Chapter Twenty-Nine
That evening, Shen Yue had a long-awaited phone call with his loving father, Zhao Xinli.
After spending most of the night on the phone and just ending the call, he dialed He Qizheng again.
Therefore, the next morning, Shen Yue practically struggled to get out of bed and go downstairs to eat breakfast.
"He's sleeping in the bowl, huh?" Xue Meiying, who was sitting opposite, suddenly spoke up, startling Chen Yue, who was chewing and nodding at the same time.
He put down his chopsticks, wiped his face, and laughed angrily as Xue Meiying accused him of staying up all night to steal his neighbor's underwear by scaling walls.
He took a tissue to wipe his mouth, glanced at the energetic old lady across from him who was eating with great relish, and said, "I haven't even asked you about you secretly going out with my classmate yet."
Xue Meiying glared at him: "What do you mean by 'stealing'? I did it openly and honestly. If you're talking about stealing, don't think I don't know how you got to the milk tea shop. What a coincidence that someone who should have been sleeping at home ended up sitting right across from us the next second."
Shen Yue felt a little guilty, but remembering that he was acting out of kindness and concern for their safety, he became more assertive: "Watch your words. I was just worried that you might encounter some danger. You three helpless little girls, would you really be willing to be my bodyguards?"
"Stop bragging."
Shen Yue's face darkened: "Grandma."
When he was a child, his idol was Xue Meiying. He always thought that all university professors were as unconventional as her, until he was slapped hard by Shen Lan for imitating Xue Meiying's swearing and turned into a spinning top. For the next three years, he maintained the persona of a polite and noble young master.
Xue Meiying smiled somewhat awkwardly: "This is the last time, this is the last time."
Shen Yue reached out his hand: "Give me your phone."
Xue Meiying asked warily, "What?"
Shen Yue invoked his authority: "My mom said she needs to check your following list. There are too many scammers online these days, and she's worried you might get scammed."
Xue Meiying clutched her pocket tightly, still wanting to struggle a bit, but Shen Yue threatened to video call Shen Lan to personally supervise the work, so she reluctantly handed over her phone.
“…You unfilial sons!” Xue Meiying’s heart was bleeding. All the bloggers she had painstakingly collected were gone, leaving only some hypocrites.
Shen Yue glanced at the suitcase next to the dining table and handed the phone back: "Where are you going on vacation again?"
Xue Meiying was still holding a grudge: "What's it to you?"
Shen Yue: "...You've got quite a temper."
Xue Meiying snorted coldly, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "Did your mother really agree to you moving?"
Shen Yue was typing away on his phone, seemingly busy with something. Hearing this, he briefly looked up and said, "What's wrong with you? She's going on a long business trip, and you're going on vacation. I'd rather rent a small apartment near the school than live alone in this big house. It's closer to the school."
Xue Meiying revealed the secret in one sentence: "It's mainly because it's close to You Congxi."
Shen Yue was speechless for a moment. Fortunately, his phone rang, and he immediately stood up and went to answer it.
Xue Meiying watched his retreating figure and muttered, "You're making it so obvious, only a fool wouldn't be able to tell you like her."
The fool You Congxi was fast asleep in bed.
She got home a little late yesterday, but she managed to finish her homework and didn't go to sleep until 2 a.m.
I was half asleep and felt a little too relaxed. My mind, which was a complete mess, took a while to process before I remembered that I hadn't written an essay.
Suddenly, You Congxi sat up in shock while on his deathbed, opening his eyes in horror as if he had fallen from heaven to hell in an instant.
Essays, essays, essays, damn essays.
She ran her fingers through her hair, made a nest for the chirping birds outside the window, and then remembered something even more terrifying—it seemed her Chinese teacher had assigned three...
Why?
You Congxi's sullen face paused.
It seems I've forgotten something...
She inadvertently met the gaze of the beady-eyed bear in her arms, and suddenly realized what was happening.
Yesterday, that sucker Shen Yue seemed to have granted her permission to write three essays.
He threw himself back onto his pillow, contentedly hugging his teddy bear as he drifted off to sleep again. You Congxi even found the noisy birdsong outside the window to have become pleasant.
Ding-dong.
Ding-dong.
"Swimming little fish!!"
"......"
The tightly closed door was opened, and Qu Qi was about to give her best friend, whom she hadn't seen for several hours, a bear hug when she was startled by her ghostly gaze: "Holy crap, are you a ghost or a human?"
You Congxi stepped aside to let her in, and said softly, "I am a wandering soul."
Qu Qi put the breakfast he was carrying on the table, directed her to get the bowls and chopsticks, washed his hands, and sat back down at the table, acting as if he were the master of the house.
"Aunt Jing is gone, and now I'm the one in charge of this household again."
Seeing her staggering as she set out the tableware, Qu Qi couldn't bear to watch any longer, so she quickly took over and went into the room to fold her blankets.
You Congxi ate breakfast with his eyes glazed over, mechanically stuffing food into his mouth, completely unaware of Qu Qi's actions.
"Wandering in the Congxi River, why does this ugly bear look so familiar?"
A question came from Qu Qi inside the room.
You Congxi was so sleepy her brain was practically spinning, and she subconsciously replied, "This is sinking..."
He suddenly came to his senses.
They quickly stopped, and saw Qu Qi walk out carrying a bear in one hand and holding a mosquito repellent roller in the other.
She stopped in front of the dining table, raised the things in her hands, and looked serious.
"You Congxi, why do these two things look so familiar?"
