40 40

◎Lucky◎

With Guo Ren's matter resolved, Mu and Qing were eager to see Deng Qian.

She had just stepped out of the pavilion when she turned back.

She pushed against the Nightmare's forearm, her voice urgent: "You should leave quickly."

"Why?" asked the Nightmare.

Mu and Qing were so anxious they jumped up and down, "Oh no, Qianqian's here! What do you say when she sees you?"

Guo Ren told Boss Jing the address where they were going to meet. Deng Qian was awake, and Boss Jing would definitely tell Deng Qian as well.

"Why should I leave? I'm not leaving." Bao Yan shook his head. "We have such a good relationship. She's your friend, and she's my friend too."

At this crucial moment, Bao Yan is still here chatting nonsense with Mu and Qing.

"What are you saying? Are my parents your parents too?"

Bao Yan scratched his chin and said, "It's not impossible."

Mu and Qing didn't have time to argue with Bao Yan. If Bao Yan wouldn't leave, she would.

As soon as she stepped out of the pavilion, she bumped into Deng Qian, whose lips were slightly pale. She still looked a little dizzy and probably rushed here as soon as she woke up.

"Qianqian, are you alright?" Mu Heqing asked worriedly.

"It's nothing." Deng Qian also looked at Mu Heqing. "Qing, what about you? Why did Guo Ren use my phone to send you messages?"

"I'm fine too, let's go." Mu Heqing threw himself into Deng Qian's arms, trying to divert her attention from the pavilion to other places.

But with his towering size, it's hard for anyone to ignore him.

Deng Qian asked, "Qing, who is that person in the pavilion? Is Guo Ren in there too?"

She started to walk inside, saying she needed to talk to Guo Ren.

Guo Ren got up from the ground, walked out, and said to Deng Qian, "I'm sorry, I knocked you out."

"My dad used to beat me much harder, this is nothing," Deng Qian said nonchalantly, pointing at Bao Yan. "Is he the person you and Ding Bao are going to see? Qing, what's your relationship with him?"

The Nightmare had already learned to answer questions quickly.

"Qing and I are very close."

Deng Qian questioned, "You two have a very good relationship? How did you get to know Qing?"

“We were high school classmates,” said Baoyan.

My high school classmate.

Deng Qian silently repeated these four words in her heart, recalling what Mu's mother had said on Mu Heqing's birthday last time.

After graduating from high school, Qing fell ill, neither speaking nor sleeping. She finally recovered, but recently she's been acting strangely again.

Is she clearly troubled by this high school classmate?

He's so tall, he looks dangerous. Did he bully Qing back in high school?

"What's your name? I've never heard Qing mention you before." Deng Qian grabbed Mu and Qing, their expressions a stark contrast of cold indifference and rage.

Mu and Qing were sweating profusely with anxiety; how could both of them be so reckless?

"Qianqian, you just woke up, let's go get checked out, just in case there are any aftereffects." Mu Heqing tried to pull Deng Qian away.

"I'm fine. I've fainted countless times when my dad hits me, this is nothing." Deng Qian shook her head at Mu Heqing.

"Never mentioned me? And Qing, I'm so heartbroken." Bao Yan's eyes widened slightly as he introduced himself, "My name is Bao Yan."

Bao Yan? What a strange name.

Are there any people with the surname Bao?

Deng Qian realized things weren't so simple. She said to Guo Ren, "Guo Ren, I can overlook the fact that you knocked me out and took my phone, but please tell me what exactly happened? How do you know Qing's high school classmate?"

Mu Heqing looked at Guo Ren and gestured with his eyes for him to get away with it.

Guo Ren already felt guilty, and he didn't want too many people to know about things that were too unbelievable, so he could only bite the bullet and tell his story.

As for Bao Yan, he describes Bao Yan in the story as someone who witnessed the truth of his brother's death. In order to find out the truth about his brother's death, he was in a hurry, so he knocked Deng Qian unconscious and took her phone.

Deng Qian had her doubts and asked, "Then why did Ding Bao suddenly tell you that you could find the Nightmare through Qing?"

This doesn't make sense; he shouldn't want people to know.

"He's gone mad by now, he probably just wants to make me suffer more," Guo Ren said with a bitter smile.

Deng Qian reluctantly accepted Guo Ren's explanation, but she still had doubts.

This violent demon didn't seem like a good person. Qing became very nervous when she saw him and didn't want her to come into contact with him.

"Can we talk?" Deng Qian asked Bao Yan.

Mu and Qing stood there stunned. Qianqian wanted to chat with Bao Yan.

Chat? What's there to chat about?

"What do you want to talk about?" Nightmare seemed quite interested.

Mu and Qing stepped between the two and said, "There's nothing to talk about, let's go back."

Deng Qian held Mu Heqing's hand tightly, her gaze fixed on Bao Yan, and asked, "Did you bully Qing in high school?"

Mu and Qing looked up, stunned. Why would Qianqian ask about high school? Did her mother tell her?

Bao Yan was silent for a moment, seemingly trying to figure out what Deng Qian meant by her question. "No, she's the one who bullies me. Qing and I have always had a good relationship."

“Really? Qing.” Deng Qian looked into Mu Heqing’s eyes.

Mu Heqing's eyes darted away for a moment, and she forced a smile, thinking it was natural. "Yes, Qianqian, what are you thinking about?"

