Chapter 13

On Wednesday afternoon, Li Ruiyuan received a WeChat message while working the cash register at the convenience store. In the photo sent by Chen Hao, several boys were giving the "V" sign to the camera, with a picture of a popular online milk tea shop in the background.

"Brother Yuan! Do you want to skip class and go out to play?" He smiled and replied, "I'm working, you guys have fun."

This was the third "chance encounter" this month. Ever since the last home visit, these top students had found various excuses to ask him out. Sometimes it was to "ask for social experience," sometimes just to "stop by on the way to tutoring."

On Friday after school, Li Ruiyuan was waiting at the entrance of Guangya as usual. However, he saw Chen Hao and his group coming out, accompanied by Wu Ye, all with bright smiles.

"Brother Yuan!" Lin Wei waved first, "Our class won the basketball game!" She naturally stuffed the milk tea into Li Ruiyuan's hand: "I brought this for you, three-point candy!"

Wu Ye was pushed to the outer edge of the crowd, a suspicious stain on the shoulder of his school uniform. Li Ruiyuan casually handed him the milk tea: "Want some?" The boy shook his head, his lips pressed into a pale line.

"Let's go celebrate, Brother Yuan!" Chen Hao hooked his shoulder, "We know a great barbecue restaurant!" The other classmates echoed, but their eyes glanced at Wu Ye vaguely.

Li Ruiyuan ruffled Wu Ye's hair. "You go back first?" The plastic bag made a subtle crackling sound in the boy's palm. He lowered his head and stared at the tip of his shoe. "...Hmm."

The barbecue stall was filled with smoke, and the top students were ordering their food expertly. Li Ruiyuan was surprised to find that these "good students" were also proficient in smoking and drinking.

"Don't tell the teacher~" Lin Wei winked playfully and poured him a beer. Chen Hao put his arm around his shoulder and sighed, "Brother Yuan is still interesting. Those nerds in our class are so boring."

After three rounds of drinks, Li Ruiyuan was stopped when he went to pay the bill. "How can we let the birthday boy spend money!" Chen Hao rushed to swipe his card, revealing a thick wad of cash in his wallet.

In the taxi on the way back, Lin Wei "accidentally" leaned on his shoulder. The perfume in her hair was so strong that it was choking. "Brother Yuan..." her voice was sticky, "It's my birthday next week, you must come, okay?"

It was late at night when I got home. Wu Ye was curled up on the sofa, asleep, the TV screen flickering with snowflakes. On the coffee table sat a bowl of cold fried noodles, the packaging stained with grease.

Li Ruiyuan gently kicked his calf: "Go back to bed." The boy woke up with bloodshot eyes.

"have eaten?"

"Yeah." The smell of alcohol wafted away with the voice.

Wu Ye was silently cleaning up the fried noodles when his fingers suddenly stopped. There was a bright red lip print on Li Ruiyuan's collar.

As the sound of running water filled the bathroom, the boy smeared a lipstick mark with his fingertip. The lipstick was a popular shade from a luxury brand, and he had seen it in Lin Wei's makeup bag.

The next morning, Li Ruiyuan found an unfamiliar text message on his phone: "Brother, you left your lighter with me yesterday. When can you come pick it up? (*￣3￣)"

Wu Ye happened to pass by, his eyes glancing over the screen. "The students are quite enthusiastic," Li Ruiyuan said, smiling as he deleted the text message. "After all, it's a key middle school, so the quality is high."

The boy bent his head to tie his shoelaces, his nails digging into his palms. He worked on his shoelaces for a long, long time, until the sound of Li Ruiyuan's motorcycle disappeared at the end of the alley.

…………

The rooftop of Guangwei Middle School is locked year-round, but some students always manage to get a key. During the last study session of the afternoon, Wu Ye was stuck in front of the concrete guardrail, and a button on his school uniform fell off.

"For the last time." Chen Hao held the basketball against his chest. "Withdraw from the competition next Monday." Lin Wei held up her mobile phone to record the video, and the camera was deliberately pointed at the corner of Wu Ye's broken mouth.

The wind blew the scraps of the test paper like pale butterflies. Wu Ye stared at the watch on the other person's wrist, the surface reflecting the swollen left side of his face.

"Did you hear that?" Wu Ye added more force to the basketball. Suddenly, he smiled. Blood clung to his teeth, forming a ferocious grimace.

