It seemed that something flashed through Ji Heyuan's mind, but in front of Jiang Jiang, she did not show it. Instead, she continued asking about Liang Junsheng's situation.
"That scumbag has temporarily escaped life-threatening danger. Did my sister tell you how she plans to deal with him?"
Leaving aside legal punishment for now, Ji Heyuan did not believe her sister would rely solely on the law to take revenge on Liang Junsheng.
There must be more methods—ones that were not illegal, yet could still make Liang Junsheng wish he were dead.
"Older sister discussed it with me. She plans to expose this matter online," Jiang Jiang answered softly.
Ji Heyuan spat. "That's exactly what should be done! That scumbag is really good at managing his image outside. Who doesn't say he's a great person? That shows he cares a lot about his reputation. He should be utterly ruined!"
Yan Ke and the others followed Ji Heyuan in cursing a few times. Jiang Jiang listened quietly the whole time, not expressing her own opinion.
Afraid of stirring up her painful memories, they did not curse for long before stopping. Ji Heyuan changed the topic. "By the way, our class schedule is out. Have you looked at it?" she asked Jiang Jiang.
Jiang Jiang shook her head and reached to grab the phone on the bedside cabinet. Ji Heyuan eagerly beat her to it and handed it over. "I'll do it, I'll do it. Don't move. Your foot is still injured."
Jiang Jiang opened QQ. Sure enough, there were several messages from the counselor in the group, reminding them to check the academic system for their schedules. From now on, classes would follow the timetable.
Jiang Jiang skimmed through it. Among the many names, she saw a familiar one—Wen Xueyun.
Ji Heyuan leaned over to look with her. "You have Sister Xueyun's class too, right? The courses for our two classes should be the same. The instructors are all the same people, just scheduled at different times."
"Mm."
Jiang Jiang memorized the information on the schedule. She put away her phone and lowered her gaze to look at her left leg hidden beneath the quilt.
"Unfortunately, I still can't go to school for classes right now."
The injury on her foot was one reason. The other was that Ji Xu'an was worried that Jiang Jiang had not completely emerged from the shadow of the incident, so she simply requested a week of leave for her.
"It's fine. My sister has already discussed it with the school. They'll have someone record the class content. You can just watch the videos."
After something like this happened, Ji Xu'an had naturally informed the leadership of S University in private. Whether or not Jiang Jiang chose to expose the matter, Liang Junsheng would inevitably end up expelled.
Moreover, if they chose to expose it, it would be unavoidable that people would dig up the fact that Liang Junsheng was a student at S University. That would certainly have a negative impact on the school's reputation. So it was even more necessary for S University to receive the news in advance and make sufficient preparations to face the coming public pressure.
These were not matters Jiang Jiang needed to worry about. Ji Xu'an would arrange everything properly.
Only after hearing this did a small smile finally appear on Jiang Jiang's face again. Ji Heyuan also let out a breath of relief and patted her own chest in assurance. "And you still have me. My memory is pretty good. Being your temporary teacher is definitely no problem."
Everyone was amused by her.
Ji Heyuan and the others did not stay long. Considering that her sister was still standing outside the door, after saying what she wanted to say, Ji Heyuan timely proposed to leave.
Before leaving, she suddenly remembered something. "Grandma doesn't know about this for now. Have you prepared how to explain it to her?"
This matter could be hidden for a while, but not forever. Once she saw the news, Old Madam Ji would definitely call to ask about Jiang Jiang's recent situation.
As far as Ji Heyuan knew, whenever Jiang Jiang had nothing to do, she would go to the nursing home to visit Grandma.
Someone who used to go every one or two days suddenly not being able to go for a long period—Grandma was not foolish. She would definitely notice something.
Jiang Jiang thought for a moment. "After I'm discharged from the hospital, I'll go to the nursing home and explain it clearly to Grandma."
