"Enough! Don't say another word!" Lin Muyao's shame was overwhelming—she never imagined that a moment of pity for Guo Jialiang would bring such disastrous consequences.
How despicable Guo Jialiang was—to actually tell Luo Jialin those things!
How was she supposed to prove her innocence now? How could Luo Jialin ever trust her again?
Her mind spun wildly, but she couldn't come up with a way out.
"But at least…" Luo Jialin stepped away from her, putting some distance between them.
"I realized I don't like you. In fact, I never liked you. So when he told me those things, apart from a momentary sense of disgust, I didn't feel much else."
His expression turned cold.
"I've always held myself to high standards. I despise those who fool around with relationships. I never thought… that my first girlfriend would be like this."
"Luo Jialin, shut up!" Lin Muyao couldn't bear another word of his humiliation. She glared at him, eyes blazing.
"Don't act so noble! When you got drunk and forced yourself on me, you weren't so disgusted, were you? Now you turn around and call me dirty? What right do you have to stand on a moral high ground? You're the last person qualified to judge me!"
Luo Jialin's brows furrowed tightly. That one night of drunken loss of control was the single blemish in his otherwise disciplined life. He let out a quiet sigh.
"You're right. I have no right to judge you. I apologize for everything I did to you. Think of those research files as compensation."
"If you're not satisfied, you can make other demands."
He turned to leave. "Luo Corporation is going to invest in Professor Han's new project. As an investor, I can request for you to be added to his research team."
"Frankly, with your credentials and abilities, you wouldn't qualify for a spot in his core team. Consider this another form of compensation."
"As long as you behave and don't cause trouble, I won't treat you poorly. I'll even help you establish yourself in this field."
Just as he reached for the door, Lin Muyao, enraged, kicked the scattered documents across the room.
"Luo Jialin, let me tell you—Professor Han's projects will have a place for me whether you help or not! I don't need your charity to make my mark in this field."
"You call this 'help'? It's just a pathetic excuse for your guilt. You're a hypocrite, pretending to be righteous when all you're doing is repaying a debt!"
"Everything you've done for me—you owe me!"
"The damage you've caused me can never be repaid, not even in your lifetime! Luo Jialin—I hate you!"
Luo Jialin's eyes darkened. "I've said what I needed to say. Do whatever you want—but there's one thing I should warn you about."
"Guo Jialiang told me he recorded a lot of videos while you were together. If you dare try to worsen his sentence or do anything to hurt him, he'll make sure the world knows the truth about your relationship."
"Ahhh—!!" Lin Muyao's scream rang through the room like a banshee's cry.
Driven to madness, she dropped to the floor and began tearing at the documents.
Luo Jialin gave her one last indifferent look, then turned and walked out without a backward glance.
The door slammed shut behind him.
For a second, the madness cleared from Lin Muyao's mind. She sat on the ground in defeat, hair disheveled and eyes burning with hatred.
Then, suddenly, she began to laugh—low at first, then louder and louder, until tears streamed from her eyes.
Why?
Why did they all treat her this way?
Luo Jialin was the most traditional man she knew. He always said once he slept with someone, he'd take full responsibility. So why had he changed? What about the Luo family's rules? Did they mean nothing anymore?
And Guo Jialiang—he said he'd be her dog, that he'd do whatever she told him to. Just a few days in prison, and he already turned on her?
Her hatred boiled to its peak. Men—never trust a man. None of them are worthy of standing beside her.
They're only good for being her stepping stones!
Guo Jialiang was one. So was Luo Jialin.
They all were.
They were nothing but stones beneath her feet—why should she care?
She still had more important things to do. The identity of "Mrs. Luo"? She no longer needed it.
Lin Muyao wiped her tears, then uncrumpled the research papers she had crushed in her hands.
Kneeling down, she began picking up every page of the research scattered around the room.
Half a month later—
Lin Muyao's first paper—carefully edited and compiled—was officially published.
There was no denying that Luo Jialin had been the most brilliant member of the team. Many of his papers were incredibly insightful.
When Lin Muyao brought the edited paper to Professor Han, he immediately gave her his full approval.
She would never tell anyone that this research had originally been Luo Jialin's. From the moment he chose to break up with her, everything he left behind became hers.
This was what she deserved.
The paper caused a stir in the academic circle. Lin Muyao's reputation as a rising scholar began to take root. People praised her, saying it was no wonder she was the only female member of Han Weicheng's team—she clearly had talent.
But there were doubters too. How could a fourth-year undergrad write something so deep and academic? Was it ghostwritten?
It was in the midst of these voices that Shu Lanzhou came across Lin Muyao's paper. With just one glance, she recognized it—this was Luo Jialin's work.
In her past life, Luo Jialin had fallen for Lin Muyao and helped her gain a foothold in the medical field by attributing his work to her.
But in this life, things had changed. Luo Jialin hadn't fallen in love with her—so why was this happening again?
Shu Lanzhou couldn't understand it. Was this what people meant by "plot armor"? No matter how she tried to change the script, was everyone always destined to orbit around Lin Muyao?
"Shu Lanzhou, what are you thinking about?" Dong Anlan yawned, climbing down from the bunk.
Shu Lanzhou turned around. "Senior Ke torturing you again? You look like you haven't slept in days."
"Don't even mention it," Dong Anlan pulled up a chair and slumped beside her. "But it's not because of Ke Beichen. It's Luo Jialin's fault!"
"Hm?" Shu Lanzhou raised an eyebrow. "What's Luo Jialin done now?"
Dong Anlan yawned again. "Don't you know he's back at the Luo Corporation?"
"No idea what's gotten into him, but lately he's been going head-to-head with Senior Ke. Ke Beichen's business is just starting out—he can't handle all this pressure from Luo Corp."
"There's no choice. Ke had to go out of province to find new suppliers. So I came back to school."
"Then…" Shu Lanzhou's eyes filled with worry. "Has he done anything to you personally?"
Dong Anlan looked annoyed. "You think he hasn't? If he hadn't, I wouldn't be back at the dorm."
"He's… pursuing you?" Based on what Shu Lanzhou knew of Luo Jialin, that was entirely possible.
It also explained why he'd handed over all his past research to Lin Muyao—perhaps out of guilt.
In other words… Luo Jialin had broken up with Lin Muyao.