"I don't know him."
"How can he bully you if you don't know him? It takes two to tango, Comrade Lao Lu."
As it seemed too much like he was prying into someone's privacy, Lin Chaoxi asked in a joking tone and observed Lu Zhihao's reaction.
Unlike usual, Lu Zhihao did not confront her openly but turned his eyes away and walked straight into the classroom: "Don't worry about it, it has nothing to do with you." He said with his neck stiff.
——
People can't set flags, and no matter what, they can't speak too confidently.
Lin Chaoxi had just stepped into the house when he received Lu Zhihao's call for help.
"Can you...come to Xiamiaotang Lane?" Lu Zhihao said in a very low voice.
"What's wrong?" Lin Chaoxi held the phone tightly.
On the other end of the phone, Lu Zhihao sniffed and said, "Bring me a towel, a bigger one."
His voice was trembling, as if he was very cold. Lin Chaoxi ran into the house and searched for a summer blanket from the bedroom cabinet. While taking things out, he asked, "What's going on? Where is Temple Lane? East entrance or west entrance?"
"There's a small park to the west." Lu Zhihao paused and said, "I'm in the bushes."
Lin Chaoxi's heart tightened, and he rushed out of the bedroom, shouting, "Dad! Dad!"
No one responded at home, and no one knew where Lao Lin had gone.
Lu Zhihao was very nervous: "Don't call me Master."
Lin Chaoxi searched the house twice but didn't see anyone: "I won't shout, I won't shout, I'm coming, wait for me for three minutes."
Zhuanzhu Lane is very close to Miaotang Lane, which is probably why Lu Zhihao asked her for help.
Lin Chaoxi ran wildly along the alley, with countless possibilities flashing through his mind along the way.
Lu Zhihao might have accidentally fallen into the water, or been accidentally drenched by spilled water, otherwise he wouldn't have asked for a big bath towel. At worst, someone deliberately splashed water on him...
But when she saw Lu Zhihao, she couldn't help but scream.
Lu Zhihao hid in the bushes, his head, face, neck, and arms all red. The air was filled with the pungent smell of paint, bright and dazzling, like blood.
He was splashed with red paint from head to toe.
Lu Zhihao closed his eyes tightly, with paint dripping on his forehead. Hearing the sound of her coming, the boy turned his face away in fear.
"I'm here." Lin Chaoxi tried to keep her tone calm. She walked over, squatted beside Lu Zhihao, and simply wiped his hair and face with a towel.
Lu Zhihao's face was completely wrinkled and his body was shaking slightly.
"Don't blink, let's go to the hospital." Lin Zhaoxi whispered.
Along the way, Lin Chaoxi acted as Lu Zhihao's eyes, touched his phone several times, and hesitated between calling the police and calling Lu Zhihao's parents.
Lu Zhihao repeatedly stressed that he should not call his parents, because calling the police would inevitably attract Lu Zhihao's parents. Lin Chaoxi couldn't make up her mind, and sent several text messages to Old Lin, but no one responded. She had no choice but to hold the phone, type a few words, and send the message to Pei Zhi.
——
Hospital, emergency department.
People were coming and going in the hall. Although Lu Zhihao was covered with a blanket, his red painted face still attracted a lot of attention.
Lin Chaoxi tried hard to remain natural and not let Lu Zhihao be affected by the curious or pitying looks from the people around him.
"Wait for me here." She asked Lu Zhihao to sit on the waiting bench and went to register herself.
It was the peak time for medical consultations on weekends, and the registration and payment window was crowded with people and the queue was long. Lin Chaoxi stood at the end of the queue anxiously, wondering which department to register for, and looking back at Lu Zhihao from time to time.
Suddenly, her cell phone rang. She looked down and saw it was Pei Zhilai calling.
"Come to the front of the line."
This is all I heard when I answered the phone.
Lin Chaoxi looked up and saw Pei Zhi's figure standing out at the front of the team.
The boy nodded at him, and Lin Chaoxi ran over, feeling relieved.
