Chapter 106: Plea
The early morning sunlight, with its unique crispness of early spring, penetrated the glass windows of the girls' dormitory of Beijing University, casting mottled light and shadows on the concrete floor. Gu Qiuyue suddenly sat up from the bed, her forehead covered with fine beads of cold sweat, her heart beating wildly in her chest, as if trying to break free.
In my dream yesterday, the teeth-grinding "crack...crack..." sound, the scraping of iron against the brick wall, cold and persistent, seemed to be right next to my ears, as well as the choking white mist, my brother Gu Qiuhan's figure pouncing like a cheetah, and the frightened and angry screams of the gangsters outside the window... everything was terribly clear.
Gu Qiuyue returned to the dormitory that night. She didn't expect to have such a nightmare. She gasped for breath and looked around the familiar and safe dormitory, the neatly arranged desks, the even breathing of her roommates, the faint sound of radio gymnastics music coming from outside the window... The tranquility of reality gradually soothed the fear brought by the nightmare.
Her fingertips were cold, and she subconsciously touched her earlobe, as if she could still feel the warmth brought by her brother's hurried words last night. Bai Xiaolian... That name was like a poisoned needle, piercing her heart, bringing a chill of fear, but was immediately overwhelmed by a sense of relief after the counterattack, accompanied by fatigue.
Unable to think about it anymore, she shook her head vigorously, as if trying to shake off the shadow of that night.
Today is Monday, and there are important professional classes. Gu Qiuyue got out of bed swiftly and splashed cold water on her face. Although there were still some dark shadows under her eyes in the mirror, her eyes had become calm and firm again. Academics are the foundation of her life.
During the break, she hurried to the reception desk and called home. Her mother, Xu Qin, spoke through the receiver, trying to remain calm but unable to conceal a lingering tremor. "Don't worry, everything's fine at home! The police have boarded up the windows, so they're quite sturdy. Your brother is here, staying with us every step of the way. Don't worry."
"Mom, those people..." Gu Qiuyue lowered her voice.
"He confessed! He confessed everything!" Xu Qin's voice suddenly tinged with hatred. "That spineless guy with his eyes blinded by chili powder. The police were scared out of their wits during the first trial. It was Bai Xiaolian, that black-hearted girl, who paid them to search your house and look for... your diaries, letters, and other things. They'd use that as leverage to make sure you couldn't stay at Jingcheng University and completely ruin your reputation!"
Xu Qin's voice choked. "She's deliberately trying to destroy you, Yueyue!"
Gu Qiuyue's hand holding the receiver suddenly tightened, her knuckles turned white, and a cold anger rushed from her feet to her head, almost suffocating her.
Diaries? Letters? And then a frame-up? In this day and age, being labeled as "having ideological problems" or "improper conduct" is tantamount to a calamity for a college student!
Bai Xiaolian, how could she be so vicious! She wanted to use such despicable means to trample her into the mud and make her fall into ruin!
"Don't even think about it!" Gu Qiuyue's voice was as cold as ice. "Mom, I know. The police..."
"The evidence is conclusive!" Xu Qin's tone was firm. "We found a note written by Bai Xiaolian. It had our home address and your dormitory building number written on it, and it also said 'Look for her diary'. The criminal also had the deposit she gave him with her. We caught her red-handed. The police have already gone to arrest her. This time, let's see where she can run." Xu Qin also knew that Bai Xiaolian had snatched her daughter's place to return to the city, and she hated her so much that her voice was filled with the satisfaction of revenge.
"Okay." Gu Qiuyue took a deep breath and suppressed her surging emotions. "Mom, you, Dad, and brother should be careful at home. I'm fine here. I'm going to class first."
After hanging up the phone, cold anger surged in her chest. She simply said to her roommate Zhou Li, who was looking at her with concern, "Bai Xiaolian did this at home. She wanted to harm me."
Zhou Li covered her mouth in shock, then angrily said, "Is she crazy?! This is horrible! That's the Peking University faculty building!"
Gu Qiuyue shook her head and said nothing more. She just nodded, picked up the book, and walked quickly towards the library. The fortress built of knowledge was her best armor at the moment.
In the afternoon, on the tree-lined avenue outside the library, willow branches sprouted new buds, exuding a breath of new life.
Gu Qiuyue was holding several heavy professional books, thinking about the afternoon's open mechanics class when a stranger came over and asked, "Excuse me, is this Gu Qiuyou studying?"
"I'm Gu Qiuyue. Do you have something to talk to me about?" Gu Qiuyue looked at the strange classmate with a puzzled look.
"It's like this, someone outside the school gate said he was looking for you," said the classmate.
Gu Qiuyue nodded, "Thank you!"
After the classmate left, Gu Qiuyue frowned and went to the school gate. Who would come to see her at this time?
Just as she walked out of the school gate, a figure suddenly rushed out from behind a tree on the side of the road and blocked her way - it was Chen Xiangsong.
He had become a completely different person, with an unshaven beard, sunken eye sockets, and greasy hair sticking to his forehead. His once handsome face was now filled with anxiety and despair, and his clothes were wrinkled and stained with unknown stains.
"Qiuyue!" His voice was hoarse and filled with tears. He reached out to grab Gu Qiuyue's arm, "Please, please, for the sake of... for the sake of our past relationship, let Xiaolian go this time.
She…she was just confused for a moment and got stuck in a dead end. She’s young and naive, and she’s just too…that’s why she did something wrong!” His actions attracted the attention of several passersby.
Gu Qiuyue quickly took a step back, avoiding his touch. Her eyes instantly turned as cold as the depths of a cold pond, and her lips were filled with sarcasm: "Too what? Too jealous of me? Or can't stand seeing me do well?"
"Chen Xiangsong," her voice was low, but it pierced the slightly cool early spring air clearly. It carried an undeniable coldness and determination, and every word cut like a nail hardened by ice. "Put aside your excuses of 'momentary confusion' and 'you're young'. Besides, I remember she's two months older than me."
She took half a step forward and stared at him sharply, a look that made Chen Xiangsong shrink involuntarily.
"I hired thugs, armed with crowbars and knives, to pry open the windows of a faculty building at Beijing University late at night, with the goal of searching for so-called 'evidence' and framing someone. Tell me, is this called 'momentary confusion'? Is this called 'going off on a tangent'? This! Is! Called! A! Crime!" She bit the last four words hard, making them ring loudly.
The whispers around became louder.
"Past affection?" Gu Qiuyue's lips curled up in an icy arc, her eyes devoid of any warmth. "When you repeatedly allowed her to spread rumors and slander me, and when you helped her win back her place in the city, that pitiful bit of affection was torn to pieces and trampled upon by your own hands!"
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