Chapter 36 On the Right Track Don't you think your desire for control is getting stronger and stronger...?
The once bustling coffee shop had fallen completely silent; even the sound of the wind was loud.
Qiao Bolin stood in front of Ning Jiu with a swift movement, his usually calm eyes now only filled with coldness.
Qi Ruiheng, who had just arrived, looked at the sudden atmosphere before him, and when his gaze swept over Qiao Bolin's expression, an undisguised surprise appeared in his eyes.
This is the first time I've seen George Polin make such an expression.
"This is the first time I've seen you like this. It's quite unusual." Despite her slight panic, Ke Shini maintained her composure. "Do you think I'm going to do something to her, or—"
Then the conversation shifted.
"So even someone like you can lack self-confidence."
"Ke Shini, that's enough."
Before Qiao Bolin could speak, Ning Jiu stood up first.
Let's stop here for today.
“I’ve already told you so much, so what do you think?” Ke Shini turned her attention back to her, winking at her. “It’s time for you to give me an answer.”
Ning Jiu knew why she chose to ask at this time.
“I’ve told you before, you can be really wicked sometimes,” she said, no longer beating around the bush with Ke Shini. Her words were calm and direct. “Words can indeed influence people’s thoughts, but it would be too pathetic if even emotions and judgments were led by a few words.”
"I hope that next time we sit down together, we can discuss a more meaningful topic."
A gentle breeze stirred, and the wind chimes tinkled softly. As Ning Jiu walked to the entrance of the coffee shop, she keenly noticed the boy following behind her.
Although she spoke righteously and sternly when confronting Ke Shini earlier, she clearly wasn't in much interest in dealing with anything else today.
The moment her hand touched the glass doorknob, Qiao Bolin pushed the door open for her. Before she could even utter a word, her throat suddenly felt like it was blocked by something.
She asked, "Is there anything you want to say to me?"
The boy's usually clear voice was unusually low: "Don't you have one?"
Outside the glass door was a wide road with a constant flow of traffic on its three lanes. Across the street, one could vaguely see the bus that Qi Ruiheng had booked. At this time, students were coming down from the mountain and gathering at the bus door.
Ning Jiu was hesitating whether to take the bus back when she suddenly felt warmth in her palm—
Joel Berlin actually took her hand right there at the coffee shop entrance.
She tried to break free, but couldn't.
"Let go."
"Xiao Bai hasn't seen you for two weeks, and it misses you a lot."
Ning Jiu paused for a moment, noticing someone looking in their direction, and tensed up, repeating, "..."
"Joe Bolin, someone's coming. Let go."
“I miss you too,” he said, his grip tightening only. “Don’t you miss us?”
She was stunned by his bluntness for a long time before she found her voice again.
"Aren't you afraid someone will see us...?"
wrong.
He just wanted people to see it.
This realization caused Ning Jiu's mind to go blank, and her brain almost stopped working.
Just as she turned to say something to him, she was interrupted by a sudden scream.
"Ah! Let go! Don't touch me!"
It was a young girl's voice, which sounded somewhat familiar. Qi Ruiheng, who had just stepped out, obviously heard it as well. He looked in the direction of the sound, his expression more tense than ever before.
"What's wrong with Duan Chu?"
Following Qi Ruiheng's gaze, Duan Chugang and his classmates were coming down the mountain across the street when they were pulled by a middle-aged man wearing a faded old jacket.
Her expression and body language clearly showed her unwillingness, but due to the huge difference in strength between men and women, she was still dragged by the man to the front of the van parked on the side of the road.
"Hey, uncle, she clearly doesn't want to go with you," many students beside the bus saw it. Some students kept their distance, but Li Mingyuan noticed something was wrong and quickly ran over to stop her. "What do you mean by forcibly dragging her like this?"
"What do you mean?" The man's eyes widened in anger, and he slapped away Li Mingyuan's hand that was trying to help. "I'm her father. I want to ask you, what business is it of yours what our affairs are?"
Duan Chu's...father?
