Chapter 601 - THE JUDGMENT

MO JIAN was biting her thumb.  She didn't even feel that her teeth were already digging into the skin, producing blood.  All she could think about was that article and the things that those people commented.  Almost everyone was against her.  She didn't even see someone defending her.

            The comments were all very bias against her.  One could see that the comments were all leading people to believe the same narrative.  That she was an evil thing that indiscriminately hurt others.  Couldn't those people on the comments see that?  Were they really that stupid?

It's obvious that someone was targeting her!  Someone with money to hire water armies.  He couldn't think of anyone except that bitch, Yu Jiao.  But where could she even find money to do that?  Was it possible that Ji Xiuying helped her?  She rejected that idea again. 

That woman certainly wouldn't do something to destroy this 'family'.  Mo Jian wasn't worried that the other might side with Yu Jiao because of the stair incident.  She could just guilt-trip her to take her side. 

So, who was it?  Who was doing this to her?  But the bigger question was, why was her father not doing anything about this?  From what Mo Jiu had said, this article had been posted since last night.  The fact that her father had taken her phone, probably so she wouldn't be able to read it, meant that he also knew about this.

Then, why?  Why was this article still hadn't taken down?  Could it be possible that it was done by someone with a higher influence and power than their family?  But how could that be?  She always made sure that she would never offend anyone like that.

A scene suddenly entered his mind.  That of what happened five days ago at school.  When she tried to approach Luo Jin through Yu Jiao.  That sissy, Luo Yan, somehow ended up falling and it was all blamed on her.  Could it really be because of that?  Was the Luo family taking revenge on her?

But that's just absurd!  In the first place, that incident wasn't even her fault.  She heard how much the Luo family doted on Luo Yan.  But would it really be to this extent?  No, she shouldn't find it weird.  After all, her father also doted on her.  The reason for that was because of her dead mother.  How much more could it be if she was in a seven-year coma, just like that Luo Yan?  She would definitely be treated like a living treasure!

So, yes, it's not impossible that this situation was because of the Luo family.  But why wait five days, no, four days since that article was posted last night, to do this?  She really couldn't understand.

She was about to bite harder on her thumb but someone suddenly pulled it out of her mouth.  She raised her head, planning to shout at this person, but saw her father instead.  She immediately changed her expression into a pitiful one. 

"D-Dad, that article, I've seen it," her voice choked, as if she was doing her best not to cry.  "H-how could they say those things t-to me?  Th-they're talking as if I'm so e-evil.  Dad- I—"

"You shouldn't have bitten your thumb.  Look, it's bleeding," her father said instead, as if he didn't hear what she just said.  "Let me call a nurse first to fix your wound."

Mo Jian almost lost her temper.  But she still tried to maintain the pitiful expression on her face.  "D-Dad, I- I'm fine.  It doesn't hurt.  What hurts me more were the things that those people say online."  She raised her head, her eyes tearing up.  "Dad, what if everyone believes that- that's how I really am?  No one would want to be f-friends with me anymore.  I- I'm scared, Dad."

Mo Guang Lin stared at his daughter's tearful face.  If this was before, he would have probably already told her that he would do everything to take down that article and sue the people defaming her.  But he couldn't do that now.  He didn't even know what he should say next.

Because now that he had accepted that Mo Jian was indeed capable of doing all those things, it's like a thick blinder was removed from his eyes.  He was now seeing everything clearly.  That right now, his daughter was acting to gain his sympathy so that she could make him do whatever she wanted.

She didn't feel sorry for those people she hurt.  The only thing she thought was how to delete that article and clean her image.  Mo Guang Lin wanted to laugh bitterly.  He now truly understood the damage he had done to this girl. 

He clenched his fists and closed his eyes.  When he opened them, there was no longer any hesitation in their depths.  "Once the injury on your ankle heals, we will go to each and every person that you hurt in the past.  We will both apologize to them personally."

Mo Jian stopped.  She blinked her big eyes at her father, unsure if he heard what he just said correctly.  "I- I don't understand, Dad."

Mo Guang Lin sat down and help Mo Jian's uninjured hand.  "Jian-er, Dad is sorry.  If only I was a good father, you could have had a normal outlook in life.  My constant spoiling and pampering hindered you to develop the correct judgment to know what's wrong and what's right.  But you can't continue on like this anymore."

Hearing such things, Mo Jian was now sure that she was not having auditory hallucination.  She forcefully took back her hand that her father was still holding.  She glared at the other angrily.  The only thing she got from what he said was that he believed those nonsense that those people in the comments were saying.

"Dad, how could you?  Would you really rather believe those posers than your own daughter?"

"Enough, Jian-er.  Let's stop the pretense.  Please, just face me as who you are and not the person you wanted me to believe that you are," Mo Guang Lin said with sadness and frustration.  "From now on, let's face each other in a truthful manner."

Mo Jian felt like her anger just reached the top of her head.  Her mind was a mess.  She couldn't understand how his father suddenly changed like this.  Especially when just an hour ago, he was still the same.  How could he change after he went out and took a phone call?

Then a thought suddenly flashed in her mind.  What if her father didn't go that far when he went out to answer that phone call?  What if he heard everything that he and Mo Jiu said?  That would certainly explain everything.

Wait- wouldn't that mean that Mo Jiu lied to her?  That bastard!

She tried to make her expression pitiful again.  "D-Dad, did you hear what Brother and I talked about earlier?  I- I didn't really want to say those things.  Y-you see, Brother always makes fun of me whenever I acted weak.  I- I don't want to be hated by Brother.  So, so, I acted that way.  I—"

"I said enough!"

Mo Jian seemed petrified when Mo Guang Lin raised his voice.  Probably because this was the first time he had ever done that.  As much as possible, he also didn't want to do that.  But he couldn't just let her put the blame on Mo Jiu. This just showed him once again, Mo Jian's lack of guilt. 

He pinched the bridge of his nose.  "Once you're healed, we will apologize to those people.  And after that, you will transfer out of Guizu Academy and you will be sent somewhere where you will learn kindness and humility."

And he would accompany her.  But he would have to do it from a distance.  Because if they were together, he was sure that instead of learning anything, Mo Jian would simply just wallow in her hatred for him.  Not seeing him directly would be for the best.

Mo Jian seemed to wake up from her shocked state.  The expression on her face was saying that she finally had to accept that this was really happening.

"No, Dad!  You can't do this to me!  You can't just send me away just because I'm no longer you wanted!"

Mo Guang Lin felt like a knife stabbed at his heard when he heard that last part.

"Jian-er, you're not being thrown away," he could only say.

He then turned around and walked out of the hospital room.  The moment he did, he heard his daughter's scream of anger.