Based on Jiang Jiang's understanding of Old Madam Ji, if she learned that Jiang Jiang had been injured, she would definitely worry. Unless she saw Jiang Jiang safe and sound with her own eyes, it would be difficult for her to truly be at ease.
"It's good that you have a plan. I'll help you hide it first," Ji Heyuan said, patting Jiang Jiang's shoulder in a sisterly manner.
When she walked out of the hospital room, Ji Heyuan saw her sister standing not far away, holding her phone and looking at something. Her half-lowered thick lashes concealed the emotions in her eyes. Ji Heyuan could not tell what her mood was, but instinctively felt a little intimidated.
Ji Heyuan was worried that Ji Xu'an would bring up Zheng Zhouzhou. Her sister had already disliked Zheng Zhouzhou before. Now she would certainly feel even more repulsed.
But Ji Heyuan herself could not figure out what her current attitude toward Zheng Zhouzhou was.
To say she disliked her did not seem accurate. At least she had never thought about cutting off contact with Zheng Zhouzhou entirely. But to say she liked her, it seemed she was no longer as moved as before.
Ji Heyuan could not forget what Jiang Jiang had just said. Was Zheng Zhouzhou intentional, or not?
Ji Heyuan could not figure it out and simply chose to stop thinking about it.
Anyway, her sister would definitely investigate it clearly. It would be better to wait obediently for her sister's findings. If Zheng Zhouzhou truly had a problem, her sister would not hide it from her.
Just as Ji Heyuan was secretly observing Ji Xu'an, Ji Xu'an also noticed her gaze and cast her a light glance.
"Sister." Ji Heyuan subconsciously straightened her back.
The other three beside her did not even dare breathe loudly. Although Ji Xu'an's attitude toward them was not harsh, for some reason, in front of Ji Heyuan's sister, they instinctively did not dare to put on playful smiles.
"Mm." Ji Xu'an put away her phone. "Finished chatting?"
"Mm." Ji Heyuan rubbed the tip of her nose. "Well then, I'll head back to school?"
Ji Xu'an did not make things difficult for her. "Go back. Do you need me to have the driver send you?"
Ji Heyuan quickly shook her head. "There are four of us. We can take the subway ourselves. It's quite convenient."
Ji Xu'an looked at the foolish grin on her face and felt both helpless and amused. "You should be careful yourself too. Be more vigilant in everything, understand?"
Ji Heyuan felt flattered beyond measure. Ever since her sister took over Linghai Group, she had spoken less and less. Ji Heyuan was mischievous and caused trouble every few days. Each time her sister went to school, it was to clean up her mess.
In addition, her sister was very busy with work and was often not at home. Strictly speaking, it had been a long time since her sister had gently reminded her like this.
"I know. Don't worry." Ji Heyuan suddenly felt her nose sting. She subconsciously turned her head, not wanting Ji Xu'an to see her slightly reddened eyes.
Ji Xu'an's mood was also somewhat complicated. It was not that she did not care about Ji Heyuan. She was just too busy. And Ji Heyuan was eight years younger than her. In Ji Xu'an's eyes, many of Ji Heyuan's behaviors were childish.
Ji Xu'an's concern for Ji Heyuan was more like strict maternal discipline. Influenced by long-held beliefs, she had always felt that as long as she provided sufficiently superior material conditions, a child could live happily.
Financially, she fulfilled Ji Heyuan's every request. Whatever Ji Heyuan wanted to buy, Ji Xu'an would certainly satisfy her. She thought that was enough.
But now it seemed that she had actually failed quite a bit as an older sister. It was only because Ji Heyuan had a carefree personality and nothing major had happened over the years that Ji Xu'an had not realized her concern was insufficient.
"If something happens, call me." After saying that, Ji Xu'an gently touched Ji Heyuan's head. "I'm not going to hit you. What are you afraid of?"
Every time she saw her, she acted like a mouse seeing a cat.
This was not said just to coax Ji Heyuan. Ji Xu'an did not advocate violent education. In all these years, she had never once hit Ji Heyuan. She only gave verbal lectures and deducted allowance.
