Chapter 76: Mind Reading (17)

Gu Li sat in the student council’s office.

Without wasting any time, he had someone retrieve the surveillance footage from yesterday’s street intersection.

As he watched the recording, Gu Li’s expression gradually darkened.

In the video, it was clear to see that behind Yan Ling followed a tall and robust figure, with a hat brim pulled low and a mask covering his face.

The fact that he concealed himself so thoroughly indicated careful planning.

When Yan Ling stopped at the street corner, the youth trailing her suddenly enveloped her in a tight embrace. Yan Ling had little chance to resist; compared to him, she appeared delicate and petite.

Suppressing his anger, Gu Li continued watching.

Then… then the stalker buried his head into Yan Ling’s shoulder. Taking a deep breath, Gu Li zoomed in on the surveillance footage.

Perhaps by sheer luck, this particular street camera happened to have a sound pickup feature.

By maximizing the audio volume, Gu Li managed to hear their conversation.

From their dialogue, the identity of the stalker became unmistakably evident.

Moreover…the stalker later lifted his mask, revealing that face… Gu Li could never mistake it!

It was Jin Yingyao!

The very person who had warned him earlier that morning to stay away from Yan Ling, yet behind closed doors, he displayed such a different side.

If not for this clear surveillance footage capturing Jin Yingyao’s actions, Gu Li would hardly believe that Jin Yingyao could be the stalker harming Yan Ling!

He forcibly kissed her, ignoring Yan Ling’s explicit rejection. Even when she made it clear, Jin Yingyao still went ahead and kissed her.

Gu Li trembled with anger. Thankfully, Yan Ling’s loud cries for help attracted nearby passersby, otherwise…otherwise, there’s no telling what else that bastard Jin Yingyao might have done!

Gu Li always thought Jin Yingyao simply had immature views on love, but he never expected such reprehensible behavior from him.

Perhaps Jin Yingyao, accustomed to constant praise, couldn’t handle romantic rejection, leading him to act out… But regardless of his reasons, the distress and harm he caused Yan Ling were unforgivable!

Gu Li now understood why Yan Ling hadn’t disclosed her stalker’s identity to him. Who could believe Jin Yingyao would act this way, especially given their friendship? It must have been incredibly difficult for Yan Ling to confront…

With a thoughtful gaze, Gu Li considered his options. He could take this recording directly to Jin Yingyao and warn him to mend his ways. However, while it might curb Jin Yingyao’s behavior temporarily, it wouldn’t truly impact him significantly.

Such evidence should not be wasted so easily.

As he pondered, Gu Li picked up his phone and dialed Xiao Lingfei’s number.

“Xiao Lingfei, I’m sending you some information. After reviewing it, come find me at the student council office.”

Let these two troubles duke it out between themselves.

Once news of the discord between JS Group’s heir and Xiao Group’s heir spread, and when the Xiao family realizes that aligning with the Yan family would offend the JS Group, would they still proceed with the marriage proposal?

Perhaps the Yan family might consider the JS Group as a better option, but once Jin Yingyao’s actions were exposed—ignoring Yan Ling’s wishes and forcing her into a relationship with her harasser—it is unlikely the Yan family could face such public scrutiny without losing their dignity.

Pushing his glasses up, Gu Li’s lips curved into a smile as he sent another message to Yan Ling, asking about her plans after school.

If she needed it, he would escort her home.

Initially, Xiao Lingfei paid little attention to Gu Li’s call and the mention of files. He wasn’t part of the student council; why would anyone send him information?

Curious, Xiao Lingfei opened the document Gu Li had shared and began watching the video.

Before long, he couldn’t remain seated any longer. Jumping to his feet, he sprinted towards the student council office while continuing to watch the video. By the time he finished, his face was dark as the bottom of a burnt pot. If Jin Yingyao were standing before him now, Xiao Lingfei wouldn’t hesitate to punch him squarely, giving him a thorough beating.

He had clearly warned Jin Yingyao, and Yan Ling’s rejection couldn’t have been more unequivocal. How could this “good friend” still pull off such a stunt?!

Bursting into the student council president’s office, Xiao Lingfei was about to speak when Gu Li calmly instructed, “Close the door first.”

Xiao Lingfei closed the door, then walked with a cold expression to the desk and sat down, frowning as he asked, “This footage…”

The surveillance footage displayed timestamps—it had happened just yesterday!

Gu Li spoke gravely, “I assume you’ve heard that Jin Yingyao confronted me at the gate this morning.”

Xiao Lingfei nodded. In Saint Hieria, news related to S4 spread like wildfire within hours. The altercation between Jin Yingyao and Gu Li at the gatekeeper’s entrance was already discussed in forum threads and among classmates.

“Did he approach you because you discovered something…” Xiao Lingfei couldn’t help but ponder what could have driven Jin Yingyao to impulsively confront Gu Li.

Gu Li did not deny it. “Jin Yingyao’s behavior has been off lately, so I felt uneasy and asked someone to look into his activities. Even I didn’t expect to uncover this.”

“As his friend, how could I simply stand by and watch him make mistakes?” Gu Li sounded resigned. “Not only did he refuse my advice, but he also warned me not to interfere, telling me to stay away from Yan Ling.”

