Chapter 917: Rumors and Slander

"Sister, are all the rumors out there true?"

Xia Tianqiong arrived at Ling Shuang's residence, and as soon as she entered the room she asked hurriedly.

"What rumors?" Ling Shuang asked Xia Tianqiong, puzzled.

"Is it about you and Ye Liuyun?" Xia Tianqiong added.

"What about us?" Ling Shuang still didn't understand. She had never thought of it that way.

While questioning, Xia Tianqiong kept watching Ling Shuang's expression, and seeing no sign of concealment, she thought she wasn't hiding anything.

"Everyone's saying you stayed at Ye Liuyun's place last night…" Xia Tianqiong stopped halfway, too embarrassed to continue.

"Oh, that…" Ling Shuang's face flushed a little. "I was at his place last night…"

"You…" Xia Tianqiong thought Ling Shuang had admitted it, and was momentarily at a loss for words.

"What's wrong?" Ling Shuang began, but seeing Xia Tianqiong's exaggerated expression, she couldn't help but wonder.

"Sigh! You know if this gets out, how will you answer the dynasty?" Xia Tianqiong said, shaking her head helplessly.

She then wore a sympathetic look and said regretfully, "Ye Liuyun wouldn't survive either!"

"You like him, but you have to hide it! Living so openly together—have you thought about what you'll do later?"

Ling Shuang's face turned bright red from Xia Tianqiong's words. What struck her was that Xia Tianqiong said she liked Ye Liuyun.

"Sister, what are you talking about? Living together, it's a mess!"

"I'm not the one saying it! The whole academy now knows you two live together; the news can't be stopped!" Xia Tianqiong sighed.

"What?" Ling Shuang finally caught up and understood what Xia Tianqiong meant.

She immediately explained to Xia Tianqiong: "I was at Ye Liuyun's last night, but we were just sparring, and Yuan Datou was there too!"

"What? Are you sure? Then why does everyone say you admitted it yourself?" Xia Tianqiong thought Ling Shuang wasn't the careless type.

So Ling Shuang recounted the whole sequence to Xia Tianqiong in detail.

"It must be a misunderstanding!" Xia Tianqiong instantly understood.

Ling Shuang nodded, admitting she was only training at Ye Liuyun's, not living together.

But others interpreted it as Ling Shuang herself confirming she lived with Ye Liuyun.

Rumors only grow hotter; once exaggerated, they become even easier to misinterpret.

"Sister, what should I do now?"

After hearing Xia Tianqiong's recount of the rumors, Ling Shuang couldn't help but feel anxious.

At that moment, Yuan Datou also heard the rumors from Wei Pangzi.

He brushed it off, arguing with Wei Pangzi: "Don't listen to their nonsense. We were sparring last night! I left first, but I'm sure my boss would never do that with Ling Shuang. The two of them have no such feelings."

Upon hearing, Liang Xinyu was the first to feel uneasy.

She hurriedly asked Yuan Datou: "Are you sure you were just sparring?"

"Of course! If you don't believe, go verify with the boss." His straightforward nature never tells lies.

Thus Yuan Datou's words immediately raised Liang Xinyu and the others' alertness.

Liang Xinyu, driven by jealousy, didn't want the rumors to spread further.

So she immediately led Yuan Datou and the others to confront Ye Liuyun herself.

Ye Liuyun was initially at a loss; after some effort, he clarified the matter.

He also explained the events of last night to Liang Xinyu and the others.

Liang Xinyu's mood finally cleared, her face full of smiles.

"I knew he wasn't that kind of person!" she thought, having completely forgotten her earlier complaints about Ye Liuyun.

Su Manning calmly said, "We believe what you say, and we all know this is a misunderstanding!

But outsiders won't believe that so easily! After all, you and Ling Shuang have been close lately."

Upon hearing, Ye Liuyun frowned. He hadn't expected a simple sparring to cause such a stir.

"Forget it, let them talk; they can't do anything to us! No need to waste energy on these rumors!" Ye Liuyun continued comforting everyone.

At that moment, Xia Tianqiong and Ling Shuang both rushed to Ye Liuyun, discussing with him how to clear things up.

"The innocent need no clearing; there's no need to do any clarification," Ye Liuyun said, somewhat disdainful of the idea.

While they were speaking, Fourth Prince Xia Tian Yuan arrived, also coming because of this matter.

"The Fourth Prince is interested in such rumors?" Ye Liuyun wondered how this could attract the Fourth Prince.

Even if the Fourth Prince wanted to recruit him, why bother with his private affairs?

"No, it must be clarified, or Ling Shuang's reputation will be ruined!" Xia Tianqiong insisted.

Seeing her determination, Ye Liuyun reluctantly agreed: "Fine. Tell me how you want to clear it, and I'll do it!"

"Brother Fourth, give us a suggestion!" Xia Tianqiong immediately recounted the events to Fourth Prince Xia Tian Yuan.

"I see!" the Fourth Prince said, clearly more relaxed after learning the truth.

Ye Liuyun kept watching his expression, increasingly feeling the matter might involve Ling Shuang's background, and that Ling Shuang's family would never allow such a thing.

Moreover, it was obvious Xia Tianqiong and Xia Tian Yuan definitely knew Ling Shuang's true identity.

Thus, in his mind he grew even more curious about Ling Shuang's identity.

But if Ling Shuang doesn't tell him, he doesn't want to ask.

After thinking it over, Xia Tian Yuan said directly to Xia Tianqiong: "Rumors are easy to settle, but if the two of them try to explain, no one will believe them; it will only get darker."

He added, "Let us handle it! We'll send people to make the truth public, and the rumors will collapse on their own."

Xia Tianqiong nodded, and was about to return with Xia Tian Yuan to the sect to arrange manpower.

Before leaving, she didn't forget to tell Ye Liuyun and Ling Shuang: "You two, be careful to avoid suspicion! Honestly, you give me trouble every day!"

Having said that, she hurried away.

Fourth Prince Xia Tian Yuan also smiled and said to Ye Liuyun, "At least for now, let's avoid suspicion—don't stay together at night!"

Ye Liuyun quickly and embarrassedly agreed.

Ling Shuang's face flushed crimson, and she dared not raise her head.

Liang Xinyu, however, was in high spirits. Seeing Ling Shuang standing motionless, she went over and linked arms with her.

"Come on, Ling Shuang, we'll take you home. You can't stay alone with him anymore!"