Ji Heyuan felt that her sister was treating her like an undergrown child again, and in front of her roommates no less. She could not help feeling a little embarrassed.
At this moment, Ji Xu'an seemed relatively easy to talk to. Ji Heyuan cautiously extended a probing foot. "Th-then… could you return the two months of allowance you deducted?"
Last time, because she bullied Jiang Jiang, Ji Xu'an mercilessly deducted two months of her allowance, causing Ji Heyuan to live quite frugally during this period.
Ji Xu'an withdrew her hand, her tone indifferent. "No."
Ji Heyuan: …
Ji Heyuan seemed to hear a mechanical notification sound in her mind.
[Your gentle sister experience card has expired.]
Fine. So this is how cold she's going to be. Ji Xu'an, this cold-blooded demon king, would never know how much those two short words struck her!
Ji Heyuan immediately put on a pitiful expression. "Can you really bear to let your younger sister live so miserably? Lately my pockets have been empty. I'm so poor I only eat three meals a day."
"So?" Ji Xu'an's expression was calm. "You didn't miss a single meal."
"Fine, fine, is that how you're going to say it?" Ji Heyuan put her hands on her hips angrily. "If you're going to be this heartless, then I can only go beg my soft-hearted little sister-in-law."
Upon hearing the words "little sister-in-law," Ji Xu'an's expression stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment. Even the hand hanging at her side curled inward unnaturally.
Ji Heyuan did not notice her sister's abnormality. She was still acting enthusiastically. "As a sister-in-law, Xie Jiang Jiang can't just watch her younger sister starve to death, right?"
Ji Xu'an had a headache. "Enough, stop pretending. If there's something you want to buy, tell Secretary Zhao."
Ji Heyuan's eyes immediately lit up. Didn't that mean that while her sister could not revoke the punishment she had set and had to carry it through, she could allow her to make some reasonable requests?
As expected, mentioning sister-in-law worked. Tsk tsk, who would have thought her sister was actually henpecked.
"Okay, sister, thank you, sister! And thank you, sister-in-law. Sister-in-law is the best!"
Ji Xu'an frowned and interrupted her. "Don't call her that."
Regarding the dissolution of the engagement, Ji Xu'an did not intend to tell Ji Heyuan, because Ji Heyuan could not keep secrets. If she knew, it would mean the whole world knew, which would violate Ji Xu'an's agreement with Old Madam Ji.
But not telling her did not mean Ji Xu'an could accept hearing that form of address from Ji Heyuan.
Jiang Jiang certainly would not be willing to be called that by Ji Heyuan either, Ji Xu'an thought.
But Ji Heyuan misunderstood her meaning. She covered her mouth and nodded repeatedly. "I understand, I understand. But there are no outsiders here."
Ji Xu'an fell silent.
Seeing that her sister's expression did not seem quite right, Ji Heyuan quickly dragged her roommates away.
If they did not run now, the demon king would unleash her wrath!
—
Jiang Jiang waited in the hospital room for almost ten minutes before Ji Xu'an pushed the door open.
The moment she entered, she saw Jiang Jiang gazing eagerly toward the door. When she saw her, Jiang Jiang's eyes clearly brightened.
"I chatted with little Yuan for a few moments. It delayed me a bit," Ji Xu'an explained.
She closed the door behind her.
"I thought older sister had already left." Jiang Jiang's voice was very soft, her tone carrying a trace of grievance and disappointment that was not easy to detect.
"I wouldn't." Ji Xu'an walked toward her. "I promised you I wouldn't leave. I would never break my word."
Jiang Jiang's gaze followed Ji Xu'an's figure without blinking, staring intently as if afraid she would disappear again.
"Still sleepy?" Ji Xu'an asked her.
Jiang Jiang shook her head. "I can't fall asleep anymore."
"Does your foot still hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt." Jiang Jiang was just a little bored.
