Morning sunlight streamed through the tall windows of Jinling Imperial Academy, but the atmosphere inside the classroom was tense.
After Vivian's accusation, whispers spread rapidly among the students. Some looked at Lila with disbelief. Others began murmuring among themselves.
"Did she really cheat?"
"I don't think so…"
"But Vivian brought the answers as proof."
"She said they were in Lila's bag."
The class slowly divided. Some believed Vivian. Some still trusted Lila. Vivian crossed her arms, watching the growing chaos with satisfaction. Her lips curved slightly. Let them doubt. That was all she needed.
Lila remained completely calm. She waited. One minute. Two minutes. The whispers only grew louder.
Then suddenly—Lila reached for her phone. Her fingers moved quickly across the screen. Within seconds, she had accessed the school's internal security network. A few taps later… she located the hallway surveillance footage and connected the file to the classroom projector.
The screen flickered. The entire classroom turned toward it.
"What is she doing?"
"Is that the security camera footage?"
The video began playing. The footage clearly showed Vivian approaching Lila's desk earlier that morning while no one else was in the classroom. She looked around nervously. Then—she slipped a stack of papers into Lila's bag.
Gasps exploded across the room.
"No way!"
"Vivian planted it!"
"That's the exam answer sheet!"
The teacher's face darkened. Vivian's face instantly turned pale.
"This… this is fake!" she shouted. But no one believed her anymore. The evidence was undeniable.
Lila calmly turned off the projector. Her gaze rested on Vivian.
"You should plan better next time."
The humiliation hit Vivian like a slap.
Ethan stepped out, tall, cold, and imposing. His presence immediately drew attention. Students nearby froze.
"That car…!"
"Isn't that Ethan Li's car?!"
The door closed behind him with quiet authority. Girls whispered excitedly, hearts racing.
"He's even more handsome in real life!"
"I wish he was my boyfriend!"
Inside the school, the teacher had already called Lila out to discuss the situation. As she walked down the hallway, her eyes met Ethan's near the entrance. For a fleeting moment, the world seemed to stop. Students who saw them together whispered feverishly:
"Wait… do they know each other?"
"They look so good together!"
Within minutes, photos of Ethan and Lila standing together at Jinling Imperial Academy appeared online.
Weibo Explodes
On Weibo, fans immediately reacted. Lila's account surged past 3.5 million followers. Thousands of comments poured in, most celebrating the new couple:
#EthanLiXLilaChen trending instantly.
@StarWatcher: "They look amazing together! #EthanLiXLilaChen"
@RomanceAddict: "New CP alert: #EthanLiXLilaChen"
@DreamGirl: "If they get married, their kids will be ridiculously beautiful!"
@HopelessRomantic: "They're destined to be together
@CampusObsessed: "My study goddess Lila Chen… with CEO Ethan Li?? I'm dreaming!"
@WeiboFangirl99: "The CEO dotes on his little wife
@CPFanatic: "Ethan Li + Lila Chen = forever CP goals"
@TrueLoveShipper: "They are too perfect together!"
Ethan, using his real Weibo account "Ethan Li", replied directly to several posts:
Ethan Li: Maybe you're right
Ethan Li: I do care for my little girl
The replies sent fans into near hysterics. Some could barely type:
"My study goddess just made Ethan Li reply to me… is this real life?!"
"I feel like I'm dreaming "
"The CEO literally dotes on his little wife! I can't handle this "
Meanwhile, inside the towering headquarters of Li Corporation, a board meeting was underway.
Present in the meeting:
Ethan Li – CEO of Li Corporation
Han Ming – Secretary and Assistant
Director Zhang Wei – Finance Director
Director Liu Guowei – Investment Director
Director Chen Rong – Marketing Director
Director Zhao Ming – Strategy Director
Director Sun Kai – Technology Director
Director Wu Jian – Legal Director
The room was usually silent and tense whenever Ethan presided. Everyone knew their CEO was famously cold. But today… something unusual happened.
Ethan was smiling at his phone. Actually smiling.
The board members were stunned. They had never seen this expression before.
On his screen was Weibo, specifically the trending #EthanLiXLilaChen posts. He chuckled softly at a comment:
@HopelessRomantic: "They look destined to be together "
Ethan replied quietly:
Ethan Li: "Maybe you're right "
In the silent boardroom… everyone saw it. Their cold CEO was smiling at his phone. Shock filled the room. Only one person wasn't surprised—Han Ming, who adjusted his glasses calmly, already knowing why the boss was happy.
Ethan finally placed his phone on the table.
"Today's meeting ends here."
The directors blinked in disbelief. Normally, Ethan's meetings lasted hours, but today it ended early.
The board members quickly stood up.
"Yes, President Li!"
As soon as Ethan left the room, several directors sighed in relief.
"That was the fastest meeting ever."
"President Li must be in a good mood today."
Han Ming smiled slightly but said nothing.
Meanwhile… inside the Chen Family Mansion, Vivian was staring at her phone again. Her hands shook with rage. The trending topic on Weibo was everywhere: #EthanLiXLilaChen.
Her face twisted with jealousy.
"How… how can this be happening?!"
A classmate then posted on Weibo:
@SchoolGossip: "Vivian Chen just got her face slapped today! Lila Chen didn't panic—she connected to the school security network and proved Vivian planted the exam papers herself. She's not just smart… she knows how to hack too! #RespectLilaChen #EthanLiXLilaChen"
Within minutes, the post in went viral. Thousands of fans flooded the comments:
@TruthSeeker: "Finally! Karma for Vivian Lila is a genius
@LilaSupporter: "She's untouchable. Hack, elegance, brains… all in one!
#QueenLila"
@JusticeWatcher: "Vivian's plan completely failed. Pathetic Meanwhile Lila just proved why she's the top student!"
@CampusObsessed: "OMG she hacked the school system? My study goddess is a legend! #LilaChenPower"
@RomanceAddict: "Ethan Li must be the luckiest guy alive Lila is perfect in every way"
@HopelessRomantic: "Lila Chen is everything we dreamt of. Smart, beautiful, untouchable #EthanLiXLilaChen"
@CPFanatic: "Lila + Ethan = forever CP goals! Even the school can't compete "
Vivian's phone began exploding with notifications. She scrolled desperately, seeing hundreds of messages attacking her, mocking her failure, and praising Lila. Her hands trembled as she realized how utterly humiliated she had become.
Her mother tried to comfort her softly, but Vivian's mind was already spinning. Her jealousy had turned into a cold, sharp determination.
She was planning something far bigger now—something that would shake Lila's world and attempt to bring her dazzling rise crashing down.
And she would stop at nothing.