Chapter 29: The Light of Day Fights for Freedom
At that moment, Ye Yuying leaned against the old white wall of the corridor, lost in thought.
She found the reality somewhat ironic; her own blood relatives wanted nothing more than to strip her of everything and marginalize her, fearing they would drag her down.
On the contrary, Cheng Mingdu, a complete stranger separated by an awkward "brother-sister" relationship, despite disliking her mother and being on opposing sides, still spoke frankly to her and even sacrificed his dignity to plead with the homeroom teacher—
To give her another chance.
Are there really such great philanthropists in the world?
She slowly loosened her grip on the hem of her school uniform, her fingertips numb and white, while her palms were burning hot.
The homeroom teacher was still flipping through her file, her tone carrying the habitual admonition: "Ye Yuying isn't incompetent, she's just restless and impatient. I've called her out on her appearance and attitude issues many times, but she..."
"Teacher," Cheng Mingdu suddenly interrupted softly.
The homeroom teacher was taken aback.
“I understand the school’s position and accept criticism, but—” His tone remained unchanged, but his eyes revealed a hint of unfathomable coldness, “I’m not here today to hear a conviction. I hope to find a solution together with the school, not to send her out of the school gates.”
The homeroom teacher immediately stopped lecturing, paused, and then laughed, "That's not what I meant..."
Cheng Mingdu stopped, his posture as still as a pine tree. He glanced sideways, his eyes calm. "I will actively cooperate to correct her bad behavior, but I hope the teacher will not bring it up again, as it will have a great impact on a child."
The corridor fell silent for a moment. Ye Yuying could hear everything clearly from a distance. She looked at her toes with some shame, nervously rubbing the ground, her ears turning slightly red.
Because she had never seen Cheng Mingdu like this before, it was as if... as if he really was her brother.
A hypothesis quietly began to sprout in her mind: if he really was her brother, then her life would probably be much better.
Cheng Mingdu is a refined and elegant person, but he also possesses absolute rationality and integrity, capable of protecting her. If they were truly related by blood, he would unconditionally favor her.
That feeling of favoritism, which existed only in her imagination, warmed her heart.
The homeroom teacher looked at Cheng Mingdu with a complicated expression, but ultimately did not refute him. He simply nodded and said, "...I will observe him for a while longer."
"thank you."
...
After the conversation ended, Cheng Mingdu walked lightly and steadily, stopping precisely at the corner of the corridor.
He glanced at Ye Yuying out of the corner of his eye and asked in a low voice, "Did you hear everything?"
Ye Yuying lowered her eyes and nodded gently: "Yes... I need to improve my grade ranking by twenty places at the end of this semester, without violating classroom rules..."
This was what Cheng Mingdu had just promised her homeroom teacher; she still had plenty of time to prepare, and such a request was not excessive.
“I will try my best to achieve it.” She gritted her teeth and added, “But I would like to apply to continue sitting in the ‘special seat’, regardless of whether I am still in last place.”
Cheng Mingdu looked at her: "What special position?"
The homeroom teacher paused for a couple of seconds, smiled, and said nothing.
Ye Yuying whispered, "It's the area under the podium specifically designed for underachieving students..." Cheng Mingdu paused for a second, then glanced at the homeroom teacher, whose face showed a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
"Why do you still want to sit in that seat?" he asked.
Ye Yuying lowered her head, bit her lip, and said softly, "Nobody likes to be treated specially. I happen to have bad grades and don't care about these things, so I'll sit down."
The atmosphere became slightly tense. Cheng Mingdu's breathing became heavier as he said, "You're quite righteous."
Cheng Mingdu turned to look at his homeroom teacher again, but before he could speak, the teacher immediately waved his hand and said, "We didn't mean to humiliate the students. These are just some disciplinary mechanisms to encourage them to study hard."
The homeroom teacher's tone carried a hint of difficulty, as well as a touch of embarrassment that he hadn't had time to hide.
He paused, then his voice fell slowly and deliberately, “If a mechanism leads to self-denial rather than motivation for improvement, then it may have strayed from its original purpose.”
The homeroom teacher was speechless for a moment after hearing these words. She opened her mouth slightly, but ultimately did not argue. Instead, she promptly offered a solution.
"From now on, 'special position' will no longer have the same meaning as before."
Ye Yuying was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting Cheng Mingdu's words to be so effective; everything had turned out completely unexpectedly.
When I looked up again, the homeroom teacher's figure had already disappeared into the distance.
As I stepped out of the office building, it was just beginning to get light.
A damp breeze blew in from outside the teaching building corridor, brushing against my cheeks, making me feel exceptionally clean; it was as if last night's rain had washed away some dust.
Cheng Mingdu walked ahead of her without saying a word.
Ye Yuying followed a few steps behind him, her steps light, as if afraid of breaking the silence in the air and incurring blame.
But he didn't.
Cheng Mingdu finally stopped and turned to look at her when they reached the corner in front of the school gate.
"Go to class."
Ye Yuying paused for a moment, then nodded.
