Bad girl blocks people
Xu Ying closed the copy of "Pride and Prejudice" in her hands, her fingertips gently tracing the spine, and placed it back on the library shelf. Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting dappled shadows on the floor.
It was 4:30 p.m., half an hour after school ended, and the library was nearly empty. She liked the quiet atmosphere; no one bothered her, and there were no subtle, admiring glances.
She packed her schoolbag, stuffed in the borrowed math competition materials, and paused slightly as she zipped it up.
—Zong Heng didn't come to class today.
His seat has been empty since this morning. Lin Xiaoyu said that he got into another fight last night, and this time it was a big one. The head of the grade called him to the office for a lecture, and he hasn't come back yet.
Xu Ying lowered her eyes, her eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them.
She shouldn't care.
But the image of him leaning lazily against the corridor railing after school yesterday, a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers, his eyes following her until her figure disappeared around the corner of the stairs, kept flashing through her mind.
"Xu Ying".
He suddenly called out to her.
She turned around, her heart inexplicably racing.
He stared at her for two seconds, then suddenly smirked: "Don't go to the library tomorrow."
"Why?"
"Tsk, I told you not to go, so don't go." His tone was impatient, but unusually he didn't yell at her. "Be good."
Xu Ying pursed her lips, pulling her thoughts back to reality.
She eventually came to the library.
—Because she has never been an "obedient" person.
Stepping out of the library, the setting sun cast a warm orange glow down the corridor. Xu Ying carried her books, her footsteps light, the sound of her shoes barely audible.
As she turned the corner, she suddenly heard a deliberately hushed voice.
Are you sure she's still in the library?
"I just went to check, she's still there, she'll probably be out soon."
"Okay, follow the plan in a bit, don't let her get away."
Xu Ying paused, her fingers unconsciously tightening.
The voice sounded familiar—it was Xu Li.
She quietly took half a step back, pressed herself against the wall, and peered through the gap at the corner.
Xu Li and two other girls stood at the top of the stairs, whispering to each other. Xu Li wasn't wearing her school uniform jacket today, only a black short-sleeved shirt, with a silver chain hanging crookedly from the collar, gleaming coldly in the setting sun.
"I really don't understand what Zong Heng sees in her. She acts all high and mighty." Xu Li sneered, fiddling with her lighter in frustration. "I'll teach her a lesson later and show her what it means to 'stay away from people you shouldn't'."
The short-haired girl next to her hesitated for a moment: "Sister Li, she's the top student in the grade after all, what if the teacher..."
"What are you afraid of?" Xu Li interrupted her, her eyes cold. "If she dares to complain, I have plenty of ways to deal with her."
Xu Ying held her breath and slowly backed away.
She wasn't afraid of trouble, but she knew very well that Xu Li was no pushover.
Xu Li's father is a well-known local real estate developer, and her family has a powerful background, so no one at school dares to mess with her. Previously, a girl "accidentally" fell down the stairs the next day after talking a few extra words to the boy Xu Li liked, and had to take a two-week leave of absence from school.
Xu Ying didn't want to cause trouble.
She turned around, preparing to leave via the stairs on the other side.
—But then they bumped into someone.
"Hey, isn't this our top student?"
Xu Ying looked up abruptly and met a heavily made-up face.
One of Xu Li's accomplices, a girl with a high ponytail, was blocking her way with a half-smile.
"Where do you want to go?" The girl tilted her head, her voice sickeningly sweet. "Our Sister Li is looking for you."
Xu Ying was half-pushed and half-shoved into the women's restroom.
The door slammed shut behind me with a bang, the latch clicking as if it were some kind of ominous sign.
There was no one else in the restroom.
Xu Li leaned against the sink, slowly applying lipstick. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips.
"Xu Ying, it's been a long time."
Xu Ying didn't speak, her back pressed against the door, her fingers quietly clenching the strap of her schoolbag.
Xu Li closed the lipstick cap, turned to face her, looked her up and down with disdain in her eyes: "I heard you've been getting close to Zong Heng?"
Xu Ying looked at her calmly: "We're just deskmates."
"Your deskmate?" Xu Li scoffed, then suddenly grabbed her collar. "What are you pretending for? The whole school saw him walk you home yesterday!"
Xu Ying stumbled slightly as she was pulled, but quickly regained her balance, grabbed Xu Li's wrist, and twisted it forcefully!