Seeing this, Ji Xu'an took a tablet and sat beside Jiang Jiang. "If you can't sleep, how about choosing some things the kitten will need with me?"
Jiang Jiang became interested. She leaned her body toward Ji Xu'an. Their shoulders were very close, just a little more and they would touch.
Ji Xu'an subconsciously held her breath, then quickly let out a light exhale. Her finger slid across the screen. "Cat bed, litter box, cat food all need to be prepared. And various snacks and toys for the kitten. Secretary Zhao has already preselected them. These brands are trustworthy. See if there's anything you're satisfied with."
Jiang Jiang felt dazzled by the options. She was unsure about what food the kitten would like. After all, she was not a cat and did not know what flavors cats preferred. In the end, Ji Xu'an made the final decision.
"Buy one of everything. There will always be something the kitten likes."
Jiang Jiang glanced at her hesitantly. "That's so much. It won't all be eaten."
"Whatever isn't eaten can be used to feed stray cats."
Anyway, the cat food and snacks were safe and reliable. There was no need to worry about problems.
Alright then.
Jiang Jiang had no objections. After all, she was not the one paying. Whoever paid made the decisions.
There was not much to choose regarding food, but toys were different.
Looking at the various cat trees and plush toys in the pictures, Jiang Jiang's heart nearly melted. She could already imagine the kitten using them.
"There's a room in the apartment that was originally meant to be a storage room. There's nothing in it yet. It can be cleaned up for the cat to live in," Ji Xu'an thought seriously. "As for the cat tree, it can be placed on the living room balcony."
After speaking, Ji Xu'an waited for Jiang Jiang's opinion. Unexpectedly, the other woman remained silent for a long time.
She turned her head and saw that Jiang Jiang was no longer looking at the screen. Instead, she was gazing at her with sparkling eyes.
When Ji Xu'an looked at her, Jiang Jiang shyly pursed her lips and softly exclaimed, "Older sister, you're so good!"
Ji Xu'an laughed. "Does that count as good?"
She realized that Jiang Jiang was truly easy to satisfy.
Jiang Jiang did not explain. She only became more intimate toward Ji Xu'an. Their shoulders, which had previously still had a bit of distance, now completely pressed together. Their warmth intertwined and blended, no longer distinguishable.
Jiang Jiang was completely unaware and continued excitedly choosing a cat tree.
Ji Xu'an could only force herself to relax. She thought to herself, she would get used to it. Jiang Jiang just wanted to be closer to her older sister. What was wrong with that?
Jiang Jiang's eyes were on the tablet, but from the corner of her eye she continuously observed the changes in Ji Xu'an's expression, clearly capturing the slight pursing of her lips.
A faint smile curved at the corner of her mouth.
After choosing everything, Ji Xu'an sent a message to Secretary Zhao, telling him to deliver the selected items to the apartment and have them installed.
With nothing to do for the moment, Jiang Jiang simply asked Ji Xu'an to have someone bring her textbooks.
The items were delivered by an unfamiliar bodyguard wearing a black suit, which reminded Jiang Jiang of yesterday's driver.
"Older sister," she asked Ji Xu'an, "why haven't I seen Uncle Liu?"
Ji Xu'an's expression immediately turned cold. "He's been dismissed."
Jiang Jiang was stunned. "Because of me? Actually, this matter isn't his fault. He didn't expect Liang Junsheng to do something like that."
"Protecting you was his duty, and he failed to do so. I pay him to be here, not to say sorry after something happens."
Ji Xu'an had only dismissed him without demanding compensation. That was already considered merciful.
"Older sister." Jiang Jiang knew Ji Xu'an was still angry and did not argue with her. She simply reached out and tugged at Ji Xu'an's sleeve, swaying it gently. "But I've already gotten used to him protecting me. If someone new comes, I don't know whether I'll be able to get along with them happily."
Ji Xu'an looked at her steadily. She was not foolish. She knew Jiang Jiang was speaking up for the driver.
