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Cai Wenchuan's warm voice came through: "Xiaoyu, I thought about it when I got home and felt it was necessary to remind you. Although you have a boyfriend, I've never met him and don't know him well, but I think if a girl loses her normal social life after getting a boyfriend, and can't even see the older brother next door she grew up with, it can only mean that your boyfriend has a problem with his personality—"

A bitter smile appeared on Ye Wenyu's lips. It turned out that Cai Wenchuan was still struggling with the reason why she couldn't see him again during the day.

A night breeze blew by, feeling like ice water being poured over me.

Cai Wenchuan continued, "What kind of person is your boyfriend? How long have you been dating him? What does he do? Tell me. Xiaoyu, girls should be careful when making friends. Often, after getting a boyfriend, you'll eventually get married. For a girl, getting married is like being reborn. Don't you want to reconsider your boyfriend?"

Ye Wenyu smiled bitterly, feeling as if she were soaking in bitter water, utterly miserable. The streetlights in the distance resembled the sleepy eyes of camels, and the road beneath her feet seemed like the floating surface of the sea. Some houses in the neighborhood were brightly lit, these brilliant lights like torches, burning holes in the night.

Seeing that Ye Wenyu hadn't spoken for a long time, Cai Wenchuan assumed the cell phone signal was bad. He asked urgently into the phone, "Hello, hello, Xiaoyu, are you listening? Can you hear me?"

Ye Wenyu finally spoke, "I can hear you." Her throat seemed to have suddenly developed a severe throat ailment, becoming extremely hoarse.

She glanced at the dimly lit, deserted street, realizing she had nowhere to go. Cai Wenchuan had called to express his concern. His worries weren't unfounded; Lin Tingfeng was indeed a psychologically unstable person. But could she tell Cai Wenchuan about her predicament? Could she ask him for help and stay with him? During their meal together, Lin Tingfeng had acted like a tyrant. If he knew she was helping him escape, wouldn't that harm her brother Wen?

No, absolutely not. Things are already in such a mess that if I don't clear my head and understand what I can and cannot do, things will only get more chaotic.

Therefore, Ye Wenyu composed herself and politely said to Cai Wenchuan, "Thank you for your concern, Brother Wen. I will indeed reconsider, but it will take time. It's getting late. Goodnight." Then she quickly hung up the phone.

Cai Wenchuan breathed a sigh of relief. Xiaoyu had agreed to reconsider choosing a boyfriend, so his phone call hadn't been in vain.

He slept peacefully.

Ye Wenyu hung up Cai Wenchuan's call, put her phone back in her pocket, and wondered where she could have gone.

With his injuries all over his body, if he goes to stay in a hotel now, the hotel staff will probably be suspicious. If the staff calls the police, and things get out of hand, it could be detrimental to Lin Tingfeng.

Go back to the girls' dormitory? No, she's covered in blood and injuries right now. If her roommates see her, it'll be like throwing mud at her own face. Tomorrow, the whole school will be buzzing with rumors, and everyone'll say whatever they want. Today, she was beaten up on the street by Lin Tingfeng's wife. Because it's so close to the school, she doesn't know if any students saw it, and she's worried about that. Therefore, she absolutely cannot go back to school!

With this thought in mind, Ye Wenyu had no idea where she could go.

Just then, her phone rang again. Ye Wenyu took it out and saw that it was her mother calling. A warm feeling washed over her, and she picked up the phone to answer.

"Xiaoyu—"

Zhang Susu's warm voice came through, her tone relaxed. She cheerfully said to her, "Mom has some good news for you!"

Ye Wenyu forced a smile and said, "Okay." For her at this moment, receiving good news was truly a rare treat.

Zhang Susu smiled and said, "The good news is that both of your younger brothers have been accepted into boarding schools, so they don't have to live at home anymore." Her voice was very cheerful.

Ye Wenyu's heart stirred. She was in so much pain right now, like a child who always wanted to find her mother's embrace when she was sad. Now that her two younger brothers, who were not related to her by blood, were living at school, her mother had a place for her to stay. So, she mustered up her courage and said, "Mom, can I stay at your house tonight?"

Zhang Susu was stunned, her heart sank, and she knew that something serious must have happened to her daughter.

She immediately composed herself and said gently, "Of course you can come, you're welcome!"

Ye Wenyu thanked him and hung up the phone. She had left her mother's address before, so she hailed a taxi late at night and went there with her suitcase.

Half an hour later, Ye Wenyu arrived at her mother's new home. She had been there once before, but because it was too small, too poor, and too dilapidated—like a broken matchbox—she had never returned. When she came before, she never imagined that one day she would return here covered in wounds.

The dim yellow light of her mother's house was on. Ye Wenyu looked up from downstairs and saw her mother waiting for her, which warmed her heart. She lowered her head and dragged her suitcase up the stairs. Because it was an old neighborhood without an elevator, it was already three in the morning when she arrived at her mother's door. She was exhausted and covered in sweat.

The door was ajar; clearly, her mother knew she was coming and had opened it beforehand. The sounds of her mother and stepfather talking drifted from inside. A warm, orange light shone through the crack in the door. Ye Wenyu looked up at the house number, confirming it was her mother's home, before composing herself. Standing at the door, she mustered her courage and called out, "Mom—" She felt like a stray dog, desperately searching for a new home.

She remained standing at the doorway, not going in. Because, strictly speaking, this wasn't her home; it was her mother's and stepfather's home. She was a very sensible person.

Zhang Susu immediately came out to greet her daughter with a smile when she heard her voice. However, when she saw the suitcase next to her daughter, her smile froze.

Her stepfather, Uncle Wang, also came out to greet her. Seeing her filthy and battered appearance, his smile vanished. The instant Ye Wenyu saw Uncle Wang, she instinctively lowered her head and covered her face with her hands; she didn't want him to see her injured state.

Uncle Wang's smile vanished, replaced by shock.

At this moment, Xiaoyu resembled a doll that had been abandoned on the ground for a long time.

When Zhang Susu saw her daughter covered in grime, with disheveled hair, wounds, and bloodstains, she was stunned. However, reason told her that her daughter didn't want more people to know, so she immediately reached out, grabbed Xiaoyu's hand, and pulled her into the house, saying, "Let's talk inside."