SWNOVELXO Chapter 135 - Rumors
Jiang Hui could clearly feel that the atmosphere in the class had changed since she returned. It seemed that everyone had heard some rumors, and suddenly, she was the focus of many curious and seemingly inconspicuous glances from her classmates, who usually paid her little attention.
Most of these students were not malicious; if anything, it was more a matter of curiosity than genuine observation.
Young people’s hearts are hard to hide, and this polite yet obvious scrutiny was quite apparent. Each time she caught them wanting to say something but stopping short, Jiang Hui felt like pulling one of them aside to directly ask what was going on, rather than enduring the discomfort of being looked at by more than twenty people with similar expressions.
Especially notable was Clarens, a classmate she hadn’t interacted with in a long time. Today, he casually passed by her, seemingly out of nowhere, and said something vague yet pointed: “Don’t pay too much attention to that kind of trash. Just try not to be alone next time.”
Jiang Hui: ???
Then it was as if his comment had triggered a signal, as a series of enthusiastic classmates approached her one after another. Some asked if she was feeling better, while others comforted her, telling her not to worry too much about some unfriendly individuals. A few even patted her on the shoulder with expressions of “I sympathize with you.”
Jiang Hui: …
Now she finally understood that these unusual behaviors were likely related to the incident a few days ago when she was ambushed during training. Clearly, her classmates had heard the rumors and thought she had sustained significant injuries, so they intended to comfort her and offer some warmth as fellow students.
Okay, she actually felt a bit warmed by their kindness. Most young people have high spirits and a lot of passion, and they really can’t stand bullying the weak. Naturally, they were angry about what happened in the class, upset with that foolish bully, and sympathized with Jiang Hui, who had been inexplicably caught in the middle.
However, she couldn’t help but wonder how this story had spread or if there had been some distortion in the retelling. It felt as if, in everyone’s eyes, she had become a poor victim whose body and mind were both traumatized.
Speaking of which, even though she had been ambushed and kicked hard enough to injure her internal organs, her assailant didn’t fare any better. The school had taken a stand for her, expelling him.
Getting expelled from a school like Beska Intermediate Academy would make it difficult for Little Carl to find a good institution willing to accept him in the future. If he wanted to continue his studies, he would have to transfer to a more distant galaxy or attend some lesser college. The galaxy is vast, and they probably wouldn’t cross paths again.
Jiang Hui felt no sympathy for him and was quite satisfied with how the situation had been handled; there was no way she would feel defeated by it. So while everyone’s comforting words did bring some warmth, Jiang Hui had not been affected negatively by the incident. Instead, it motivated her to practice hard and improve her abilities.
Then, when Xierman came to find her during lunch, she got the answer about the rumors circulating in her grade regarding the incident.
The two of them went back to the second-floor cafeteria, which was their usual spot, and this time Jiang Hui treated.
After having eaten there once, she realized the food wasn’t bad at all. Although the prices were a bit steep, they were still within an acceptable range. So when the enthusiastic Xierman rushed over to check on her, Jiang Hui decided to take him there for a meal, especially since he had treated her last time.
“What?” Xierman said, biting into a piece of meat with great enthusiasm, as if he couldn’t help but chew it aggressively, treating it like an infuriating person. “So that’s how it is.”
This was even worse than the rumors had suggested…
“I mean, Jiang, you shouldn’t let him off so easily. Someone with such terrible character deserves to be reported to the Inspection Bureau, right?”
If the two of them weren’t still in the early stages of awakening, Jiang Hui might have chosen to do just that without hesitation. However, knowing how the Empire protects those who are only partially awakened, she felt it wasn’t worth the trouble. The fact that she was a partially awakened individual already provided the other party with a layer of protection. Engaging in such a messy dispute would not only be a waste of time, but she would also have to endure the disgust of continuing to interact with that theatrical father and son.
So, she decided to let the school handle it directly. In the end, Jiang Hui was quite satisfied with the result.
But Xierman interpreted this as Jiang Hui being soft-hearted, indignantly saying, “What kind of person does that? To attack someone unprovoked and then have the audacity to slander them, all for such ridiculous reasons.”
“To think he would say that! Isn’t he doomed to be unhappy for life? There are plenty of privileged young people in this world, not just in schools but outside as well. Even after graduation, there are many in the workplace, the military, and politics. Is he going to fight everyone he meets? I think he just bullies the weak and fears the strong, thinking he can push around a frail girl like you. And to use such despicable tactics like an ambush, ugh!”
Xierman was a straightforward person. He clearly hadn’t thought deeply about the complexities of social classes among the privileged, but he saw through Little Carl’s malicious intentions right away.
After venting his anger with a stream of curses, he continued to rant about how “disgusting” and “bullied” it all was, looking even more furious than Jiang Hui, the person involved.
Then, filled with overwhelming anger and sympathy, he immediately went to the front desk and ordered several special nutritional dishes for Jiang Hui, claiming he wanted to help her regain her strength.
Jiang Hui really wanted to say that after lying down for three straight days and downing a mountain of potent nutrients and supplements, she was actually doing better than anyone else. But since he was being so kind, she didn’t have the heart to interrupt.
When he returned, he said to her, “You know, the day after the incident, some of us heard about the fight at the training ground. The disciplinary notice only mentioned that guy who hit you, but nobody knew who the victim was. I only found out when I went to your class the next day and heard your classmates talking about it.”
“They were adamant that you were ambushed by that guy named Carl at the training ground and beaten up, then caught red-handed by the class supervisor, which caused quite a stir, leading to him being expelled from school.”
Originally, it wasn’t such a big deal; the school had intended to handle it discreetly. But Little Carl’s father wasn’t someone to back down easily. Seeing that his son couldn’t escape the consequences of his actions and had been expelled for the malicious attack, he lost his composure and started loudly cursing outside the administration building, refusing to leave, which drew a lot of attention.
Moreover, the school immediately issued a notice about the incident, making it hard for the students not to hear the rumors. Naturally, they pieced together the whole story, although it was clear that their understanding was slightly skewed.
Jiang Hui hadn’t expected things to turn out like this.
Sigh, it’s just so exaggerated… It was one thing to become well-known for an act of heroism like saving someone last time, but now being turned into a “campus celebrity” because of being beaten up is really hard to accept.