Ji Xu'an wanted to persuade Jiang Jiang not to be so soft-hearted. "A large part of the harm you suffered is his responsibility. If not for his self-righteousness, how would what happened afterward have occurred?"
But Jiang Jiang had finally gained an opportunity to win someone over. How could she give it up so easily?
Driver Liu had worked for the Ji family for several years and had previously enjoyed Ji Xu'an's trust. Otherwise, Ji Xu'an would not have assigned him to protect Jiang Jiang.
He certainly knew many things related to Ji Xu'an. Even if he did not, having such a person meant Jiang Jiang now had someone she could dispatch. She believed that after this incident, even if Liu was not completely loyal to her, at the very least he would no longer easily refuse her requests.
"Older sister, I know you're angry that he wasn't vigilant enough. He indeed was at fault. But just like you said this morning, once Liang Junsheng harbored evil intentions, he would definitely think of every possible way to make a move against me. Even if it wasn't this time, there would always be a next time."
"Outside the school, Uncle Liu could still guard me. But if Liang Junsheng chose to make a move against me inside the school?"
Jiang Jiang gave a self-mocking smile. "Maybe it was destined that I would have to go through this sooner or later. Uncle Liu was wrong, but we should at least give him a chance to correct his mistake."
"And nothing major happened to me. After the incident, his reaction was very fast as well. He called the ambulance in time."
Ji Xu'an remained silent for a long time. After quite a while, she finally let out a soft sigh. "If you want to keep him, then we'll do as you say."
She thought that Jiang Jiang was originally a soft and kind person, like a flower seedling that had just come out of a greenhouse, not yet having endured much of the violent storms. She could not demand that Jiang Jiang immediately learn how treacherous the human heart could be.
She felt that Old Liu's mistake was unforgivable, but Jiang Jiang wanted to give him another chance.
That very afternoon, Driver Liu came to the hospital to thank Jiang Jiang in person.
In fact, he had wanted to apologize face to face earlier, but Ji Xu'an had not given him the opportunity and had directly ordered someone to drive him away.
From yesterday until now, Old Liu's heart had been tormented. He was different from Ji Heyuan. Ji Heyuan had no obligation to stay by Jiang Jiang's side, but he did.
He had thought that Jiang Jiang might hate him very much. He had not expected that Jiang Jiang would actually be willing to give him another chance.
The moment they met, Old Liu knelt down in front of Jiang Jiang, startling her. In Dazhao, it was common for servants to kneel, but there was no such rule here.
She could not help turning her head to look at Ji Xu'an, but Ji Xu'an merely looked at Old Liu coldly, with no intention of telling him to get up.
So Jiang Jiang also closed her mouth, preparing to first listen to what Old Liu had to say.
"I'm sorry, Miss Xie. All of this is my fault!" As he spoke, his eyes actually turned red.
Before Jiang Jiang could say anything, Old Liu swiftly and forcefully punched himself twice.
His display was partly meant to beg Ji Xu'an for mercy, but he truly felt deeply sorry toward Jiang Jiang. Fortunately, Jiang Jiang was not in mortal danger. Otherwise, he himself would never have been able to forgive himself.
Seeing this, Jiang Jiang could no longer remain silent. "Since I asked older sister to call you here, it means I have no intention of blaming you."
"Older sister will not dismiss you again. Whatever it was like before, it will remain the same in the future."
Old Liu could not help but move forward on his knees for two steps, looking at Jiang Jiang with a firm gaze. "Please rest assured, Miss Xie. Even if I die in the future, I will never let anything happen to you again."
Jiang Jiang pressed her lips together and nodded gently. "Mm."
Ji Xu'an sat in front of the hospital bed with her legs crossed, her expression indifferent as she looked at Old Liu. "Jiang Jiang pleaded for you with great difficulty, so I will give you one more chance. You should remember who allowed you to keep this job."
What Ji Xu'an referred to was not merely her continued employment of Old Liu. Rather, if she had truly been determined to dismiss him, Old Liu would likely never have been able to continue in the bodyguard industry again.
