Chapter 102: A Viral Post

A wildly popular post had suddenly appeared on the Tianhai University forum.

The post was linked not only to He Tian, the most coveted campus heartthrob at Tianhai University, but its content also caused the reply count to soar past five digits in an instant.

Before long, names like He Tian and “the post” began circulating all across campus.

Invisibly, He Tian’s fame rose yet another notch throughout Tianhai University.

As one student after another spread the word, more and more people logged onto the forum and saw that sensational post.

“I, He Tian, am nineteen years old this year. In the prime of life, bursting with youthful vigor! Some time ago I merely displayed a little bit of basketball skill by chance, yet I never expected it to stir up such a storm. This was truly never my intention!”

“Lately I have been tormented by trouble. Wherever I go, there is always a crowd of women around me. Letters, or even bold confessions of love, are everywhere. If not for my nimble movements, I might even have been kissed successfully! This leaves me deeply distressed. I have no choice but to post some advice here!”

“First, I already have a girl I fancy, and she is among the top ten on the beauty rankings. So I hope other female students will try not to bother me anymore!”

“Second, unless she is a beauty in the top ten of the beauty rankings, please do not speak to me.”

“Third, I have not yet fully decided whether I truly like women.”

“Fourth, of course, if a beauty in the top ten of the beauty rankings is interested in me, I am most welcome to her advances. I never turn anyone away!”

With a post like that, it would be strange indeed if it were not a sensation.

Yet when one looked at the replies beneath it, the curses were not merely plentiful; they were almost unanimous. Every so often, a lovestruck girl would surface for a moment, only to be swallowed at once by the vast sea of abuse.

Especially the boys of Tianhai University.

With He Tian making such a disastrous move, how could they resist kicking him while he was down? After all, if they struck him now, there might just be a chance to win happiness for themselves.

So the boys of Tianhai University flung every kind of filth they could at He Tian.

Some were still not satisfied and made multiple alternate accounts to keep at it.

The attacks escalated further, branding He Tian as flirtatious, arrogant, and rash. In particular, because of the third “advice,” He Tian was forcibly saddled with the label of being a homosexual.

His image was utterly ruined.

The girls’ replies were equally full of disappointment, deep disappointment, and the like.

What, he would only consider beauties in the top ten?

With He Tian being so arrogant, even if he were handsome beyond measure, they had already lost all desire to like him.

And then—

“Hahaha!”

Wang Xinrou, Lin Ying, Li Yingying, Ouyang Bingbing, as well as Lan Ji and Qing Wu, all burst into laughter when they saw the post on the computer.

Only He Tian sat gloomily on the sofa, his face twisted with annoyance.

He Tian truly, truly regretted it.

He regretted listening to Wang Xinrou’s so-called brilliant idea.

He regretted even more handing over the right to write the post to Wang Xinrou.

What he regretted most of all was allowing Wang Xinrou to publish such a post without checking its contents.

At this point, He Tian’s image was probably shattered beyond repair in a single instant.

“Wang Xinrou, I’m going to kill you!” He Tian could not hold back any longer. He stood up and made as if to strangle her.

“Do you even have a conscience? I helped you so much, and this is how you repay kindness with enmity?” Wang Xinrou said grandly, though she had already ducked behind Lin Ying and Li Yingying.

“You call that helping me? How was that helping me, exactly?” He Tian was livid. It was too late now. Once that post was out, even if he wrote a rebuttal immediately, it would be useless. No one would believe any explanation he offered.

“How am I not helping you? Didn’t you see it? This afternoon, when you were walking across campus, no one was pestering you anymore! You were free!” Wang Xinrou said indignantly. “Look at how much I helped you, and now you not only refuse to be grateful, you treat me like this! I... I really regret it! I regret helping you at all!”

“Stop making excuses! Look at what that post said. The whole tone of it makes me sound like some smug narcissist... And what’s this about only beauties on the rankings? Doesn’t that make me seem like a lecher? And what do you mean I haven’t fully decided whether I like women? What is that supposed to mean? Wang Xinrou, I’m warning you, you must erase all of this for me!” He Tian said in pain. “My image... Honestly, I actually rather enjoyed being surrounded.”

“Look, look at him, everyone! He finally told the truth!” Wang Xinrou said at once. “That’s a textbook lecher!”

“All right! You two, stop it already!” Lin Ying interjected to smooth things over. She smiled at He Tian and said, “He Tian, don’t be upset either. Given your situation, if we didn’t use a strong remedy, there was simply no way to achieve this kind of result. All in all, Xinrou really did help you a great deal. You ought to thank her.”

“That’s right, He Tian. I’m not trying to criticize you, but you really don’t understand Xinrou’s good intentions. Just look at the contents of that post. Do you know how many brain cells Xinrou had to burn to write something like that?” Li Yingying said with great seriousness. “You really should thank Xinrou properly.”