The next second, the basketball thudded to the ground. Chen Hao stumbled back, clutching his nose, blood seeping from between his fingers. Lin Wei's scream was caught in her throat. Wu Ye grabbed Chen Hao's hair and slammed his stunned face against the guardrail.

The smell of rust and blood filled the air. "Go ahead and take pictures," Wu Ye said, his eyes frighteningly dark. "Don't you love taking pictures?"

The phone clattered to the ground. As the other two boys lunged at him, Wu Ye grabbed the glass from a fire hydrant in the corner. The shattering sound startled the roosting pigeons.

"Come on." He held the glass shard, blood trickling down his wrist into his sleeve. "At worst, we can die together."

When the teachers arrived, the rooftop looked like a crime scene. Chen Hao clutched his bleeding head and wailed. Lin Wei huddled in a corner, trembling and screaming. Wu Ye stood in the middle of the ruins, silent and unspoken, still clutching the piece of glass.

When the school bell rang, Li Ruiyuan was on his motorcycle, checking his phone. Chen Hao had just sent him pictures from a party, showing him hugging a few girls and smiling cheerfully.

"Brother Yuan!" a familiar, sweet voice called out. Lin Wei walked over with the bandaged Chen Hao on her arm, followed by the Dean of Academic Affairs.

"Wu Ye suddenly went crazy..." the girl cried bitterly, "Brother Hao just advised him to concentrate on his studies..."

The director pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and said, "The situation is very serious. We need to ask the parents..."

Li Ruiyuan's face darkened, his phone still displaying photos of the party. He looked up at the teaching building and saw a young boy's lonely figure flash by a window.

As dusk deepened, the lights in Guangwei Middle School's elite class were ablaze. Meanwhile, the bloodstains on the rooftop were solidifying, like some kind of dark medal.

When the motorcycle engine stalled at the alley entrance, it startled several stray cats. Li Ruiyuan pulled the key out, the clanging of metal piercing the still night. He glanced sideways in the rearview mirror. Wu Ye sat quietly in the back seat. The wound on his forehead had stopped bleeding, but the clotted blood looked particularly hideous under the streetlight.

"Get off the car." Li Ruiyuan's voice was lower and hoarse than usual.

Wu Ye's movements were somewhat slow, and he stumbled as he stepped out of the car. Li Ruiyuan subconsciously reached out to hold his arm, but it was cold to the touch.

The sound-activated light in the hallway was broken, and darkness enveloped him like a damp blanket. Li Ruiyuan fumbled for a lighter and, with a flick, lit a small flame. The flame danced, illuminating Wu Ye's pale face and torn uniform.

"Can we go?" Li Ruiyuan asked, with an imperceptible tension in his tone.

Wu Ye nodded and followed him silently. The footsteps echoed in the empty corridor like a heavy heartbeat.

I pushed open the door, and the living room lightbulb took several clicks to come on. Dim light streamed down, illuminating the now-cold rice on the table. There was a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes and a bowl of white rice, both carefully covered by plates.

Li Ruiyuan kicked the game controller off the ground and dragged the medicine box out from under the TV cabinet. The plastic box was already old, with a faded cartoon sticker on the lid.

"Sit down." He pointed to the sofa.

Wu Ye sat down obediently, his hands on his knees, like a prisoner awaiting trial. Li Ruiyuan squatted in front of him and dipped a cotton swab in iodine. When the cotton swab touched the wound, Wu Ye gasped softly.

"Do you feel the pain now?" Li Ruiyuan continued to move, but his tone softened. "What were you thinking about when you were fighting?"

The cotton swab swirled around the wound, the iodine staining the cotton wool red. Wu Ye lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes casting shadows under his eyes.

"They started it first." The voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible.

Li Ruiyuan snorted and tore off the Band-Aid wrapper. "That kid Chen Hao? He doesn't look like he can fight."

The moment the Band-Aid was applied to his skin, Wu Ye suddenly grabbed his wrist. The boy's fingers were cold, yet they were trembling slightly.

"There's more than just him..." Wu Ye raised his head, something in his eyes breaking, "Four people... sometimes five..."

"……What?"

“…they bullied me.”

Li Ruiyuan paused. He stared into Wu Ye's eyes, those usually gentle, downcast eyes now filled with so much. Fear, humiliation, and a hint of ruthlessness he had never seen before.

"When did it start?" Li Ruiyuan's voice became deep.

Wu Ye's gaze drifted out the window, and the lights of the Guangzhou Tower in the distance were flickering in the night.