Xu Li winced in pain and instinctively let go, her eyes widening in shock: "You...!"
Xu Ying took a step back, her voice calm: "I don't cause trouble, but I'm not afraid of trouble either."
The air froze for a second.
Xu Li's face instantly darkened.
She stared at Xu Ying, then suddenly laughed: "Well done, you've got guts."
She raised her hand and gently patted Xu Ying's face, the force not strong, but full of humiliation.
"I wonder if Zong Heng will still think you're 'special' when he sees your face all swollen from being beaten?"
Xu Ying's eyes turned cold.
Xu Li withdrew her hand and winked at the two girls next to her.
"Hold her down."
The short-haired girl and the girl with the high ponytail approached from the left and right respectively. Xu Ying quickly retreated, her back pressed against the cold tile wall.
Her brain was working at lightning speed—
Run? The door was locked, and Xu Li blocked the entrance.
Should I call for help? At this time, there's almost no one in the corridor.
Resist? She had learned a little self-defense, but against three opponents, her chances of winning were slim.
The girl with the high ponytail grabbed her wrist, her nails digging deep into her skin: "Behave yourself!"
Xu Ying suddenly raised her knee and slammed it hard into the opponent's abdomen!
"Ah!" Gao Mawei cried out in pain, letting go and bending over.
Xu Ying took the opportunity to break free, but the short-haired girl grabbed her hair from the side, causing a sharp pain to her scalp.
"You bitch! You dare to fight back?!"
Xu Li walked over with a cold smile and raised her hand—
"Smack!"
A slap landed heavily on Xu Ying's face.
A searing pain spread instantly, a buzzing sound filled my ears, and a metallic taste filled my mouth.
Xu Ying tilted her head, touched the numb corner of her mouth with the tip of her tongue, and slowly raised her eyes.
Her eyes were frighteningly cold.
Xu Li was startled by that gaze, then became furious and embarrassed:
"Beat them!"
The short-haired girl raised her hand—
In that very instant.
"Bang!!!"
With a deafening crash, the door was kicked open from the outside, slamming against the wall and sending dust flying from the ceiling.
Everyone turned around abruptly.
At the doorway, Zong Heng stood with one hand in his pocket, his school uniform jacket open, revealing a plain black T-shirt underneath. The collar was slightly disheveled, and an old scar was faintly visible on his collarbone. His eyes were chillingly cold, and his gaze lingered on Xu Ying's flushed face for a second before his pupils suddenly contracted.
The air froze instantly.
Xu Li's hand froze in mid-air, her face turning deathly pale.
"Zong...Zong Heng?"
Zong Heng ignored her, his gaze fixed on Xu Ying's face. Her left cheek was slightly swollen, a trace of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, and her school uniform pants were torn at the knee, revealing red abrasions underneath.
His eyes instantly turned terrifyingly gloomy.
"Who did this?"
The three words, though not loud, sounded like an ice scalpel scraping against my eardrum.
No one dared to answer.
The short-haired girl instinctively took half a step back, bumping into the sink with a dull thud.
Zong Heng's gaze swept over her, and the short-haired girl immediately froze, her lips trembling as she stammered, "I...I didn't mean to..."
Zong Heng sneered and strode over.
His footsteps were exceptionally clear in the empty restroom, each step feeling like a blow to one's nerves. Xu Li subconsciously released her grip on Xu Ying's collar, took two steps back, and her back pressed against the cold tiles.
Zong Heng didn't even look at her. He walked straight up to Xu Ying, grabbed her wrist, and the force was so strong that she frowned slightly.
"Does it hurt?" he asked, his voice very low.
Xu Ying shook her head, then nodded, her eyes feeling a little hot.
Zong Heng gently brushed his thumb across her swollen lips. The movement was very light, but it made her tremble.
"You're so stupid," he said in a hoarse voice, "Can't you even call for help?"
Xu Ying pursed her lips and remained silent.
Zong Heng suddenly released her, turned around and grabbed Xu Li's wrist with such force that you could almost hear the sound of bones grinding together.
Xu Li screamed in pain: "Zong Heng! What are you doing?!"
"My people," he said, emphasizing each word, "and you dare to touch them?"
Xu Li's face turned deathly pale as she struggled to pull her hand away: "Who, who's your person! She's just a—"
"Smack!"
A slap landed heavily on Xu Li's face, so hard that she staggered and bumped into the sink.
