen’s business partner, decided to give him a well-deserved paternity leave—framed, of course, as a “strategic training period” for his little brother.

After all, Su Shen wasn’t just anyone. He had once been a god of war in the military—any technique he passed down, no matter how basic, would be more than enough for someone like Chen Xi.

Su Shen didn’t object. He had already planned to scale back his work hours to be with Gu Zi during labor and confinement. Chen Yu’s proposal simply made things official. And besides, he had already intended to start training their son Su Li in martial arts. Taking on an extra student would only make things more lively—and Su Li might even enjoy having someone to train with.

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