Chapter Eleven Gu Huailang
The person on the other end of the phone slammed down the call, leaving Meng Fanxi stunned as she processed the information in her mind.
Gu Huailang got beaten up?
The man had a rough voice and told Gu Huailang not to hide. He also said a lot of harsh words, saying that if he didn't want to be beaten so badly again, he should be sensible and hand over what he wanted.
What should he do? He had never heard of Gu Huailang encountering such a thing in his previous life.
Thinking of Gu Huailang's reaction when he was patted on the shoulder and his pained expression that morning, as if he were having a nightmare, Meng Fanxi's face became even more somber.
"What happened?" Ren Yuchen asked softly, realizing that the person in front of him might be facing some difficult problems.
Upon hearing this, Meng Fanxi looked at the two people in front of her. They were both Gu Huailang's teammates in his previous life. Ren Yuchen and Gu Huailang had even shared a hug that lasted a century. They had both arrived in Weil before her and knew Gu Huailang better.
No matter how you look at it, this is not something that Meng Fanxi can solve alone.
"Let's talk in your dorm."
Having made his decision, Meng Fanxi placed his phone under Gu Huailang's pillow and went with the two to the dormitory next door.
Ren Yuchen and Xu You's dorm room was equally clean and tidy. The left wall was covered with abstract wallpaper, and both chairs had been replaced with luxury chairs, clearly Xu You's work.
The three sat together, and Meng Fanxi roughly recounted the contents of the phone call, also mentioning Gu Huailang's unusual behavior over the past few days.
Xu You immediately realized: "He must have been bullied, and more than once."
Seeing Meng Fanxi's puzzled expression, he added, "I felt something was wrong before. During his monthly exam last month, his dance was very sloppy, and he was demoted directly from S-level to A-level."
At this moment, Meng Fanxi was too surprised to know that Gu Huailang was actually an S-level trainee; she only felt that things were beyond her imagination.
There were signs more than a month ago. What exactly happened to Gu Huailang?
"We can't find out the truth or a solution to this matter just by guessing. We have to ask Gu Huailang. Only by knowing the facts can we find the right solution." Ren Yuchen, after all, was the class monitor, and he analyzed the situation calmly.
"Besides, I have class later, so I can only come back to see him in the evening."
“Yes, we’ll surround him tonight and not let him sleep until we tell him!” Xu You’s serious expression made Meng Fanxi chuckle, and the atmosphere among them relaxed a little.
After the three discussed the specific actions, Meng Fanxi returned to the dormitory. Seeing that Gu Huailang had already returned, she tried her best to control her expression, but her eyes kept following him out of the corner of her eye.
Gu Huailang continued with his own affairs as usual, probably having forgotten about the phone. The pillow remained exactly as it was, and he didn't touch the phone until he left the house.
Meng Fanxi's efficiency was not high in the evening. He tried his best to focus on the practice in front of him, but he would still occasionally get distracted and think of Gu Huailang.
Upon arriving at the dormitory, Meng Fanxi washed up and sat at her desk, quietly considering how to start the conversation.
Just as the lights were about to go out, Gu Huailang returned under the moonlight. Meng Fanxi turned on her desk lamp, looked at her homework, and kept an eye on Gu Huailang's movements.
After Gu Huailang finished washing up, the dormitory lights went out on time, leaving only the two of them using their desk lamps to emit a faint glow.
As planned, Meng Fanxi sent a message to Ren Yuchen.
A short while later, a particularly clear knock came from the door of 206. Gu Huailang was about to rest when he suddenly showed a puzzled and somewhat wary expression.
Meng Fanxi didn't look at him, but walked straight to the door, opened it, and saw his two companions in their pajamas.
Ren Yuchen walked in first, followed by Xu You, and then Meng Fanxi walked in and closed the door.
The three of them sat on Meng Fanxi's bed and chair, forming a semi-circle around Gu Huailang.
Gu Huailang: ?
Gu Huailang immediately became wary, slowly sitting up straight, his lips slightly pursed, his eyes filled with coldness.
