This time, Nie Yu did not refuse. He just stared blankly as Li Qingling carefully bandaged the wound on his palm with clumsy movements, his mind still echoing her words from earlier.

This is the first time in a long time that someone has cared whether he is in pain.

His closed-off heart was filled with dust, and the light shining through the crack in the door seemed to become even brighter, so bright that he could vaguely see the scenery outside the door.

"All done." Li Qingling's joyful voice interrupted his thoughts. When he came back to his senses, a pink and white handkerchief from the girl was already wrapped around his hands, and she even tied a bow on his palm.

"I can only do a simple treatment for you. When you get home from school, be sure to have it re-bandaged," Li Qingling gently instructed.

Nie Yu gazed into her eyes, which were as clear as a spring, and was momentarily lost in thought. After a long while, he finally spoke softly, "Aren't you afraid of me?"

Why should I be afraid of you?

Nie Yu withdrew her hand and subconsciously moved a little to the side. "They don't like me."

Li Qingling pouted, and after thinking seriously, answered confidently, "They are them, and I am me. I don't like to rely on what I hear; I prefer to feel it myself. My intuition tells me you're not a bad person. And..."

She paused, a hint of heartache flashing in her still-childish eyes, "When I was little, I didn't have a daddy either. My classmates would sometimes gossip about me, but back then, I had my older brother to protect me, but..."

Li Qingling didn't continue speaking, but her expression full of heartache said it all.

Nie Yu's introverted personality stemmed from family circumstances, but that wasn't his fault. He was just a child his own age, and she didn't understand why his classmates were so hostile towards him.

Nie Yu didn't speak, and under Li Qingling's concerned gaze, he looked away uncomfortably.

Li Qingling thought she had touched a sore spot and quickly explained, "Don't misunderstand! That's not what I meant. I just think you haven't done anything immoral. Mommy said that if we can become classmates or friends, it means we are destined to be together. We should help each other and grow together. You're just a little introverted. You don't need to hide from anyone. From now on, I will be your friend at school, and I will protect you."

Li Qingling had been a chatterbox since she was a child. In order not to make Nie Yu feel any psychological burden, she said almost all the comforting words she could think of. After saying them all in one breath, she almost couldn't catch her breath and became inexplicably nervous and breathless.

Seeing her so sincere and lovely appearance, a faint smile finally appeared on Nie Yu's gloomy face.

"Did you just laugh?" Li Qingling tilted her head and leaned closer, trying to see more clearly.

As soon as she got close, Nie Yu smelled her faint fragrance, like vanilla ice cream—sweet but not cloying, and very pleasant.

Nie Yu's heart started racing without him realizing it. He could only move to the side again and stubbornly say, "I don't like to laugh."

Li Qingling snorted, "You're lying, you clearly laughed just now!"

She swayed left and right, searching for an opening to probe Nie Yu's expression, while Nie Yu could only keep avoiding her gaze, not wanting her to catch him in the act.

As they talked back and forth, the bell rang for the last class of the afternoon.

Li Qingling was startled and exclaimed, "Oh no! Class is starting! Let's go!"

She quickly got up and ran back, but halfway there, as if remembering something, she turned around and called out with a bright smile, "Nie Yu, it's nice to meet you. My name is Li Qingling."

Watching the girl run away, Nie Yu tightened his grip on the handkerchief in his hand, as if he were holding a precious gift.

...

Nie Family

Nie Yu returned home with his schoolbag on his back. Before he could even take off his shoes, he suddenly turned his head and received a loud slap across the face.

He felt as if he had experienced a temporary deafness in the ear on the side that had been hit. When he looked up, he could only see his stepmother with her hands on her hips, pointing at him and cursing him, occasionally poking his chest with her finger.

How could a seven-year-old child withstand the force of an adult in an exposed state? He could only be pushed and staggered repeatedly before standing up again, remaining motionless like a wooden stake.

It wasn't until this point, when his tinnitus had subsided somewhat, that he finally understood why his stepmother, Ke Min, was angry with him.

"Nie Yu, you brat, you've grown a temper! How dare you get into a fight with Sheng Sheng at school? And you even sprained my precious son's ankle! Don't you want to study anymore? If you don't want to study, get back here! You lowly illegitimate child, how dare you challenge my son? Let me tell you, if he hits or beats you from now on, you'd better take it! If I find out you've hurt my son even a little bit, I'll have your father skin you alive."

Nie Yu lowered her head and endured her stepmother's scolding without any reaction. When her stepmother got agitated with her scolding, she would even angrily punch and kick her.

His father, Nie Zhenyuan, sat on the sofa in the living room drinking tea, seemingly indifferent to all of this.

Nie Yu had long been accustomed to all of this.

In this family, he's worse than an animal.

"Mommy, why did you hit me so lightly? Look at my ankle, it's still swollen!" Nie Fansheng said, feigning grievance and adding fuel to the fire.

Exhausted, stepmother Ke Min, hands on her hips and panting, said, "This wretched bone is really tough!"

Suddenly, she noticed the pink and white handkerchief wrapped around Nie Yu's hand, which was obviously given to her by a girl.

"Heh, I didn't expect anyone would care about a lowly piece of trash like you?" Ke Min said, casually tearing the handkerchief from Nie Yu's hand.

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