Everyone was stunned.
Xu Ying was also stunned. She had never seen Zong Heng hit a girl before.
Zong Heng shook his hand, his eyes chillingly cold: "This slap is for you."
He turned to look at the other two girls. The short-haired girl was already crying in fear, while the other girl shrank into the corner.
"Who touched her?" he asked, his voice eerily calm.
The short-haired girl raised her hand tremblingly: "I...I just..."
Zong Heng suddenly laughed, a laugh that sent chills down one's spine.
He raised his hand and punched the tile next to her ear with a dull thud, and the tile instantly cracked with several fine lines.
“Touch her again,” he leaned closer, his voice as soft as a whisper, “and I’ll make sure you can’t stay in this school anymore.”
The short-haired girl's legs buckled, and she collapsed to the ground.
Zong Heng straightened up, turned around and walked back to Xu Ying's side, grabbing her wrist: "Let's go."
He pulled Xu Ying away, and when they passed Xu Li, Zong Heng paused.
“Xu Li,” he said without turning his head, “if there’s a next time, I won’t mind letting your dad know what you’ve been doing at school.”
Xu Li shuddered, her face turning deathly pale.
Zong Heng grabbed Xu Ying's wrist and strode out of the women's restroom, his grip so tight it felt like he was about to crush her bones. Xu Ying could feel the tension in his knuckles, as if he was suppressing some emotion about to erupt. She pursed her lips, didn't struggle, but merely frowned slightly, and followed behind him.
The noisy commotion in the corridor froze the moment the two appeared.
Several students passing by suddenly stopped in their tracks, staring at them with wide eyes—Zong Heng's face was terribly gloomy, while Xu Ying's school uniform collar was slightly disheveled, and there was a glaring red mark on her cheek.
The air seemed to freeze, leaving only the sound of shoes scraping the ground.
"Holy crap..." someone muttered under their breath, then immediately fell silent.
Zong Heng suddenly stopped.
Xu Ying bumped into his back unexpectedly, her nose brushing against the fabric of his school uniform, a faint scent of mint mixed with tobacco entering her breath. She instinctively shrank back, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer.
He turned around, his cold gaze sweeping over the crowd standing motionless in the corridor.
Have you seen enough?
The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a knife cleaving through the solidified air.
Everyone bowed their heads in unison, pretending to be busy as they dispersed. Some even turned around and walked back, afraid of being implicated.
Zong Heng sneered and dragged Xu Ying forward.
Xu Ying's gaze fell on their clasped hands.
His hands were large, with long, slender fingers, and warm palms that almost completely enveloped her wrists. She could even feel the thin calluses on the base of his thumb, roughly rubbing against her skin.
—Those are the marks left by years of fighting.
Her heart skipped a beat.
"Zong Heng," she whispered his name.
He didn't turn around, but just grunted a muffled "hmm".
"You...are holding on too tightly."
Zong Heng paused, finally turning back to look at her.
His gaze was deep, his dark pupils seeming to hold a storm. Xu Ying subconsciously held her breath, but then saw him suddenly release her hand, his brows furrowing even more tightly.
A faint red mark had appeared on her wrist.
Zong Heng stared at the mark for two seconds, then suddenly cursed under his breath, "Damn it."
Before Xu Ying could react, he had already reached out and gently touched the redness and swelling on her cheek with his fingertips.
"Does it hurt?"
His voice was very low, as if squeezed from deep in his throat, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.
Xu Ying was stunned.
She had never seen Zong Heng like this before—tense, restrained, and even a little... at a loss.
The school bully, who was always arrogant and unruly, now showed an almost panicked expression because of the slap mark on her face.
She suddenly felt her eyes burning.
"It doesn't hurt," she whispered, then added, "Really."
Zong Heng stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly chuckled, "Who are you trying to fool?"
He raised his hand, his thumb gently brushing against the corner of her mouth, the touch light, as if afraid of hurting her. Xu Ying stiffened at the touch, her breathing becoming erratic.
"So stupid," he muttered. "Can't you even call for help?"
Xu Ying pursed her lips: "I can handle it."
"Deal with it my ass." Zong Heng sneered. "If I hadn't come, how were you going to deal with it? Keep getting beaten up?"
Xu Ying fell silent.
Her silence seemed to enrage him. Zong Heng suddenly bent down and scooped her up in his arms!