Li Mingyuan's mind went blank for a moment, then he remembered the gossip Gao Hexin had shared with him earlier.
“When I went home last weekend, I happened to run into Duan Chu coming out of her dormitory building. Her father seemed to be quite young, only in his thirties, and he was dressed quite well. You couldn’t tell from her at all; she was quite low-key.”
If the man in front of you who looks to be over fifty and whose jacket is faded from washing is Duan Chu's father, then who is the man dressed in expensive clothes?
While he was still in a daze, the middle-aged man had already pulled Duan Chu into the van. As the door was about to close, Duan Chu tried to escape, but the man grabbed her hair and pressed her back down.
The students standing nearby were stunned and stood there dumbfounded. Li Mingyuan exclaimed "Holy crap!" and could only watch helplessly as the van's exhaust fumes disappeared around the corner.
Qi Ruiheng rushed over and hurriedly asked Li Mingyuan what had just happened. The students at the intersection were whispering among themselves. Ning Jiu crossed the road and saw a card that looked like a small advertisement lying on the ground. It had fallen out of the man's jacket pocket during the struggle.
"1k+ premium black stockings, address: Room 308, Building 7, Rongye Street, Jiangcheng"
Ning Jiu's expression turned serious. Qiao Bolin noticed the change in her mood, tucked the wind-blown strands of her hair behind her ear, and glanced inadvertently at the card in her hand.
"What's wrong."
"It's nothing, I have some urgent business to attend to and need to go back first," Ning Jiu lowered her head, her phone switched to a ride-hailing app, but she found that her hands were trembling uncontrollably, "I won't take the bus with you guys."
Qi Ruiheng frowned slightly, and Qiao Bolin immediately understood what she meant.
“I have a faster way.”
Ning Jiu walked into the unassuming black sedan parked by the roadside. As soon as she looked up, she met the eyes of the driver in the driver's seat. The two stared at each other in bewilderment.
Qiao Bolin coughed and explained.
“This is a friend of my dad’s who happens to have parked his car here. We can ride with him over.”
"......"
My friend did nothing all day but park his car at the entrance of the mountain?
“Uncle Tong,” Qiao Bolin readily agreed, “take us to Building 9, Rongye Street—”
"No need, we'll go to Building 7 this time."
Qiao Bolin looked at her and quickly understood what she meant.
"Okay, let's go to Building 7 then."
Along the way, Ning Jiu thought about many things she had always overlooked.
Victims often exhibit subtle signs. For instance, a child who has lived in a violent and oppressive environment for a long time will reflexively freeze and then quickly change the subject whenever the words "dad" or "home" are mentioned.
In her previous interactions with Duan Chu, even though it was autumn, Duan Chu wore a thick turtleneck sweater and would noticeably back away when someone got close. Even at the end of the semester, when the classroom was very warm, she still pulled her sleeves up to the back of her hands and wouldn't let go at all.
These are also signs of being a victim.
Ning Jiu never expected that Duan Chu's family and her family were only one building apart.
They had never met here before.
When she and Qiao Bolin went upstairs, the entire corridor was silent.
Electrical wires hung down from the wall like haphazardly tied ropes, light bulbs flickered overhead, and several damp bags of garbage were piled in the corner. A cat crawled out of a plastic bag, emitting a hoarse and wary meow.
As soon as she reached the second floor, she heard a fierce argument coming from upstairs, accompanied by a few harsh and offensive curses.
Ning Jiu exchanged a knowing glance with Qiao Bolin and then started recording on her phone.
"Didn't you say she was willing to film? Now she absolutely refuses to show her face. Don't blame me for making a scene if you don't refund my money. I'm not going to be a victim of injustice!" The man near the stairwell was clearly on the verge of exploding.
"No, let me tell you, she's been a bit off these past few days, but I can calm her down..." The middle-aged man lowered his voice, his tone ingratiating, "You know she's young, so filming those kinds of things has to be done slowly."
