Some students had even speculated that because of Mo Shiyun's close relationship with Jian Yun'nao, her parents must be old family friends with the Jian family, or possibly even connected through generations of shared ties. These rumors created an image of prestige around her.
But Mo Shiyun shook her head, knowing that no amount of rumors or speculation could change the truth. "This is the reality," she said quietly. "Even if I tried to deny it, it wouldn't do any good."
Seeing the comments online, Mo Shiyun felt as if her most private secrets had been laid bare for everyone to scrutinize. It was an overwhelming feeling of shame, like being stripped of her dignity and exposed to the judgment of others. No one would want their messy family history to be public knowledge, least of all her. And no one would want their classmates to know they had such a disgraceful father.
Her heart ached from the humiliation, but there was nothing she could do. She couldn't change the circumstances of her birth, and she certainly couldn't change her father.
"Look, how about this," Qiu Yizhen suggested after thinking for a moment. "You don't have to say anything. I'll handle it for you. If this turns into a big deal, they can come after me, not you."
Mo Shiyun hesitated. "Qiu Jie, I don't want to drag you into this."
"Drag me into what?" Qiu Yizhen waved a hand dismissively. "It's not a big deal, okay? All I'm going to do is tell them the truth. What are they going to do about it?"
Without waiting for Mo Shiyun's response, Qiu Yizhen logged into her own account. Normally, she had her two loyal followers post on the school forum on her behalf to avoid drawing attention to herself. Her personal account was well-known across the school, and using it would immediately make her involvement obvious.
But this time, she decided to post herself. She replied to the original thread with a blunt comment:
"Are you all blind? How could that man be Mo Shiyun's dad? I've met her real father before, and he's definitely not this guy. Have some decency, will you?"
After she posted her response, Qiu Yizhen called her followers and instructed them to like her comment and push it to the top of the thread.
Her plan worked. Qiu Yizhen's comment quickly gained traction because everyone knew she was the daughter of one of the school's board members. Her social status wasn't something anyone could ignore. If she claimed to have met Mo Shiyun's father, then people would be inclined to believe that Mo Shiyun's father was someone respectable—definitely not the disheveled, obnoxious man in the photos.
The tide of the discussion quickly shifted. Soon, the students were demanding that the original poster apologize for spreading lies.
Qiu Yizhen, pleased with her success, proudly reported the news to Mo Shiyun. "See? I told you it would be fine. Look at this, problem solved!"
Seeing the latest comments, Mo Shiyun felt a wave of relief wash over her. The heavy weight that had been pressing down on her heart lifted, and the worry that had clouded her mind for hours began to dissipate.
"Qiu Jie, I don't even know how to thank you for this," Mo Shiyun said sincerely. "You didn't just stand by me—you protected me, even when I thought my background would make you want to keep your distance."
"Come on, don't talk like that," Qiu Yizhen scoffed, waving her hand again. "This is nothing. Just remember, you don't have to face everything by yourself."
Mo Shiyun smiled softly, her gratitude apparent. "I will. Thank you, Qiu Jie."
With the crisis seemingly averted, Mo Shiyun decided to return to her class. She didn't want to linger in the nurse's office any longer.
When she stepped back into the classroom, Zhu Sha hurried over to her, looking both apologetic and relieved. "Shiyun, I'm really sorry about earlier," Zhu Sha said quickly. "I shouldn't have doubted you. I didn't realize the post was just full of nonsense."
"It's fine," Mo Shiyun replied gently, her tone as calm and kind as ever. "I wasn't feeling well earlier, so I didn't really think much of it. I'm not upset with you."
Zhu Sha let out a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad to hear that."
Mo Shiyun thought that the issue was finally behind her. The forum post had been refuted, and the rumors had been put to rest, at least for now. It seemed like things were finally calming down.
But it wasn't over.
Only half an hour after the forum's tone had shifted in her favor, the original poster came back with a new update—this time, they had uploaded a video.
It was a recording of the scene that had unfolded in the headmaster's office earlier, capturing everything that had happened during Mo Shiyun's father's confrontation with the school staff.