Seeing this, Meng Fanxi smiled bitterly to himself. Gu Huailang must have been deeply hurt to think that he was treating them as people with ill intentions.
He gathered his thoughts and said, "Gu Huailang, have you encountered any difficulties lately?"
She then told Gu Huailang about the phone call she had mistakenly answered that afternoon.
“We’re sitting here hoping to be of some help to you. You, me, and Xu You all joined the company at the same time. We’ve all seen your talent and hard work, and we can’t let you suffer alone.”
Ren Yuchen followed Meng Fanxi's words, saying that they had entered the company together and practiced together. He couldn't just sit idly by when he learned that the boy might be being bullied.
Gu Huailang lowered his eyes, remaining silent as if deep in thought.
Xu You couldn't help but say, "What are you still thinking about? If you brought this on yourself, we won't care. After tonight, we'll pretend nothing happened."
"But if the other party is just causing trouble for no reason, with Ren Yuchen's clever mind and my connections, plus Meng Fanxi to make up the numbers, I can definitely help you turn bad luck into good."
Meng Fanxi: ...
In the quiet of the night, two desk lamps cast a dim yellow light on four silent teenagers.
After a moment of silence, Gu Huailang spoke, but his answer disappointed the three: "Thank you, but I'm already gathering evidence. I'll hold out until after the high school entrance exam and then make sure they get the punishment they deserve."
"The high school entrance exam?" Xu You's face fell immediately, and a hint of ferocity appeared on his handsome and cute face.
"But there's still some time before the high school entrance exam. Are you going to keep enduring this?"
"What about your body? Are you going to tough it out?" Meng Fanxi and Ren Yuchen both questioned.
"Although I was indeed attacked a few times, I could tell that they didn't hit me too hard; at most, they just made it a little harder for me to dance."
All three of them looked at Gu Huailang with an expression that said, "Are you kidding me?"
"Are you serious? Not to mention you've already been demoted, your mental state hasn't been good lately either. Where do you get the confidence to hold on for so long? Do you think your body is made of iron?"
Xu You stood up and glared angrily at Gu Huailang. He was the one who always angered others, but now he was the one who got into trouble with this blockhead.
Ren Yuchen seriously analyzed to the person in front of him: "They're going to be ruthless towards you, probably because they still have ulterior motives. If this goes on for too long, they might lose patience and resort to even more drastic measures, possibly even implicating your family. Do you have any ways to deal with that?"
Gu Huailang's expression changed, then he looked somewhat sad, his eyes revealing a hint of confusion and absent-mindedness. He hung his head, looking like a wronged little dog.
It seemed that Ren Yuchen had touched on something that concerned him. Meng Fanxi analyzed the situation calmly, but dared not speak.
The dormitory fell silent again.
Gu Huailang was struggling internally, but he could certainly feel the concern shown to him from such a close distance.
This feeling was too precious for him to touch; he didn't want to take any steps beyond what he expected, and he didn't want to get hurt again.
The three people's words kept echoing in his mind. He looked up at the three people opposite him, and their concerned eyes were genuine.
Consider this your last chance, and say it.
Whether faced with ridicule, charity, or the last remaining hope, it was his own choice.
Gu Huailang's inner balance gradually tilted. After an internal struggle, his slightly hoarse voice, like a gentle melody, slowly drifted into everyone's ears in the silence.
The group of people were all engrossed in Gu Huailang's story.
It turns out that Gu Huailang was raised by his grandmother from a young age. They divorced shortly after he was born and soon started their own families. His parents showed him very little care, and he started school late because of their neglect.
Gu's father moved abroad, and Gu's mother settled in Shanghai. They would give Gu Huailang a fixed amount of living expenses, and that was all.
Gu Huailang's grandmother stayed in the capital to take care of him, and the two depended on each other for survival. Although they had living expenses from their parents and their grandmother's savings, they were able to live comfortably.
But he wanted to earn his own money and grow up as soon as possible so that his only relative would not worry. He tried many channels, but as a minor, the result was predictable.
