From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

Yan Ruyu snatched the altered flyer, her eyes blazing as she scanned it line by line, her slender fingers gripping the paper tightly until her knuckles turned white.

The once-flowing font now appeared to her like a twisted crawling worm, utterly repulsive.

Her brows were furrowed, as if she wanted to etch every word on the paper into her mind.

The male protagonist stood beside her, gently stroking his chin with one hand, his deep eyes gleaming with contemplation.

His thin lips were pressed tightly together, and he exuded a cold and aloof aura, remaining motionless like a statue.

The students around them looked at each other, whispered among themselves, and occasionally cast questioning glances at Yan Ruyu and Xu Nanzhu.

“This change… is truly devastating,” Yan Ruyu gritted her teeth, her tone tinged with coldness. “It seems that the other side is not only familiar with our new ideas, but also has a firm grasp on people’s hearts.”

The male protagonist nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "Indeed, this method... seems to be the work of someone on our side."

"Young Master Bai, does this have anything to do with you?" Yan Ruyu suddenly turned her head, her gaze fixed on Young Master Bai in the crowd.

Young Master Bai's expression changed, and he stiffened his neck, forcing himself to remain calm as he said, "Miss Yan, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want! How could I do such a thing?"

"Heh, you know perfectly well whether you did it or not!" Yan Ruyu sneered, pressing on relentlessly. "The changes on this leaflet are designed to exploit the weaknesses of the new ideology. How could someone who isn't extremely knowledgeable about the new ideology make such precise changes?"

"You...you're slandering me!" Young Master Bai's face flushed red, veins bulging on his forehead. "Let me tell you, don't even think about defaming me!"

"Slander? I haven't even said who it is yet, and you're already jumping up and down. Are you feeling guilty?" Yan Ruyu retorted without backing down, her sharp gaze seemingly able to see through people's hearts.

The surrounding students were drawn to the argument and watched curiously.

"You..." Young Master Bai trembled with rage, his finger pointing at Yan Ruyu shaking violently. "You... fine! fine! fine!" He repeated "fine" three times, then suddenly changed his tone, "Since you insist that I did it, then I will..."

"So what if I do that? Do you think you can lay a hand on me?" Young Master Bai retorted defiantly, his voice filled with bravado but his heart was filled with fear.

"Take action? Would I bother?" Yan Ruyu scoffed, her eyes sweeping contemptuously over Young Master Bai. "You just said, 'Since I insist on assuming it was you,' that statement itself is problematic. I never said it was you; I only suspected you. It seems your eagerness to distance yourself has only revealed more information."

Yan Ruyu's gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, quickly scanning the crowd before finally settling on a timid figure.

"You, come out!" Her tone was icy, carrying an unquestionable authority.

The student whose name was called trembled with fright, his face turned ashen, and he stammered, unable to utter a word.

"me……"

“Although the handwriting on the flyer imitates Confucius’s handwriting, a closer look reveals its flaws,” Yan Ruyu explained, pointing to a few words on the flyer. “The beginning and ending strokes of these words are slightly different from Confucius’s usual style, but they are very similar to your handwriting. Moreover, your shifty and evasive eyes just now clearly show that you have a guilty conscience.”

"I...I didn't..." The student tried to argue, but Yan Ruyu interrupted him.

"What else do you have to say? There are witnesses and physical evidence, so there's no point in denying it!" Yan Ruyu pressed on relentlessly, her imposing manner like a judge pronouncing his crimes.

The student finally broke down, collapsing to the ground with vacant eyes, as if he had lost his soul.

The students around Yan Ruyu looked at her with admiration, whispering among themselves, "Miss Yan is really amazing," and "She's practically a detective."

Looking at Yan Ruyu's confident demeanor, Xu's eyes were filled with pride and love.

He walked behind her, gently wrapped his arms around her waist, and whispered in her ear, "Yu'er, you're amazing."

Yan Ruyu's body stiffened slightly, then relaxed, feeling his warm breath brush against her ear, and a sweet warmth welled up in her heart.

She nestled gently in his arms, a happy smile playing on her lips.

Seeing the two's intimate actions, Miss Ye lowered her head shyly, a blush rising on her cheeks.

"Is this all there is to it?" Yan Ruyu asked softly, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Of course we won't let it go like this." Yan Ruyu's lips curled into a sly smile, her eyes gleaming with intelligence.

"However, I intend to give him a chance to make amends."

Everyone was stunned, their mouths agape in surprise, as if they could fit an egg inside.

This reversal came too fast, like a tornado, catching everyone off guard.

Young Master Bai was dumbfounded, his jaw almost dropping to the ground. He thought to himself: What exactly is Yan Ruyu up to?

Yan Ruyu walked up to the student who was slumped on the ground, reached out her slender hand, and helped him up.

"To err is human, to forgive divine. Since you have recognized your mistake, you should actively make amends." Her voice was gentle yet firm, carrying a convincing power.

"I hope you can reorganize and promote the new ideas, and demonstrate your repentance through your actions."

These words were like a bomb, causing an uproar among the crowd.

The crowd was abuzz with discussion, some praising Yan Ruyu's magnanimity, while others questioned her actions.

Confucius stroked his long beard. This young girl was indeed extraordinary.

With Yan Ruyu's encouragement and guidance, the student rallied and actively devoted himself to promoting the new ideas.

Within the academy, a quiet surge of enthusiasm for exploring new ideas has begun.

The students gathered in small groups, enthusiastically discussing the new ideas, each contributing their own thoughts in a lively and engaging manner.

Looking at this thriving scene, Yan Ruyu smiled with satisfaction.

Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on her face and reflecting her confident and determined gaze.

Dean Su watched this scene from afar, a look of satisfaction appearing in his eyes.

However, the good times did not last long.

Just as the atmosphere at the academy was getting better and better, a notice from the imperial court shattered this hard-won peace.

The notice stated in bold: The academy is prohibited from spreading new ideas; violators will be severely punished.

"This...how is this possible?" Yan Ruyu's expression changed drastically, and the notice in her hand slipped to the ground.

The male protagonist, Xu, also looked shocked, his brows furrowed, and his eyes filled with worry.

Why did the imperial court suddenly issue this ban?

Upon hearing this news, the surrounding students fell silent instantly, and the once lively academy became deathly quiet.

A sense of oppression hung over everyone's hearts.

Yan Ruyu took a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm.

"We need to figure out a way to deal with this..."

"Yu'er, tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), we will be..." Xu whispered a few words in Yan Ruyu's ear.