At past midnight, Yu Li figured Bo Jingmo should have arrived at his destination. Not wanting to disturb her roommate, she texted him.

Yu Li: [Did you arrive?]

A reply came shortly after.

Bo Jingmo: [Just landed. You're still awake, darling?]

Yu Li: [Going to bed soon. Just wanted to chat with you first.]

She told him about running into Jiang Xi at school and casually asked:

[Did you delete Jiang Xi's contact?]

Truthfully, she wouldn't have known if Jiang Xi hadn't mentioned it.

The man replied with a simple "Yes," then quietly added: [They were noisy, always asking about my rankings.]

"They" likely referred to the male and female leads.

Reading this, Yu Li smiled faintly.

After exchanging some trivial matters, Yu Li yawned and told Bo Jingmo she was going to sleep.

Turning off her phone screen, she exhaled slowly while holding the slightly warm device, then closed her eyes.

What an idiot...

Meanwhile, at an overseas airport.

Bo Jingmo gazed at the little fox in Yu Li's profile picture, his lips curling slightly as his fingers gently traced the image.

The tall, striking man stood out effortlessly—his tailored suit accentuating broad shoulders and a narrow waist, his high nose bridge creating a perfect profile, his narrow eyes exuding effortless composure. Every movement radiated the mature elegance unique to Eastern men.

He drew numerous gazes the moment he appeared.

A powerful, handsome Eastern man always attracted special attention here.

When some bold foreign women noticed he had no bodyguards and moved to approach, a swarm of black-suited security personnel suddenly surrounded him.

The women recoiled in shock as laughter sounded from the entrance.

"Mr. Bo, I've long admired your reputation."

The speaker had blue eyes and impeccably styled blond hair, his deep-set eyes sharp with businessman's cunning yet giving off venomous danger. He spoke fluent Mandarin while extending a hand to Bo Jingmo, his expression flickering with surprise at seeing the man alone.

"Unexpected to see you traveling solo, Mr. Bo."

Bo Jingmo smiled faintly, shaking his hand. "A pleasure, Mr. Dax. Making a scene would only rouse my father's suspicions."

Dax burst out laughing. "True enough. Learning his son sought out his enemy would probably give the old man a stroke."

His eyes remained locked on Bo Jingmo, searching for any reaction.

But the man merely maintained his slight smile. "It's not yet time for that."

Not yet—but soon will be?

How intriguing. The rumors about the Bo family's discord seem accurate.

Dax's interest deepened, his grin widening. "Seems to me you're far more capable than your father."

Not only finding him but also knowing his recent troubles and proposing cooperation...

Bai Shaodong, your days are numbered.

...

With Bo Jingmo abroad and their time zones differing, Yu Li expected fewer conversations.

Yet she discovered he replied regardless of timing—even at 3-4 AM his time—claiming he hadn't adjusted to the time difference.

How much truth that held remained unknown.

Only when Yu Li insisted would he finally agree to rest.

Meanwhile, word of the dormitory incident had spread. Walking across campus, Yu Li felt countless eyes on her—their gazes carrying an unpleasant edge unlike before.

Mu Chengsi, walking beside her, noticed too. "Your boyfriend's influence is insane. Just dating him made you campus-famous overnight."

As she spoke, Le Yi suddenly stopped walking. "Holy shit," she blurted, staring at her phone. "Yu Li, someone posted about your thing with Jiang Xi on the forum!"

Reading the content, her eyes widened. "What the hell? Who's stirring drama in the comments?"

Mu Chengsi peered over. "What drama?"

Who'd dare provoke those two lunatics?

Scanning the post, she unconsciously read aloud: "Yu Li and Bo Jingmo were in student council together... then Yu Li seduced Bo Jingmo? After dating him, she abused her girlfriend status to make him target another department head, even got them fired..."

Her voice trailed off, expression twisting.

This person was clearly deranged.

Who just makes up lies like this?

Worse, people were believing it—the comments were shifting.

[No wonder Jiang Xi confronted Yu Li. She must know what Yu Li's really like.]

[She looks so pretty though—how could she do such things?]

[Bo Jingmo only cares about looks huh? People called him cold and distant before, but now he's pulling strings for his girlfriend. So much for 'impartial.']

[Jiang Xi never starts fights—she's always been sweet-tempered. She used to be close with Bo Jingmo too, and he never seemed to mind. Some even shipped them. Then Yu Li showed up... you get it.]

Some commenters questioned the claims.

[Any student council members wanna confirm?]

[And risk Bo Jingmo's retaliation? No thanks.]

[This seems sketchy... what if it's fake?]

[No parties involved have spoken yet. Keeping neutral for now.]

[LOL someone daring to expose Bo Jingmo wouldn't lie. Face it—this is probably true. Even Jiang Xi couldn't take it and confronted her, only to get bullied into tears.]

Le Yi fumed. "Are they stupid? Believing malicious gossip without thinking? Zero critical thinking!"

Her fingers hovered over her phone, ready to fight back—weeks of Yu Li's homemade cakes demanded loyalty.

But Yu Li gently stopped her. "Don't bother."

Nothing they said would change minds now—people would just call it excuses and accuse them of collusion.

Mu Chengsi studied her calm expression. "You're not angry? Or... do you know who did this?"

Yu Li's eyes curved slightly. "Who else could it be?"

She'd nearly forgotten about that person.

Le Yi couldn't resist complaining. "So we just ignore it? Why isn't Jiang Xi speaking up?"

Ignore it?

Watching the rapidly shifting online sentiment, Yu Li spoke quietly. "We'll address it—just not yet."

Because this wasn't an accident.

It was a warning—aimed squarely at her.