Chapter 26 But now she doesn't even know where she is...

“We’re not actually that familiar with Miss Ning yet,” Liu Yi said, staring intently at Ning Yao. “I wonder if this internal conflict will damage our relationship.”

Ning Yao looked bewildered and turned to Bu Shuli, "Is this internal conflict very fierce?"

Debate is all about eloquence, isn't it?

Ning Yao couldn't process what was happening for a moment.

The main reason is that she never felt ashamed of being inferior to others.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and she always faces her shortcomings squarely and learns from the strengths of others.

Bu Shuli's face immediately darkened. "Liu Yi, are you looking for trouble?"

Out of resentment, she kicked Liu Yi under the table.

Luo Sudong shook his head, showing no sympathy for Liu Yi, and directly sided with Bu Shuli.

"Liu Yi, do you really think everyone is as competitive as you?"

Seeing the way the two of them looked at each other, Ning Yao couldn't help but imitate them, looking at Liu Yi with the same expression, her eyes conveying a sense of helplessness that said, "If that's how you think, there's nothing I can do about it."

This infuriated Liu Yi.

His face darkened. "It's not just about winning or losing. I just feel that since we're all going to form a small group, shouldn't we be more honest with each other?"

Ning Yao could sense his displeasure, but she could also sense that he didn't have much malice.

Therefore, she looked at Liu Yi seriously and said frankly, "Okay, what do you want to know?"

She was already very familiar with studying and wasn't afraid of it at all.

She was frank and open, while Bu Shuli, standing to the side, was so angry that her face puffed up.

He kicked Liu Yi a few more times under the table in anger, saying, "Liu Yi, I think you've gone too far."

Liu Yi sighed, glanced around, and said in a low voice, "It's not that I have any other opinions about people, it's just that there are some things I want to know. Let's find a place to talk after we finish eating."

The group then began to eat.

As Bu Shuli ate, she carefully observed Ning Yao and discovered that Ning Yao seemed genuinely unconcerned.

I secretly admired her for her carefree attitude.

The group ate their lunch absentmindedly.

Soon, after finishing their meal, they went to a corner together.

This is a small courtyard behind the cafeteria. People don't usually come here. It's surrounded by low grass, so it's hard to hide anyone.

Bu Shuli held Ning Yao's hand, protecting her behind her.

Raising his chin, he said directly to Liu Yi, "If you're talking about Huo Li, I don't think it's necessary to ask her."

Based on her interactions with Ning Yao over this period of time, it's obvious without asking that Ning Yao and Huo Li have no relationship.

Liu Yi laughed angrily, crossed his arms in front of his chest, and said, "Am I such a petty person in your heart? What does Huo Li have to do with us? Why should I ask about her relationship with Huo Li?"

Having said that, still angry, she added, "Besides, in these kinds of scandalous incidents, if anyone is at fault, it's definitely us men. How could I possibly investigate her character because of this!"

Every word was compelling and every sentence was reasonable.

Bu Shuli was speechless.

Ning Yao's pupils widened slightly. This Liu Yi was a good person, an upright and good person.

only……

"So what questions do you have about me?"

Liu Yi turned to look at her, pursed his lips, and asked, "You're going to that Jixiang Restaurant on Qingheng Street... are you planning to participate in their parade?"

Jixiang Hotel.

Ning Yao's eyes widened. That place...

"Where did you see me?"

Liu Yi nodded.

The address of Jixiang Hotel was obtained from the banquet hosted by that Miss Cheng. Bu Shuli and Luo Sudong knew what it was all about as soon as they heard it.

Seeing that all three understood, Liu Yi asked Ning Yao directly, "Do you want to participate? As far as I know," he said, gesturing with his index finger pointing to the sky.

"The outcome of this matter will likely be in June or July at the latest. In other words, although things may appear calm on the surface, there are actually undercurrents and the situation is not very optimistic. If you participate in a protest, something bad might happen," such as being arrested.

Ning Yao lowered her eyes, facing the gap between herself and these people for the first time.

They have many sources of information and know many things that are unknown to others.

But she was different; she often listened to Ning Ge, and her ability to independently obtain information was almost zero.

Although you can obtain information through newspapers and conversations with people around you, this is still a very one-sided approach.

However, now that they've been this frank, Ning Yao looked up at Liu Yi, her gaze sweeping over him before turning to Bu Shuli and Luo Sudong, and asked softly, "I genuinely wanted to support you, don't you want to?"

Liu Yi frowned. "This isn't a matter of willingness or unwillingness."

He thought for a moment, carefully choosing his words, and said, "If those above insist on backing down, then no matter how much we say or do, it will be useless."

"How will you know it's useless if you don't do it?" Ning Yao pressed.

Liu Yi was stumped by the question.

Luo Sudong, who was watching from the sidelines, was still not satisfied. He pulled Bu Shuli aside and whispered in her ear, "Where did you find this talent?"

Bu Shuli shrank her neck slightly, and the tips of her ears felt a little hot.

