CHAPTER 835: CHAPTER 835: MASTERMIND

He didn’t say another word.

With a fast and smooth movement, he reached out and grabbed her wrist, making her drop the phone. It hit the desk and slid across the surface.

"No more lies," he said.

He picked up the phone and opened the call logs.

The girl’s hands trembled.

"Please, Professor Ou... don’t tell anyone... I didn’t mean it to go that far..."

Ou Lin stared at the trembling girl, the phone in his hand glowing softly. His voice was cold and sharp.

"Who were you talking to?" he asked. "And why did you say Qiao Li would be kidnapped?"

The girl bit her lip and looked down at the floor. She stayed quiet.

Ou Lin’s eyes narrowed. "You don’t want to answer?"

Still no reply.

A cruel smile crept across his face as he leaned closer.

"If you don’t tell me the truth right now... I’ll cut your tongue out myself."

The girl’s whole body shivered. Her knees nearly gave out.

She looked up at him with terrified eyes. "I-I wasn’t talking about Qiao Li! It was just a misunderstanding! I said something else—"

"Wrong answer," Ou Lin snapped.

His voice echoed like a crack of thunder in the empty classroom.

The girl finally broke down. Her voice was shaky as she whispered, "Okay! Fine! I was talking about her..."

Ou Lin crossed his arms. "Who was on the other end of the line?"

The girl took a deep breath.

"It was someone important," she said softly.

"A very powerful person. I don’t even know their real name... They only gave me one task—to keep reporting about Qiao Li and to help make her fall."

Ou Lin’s eyes darkened.

He took a slow step forward. "And why did you agree to help them?"

The girl’s face twisted in anger.

"Because I hate her!" she screamed suddenly.

"Because she’s perfect at everything! She’s smart, she’s pretty, everyone looks at her like she’s some kind of star!"

Her hands clenched into fists.

"Whenever I’m near her, I feel invisible. She walks into a room, and suddenly no one sees me anymore. I worked hard too. I studied just as much. But no one cares because she exists."

Her voice shook. "I was tired of being in second place. I wanted her gone."

Ou Lin looked at her with disgust.

"You hate her because she’s better than you," he said.

"That’s not strength. That’s weakness."

The girl took a step closer to him, wiping her tears. But her eyes glimmered in a strange way now.

She smiled sweetly and touched his sleeve.

"But Professor Ou... you don’t have to be so angry. If you promise to stay quiet... I can do anything for you."

She leaned in a little closer.

"I mean it. Anything."

In an instant, Ou Lin pushed her away.

She stumbled back, shocked.

"Don’t touch me," he said in a sharp, furious tone. "I don’t like being touched. Especially not by traitors."

The girl’s lips trembled.

Before she could say anything, Ou Lin added darkly, "Now, listen to me. From this moment on, you will do exactly what I say. Or..."

He leaned in, his voice like a cold wind.

"I will make sure your family loses everything. I’ll make sure they don’t even have a place to sleep."

The girl’s face turned white.

Her knees hit the floor.

"I-I’ll do whatever you say," she whispered, barely able to breathe.

Ou Lin nodded, cold and serious. He handed her the phone.

"Call the number. Right now. Put it on speaker."

The girl’s hand shook as she took the phone.

She dialed the number and held the phone out.

Ou Lin stood beside her, arms crossed, listening closely.

The call connected.

A deep, calm voice came from the other end.

"You’ve done well. Is it finished?"

The girl took a breath and said, "Yes... Qiao Li is gone. But I have a question... Why do you want her hurt so badly?"

There was a pause.

"Why are you suddenly asking such question?"

The girl stared at the phone, her hand shaking slightly. She glanced at Ou Lin, who was typing something on his phone and showing it to her.

She nodded and swallowed hard before speaking into the call again.

"I asked that question because I suddenly felt... insecure," she said slowly. "What if... what if you’re just using me? What if I end up being the scapegoat in the end?"

There was a pause from the other side. Then a soft chuckle.

"You’re not as naive as you pretend to be," the voice said calmly. "That’s good. I like people who think."

The girl stayed quiet, afraid to say anything more.

The woman’s voice continued, low and icy. "I’m doing this because Qiao Li destroyed my family. She ruined something important to me. Now, it’s my turn."

The girl frowned a little, but said nothing. Just then, Ou Lin showed her another sentence on his phone. She read it quickly and nodded.

"Then why did you use me?" she asked carefully. "Why didn’t you just act before today?"

There was a long pause again.

"Before today," the voice said slowly,

"I had no proof. No one had spoken badly about Qiao Li in public. Not even rumors. I needed something first—a reason, a push. Even a small, neutral post would’ve been enough. But you... you gave me a strong one."

The girl gripped the phone tighter. Her face was pale, but she kept going. She looked down and saw Ou Lin typing something again. It said:

"What do you gain with this expulsion? The Qiao family will protect her anyway."

The girl read the screen and took a deep breath.

"But... if Qiao Li gets expelled, won’t the Qiao family just help her again?"

The voice on the other end chuckled softly.

"Of course they will. But how long will they keep helping her?" the voice said. "Last time she made a mistake, they forgave her. Then again... and again. But people grow tired. Even families."

The girl’s eyes widened.

"I’m going to make sure she’s expelled not just once... but again and again," the voice went on. "So many times that even her family will start to doubt her. They’ll begin to wonder—maybe she’s not as innocent as she says. And when that happens... they’ll slowly stop defending her."

She laughed, a low, chilling sound.

"And once she’s all alone, I’ll finish her off."

Ou Lin’s face darkened. His fists were clenched tightly now. He was almost sure who the person on the phone was. But he needed proof.

He typed again and showed the girl the next question:

"If you’re trying to make her fall slowly... then why the kidnapping tonight?"

The girl stared at the message, her throat dry.

She hesitated before repeating the question carefully.

"If... if you’re already ruining her little by little... why are you going so far as to kidnap her tonight?"

For a second, there was only silence.

Then the voice came again—this time sharp and suspicious.

"...Is someone forcing you to ask these questions?"

The girl’s heart skipped a beat. She looked up at Ou Lin in panic.

He mouthed, Calm down. Then he quickly typed:

"Say no. Say you were just worried that if Qiao Li’s family finds out, they’ll come after you instead."

The girl nodded and spoke quickly.

"No! No one’s forcing me! I just got scared. What if her family finds out? What if they think I was the one behind it all? They’ll come after me first!"

The voice on the other end was quiet for a moment.

Then a low laugh echoed through the speaker.

"I see. You’re afraid of consequences now, huh?"

There was another pause, and then the voice said coldly:

"The kidnapping isn’t to hurt her. Not tonight. It’s to humiliate her. To ruin her reputation in front of the Qiao family."

Ou Lin narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean?" the girl asked softly.

"She’ll be found," the woman explained.

"But not before we make sure she looks like a liar, a coward... and someone who always attracts trouble. The more mess she causes, the more her family will want to get rid of her.

I just have to make sure that happens one more time... and then they’ll wash their hands of her forever."

The girl held the phone tightly, her fingers numb.

"That’s it? Nothing more?"

She asked as she eyed the question Ou Lin had typed out.

The other party chuckled,

"I won’t tell in detail, however, I will make sure that she loses more than just trust. Since you have been loyal to me for such a long time, I will tell you... I will ruin her innocence."

Ou Lin slowly pulled the phone away and ended the call.

The classroom went quiet.

The girl collapsed into a chair, breathing hard.

Ou Lin stood there, staring at the phone in his hand. His mind was spinning with all the things he had just heard. His jaw tightened.