Although in front of Jiang Jiang, Ji Xu'an had only said that she had dismissed Old Liu, in reality, the instruction she gave to Secretary Zhao was that everyone should know exactly how serious Old Liu's mistake had been.
A bodyguard who could not even guarantee the employer's safety—who would dare to hire him in the future?
Old Liu understood Ji Xu'an's unspoken meaning. He nodded vigorously. "President Ji, rest assured. I understand."
Jiang Jiang did not stop Ji Xu'an from admonishing Old Liu. However, after Ji Xu'an finished speaking, Jiang Jiang still told Old Liu to quickly get up.
To be honest, seeing this scene unexpectedly stirred a trace of nostalgia in Jiang Jiang.
Back in the Duke's residence, she had subdued servants in this very way, combining both kindness and authority. She had not expected to have a similar experience here.
Speaking of it, Ji Xu'an's reaction also surprised Jiang Jiang.
Previously, although Ji Xu'an had appeared very indifferent, between her words Jiang Jiang could still sense her recognition of the concept that everyone was equal. Yet now, Ji Xu'an could accept someone kneeling before her without changing her expression. It made Jiang Jiang feel that she had seen a different side of Ji Xu'an.
So Ji Xu'an was not unaware of how much privilege everything she possessed could bring her. She knew very clearly that her wealth and power were enough for her to recklessly crush others and to look down upon them from a lofty height.
It was just that most of the time, Ji Xu'an chose not to do so.
After Old Liu left, Jiang Jiang began clinging to Ji Xu'an again, constantly looking at her with a hesitant expression, as if wanting to speak but stopping herself.
Ji Xu'an set down the tablet and asked, "Were you frightened?"
She had indeed been somewhat fierce just now.
Jiang Jiang shook her head. "No."
She bit her lower lip and said in a very small voice, "I feel that older sister is so handsome!"
Ji Xu'an did not realize that after hearing this, her previously tense body finally relaxed. She merely curved her lips slightly. "Still a child after all."
Jiang Jiang puffed up her cheeks. "I'm an adult!"
Ji Xu'an humored her perfunctorily. "Yes, yes, yes."
"So since you're already an adult little friend, can you put your arm back under the quilt? Be careful not to catch a cold."
—
That night, a piece of news suddenly climbed onto the trending lists of major websites. Within just two hours, it was frantically reposted by hundreds of influential accounts.
"In a residential complex in S City, a man and a woman both fell from a building. Was it a pact suicide, or is there another hidden truth?"
In the video footage, the figures of the people who fell were not shown. The shaking camera was constantly aimed at the rooftop of the residential building, even capturing a portion of the sky.
Netizens who clicked into the topic could only hear the gasps and exclamations of the crowd at the scene, chaotic and noisy.
"Someone jumped!"
"What's going on? Are they dead?"
"…"
Although no bloody scenes were filmed, the tense atmosphere was not lacking at all, because onlookers nearby kept providing "commentary."
"So much blood, oh my god!"
"They're not moving at all!"
"Hurry and call the police!"
Through such a series of dialogues, everyone could easily imagine that the scene must have been extremely bloody and horrifying.
In the comment section, the paid accounts arranged by Ji Xu'an were already steering the discussion from the very beginning, giving no one the opportunity to splash dirty water onto the girl.
[Netizen 1: I was at the scene! Just one street away! It was really scary. Suddenly there was a bang! Then after a few seconds, I heard a middle-aged man constantly calling the girl's name. I heard from the security guard that he was the girl's uncle.]
[Netizen 2: I heard that he originally had a chance to save the girl, but he was one step too late.]
Such a regret-filled plot always made people sigh with sympathy.
[Netizen 3: Sigh, how devastated must her uncle be? He was just a little short of saving his niece. He'll probably have psychological trauma for the rest of his life.]
[Netizen 4: Is the girl still alive? And who is that guy?]
