"What on earth do you want?"
She wasn't sure how much dirt Yun Xi had on her, but once she got exposed, she would have no way out.
This was her most important year, and she simply couldn't be ruined like this.
...
"I'll give you an option. Tomorrow morning, during free study time, you have to go to the broadcasting room and explain in front of the whole school how you slandered me and why you spread these rumors. You have to make it clear to everyone and believable. If people don't believe you, then I'm sorry, but all the photos in my possession will not only appear on the bulletin board downstairs, on the desk of the principal and the homeroom teacher, but will also be given to the man's wife, your father, and your mother."
Li Sinuo gasped. "You...you wouldn't cross that line!"
"I'm crossing the line...? Li Sinuo, I have never been merciful to backstabbing people like you. Liang Xinyi is a good example of that. The last time you got sent to the police station, you took the blame for your own actions, not those of others. If you had studied hard for your college entrance exams instead of trying to provoke me, I would have ignored you. This time I'm willing to let you go, not because I'm merciful, but because I pity your elderly parents who have worked so hard to pay for your education. If this happens one more time, I'll make it impossible for you to stay in Jingdu. You must never challenge me again. I am not someone you can step on!"
After saying that, Yun Xi took the photo from Yang Lu and placed it on the table.
"I will keep these photos of yours a secret. I will leave these photos today for you to enjoy. With something so damaging in my hands, you'll have to watch your step in the future. If you offend me again, I won't let you off the hook so easily. You better think carefully and weigh your options."
After that, Yun Xi winked at Yang Lu and pulled her out of the classroom with her.
In the empty classroom, feeling fear and icy hatred rising up inside of her, Li Sinuo gripped the photos tightly.
Once they got on the road outside the school, Yang Lu couldn't hold it in anymore and exhaled.
"Yun Xi, why are you simply letting her go? Aren't you afraid that she'll conspire against you again? With her petty personality, she definitely won't let you off the hook so easily."
"If I ruthlessly sever all her options now, and she gets expelled from school, then we will be in the light, but she will be in the dark. It will be much easier for her to attack us and much more difficult for us to guard against her. We will be taking the college entrance examinations soon, and I don't want to have to watch out for her every day, let alone let her control my thoughts. Now that I have dirt on her, as long as she still wants to live in Jingdu, she will be cautious and won't dare mess around with me."
"That's true! If she was forced to drop out of school, then she would be even more unrestrained. She might be capable of doing anything out of her desperation."
Yun Xi smiled. "Sometimes, the solution to a problem doesn't necessarily have to be ruthless. Now, let's wait to see what she chooses to do tomorrow morning."
"But what if she doesn't want to clarify why she started the rumors?"
"I'm not too worried. She was willing to do anything for the sake of her university tuition, so clarifying some ridiculous rumors so she can stay in school and take her university entrance exams will be a piece of cake."
"That's true, but I really am shocked that she did so many shady things to make money. So unscrupulous, so ruthless at such a young age... If I had done what she did, my mother would definitely have broken my legs and kicked me out of the house."
"She is different from you. Li Sinuo is a person who knows exactly what she wants, so she can be very cruel to herself also."
She didn't like the kind of people who were so unscrupulous that they even forsook their own dignity.
After a pause, Yun Xi turned her head and looked at Yang Lu. "You have to keep what happened today a deep secret. As long as you keep it a secret, she will be wary of you and won't easily offend you. Otherwise, out of desperation, she will deal with us without restraint or fear of any repercussions, do you understand?"
"I understand. I will keep it a secret. I can't afford to offend such a vicious woman!"
Yun Xi smiled. "That's good to hear."
In reality, Yun Xi hadn't thought of this solution because she was being merciful, but rather because when dealing with people like Li Sinuo, blackmail was the most effective and permanent tactic.
Having too many enemies wouldn't be a good thing for her, since she would always have to worry about the risk of getting backstabbed.
Blackmailing her enemy not only gave her a trump card, but also served as a reminder for her. This was a simple yet wise method that Mu Feichi had taught her.
It would have been very simple for her to break Li Sinuo. However, if she did so too ruthlessly, there was no telling how she might retaliate out of desperation.
She didn't have that much time to waste on this kind of person. She didn't want to be exhausted from watching her back every day. How would she have the time to get her revenge?