"It's the fourth day of my shift," he said, his voice eerily calm. "Because I refused to give you WeChat."

The iodine bottle slipped from his hand, and the brown liquid spread on the floor. Li Ruiyuan was stunned, and countless images flashed through his mind: Chen Hao's bright smile, Lin Wei's sweet voice, those "accidental" encounters, and those "incidental" gifts.

Li Ruiyuan's hands continued to move. Instead of dealing with the spilled iodine, he reached for some medical alcohol from a nearby cabinet. When the alcohol was poured onto the wound, both of them shuddered. Wu Ye allowed him to bandage it roughly, then suddenly whispered, "They laughed at you for wearing fake shoes." The bandage tightened suddenly.

"I'm laughing at your motorcycle leaking oil." The scissors fell to the ground with a clang.

"I'm laughing at you..." the boy choked, "buy me a pirated exercise book."

Li Ruiyuan yanked open his collar. More bruises were exposed under the light, the interweaving of old and new like a cruel painting.

“?!”

"Then why the hell didn't you say it?" He heard his own voice coming from far away.

Wu Ye's mouth twisted into a twisted smile. "What? That your new friends trapped me in the toilet stall every day? That they poured red ink into my homework? That Lin Wei wrote an anonymous letter in the school magazine saying I was mentally ill?"

With every sentence, his voice became louder, until it was almost a roar.

"They forced me to eat chalk dust? They said Chen Hao burned my arm with a cigarette butt? They said every time they beat me I would smile and say, 'Don't tell your brother, we're good friends'?"

Wu Ye ripped open his school uniform shirt, causing the buttons to fall and bounce on the floor. His pale skin was covered in purple bruises and a noticeable circular burn.

Li Ruiyuan's breathing stopped. He stretched out his hand, his fingertips suspended in the air, not daring to touch the scars.

"I don't know..." he said with difficulty, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Wu Ye suddenly laughed, tears in his laughter: "Tell you what? Tell you that the 'good students' you carefully selected are actually a bunch of perverts? Tell you that every time you happily drank with them at the barbecue stall, I was hiding in the equipment room wiping away the blood?"

He stood up, and his school uniform fell to the ground, revealing more scars.

"Do you know what's the funniest thing?" Wu Ye's voice trembled. "Every time you praised them for being sensible and polite, I kept thinking... if you knew the truth, would you finally..."

The words stopped abruptly. Wu Ye turned away, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Li Ruiyuan stood there, the iodine on the floor slowly seeping into the cracks between the tiles. He remembered Chen Hao's hand on his shoulder, the warmth of Lin Wei leaning against him, and what he thought was "friendship" and "recognition."

My stomach was churning.

"I'm sorry." The three words came out of his throat dryly.

Wu Ye didn't look back, but just shook his head gently: "You don't understand."

He bent down to pick up the school uniform on the ground, folded it carefully and placed it on the sofa, as if it were a precious treasure.

"Every time you go out with them, you come back very happy." Wu Ye's voice was very soft, as if he was talking to himself. "You would say, 'Top students are different,' or 'These kids are really promising.'"

He turned around, his face had returned to calm, only the slightly red corners of his eyes revealed his emotions.

"How could I destroy something you cherish so much?" Wu Ye forced a bleak smile. "You finally feel...that there are still good people in this world."

Silence spread across the room. A siren blared in the distance, then gradually faded away.

Li Ruiyuan slowly squatted down and picked up the iodine bottle from the ground. The liquid was almost gone, just like his current mood.

"Fool." He said softly, with an imperceptible tremor in his voice, "You are the most important."

Wu Ye stood there in a daze, as if he didn't hear clearly.

Li Ruiyuan stood up and walked over to the boy. He reached out and gently brushed the Band-Aid on his forehead, then the bruises and the burns. Each touch was gentle, as if he were handling a fragile treasure.

"I'll go to school tomorrow." Li Ruiyuan said, his voice calm but unquestionable.

"No!" Wu Ye grabbed his hand fiercely, "You'll do something... and then be taken away by the police again..."

Li Ruiyuan looked at the boy's frightened eyes and suddenly understood something.

"You've been holding back... because you're afraid I'll cause trouble?"

Wu Ye lowered his head and agreed.

A complex mix of emotions surged in Li Ruiyuan's chest. Anger, heartache, and an indescribable sense of guilt. He took a deep breath and pulled the boy into his arms. Wu Ye's body stiffened at first, then slowly relaxed.