Under this comment, another self-proclaimed insider replied:
[Netizen 5: It seems they're both still alive. They've already been sent to the hospital. That man seems to be a resident of the complex. The girl is his classmate. They're both quite young, probably students from a nearby university.]
After learning that both were still alive, everyone could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. Then they began speculating about the truth of the matter.
A man and a woman falling together—naturally, people began to suspect whether they were in a romantic relationship.
[Netizen 6: Could it be that their families didn't approve of them being together, so they decided to commit suicide for love?]
[Netizen 7: That doesn't seem right. If it were a suicide pact, they would definitely hide it from their families. The girl's uncle was at the scene. And who commits suicide by jumping from the third floor? They might not even die.]
Opinions varied. There were all kinds of guesses. But overall, people did not place all the blame on the girl. Even if such comments appeared, Secretary Zhao would have them deleted immediately.
The public relations department knew very well that netizens' nature was to argue. If all the truth were laid out at once, people would instead question the authenticity of the matter.
Compared to facts plainly presented before their eyes, people preferred to believe in truths they had personally uncovered.
So at this time, connections needed to come into play.
One person revealed that she had a relative who worked at the hospital and heard that when the girl was sent there, her hands were tied behind her back. There were many wounds on her body, and her leg was broken. It looked very much like she had suffered a violent assault.
Most importantly, the coat she had been wearing had also been removed.
These words were like a drop of water falling into hot oil. Everyone instantly exploded.
Soon, another person replied beneath.
[Netizen 8: The original poster is talking nonsense, right? I live nearby. After the incident, I specifically went to that residential complex to ask around. Everyone speaks highly of that guy, saying he has a gentle personality and looks honest. Anyway, I don't believe he would do such a thing.]
Because this person swore that what she said was absolutely true, no one initially thought of it as a criminal case. They simply assumed it might have been a couple engaging in some special kind of intimacy.
[Netizen 9: SM?] (sadomasochism or abuse love)
[Netizen 10: Playing that big?]
Very soon, the original poster specifically replied to this person, breaking everyone's speculation.
[Original Poster: Whether I'm talking nonsense or not, you can go to the hospital and ask yourselves. The police have already been there several times. I heard they've found key evidence, but because the man is still being rescued, they temporarily can't determine his crime. However, the girl's family has said that they will definitely demand the death penalty!]
Because the original poster's attitude was so frank, as if daring everyone to verify it, people subconsciously leaned toward her side again.
[Netizen 11: Holy shit! Could it really be rape?]
[Netizen 12: That's terrifying!]
[Netizen 13: But aren't they classmates?]
[Netizen 14: Crimes committed by acquaintances are even more frightening! Impossible to guard against.]
Below, everyone began discussing crimes by acquaintances. At this point, public opinion had already tilted toward the girl. What people were struggling with was whether the boy had intended to commit rape.
Whether he had or not, at the very least, he had harmed the girl. That was beyond doubt.
—
Jiang Jiang lay on the bed scrolling through the comments beneath the video. Ji Xu'an originally had not wanted her to look, but Jiang Jiang insisted. In the end, Ji Xu'an could not win against her and let her do as she wished.
During this time, Ji Xu'an kept her eyes fixed on Jiang Jiang. Seeing that she was not affected, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Jiang Jiang watched for a long time, seemingly not seeing any comments that were particularly unfavorable toward her.
"Does everyone believe that I'm innocent?"
"Isn't there anyone who thinks that maybe I also have a problem?"
Ji Xu'an could have simply coaxed her, but looking at the serious expression on Jiang Jiang's face, she patiently said, "Have you heard of the spiral of silence?"
Jiang Jiang shook her head.
Ji Xu'an explained, "It's very simple. The minority submits to the majority."
"When a person finds that her opinion is recognized by the majority, she will bravely stand up and express it. On the contrary, when a person finds that her opinion belongs to the minority, in order to avoid being attacked by the majority, she will subconsciously remain silent."
