Foul words and thorns
The autumn wind swirled fallen leaves in the corridor, carrying a biting chill. I had just picked up my mock competition paper from the physics teacher's office when I heard a burst of malicious laughter from the back row, which stung my ears like needles.
"Have you heard? Shen Zhixia and Zheng Yiming spent an afternoon together last weekend, at Zheng Yiming's house..."
"Really? What kind of good thing could a lone man and woman do together?"
"Who knows? Look how close she's been to Zheng Yiming lately, and she used to be with Li Zichen... Tsk tsk, she's quite the player."
Those words were like poisoned ice picks, slamming into my heart. I turned around abruptly, and the boys in the back row immediately fell silent, but they were still secretly exchanging ambiguous glances, with lewd smiles on their lips.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" My voice trembled, and the mock exam paper in my hand was crumpled into a ball.
“We’re not making this up.” A boy with dyed yellow hair stood up with a grin. “Li Zichen saw it all. He said he went to Zheng Yiming’s house last Sunday to run some errands and saw you come out of his house with his own eyes. You were fine when you went in, but when you came out, your eyes were red, like you had been crying…”
Li Zichen?
The name, like a rusty nail, was hammered into my memory. I remembered seeing a blurry figure at the alley entrance when I left Zheng Yiming's house last Sunday, but I hadn't paid it any attention. It turned out to be him.
He actually used such despicable methods to fabricate such filthy rumors.
A wave of pain washed over me, and I had to lean against the wall to keep from falling. "Where is Li Zichen?"
"Oh, you're getting impatient already?" The blond-haired guy's smile became even more lewd. "He's on the basketball court, bragging to his buddies about the 'goods he's used'..."
I didn't hear what they said after that; all I could hear was a buzzing in my ears, and all my reason was instantly overwhelmed by anger. Clutching the crumpled mock exam paper, I charged toward the basketball court like a caged beast driven mad by rage.
A crowd had gathered around the edge of the playground. Li Zichen was surrounded by a group of boys, dribbling a basketball and laughing triumphantly. "...Let me tell you, that girl Shen Zhixia looks innocent, but she's actually quite wild. Back when she was pursuing me..."
"Li Zichen!"
I yelled at him, my voice hoarse like a broken gong. All eyes turned to me, including Li Zichen's. His smile froze, a flicker of panic crossed his eyes, quickly replaced by arrogance.
"Hey, I was just talking about you, here you are?" He tossed the basketball to the person next to him, put his hands in his pockets, and swaggered towards me. "What? Missed me?"
"Why did you spread those seditious rumors about me?" I clenched my fists so tightly my nails almost dug into my flesh, and my whole body was trembling. "Zheng Yiming and I are completely innocent, what right do you have to say such things about me?!"
"Completely innocent?" He scoffed, deliberately raising his voice so everyone around could hear. "A lone man and woman spent an entire afternoon together in a room, and came out with red eyes. You're telling me they're completely innocent? Shen Zhixia, what are you pretending to be? You weren't like this in front of me back then..."
"Shut up!" I finally couldn't hold back and raised my hand to slap him across the face.
But he was prepared. He grabbed my wrist with a force so strong it felt like he wanted to crush my bones. "What? Did I hit the nail on the head? Getting angry?" He leaned closer, his voice low and filled with malicious mockery. "Shen Zhixia, do you think Zheng Yiming really likes you? He's just using you for fun. Once he's bored with you, he'll dump you like I did..."
"Let her go!"
A furious shout came from outside the crowd. Zheng Yiming pushed through the onlookers, rushed to me, shoved Li Zichen's hand away, and shielded me behind him. His face was ashen, and his eyes were as cold as ice—an anger I had never seen before.
"Li Zichen, watch your mouth!"
"Oh, the main character has arrived?" Li Zichen took a step back, his mockery deepening. "What? Did I hit a nerve? You dare to do it but not admit it?"
“What relationship I have with Zhi Xia is none of your business.” Zheng Yiming’s voice was deep and powerful, like an icicle in the cold winter. “But you spread rumors about her and insulted her, and I’m not done with you.”
"Not over yet? What do you want?" Li Zichen retorted, looking utterly smug. "Go ahead and hit me if you dare! Let me tell you, the whole school knows what kind of person Shen Zhixia is. She used to be with me..."
"Smack!"
A crisp slap echoed across the playground. Zheng Yiming had actually made a move; he punched Li Zichen in the face with such force that Li Zichen staggered back several steps, blood immediately seeping from the corner of his mouth.
Everyone was stunned, including me. Zheng Yiming had always been gentle and reserved; he rarely raised his voice, let alone fought. No one expected him to hit someone for my sake.
"You dare hit me?!" Li Zichen covered his mouth, both shocked and furious, like a mad dog that had been provoked, and lunged forward to fight back.
Zheng Yiming didn't dodge, but just looked at him coldly: "If you dare to say another insulting word to her, I can't guarantee where the next punch will land."
His gaze was terrifying, like it held a storm. Li Zichen froze in mid-air, genuinely afraid to move. The people around him were also intimidated by the scene; no one dared to speak, and the playground was eerily quiet, save for the rustling of leaves in the wind.
"Get out." Zheng Yiming uttered a single word, the chill in his voice sending shivers down one's spine.
Li Zichen glared at us fiercely, said "You just wait," and ran away in a sorry state, covering his face. Seeing there was no more excitement to see, the onlookers gradually dispersed, leaving only the two of us standing there.
"Are you alright?" Zheng Yiming turned around, the coldness on his face instantly fading, replaced by deep concern. He gently grasped my wrist, checking for any injuries. "Did he hurt you?"
His palms were warm, still warm from the fight. I looked at him, and tears suddenly fell, not from fear or resentment, but from the way he had shielded me from the wind, rain, and thorns, like a tree that had suddenly grown out of nowhere.
"I'm sorry." I sniffed, my voice hoarse like a broken gong. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't gone to your house..."
“It’s none of your business.” He interrupted me, gently wiping away my tears with his fingertips, his movements as tender as if he were handling a fragile treasure. “It’s his despicable act, it has nothing to do with you.”
The wind was still blowing, carrying the chill of late autumn, but with him protecting me behind me, I felt exceptionally safe. Looking at the lingering anger on his face, and recalling how he had acted earlier, I suddenly realized that this usually gentle young man harbored an unknown stubbornness deep within him—he could become incredibly brave, even reckless, to protect those he wanted to protect.
“Let’s go back.” He took my hand, the warmth of his palm seeping through my skin, steadily soothing my trembling heart. “Don’t let those people’s foul words dirty our eyes.”
I nodded and let him lead me forward. The lawn on the playground still bore the mess from before, but the hand he held was surprisingly warm.
Perhaps there will be more malice and thorns in the future, perhaps Li Zichen will retaliate, perhaps those rumors will continue to circulate. But as long as he is by my side, it seems there is nothing to fear.
After all, even in the coldest late autumn, there will be warm sunshine; even in the densest thorns, someone will clear a path for you.
And he is my warm sun, my sword.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