Xu Ying exclaimed in surprise and instinctively grabbed his collar: "Zong Heng! Put me down!"
"Don't move." His tone was harsh, but his arm held her firmly. "I'll take you to the infirmary."
"I can walk!"
"Doesn't your knee hurt?"
Xu Ying was speechless.
Her knee did hurt—she had bumped into the sink in the bathroom earlier, and it was still aching slightly when she walked. But she hadn't expected Zong Heng to notice.
She froze in his arms, too afraid to move.
Zong Heng's chest was warm, and through the thin fabric of his school uniform, she could clearly feel his heartbeat—strong and powerful, even a little fast.
Her ear tips instantly burned.
The corridor was completely silent.
All the students passing by seemed to be frozen in place, staring in disbelief at the scene—the school bully Zong Heng was actually carrying Xu Ying, the top student in the grade, as he strode across the corridor.
"Am I seeing things...?" someone murmured.
"Zong Heng hugging a girl???"
"Xu Li is really finished this time..."
Whispers spread like a tide, but stopped abruptly when Zong Heng glanced at them coldly.
Xu Ying buried her face even lower.
Zong Heng kicked open the door to the infirmary.
The school doctor was not there, and the room was empty except for the smell of disinfectant.
Zong Heng placed Xu Ying on the hospital bed and turned to rummage through the medical kit. His movements were rough; the cabinet door slammed shut with a loud bang, and in the end, he simply lifted the entire kit over.
"Hands," he commanded.
Xu Ying obediently stretched out her hand.
Zong Heng unscrewed the cap of the iodine bottle, dipped a cotton swab in it, then grabbed her wrist and began to apply the iodine to the red marks that Xu Li had scratched with her fingernails.
His movements were rough; the cotton swab pressed against the wound, causing Xu Ying to hiss in pain.
Zong Heng paused.
"Bear with it," he said curtly, but the pressure on his hands lessened considerably.
Xu Ying secretly glanced at him.
Zong Heng lowered his head, his brows furrowed, and his eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes. He had a high nose bridge, tightly pursed lips, and a jawline as sharp as if carved by a knife.
—He is really good-looking.
The thought suddenly popped into her head, startling Xu Ying, who quickly looked away.
“Face,” Zong Heng suddenly said.
"ah?"
"look up."
Xu Ying hesitated for a moment, then slowly raised her face.
Zong Heng stared at the redness and swelling on her cheek for a few seconds, his gaze growing colder. He changed to a clean cotton swab, dipped it in some medicine, and gently pressed it onto her wound.
"Say it if it hurts."
His voice was low, and his breath was almost touching.
Xu Ying held her breath and shook her head.
The cotton swab gently rubbed against the skin, and the cool medicine seeped into the burning wound, seemingly easing the pain somewhat.
"Why don't you say?" Zong Heng suddenly asked.
Xu Ying was taken aback: "What?"
"The trouble Xu Li caused you." He narrowed his eyes. "Don't tell me you didn't know."
Xu Ying was silent for a moment, then said softly, "What good would it do to tell you?"
Zong Heng stared at her, then suddenly sneered and leaned closer: "Xu Ying, do you fucking think I can't protect you?"
The distance between the two suddenly shortened.
Xu Ying could smell the faint scent of mint cigarettes on him, mixed with a hint of chilliness. Her breath hitched, and her fingers unconsciously tightened their grip on the sheets.
Zong Heng suddenly raised his hand and pressed his thumb against the corner of her lips. The pressure was very light, but it made her tremble.
“Next time someone tries to harm you,” he said in a low, hoarse voice, “just say my name.”
Xu Ying looked up at him, her heart pounding like thunder.
Zong Heng suddenly curled his lips into a roguish smile: "Of course, it's best if you don't have the chance—because I'll be watching you the whole time."
It was almost dark when I came out of the infirmary.
The setting sun cast long shadows of the two of them on the concrete ground, one in front of the other. Xu Ying hugged her schoolbag and stared down at her toes.
Zong Heng walked half a step ahead of her, then suddenly turned around and said, "Hey."
Xu Ying looked up: "Hmm?"
He was backlit, his silhouette gilded by the setting sun, yet his eyes remained remarkably clear.
“After school from now on,” he paused, “wait for me to walk together.”
Xu Ying was stunned.
Zong Heng had already turned and walked forward, his voice drifting on the wind—
"Dare to run first and give it a try."
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