Evidently, this was not a natural wind, but one stirred by humans.
"Do you feel the pressure?" Sheng Xinhua looked at Phoenix and asked aloud.
"Who do you think is behind this?" Phoenix said helplessly.
The tree wishes to be still, but the wind keeps blowing.
She just hoped Tang Fei could lead a peaceful and quiet life; why must there always be people unwilling to leave them be?
"If we can’t find concrete evidence, then it must be the work of the Shen Family," Sheng Xinhua spoke up. "After all, this situation arose because of the Shen Family."
"Whether it’s the Shen Family trying to shift the blame or someone else fanning the flames... neither scenario bodes well for us."
"Of course not. If the old man in your family sees this, he is likely to hit the roof again. He just talked to you a few days ago, and now this happens... If his temper is provoked over and over, his fondness for Tang Fei will vanish along with any debt of gratitude you owed him, and then... Tang Fei will be in danger."
"Yes," Phoenix said worriedly.
Rumors are like knives, gossip like swords.
They kill without drawing blood.
These people still aim to dispose of Tang Fei.
A sudden thought struck Phoenix: Did I do the right thing by bringing Tang Fei to New Star?
Perhaps on the Old Land, he could have lived freely. He was like a lion, a tiger, the sovereign of Hate Mountain.
No matter how perilous the situation, he could always handle it with ease using his best skills.
But here in New Star, in Phoenix City, he faced an entirely unfamiliar environment and unknown enemies...
Could New Star be more dangerous for him than the Old Land?
"Next month is your seventeenth birthday celebration, and the young elites of the entire Empire will gather... Will you invite him?" Sheng Xinhua asked curiously.
"Of course," Phoenix replied. "He is my friend; he should be there to witness my growth."
"Hehe..." Sheng Xinhua smirked, his eyes narrowing as he spoke. "It will surely be lively, won’t it? Xing Lan should be coming out of the White Crane Academy, right? Will Qin Jianyi come back from the military on leave? And all the other fellows who harbor inappropriate intentions towards you... I really look forward to that moment arriving soon."
"Sheng Xinhua, you’re up to no good."
"My heart was born this way, not installed later on; touch it if you don’t believe me. It’s soft."
The video of Tang Fei refusing Lu Yang’s challenge was initially circulated only within the campus, with everyone sharing it in their class groups or friendship circles.
However, it quickly spread to the wider world.
Major news websites and some mainstream social media platforms began featuring the video, drawing countless viewers who left myriad comments.
"The light of the Old Land became the shame of the Old Land, Tang Fei refusing the challenge with despicable methods..."
"This guy is shameless, isn’t he? To refuse is one thing, but forcing someone to drop out? The poor guy barely made it into the Imperial First Military Academy, who knows how much effort and heart he put into it..."
"Snow in June, Lu Yang is wronged... If he is expelled from the school, Lu Yang will be ruined..."
Clearly, under someone’s manipulation, Tang Fei’s reputation sank to its lowest point.
Many people felt sorry for Lu Yang, believing it unfair of Tang Fei to step forward, foul, and force someone else to withdraw from school.
"Do you know why Tang Fei is so arrogant? Because he comes from the Old Land..."
"He got into the First Military Academy through the Princess’s connections... We were all there when the Princess took him for the assessment..."
"What? You ask why the noble Empire Princess would want to usher an Old Land refugee into the top university of the Phoenix Empire... Well, it involves a love-hate relationship between the Old Land refugee and Her Highness..."
"They say Tang Fei saved Her Highness’s life, and they got involved on the Old Land..."
"They have a daughter, surnamed Zhong... Tang Fei married into the Royal Family, becoming the first Prince Consort of the Phoenix Empire..."