After Becoming the Abused Heroine in a Campus Story - Chapter 32: She’s Like a Mad Dog Now

Chapter 32: She’s Like a Mad Dog Now

The entire evening self-study session, Jiang Xianzhi was out of sorts. She either stared blankly or thought about how to ask Zhou Yining about the matter.

Jiang Xianzhi felt dazed even when she left school for home. She got out of the car listlessly, entered the villa, and went straight upstairs.

Liang Jing saw her daughter heading off without a word and quickly called out, “Zhizhi, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Why do you look so down?”

Jiang Xianzhi had been thinking about Zhou Yining and Zhong Yumeng all evening. The more she thought, the more her heart ached. The person she cared about so much had dinner with someone she disliked. Just thinking about it made Jiang Xianzhi feel wronged.

But since it was a matter between friends, Jiang Xianzhi didn’t want her mother to misunderstand. With red eyes, she mumbled, “Nothing, just a bit tired. I’m going upstairs.”

With that, Jiang Xianzhi went upstairs.

She listlessly went to the bathroom to shower. While showering, the more she thought, the more wronged she felt. She also found her feelings of grievance strange. She and Zhou Yining were friends, but that didn’t mean Zhou Yining couldn’t make other friends. Still, she felt sour.

The last time, when she saw Zhou Yining explaining problems to another girl, her heart also felt sour, but it wasn’t as painful as this time.

Jiang Xianzhi rinsed her body quickly, changed into pajamas, and came out. She dried her hair briefly, then lay on her bed, staring at her phone in a daze. She wondered if Zhou Yining would talk to her tonight or if Zhou Yining was chatting with Zhong Yumeng or other girls besides her.

Liang Jing sensed something was off with her daughter. She went to the second floor, knocked on Jiang Yueyi’s door, turned the handle, and walked in.

Jiang Yueyi was still working on documents on her laptop. Seeing Liang Jing enter, she asked in surprise, “Mother? Why are you here? It’s so late. Haven’t you rested yet?”

“Your little sister came back tonight acting strange, looking down, like she’s been wronged,” Liang Jing said. Then, as if recalling something, she added, “By the way, didn’t you say you’d ask Zhizhi’s two friends about that ‘central air conditioner’ person? Did you find out?”

Jiang Yueyi shook her head. “I asked. They said Zhizhi hasn’t been close to any boys lately. She hasn’t even been seeking out Zhang Ye much. But she’s been getting along well with Zhou Yining recently.”

“Isn’t that the girl who came to our house to tutor her?” Liang Jing asked.

“Yes, that’s her. They said Zhizhi’s only been close to her lately,” Jiang Yueyi replied.

“That’s odd then. Not upset by a boy? I’ll go check on her,” Liang Jing said.

“Hmm, call me if anything’s up, Mother,” Jiang Yueyi said.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go see,” Liang Jing said. She went downstairs, had the maid prepare hot milk, and carried a cup upstairs.

Liang Jing knocked gently on the door. “Zhizhi, I brought you milk. I’m coming in,” she said.

She turned the handle, entered, and saw her daughter lying listlessly on the bed, staring intently at her phone not far away.

Liang Jing placed the milk on the bedside table and asked softly, “Zhizhi? What’s going on? Did you fight with a friend?”

Jiang Xianzhi shook her head. She had a belly full of words she didn’t know who to tell. Zhou Yining hadn’t messaged her on WeChat either.

Jiang Xianzhi felt terribly wronged, couldn’t hold back, and her eyes reddened again. “Mother, am I too possessive, too clingy?” she asked.

Liang Jing’s heart skipped a beat. That question made her wonder if her daughter was in love.

Suppressing her doubts, she quickly comforted, “How could that be? Our Zhizhi is so pretty and so good. How could anyone think you’re clingy?”

Jiang Xianzhi sniffled, looking at her mother with grievance. “My friend ate dinner with someone else today. I feel uncomfortable. I always think she should be my friend only,” she said.

Liang Jing paused, feeling even more that her daughter was in love. She asked tentatively, “A new male classmate?”

Jiang Xianzhi shook her head. “It’s Zhou Yining, the girl who tutors me in math at our house,” she said.

She paused, then continued, “I always want her to be good only to me. Seeing her close with other girls makes my heart feel sour.”

Liang Jing found it odd but relaxed immediately upon hearing it was a girl. She smiled, “It’s normal to feel possessive about friends, but you can’t stop her from making other friends. She just ate with another classmate, not stopped being your friend. Why are you so upset?”

