Chapter 29: The Rumors Spread

Ding Wei knew right away that Lu Shi was talking nonsense again. What perfume could possibly cost that much? It was pure robbery.

But the weather outside didn’t look good, so Ding Wei didn’t press further. Once Shen Zheming said it was getting late and they should head back, everyone quickly went home.

Lu Shi initially thought that being misunderstood by that young lady with Shen Zheming was no big deal. At most, she’d tell a few friends, and no one would take it seriously.

He never expected the story to somehow end up in the Capital University campus group chat, spreading like wildfire and getting more outrageous by the minute.

Lu Shi managed to sneak into the group through Ding Wei’s friend at Capital University.

Once the group admin enabled anonymous posting, everyone let loose and spoke their minds.

“I saw them holding hands that day.”

“Holding hands? That’s nothing. I saw them kissing, with my own eyes. A full ten minutes. I was hiding under a table next to them from an NPC and didn’t dare make a sound.”

[Image]

Lu Shi was lying in bed and nearly dropped his phone on his face.

“Damn, that’s intense! But the height and build don’t seem right. Shen Zheming is way taller than that.”

“Buddy, I suggest you delete that. That’s me and my boyfriend. Don’t think I can’t find you just because you’re hiding behind anonymity.”

Lu Shi let out a faint sigh.

Why were young people like this nowadays? They heard a gust of wind and immediately thought it was a storm.

Time to step in and set them straight.

Lu Shi also switched to anonymous mode and typed in the group:

“Don’t believe rumors, don’t spread them. They’re just ordinary friends.”

Unexpectedly, as soon as he sent the message, over a dozen replies popped up instantly.

“Here we go again, ‘everyone else is drunk and I’m the only sober one.'”

“How do you know? Did they tell you personally?”

“Forgot what happened at the bar before? You believe there’s nothing between them? Then believe I’m the First Emperor of Qin.”

“Everyone knows these things never come out of nowhere.”

The main subject of the gossip was being roasted for over ten floors in the group.

Lu Shi’s face was full of black lines. He smiled wryly and put down his phone, suddenly feeling incredibly sorry for Shen Zheming.

As the old saying goes, trying to be clever often backfires. This was a perfect example.

The school group chat was a mess. Once people put on a mask, they had no filter and spewed anything. Eventually, the admin, afraid the rumors would escalate and reflect badly on them, had no choice but to disable anonymous posting.

Disabling anonymity was like putting everyone on mute. The group went silent in a second, like a pot of boiling water suddenly cooling down.

When the next message popped up, it was: “Selling second-hand items, 90% new, negotiable~ (heart)”

A harmonious and friendly scene fitting for 21st-century youth.

Originally, this matter was only circulating among students. Chen Qiming was unaware of it.

Since his last attempt to rename Lu Shi was rejected, he hadn’t seen Lu Shi for over a week.

That night, he had even sent Lu Shi harsh words on his phone.

Chen Qiming: “What are you being so stubborn about? We didn’t change it before because your mother and I were busy with other things, helping you deal with the family that took you away. Weren’t we doing it for your own good?”

Chen Qiming: “Are you determined to drive Youxuan away? I’m telling you, it’s impossible. Even though you’re our biological son, the Chen family is not a place where you can do whatever you want.”

Chen Qiming: “If you keep this up, don’t blame me for cutting off your living expenses. Don’t even think about asking me for a single cent in the future!”

But all the messages he sent were met with silence. Chen Qiming even began to wonder if Lu Shi had deleted or blocked him.

In any case, the other party didn’t reply a single word. On the contrary, Chen Qiming himself grew more and more restless.

That morning, he had just come downstairs for breakfast when he received a phone call.

“Qiming, you’ve been keeping a low profile. Your son is so close with Young Master Shen, and you never mentioned it? If you ever get a chance to form a marriage alliance with the Shen family, don’t forget to put in a good word for your old classmate in front of them.”

Chen Qiming was confused: “What?”

“Don’t play dumb. My son told me. He was a volunteer checking the invitation letters. He said Lu Shi attended the Capital University Halloween party together with Shen Zheming. You know how hard it is to invite that young master of the Shen family.

“I didn’t believe the online rumors about their good relationship before, but now I see—it’s not just a good relationship, it’s a very close relationship.”

Chen Qiming had his phone on the dining table, the speaker on.

Zhu Wanqing and Chen Youxuan, who were eating, both heard.

Chen Youxuan’s hand trembled, and a bit of milk spilled from his cup.

The image of Lu Shi holding the invitation letter and smiling at him that day instantly flashed in his mind.

No wonder Lu Shi was so smug. So the invitation was from Shen Zheming.

So the rumors in the school group chat were true?

Zhu Wanqing paused in wiping her mouth with a napkin, looked up at Chen Qiming in surprise: “Honey, are they talking about Xiao Shi?”

She had previously found many things about Lu Shi displeasing—his slouching posture, his lack of style, his way of speaking and acting that didn’t fit the demeanor of a young master.

So Zhu Wanqing’s first reaction was to confirm, unable to believe it.

If it were true, she could start socializing with Mrs. Shen in the future! If other ladies found out, they’d probably be falling over themselves to curry favor with her.

And more importantly—

Zhu Wanqing: “Does this mean there’s a new opportunity for the investment deal with the Jushang Group?”

Chen Qiming hung up the phone, a bit dizzy from his old classmate’s flattery. Joy was almost spilling from his brows, but he quickly composed himself and regained his calm.

“You don’t understand. Times like these are exactly when you can’t be too eager. Do you think the Shen family is an easy nut to crack? Shen Zheming has been immersed in business with his father since childhood; he’ll see through your intentions in an instant.”

Zhu Wanqing clutched the napkin: “Then what should we do?”

Chen Qiming tapped the table: “First, stabilize Lu Shi. Then we’ll observe.”

He truly hadn’t expected that Lu Shi, who had only been back for two months, could get so close to Shen Zheming, someone even Youxuan couldn’t approach.

“That’s true. It’s just past eight o’clock. I don’t know if Xiao Shi is awake yet.” Zhu Wanqing had a servant bring her phone, intending to send a message to check on him.

Chen Youxuan, who was usually the center of attention in the Chen family, was completely overlooked at the breakfast table for the first time. Even when he finished eating and prepared to leave for school, Chen Qiming and Zhu Wanqing, immersed in this unexpected delight, didn’t notice. They didn’t hug him goodbye as they usually did.

“Damn!”

In the car, Chen Youxuan scrolled through the previous chat records of the school group, trembling all over, nearly crushing his phone.

Lu Shi, Lu Shi, Lu Shi—everything was about Lu Shi!

The driver in the front seat heard the young master curse for the first time and glanced in the rearview mirror with surprise and uncertainty.

Sensing he had lost his composure, Chen Youxuan took a deep breath and steadied himself.

Thinking carefully, he still had an advantage. There was no need to be so anxious.

Just because Lu Shi had a good relationship with Shen Zheming now didn’t mean it would last forever. They might fall out any day. His parents were just momentarily happy; they would soon realize that someone like him, who could bring tangible benefits to the Chen family, was the one who deserved attention.

On the way to school, Chen Youxuan leaned against the window with his eyes closed.

His phone vibrated in his lap. Someone sent him a friend request.

Chen Youxuan was in a foul mood and irritably opened his phone to reject it.

But then he read the request message: “I know a secret about Lu Shi. Since we both hate him, want to cooperate?”

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