Chapter 364: Truly Disgusting
Su Li was furious, rendered speechless by the verbal abuse.
She had originally thought Qu An would just hurl a few insults and be done with it.
But Su Li had underestimated the fury of a Qu An who felt deceived and insulted.
The next day, Su Li got a whole new perspective on her usually cheerful and upbeat classmate, Qu An.
The moment Su Li walked in, she sensed something was wrong.
As soon as she entered, the once-boisterous classroom fell strangely silent.
Then her classmates’ gazes turned toward her—some were odd, others evasive. Not a single one was normal.
Amidst the silence, Qu An’s disdainful scoff was especially conspicuous.
Su Li frowned and looked at Qu An, only to see he wasn’t looking at her at all.
Frowning, Su Li sat down next to Chang E and asked in a low voice, "What’s going on?"
Chang E’s expression was complicated and pained. "It’s Qu An. He said you... he said you..."
Chang E seemed unable to get the words out. As she hesitated, the bell for class rang.
After the teacher came in, Chang E didn’t continue.
But her face was pale, and her eyes were filled with worry as she looked at Su Li.
Watching her, Su Li guessed that Qu An must have said something.
’She sighed inwardly and quickly forced herself to focus on the lecture.’
Beside her, Chang E saw how calm Su Li was—even able to study—and her expression grew even more complicated.
Su Li, the person at the center of it all, acted as if nothing had happened, but Chang E was on edge for the entire class.
It wasn’t just Chang E; the whole class was restless during that period.
The teacher could see it clearly from the front but couldn’t figure out what was wrong. He frowned and raised his voice several times to get everyone’s attention.
After class, the usually noisy and lively break was abnormally quiet today.
Everyone’s gazes drifted between Su Li and Qu An, their eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation, waiting for something to happen.
Chang E looked at everyone’s expressions, gritted her teeth, and pulled Su Li up. "Let’s go to the restroom."
After she pulled Su Li out, the entire classroom fell silent for a few seconds as all eyes turned to Qu An.
Qu An spat disdainfully.
Chang E didn’t take Su Li to the restroom; instead, she pulled her directly to the deserted school rooftop.
"Su Li, Qu An is telling everyone that you’re... He said you’re divorced and that you lied to everyone..."
Chang E was furious. She had always thought Qu An was a good classmate and had even told Su Li to give him a chance.
Who would have thought that Qu An would turn on her in the blink of an eye and slander Su Li everywhere?
"Su Li, you have to go clarify things right away! Don’t worry, I support you. Whether it’s a fight or an argument, I’m on your side."
Su Li grabbed Chang E’s hand. "Chang E, don’t be so anxious."
She shook her head and smiled. "He’s not exactly slandering me. I really was married and then got divorced."
Chang E’s jaw dropped, her face a mask of shock, rendering her speechless.
Seeing Chang E’s expression, Su Li forced a smile. "I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t think it was necessary. I didn’t mean to hide it from you, I’m sorry, Chang E. Qu An came looking for me at the bookstore yesterday and happened to overhear."
Chang E shook her head vigorously. "No, there’s nothing to be sorry for."
’Anyone else would have denied it to their grave.’
’This wasn’t just anything; it was a divorce.’
’Su Li is still so young, she’s clearly...’
’How could she be divorced? How could this happen... No, that’s not the point right now!’
Chang E grabbed Su Li’s hand. "Su Li, don’t tell anyone else about this. You absolutely must deny it to the death. I’ll take this secret to my grave."
Su Li looked at Chang E and shook her head. "It’s fine, Chang E. It’s not a big deal, don’t worry."
"What do you mean it’s not a big deal? This is huge! If this gets out, who knows what people will say or how they’ll gossip about you! No, we can’t let Qu An spread this. I’ll go talk to him. I’ll use any means necessary to make him shut up."
Chang E held Su Li tightly. "Su Li, you haven’t told anyone else about this, have you?"
’Being engaged or married would have been so much better than being divorced.’
’It wasn’t like there weren’t married or engaged students at school. People wouldn’t say much about that; at most, they just wouldn’t hang out with them. But Su Li wasn’t married or engaged—she was divorced!’
How could Chang E not be frantic?
Su Li gave a wry smile and pulled Chang E into a hug.
"Thank you, Chang E. But it’s really okay. Don’t worry."
’Now that it’s out, the more I try to hide it, the more people will pry.’
’People will just whisper a few things behind my back. At worst, they won’t be friends with me. The school can’t possibly expel me for it. It’ll be fine.’
"It’ll just be for a couple of days. If I ignore it, people will slowly stop paying attention and get used to it. You don’t need to worry."
Su Li comforted Chang E, a warm feeling spreading in her heart. Chang E was completely on her side.
"Aren’t you scared?" Chang E was stunned as Su Li held her.
’Shouldn’t I be the one comforting Su Li right now? Why is it the other way around?’
"I’m not scared. What’s there to be scared of? Just ignore it."
Su Li patted Chang E’s shoulder.
From the day of her divorce, Su Li knew this would get out sooner or later.
So many people knew about her divorce. Whether by chance or for some other reason, the news was bound to spread one day. She had prepared herself for it long ago.
She just hadn’t expected it to happen so soon, or in such a way.
"Alright, if people ask you about it later, you can answer however you want. If it makes you uncomfortable, just say you don’t know. I’ll handle things on my end."
Su Li patted her shoulder again. "Come on, we should head down. Class is about to start."
Su Li and Chang E went downstairs, returning to the classroom just before the bell rang.
Her classmates’ gazes were still strange, but Su Li paid them no mind. This indifference lasted until she reached her desk.
Seeing the two words "Cheap Whore" written in ink on her desk, Su Li’s expression changed completely.
Her gaze turned icy as she shot a look at Qu An, who was watching her coldly from a short distance away.
"Did you do this, Qu An?"
Su Li’s voice was frigid, her sharp gaze piercing.
An uncontrollable chill ran down the spines of Qu An and the students around him.
Compared to them, Su Li had lived two lifetimes; her age and experience were on a different level. Not to mention, she was now in charge of Pinjun Clothing.
She had long since cultivated a powerful and intimidating aura.
Normally, Su Li just attended classes without any conflict, keeping a low profile, so no one thought much of her. But now, with her aura unleashed, she seemed like a completely different person.
Qu An’s heart skipped a beat. He felt an inexplicable sense of guilt, more afraid than when he faced his own father.
His face paled for a moment, but then he remembered the humiliation he had suffered and shot back, his embarrassment turning to rage.
"So you can do it, but no one can talk about it?!"
Hearing this, Su Li suddenly laughed. There was a smile on her face, but her eyes were utterly glacial.
"How disgusting."
Su Li softly uttered two words, her tone dripping with a revulsion so palpable it was almost physical.
It was a different kind of retching, but with the same brilliant effect.
Qu An’s face instantly flushed crimson. "Who are you calling disgusting? You’re the one who’s disgusting!"
’Filthy whore!’
Su Li couldn’t be bothered to waste words on him. "Listen here, Qu An. This is the first and last time. If there’s a next time, if I hear you say one more insulting thing, we’ll see each other in court."
She let out a soft chuckle. "Don’t think I’m just trying to scare you. You can go ask around and find out for yourself. I’m the type of person who prefers to solve things in a civilized way, using the law. And this wouldn’t be the first time I’ve sent someone to prison."