It wasn't until I overheard my classmates discussing trainee recruitment that I learned about the industry and found it aligned with my expectations. So I immediately submitted my resume to the most famous company, Will Company.
Everything went more smoothly than he had imagined: he joined the company, practiced, took the test, achieved an S-level rating, and received a bonus.
Just when he thought things would get better, some of the boys in his class suddenly isolated him, and the others didn't dare to contact him anymore. However, he was already used to being alone at school.
Those people seemed dissatisfied with his reaction and gradually went too far, scribbling on his desk, throwing trash into it, and throwing away his books...
The person secretly orchestrating all of this has also revealed himself: Qu Liangze, someone who had previously guided him in writing his trainee application.
Gu Huailang certainly wouldn't tolerate it. He punched Qu Liangze right there in the classroom. Although he received a warning from the teacher, it was nothing compared to being able to have a period of peace.
Those people have become much more restrained, but they still isolate him.
However, more than half a year ago, his grandmother was suddenly hospitalized and then passed away, which dealt a devastating blow to Gu Huailang. Gu's father hurriedly returned to China to handle the funeral arrangements, left him some money, and then left.
When Gu's mother learned of the news, she returned to the capital and asked Gu Huailang to go to Shanghai with her. He refused, citing that he was a trainee, and his mother did not try to persuade him to stay.
Those were the darkest days for Gu Huailang. He didn't go anywhere, ignored everything outside, and locked himself in the house where he shared memories with his grandmother.
He only stepped out of his room after finding the letter his grandmother had left him while sorting through her belongings and remaining silent for a few days.
The teacher was aware of his family background and the changes he had experienced, so she didn't say much.
The company's background check on the trainee was only superficial; he received a demotion warning from the company via a carrier pigeon.
Qu Liangze, whom Gu Huailang hadn't seen in a long time, became even more arrogant and resorted to his old tricks, but Gu Huailang ignored him.
During summer vacation, Gu Huailang focused on training at the company and didn't return to his residence until almost the start of the new semester. Unexpectedly, he was stopped on the way by Qu Liangze and the gang leader he had befriended. The gang leader had recently been expelled from his high school for causing trouble and had become a social outcast, hanging out with a group of people who did nothing on the streets.
Upon learning that Gu Huailang was a trainee at Weir Company, they threatened him to demand the female trainees' contact information.
Gu Huailang would certainly not agree. With Qu Liangze fanning the flames, his injuries gradually worsened, but they didn't often surround him; they mostly harassed him with phone calls.
These people, including Qu Liangze and the gang leader, were all minors, and they were very vigilant.
If you stop him, he will immediately take his phone and take him to a blind spot of the surveillance cameras. The phone numbers are mobile numbers from various places bought online, and the sound is even specially processed. Most of the injuries on his body are also hidden injuries.
Gu Huailang planned to lower their guard, gather evidence, and submit it immediately after the high school entrance exam. Once he went to Xinghe High School, those people would be out of reach.
After Gu Huailang finished speaking, his shoulders relaxed. He had been carrying too many things on his mind and too much defensiveness during this period. Now that he could talk about it, he could feel a little relieved.
Meng Fanxi and the other two tacitly refrained from breaking the silence, silently processing everything they had heard.
In his previous life, Meng Fanxi did have an impression of Gu Huailang mentioning his grandmother on the awards stage, but under the influence of the surrounding environment, such as being in the same frame as Gu and missing out on the trophy, he overlooked the deep and profound emotions in Gu Huailang's gratitude.
He had envied Gu Huailang for so long, thinking that he was favored by God and had extraordinary talent. But it turned out that his starting point was also very difficult.
Meng Fanxi still envied Gu Huailang, but this envy had mostly turned into admiration.
He turned to look at Ren Yuchen and Xu You beside him. Their eyes were filled with admiration. When they looked at the protagonist they admired, their attitude was noticeably different from their initial wariness.
There must be a way.
Now that Ren Gu is in the same space again, he is no longer just a spectator. Xu You has not yet left the entertainment industry, and everything is just beginning.
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