"What happened? Who did it?"
There were three more people to go. Lin Chaoxi didn't know how Pei Zhi could calculate the time so accurately, and why he came so quickly.
"I don't know either. I got the call right after I got home." Lin Zhaoxi frowned. "I must have offended someone."
"Have you called the police?"
"He didn't let me tell his parents." Lin Zhaoxi pursed her lips, "If I call the police, they will definitely find his parents..."
"Come and line up to register." Pei Zhi said, left the line and walked towards Lu Zhihao.
Lin Chaoxi hurriedly checked in a number of hospitals, including emergency department, ophthalmology department, dermatology department...
She ran to the bench with a bunch of documents in her hand, and saw Pei Zhi with a cold face, saying to Lu Zhihao in a tone she had never heard before: "You are not old enough to handle the problem independently. Your parents must be present for the next consultation."
Lu Zhihao closed his eyes tightly and dared not refute.
"And now I have to call the police, but before I call, I want to ask you, why did you want to hide this from your parents?"
"I, I..." Lu Zhihao said incoherently, "I don't want them to worry."
"No, you are lying to me." Pei Zhi said in a calm but intimidating tone, "If you have done something 'wrong' and made enemies with others, tell me frankly and we can find a solution together. But if you don't consider me and Lin Chaoxi as friends..."
"I didn't!" Lu Zhihao shouted, almost crying, "I consider you my friends."
"Then tell the truth." Patriarch Pei said seriously.
Looking at Mr. Pei's attitude towards Lu Zhihao, Lin Chaoxi felt that Brother Pei was already very gentle towards her.
While waiting for the doctor's appointment, Lu Zhihao stuttered as he talked about his past with Zhang Yao.
The entanglement originated from a girl and is not complicated.
Because of his excellent math grades, Lu Zhihao was introduced by his mother to tutor a friend's daughter. As time went by, he fell in love with the girl he tutored in math.
The girl is very sweet and lovely, and has many suitors, Zhang Yao being one of them. Zhang Yao is a domineering person, and he is also a family friend of the girl. He always thinks that the girl is his property. After accidentally learning that Lu Zhihao has stolen his "girlfriend", he looks for opportunities to target him everywhere.
"So you and Zhang Yao are love rivals, and he bullied you in class. I asked you why you didn't tell me?" Lin Chaoxi asked.
"I promised Xiaomei that she must keep it a secret and not tell anyone. We, we..."
"No, who is Xiaomei?"
Lu Zhihao’s girlfriend can’t necessarily be Shen Mei, right? Isn’t this marriage too early?
"my girlfriend."
Lu Zhihao hesitated, and Lin Chaoxi bet that his face, covered with red paint, must have turned red.
"You, continue." Lin Chaoxi said.
"Xiaomei's parents are very strict, and they can't know about this." Lu Zhihao paused, "Besides, we know each other so well, and I'm her teacher..."
"Exposing Zhang Yao would also expose your relationship with Xiao Mei, so you have to conceal Zhang Yao's identity." Pei Zhi's face was emotionless. "That is to say, you are sure that the person who splashed paint on you was Zhang Yao."
"I didn't see who that person was, but that person warned me not to see Xiaomei again," said Lu Zhihao.
"Call your parents." Pei Zhi paused, then looked at her, "Call the police."
"We can't call the police. Zhang Yao has been arrested. Xiaomei and I..."
"You can choose whether to reveal to the police the true identity of the person who threw paint at you," Pei Zhi said.
Lu Zhihao looked reluctant, but Lin Chaoxi probably understood Pei Zhi's intention. The choice was in Lu Zhihao's hands, but he had to call the police to investigate, which would at least have the effect of shocking Zhang Yao.
The police and Lu Zhihao's parents arrived shortly afterwards.
Lu Zhihao's mother was their primary school teacher. When she saw her son covered in red paint, her eyes immediately became red.
When asked, Lu Zhihao still did not say the name "Zhang Yao".
Accompanied by his parents, Lin Chaoxi comforted the teacher for a while and then left with Pei Zhi.
