"This has nothing to do with you!" Mu Side took a step closer, looking down at Luo Jialin with disdain. "You're only thinking of caring about her now? Isn't it a little too late?"
After tossing those words out, Mu Side turned and left without a second glance.
"Brother Jialin?" Lin Muyao seethed inwardly. Luo Jialin was actually worried about Shu Lanzhou? She quickly said, "Du Yifan looks really upset. Shouldn't you go check on him?"
Luo Jialin withdrew his gaze from Mu Side, his eyes darkening as he concealed the flash of coldness that surfaced. "Let's go."
"Senior," Du Yifan said quietly, head hanging low, "Shu Lanzhou said that ever since you demanded a public apology from her, she's no longer one of us."
"Are you blaming me now?" Luo Jialin's face hardened. "Back then, I did misunderstand her, but asking her to apologize was a decision we all agreed on."
"Lin Muyao was there too. Are you going to blame her as well?"
Lin Muyao's face turned pale. "I… I was a victim too… I'm sorry!"
"Enough. What's done is done. Stop bringing it up." Luo Jialin's tone was impatient. "If today's embarrassment wasn't enough for you, go ahead and keep pestering Shu Lanzhou!"
With that, he left the small auditorium.
Tian Hua and Fang Ruoshi quickly grabbed Du Yifan and dragged him outside.
"Can't you calm down for once? Shu Lanzhou always responds better to kindness, not pressure—you know that! If you really regret letting her go, then at least show some proper attitude!" Tian Hua was fuming. "I've never seen someone so impulsive."
"She won't forgive us," Fang Ruoshi said grimly. "She made up her mind a long time ago."
"Shu Lanzhou has a soft heart. I refuse to believe we can't win her back if we truly make it up to her," Tian Hua muttered.
Truth be told, he had finally realized: even if Lin Muyao came from a good family, when it came to skills, she simply wasn't on Shu Lanzhou's level. With Shu Lanzhou on the team, everything went smoother for everyone.
He turned to Lin Muyao.
"Junior Sister Muyao, you're a girl too. You must know better than us what Shu Lanzhou needs. Think carefully—how can we win her back?"
"Senior Sister doesn't like me. If she knows it's my idea, she'll be even angrier," Lin Muyao cursed Tian Hua for being an idiot in her heart.
Was she crazy? Why would she help them win Shu Lanzhou back?
Tian Hua thought for a moment. "That's true. But we can't just leave things like this. How about you apologize to her again? Beg for her forgiveness?"
"She's really talented. If you stay close to her, it'll only benefit you. Trust your senior—go apologize."
Lin Muyao's expression was awkward. In other words, Tian Hua was basically saying she was inferior to Shu Lanzhou?
"Fine, I'll listen to you, Senior. If I get a chance, I'll apologize properly."
"That's more like it." Tian Hua pulled Du Yifan and Fang Ruoshi along and left.
Lin Muyao stood there, wringing her hands, a dark gleam flashing in her eyes—
Shu Lanzhou, one day, I'll make you wish you were dead!
I'll show them clearly who's truly stronger between us!
"You're really going to apologize to her?" A voice spoke up. It was Guo Jialiang, who had been silent until now, walking over to her.
Lin Muyao let out a snort of laughter. "You think if I apologize, she'll forgive me?"
"Shu Lanzhou will never forgive me, or you guys either—especially not you, Guo Jialiang." Lin Muyao poked his chest lightly with her finger.
"Senior, don't say I didn't warn you: the award ceremony is over, and soon Shu Lanzhou's papers will start getting published in the campus journals. Social death is just around the corner for you!"
Lin Muyao's smile grew colder.
"Especially after she just stole the spotlight again—those papers of hers will be adored by so many. By then, you'll be the guy everyone steps on. Are you really willing to let that happen?"
"What if I'm not willing?" Guo Jialiang's face was bitter. The method Lin Muyao had suggested to him more than a month ago still echoed in his mind.
He had even done a lot of research for it. But until today, he hadn't made up his mind!
Lin Muyao shot him a scornful glare. "I've already told you what to do. Whether you do it or not is up to you. I'm not the one facing social death, after all."
Lin Muyao had always been the gentle type, speaking in a soft, pitiful tone that easily won sympathy.
But now Guo Jialiang could clearly feel her disdain and contempt. Even her tone was much sharper.
Clearly, even Lin Muyao looked down on him now.
Was he really going to just sit back and let even more people despise him?
No, he couldn't let that happen. Absolutely not!
Guo Jialiang clenched his teeth, as if making up his mind about something, and turned to head toward the teaching building…
Inside the small auditorium.
Shu Lanzhou had waited by the entrance for a while. Most of the students and teachers had already left, but she still hadn't seen Wu Cheng and the others.
"Excuse me," she stopped a student who was helping clean the hall. "Have you seen Senior Wu and the others?"
The girl pointed backstage. "Senior Wu and the others were called away by a teacher. It sounded like someone's interested in their project and wants to collaborate."
Shu Lanzhou's heart skipped a beat—
Don't tell me… I'm too late again?
"Thank you," she said, then quickly made her way backstage.
He Sixin and Mu Side caught up with her. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to see who's trying to collaborate with Wu Cheng." Shu Lanzhou frowned, trying to pull her arm free from He Sixin. "Senior, don't stop me, I—"
"No matter who it is, you can't just rush in right now," He Sixin said firmly. "Mu Side, explain."
Mu Side grabbed Shu Lanzhou's wrist. "My sister's right. Even if you want to stop Wu Cheng from collaborating, this isn't the way."
"You…" Shu Lanzhou forced herself to calm down. "How did you know I wanted to stop him?"
Mu Side let go of her hand and smiled faintly.
"Let me guess: most of their project's core planning was your work, wasn't it? You probably didn't plan to join the campus competition at all at first, right?"
"What else?" Shu Lanzhou neither confirmed nor denied it.
Mu Side curled his lips slightly.
"You also wanted Wu Cheng to work with Professor He. He's majoring in clinical medicine, and you helped him get an internship under Professor He so he could eventually join our research team."
"Or to be more precise, my aunt's new research project. If someone else signs him now, we lose him. Of course you want to stop it."
Mu Side had seen straight through her thoughts!
"Professor He is the team's technical backbone. If we have someone we trust inside, our research will move forward more smoothly. And I'm familiar with Wu Cheng's project," Shu Lanzhou said, pressing her lips together.
What she didn't say was that she was also afraid—
In her past life, this project had ended up in Lin Jiayi's hands. Lin Jiayi was none other than Lin Muyao's mother.
Eventually, Lin Jiayi had inserted Lin Muyao into the research group. With that project's huge success, Lin Muyao had made a name for herself in the medical field.
This was the real starting point of her rise!
This time, Shu Lanzhou couldn't let them have that chance.
Mu Side patted her arm reassuringly. "If you go talk to Wu Cheng now, it'll look like you're trying to guilt-trip him into returning the favor. Let me handle it."
"Thank you, Senior," Shu Lanzhou said, agreeing readily.
Truthfully, she wasn't good at negotiating this kind of thing. Mu Side would definitely have a better chance.
He Sixin led her to sit at the side of the auditorium.
"Relax. Wu Cheng doesn't seem like someone who'd forget kindness. You helped him get an internship. If the terms are equal, he won't choose someone else."
Just then, the curtain backstage opened—and out walked a woman with a bright smile.
It was Lin Jiayi.
Shu Lanzhou's heart sank.
Did they already seal the deal?