Guo Yun, who had been largely unnoticed and even disliked during middle school, embraced a fresh start when she entered high school in Jiangcheng. Alongside this new chapter, she diligently pursued her fitness regimen, transforming from an ugly duckling into a graceful swan.

This dramatic change gradually drew attention. Boys who knew nothing of her past began hovering around, trying to get closer.

But Guo Yun’s high school life revolved around two things: fitness and being Mei Fang’s dedicated “tool.” She frequently skipped classes, cultivating an air of mystery—so much so that even her own classmates sometimes did a double-take, wondering who she was.

This continued until the second semester of sophomore year, when a boy from another class finally mustered the courage to confess to her. Unsurprisingly, Guo Yun turned him down.

Undeterred, the stubborn boy dug deeper, scouring the internet until he unearthed old photos of Guo Yun from middle school—back when she was overweight.

Discovering that his “goddess” had once been “ugly,” he felt deceived and enraged. He began spreading those photos, insisting her current appearance was the result of plastic surgery.

Guo Yun, indifferent to gossip, didn’t respond or clarify immediately. By the time she noticed the rumors in class, they’d spiraled out of control.

Recently, she’d been finding old photos left on her desk, accompanied by increasingly vicious rumors. It escalated to the point where attending class became unbearable, forcing her to take a leave of absence.

Though Guo Yun recounted this calmly, Xia Yuan’s fists clenched tighter with every word.

“How can people be so petty? Can’t stand others improving themselves?!”

Fuming with righteous fury, Xia Yuan nearly jumped up. “What does Yunyun’s past have to do with them? Mind your own business! They have no idea how much suffering she endured to get here!”

“Yuan, calm down first,” Lin Youxi soothed, then turned gently to Guo Yun. “Do you have a plan to resolve this? Or would you like our advice?”

“Just talking about it with you all already makes me feel so much better. As for solutions… my dad said he’d arrange a transfer. A new school should fix things.”

Guo Yun tapped her forehead with a wry smile. “Honestly, it’s partly my fault for isolating myself. Mei Fang, you warned me so many times to socialize more, to network and scout talent… but I let you down. I’m really sorry.”

Even during her loneliest middle school days, Mei Fang had never heard Guo Yun sound so close to tears. It stirred his own anger and frustration.

In his past life, he’d watched helplessly as Guo Yun was bullied into transferring.

If all her efforts to change were met not with recognition but slander, what was the point of her hard work?

Steeling himself, Mei Fang spoke firmly:

“Stop blaming yourself. You did nothing wrong. In fact, I don’t support transferring as a solution. If you keep running from problems, you’ll never grow.”

“I want you to learn from Gloudy in Cloud Journeys—to become the person you aspire to be. Like her, your rebirth shouldn’t just be external. Your heart needs to rise from the ashes too.”

“I agree with A-Fang!” Xia Yuan interjected. “Bullies escalate when you retreat! Remember what happened with me and Xiaoxue? Our whole class turned against her because of Huang Lian’s lies. I refused to comply, and yeah, I hated everyone at the time—but in hindsight, most were just following the crowd.”

“People aren’t inherently malicious. Some just want gossip, others go along to fit in. Only a tiny fraction are truly vile.”

“Plus, you have no social capital at school, and you’re too nice—people think they can bully you without consequences. That’s why it escalated…”

Guo Yun had only wanted to vent to Mei Fang and Xia Yuan—people who understood her—seeking solace. But their words ignited something fiercer in her. She fell silent, deep in thought.

Lin Youxi moved beside Guo Yun, resting a hand on her shoulder.

“We’re your friends. We’re entirely on your side. You don’t have to worry about backlash or burdening us. We’ll help you strategize.”

“So the real question is: What do you want?”

“If you’re truly okay with enduring this, if you’d rather avoid conflict and never see them again—we’ll support that choice.”

“But if, deep down, that’s not how you feel—”

“No… it’s not.”

Guo Yun, who’d been biting her lip, finally spoke up.

“I am angry. Furious, even. I should be allowed to rage, to curse them out, to fight back, right?”

Seeing Guo Yun’s resolute expression, the trio exchanged smiles, heartened by their friend’s courage.

“You’re all correct. I can’t keep swallowing every injustice… I need to learn to retaliate. After all, I have Yuan as my role model, don’t I?”

Guo Yun grinned at Xia Yuan, who flushed. “Then let’s brainstorm how to help Yunyun strike back!”

---

The group debated countermeasures. Mei Fang, drawing from Xia Yuan’s past crisis, advocated speed: “Addressing each rumor is futile. Forcing the ringleader to publicly apologize—with a teacher’s mediation—would be cleaner. But we’ll need solid evidence.”

“I have monthly progress photos from the gym,” Guo Yun offered. “Would those help?”

Lin Youxi shook her head. “They’re good, but insufficient. People believe what they want to believe—especially when they see you as an equal.”

Xia Yuan nodded. “Our crisis resolved quickly because teachers and the principal intervened. But Yunyun lacks that support at her school.”

“Seen as an equal… Lacking support…” Mei Fang mused. “Then let’s give her school a taste of the Yunyun Shockwave—crush the rumors with an overwhelming display of disparity.”

“Shockwave?” Xia Yuan and Guo Yun blinked in unison.

Lin Youxi, however, had already grasped Mei Fang’s intent. Stroking his thigh, she smirked. “You mean the exclusive interview offers you’ve been sitting on, right?”

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(Author’s Note: Wrote this midnight update in high spirits, only to find readers had already predicted the plot. Sigh. Is my writing that formulaic? Damn it!)