Meng Zhiyao looked up and saw a boy who was clearly a head taller than him standing in front of him, with two slightly shorter boys following behind him.
The three people surrounded him, and the others who were playing also quieted down and looked at this small corner.
Meng Zhiyao pursed her lips, wanting to say "hello," but for some reason, it was as if something was stuck in her throat, and she couldn't make a sound.
The other person became impatient and pushed him.
"Hey, are you deaf or blind? I'm asking you what your name is."
Meng Zhiyao stared at him, and for a moment felt like she couldn't breathe. His face turned pale instantly, and he pressed his hand to his chest, breathing heavily.
This appearance startled the three of them.
"Hey! I didn't do anything to you, what's wrong with you?" The boy who pushed him panicked a little. "I... I didn't use any force, I just asked you your name first."
"Tianqi is hitting someone! Tianqi is hitting someone! Tell the teacher, Tianqi is hitting someone!" someone shouted from behind. The classroom was in chaos, making Meng Zhiyao feel even more uncomfortable.
"I didn't hit anyone! I didn't!" Zhao Tianqi shouted back, and more and more people gathered around, while Meng Zhiyao felt increasingly unable to breathe.
"Say something! I just gave you a light push, I didn't do anything!" Zhao Tianqi was so anxious that tears were about to come out. Heaven knows he really didn't intend to do anything to him! He was just a little taller and stronger than others, he really didn't intend to do anything!
"Hey! What are you all doing crowding around my spot?" Amid the chaos, a voice came from the front door.
"Tang Li, Tianqi is bullying your new deskmate."
"I didn't!" Zhao Tianqi retorted instinctively.
"My deskmate?" Tang Li paused.
"Yes, it's really good." The person who loved watching the drama was still talking to himself.
Tang Li was a little confused, but then, as if he had just realized something, he rushed over. Seeing this, the people surrounding him quickly made way for him.
"Hey, Meng Zhiyao! Are you alright?" Looking at Meng Zhiyao curled up in a ball, Tang Li was like an ant on a hot pan, waving his hands around wildly, not knowing where to put them.
"Meng Zhiyao, this is Tang Li. How are you? Are you feeling unwell?"
Meng Zhiyao remained silent, leaving Tang Li anxiously waiting. He turned his head and demanded, "What did you do to him?!"
The angry roar startled Zhao Tianqi. He trembled, tears streaming down his face, his voice filled with grievance.
"I didn't do anything to him, waaaaah... I... I just pushed him, I didn't push hard... waaaah, I don't know what happened to him..." Zhao Tianqi cried with snot and tears streaming down his face, while the people around him were still laughing, which only made Tang Li more and more irritable.
"Get out of the way!" Seeing that Tang Li was really angry, everyone calmed down and silently took a few steps back.
He squatted down in front of Meng Zhiyao and covered Meng Zhiyao's hands that were covering her ears.
"Meng Zhiyao, it's me, Tang Li. It's alright, I'm here. How are you? Talk to me, don't scare me!"
The two men pressed their foreheads together, and Meng Zhiyao's world gradually quieted down. The noise receded like a tide, leaving only Tang Li's voice.
"Tang Li..."
This was the first time Meng Zhiyao had called Tang Li's name; it was very soft, with a hint of helplessness.
Completely different from Zhao Tianqi, who cried his heart out and was annoying, Meng Zhiyao was fair-skinned and quiet even when wronged. Her eyes would redden, which would soften people's hearts.
"I'm here, I'm here! Don't cry. How did he bully you? I'll beat him up for you."
Meng Zhiyao held Tang Li's hand as if grasping at the last straw, but finally managed to calm down.
"Tang Li." Meng Zhiyao called his name again.
"I'm here, I'm here." Tang Li patted Meng Wan's head gently, mimicking her gesture. "How are you?"
"I'm fine." Meng Zhiyao breathed a sigh of relief and shook her head.
He looked at Zhao Tianqi, who was sobbing uncontrollably behind Tang Li, with a hint of apology on his face.
"It was me... who scared him." Meng Zhiyao spoke with some difficulty, but still explained word by word.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push you, it was you who didn't say anything." Zhao Tianqi sobbed.
"You push me without saying a word! Don't you know how strong you are, being so tall?" Tang Li retorted without thinking. It was only after Meng Zhiyao tugged at him that he calmed down.
Tang Li clicked his tongue impatiently, "Get lost, get lost, you can't do anything right all day long."
"The teacher is here! The teacher is here!"
The crowd immediately scattered like birds and beasts. When Teacher Huang saw this, he thought to himself, "Oh no."
"What's going on!" Teacher Huang placed the books on Meng Zhiyao's desk and looked at the three of them with a serious expression.
"Who started this trouble first?"
"Zhao Tianqi! Zhao Tianqi is bullying the new classmate!" The other students chimed in. Zhao Tianqi hurriedly retorted, but the tears and snot he had managed to stop started flowing again.
Seeing this, Meng Zhiyao took out a tissue from her bag and handed it to Zhao Tianqi, then tugged at Tang Li, asking him to help explain.
Tang Li pouted unhappily, but Meng Zhiyao pulled him along, and he explained what had happened.
Teacher Huang sighed, "You did very well this time, protecting your new deskmate. Everyone, please read your books first; I'll be back in a bit."
After saying that, he led Zhao Tianqi out of the classroom.
As soon as the teacher left, the classroom started chattering again. Tang Li didn't care, sat back down in his seat, and casually tossed the books on his desk into the folding cloth.
"Thank you." Meng Zhiyao took out some candy from his bag; it was the candy Qin Yi had given him that morning.
Tang Li didn't stand on ceremony and took the food. "I already told you, I will protect you."
Meng Zhiyao nodded, a smile finally appearing on her face.
Tang Li glanced at him and breathed a sigh of relief.
For the rest of the time, Tang Li stayed by Meng Zhiyao's side constantly. Curious people came over to ask what their relationship was and who the new classmate was, but Tang Li brushed them off without saying a word.
Children's tempers flare up quickly and subside just as fast. Zhao Tianqi, after being scolded, didn't take his anger out on Meng Zhiyao. Instead, he brought snacks and apologized to him. In return, Meng Zhiyao gave him a piece of candy.
Tang Li was a little jealous, so Meng Zhiyao gave him all the rest of the bag, which cheered him up.
"I'll take you home after school. Tang Wan said she'd take you to the store. Do you know the way?"
Meng Zhiyao nodded.
"Does your family own a shop? What kind of shop?" Zhao Tianqi asked with a smile as he approached.
"A breakfast shop." Although it was called a breakfast shop, it gradually became more like a restaurant, and the business was much better than expected.
"His mother's cooking is delicious." Tang Li felt inexplicably proud.
"Really? Can I go and eat?" Zhao Tianqi's eyes lit up, his foodie radar activated. His family runs a food development business, and they often have novel foods at home, which is why he's so tall and has developed a foodie personality.
"good."
"Can't!"
The former is Meng Zhiyao, and the latter is Tang Li.
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