Chapter 531

While class was still in session, Wang Haoran glanced at the stream of system messages flooding his phone. His expression shifted between surprise and disbelief. All he did was have Liu Hua spread the news that Lin Mo had become a eunuch—how did that simple rumor send Lin Mo spiraling so hard he completely broke down?

Was his mentality really that fragile?

Or did someone else deal him a harsher blow directly to his face?

Even if that were the case, the guy was still too weak. Back when Lu Chen was dealt the same kind of devastating blow, it did not take long for him to recover and come to terms with it. Compared to Lu Chen, Lin Mo was truly pathetic.

But after thinking it over for a moment, Wang Haoran felt it didn’t matter.

He had planned to deal with Lin Mo once and for all before the guy leaves Qingling anyway, to erase the hidden threat entirely. But since Lin Mo had taken such a heavy hit, it looked like he wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. That meant there was no need to rush.

And now, with Lin Mo suddenly collapsing on his own, things had become much simpler.

Not only was he out of the way, but he even dropped a bunch of system rewards on his way down. That, at least, was a pleasant surprise.

At the Normal University, the fourth class of the morning had just ended. Gu Yurou scarfed down her lunch in a hurry. She didn’t stop to rest and immediately left campus, catching a cab outside the gates and heading for her appointment with Lu Xinyi.

Not far behind her, Shao Wanwan also flagged down a taxi. She was tailing her.

In order to keep tabs on Gu Yurou’s movements, Shao Wanwan had gone so far as to check her class schedule. She knew that when Gu Yurou was in class, there was no need to monitor her. But during any free time, Shao Wanwan would stay alert and keep an eye out.

They had just eaten in the same cafeteria. When she saw Gu Yurou head out of campus instead of returning to the dorms, she followed out of curiosity.

Now seeing her take a cab somewhere, Shao Wanwan naturally followed suit.

Gu Yurou’s taxi dropped her off in front of a café. She stepped inside, chose a seat near the window, and ordered a coffee while she waited.

There was still plenty of time before her scheduled meeting with Lu Xinyi. But Gu Yurou cared about this meeting too much to risk being late, so she arrived early. She sent Lu Xinyi a message letting her know she had already arrived and even attached her seat number.

As the minutes slipped by, boredom crept in. She pulled out her phone and started scrolling aimlessly. Before she realized it, she opened her photo album and began flipping through the pictures—most of which were secretly taken shots of Wang Haoran.

Whenever she had time to kill on her phone, she couldn’t help but open this folder. Looking at those photos made her dazed and dreamy without even realizing it.

Time passed quietly.

Lu Xinyi arrived at the café and found the seat based on Gu Yurou’s message. As she approached the girl sitting alone, she was about to greet her—when her eyes landed on Gu Yurou’s phone screen.

Her gaze froze.

That familiar, striking side profile. She recognized it instantly.

It was him.

She had sat beside Wang Haoran before, staring at that side profile countless times. She was more familiar with the shape of his jaw than even his full face.

Gu Yurou, meanwhile, was fully absorbed in her phone and hadn’t noticed Lu Xinyi standing beside her. Lu Xinyi didn’t speak right away. Instead, she observed Gu Yurou’s expression with a flicker of suspicion creeping into her chest.

What was her relationship with the man she liked?

A wave of irritation began to rise in her heart.

Gu Yurou continued flipping through the photos until her peripheral vision caught someone standing nearby. She looked up slightly.

“Hello, are you Screenwriter Lu Xinyi?” she asked politely, quickly putting away her phone as she stood to greet her.

“I am,” Lu Xinyi replied flatly with a faint nod.

“I’m so glad to finally meet you. You look even more beautiful than your photos online,” Gu Yurou said, smiling with genuine admiration.

Lu Xinyi forced a polite smile, but her mood didn’t lift at all. Yes, she was pretty—but Gu Yurou was even prettier. Pretty enough to make her feel jealous.

Taking the seat across from her, Lu Xinyi couldn’t help but ask, “Just now, you looked so absorbed in your photos. Is that your boyfriend?”

Gu Yurou instantly flushed with embarrassment. She opened her mouth, wanting to explain that it wasn’t like that. But Lu Xinyi’s misunderstanding oddly made her feel a little pleased. That small satisfaction made her swallow the explanation and say nothing.

Lu Xinyi interpreted her silence as confirmation.

The fire of jealousy in her chest blazed even higher.

She had come here today with the intention of helping a new writer get a foot in the door. She even considered mentoring her a little. But now, she scrapped that idea entirely.

Clearing her thoughts, Lu Xinyi asked coldly, “Is the screenplay you submitted your own work?”

“Yes, I wrote it all myself,” Gu Yurou answered seriously, sitting up straighter before asking cautiously, “What do you think of it, from a professional standpoint?”

“It’s terrible. Completely awful,” Lu Xinyi replied without mercy. “The characters are flat, the plot is weak, and your writing is a mess. To be blunt, you’re not cut out to be a screenwriter. You should probably stop trying.”

The harshness of those words made Gu Yurou flush even redder with humiliation.

But despite the sting, she didn’t fully accept Lu Xinyi’s judgment.

She was a beginner, sure, but her writing foundation was solid. She majored in language and literature, and while her character design and plot might need work, her prose was undeniably strong. Even her professors in the department had praised her talent.

She felt that Lu Xinyi was deliberately nitpicking—looking for flaws just to put her down.

“Screenwriter Lu, if you really thought my work was worthless, why even bother asking me to meet? Just to mock me in person?” she said, her tone edged with frustration.

“It’s a privilege to be mocked by me. Do you think I waste time criticizing every random stray dog I come across?” Lu Xinyi snorted coldly.

That was even more unbearable to hear. Gu Yurou’s face darkened, and she stood up from her seat with a sharp gaze. “Clearly, we’re not on the same page. In that case, I won’t waste any more of your time. I just didn’t expect the famous and beautiful Lu Xinyi to be this kind of person.”

With that frosty parting shot, she turned, ready to go pay and leave.

But the moment she moved, Lu Xinyi’s anger erupted. How dare a newcomer speak to her like that? Jealousy and fury boiled over. She picked up the water glass on the table and hurled its contents straight at Gu Yurou’s face before she could walk away.

The icy water splashed across her cheeks, soaking her hair and dripping down her neck, dampening her blouse.

“This is to teach you some respect. When speaking to your seniors, learn some manners,” Lu Xinyi snapped, standing on the imaginary high ground of seniority and morality.

Gu Yurou didn’t dare retaliate. She clenched her fists tightly, water still dripping down her face, but the anger had nowhere to go. She could only stand there in silence, burning with humiliation.

All she could do was watch as Lu Xinyi strutted away with her chin high.