Han Weicheng was in a unique position—not only was he a senior professor and the university's vice principal, but he also had ties with the influential Mu family, known for their legacy in medicine. On top of that, he was still single and had never been married.
Had there been a pretty female student in his team, rumors would have been inevitable. But Shu Lanzhou was different. She was the kind of girl who would blend into a crowd—timid, quiet, and completely focused on her research. Though she wasn't as talented as Luo Jialin and the others, she was diligent. With her around, the lab was always spotless.
Documents were always perfectly filed, equipment and glassware impeccably clean. He was quite pleased to have someone like her in the team.
The other boys generally looked out for her—albeit lazily. They didn't like handling chores around the lab, and Han Weicheng knew that tasks like cleaning and tidying up always ended up on Shu Lanzhou's shoulders.
But those were small things. They didn't take much time, and if she, as a girl, was willing to do them voluntarily, he didn't feel the need to intervene.
Over the years in his team, Shu Lanzhou had won numerous awards and generous prizes. The assistant stipend provided by the team gave her a decent income.
There was no reason for her to live frugally.
Unless… those little punks had sweet-talked her out of her money!
Fang Ruoshi came from a rural background as well. His living expenses were tight. Though he received an assistant stipend too, he had seen more of the world, had grander desires, and it wasn't surprising if he'd set his sights on Shu Lanzhou.
In the end, it all came down to Shu Lanzhou being too foolish. Giving gifts was a matter of mutual consent—who would turn around and regret it after the fact, even making a fuss online? She had utterly disgraced herself!
Han Weicheng's anger kept boiling inside him. He wanted nothing more than to kick Fang Ruoshi into the next life.
Fortunately, not long after he made the call, Fang Ruoshi walked in. Before he could get within arm's reach, Han Weicheng stormed over and kicked him to the ground.
"You little bastard! Learning to scam girls out of money now, huh? How could I have taken in a student like you? You've ruined my reputation! You're a disgrace to everything I've taught!"
"Professor!" Luo Jialin stepped in and stopped Han Weicheng from advancing further.
"You can't blame this all on Ruoshi. If you ask me, it's Shu Lanzhou's fault. She wanted to give those gifts—no one forced her."
"She's only stirring this up now because she's bitter about leaving the team."
The others quickly chimed in. "Senior's right. If she were still in the team, she wouldn't be dragging Ruoshi down like this. She'd probably be begging us to accept her gifts."
"Exactly," Guo Jialiang added. "She was the youngest and the slowest to learn, and we always looked after her. We let her join experiments, guided her through academic discussions, helped her solve problems."
"She was afraid we'd stop helping her, so she insisted we accept her gifts. We only did it to reassure her. Who knew she'd turn around and stab us in the back like this?"
"That's right! And now she's using it against us!"
Fang Ruoshi climbed up from the floor, holding his stomach. He remembered that at first, he accepted her gifts out of courtesy and encouragement.
But later… though he hated to admit it, he really had started to envy the prize money she earned. Sure, he made a similar amount, but his expenses were high, and he had to send money home. Unlike Shu Lanzhou, who only had to care for herself. And besides, they were close—he'd helped her so much. Why shouldn't she buy him a few nice things?
He never thought it was wrong. After all, he'd given her things too. They might not have been expensive, but they were thoughtful. He had genuinely cared for Shu Lanzhou.
And what had that gotten him? This heartless woman!
He hated her to the core now.
Wiping at the corner of his eyes awkwardly, Fang Ruoshi looked at Han Weicheng. "Professor, I was wrong. I'll return everything Shu Lanzhou gave me. I won't bother her again. I've embarrassed you—never again."
While Han Weicheng was still focused on chewing out Fang Ruoshi, Lin Muyao had already arranged for the online rumors to be deleted.
She refreshed the page several times and, seeing no more posts accusing Shu Lanzhou of seducing senior students to stay in Han's team, she finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Han Weicheng valued his reputation. If he had hoped to destroy Shu Lanzhou by slandering her, it wasn't going to work. Fine. Let her off for now. There'd be other chances.
Lin Muyao was a little disappointed.
"You still know shame, so maybe there's hope for you yet," Han Weicheng said, having calmed a little thanks to Luo Jialin's intervention.
But he was still far from pleased. He fixed Fang Ruoshi with a glare. "I know you were always close to Shu Lanzhou. Her leaving hit you hard, so you tried to talk her into coming back."
"But I've said it many times—my students must first and foremost have integrity. That girl looks quiet, but she's cunning. Otherwise, how else could she have won all of your sympathy?"
"Now she's lost what she wanted and is lashing out, trying to drag you all down with her. And you lot, soft-hearted as ever, fell right into her trap!"
"Ruoshi, as a scholar, your reputation matters as much as your research. You'd better remember that. Stay away from her from now on!"
Fang Ruoshi lowered his head. "Yes, Professor."
"And the rest of you—get your heads straight. Focus on the upcoming competition. Stop wasting energy on that girl." Han Weicheng's expression turned cold.
"She has a new team now. Let's wish her well. May she graduate smoothly. It's the least we can do after being her mentors."
"No more of this nonsense. Dismissed."
He waved them off, looking weary and drained.
Everyone looked at one another, caught off guard by how the storm had rolled in and then passed just as quickly. Fang Ruoshi in particular hadn't expected to walk away with only a kick.
Clutching his stomach, he felt it was worth it.
Han Professor still held some sentiment for Shu Lanzhou. Truly a good teacher—no wonder so many students vied to be under his guidance every year.
One by one, the others filed out, leaving Han Weicheng alone with Luo Jialin.
The two entered the inner office.
Han Weicheng motioned for him to sit. "What's your take on this Shu Lanzhou situation?"
"She obviously set Ruoshi up," Luo Jialin said, gritting his teeth. "She wasn't willing to leave the team, and knowing we wouldn't welcome her back, she burned the bridge instead. She didn't want the world thinking she was kicked out, so she orchestrated a way to clean up her image."
Han Weicheng shook his head. "You underestimate her. She doesn't need to clear her name. All she needs is to find someone with more influence than me—then both her peers and teachers will look at her differently."
"But who in the entire med school has more sway than you?" Luo Jialin asked, confused.
"We're the top team in the most sought-after field. She joined a team in a fringe specialty!"
Han Weicheng chuckled. "Professor Mu has the Mu family behind her. As long as Shu Lanzhou graduates, with her dual-degree credentials, every hospital in the city will be open to her."
"And the research institute will take notice of her too."
Luo Jialin shook his head. "A dual major? That's not easy. And if Professor Mu is so powerful, why has she always been under your shadow here?"
"You don't understand," Han Weicheng sighed. "If not for my academic standing, do you think I could really outshine her here? She resents me for that. That's why she deliberately took Shu Lanzhou in."
There was a flicker of bitterness in his eyes. "I really underestimated that girl. Who would've thought someone so young could be so calculating, to the point that she would…"
"Professor, what is it? What else has Shu Lanzhou done?" Luo Jialin asked urgently.