Chapter 65
He He's pupils constricted, unable to react in time.
He Shuying arrived too suddenly, and the knife stabbed too quickly.
However, just as He He thought she was about to be stabbed, a tall figure blocked her way.
It is Chen Jingbai.
He He was pulled back, completely blocked from view, and she was safe.
A clanging sound rang out; it was the sound of a knife falling onto the cement floor.
He He snapped out of her daze, her eyes filled with panic, and anxiously searched Chen Jingbai for wounds, "Where are you hurt? Does it hurt a lot?"
Chen Jingbai stepped on the blade to prevent He Shuying from going crazy again and picking up the knife to repeat her old trick. "I'm fine. I just cut the back of my hand when I grabbed the knife."
He He's eyes were red and swollen. She looked at the bloody wound on Chen Jingbai's hand, feeling both heartache and lingering fear. "I'll take you to the hospital."
She then shouted at He Shuying, who was in a daze and muttering something incessantly, "He Shuying! You'll have to go and explain yourself to the police."
Hearing the commotion, some elderly women who didn't have to go to work quickly came out to join in the fun.
"Hey, what are you doing, Xiao He's family? Why are you making such a racket and even drawing knives?"
"Yeah, is this young man alright? Shuying, what's wrong with you? Why are you acting like a bad person? Are you trying to stab your sister with that knife?"
"So what if you broke off your engagement with that Ye family brat? What's gotten into you? Xia He kindly let you continue living at the He family's house, why don't you know how to be grateful? And now you're hurting people."
Everyone in the compound knew about the He family's affairs, from eighty-year-old grandmas and grandpas to three-year-old children.
He Zhongguo was an out-of-towner who made his fortune by relying on his father-in-law. He did such shameless things. After his wife passed away, he immediately brought his wife, whom he had married in the countryside, to the city, and pulled off a huge scheme of usurping her place.
They've been neighbors for decades, and no one could have imagined that He Zhongguo was this kind of person. They all suspected that He He's bad reputation might have been spread by Wang Fangrong and He Shuying, just to make sure that the children born to his first wife didn't have an easy life.
Many families with daughters are terrified that their daughters might end up with a husband like He Zhongguo; the thought is truly terrifying.
He Zhongguo left with Wang Fangrong and his son, but gossip about the He family still circulated in the compound, especially among He Shuying, who had not yet gone with them.
Look how glamorous He Shuying used to be! She got into university and got engaged to her childhood sweetheart, the promising Ye Minglang. She had a lot of good days ahead of her.
Who would have thought that He Zhongguo's past dirty deeds would be exposed, He Shuying's marriage was off, and she seemed to be acting strangely, even resorting to violence.
If it weren't for this young man, He He might have been stabbed in unimaginable ways.
The neighbors were chattering amongst themselves when He He interrupted them, "Grandmas, could you please take He Shuying to the police station? My boyfriend's hand is injured, and I need to get him to the hospital urgently."
As soon as He He finished speaking, the neighbors rushed forward and grabbed He Shuying's hands, one by one, and He Shuying was restrained.
Everyone wanted to continue watching the excitement, and sending someone to the police station would provide even more spectacles. No one disagreed, and some even wanted to be the first to go, just to get a closer look at the spectacle.
After a long while, He Shuying, who was being restrained, began to struggle and shouted at the departing figures of He He and Chen Jingbai: "It's not like that, it's not like that at all, He He, why didn't you die? It's not like that at all, it's not right, it's not right at all."
The old ladies holding onto He Shuying all had doubts in their eyes, and some even let go, afraid of catching He Shuying's crazy tendencies.
"This...Is He Shuying crazy? Why is she acting so erratically?"
"Exactly, what's gotten into her? It's just that He Zhongguo was transferred to the countryside. He didn't lose his job. Why is she acting like this, even trying to harm others?"
“I think He Shuying was just pretending before. How could she be so kind with parents like that? She just learned their hypocrisy. Who knows how vicious she is in private? She's even learned how to kill.”
"Take her to the police station quickly, lest she hold a grudge against us old neighbors later."
He Shuying was taken to the police station, while He He took Chen Jingbai to the hospital and treated his wounds.
The nurse who bandaged the wound said, "Be careful not to get it wet when you get home. The wound is a bit deep, but luckily it didn't damage any bones or tendons. Remember to come to the hospital to change the dressing."
He He asked the nurse eagerly, "Is there anything else I need to be careful about?"
"That's all. I've already given you all the instructions. Just one more reminder: you must avoid those foods that I mentioned earlier, as they can trigger allergies. This will help your wounds heal faster. You can go pay the bill now."
Seeing He He like this, Chen Jingbai comforted her, "I'm fine, you don't need to worry too much."
He was indeed startled when He Shuying pulled out the knife. He Shuying was particularly ruthless; the blade was aimed at He He's heart.
