Chapter 7: Dog Eats Dog

The moment those words were spoken, the entire dormitory was stunned.

“How is that possible?”

Having lived together for three years, they all knew that every time Lin Qiongqiong applied for financial aid, she never missed a single national loan installment.

Just then, Miao Jing Chu posted the list of students receiving hardship aid in the group chat.

Everyone clicked to check—and found that Lin Qiongqiong’s name was nowhere to be seen!

Xu Ruyin immediately deleted the name “Lin Qiongqiong” from the chat box. At that moment, the counselor sent a message:

“I understand, Xu. Are you reporting Liu Xuan and Yan Zhiqing?”

“I’ve received evidence that they lied about their family situations and used the aid money to attend concerts. This is utterly intolerable! I’ve reported this to the college, and their hardship status will soon be revoked!”

Xu Ruyin froze—she hadn’t intended to report those two.

Suddenly realizing something, she shot a sharp glance toward Lin Qiongqiong.

Lin Qiongqiong smiled faintly, then swiftly walked over and snatched Xu Ruyin’s phone. Indeed, she saw the chat history between Xu Ruyin and the counselor.

Earlier, she had recorded the conversation and found last semester’s social media posts showing Liu Xuan and Yan Zhiqing attending a concert together. She had screenshotted and sent the evidence to the counselor to report their fraudulent claims.

Unexpectedly, the counselor responded by asking if Xu Ruyin was also reporting her own roommates.

Lin Qiongqiong immediately guessed that Xu Ruyin’s real target was herself, but she still told the counselor, “Yes, Xu is probably reporting those two.”

“Lin Qiongqiong, give me back my phone!” Xu Ruyin demanded, trying to snatch it back.

But Lin Qiongqiong refused, surprised as she said, “Ruyin, even if you’re the other woman, Liu Xuan and Yan Zhiqing have stood by you, yet you secretly reported them to the counselor for cheating the hardship aid?”

Those words stunned the two who were about to help Xu Ruyin retrieve her phone.

They refused to believe it, but then Lin Qiongqiong handed over the phone and showed them the chat records—

Xu Ruyin: “Counselor, I want to report that someone in our dorm is living extravagantly but still applying for hardship aid.”

Counselor: “Who?”

Counselor: “I see. Xu, you’re reporting Liu Xuan and Yan Zhiqing, right?”

Counselor: “I’ve received evidence showing they falsified their family conditions and used the aid to attend concerts—this is outrageous! I’ve reported it to the college; their hardship status will be revoked soon!”

With the facts laid bare, Liu Xuan and Yan Zhiqing couldn’t help but feel betrayed, their faces dark with anger.

“Xu Ruyin, how could you?”

“We didn’t even say anything when you became the other woman, and this is how you repay us?”

Xu Ruyin snatched her phone back and glared at Lin Qiongqiong. She turned to the two and said, “Listen to me—I’m not what you think...”

Lin Qiongqiong cut her off. “Yeah, go ahead and make your excuses! Xu Ruyin, you’re not going to say it was me who reported them, are you? I just got your phone—I didn’t have time to do anything.”

Xu Ruyin fumed, “Liu Xuan, Yan Zhiqing, this is all Lin Qiongqiong’s doing!”

But with Lin Qiongqiong’s words ringing in their ears, the two roommates didn’t believe a word Xu Ruyin said and only mocked her relentlessly.

“Haha, one thing in front of you, another behind your back.”

“Dare to do but not dare to admit!”

Listening to their vicious bickering, Lin Qiongqiong’s mood lifted. She left the dorm, grabbing the buffet annual pass she’d gotten yesterday, heading straight out for brunch.

Once again, she silently praised her own cleverness for getting that annual pass yesterday.

Otherwise, the two yuan fifty cents in her card would only buy her two steamed buns.

The counselor acted swiftly, and soon the class monitor Miao Jing Chu posted the latest announcement in the group chat:

“After verification, Liu Xuan and Yan Zhiqing do not meet the hardship criteria. Their hardship status has been revoked.”

…

That afternoon, the advisor suddenly announced a group meeting.

Lin Qiongqiong hurried over, but as soon as she entered, she heard the advisor Zhao Hanyang’s cold voice.

“Lin Qiongqiong, you’ve been expelled from the lab. What are you doing here?”

Lin Qiongqiong frowned. “Advisor, what did I do wrong? I didn’t plagiarize Xu Ruyin’s paper. I did all the experiments myself. She had my ex-boyfriend Cheng Ziyu steal my data and publish the paper first…”

“Enough!”

Zhao Hanyang cut her off coldly. “Unrepentant! Every time I come to the lab, Xu Ruyin is doing experiments, but you’re nowhere to be found. And you still dare to claim the data is yours?”

Lin Qiongqiong was stunned. She recalled that during past experiments, Xu Ruyin always slacked off nearby, sometimes ordering takeout for her and telling her to eat.

Could it be that every time was when the advisor came to inspect the lab?

Back then, she had thought Xu Ruyin was being kind; she never imagined such a scheme was being played behind her back.

Just as she was about to explain, Zhao Hanyang said, “And you say Ziyu is your ex? Are you trying to slander Xu Ruyin as the other woman? Since Xu Ruyin joined the lab, Ziyu told me she is his girlfriend!”

Lin Qiongqiong was stunned again.

She found that not only Zhao Hanyang but also the senior lab members were unsurprised.

Xu Ruyin even leaned affectionately on Cheng Ziyu’s shoulder, arching her brow at Lin Qiongqiong with triumph.

In front of everyone, Lin Qiongqiong spat, “You shameless couple!”

Zhao Hanyang exploded, “Lin Qiongqiong!”

Cheng Ziyu put on a show, saying, “Lin Qiongqiong, I know you like me and even confessed to me, but no matter how much you hate me, you can’t slander my girlfriend. Everyone in the lab knows Xu Ruyin is my girlfriend.”

Lin Qiongqiong wished she could splash sulfuric acid on his face to see just how thick his skin was.

No wonder after they got together, he never posted on social media and forbade her from posting, saying the advisor hated office romances and they couldn’t let the seniors know about their relationship.

At the time, she thought having a secret romance was exciting—pah! It was clear she’d been played by that shameless couple.

Now, there was no use saying more. Everyone had made up their minds and wouldn’t listen to her explanations.

Lin Qiongqiong glared coldly at Cheng Ziyu. “You two are stuck together.”

Zhao Hanyang frowned. “Lin Qiongqiong, what’s with that attitude?”

Right now, Lin Qiongqiong just wanted to lose her mind. “I wish their whole family well with that attitude.”

A senior tried to reason, “Lin Qiongqiong, just apologize properly to the advisor and Xu Ruyin. You’re all in the same lab—it’s not worth making things so bitter. The advisor won’t really kick you out.”

Xu Ruyin sighed softly and said to Zhao Hanyang, “Advisor, I believe Qiongqiong just had a moment of confusion. She knows she was wrong. Please give her another chance.”

Zhao Hanyang snorted coldly. “Don’t plead for her! My lab does not tolerate academic misconduct or morally corrupt people! I, Zhao Hanyang, will not have students who stoop so low as to become mistresses for money!”