Bao Yan lifted his leg and walked towards Mu Heqing. His smile disappeared, and his excessively tall figure cast a huge shadow in the narrow pavilion, creating a strong sense of oppression.

After observing Mu and Qing's expressions for a while, Deng Qian said, "Since you haven't appeared for so many years and Qing hasn't mentioned you, it's best if you stay away from Qing."

"Honestly, what do they all think they are? They all tell me to stay away from He Qing." Bao Yan's voice seemed to come from the sky.

He passed by Mu Heqing, bent down slightly, looked at the river in front of him, put his hand on her shoulder, and said softly, "Heqing, this is the second time. If it happens again, I won't be able to resist."

The second time?

What was the first time?

Mu and Qing thought for a while and then thought of Jiang Mu, who seemed to have said the same thing.

The first time refers to Jiang Mu.

If Nightmare really wants to kill, who can stop him?

Mu and Qing couldn't figure out that none of Li Shi, Si Fei, or any of the other random guys could beat him.

Bao Yan straightened up and said, "My temper has improved recently. Never mind, Qing, I have something to do, I'll go first, contact me again if you need anything, brother."

Deng Qian wanted to say something more, but Mu Heqing turned and hugged her, whispering, "Qianqian, I'm tired. Let's go back and not worry about things here anymore."

…………

Deng Qian refused the third bowl of chicken soup that Mu Heqing offered.

"Qing, I can't drink anymore."

Mu Heqing urged, "Drink some more; you don't seem to be feeling better yet."

"Why don't you look in the mirror? You look worse than me. Qing, you should drink it." Deng Qian really didn't want to drink anymore.

"Oh, okay."

Mu and Qing raised the bowl and gulped it down.

"Qing, I won't tell Auntie," Deng Qian suddenly said.

Mu and Qing put the empty bowl back on the table, and she listened silently to Deng Qian continue.

“You’re blaming yourself, Qing, but it has nothing to do with you. You know my family situation. Before I met you all, I always thought the world was full of people like my dad. But after meeting you and Xing, and my current boss, Boss Jing, I realized that the world isn’t so bad,” Deng Qian said slowly.

She remembered what Mu's mother had told her and Xing about Mu and Qing's past. During the time when Mu and Qing were sick after graduating from high school, Mu's mother stayed with her until one night, when Mu and Qing asked her mother not to ask anymore, saying that she would be fine.

Mu and Qing wouldn't even tell her mother, so there was no point in worrying about them being friends.

This time, her eagerness to ask made Mu Heqing feel guilty; she couldn't add to Mu Heqing's psychological pressure.

"So, I believe in you, Qing. I believe you can handle your own affairs and overcome this hurdle. When I ran away from my father, I also relied on myself. I think you still have to rely on yourself to get over this mental hurdle."

Mu Heqing has already recovered from her illness; she cannot afford to be sick again. Neither she nor her family can bear it.

"But Qing, don't forget, you still have me and Xing. If you encounter difficulties, if you want to cry, you have to come to us." Deng Qian showed a very faint smile. She rarely smiled, but when she did, it was so warm.

“I’m so lucky to have met you and Xing,” she said.

Mu Heqing bit her lower lip, her eyes already red as Deng Qian spoke.

It was because of Deng Qian and the others that she didn't want to go back to the life she had at No. 13 Middle School.

She is already happy enough.

Deng Qian reached out her hand and asked, "Don't you want a hug, Qing?"

Mu Heqing hugged Deng Qian tightly, and she choked up as she said, "I am also very lucky to have met Qianqian and Xingxing."

They were the ones who brought her out of that world; she will never go back, never again.

But what is she supposed to do?

Can she do it?

Mu Heqing's eyelashes trembled slightly, and a hint of fear flashed in her eyes.

She truly enjoys her daily life, with family and friends, and doesn't care about any other pain.

Deng Qian didn't know what Mu Heqing was thinking. She wiped away Mu Heqing's tears, then lay back down. She needed to rest for a while.

Deng Qian is physically strong and said she's going to do barbecue again tonight.

Mu and Qing had no choice but to agree.

…………

In order not to disturb Deng Qian's rest, Mu and Qing returned to their own little nest.

She had tried to call the principal before, but he didn't answer. Later, when the Nightmare appeared, she couldn't call the principal in front of the Nightmare.

Mu and Qing rummaged through drawers and cabinets for half an hour before finally finding a small notebook.

The notebook contained only a string of numbers, which matched Mu and Qing's memory.

That's strange. Did the principal change his phone number within the last seven years?

It shouldn't be that bad. Even if they changed her, they would have notified her.

There's only one conclusion: something happened to the principal.

Mu and Qing dialed the phone number again, and the call was answered ten seconds later.

Her hand trembled, and she almost dropped her phone.

"Principal Fa Jiuyi?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before the voice asked, "Are you Ms. Mu Heqing?"

"That's me." Mu and Qing hadn't expected this turn of events.

"That's wonderful!" The voice on the other end of the phone was overjoyed. "Our master has gone missing, and we were really worried about what to do. We dared not contact you without his orders. Would you have time to come over?"

Mu Heqing held his phone, pressed his face against the fluffy duck plush toy, and gave a wry smile.

What kind of situation is this?

“Okay, send me the address,” she said.