-
8 PM, Nanchuan Street.
Wen Hu glanced at Shen Yue's flamboyant tattooed arms a few times, but before he could speak, He Qizheng put an arm around his shoulder and said, "Tiger, just you wait and see."
Wen Hu was unaware of their plans. His father had come home today, which was a rare occasion, and he had spent the whole day with him. Knowing that no one could stop Shen Yue from doing what he wanted, he simply didn't waste any more words and went directly to Nanchuan Street to meet them.
A large group of thugs in black shirts and tight pants came from the opposite direction. He heard Shen Yue next to him scoff lightly, with an air of disdain and aristocratic disdain.
"court death."
The lead crew-cut man stopped three meters away from them.
"Wang Mian, right?" Shen Yue said calmly, arms crossed.
Wang Mian was somewhat surprised that he knew his name, but he quickly smiled and said, "Brother Yue, you're so well-informed."
He called him "Brother Yue" but his eyes and brows clearly showed his disdain.
"Hey, Brother Yue's face injury hasn't healed yet? Then this is really my fault. Who would have thought that the famous Xinghai District bully is actually a weakling? If I had known, I would have used only a third of my strength, and Brother Yue wouldn't have been disfigured."
That's incredibly arrogant.
He Qizheng couldn't help but clench his fists, wanting to rush forward, but was stopped by a look from Shen Yue, and reluctantly retreated.
Shen Yue stared at him without saying a word. On the not-so-wide street, the shops on both sides had lights on only sporadically, and there were few pedestrians. In addition, with two groups of people who didn't look like good guys blocking the middle of the road, no one dared to pass by.
A gentle breeze rippled through the unusually quiet street.
“So,” Shen Yue chuckled briefly, his tone unreadable, “why aren’t you home by now, Wang Mian? Aren’t you afraid your dad will beat you?”
These words struck a nerve with Wang Mian, causing his face to darken abruptly, his jaw muscles to twitch, and his hand, which was in his pocket, to tremble.
"You fucking want to die."
Before the knife tip pierced Shen Yue's heart, the piercing sound of police sirens rang out first.
Shen Yue seized the moment he paused and kicked him far away.
The gang of thugs who had come with Wang Mian scattered like birds the moment the sirens sounded.
Two police cars swerved and came to a stop between the group of people.
Wen Hu looked at Wang Mian, who was lying on the ground unable to move, and felt a sense of bewilderment.
The police officers who got out of the police car quickly handcuffed Wang Mian, pressed his arms down, and lifted him up.
The police car's high beams shone on his face, making it appear gloomy and pale. He looked up through the flashing red and blue lights and saw that strangely familiar figure.
Wang Mian slowly raised his head, only to be scolded by the police officers escorting him, who told him "Don't move" and "Behave yourself." He indeed became obedient, but his gaze remained fixed on the man's face. The moment he was pushed into the police car, he met the man's eyes through the car door. His chapped lips moved slightly, but his voice sounded too small amidst the cacophony of sirens and the noise of the pursuit of his accomplices.
But he knew the man had heard him clearly.
He was still grinning silently as he got into the police car.
He said.
"We meet again, Wen Hu."
-
Wen Hu and Wang Mian first met in the fourth grade of elementary school.
Wen Hu is a left-behind child. He grew up with his grandmother, his father worked on a construction site, and his mother died shortly after giving birth to him. He attended school in the county town before junior high school, and boarded at the county school during elementary school.
Wen Hu has always been straightforward and righteous. When a skinny boy transferred to the class, his hair was so long that it covered his eyes. He didn't like to talk and was bullied by the other boys in the class. Everyone else just watched coldly, but Wen Hu couldn't stand it and helped him a few times.
Gradually, Wang Mian started following Wen Hu around every day. Wherever Wen Hu went, he went too. He even followed Wen Hu to the toilet. Wen Hu jokingly asked him, "What are you doing here when I go to the toilet? Are you here to help me with my penis?" Unexpectedly, Wang Mian actually raised his hand to help him, which scared Wen Hu so much that he almost wet himself.
He knew that Wang Mian had a somewhat strange personality, but he still tried his best to help Wang Mian gradually integrate into the class. However, until he graduated from elementary school, Wang Mian remained detached from the class and ignored everyone except Wen Hu.
Wen Hu often saw large bruises all over Wang Mian's arms, neck, and legs. He thought Wang Mian had been bullied without his knowledge, so he angrily dragged someone to help him get revenge. Later, he found out that it was all because Wang Mian's father had beaten him when he was drunk.
Wang Mian was abused by his alcoholic father from a young age. Wen Hu believed that Wang Mian's mental abnormality was due to genetic inheritance. The teachers tried to intervene a few times, but each time Wang Mian was beaten half to death by his father and sent back to school. Eventually, the teachers stopped intervening.
Knowing that Wang Mian's father was mentally ill, Wen Hu let Wang Mian stay at his house during his holidays. Wen Hu's grandmother felt sorry for this skinny little boy whose ribs were protruding, and treated Wang Mian like her own grandson. Occasionally, when Wen Hu's father came home and knew that Wang Mian was home, he would buy several bags of snacks for the two children to share.
Wen Hu believed that his family had done everything they could for Wang Mianren.
Wen Hu considers himself and Wang Mian to be good friends, good buddies, and good brothers.
Until the day I graduated from elementary school, there was that fire.
So many years have passed, but in the dead of night, Wen Hu seems to still hear his grandmother's pitiful cries for help and the sirens of ambulances.
Wang Mian burned his grandmother to death.
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