Pretending to scratch an itch, she rubbed her earlobe before whispering, "I only learned about eloquence today."

"Does she have other strengths?" Russell asked in surprise.

Bu Shuli nodded: "Just watch."

The two of them were whispering to each other, but their voices were loud enough for Ning Yao and Liu Yi to hear clearly.

Liu Yi sighed at the end, "I'm just afraid that if you really insist on standing out, you'll end up in jail before the debate even starts."

Ning Yao was speechless. "I'm not stupid. I would only do those things if I could ensure my own safety."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yi felt somewhat relieved.

What he didn't know was that even Ning Yao herself didn't know that one day in the future, she would risk everything for her ideals, regardless of life or death.

The conversation among the group came to a temporary end.

Bu Shuli and Ning Yao returned to the classroom.

Bu Shuli held Ning Yao's hand, carefully observing Ning Yao's expression.

"Don't worry too much about Liu Yi. He's actually a good person."

Ning Yao had been thinking about that gathering, and upon hearing this, she nodded, reassuring Bu Shuli: "I can tell that he has his reasons for considering things."

The key point is that he had no malicious intent.

Bu Shuli felt half relieved, and then whispered, "If anyone invites you to a protest recently, don't go. The situation outside isn't good right now."

Ning Yao pursed her lips, turned to look at Bu Shuli, and asked, "Where did you learn all this?"

As she spoke, she looked around and saw her classmates all around her, making noise as usual.

Have fun when you should have fun, and study when you should study.

She remembered the streets she passed on her way to school, the vendors' cries, and the bustling crowds—it was still almost as lively as ever.

The prosperity remains unchanged.

Bu Shuli paused for a long time, and only after returning to her seat did she speak to her in a very soft voice, almost inaudible to those around her:

“My dad pays close attention to this, and he always makes sure my brother and I get these supplements privately. As for Liu Yi and the others, they are almost all the same.”

Ning Yao heard it.

He tilted his head and looked at her thoughtfully.

Bu Shuli's father was a businessman, and they naturally had their own social networks.

This channel is the result of years of accumulation.

And what about her?

Ning Yao fell into deep thought.

She read books and newspapers every day, so she knew the situation was bad, but she was extremely restricted. She knew it was bad, but she didn't know how difficult it was.

The teacher had already arrived. Ning Yao looked up at the math teacher, who was lecturing with great enthusiasm, and then at Bu Shuli, who was listening attentively beside her.

For the first time, I felt my own inadequacy.

This lack has nothing to do with knowledge or wealth.

I feel like a tiny splash in a surging wave, caught in its current but unaware of where I'm headed.

Most people don't know or can't predict what the future holds, which is understandable.

But she has no idea how big the waves of the tide she is in are about to surge.

This won't do.

Ning Yao pursed her lips.

He secretly made up his mind.

Suddenly, she remembered the photo Ning Yiwen had given her that morning before she came to school.

That photo from Nanjing certainly wasn't something you could get easily.

Brother Ning must know a lot of things.

Tonight, she must find an opportunity to ask and get to the bottom of it.

With this in mind, Ning Yao was preoccupied with how she felt after seeing the photos that morning. She needed to take care of the matter that Brother Ning had entrusted to her.

The pen writes and draws on the paper. A soft scratching sound can be heard constantly.

An article leaps off the page.

but……

Ning Yao stared at what she had written, feeling that it wasn't quite ready yet.

She sensed something was wrong.

Continue making changes.

Ning Yao wrote it no less than five times throughout the afternoon.

Finally, I managed to write a manuscript.

Bu Shuli remained curious for a long time, and only when she saw that Ning Yao finally seemed to have finished did she ask, "What are you writing?"

However, he remained very polite, not looking at the papers on Ning Yao's table, but staring directly at Ning Yao.

Ning Yao shook her head, "It's just something I need to record, nothing much."

The people around me are all classmates I've known for a long time. Their greatest strength is that they rarely look at what others are busy with, especially what they write.

This is also why Ning Yao so openly writes her manuscript in class.

*

Night fell in the Ning family courtyard.

Under the osmanthus tree in the courtyard, Ning Yao and Ning Yiwen were quietly eating their meal, each holding a bowl and holding a small lamp.

While eating, Ning Yao would occasionally glance at Ning Yiwen.

On her way home from school, she handed the manuscript she had written in class to Ning Yiwen.

He had finished reading it, but his face remained calm and composed, showing no sign of any opinion.

Ning Yao wanted to ask directly, but she was afraid that it wouldn't be appropriate to ask too clearly on the street.

But once home, Ning Yiwen put down his things and went to the kitchen, where he has been busy ever since.

She never found an opportunity.

With her mind wandering, Ning Yao ate more and more slowly.

Until one day, when he looked up by chance, he met Ning Yiwen's gaze.

Ning Yao quickly lowered her head and hurriedly shoveled a few mouthfuls of white rice into her mouth.

Ning Yiwen's lips curled up, and a hint of a smile appeared in his deep, dark eyes.

He said calmly, "Ask whatever you want."