"Listen," Li Ruiyuan's voice vibrated through his chest, "No one can bully you. No matter if he's a top student or a big shot."

The boy in his arms trembled slightly, and the warm liquid soaked his T-shirt.

"But..." Wu Ye's voice was muffled in his arms, "You will..."

"I won't do it." Li Ruiyuan interrupted him, his tone unexpectedly calm, "I have a better idea."

He let go of Wu Ye and looked directly into the boy's eyes: "But you have to promise me that you will not hide anything from me in the future."

Wu Ye bit his lip for a long time, then nodded gently.

Li Ruiyuan bent down to pick up the medicine box on the ground and took out the cotton swabs and iodine again: "Now, let me take care of these."

This time, Wu Ye sat quietly and let him treat his wounds. Under the light, the scars on the boy's body were like a cruel map, recording the unknown pain.

When the last piece of gauze was applied, Li Ruiyuan suddenly said, "And those parties... I won't go anymore."

Wu Ye looked up in surprise.

"He's not an important person." Li Ruiyuan shrugged and said casually, "I don't have time to play with a little kid."

Outside the window, the city lights were still bright. But in this small living room, something was quietly changing.

Wu Ye looked at the person in front of him and suddenly asked softly: "Will you hate me? Because I destroyed..."

"Silly." Li Ruiyuan ruffled his hair, "If I had found out earlier..."

The words were not yet finished, but both understood their meaning. The clock ticked and it was already late at night.

"Are you hungry?" Li Ruiyuan suddenly asked, "The scrambled eggs with tomatoes are cold."

Wu Ye shook his head and then nodded.

Li Ruiyuan picked up the plate and walked towards the kitchen: "Wait, just heat it up."

The hum of the microwave filled the silence. Wu Ye sat on the sofa, watching the busy figures in the kitchen, and suddenly felt that the scars were no longer so painful.

When the hot food was brought back to the table, Li Ruiyuan handed over a pair of chopsticks and said, "Eat, and then have a good sleep."

Wu Ye took the chopsticks and asked softly, "Are you really going to school tomorrow?"

"Yes." Li Ruiyuan sat down opposite him, "But you have to listen to my arrangements."

The two of them ate in silence, neither of them speaking. But a certain tacit understanding had been reached in the silence, like a flower quietly blooming in the darkness.

After dinner, Li Ruiyuan took out his phone and began to look through his address book. Wu Ye sat quietly beside him, watching his serious face.

"Go take a shower first," Li Ruiyuan said without looking up. "Don't let the wound get wet."

When the sound of water came from the bathroom, Li Ruiyuan made a phone call: "Principal Wang, I'm sorry to bother you so late..."

His voice was low, but every word was clear and powerful. The person on the other end of the line seemed a little surprised, but soon responded seriously.

After hanging up the phone, Li Ruiyuan sent another text message. The recipient was Lin Lixin, and the content was simple: "I need your help tomorrow."

The sound of water in the bathroom stopped. Li Ruiyuan deleted the text message history and threw his phone on the sofa.

Wu Ye came out wearing a loose T-shirt, his hair still dripping with water. Li Ruiyuan threw him a dry towel: "Wipe it clean, don't catch a cold."

The boy wiped his hair obediently, but his eyes always followed Li Ruiyuan's figure.

"What are you looking at?" Li Ruiyuan raised an eyebrow. "Go lie down on the bed."

After turning off the lights, the two lay side by side in the darkness. Moonlight seeped in through the gaps in the curtains, casting a thin spot of light on the ceiling.

"Brother Yuan." Wu Ye called softly.

"Um?"

"Thank you."

Li Ruiyuan turned over and faced him: "What are you thanking me for? Go to sleep."

In the darkness, he felt the boy creep closer, his breath brushing against his arm.

"Tomorrow..." Wu Ye's voice was filled with anxiety. "I'm here." Li Ruiyuan interrupted him, "Go to sleep."

Outside the window, the night in Guangzhou is gentle and deep. On this ordinary night, something is quietly changing, like the tide of the Pearl River, which always rises quietly when no one notices.

When dawn arrives, what awaits them will be a war without the smoke of gunpowder. But at this moment, in this small room, there are only two people who depend on each other and a trust that has just been reaffirmed.

As the night deepened, the young man finally fell into a deep sleep. However, Li Ruiyuan kept his eyes open, watching the flickering lights on the ceiling until dawn.