A cold wind swept through the air, making Guo Jialiang shiver uncontrollably.
It was only late October, yet it felt as if snow might fall any moment—the whole world seemed drenched in a bone-deep chill.
He had once believed he'd never regret the things he had done.
After all, wasn't it human nature to look out for oneself? He had merely done what everyone else did—taken advantage of Shu Lanzhou a little.
She was smart and obedient, always completing whatever he asked of her efficiently and beautifully. Over time, he had grown accustomed to having her prepare his experiments, compile data, and even complete some of his assignments.
That way, he had more time to network, manage relationships, climb the social ladder, and make himself appear more impressive.
But he had never forced her. Everything she did was of her own volition. How was he supposed to know she wasn't eating or sleeping properly? How could he have guessed she'd become malnourished?
He had never truly believed he was in the wrong. If there was fault to be found, it was Shu Lanzhou's own.
Yet today, Wu Cheng's confrontation had left him feeling a pang of shame. How could he have taken everything Shu Lanzhou did for granted?
Just because everyone else did the same, he had turned a blind eye to her suffering.
She was so thin, her face pale and bloodless, dark circles constantly under her eyes. How had he managed to overlook all that, to keep exploiting her again and again?
Guo Jialiang clutched at his collar, gasping for breath.
Maybe it was his conscience awakening—or maybe it had never completely died—but whatever it was, it left him feeling suffocated and heavy-chested.
He regretted everything. He was ashamed of the person he had been.
"Guo Jialiang?" A gentle voice called from behind him.
Lin Muyao approached with a look of concern. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Guo Jialiang straightened up, his lashes falling low.
A flicker of disdain crossed Lin Muyao's mind.
He hadn't hesitated for a second when it came to kicking Shu Lanzhou out—now he wanted to put on a show of guilt? Who was he trying to fool?
"You haven't eaten, have you? Come, let me treat you." Without waiting for his reply, Lin Muyao pulled him toward a nearby restaurant.
Before Guo Jialiang could object, she was already ordering food from the waiter.
"Guo Jialiang, your senior still hasn't forgiven you, has she?" Lin Muyao pursed her lips slightly.
"Honestly, I don't think you should feel guilty. It's not like you forced her to do anything—everything she did was her own choice. Adults are responsible for their own decisions, right?"
That one line was enough to ease some of the guilt crushing Guo Jialiang's chest.
"You're not wrong, but I did make mistakes," he murmured. "I knew how busy she was and still asked her to prep my experiments and process data for me."
Lin Muyao cursed inwardly—your real mistake was not being ruthless enough. You already used her—why pretend to be a decent person now?
"But you've already paid the price for your mistake," she said, pouring him a cup of tea with a flutter of her eyelashes.
"And your punishment's not even over. I heard from a teacher that the school plans to adopt Shu Lanzhou's paper. Once that happens, her experimental data and research will be published in the campus journal."
That would be a public execution—academic and social.
Once both papers were laid side by side, Guo Jialiang's would be torn to shreds. His reputation would be destroyed.
"W-what? Are you serious? The teacher really said that?" Guo Jialiang shot up from his seat, panic all over his face.
"They can't do that—I have to go talk to them!"
"Don't bother," Lin Muyao said, pulling him back down. "The teachers no longer have a say. The judging panel for the campus competition has already dismissed their input."
"Professor Mu is protecting Shu Lanzhou and claimed the teachers would be biased. After her paper was presented, Professor Cheng took an interest, and even Professor Wang requested it personally."
"This decision can't be reversed. If nothing changes, her paper will be published shortly after the competition."
"And when that happens…" She sighed. "That's why I'm telling you—there's no need to feel guilty. You've already been punished. Harshly, too."
Harshly didn't even begin to cover it—this was a career-ending disaster.
Whatever guilt or remorse Guo Jialiang still harbored evaporated completely.
To think he'd just been feeling bad—what a joke. If Shu Lanzhou really wanted to help him, why would she leave behind such detailed data and a clearly superior paper?
She had planned this. She had been waiting to humiliate him. She wanted to step on him to climb higher!
"I'm done for!" Guo Jialiang collapsed back into his seat, grabbing fistfuls of his hair.
"It's over! Everyone will know I'm worse than Shu Lanzhou!"
"I'll be the laughingstock of the entire school—I'm finished!"
How was he supposed to graduate after this? How could he find a job?
Lin Muyao looked at him with hidden contempt.
Before coming to Guo Jialiang, she had met with Han Weicheng and learned everything—not just about the school adopting Shu Lanzhou's paper, but also about Guo Jialiang's total dependence on her.
Unlike the others who merely asked her to prep data or assist with writing, he had relied on her for everything. He was completely useless. Despite being a second-year grad student, he had learned next to nothing—his mind had been entirely focused on social maneuvering. All talk, no skill.
But in academia, you can't fake competence forever.
It was only a matter of time before the cracks showed.
Lin Muyao gently patted his arm and coaxed him back into his seat.
"Well… it's not like there's no solution. It's just…"
She shook her head. "Forget it. I shouldn't say anything. Senior Shu's had a hard time too. It's just bad luck that your paper got singled out."
"Yeah, why my paper?" Guo Jialiang's eyes darkened. "Out of over two hundred, why mine? She had to have done it on purpose!"
"She knew mine wasn't as good as hers and deliberately embarrassed me in public. She's getting her revenge!"
He ground his teeth. The last of his conscience crumbled under the weight of his self-interest.
He turned to Lin Muyao. "You said there's a way. What is it?"
Lin Muyao's heart leapt with glee. This is even easier than I thought.
Out of the five, Guo Jialiang really was the easiest to manipulate.
—
A few days later.
Shu Lanzhou was sleeping soundly when Zhang He shook her awake. "There's an official announcement—about the investigation into Professor Mu's alleged misconduct. You need to see it!"
"What announcement?" Shu Lanzhou yawned and sat up groggily.
"According to the school's investigation, the paper published by student Shu Lanzhou in a respected medical journal was independently written and compiled. There was no involvement or editing by her advisor, Professor Mu Yanning."
"The innovation project she participated in during the campus competition was also confirmed by teammates to be her original idea. Her academic performance in the initial presentation round reflected her own actual ability."
"There is no evidence of Professor Mu violating academic policy or misrepresenting student competence. This public notice officially clears Professor Mu's name."
"The university…"
The rest was a string of statements about fairness, transparency, and encouraging students to report improper teaching practices—Shu Lanzhou didn't bother reading further.
She put down her phone and rubbed her face, still a little dazed.