“I think this is very good too. It saves you from being surrounded by so many women,” Qing Wu said. Though she possessed an otherworldly grace, the moment the matter involved He Tian, she descended at once into the mortal world.

“I also think this is better,” Lan Ji added.

Lan Ji had never concealed her fondness for He Tian.

Qing Wu was the same.

On the contrary, Wang Xinrou was somewhat less free and easy on this matter.

“Stop! Asking me to thank Wang Xinrou—there’s no way I can do that. But since things are already this way, I won’t pursue it anymore!” Seeing that, apart from Ouyang Bingbing, everyone had sided with Wang Xinrou, He Tian decisively ended the topic.

If they kept talking, who knew what else Qing Wu and Lan Ji might say. So He Tian promptly cut the matter off there.

Still, the regret in his heart did not dissipate. On the contrary, it seemed to be growing stronger...

Especially when he thought about the post’s content, He Tian felt indescribably vexed.

“You make it sound as though you’ve suffered some great loss. What a waste of my painstaking effort!” Wang Xinrou clapped her hands and said. “Still, since I’m such a kind person, I won’t hold it against you.”

“Uh... who has the Tianhai University beauty rankings? Let me see who the top ten beauties are!” He Tian looked toward Lin Ying and Li Yingying.

A smile appeared at the corner of Lin Ying’s mouth. She immediately took a thin but exquisitely designed magazine out of her bag and said with a smile, “This is the latest issue of the beauty rankings magazine. I spent a full twenty yuan to buy it!”

“You’re a girl—what are you looking at this for?” Li Yingying asked in surprise.

“What’s wrong with learning a little? Don’t tell me you didn’t buy one!” Lin Ying shot back. “Besides, women are all gossipy. I’m no exception.”

He Tian took the magazine into his hands.

Tianhai University truly deserved its place as one of the top three elite universities in all of China.

Even this beauty magazine was beautifully made and remarkably professional.

Though a bit thin, each person had a two-page spread of introduction, which was already quite good.

As he flipped through it, He Tian had to admit it.

With almost all the boys of Tianhai University participating in the selection, the final ten beauties chosen were all genuinely outstanding.

What surprised He Tian was that among the ten, three were people he knew.

And two of them were very familiar indeed.

Wang Xinrou was on the list, ranked fifth.

Ouyang Bingbing had made the list as well, taking third place.

There was also Shi Ling, the beauty who had pursued Qin Long only to be repeatedly rejected by him; she ranked tenth.

As for the other beauties, He Tian merely admired them briefly and remembered their names.

By now, He Tian also more or less understood Wang Xinrou’s thoughts.

The post had said that he would only consider beauties in the top ten; Wang Xinrou’s hinting was already quite obvious.

This made He Tian feel rather amused.

He did not deny that he liked Wang Xinrou very much.

Her liveliness and cuteness, along with her intelligence and sense of propriety, all made He Tian extremely satisfied.

As for Wang Xinrou’s feelings toward him, He Tian understood them all too well.

However, it was clear that Wang Xinrou did not want to confess first.

And He Tian felt the same way.

So the two of them kept entangling one another over the question of who should speak first...

“See? I told you he was a lecher! Stunned speechless, weren’t you?” Wang Xinrou snorted coldly.

“I am a little stunned. You should all take a look too. Wang Xinrou, I really have to wonder—how did you even manage to get onto the beauty rankings?” He Tian said with a look of deep puzzlement.

“I really want to kick you!” Wang Xinrou said proudly. “This young lady is naturally beautiful and captivating, with unmatched charm! Would it make any sense for me not to be on the list? I’m exactly where I belong! Come to think of it, I’m very dissatisfied with being only fifth. I should be first!”

“I’ve seen narcissists before, but never one this narcissistic. You truly leave me in awe,” He Tian said solemnly. “Wang Xinrou, I beg you—please give me a chance to look down on you.”

“Get lost! Go queue up first! Maybe in three to five years, it’ll be your turn to look down on me!” Wang Xinrou said carelessly.

He Tian was truly helpless.

This girl had reached such a level—what else could he say? He could only sigh to himself.

“Still, Wang Xinrou, tell me, the beauties on the rankings really are excellent, aren’t they? How about it—should I go after one of them?” He Tian said earnestly, his eyes blinking with a peculiar light that longed for beauty.

“Sisters! Shouldn’t we be beating someone like this? Come with me!” Wang Xinrou raised her arm and shouted.

Ouyang Bingbing, Qing Wu, and Lan Ji instantly followed her charge.

Only Lin Ying and Li Yingying were left exchanging looks, then glancing at Wang Xinrou and the other three, and then at the beaten He Tian. Both of them wore faces full of worry...