HBWMA -Chapter 259 Conflict Erupts

The farce finally dispersed, and everyone returned to their respective classrooms.

Gao Zhi quickly slipped back to Shen Lanxi’s side, leaving Su Zhuo standing there, looking particularly conspicuous.

Jiang Huashan, Fu Sui’er, and Shen Mianzhi—six eyes in total—stared at him, sizing him up. Su Zhuo felt a bit awkward, avoiding the gaze he least dared to meet, and said stiffly, “Class is starting. Why are you all still standing here?”

Fu Sui’er crossed her arms. “Who are you? And why did you help us just now?”

“Brother!” Su Miao came running up, panting, and grabbed Su Zhuo’s arm. Lifting her chin proudly, she declared, “He’s my brother. Fu Sui’er, mind your attitude. He just helped you—what kind of attitude is that?”

“Your brother?” Fu Sui’er looked surprised. “Wasn’t your brother a ball? Why did he shrink?”

Su Zhuo looked helpless.

Su Miao was furious. She could insult her own brother, but others couldn’t. Just as she was about to snap back, Shen Mianzhi tugged at Fu Sui’er and looked apologetically at Su Zhuo.

“Thank you for helping us earlier. Sui’er speaks bluntly but means no harm. I hope you won’t take it to heart.”

“Hmph.” Su Miao crossed her arms. “I was just about to—”

Before she could finish, Su Zhuo’s eyes lit up like stars. “I don’t mind. I don’t mind anything they say.”

“…!” Su Miao puffed up like an angry pufferfish.

Shen Mianzhi was momentarily stunned but didn’t dwell on it. “Class is starting. We’ll head back now. We’ll thank you properly another time.”

Fu Sui’er hooked her arm around Jiang Huashan’s as the three of them walked toward the second-floor landing. Su Zhuo was still standing where he was.

Jiang Huashan looked thoughtful, studying Su Zhuo’s face for a long moment.

Fu Sui’er had already noticed her observation and leaned closer, whispering, “I spoke like that just now and he didn’t even get angry. Feels like he’s actually a pretty nice guy.”

As she said that, she cast a meaningful glance at Shen Mianzhi.

Jiang Huashan smiled. She hadn’t expected the once simple-minded girl to become so perceptive, catching the subtle details at a glance.

Su Zhuo?

Jiang Huashan slowly withdrew her gaze. She didn’t have much impression of him. The only memory she had was from Shen Mianzhi’s funeral—he had worn a black suit and brought a single red rose. Later, he joined the Blue Sea Air Force and was killed in an air raid, leaving no remains.

Because of that, the Su family suffered a heavy blow. The old patriarch fell seriously ill, his health never recovering. Later, a scandal involving a swapped heiress surfaced, and Su Miao ended up abandoned by everyone.

But judging from how the siblings interacted just now, Su Zhuo must really care about this “fake” sister. If he hadn’t died, perhaps Su Miao wouldn’t have ended up dying alone in a foreign land.

“I’ll head back first.”

Shen Mianzhi wasn’t in the same class as them. When they reached the third-floor corridor, they split in opposite directions.

“Mianzhi,” Jiang Huashan called after her, hesitating for a moment.

Shen Mianzhi turned around.

Jiang Huashan pointed upward. “Remember—face him directly. No matter the outcome.” Before Shen Mianzhi could react, she grabbed Fu Sui’er’s hand and walked off toward the classroom.

“No matter the outcome…” Shen Mianzhi murmured softly to herself, lowering her head.

Downstairs, Su Zhuo was still standing there. Only after that figure completely disappeared did he reluctantly withdraw his gaze.

“Brother.” Su Miao crossed her arms, staring at him coolly. “Did you really come to see me?”

Su Zhuo felt a little guilty. He coughed lightly into his fist. “What else?”

Su Miao narrowed her eyes. “When we were kids, I got chased by a military dog, and you insisted on finishing your chicken drumstick before coming to save me. We ran three laps before you finally caught up to both me and the dog! So what was that just now? Floating Step Technique? When did you learn that?”

Su Zhuo patted the epaulet on his shoulder. “I’m heading back.”

“Stop right there!” She grabbed him again before he could leave. “You have to explain yourself today! Or I’ll tell Grandpa!”

Worried she might blurt something out, Su Zhuo quickly pulled out his phone. “Didn’t you say recently that your allowance wasn’t enough? How much do you need? I’ll transfer it to you.”

“Trying to bribe me with money?”

“Do you want it or not?”

Su Miao suddenly remembered she still needed money this weekend to convince Jiang Huashan to go with her. That “greedy fish” only cared about money—without it, nothing would work.

“Yes.” Without hesitation, she took out her phone and opened her payment QR code.

Without blinking, Su Zhuo transferred a huge sum. “Now that you’ve taken the money, don’t ask again.”

“Deal.” Su Miao agreed happily.

With the matter settled, Su Zhuo didn’t stay long. He pointed toward the classroom. “Class has started. Go on, get back. I’m leaving.”

The bell had already rung some time ago—going back now meant being late—but having just taken his money, Su Miao didn’t argue. She dragged Zhou Qishan toward the building.

Zhou Qishan glanced back at Su Zhuo, a hint of envy in her eyes.

“Your brother treats you really well.”

Su Miao smiled. “That’s because he’s my brother. Doesn’t Brother A-Heng treat you well too?”

Zhou Qishan gave a vague smile, brushing it off.

That afternoon, as if stirred by an unseen wind, rumors about Xiao Lanlan suddenly erupted everywhere.

On the school forum, a post titled “A Certain Rising National Goddess’s Debauchery on Campus” exploded overnight. It not only detailed how Xiao Lanlan had bullied classmates during a TV shoot, but also included photos of her behaving intimately with multiple men and entering and leaving hotels.

As the comment section filled with insults, major social media platforms quickly picked up the story.

Xiao Lanlan had always maintained an image of pure innocence. The internet instantly split into two camps. Her fans, under immense pressure, tried to defend her—but that very evening, more videos surfaced, showing her bullying others. In the footage, girls were humiliated and trampled without dignity. The cruelty was shocking.

Very quickly, public opinion turned completely against her. People demanded she be expelled from the entertainment industry. Fan groups organized powerful campaigns to boycott her appearances.

When a wall collapses, everyone pushes it. By the second day of her fall from grace, obscene rumors flooded the internet.

Countless netizens claimed to have had fleeting affairs with her, even posting censored “intimate” photos.

At that point, the truth no longer mattered. Being able to claim a scandalous connection with a former “national goddess”—even as a joke—was enough for those lecherous men to revel in.

That’s how terrifying rumors can be. In just one day, they branded a young woman with the label: “a woman anyone could have.”