“Remember,” Cheng Mingdu stood backlit, so she couldn’t see his enthusiasm at that moment, but she could hear his slightly indifferent tone, yet every word was firm and resounding, “If you only have eyes for the small plot of land in front of you, then the slightest breeze or a cold laugh from someone else will control you.”
He paused, his voice low and firm:
"But you're not trying to please anyone, nor are you trying to prove whether you deserve to stay. You're fighting for your dignity and your future—fighting for your freedom."
At that moment, Cheng Mingdu's words were like a cold light, piercing into the depths of her consciousness and lifting her head, which had been hanging low, an inch higher.
She rarely looked up at the sky to ponder whether there were gods beyond the heavens, or whether she should stop here. So she sent Cheng Mingdu.
In early spring, she raised her hazy, bewildered eyes and gazed at the endless white clouds, seemingly understanding yet also faintly shimmering with hope.
Ye Yuying once wondered if some people were destined to live a life of poverty and hardship in society—like her grandmother, enduring pain to set up a stall, get up early, save money, and support the whole family.
She once mistakenly believed that this was the fate of most people.
But now she understands that it wasn't fate, it was a decision made for her by others—once you give up thinking and giving up resisting, the rest of your life will be written by others.
Life is probably a process of gradually reclaiming the power of choice; only by mastering these powers can destiny truly be yours.
But the word "freedom" was too abstract for her at that time. She thought freedom meant being able to decide where to go after school and what snacks to buy on the weekend.
But at this moment she did not know that the true path to freedom was actually incredibly long and arduous, something she would pursue for the rest of her life, and it governed all her actions and logic.
She stood in the shadow of the teaching building, the air damp and cold with the lingering chill of late winter. Her shoulders were still thin, her palms and feet were still empty, and ahead lay a suffocating sense of bewilderment.
She didn't know how far she could go, or whether she could truly escape the walls of fate, but she gritted her teeth and secretly made a promise.
Even if it's just once, it's worth it.
*
After the "special seats" were abolished, the atmosphere in the class did not seem to change much.
Because the concept of special seats was already deeply ingrained, Ye Yuying voluntarily sat there and continued to eat chalk dust.
Everyone thought she was a good-for-nothing and wanted to sit in that shameful position.
However, she miraculously felt relieved and even enjoyed herself. Sitting here, she wouldn't be disturbed by anyone, had the best view during class, and could more easily ask questions if she didn't understand something. Even during self-study periods, the teacher could easily see her and point out the mistakes in her homework.
There's nothing wrong with sitting here.
Before the Qingming Festival holiday, the results of the math quiz were released. Everyone's ranking remained almost unchanged, with the top students always rotating among the same few. The only difference was that Ye Yuying's name was right behind hers.
She received the test paper somewhat bewildered, and seeing more red checkmarks than red crosses for the first time felt like a refreshing feeling after her mind had been cleansed.
When Ge Jie was collecting her test papers, she passed by her desk and bumped it slightly, without apologizing. It's unclear whether she did it intentionally or unintentionally.
Ye Yuying didn't look up at her; she was just thinking about the reasons for losing points.
Before explaining the problem, the homeroom teacher specifically praised her progress and gave her a gentle smile for the first time.
However, after several days, Ye Yuying noticed that the atmosphere in the class was a bit off.
Ge Jie's group of friends were intentionally or unintentionally spreading speculation that she had cheated on the exam, believing that her foundation was weak and it was impossible for her to have made such rapid progress.
Upon learning this, Ye Yuying instinctively stood up, ready to confront him.
But before taking action, she recalled Cheng Mingdu's words.
Don't just focus on your immediate surroundings; you are fighting for freedom.
Just as everyone fell silent in fear upon seeing her stand up, watching her nervously in complete silence, Ye Yuying grabbed the chemistry textbook from the table, stuffed it into her bag, and walked away without looking at anyone.
She walked out of the classroom, and the spring breeze blew in from the end of the corridor, carrying a hint of warmth, gently lifting the hair on her forehead.
She had never felt such unprecedented restraint and clarity.
Her figure was reflected in the glass window of the corridor, thin and clear. She was a girl who was once deemed beyond redemption, silently undergoing a transformation.
*
Back at the Cheng family home, she entered with great confidence, seemingly proud that she hadn't caused any trouble that day.
However, looking around, Cheng Mingdu was nowhere to be seen in the front hall or the backyard.
Somewhat disappointed, she withdrew her gaze and prepared to silently return to the attic.
Cheng Mingdu's voice rang out from the pavilion at the end of the corridor.
"Are you on holiday?"
She quickly looked up, suppressing her excitement, and nodded silently.
"Go back and pack your luggage."
Cheng Mingdu looked like he was about to go out, and even had his car keys ready.
Seeing Ye Yuying's bewildered expression, Cheng Mingdu got up and walked towards the parking lot: "Didn't you want to see your grandmother? If we leave now, we might be able to get there before she falls asleep in the middle of the night."
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Author's Note: 50 red envelopes! [Cat emoji]
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