Rebooting 60, let's go on a rampage with the orange cat!

As she walked into the restroom, filled with suspicion, just as she was about to relieve herself, a commotion suddenly reached her ears. Listening closely, she realized that people were whispering and talking outside.

A sharp female voice suddenly rang out: "I heard that a junior high girl is dating Gu Jingxing, the school's most handsome boy! Someone even saw them kissing!"

Another voice immediately chimed in, "Oh my, how shameless! Such a young age and already learning bad habits."

Then came another sarcastic voice: "I really didn't expect her to be so precocious at such a young age?"

At this moment, Jiang Na asked curiously, "Which one is it?"

The person who spoke first replied, "I heard it's the one who skipped a grade in the second year of junior high."

The fifth voice exclaimed as if suddenly realizing something: "Oh! I know! Isn't it that little one, the one who won some award before...?"

The shrill female voice continued, "I heard it's the one who's always in the infirmary..."

Chen Xin said, "Stop talking nonsense. Don't spread rumors based on mere hearsay."

Jiang Na also said seriously, "I think someone must be jealous of her. Don't spread rumors without evidence..."

Shi Huai'an, sitting in the toilet stall, grew increasingly angry, her rage surging until it burned so intensely she felt her teeth itch. Finally, she couldn't bear it any longer. She shoved open the toilet door, strode up behind the girls, and demanded sharply, "Did you see it with your own eyes? You know nothing and yet you're spouting nonsense! Don't you know spreading rumors is illegal? Do you want to come with me to confront the teacher and get to the bottom of this?"

Jiang Na and Chen Xin said awkwardly, "Shi Huai'an, we don't know who spread this rumor, we need to investigate it thoroughly..."

The girls who were gossiping were also quite frightened when Shi Huai'an appeared and suddenly questioned them. They looked at each other in disbelief, their faces showing fear.

One of the girls stammered, "I...I only heard it from someone else, it has nothing to do with me!" After saying that, she scattered and ran away in a panic like a group of frightened rabbits.

Chen Xin also reassured Shi Huai'an, saying, "Don't worry, if anyone spreads rumors, we will definitely stop them..."

Jiang Na quickly added, "Yes, don't worry, we'll help you."

After Shi Huai'an expressed his gratitude, everyone hurriedly dispersed...

The school bell rang softly, like a clarion call for freedom, and students surged out of the school gates like a tide. Amidst this bustling crowd, Lin Shaoyi, Wu Yutong, and Shi Huai'an stood at the school gate.

They smiled and waved goodbye to each other, their eyes meeting with a warm expression of friendship. However, after turning away, Wu Yutong's gaze became unreadable. She watched Shi Huai'an and Gu Jingxing walk away side by side and couldn't help but say to Lin Shaoyi, "Those two are really good friends. Aren't they afraid of being misunderstood?"

Lin Shaoyi said indifferently, "Some people are just bored and can't stand seeing others do well. What's there to misunderstand? They're still doing well in their studies. It'll only make those foul-mouthed people angry."

Wu Yutong smiled awkwardly to hide her jealousy and changed the subject, saying, "Let's go, let's go..."

Shi Huai'an and Gu Jingxing didn't care about the curious glances from those around them. Some of those gazes were full of curiosity, while others harbored ulterior motives, but Shi Huai'an paid them no heed. She continued walking firmly alongside Gu Jingxing, happily embarking on their journey home. She was perfectly clear in her heart, knowing that her relationship with Gu Jingxing was completely innocent, and there was nothing to hide or conceal.

Along both sides of the road, lilacs bloomed profusely, clusters and bunches forming a beautiful tapestry meticulously woven by nature. Their petals, like the most delicate butterfly wings, trembled slightly, dancing gracefully in the gentle breeze. Their pale purple hue, like a wisp of cloud on the horizon, was light and enchanting, perfectly capturing the poetic charm of "a small town shrouded in mist and rain, deep in purple clouds."

