Chen Yuan stood up the school beauty

"Look, isn't that the scumbag Chen Yuan from the campus forum?"

"Oh my god, it really is him, the filthy scumbag! Ugh!"

"I haven't seen the forum, but someone in my class group chat posted his picture. They're planning to expose him!"

"I know this guy! He used to loiter around the girls' dorms all the time. No wonder he looked familiar. Not only is he a scumbag, but also a creepy voyeur!"

Chen Yuan had clearly underestimated the power of the campus forum. He never expected so many girls would recognize him and point fingers at him as he walked by. His photo had even been shared in various class group chats.

In the age of the internet, good news travels slowly, but bad news spreads like wildfire. And with some people deliberately smearing his name, Chen Yuan had almost become a public enemy overnight.

Originally, he had planned to see if he could charm a few more girls today, but now, they were avoiding him like the plague. How could he possibly make any progress under these circumstances?

Public opinion can grow out of control, and online bullying can be just as harmful as real-life violence.

Just then, his phone rang. It was Lin Shutong calling. Chen Yuan thought for a moment before answering.

"Hey, Chen Yuan, I saw what's going on with the campus forum. I never imagined that bringing you breakfast would cause such a huge negative impact. But don't worry, no matter what people say about you or how much they insult you, I'll never leave your side. I know you're not the scumbag they're making you out to be. I was the one who missed my chance with you before, and now I regret it every second of every day. Please, give me another chance, will you?"

Lin Shutong's voice was choked with emotion, her sincerity painfully clear. Her words were filled with humility, just like how Chen Yuan had once been when he pursued her.

Hearing her heartfelt plea, Chen Yuan felt a moment of hesitation. He remembered how wonderful Lin Shutong had seemed to him when they first met—so cute, almost like a fairy. His feelings for her were complicated, not something he could easily explain.

Maybe, in the beginning, he had pursued her just to forget Xia Ruoyu. But there had been a time when he truly loved Lin Shutong deeply. She had meant more to him than Xu Lele, and even more than the school beauty, Zhao Yuqi.

He had once desperately wished for Lin Shutong to genuinely love him. But now, everything had changed.

He couldn't forget the day they broke up, the cruel and malicious things Lin Shutong had said, and how she had trampled on his dignity.

And now, just because she realized he had money, she wanted him back? How shallow!

Back when he was practically begging her not to break up, did she give him even a shred of a chance? No, she didn't.

So why should he be soft-hearted now?

"Lin Shutong, this is the last time I'm saying this—I don't love you anymore. Please stop bothering me. Can you do that?" Chen Yuan said coldly and hung up the phone.

"No! Chen Yuan, you can't do this to me!" Lin Shutong cried, calling him back.

Chen Yuan ignored the call. She tried again. He turned off his phone.

"Beep… the number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable…"

Listening to the automated message, Lin Shutong dropped her phone to the ground. Her heart felt like it was being stabbed with needles, as if all the strength had been drained from her body.

"Why… why does it hurt so much? It hurts so much!"

She burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

In her 20-plus years of life, she had never felt this heartbroken. She had truly fallen in love with Chen Yuan!

"Why? Why can't you give me one more chance? I love you! I really love you!" she wailed, sitting on the roadside, crying into her phone that would never connect to him again. Her despair was heartbreaking.

Meanwhile, after shutting off his phone, Chen Yuan also felt a bit down. This time, he had been truly decisive. A man must learn to grow up and not always be so soft-hearted. Learning to say no was simply a way to protect himself from getting hurt again.

Still, there was an emptiness in his heart.

Chen Yuan walked into a restaurant and ordered over a dozen dishes, eating voraciously. Sometimes, when the heart feels hollow, a full stomach is the only way to fill it. He even downed two bottles of Erguotou (a strong Chinese liquor) and still managed to stay somewhat sober—a testament to how resilient his body had become.

Once he returned to his dorm, he collapsed onto his bed. No matter how chaotic the world outside might be, he'd deal with it after he slept.

But Chen Yuan had forgotten something important. He still had things to do that evening.

For example, he had promised Xu Lele that he would go to her place and try her home-cooked meal.

And Zhao Yuqi had an important live stream tonight, where she needed the online tycoon 'Lonely Cigarette' to show up and support her.

But Chen Yuan, now drunk and with his phone turned off, had stood them both up!

…

At 8 p.m., Zhao Yuqi started her live stream. By 10 p.m., her viewership was still low.

"Yuqi, have you reached out to Chen Yuan? It's been two hours, and he still hasn't shown up," Wu Xiaofei asked anxiously.

Without Chen Yuan's support or large gift donations, she couldn't rank in the hourly charts. Zhao Yuqi had been streaming for two hours, and there were only a little over 2,000 viewers in her room, a stark contrast to the 300,000 from a few days ago.

Her sales from the live stream were also less than ideal.

"I told him this morning, and he seemed fine with it. How could I know he'd stand me up like this?" Zhao Yuqi was furious.

As a school beauty, she was used to guys eagerly following her orders. Usually, a mere suggestion was enough to make them do whatever she wanted.

Tonight's stream was crucial for her. An important advertising client was watching closely, and her personal traffic and future potential were on the line. To ensure everything went well, she had even personally delivered breakfast to Chen Yuan that morning, gifting him a new iPhone as a token of appreciation.

Yet now, he had stood her up!

"This is too much!"