“But I still feel uncomfortable. I don’t like her being with others,” Jiang Xianzhi said, hugging her blanket listlessly.

Liang Jing sighed. She hadn’t expected her daughter to get so attached to a friend. When she was close with Shi Yuanyuan and Si Yaqing before, she never acted like this.

“Then talk to her clearly. Friends should understand each other. What’s the point of sulking alone?” Liang Jing said.

Jiang Xianzhi buried half her face in the blanket, muttering softly, “I’m afraid if I say it, she’ll think I’m clingy. What if she doesn’t want to be friends anymore?”

“You, getting so anxious over a friend, more cautious than when in love. If you miss her, send her a message. It’s better than overthinking,” Liang Jing said, sitting on the bed, chuckling lightly.

Her daughter wasn’t in love, and her heart instantly relaxed.

“Hmm,” Jiang Xianzhi nodded, pursing her lips, and opened Zhou Yining’s WeChat.

Jiang Xianzhi: [Are you home? What are you doing?]

After sending, Jiang Xianzhi stared at her phone without blinking, but there was no reply for a long time.

Her mood sank again. She typed listlessly.

Jiang Xianzhi: [Do you think I’m too clingy? (Sad cat jpg)]

After sending, Jiang Xianzhi kept playing with her phone, lying on her bed, not wanting to do anything.

Liang Jing found it curious. She wanted to meet Zhou Yining. How did it feel like her daughter’s soul was almost stolen by Zhou Yining? Something seemed off. She had close friends too, but she’d never been like this with them.

“Maybe she’s busy with something? You’re just waiting like this?” Liang Jing asked, seeing her daughter staring at her phone.

Jiang Xianzhi nodded. “Hmm,” she said.

Liang Jing sighed. “Alright, I’ll wait with you for a bit,” she said.

Meanwhile, after parting with Tian Xue, Zhou Yining went to an internet café. She plugged in the USB Zhong Yumeng gave her, backed up the video to a cloud drive, and then opened it to check.

The video was clearly secretly filmed, shaky. Four girls were changing in the locker room. Zhou Yining glanced and saw, thankfully, they were all in underwear.

The footage shook until it captured them finishing changing, then left the locker room.

The video was short, less than five minutes.

Zhou Yining’s expression darkened. Such a video could indeed harm girls, especially if spread online.

She closed the video and her phone, preparing to leave the café.

Zhou checked her phone and saw a notification.

She opened WeChat and saw Jiang Xianzhi’s messages, sent ten minutes earlier.

Zhou Yining read them, her eyes softening with a smile.

Zhou Yining: [How could I? A clingy little fox is the cutest. (Petting cat jpg)]

Jiang Xianzhi was still lying listlessly on her bed. Seeing Zhou Yining’s reply, her eyes lit up instantly.

She grabbed her phone and started typing.

Jiang Xianzhi: [Are you busy? Did I disturb you?]

Zhou Yining: [Not busy, just missing my little fox a bit~]

Jiang Xianzhi’s ears reddened slightly. Little fox meant her. Zhou Yining liked calling her that. Jiang Xianzhi’s eyes curved, and the sourness in her heart faded significantly.

She quickly typed a reply.

Jiang Xianzhi: [I miss you a bit too. (Cat cuddling jpg)]

Jiang Xianzhi: [By the way, I heard from a classmate you ate dinner with Zhong Yumeng tonight?]

After asking, Jiang Xianzhi rubbed her hands anxiously, waiting for Zhou Yining’s reply.

Zhou Yining hadn’t expected someone Jiang Xianzhi knew would see her eating with Zhong Yumeng. But it was no big deal, just a meal together.

Zhou Yining: [Hmm, we ran into each other and ate together. Zhong Yumeng saved a seat, or I’d have waited ages for a spot.]

Zhou Yining told the truth. Many students ate at the cafeteria at night, and seats were hard to come by. It was tough to find a place alone.

Jiang Xianzhi: [Oh, I see.]

Zhou Yining: [Hmm, were you tired at school today?]

Jiang Xianzhi: [It was okay. I’ve showered and am ready to sleep.]

Zhou Yining: [Good. I’m home too. I took a detour to buy something, hehe. Rest early, I’m going to shower.]

Jiang Xianzhi: [Okay, see you tomorrow. (Cat rubbing jpg)]

Zhou Yining: [See you tomorrow.]

Jiang Xianzhi put down her phone happily. So they just ate together by chance. She had been sour all evening for nothing.