As she walked, Shi Huai'an suddenly stopped and bent down to pick up a lilac blossom that had just been blown down by the wind. She held the flower to her nose and gently inhaled its fresh fragrance, then lightly manipulated the petals with her fingers.

At the same time, Gu Jingxing spoke up, "I was actually called on by the teacher in class today. He gave me a series of insinuations and pointed fingers. I'm speechless. It's so inexplicable. And lately, there have been rumors about us that have somehow started circulating. Who do you think is gossiping behind our backs?" His tone revealed a hint of doubt and helplessness.

Hearing this, Shi Huai'an frowned and recounted being called to the teacher's office. She thought to herself, "Who is so bored as to fabricate such rumors to damage our reputation? I will not let this person off easily once I find out!" Thinking this, her face darkened.

Seeing this, Gu Jingxing quickly comforted him, "Don't take their words too seriously. We've done nothing wrong, so there's no need to be afraid of those rumors." Shi Huai'an nodded after hearing this, his mood calming down a bit, but deep down he was still determined to find out who was spreading the rumors.

As the two were talking, the previously peaceful street suddenly stirred with excitement, and people turned to look. A man and a woman were fighting in the street for some unknown reason, attracting the attention of passersby. The man, around sixteen or seventeen years old, was tall and slender, and moved with agility. He quickly broke free from the girl's grasp and then, like a startled rabbit, took off running for his life. He clearly didn't want to actually fight the girl, letting her chase him; otherwise, with his strong physique, the girl would have been no match for him.

Gu Jingxing recognized the boy as Liu Hui, who was transporting coal slag with Zhong Hanzhe, and the girl as Mu Yinghong, who had bullied Wu Yutong last time.

She relentlessly chased after the boy, but seeing that he was running so fast and she couldn't catch up, she became furious, her eyebrows furrowing and her eyes wide with rage. Without a word, she quickly took off one of her cloth shoes and threw it hard in the direction the boy had fled. Unfortunately, her aim was poor; the shoe arced through the air before landing limply on the ground, while the boy had already vanished without a trace.

Mu Yinghong stood there angrily, then hopped on one foot to where her shoe had fallen, bent down to pick it up, and put it on. Afterward, like a deflated balloon, her body went limp, and she slowly squatted down against the wall by the street, sobbing softly. Tears streamed down her beautiful face like a burst dam, dripping onto the ground and splashing into tiny teardrops.

Not long after, a plump, fierce-looking woman rushed over. She immediately spotted Mu Yinghong, who was crouching in the corner crying. Without a word, she rushed forward, grabbed Mu Yinghong's hair, and pulled hard, cursing all the while: "You wretched girl, always out playing around and never coming home! I'll teach you a lesson today! Come home with me now, and when your father gets back, you'll be in for a beating!"

Mu Yinghong suddenly raised her head, her eyes bloodshot, and angrily yelled at the woman, kicking her hard and shoving her away: "Stop pretending to be a good person here! You're not my biological mother, what right do you have to tell me what to do? Get out of here, stop being so hypocritical!"

The woman stumbled from the push, nearly falling to the ground. Once she regained her footing, she angrily pointed at Mu Yinghong and began to curse, "You ungrateful wretch! You idle away your days, never doing any housework. You'll never get a hot meal when you get home! I'd rather you starve to death, you little bastard!"

Mu Yinghong was not to be outdone and retorted through gritted teeth, "You try it! If you dare to starve me, I'll steal your child's food; if you hit me again, I'll be ruthless to your child. We'll see!" After saying that, she stood up, put her hands on her hips, and confronted the woman, her eyes filled with stubbornness and defiance.

At this moment, the crowd of onlookers grew like a surging tide, completely surrounding the scene. Some of them stood aside, pointing and whispering among themselves as they watched the scene unfold; while others lowered their voices and muttered softly, "Alas, what a pitiful child. How can life be any better after losing his own mother?"

Some people sighed and said, "Being a stepmother is really difficult. If you discipline her, she's likely to be disliked; if you don't discipline her, she's bound to be accused of being irresponsible. It's just too hard!"

