Chapter 33: Found Them
When Chen Chen returned to his dorm, Mo Yang was already waiting for him.
"Did you check the school forum? Did you see that post about Sister-in-law?"
From the anger in his voice, Chen Chen immediately knew what he was talking about.
Although they weren't especially close, Mo Yang was a good guy. He had never had any improper thoughts about Tian Siyi, and he was genuinely worried about what had happened to them.
Chen Chen nodded. "Of course I saw it. I just came back from Siyi's place."
"You told Sister-in-law about it?"
"Of course I had to. She needed to be mentally prepared."
Mo Yang opened his mouth to speak, then stopped. He didn't know what to say.
Telling her would definitely hurt her.
But if they didn't tell her, she might be even more hurt when people started looking at her differently without her knowing why.
In the end, the real problem was those people spreading the rumors.
How could they be so cruel?
They were treating a girl's reputation like it was a joke.
Seeing Mo Yang's expression, Chen Chen guessed what he was thinking and spoke first.
"Don't worry. She's much stronger than you think."
"Didn't she cry after hearing about it? She treated everyone to cold drinks today, and tonight she has to deal with people making fun of her. Why does she have to go through this?"
"No."
Cry?
She had shed some tears, but she hadn't actually cried out loud.
That probably didn't count.
Thinking back to the blank, gloomy look on her face, Chen Chen quietly clenched his fist tighter.
"You don't need to worry. After reading it, she even said she's still going out tomorrow to hand out more ice pops."
Mo Yang cried out in surprise.
"Is she crazy? You have to stop her!"
Chen Chen smiled bitterly.
"How could I stop her? You don't know her. Once she makes up her mind, nothing can change it."
"She really doesn't care?"
"How could she not care? She just doesn't want to admit defeat."
If she truly didn't care, she wouldn't have shown that expression.
Chen Chen's fist tightened even more.
Mo Yang didn't say anything else. Instead, he felt even more respect for Tian Siyi.
"No matter what happens, I'll be on your side."
Chen Chen forced a smile.
"Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me. I can't stand people like them either. If there's anything I can help with, just let me know."
"Okay."
After Chen Chen agreed, Mo Yang returned to his own dorm.
Chen Chen closed the door. The calm expression he had been wearing disappeared instantly, replaced by a terrifyingly dark look.
He was going to find every single person involved.
The internet trolls.
The studio that made the AI fake video.
The person who made the post.
And the one pulling the strings behind everything.
Not a single one of them would get away.
But he couldn't do it alone, he needed help. His older sister could help him, but that would be too slow.
He scrolled through the contacts on his phone until his eyes stopped on one number.
After hesitating for a moment, he pressed the call button.
"Hello, Auntie. I need to ask you for a favor. I hope it can be done as soon as possible... preferably by tomorrow."
………………
The next afternoon, Tian Siyi arrived at the training field as planned to hand out cold drinks to the students of the third squad.
But this time, no one rushed over to grab them.
Only a few students came to take one and thanked Tian Siyi.
She simply smiled and nodded back.
Zhao Xiaoqi carefully asked, "Did you read the forum?"
Tian Siyi smiled without trying to avoid the topic.
"Of course I did. Don't pay attention to those rumors."
Her open and calm attitude caught everyone by surprise.
They had spent the whole night thinking about how to comfort her, but now they couldn't say a single word.
Jiang Luyao spoke in her usual calm voice. "I've already asked my dad to investigate it. I'll clear your name."
Tian Siyi shook her head. "No need. Chen Chen is already looking into it."
Zhao Xiaoqi asked, "Him? Can he really do it?"
When she noticed Tian Siyi looking at her, Zhao Xiaoqi realized she had misspoken and quickly explained,
"I don't mean I don't trust him. I just think investigating something like this isn't easy. He can't do it all by himself..."
"I trust him."
Tian Siyi didn't say anything more.
After spending so much time with Chen Chen, she knew exactly what he was capable of.
And she knew that if he couldn't do something, he would never make her a promise.
Bai Hang and Gao Lingfeng also walked over.
"You're Yaoyao's friend. If you ever need help, just come to me."
Gao Lingfeng still had his usual cold expression, but his words made Tian Siyi smile warmly.
"I will."
Not wanting to fall behind, Bai Hang said,
"I'll help too! Yesterday I argued with those people online for hundreds of comments!"
Seeing how worried her friends were, Tian Siyi took a deep breath and smiled.
"What's wrong with all of you? They're just a bunch of cowards who don't even dare to face me directly. They only know how to play dirty tricks. Do I really look that weak? Why are you all standing here? Are you just staying here to enjoy the cold drinks?"
Since Tian Siyi had said that, her friends finally stepped back.
Even so, they still looked at her with concern.
Zhao Xiaoqi quietly asked, "Do you think she's just pretending to be strong?"
Jiang Luyao shared her opinion. "At least she hasn't given up. We should believe that she can handle this."
Bai Hang asked, "Sister Yao, how long will it take your dad?"
"Hard to say. These organized internet troll groups are the hardest to investigate."
"What if this just gets forgotten? We have to do something for her."
No one answered.
At a time like this, they were only students.
None of them knew what they could actually do.
Standing beside Tian Siyi, Chen Chen smiled. "You've made some really good friends."
Tian Siyi smiled back. "But solving this still depends on you."
"Yeah. I've already asked someone reliable to investigate. I've also found the IP address of the person who made the post, as well as who owns the account."
"It's Ji Xiaoyue. She was one of the girls who blocked your way before."
"So it really was them." Tian Siyi nodded. "But I'm surprised they posted it themselves."
"Maybe they thought a brand-new account wouldn't look believable. Or maybe they think there's nothing we can do to them."
"I'm probably not the first person they've done this to." She looked at Chen Chen. "Thank you."
"We don't need to thank each other. Besides, this problem is far from over."
Tian Siyi sighed.
He was right.
Even after finding out the truth, they still needed to choose the right time to clear her name.
The instructor of the third squad noticed that many students weren't coming to get the cold drinks.
Curious, he asked, "Why aren't you going to get one?"
"Instructor, you don't know. That girl's a slut. Her money is dirty!"
"That's right! We don't want anything from her. Just thinking about the cold drink we had yesterday makes me want to throw up!"
The instructor frowned after hearing that and asked,
"Why would you say that?"
"Someone saw her last night walking into the staff dormitory while holding onto a man's arm."
"Yeah! There's even a video of her sleeping around with someone!"
As soon as they said that, someone nearby immediately spoke up.
"What are you talking about? Anyone can tell that video is an AI face swap."
"Exactly! I've even seen the original video. Want me to give you the video ID so you can compare them yourself?"
The instructor looked at the two groups arguing, then glanced at Tian Siyi in the distance.
He raised his whistle and blew the signal for everyone to gather.