With a troubled expression, Xiao Lingfei exclaimed, “Yingyao… How could Yingyao become like this?!”

“I believe his actions have gone beyond reasonable pursuit,” Gu Li said slowly, “and he harbors immense hostility towards anyone approaching Yan Ling.” He continued, “I know Jin Yingyao has the closest relationship with you, but his behavior is causing significant harm to Yan Ling. As her fiancé, I hope you can promptly address this issue before it escalates further.”

“Lingling!” At the thought of Yan Ling’s distress, Xiao Lingfei felt an urgent need to rush to her side and comfort her.

“Hold on, don’t be hasty.” Gu Li stopped Xiao Lingfei from running off immediately. “Has Yan Ling mentioned anything about being stalked by Jin Yingyao?”

Xiao Lingfei replied somberly, ”…No, she hasn’t.”

“You should understand why she doesn’t want to tell you. Speaking about it so abruptly could embarrass her instead,” Gu Li’s gentle voice had a calming effect. “My advice would be not to show any unusual concern in front of her. Focus on resolving the issue with Jin Yingyao; ensure he no longer disturbs her. Once that’s taken care of, she won’t feel as troubled.”

The mere mention of Jin Yingyao reignited Xiao Lingfei’s anger. “I know what needs to be done now.”

Despite Jin Yingyao’s despicable behavior, Gu Li had truly been of great help this time.

Xiao Lingfei expressed his gratitude, “Thanks, President Gu. Your keen observation saved me; otherwise, I wouldn’t have known what was happening.”

“It’s nothing,” Gu Li replied mildly. “It’s simply part of my responsibilities.”

Xiao Lingfei couldn’t help but mock himself internally: I’m really not cut out to be a suitable fiancé.

For a shy and reserved girl like Yan Ling, experiencing such an ordeal must have left her deeply frightened. She hadn’t approached him or even mentioned it once—was it because she didn’t trust him to protect her, or had she lost faith in him?

Feeling suffocated, Xiao Lingfei, after speaking with Gu Li, immediately went to find Jin Yingyao.

As usual, Jin Yingyao skipped class again.

He lay in his dormitory room, scrolling through Yan Ling’s social media accounts.

Yan Ling’s profiles were highly active, boasting numerous friends. Every post she made filled the comment sections with an array of admiring messages. If she shared a selfie, it was even more intense—the comments overflowed with screams of “goddess,” as if they had never seen a woman before in their lives.

“Sleazy bootlickers!” Jin Yingyao muttered angrily while saving Yan Ling’s selfies, “A bunch of pathetic bootlickers!”

No matter how fervently you fawn over her, Yan Ling won’t give any of you the time of day!

Jin Yingyao’s only solace was that Yan Ling had extremely selective tastes; she wouldn’t target these ordinary individuals. His primary concern remained his close friends.

Jin Yingyao sent another friend request.

Receiving no response, he gritted his teeth and turned off his phone.

When Xiao Lingfei contacted him next, Jin Yingyao was caught off guard by a barrage of messages flooding his mind:

Xiao Lingfei: [Jin Yingyao, it seems we can no longer be brothers.]

[Your actions have crossed my limits of tolerance. You betrayed me—how could you make a move on my fiancée?!]

[I can’t believe you even dared to suspect Gu Li and Yan Ling. If not for Gu Li, I would still be deceived, thinking you genuinely gave up on Yan Ling. You despicable scum…]

Jin Yingyao: ”?”

How quickly things had escalated—why did Xiao Lingfei suddenly fill their conversation with insults?

Gu Li? Did Gu Li do something?

“Did you follow Yan Ling?” Xiao Lingfei grabbed Jin Yingyao’s collar, his fox-like eyes devoid of any warmth as they glared intensely at Jin Yingyao. “Well done, Jin Yingyao.”

Xiao Lingfei: [If you dare utter a single word of defense, I’ll throw the surveillance footage right in your face!]

Jin Yingyao fell silent.

Was there surveillance on that street? He didn’t think Xiao Lingfei would notice such details, unless it was Gu Li…

“Lingfei, I admit to following Yan Ling, but do you know what she’s been doing behind your back?!” Jin Yingyao decided not to withhold any longer. “The real person involved with Yan Ling is Gu Li. This morning, she emerged from his car; they spent the entire night together. I was tracking her to prevent her from getting entangled with other men!”

“Oh?” Xiao Lingfei nearly burst out laughing in anger. Even at this point, Jin Yingyao had the audacity to blame Gu Li. “Don’t tell me everything you did was for my sake… Including forcibly kissing my fiancée?”

Jin Yingyao fell silent, momentarily unsure how to respond. With a flushed face, he eventually stammered, ”…She kissed me first.”

“Yes!” Jin Yingyao’s eyes brightened. “Can’t we check the surveillance footage? In the earlier recordings, there must be evidence of Yan Ling forcefully kissing me!”

His words sounded convincing, as if it truly happened that way.

Xiao Lingfei sneered, “Fine, I’ll give you another chance. I’ll check the footage right now, and if it doesn’t show…”

“It will, definitely!” Jin Yingyao quickly interjected. “If it doesn’t, consider me no longer your brother.”

Xiao Lingfei chuckled sarcastically, “Do you still think we’re brothers?”

Jin Yingyao remained speechless.