Chapter 236: Target of Public Criticism
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Li Zhen’s face turned pale for a moment, “I didn’t say that!”
“Hey, why don’t you admit it?” Wen Miao quickly presented screenshots of their previous chat as evidence, “Everyone saw it, Li Zhen, don’t you want to keep your reputation at school?”
Now he found himself in a difficult situation.
Lu Yan, with a smiling face, chimed in, “Li Zhen, a real man is willing to admit defeat. It’s not embarrassing to apologize when you’re wrong. But refusing to own up to your actions is what truly makes people look down on you.”
As he spoke, he glanced around with deliberate intent.
Many people met his gaze and lowered their heads in shame.
These people were all the ones who had previously joined Li Zhen in defaming Mei Shu and clamoring to participate in the gambling game.
Now they felt a deep sense of guilt and wanted to quietly escape, but they seemed to be rooted in place, unable to move an inch under the scrutiny of onlookers.
The standoff in the hallway lasted for a while until a fragile-looking girl was the first to raise her hand and step forward. She said, “Mei Shu, I thought your video was embarrassing, and it tarnished my reputation too. So, I spoke ill of you in the group chat. I apologize now. Can you forgive me?”
“We agreed on kneeling as an apology!” Wen Miao insisted.
The girl was frightened by her demand and quickly withdrew her hand, her eyes welling up with tears.
“Please don’t be like this,” Mei Shu intervened, raising her hand to stop Wen Miao. She looked kindly at the girl and said, “We’re both girls, and 1 can understand your anger at the time. So, 1 accept your apology. But I also hope you can remain calm in the future and not attack others without understanding the situation. If someone with weaker mental strength had been subjected to the kind of defamation you and your friends engaged in, they might not have been able to handle it and could have resorted to self-harm or worse.”
The girl hadn’t realized the gravity of the situation, but she knew that what Mei Shu said was true. She quickly assured her, “I won’t use hurtful words on anyone in the future. I promise.”
“Good, I believe you,” Mei Shu smiled at her.
With Mei taking the lead, many other girls sincerely apologized to Mei Shu and offered words of comfort, advising her not to let her stepmother’s situation bother her too much.
Mei Shu accepted their apologies one by one.
The boys, on the other hand, were still struggling with their pride and unwilling to admit their previous mistakes.
Mei Shu couldn’t help but coldly remark, “I never thought that in our high school senior class, with hundreds of students, there wouldn’t be a single one who could live up to the title of a ‘real man.'”
Her words immediately stirred up the spirits of several people.
A burly boy stood up and said, “Mei Shu, I apologize to you. But 1 also want to explain myself. Honestly, I never even watched that video. I only heard about it from a few buddies. I didn’t believe it until the teacher’s confirmation just now. But seeing you in person, 1 believe you are innocent. I apologize for the bad things I said about you earlier. I’m sorry.”
Mei Shu raised an eyebrow and said, “I believe everything you said, and I accept your apology.”
Starting with him, many boys in the hallway came forward to apologize to Mei Shu, some seeking to befriend her.
After all, who wouldn’t want to be friends with someone so good-looking, especially someone as attractive, gracious, and capable as Mei Shu? She was practically a goddess!
One by one, people approached Mei Shu, wanting to establish a friendship with her. In that moment, she became the most popular girl in the entire senior class.
This was not due to the help of the system, but because her personal charm had drawn people to her, and they wanted to be friends with her voluntarily.
When the scene quieted down, everyone’s attention focused on Li Zhen.
With so many people stepping forward to apologize to Mei Shu, and with Mei Shu graciously sparing them from kneeling, they had already been given an opportunity to save face.
If Li Zhen still refused to apologize, it would demonstrate significant issues with his character.
At that moment, all eyes were on him.
Li Zhen’s face turned purple, his eyes bulging, and he appeared on the verge of passing out from anger. Unable to withstand the accusatory gazes, he finally pushed through the crowd and rushed to the restroom, hiding in a cubicle until the class bell rang.
The previous group leader had established the group chat to berate Mei Shu, but now, in light of the situation, he willingly handed the group leader position to Lu Yan.
Mei Shu was later invited to the grade-level group chat and was made an administrator by Lu Yan.
The two sides who had been arguing on Mei Shu’s behalf had now formed a united front and began to criticize Li Zhen.
Unable to bear the scrutiny and criticism, Li Zhen chose to leave the group, effectively isolating himself from the entire senior grade.
Observing this outcome, Mei Shu struggled not to burst out laughing.
In her previous life, Mei Mu used manipulative tactics to garner sympathy and make her the target of others’ anger, ultimately leading to Mei Shu’s tragic demise. Li Zhen played both sides, deceiving her about his feelings, ostensibly currying favor with the AAei family while secretly planning to marry her sister.
She couldn’t have expected that this time, dealing with these two individuals would be so easy..
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