"You think you can coax her? You know she's about to bite someone? Last time she made me wait a week, and this time it's because she's in a bad mood again? Who the hell believes your lame excuse!"
"I really didn't mean to cheat you out of your money," the middle-aged man said urgently and incoherently. "How about this, you give me a few more days, and I'll have her take a set of photos tonight. You can take a few as a token..."
Halfway through the recording, a sudden loud bang by the window drew everyone's attention.
"What...?" The middle-aged man looked behind him and froze.
"Duan Chu, hurry up, we need to pull you out!"
Before he ran over, Li Mingyuan leaned in and peeked inside, then immediately lifted the broken glass from the shattered window sill and reached his hand inside.
Duan Chu inside was shocked by Li Mingyuan's actions, his face pale as he shook his head.
"It's no use, Duan Lin won't let me get away with this..."
"Holy crap? Li Mingyuan is way too reckless."
"Sigh, there's nothing we can do, he's always been like this."
Before Ning Jiu could even speak, she saw Gao Hexin and Qi Ruiheng rushing up from the first floor.
She tilted her head, gently poked Qiao Bolin's arm, and asked in a low voice, "What happened?"
Qiao Bolin looked at the situation before him, his expression turning cold and stern.
“I saw the card just now too,” Qi Ruiheng quickly explained. “I organized this event, so I should be responsible for it.”
He rushed upstairs and said this as Duan Lin pulled Li Mingyuan back.
“We’ve already called the police.” His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority. “If you utter another word of nonsense, we’ll include it in our evidence.”
Duan Lin's expression changed instantly. He was stunned for a few seconds before letting out a sneer.
"Call the police? You kids really think you're playing a hero's game?"
His tone was harsh, his eyes were cold, and he walked step by step to the stairwell with his hands in his pockets, looking like he was sure no one could do anything to him.
“I’m her father, this is a family matter. She’s a minor, so I make the decisions. What can you do if you call the police? When the police come, they’ll have to listen to my explanation first.” He clicked his tongue, revealing an expression that was both indifferent and provocative. “I’ve raised her for over ten years. Do you think I need your permission to take a few photos of her?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the corridor fell into a brief silence.
“You say you’re her father,” Gao Hexin frowned, “but what you’ve said and done is exactly what a father should do.”
Duan Lin was clearly not expecting so many people to be there. His initial arrogance gradually subsided, and taking advantage of the tense atmosphere, Li Mingyuan quickly pulled Duan Chu out of the house and protected him behind her.
Ning Jiu noticed Gao Hexin protecting her phone and was about to tell her to leave when she noticed Duan Lin's eyes secretly glancing at the man in the suit in the corner.
As if finally receiving the signal, the man suddenly looked up and lunged at Gao Hexin, heading straight for the phone in her hand.
"Damn, watch out!"
Li Mingyuan was the first to react, but due to the distance, he couldn't get there in a short time.
Ning Jiu had just taken a step when Duan Lin suddenly shoved her hard. She staggered backward, but a hot, powerful force supported her shoulder and steadied her. A shard of glass, heated by the boy's intense heat, was then shoved into her palm.
Be careful.
Before he could finish speaking, Duan Lin suddenly raised his hand, as if to push them aside and make his escape. Qiao Bolin reacted quickly, stepping aside to block Ning Jiu's movement with his forearm, thus blocking his path.
Duan Lin tried to sweep his leg, but Qiao Bolin grabbed him by the back of his hand, then pulled him by the force of the movement.
Bang!
Duan Lin lost his balance and crashed heavily into the corner of the wall. Before he could get up, the man in the corner suddenly darted out and pounced on Gao Hexin, heading straight for the phone in her hand—
"Try moving again."
A calm voice came from behind, devoid of any emotion.
The air fell silent for a moment.
The man felt a shard of glass pressed against his throat, the icy touch so close that if he moved even slightly, he would be cut and bleed.
His body stiffened abruptly, sweat dripped down his forehead, but his gaze moved upwards with resentment, finally settling on Ning Jiu's face.