Someone who knew a little about the situation whispered, "Ever since that stepmother had a son, this girl's life has become even harder. Her father has also stopped caring about her; now that he has a son, he doesn't care about his daughter anymore..."

Most people shook their heads and said, "A child without a mother is like a blade of grass. How many stepmothers in this world truly care about their children? It's such a tragedy..."

Seeing that a growing crowd was gathering around her, the woman felt embarrassed to continue. So, hands on her hips, spitting as she shouted, "Hmph! Fine, you win! Go ahead and die out there and never come back!"

Mu Yinghong, her face defiant, retorted sarcastically, "If I were to die, wouldn't that be exactly what you wanted? Do you think I could expect even the slightest bit of kindness from you?"

The woman was so angry she could barely speak. She stared wide-eyed at Mu Yinghong, but found herself helpless against the young girl. In desperation, she turned and roared at the crowd, "What are you all looking at! What's so interesting! Every family has a disobedient, good-for-nothing idiot!" With that, she turned and stormed off.

Mu Yinghong watched the woman's retreating figure until the crowd gradually dispersed. She slowly moved to the wall and quietly squatted down. The woman buried her head in her arms, her thin shoulders trembling slightly. Although no sobs could be heard, the slight trembling of her body and the occasional sniffling spoke volumes about the deep sorrow and pain in her heart.

Huai'an and Gu Jingxing exchanged a knowing glance before slowly walking towards Mu Yinghong's direction.

At this moment, Mu Yinghong was immersed in her grief when suddenly, a strong sense of oppression swept over her, making her alert. She abruptly raised her tear-streaked face, her gaze fixed on the two approaching figures, and said bluntly, "What? Did you two come here specifically to mock my disheveled appearance? If you've had enough, then get out of my way!"

Upon hearing this, Huai'an was slightly taken aback, then a sincere smile appeared on his face, and he replied softly, "I don't think this is something to be laughed at. On the contrary, I think you are very brave."

At this moment, Huai'an secretly wondered what a completely different ending would have occurred if she had dared to openly confront her stepmother like Mu Yinghong in her previous life. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for the seemingly weak yet courageous woman before her.

However, Mu Yinghong scoffed at Huai'an's words. She snorted and said with disbelief, "Tch~ Stop pretending here, who would believe your nonsense!" As she spoke, she reached out and gently patted her clothes a few times, the movements slow and elegant, as if she wanted to brush away all her unhappiness.

Then, she slowly stood up, crossed her arms, and continued coldly with a look of disdain in her eyes: "Stop rambling. Just say what you have to say. If it's not important, don't waste my time!"

Seeing this, Gu Jingxing, who had been silent all along, hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to stop beating around the bush and ask directly, "I don't know what you've been through, but I just want to find out one thing—were those rumors about me and her spread by someone you hired?" He stared intently into Mu Yinghong's eyes, trying to catch a clue from the changes in her expression.

Mu Yinghong couldn't help but laugh and said, "Spreading rumors? You would be interested in this little brat? She hasn't even developed yet, has she?"

She couldn't help but laugh until tears streamed down her face, then she said with a wry smile, "That's too funny. I don't have the time for that. Isn't my situation chaotic enough? My dad made me drop out of school to stay home and help him take care of his son. My stepmother, that wicked woman, is always trying to find a way to badmouth my dad. I'm like a drowning dog right now. How can I have the mind to meddle in your business?"

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes. She quickly raised her head, trying to force the tears back, and suddenly yelled, "Get out of here! I don't want to see you! Just because you have people who love and care for you doesn't mean you're so great! Don't push me too far, I'm not someone to be trifled with..."

Huai'an looked at her, feeling a pang of sadness. She thought for a moment, then took out five yuan, two meat buns, and an apple from her schoolbag and said, "Here! If you say it's not true, then it's not true. I believe you. But you should still go home. Staying out here isn't a good thing, and besides, this is your home."