Chapter 47

The encounter in the alley that night was like a deep brand, burning into Xu Nianlei's memory. The lingering fear had not completely dissipated, but another, more turbulent and unfamiliar emotion, like the thawing spring tide, spread uncontrollably in her heart.

The moment Lu Baiyan appeared, his tall, straight back shielding her; the deep heartache hidden in his eyes as he hoarsely but firmly said "Don't be afraid"; his restrained yet gentle touch as he brushed away her stray hairs; and the embrace she rushed into in her desperation, filled with a cool, refreshing scent and a firm heartbeat…

Every detail, in the stillness of the night, was repeatedly savored and lingered in her mind, so vividly clear as if it had happened just a moment ago. Her cheeks would involuntarily flush, her heart would pound wildly out of rhythm, and an emotion mixed with immense security, an indescribable dependence, and a hint of secret sweetness would envelop her tightly.

She began to pay more attention to him. Amid the noisy recitations during morning reading, she could clearly distinguish his clear voice; in the chaotic crowd during breaks, her gaze would always unconsciously follow that slender and upright figure; when he occasionally brushed past her in the corridor and briefly reminded her of a certain point of knowledge, she could feel her ears turning red uncontrollably.

That feeling was no longer the awe and inferiority she felt upon first meeting, nor the simple gratitude that followed. It was a more complex emotion, tinged with excitement, shyness, and intense attraction. She realized that this boy named Lu Baiyan, without her noticing, had already conquered and occupied an irreplaceable place in her barren heart.

She began to jot down things other than studying in the blue notebook he had given her.

"In today's physics class, he went up to the front to explain the most difficult problem, and his thinking was as clear as a stream under the moonlight."

"The temperature has dropped, and he seems to have a cough. I hope he's alright."

"I overheard him talking to someone about wanting to go to a university in the south... Does it rain in the south?"

What flowed from the tip of her pen was the girl's most secret heart. She knew that this feeling might never be spoken aloud, that too many real-world distances lay between them. But simply secretly liking her, silently watching over her, was enough to bring her a touch of sweet comfort in the dull and oppressive life of her senior year of high school.

However, the storm of reality did not subside with the ripples in her heart. Xu Jianguo vanished without a trace after that night, never to be seen again. Initially, Xu Nianlei and Wang Xiuqin felt a strange sense of relief, but as time passed, an eerie calm only intensified their unease. Wang Xiuqin even hesitantly asked Xu Nianlei several times what had happened that night, whether it was Lu Baiyan…

Xu Nianlei simply shook her head in silence. She vaguely felt that Xu Jianguo's disappearance must be related to Lu Baiyan. That night, his cold gaze and the words he said to "Scarface Liu" sent chills down her spine, yet she also inexplicably felt a sense of security as if she were being completely protected.

Unbeknownst to her, Lu Baiyan was carrying out a far more thorough and ruthless "purge" behind her back.

After that night, Lu Baiyan contacted "Scarface Liu" through encrypted channels. Instead of paying any more money, he provided a more tempting but also riskier piece of information—Xu Jianguo's distant cousin had some connections at a small mine in a neighboring province. The mine was poorly managed and short-staffed, especially for someone like Xu Jianguo who was "unburdened" and would be easy to manage if something happened.

"Scarface Liu" was already worried that Xu Jianguo, this good-for-nothing, was a ticking time bomb in his territory. Upon hearing this news, he immediately had a plan. Should he continue to pressure this gambling addict who couldn't repay his debts, or should he do him a favor and send him away to a remote place far from the emperor's reach, eliminating any future trouble? The answer was obvious.

Under the "persuasion" (or rather, threat) and "travel expenses assistance" of "Scarface Liu", Xu Jianguo, filled with fear of the unknown and a sliver of unrealistic fantasy, quietly boarded a dilapidated long-distance bus bound for a neighboring province in the early morning, and from then on, he completely disappeared from the world of Xu Nianlei and her daughter.

Lu Baiyan's methods for eliminating this greatest threat were calm, precise, and even tinged with an undeniable ruthlessness. He knew all too well that mercy towards the devil would be cruelty towards Xu Nianlei. He had to ensure that this shadow would never return to harm her.

Meanwhile, his "reform" plan for Wang Xiuqin entered a new phase. He was no longer satisfied with merely influencing her online. He anonymously sent Wang Xiuqin several books on "letting go of obsessions" and "reconciling with adolescent children" under the name of the "school psychological counseling center," along with a heartfelt letter ostensibly out of concern for the student's family environment.

He even used some family connections (a resource he rarely used) to contact a senior leader at the textile factory where Wang Xiuqin worked, subtly expressing his hope that "the organization could show some concern for female employees like Wang Xiuqin who are raising children alone and are under a lot of pressure. Appropriate care and guidance may help stabilize employees and maintain family harmony."

These implicit pressures and concerns from the "official" and "organizational" forces, like an invisible hand, began to slowly pry open Wang Xiuqin's deep-rooted stubbornness. She started to occasionally stare blankly at those books, and when she heard the leaders' subtle expressions of concern at the factory, she would show confusion and a hint of barely perceptible wavering.

The changes are subtle, but they are definitely happening.

The end of the first semester of senior year arrived amidst this seemingly calm surface, but with undercurrents surging beneath. In the final monthly exam, Xu Nianlei performed consistently, even slightly improving her ranking. The day the results were announced was a rare sunny day; the winter sun streamed through the glass windows, warming the desks.

After school, Xu Nianlei packed her things and was about to leave when Lu Boyan came over and placed a sealed paper bag on her desk.

"Here you go." His tone remained indifferent.

Xu Nianlei's heart skipped a beat. She picked up the paper bag and looked at him with some confusion.

"I'll check it when I get back." After saying that, Lu Baiyan turned and left without any further explanation.

Xu Nianlei clutched the light paper bag as if it were a burning secret. She resisted the urge to open it immediately and carefully placed it inside the innermost layer of her schoolbag.

Back home, she locked the door before eagerly opening the paper bag. Inside, there was no letter, no note, only a photograph.

The photo depicts a street scene at dusk, its composition slightly skewed, as if captured casually. But the focus of the photo lies on the glass window of an inconspicuous newsstand on the street corner. In the reflection of the window, two figures walking side by side are vaguely visible—one is her, wearing a school uniform, head down; the other, tall and straight, walking slightly ahead of her, is Lu Baiyan.

On the back of the photo, in her familiar handwriting, a line of small print was written:

"A snapshot of light."

The date was a little over a month ago, the evening when he first offered to give her a ride because she was working late.

Xu Nianlei held the photo, her fingertips trembling slightly. So, so early on, he had already begun recording moments related to her in his own way? "Light"? Was he referring to the light of the sunset, or... to her?

A overwhelming mix of sweetness and bitterness instantly seized her. She pressed the photo tightly to her chest, as if she could feel the warmth of that twilight and his silent gaze through the photographic paper.

Tears fell silently, yet they carried a scalding heat.

Lu Baiyan, what kind of person are you? Why can you be so silent, yet so...heart-stirring?

She didn't know what sending him this photo meant—was it encouragement? Comfort? Or…something else? She dared not think too deeply. But she knew that this photo, along with all his silent protection, had already carved an unbridgeable rift in the high wall built in her heart.

The light has already shone in.

And she willingly immersed herself in this silent yet magnificent light that he brought.