The sound of hurried footsteps approached, and several police officers rushed upstairs and quickly brought the scene under control.
Gao Hexin patted his chest with lingering fear, then looked at Ning Jiu, who was standing obediently to the side.
She stood firmly with her hands at her sides. The shards of glass that had just been pressed against someone's throat had been lowered, and her fingertips were still slightly white, but she was very quiet, the kind of quiet that comes from complete composure.
The police officer in charge discovered the broken glass in the stairwell and asked who had smashed it.
The man in the suit on the ground immediately grasped at Ning Jiu as if he were a lifeline.
"It was her! She threatened me with the glass! She even said she was going to stab me!"
"Stop talking nonsense, I smashed it." Li Mingyuan stood up directly, speaking with righteous indignation, "I have video evidence."
“I handed her the glass,” Qiao Bolin said, drawing everyone’s attention. “He had already pounced on her; they didn’t have time to dodge, so it’s normal for him to try to stop them.”
“Exactly,” Li Mingyuan chimed in, “If Sister Jiu hadn’t stopped her, wouldn’t she have been waiting to get beaten up? Isn’t that self-defense?”
Compared to the students' forceful defense, the team leader, Officer Li An, remained silent for a long time, his gaze lingering on Qiao Bolin for a few seconds, clearly indicating that he recognized him.
As if remembering someone, a hint of apprehension flashed across Li An's face, and he subconsciously softened his tone.
"We will look into the situation in detail later, and we would appreciate it if you could cooperate by giving your statements."
The police took the students to the police station for a brief statement. Once the matter was roughly clarified, the process was quickly completed, and the incident came to a temporary end.
Before leaving, Gao Hexin glanced back at Duan Lin and the man in the suit who were still sitting in the police station, then turned to look at Duan Chu, her eyes showing a hint of worry.
"That man is really your father? That's terrifying."
Duan Chu still bit her lip, lowered her head and remained silent. Gao Hexin sighed and didn't ask anything more.
Why don't you come stay at my place tonight?
"No need," Duan Chu shook his head. "I'll go back to school to stay today."
Qi Ruiheng looked at her disapprovingly, "Isn't it winter break now? Are the school dormitories open?"
"School starts in a week. I asked the dorm supervisor, and she said it will be open."
She was still wearing that cheap, knock-off JK uniform, which swayed gently in the cold wind, making her look rather frail.
After hesitating for a moment, Duan Chu thanked the group lightly. Just as he turned to leave, Ning Jiu's voice came from behind him.
"My home is nearby, let me get you some clothes."
The two lived very close to each other. She went to the bedroom and found a thicker coat, took it downstairs and handed it to Duan Chu. Duan Chu initially refused, but couldn't resist the biting winter wind, and finally reached out and took it with a pale face.
"As you can see, we grew up in similar environments," Ning Jiu said softly. "But no matter how difficult it is, there is still hope in life. Keep going."
She wasn't good at comforting people, but Duan Chu smiled, a smile more genuine and radiant than ever before.
"Thank you, but you are luckier than me."
She paused for a moment and sniffed.
"You seem to know what your future will be like, but I don't."
"I can't even see which direction the future is heading."
She left those words behind and disappeared around the corner.
Ning Jiu was stunned by those words for a long time, and only realized it was raining when she felt a slight chill on her head.
Turning around, amidst the misty rain, the tall, upright young man stood under the dim yellow light.
She hadn't expected him to still be there, and before she could say anything, she was interrupted by his sudden closeness.
The damp coolness of the rain mingled with the warmth of his body, like a slightly warm breeze entering his heart, disrupting his breathing.
A thin stream of fluid slowly spread down her spine. Ning Jiu instinctively tried to dodge, but he grabbed the back of her neck with one hand. The kneading force was not strong, but it was very skillful, making her whole body involuntarily go weak.
"Don't reject me."
Qiao Bolin's low voice reached her ear, calm yet slightly hoarse, sending a tingling sensation up her throat and gently kissing her earlobe.