Jiang Xianzhi hugged her blanket joyfully, rolling twice, then looked up and saw her mother still there.

She asked curiously, “Mother, why haven’t you left?”

Liang Jing’s lips twitched. She had watched the whole thing, even seeing her daughter chat with that Zhou Yining girl.

A few words from Zhou Yining had cheered her daughter up. Liang Jing found it curious and felt something was off. Did friends chat like this? Or was she out of touch with young people?

“Alright, I’m going. Drink your milk before sleeping. It should be cool enough now,” Liang Jing said, seeing her daughter was fine and not staying longer.

“Hmm, got it, Mother,” Jiang Xianzhi said. She got up, drank the milk in a few gulps, and, no longer feeling sour, thought it tasted better than usual.

Liang Jing shook her head at her daughter’s behavior. Back in her room, she realized what was wrong. Her daughter’s state—what was the difference from being in love?

One moment anxious, the next soothed by a few sweet words.

Liang Jing drank water to calm herself, reassuring herself she was overthinking. Her daughter had liked Zhang Ye before, so she shouldn’t change her orientation so easily.

With that thought, Liang Jing felt slightly reassured.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yining had just gotten home. She grabbed clean clothes to shower, planning to rest early. She had many things to handle tomorrow.

The next morning, Zhou Yining got up early. She slept before 11 p.m. yesterday, so her energy was decent. After breakfast at home, she headed to school.

She went early, hoping to spot Lin Shaohui and his group, but unfortunately, she didn’t see them.

During the morning’s two classes, Zhou Yining barely listened, still thinking about the video. She hoped to resolve it today.

Finally, during the break after the second class for morning exercises, Zhou Yining spotted Lin Shaohui’s group in Class 9’s lineup. After the run, when the group dispersed, Zhou Yining lingered, pretending to stroll on the track.

Lin Shaohui’s group didn’t rush back to class. They were upset lately because of Zhou Yining, especially after being rebuffed by her several times, which frustrated them. So, they started harassing the other three girls from the video again.

Han Fei spotted Zhou Yining from afar and pointed. “Lin bro, Zhou Yining’s over there. Should we go over?” he asked.

“Hah, are you crazy? Why mess with her? She’s like a mad dog now,” Lin Shaohui said, not wanting trouble or to provoke Zhou Yining.

Han Fei was unconvinced. “What’s she got to be smug about? We filmed her, and she acts fearless. I can’t stand her,” he said.

“What’s the point of not liking her? You gonna post the video online for real?” Lin Shaohui glared at him.

“Posting it online wouldn’t matter, right? It’s been so long. Even if we did, the school wouldn’t know who filmed it,” Han Fei muttered.

Lin Shaohui shoved him. “I’m warning you, we’re about to enter senior year. Don’t cause trouble,” he said.

Han Fei was defiant but held back, since Lin Shaohui’s family was rich.

Since Lin Shaohui didn’t want trouble, the three avoided Zhou Yining. Zhou Yining found it odd. Was she that scary now, making bullies detour? But this made things tricky. Without contact, her follow-up plans would be harder.

This went on for days. On Thursday, Zhou Yining received an invitation from Jiang Xianzhi to attend her birthday party on Sunday evening.

Jiang Xianzhi’s birthday was July 16, a Saturday, but since she had school, preparing a party was inconvenient, so the event was moved to Sunday evening.

Zhou Yining noted it down. With only six hundred yuan, she couldn’t afford an expensive gift for Jiang Xianzhi, so she’d have to think of something special instead.

Zhou Yining ate dinner with Tian Xue and left the cafeteria. They hadn’t gone far when a few people called out to Zhou Yining.

She turned and saw one was Li Yuting, whom she’d met before. The other two looked familiar, likely the remaining girls from the video.

“Something up?” Zhou Yining asked.

Li Yuting nodded quickly. “Can we talk somewhere?” she asked.

Zhou Yining nodded. “You go back first. I’ll be back soon,” she told Tian Xue.

Tian Xue glanced at the three, then at Zhou Yining. “Need me to stay with you?” she asked.

“No, it’s not a big deal. I can handle it,” Zhou Yining said. She gestured for the three to follow her.

They walked to a corner on the other side of the teaching building, where few people were. Zhou Yining discreetly started recording on her phone, then stood and asked, “What’s the matter?”

The three exchanged glances. Li Yuting spoke first. “Zhou Yining, can you stop provoking Lin Shaohui and his group? The matter was finally over. They hadn’t bothered us for months, but now they’ve started again, saying you provoked them,” she said.

