"We need to call the police."

Lucas was taken aback.

I looked at him and said word for word:

"Since they dare to put this kind of thing on a public platform, they shouldn't blame me for making a scene."

In my past life, my disadvantage was that I always felt things would be okay if I just endured, hid, and powered through.

But what was the result?

Those people would only think you were an easier target because of your silence.

In this life, I refuse.

The school was quickly alerted.

After seeing the post, Mr. Sterling's hand was trembling with anger. He immediately contacted the forum administrators and the school's information center to delete the content and preserve the background records, while also suggesting I go to the police accompanied by a parent.

I bit my lip and said softly, "Sir, I don't have a parent who can handle this."

The office went silent for a moment.

Mr. Sterling looked at me, a flash of clear heartbreak in his eyes.

He likely only now truly realized that this girl, who always appeared so calm, often had no adult to back her up.

After two seconds, he said gravely, "It's all right. I'll go with you."

In that moment, my eyes suddenly felt hot.

Lucas stood beside me as well. "I'll go too."

Mr. Sterling nodded. "Okay."

The process of reporting to the police was more formal than I had imagined.

Giving a statement, explaining the situation, submitting the source of the photo and the school’s disciplinary records, and providing screenshots and links from the forum.

Sitting under the bright lights of the police station, as I recounted these things word for word, I didn't tremble.

Perhaps it was because by the time I finished, there was only one thought left in my mind—

I must make them pay the price.

Not because I was fragile or aggrieved and needed someone to vent for me.

But because things like this shouldn't be let go easily in the first place.

By the time we left the police station, it was very late.

The streetlights were on, and there was a damp chill in the air.

Mr. Sterling patted my shoulder. "Don't be afraid. The school will continue to follow up on this."

I said earnestly, "Thank you, sir."

He sighed. "It's the school that should say thank you. It's our fault for not protecting you well."

My nose stung, but I didn't say anything more.

On the way back, Lucas was very quiet.

It wasn't until we were almost back to our place that he suddenly spoke: "Lynn."

"Yes?"

"Whatever the outcome this time, I'll be with you."

I paused and turned to look at him.

Lucas looked straight ahead, seemingly unaccustomed to saying such things. His voice was low but steady.

"If the project doesn't go through, we'll just take the university entrance exam and find somewhere else to go."

"If the project goes through, I'll see you off."

"No matter which path it is, you won't be alone."

The night was deep. The small convenience store at the alley entrance was still lit, and the wind chimes hanging by the door tinkled softly in the breeze.

I gazed at him, and my heart suddenly felt incredibly peaceful.

"Okay."

18

The school's pace noticeably quickened the day after the police report.

All relevant posts on the forum were completely deleted, and the back-end information was handed over to the authorities. A brief meeting was held for the entire grade, strictly forbidding students from spreading false information—especially content involving privacy or personal humiliation. It was made clear that any violations would be met with severe punishment.

With such a strong stance from the administration, many who had simply been following the trend immediately fell silent.

That is how a crowd works.

Most of the time, they don't harbor deep malice; they are simply too lazy to distinguish truth from lies and will flock wherever the excitement is. Once they realize that participating might lead to trouble, they retreat swiftly, acting as if they had never watched or whispered at all.

I wasn't disappointed by this.

In my past life, I had long since abandoned any expectations regarding "bystanders."

What truly mattered to me was the attitude of the project group.

Fortunately, a teacher from the group called me personally that afternoon.

Her tone was very gentle. She mentioned that the school had provided a formal clarification regarding the rumors and assured me that the project group would not allow unverified internet gossip to affect a fair evaluation. She told me to wait for the results with peace of mind.

After hanging up, I sat in my seat for a long time, unmoving.

Lucas came in through the back door. Seeing me like this, his heart leapt into his throat.

"What happened?"

I looked up at him and slowly broke into a smile.

"The project group said... it won't be affected."

He visibly relaxed, his shoulders finally losing their tension.

"That’s good."

I nodded. "Yes, that’s good."

But that sense of relief hadn't fully settled before I spotted Caspian outside the school gates after class.

He was leaning against his black sedan, looking as lazy as ever, as if he were certain I would pass by and certain I couldn't avoid him.

A surge of annoyance immediately rose in my chest.

Lucas clearly saw him too, and his expression turned cold instantly. "Ignore him."

"Okay."

But just as we tried to bypass him, Caspian straightened up and called out to me:

"Lynn."

I didn't stop.

He let out a light laugh. "The forum incident—it wasn't me."

I eventually came to a halt.

It wasn't because I believed him, but because at a moment like this, he had no reason to make a special trip just to talk nonsense.

I turned back to him. "And?"

Caspian took a few steps closer, his gaze landing on my face.

"So, stop directing that 'everyone looks like a suspect' look entirely at me."

I was almost laughed out of anger.

"Are you implying you're innocent?"

"I didn't say I was innocent," he said evenly. "But it really wasn't me this time."

Lucas interjected coldly, "Then what are you doing here?"

"To tell her," Caspian said without even looking at him, "that Sloane has been grounded by her family and her phone has been confiscated. That forum post was likely made by one of her two followers trying to vent for her, but they took things too far."

I stared at him, quickly weighing the truth of his words in my mind.

Given the way the Sterling family operated, it wasn't surprising that Sloane was locked up after being suspended, humiliated, and involving the police.

But the fact that Caspian would go out of his way to "inform" me was strange in itself.

When did he become so kind-hearted?

I looked at him and asked directly, "Why are you telling me this?"

Caspian remained silent for two seconds, then suddenly smiled.

"Maybe I just don't want you to keep lumping me together with her."

I didn't believe him for a second.

"Are you finished?"

"Not yet."

He glanced at Lucas, as if he found him an eyesore but couldn't actually drive him away. He continued talking to me:

"Sloane suffered a loss this time, and the family won't let her continue to lose face at school. There's a high probability she'll be sent abroad, or at least transferred to another school for a while."

My heart gave a slight jolt.

This was something I hadn't expected.

In the past life, Sloane’s obsession with Lucas was so deep because he had fallen into her sphere of control early on; she didn't have to pay any price.

But this life was different.

She hadn't succeeded; instead, she had repeatedly caused scandals, and now even her family was intervening.

If the Sterling family truly decided to send her away, it would be a massive turning point for us.

However, I didn't let my relief show. I remained calm and asked, "What do you want from me in return?"

Caspian looked at me, his eyes deepening slightly.

"Is that how you think of me every single time?"

"Shouldn't I?"

"..." He seemed blocked by my words and let out a low laugh. "Fine."

"Then let's just say I'm trying to trade for a better attitude from you."

I frowned.

It sounded like a joke, but I didn't find it lighthearted.

In the later stages of my past life, he had used this same half-real, half-fake tone to say things that blurred boundaries, only to tighten the rope the moment you tried to let your guard down.

I said coldly, "Then you're overthinking it."

Caspian stared at me for a long while before giving a light click of his tongue.

"You really refuse to take even the slightest loss, don't you?"

"We're even in that regard."

Perhaps because the resistance in my tone was too obvious, the laziness on his face finally faded a bit.