"Over time, the widely supported opinion becomes more and more prevalent and gradually turns into the only opinion. When the spiral of silence develops to the end, you might truly not hear a single dissenting voice."
Jiang Jiang frowned. "But not everyone will believe in that only opinion."
"So that is the principle that extremes reverse." Ji Xu'an took the tablet and found Netizen 8's comment. "Only when voices of doubt appear will the final truth seem more real and reliable."
Jiang Jiang felt that she had learned something again.
"So at any time, do not easily believe what others say. It is possible that two people who appear to be sharply opposed are actually the same person behind the scenes."
The original poster and Netizen 8 were both people arranged by Ji Xu'an.
"You must learn to distinguish truth from falsehood. Always keep an extra guard up. Even if you have no intention of harming others, you can never guarantee that others are the same as you."
Jiang Jiang nodded vigorously. "I understand, older sister."
Then she put away her phone and did not continue looking at the online comments.
—
This matter fermented rapidly. Because Ji Xu'an was willing to spend money, the topic remained on the trending list without dropping.
People had already begun digging deeply into the identities of the man and woman in the news.
Someone uncovered Liang Junsheng's identity and learned that he was a student at S University. Immediately, people flooded S University's official account, demanding an explanation.
At this moment, no one knew who released a screenshot, saying it was a Moments post from a student at S University.
In the image, that person indignantly condemned her friend, saying she had never expected him to be such a person.
"I thought you were truly honest and dutiful. After learning that your family was poor, we even took the initiative to share our daily necessities with you. And what about you? You actually kidnapped and raped an innocent girl, and you're even a cat abuser!"
Although this Moments post did not mention the friend's name, based on some of the information inside, everyone could guess that it referred to the male protagonist in the news.
[Netizen 15: Holy shit! That's so much information! That guy really did kidnap the girl and tried to violate her. So disgusting!]
[Netizen 16: But why did the girl go back to his home? And her uncle was downstairs too. What kind of situation is that?]
[Netizen 17: Earlier someone exposed that the boy was very caring and often took care of stray cats. But now this self-proclaimed friend says he's a cat abuser. Think about it carefully! Really think about it!]
This comment received many likes, so people began to boldly speculate.
[Netizen 18: Could it be that he used a cat to lure the girl, telling her to go to his home to see a kitten? The girl wasn't at ease, so she called her uncle along. But in the end, she didn't expect the guy to be that bold.]
[Netizen 19: Damn it! If that's really the case, this guy is too disgusting. Why doesn't he just die?!]
Just as more and more people were questioning the boy's character, someone released an audio clip.
It was very short. One could only hear a low male voice muttering to himself.
"It seems to be an orange cat…"
"…If you bleed it from the tail, you can drain the poisoned blood completely."
Many people had already sensed something was wrong by this point. The following words completely confirmed their suspicions.
"I cut off half of its body. Why still didn't it survive?"
"…"
[Netizen 20: I ***! Can he just die immediately?!]
[Netizen 21: I really want to kill him!!]
[Netizen 22: Can we execute him by slow slicing too? Some ancient punishments were actually very useful!!]
[Netizen 23: So this idiot, harming cats wasn't enough for him anymore, so he targeted an innocent female classmate who trusted him?!]
As soon as this audio clip came out, it completely nailed Liang Junsheng's crimes.
By this time, a full five hours had passed since the topic first climbed onto the trending list. Netizens had transformed into detectives, step by step sorting through the details of the case.
The final truth they arrived at made most people firmly convinced.
Although there were still some who raised doubts and urged the S City police to release an official case report as soon as possible to give everyone an accurate answer.
But no matter what, at this moment the internet was filled with curses toward Liang Junsheng. It was almost impossible to find anyone speaking up for him.
However, this was far from enough.
—
Half an hour after the truth had been dug out, Ji Xu'an received a new message from Secretary Zhao.
"President Ji, Liang Junsheng has woken up."
—
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