Tan Yue, on Li Yuting’s left, was crying. She sniffled and looked at Zhou Yining. “Yeah, it was over. We could all study normally at school. Why provoke someone like him?” she said.

“The one who did wrong is him. Shouldn’t he be punished? As long as they have that video, you need to be ready for their threats anytime. Now they just tease and humiliate you. What about later? If you achieve great things, become a celebrity or a company executive, Lin Shaohui’s group could use that video to gain more from you,” Zhou Yining said.

Her gaze swept over the three, continuing, “Escaping isn’t realistic. Since the video exists, we need to solve it, ideally making Lin Shaohui’s group face their deserved punishment.”

Shi Qian, on the other side, cried too. “You make it sound easy. What if they really post the video online? Can we still live?” she said.

“Why not live? Lin Shaohui’s group did wrong. They filmed it. They haven’t died, so why should we die before them? I don’t know what you think, but I’m getting justice for myself. I won’t let this go,” Zhou Yining said.

“So what’s your plan?” Li Yuting asked, staring intently at Zhou Yining.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Judging by your attitudes, you won’t help me anyway,” Zhou Yining said. She didn’t trust them. Though they were victims too, they clearly wanted to keep the peace.

“Zhou Yining, can you stop thinking only of yourself? You don’t care about shame, but we do,” Shi Qian said, crying.

Zhou Yining looked at her coldly. “It’s because I care about my dignity that I want those who hurt me to pay. The more you retreat and compromise, the worse Lin Shaohui’s group will get. I’ve said all I will. I won’t persuade you, and you don’t need to persuade me,” she said.

With that, Zhou Yining walked away, suspecting the three were sent by Lin Shaohui’s group.

After leaving, Zhou Yining saved the recording. The spot they talked at was secluded, but there was a camera across from it, which was why Zhou Yining chose it.

After Zhou Yining left, Li Yuting’s group went to the playground, where Lin Shaohui’s group waited in a corner.

“How’d it go? What did Zhou Yining say?” Lin Shaohui asked.

“Zhou Yining said she’d make those who hurt her pay and wants justice,” Li Yuting said, stepping back.

“We told her not to provoke you, but she wouldn’t listen. Lin Shaohui, we did all we could. Please let us go, let all three of us go. It’s Zhou Yining who’s against you. Go find her,” Shi Qian said, crying.

“Damn it, why are you crying? Useless trash. We told you to mess with Zhou Yining, and you come back crying like this. Idiots, trash,” Han Fei cursed freely. These three were easy to control. Mentioning the video made them beg tearfully.

Li Yuting’s group huddled together, fearing they’d anger Lin Shaohui’s group.

Lan Guangwen asked, “Lin bro, you think Zhou Yining might really report to the police? What do we do then?”

Lin Shaohui sighed heavily. He regretted provoking Zhou Yining at the cafeteria that day. The matter was over, but now it seemed Zhou Yining was serious about taking action against them.

“No idea. Tomorrow, after exercises, let’s test the waters. This can’t blow up. We’re about to enter senior year. I don’t want to get expelled now,” Lin Shaohui said, thinking.

He gave Han Fei a look.

Han Fei cursed at the three, “You trash listen up. If anyone asks about the video, you better swear you know nothing, or you know the consequences.”

“We know, we know,” Tan Yue said, crying.

“Get lost, useless,” Han Fei said disdainfully.

The three tearfully headed to the teaching building. Li Yuting wiped tears from her cheek. “I actually think Zhou Yining’s right. Are we going to be threatened by Lin Shaohui’s group forever?” she said.

“But if we don’t listen, what about the video? What if this gets out?” Tan Yue said, crying.

“I don’t know, but I’m fed up. I’m so tired of living in fear. Don’t you know how disgusting Lin Shaohui’s group is? Their insults are so awful,” Li Yuting said, tears falling again.

Since this happened, she rarely slept well. Every night, she dreamed of being blackmailed by Lin Shaohui’s group, kneeling and begging, only to face more insults and mockery. Each time she woke from nightmares, she felt like she was drowning.

The three girls hugged, crying. They found the matter shameful, unable to tell their families, and feared reporting to the police in case the video spread online. All their conflicts and fears erupted now.

It had been a year. The video tormented them to exhaustion. Lin Shaohui’s group hadn’t bothered them for months, and they thought it was over. But the group dragged them back into the abyss, which was why they resented Zhou Yining.

But they blamed the wrong person. They should resent those who did wrong, not someone fighting for their rights and seeking justice.