——
After passing through the busy lobby of the Municipal Hospital, the inpatient area at the back became much quieter.
Pei Zhi kept walking forward, and Lin Chaoxi followed behind.
This was the second time she walked with Pei Zhi in the hospital. Last time she was injured, and this time it was Lu Zhihao. Pei Zhi handled things like a real parent every time, with a calmness and composure that was not in line with his age.
We take their wishes into consideration and protect them to the greatest extent possible.
When Pei Zhi passed the corridor bridge connecting the two buildings, he stopped, took out some change, and bought two cans of drinks.
I drank canned Nescafe coffee, and the one handed to her was orange soda.
He leaned against the open window on the porch and opened his coffee with one hand.
Lin Chaoxi always felt that there was something wrong with the soda she got. She turned the pull ring for a long time but didn't open it. Pei Zhi was silent again, and she couldn't help but feel nervous. At this moment, Pei Zhi's hand reached out to her.
Lin Chaoxi quickly handed the can over, and with a "swish" sound, the can was passed back.
After taking a sip from the cold can, Lin Chaoxi remembered that Pei Zhi had arrived early to line up, so he asked, "Are you in the hospital today?
"Yes, my mother's condition is not good. She is admitted to the hospital for observation."
Is that why you can't come to the training camp?
Lin Chaoxi didn't ask the question out loud. She just said, "Well, then you take good care of Auntie."
"Is Zhang Yao in the same class with you now?" Pei Zhique asked.
"yes."
"Why did he bully Lu Zhihao in class?"
"She said she wanted to sit at the same table with Lao Lu, and she was so gay, and she even got his gang to say it together. Lao Lu is so shameless..." Lin Zhaoxi suddenly realized Pei Zhi's thoughts and said quickly, "But it seems that Zhang Yao doesn't dare to do anything in front of others, but he dares to shoot behind their backs. Even if Lu Zhihao doesn't say it, maybe the police can find out that it was him..."
So you don't have to worry too much.
"I'll go to class with you next week," Pei Zhique said.
"You still have your mother to take care of. It's okay if you don't come. I will take good care of Lao Lu."
Pei Zhi looked out the window, the autumn wind blowing his hair: "Lin Zhaoxi, didn't the teacher ask you to persuade me to go to class?"
Lin Zhaoxi was stunned: "Looking...looking for it."
"Then why don't you persuade me, and now you are stopping me from going to class?"
Perhaps she was frightened by what happened to Lu Zhihao just now, and then she saw Pei Zhi in the hospital and was asked a few questions by him, which made Lin Chaoxi feel confused.
Deep down, she hoped Pei Zhi would help Lao Lin, but this was a private matter and no one knew about it except her and Lao Lin.
But if Pei Zhi came to the Olympiad training class openly, it would be easy for her seriously ill and worried mother to find out. She couldn't imagine what Pei Zhi would face after that.
Yes, just now, she suddenly remembered that Pei Zhi in the future had told him on the phone about the conflict between him and his mother, but the narration was very concise.
He omitted too many intermediate steps.
Pei Zhi would commit suicide to relieve the psychological pressure, so something must have happened.
What if Pei Zhi went to the training class just to protect Lu Zhihao, and was eventually discovered by his mother?
What if it was because of this incident that caused a huge and irreversible conflict?
Lin Chaoxi became more and more confused as he thought about it. He kept thinking about how to persuade Pei Zhi to give up his plan. He even regretted mentioning that Zhang Yao was in the same class with them...
"Don't worry." Pei Zhi's voice rang out.
"How can I not worry, your mother is like that!"
"She is so against me studying math that I have dropped out of all math classes. It is obvious that her wish now is that I will never touch math in my life. If I go to the Olympiad class now and she finds out, I will be doomed."
Lin Zhaoxi raised his head suddenly, wondering why Pei Zhi could say everything so calmly.
"You are very smart. You guessed it all." The boy put down the coffee can on the windowsill, slowly opened his arms, and said to her, "Don't cry."
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