"I know you like it too."
Ning Jiu felt his ear being kissed intermittently, and she was in a daze as he seemed to understand her body so well.
The rain fell on the ends of his dark hair and thick eyelashes, and glistening water droplets were brushed against Ning Jiu's hollow neck, making her feel a little itchy, and she let out a soft moan.
If someone familiar with Qiao Bolin were to pass by at this moment, they would probably find it hard to reconcile this expression with the usually calm person he was.
Ning Jiu initially felt his embrace was very warm, but gradually, she sensed something was wrong.
Qiao Bailin hugged her tighter, and the force of his sucking was unbearable; if this continued, it would definitely leave marks.
She began to gently push against his chest.
"Joe Bolin, let go of me..."
"Why did you do that?" He seemed not to hear her, his breath brushing against her ear as if in a sigh or an unintentional gesture. He lightly kissed the most sensitive part of her earlobe, feeling her body tremble slightly. "You know why I gave you the glass shard back then."
In that emergency, Qiao Bolin gave her the shard of glass so that she could protect herself, not to save someone else.
If that person really charges at you recklessly, the best-case scenario is that the glass cuts their skin, forcing them to stop. But if they're less lucky—
Qiao Bolin almost dared not think any further.
"This has happened twice already."
Last time, I was sent to the hospital because I fainted from stomach cramps, and now I almost had an accident again at such a critical moment.
He buried his head in the crook of her neck, his straight nose bone sinking deeply into her softness, and cool water droplets dripping from his eyelashes, spreading a damp trail on her skin.
"When will you be able to protect yourself properly?"
Do you think that what I'm doing... is that I haven't protected myself properly?
Ning Jiu was somewhat incredulous. She tilted her head and tried to break free from his embrace, but he stubbornly held her.
"Joe Bolin, let go of me first."
She frowned, then suddenly pushed him away forcefully. Qiao Bolin didn't react in time and instinctively let go, instantly creating distance between them.
The rain fell silently, blurring the outline of his face as he stood in the wind.
Ning Jiu's tone was calm, yet left no room for argument.
“Joe Bolin, I’m not made of glass, I don’t break easily. I know what I’m doing, and I know what should come first.”
"Don't you really think your desire for control has been getting stronger lately?" She rarely spoke so directly, her tone carrying a hint of weariness. "I'm not stupid. On the day of the sports meet, you hugged me in front of so many people. Do you really believe yourself if you say it wasn't intentional?"
"And when I confronted Wen Yi, you happened to show up, and you happened to have Xiao Bai with you. I could pretend I didn't know about any of that," she asked. "But now, you're interfering with everything I do, aren't you?"
Raindrops fell, leaving dark damp marks on his shoulders.
Qiao Bolin chuckled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Interfering with you... So this is how you see it."
"Isn't that right?" Ning Jiu said softly, but clearly enough. "We agreed that our relationship shouldn't be noticed by others, and we shouldn't cross the line. Don't you think you've strayed too far from that now?"
The wind picked up suddenly, and the fine rain, carried by the wind, lashed against my face like needles, stinging my skin and causing a slight pain.
Qiao Bolin just watched her quietly.
A rare hint of sadness flickered in his eyes, mingling with the swirling snow and wind, sending a shiver down Ning Jiu's spine.
"If that's really what you think, and you really want us to get back on track."
His voice was very soft.
"Look me in the eyes and say it again."
This is not a difficult requirement.
Ning Jiu tilted her head slightly, her gaze piercing through the light white mist to meet his dark pupils.
Qiao Bolin's eyes were so clear they were almost transparent, and she was reflected in them. Rain slid down from her hair, rippling like waves on a lake, revealing all the emotions she held.
She opened her mouth and uttered a single word—
But it just wouldn't continue.
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Author's Note: Yes, it's about to turn to urban life; an important plot point is coming soon.
Thank you so much for the free tickets, nutrient solutions, and comments, everyone! Tangtang has seen them all. A huge thank you to everyone, muah! [pink heart]
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