Chapter 25: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

For Jian Yiling, attending regular classes at school was far less demanding than enduring tutoring sessions with Qin Chuan at home. At school, she had more freedom to occupy herself with whatever she wished. The teachers had modest expectations of her and didn't keep a close eye on her every move, which made it much easier than dodging Qin Chuan's constant scrutiny.

Throughout the day, Jian Yiling barely left her seat, remaining occupied with her tasks even during breaks. Her classmates occasionally glanced at her with curious or wary looks, but no one dared to openly confront her. Meanwhile, on the school's online forum, a new popular thread had surfaced, stirring up gossip and speculation.

The thread was titled, **"Jian Yiling is Back! Just How Powerful is the Black-Hearted Sister's Backing?"** The original post recounted Jian Yiling's return to school and included a candid shot taken from a hidden angle. In the photo, Jian Yiling wore simple clothes—a white top and black pants, devoid of any patterns or accessories. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, clean and uncomplicated.

The comments below the post grew quickly:

- **User #2**: *Disgusting! Look at her, trying to act all innocent with that pitiful look!*

- **User #3**: *Exactly! She's a wolf pretending to be a little rabbit! [vomit emoji]*

- **User #4**: *I can't believe the school let her back in. With her violent tendencies, who knows what vicious thing she'll do next? [angry emoji]*

- **User #5**: *I'm freaked out. If I see her around, especially on the stairs, I'm steering clear! My parents only have me, and they're counting on me for their future! [puppy-eyes emoji]*

- **User #6**: *Does the school even care about our opinions? Why let her back in at all?*

- **User #7**: *Don't kid yourself—Jian Yiling has strong backing.*

- **User #8**: *It's not just about her connections. It's her family that's biased! Poor Jian Yunxiao. His own sister hurt him, yet their parents defend her. If the victim doesn't make a fuss, there's little the school or even the police can do.*

- **User #9**: *[heart emojis] Jian Yunxiao, don't cry. We're here for you! You'll always have our support!*

The school's forum required a valid student ID to register, but personal details remained hidden. Everyone used aliases, so there was no risk of being exposed, allowing students to vent their opinions freely.

Sitting beside Jian Yiling, Hu Jiao noticed the post's popularity growing as more comments flooded in. Concerned, she hesitantly tapped Jian Yiling's arm and placed her phone in front of her to show her the post and the hostile comments.

"Since you didn't do it," Hu Jiao suggested cautiously, "maybe you could go online and explain things to them?"

Jian Yiling glanced at the phone, observing the various opinions and accusations. She noted that the poster was the same user who had previously spread rumors linking her to Jian Yunxiao's injury. This piqued her interest. Initially, only the fact that Jian Yunxiao had been hurt was known around school; no one would have thought to blame her. If it hadn't been for this poster's vivid storytelling, people wouldn't have connected her to the incident at all.

Hu Jiao watched her closely, surprised at how calm Jian Yiling seemed as she read through the thread. Seeing no trace of anger on her face, Hu Jiao pressed on gently, "Maybe if you explain, they won't think you're guilty by default?"

"Thanks." Jian Yiling acknowledged her concern with a small smile but declined the suggestion. "But there's no need to explain."

Hu Jiao, taken aback, watched her go back to her work as if nothing had happened. Jian Yiling was clearly unbothered by the negative chatter and saw little point in engaging with it. To her, arguing with anonymous users online wouldn't change anything.

Respecting her decision, Hu Jiao turned her attention back to her own tasks, choosing not to push the matter any further. Though she hadn't known Jian Yiling well before, Hu Jiao was beginning to realize that, despite all the rumors, there was a quiet resilience to her classmate that wasn't easily shaken.