Lu Xuan got into the car, and the moment he started the engine, his brows remained tightly furrowed.
That feeling of being secretly watched and manipulated, like an invisible net, made him uncomfortable all over. Who exactly was it, going to such lengths to mess with him behind the scenes?
Could it be that in his previous life, this person also used Zhang Yining's hand to push him into the abyss?
In this life, after many twists and turns, Zhang Yining was now considered someone on his side and quite submissive to him.
Could it be that the mastermind, observing the change in Zhang Yining's relationship with him, abandoned her and instead sought out Luo Xiaoran, the prettier department belle?
Thinking of this, Lu Xuan picked up his phone and sent Zhang Yining a message, concisely asking her if any strangers had contacted her online recently, attempting to inquire about him.
Within a few minutes, Zhang Yining's reply came, along with a screenshot of their chat history.
"Brother Xuan, now that you mention it, a strange person did add me a couple of days ago and asked if I knew you. I replied, 'Do you need Brother Xuan for something?' and then that person never spoke again."
Lu Xuan clicked on the screenshot; the other party's account avatar was dull, and the nickname was a string of garbled characters, clearly a small account deliberately hiding its identity.
Moreover, this account was not the same one that had contacted Luo Xiaoran before!
"Heh, quite cautious," Lu Xuan's lips curled into a cold smile, his fingertips lightly tapping the steering wheel.
This guy hiding in the dark was not only meticulous but also seemed to have a lot of resources, being able to operate different alternate accounts simultaneously.
He couldn't help but recall what happened in his previous life.
Zhang Yining immediately posted those so-called "evidence photos" on the campus network, causing a huge uproar.
At that time, he was overwhelmed and immediately thought of the school's Network Information Center, finding Director Zhao Mengqi, hoping to delete the posts and clarify the facts.
However, Director Zhao Mengqi at the time used all sorts of high-sounding reasons, such as "no right to interfere with Student freedom of speech," "requires layer-by-layer approval," and "technical difficulties," to brush him off.
Ultimately, the rumors spread wildly like a virus on campus, escalating.
Soon, "the whole school knew" and "all the Students could testify" became the last straw that broke him, nailing him to the pillar of shame as a "perverted peeping tom," unable to ever recover.
In this life, since this mastermind was so meticulous, even able to instigate someone with Luo Xiaoran's background, then the online front was definitely something the other party would also have designs on.
Zhao Mengqi…
A sharp glint flashed in Lu Xuan's eyes.
Perhaps, he could find some breakthroughs with this woman.
Even if she still chose to protect herself, he could still sniff out something unusual from her reaction.
Having made up his mind, Lu Xuan no longer hesitated, and based on his vague memories from his previous life, he drove towards the First Teaching Building of Yanjing University's Computer Science Department.
The Network Information Center was on the third floor of that building.
The afternoon sun filtered through the dense plane tree leaves, casting mottled light and shadow on the ground.
The Computer Science Department's teaching building was more solemn and quiet compared to the Performing Arts Department's side.
Lu Xuan parked the car and walked straight in.
Occasionally, Students carrying laptops and hurrying passed by in the hallway.
Third floor, Network Information Center.
Lu Xuan took a deep breath, adjusted his mood, and raised his hand to knock on the door.
"Please come in," a woman's voice, slightly soft and melodious, came from inside the door, gentle and delicate, like spring rain nourishing the heart.
Lu Xuan pushed the door open.
The office was not large but elegantly furnished.
Most striking was by the window, where a woman dressed in a dark green qipao stood with her back to the door, bending down to water a few pots of lush green orchids on the windowsill.
Her figure was slender and well-proportioned, the qipao outlining soft curves, and her dark hair was tied up with a simple hairpin, revealing a section of her fair and delicate neck.
The sunlight streamed through the glass, casting a soft halo over her, like a distant and artistic ink painting of a Jiangnan water scene.
Adding to the classical charm, a dark-colored pipa hung on the office wall, as if it could play a melodious tune at any moment.
"Student, is there anything I can help you with?"
The woman did not turn around; her voice remained unhurried, carrying the unique gentleness of a Jiangnan woman.
Lu Xuan composed himself, his gaze shifting from the orchids to the woman's back.
If it weren't for that unbearable memory in his mind, he probably would have truly believed that Director Zhao Mengqi before him was a kind and benevolent teacher who sought no conflict with the world.
But in his previous life, beneath this seemingly gentle facade lay indifference and impatience, and he still vividly remembered her sarcastic remarks.
"Hello, Teacher Zhao," Lu Xuan said, his voice calm and unruffled, "I am Lu Xuan from the Chinese Department, and I would like to consult you about something."
As the words "Lu Xuan" fell, the figure by the window, which had been moving gently, noticeably paused.
The hand holding the small watering can stopped in mid-air, and a drop of water fell from the spout, splashing onto an orchid leaf with a barely perceptible sound.
After two or three seconds, Director Zhao Mengqi slowly turned around.
She was indeed a very charming woman, around thirty-two or thirty-three years old, with fair skin, picturesque eyes and brows, and an air of scholarly tranquility.
However, at this moment, when her gaze met Lu Xuan's, a hint of sharpness and scrutiny, difficult to detect, quickly flitted across her gentle eyes, but was immediately replaced by a perfectly appropriate warm smile.
"You must be Lu Xuan. Hello, hello."
Director Zhao Mengqi put down the watering can and gracefully walked to sit behind her desk, her posture elegant, "Please sit. May I know what you would like to consult about, Student Lu?"
Her voice was still soft, as if that momentary anomaly was just Lu Xuan's illusion.
Lu Xuan sneered inwardly, but outwardly, he calmly pulled out a chair and sat down: "Teacher Zhao, it's like this. Recently, there seem to be some rather unpleasant remarks on the school forum, involving the privacy of some Students."
"I would like to know, if such a situation occurs, does the school's Network Information Center have any effective handling mechanisms, or rather, can it assist in tracking down the anonymous IP sources of malicious rumors?"
He spoke subtly, yet directly to the core.
He wanted to see what kind of excuse Director Zhao would come up with this time to deal with him.