He didn't even dare to think about what would have happened if he hadn't paid attention to He He, hadn't noticed the knife in He Shuying's hand, and hadn't blocked that knife for He He, and instead He He had been the one who got hurt.
The two walked down the wide hospital corridor, which was bright white and occasionally smelled of disinfectant.
He He was still a little shaken, sobbing, "It's good that you're alright. I was so scared. Why were you so stupid to take a knife for me? Luckily, the doctor said your hand is fine, otherwise I don't know what I would have done. Your hand is used for drawing. If you had injured your tendons, I..."
"Xiaohe! I'm fine, don't worry. It was just too rushed and sudden. Otherwise, I could have made sure I didn't get hurt and could have protected you." Chen Jingbai reached out and tucked Hehe's stray hairs behind her ear. The situation had been too chaotic, and her hair was a little disheveled.
"That woman was ruthless. She used all her strength, gripping my wrist tightly and refusing to let go, even shaking it wildly. That's how I accidentally got cut on my hand. She was aiming the knife at my heart. I'm glad it was me who was injured, just a small cut on the back of my hand."
He He threw herself into Chen Jingbai's arms and sobbed, apologizing, "I'm sorry, I made you get hurt. I didn't know she was so crazy."
Chen Jingbai reached out his uninjured hand and gently touched He He's head, saying softly, "No need to apologize. She's the one who's wrong, and she's the one who should apologize and be punished. Let's go to the police station now and send her to jail together."
He He nodded, calming herself down.
When the two entered the police station, there were still many neighbors from the compound gathered at the entrance. Everyone was waiting for He He to return.
After they arrived at the police station, they gave a clear account of what had happened. When the police officers saw He He and Chen Jingbai arrive, they first inquired about Chen Jingbai's injuries and then said that they had already found out the details and retrieved the knife that He Shuying used to commit the crime from the scene.
With witnesses and physical evidence, and Chen Jingbai having personally witnessed He Shuying heading towards intentional homicide, the police station quickly convicted He Shuying of intentional assault, which carries a minimum sentence of three years.
When the Cheng family heard that He He had encountered this incident, they also sent people over. They were relieved to see that He He was alright.
The Cheng family knew that Chen Jingbai had taken the knife for He He, so they sent Chen Jingbai a lot of tonics, and their gaze towards him changed.
Before He Shuying was sentenced, He He went to see her one last time.
She did not choose to sign the letter of forgiveness, even when He Zhongguo and Wang Fangrong, who rushed back from the countryside, begged her for forgiveness.
He Shuying looked much more haggard and her expression was even more dazed. She kept muttering, "It's not like this, it shouldn't be like this, it's all wrong, it's all wrong."
Seeing He He, He Shuying regained some composure and glared angrily at He He. "Are you satisfied now? You must have done something to sabotage this. My fate wasn't supposed to be like this. The He family would be fine, and I would have married Ye Minglang as I wished. Everything was wrong."
"He He, is this the one who did this? It must be you, right?"
After He Zhongguo's past deeds were exposed by He He, He Shuying had a dream. In the dream, He He had not yet passed the university entrance exam and returned to the city. If she were to return, it would be several years later, and she would do so through the Cheng family's connections. However, she fell ill and died a few years after returning.
She will marry Ye Minglang, and her life will be good. The last time she saw He He was in the hospital.
He He, lying on the hospital bed, was already emaciated from the torment of illness. She stood proudly beside Ye Minglang, who looked at He He with a mocking gaze.
But now everything is different. He He has returned to the city, the He family is in trouble, and Ye Minglang has abandoned her.
Reality and dreams are opposites.
But deep down, He Shuying felt that what she dreamed of was what should have happened, that her fate shouldn't be like this, and that her dream should be her real life.
He Shuying felt dazed; fate shouldn't have turned out this way.
He He paused, a look of confusion in her eyes.
So He Shuying found out too? Did she see that book just like her? Is that why she's so resentful now?
But He He still didn't understand. He Shuying was gone without Ye Minglang. She was graduating this summer and could get a good job after graduating from junior college. She didn't need to rely on the He family at all; she could live a good life on her own.
He Shuying clearly had a better way of life, so why did she have the thought of killing her?
When she learned of her fate, she didn't have any intention of hurting anyone. Instead, she thought about escaping her predetermined destiny and exploring other possibilities.
Now, she has done it; predetermined fate can be changed.
A single thought can change a lot.
He He calmly looked at He Shuying: "He Shuying, I don't understand what you're talking about, but I'm very curious about how you came up with the idea of killing me. Why do you want to kill me? What are you not satisfied with?"
Even without the He family and Ye Minglang, you are still you. You still have so much. Your associate's degree is real; you have no idea how many people outside envied you, envied that you were assigned a job after graduation. But now that you're in jail, everything you have is truly gone.
He He: "He Shuying, what are you thinking? We've never gotten along since we were little. I didn't understand before, but now I think I do. You probably just can't stand me and want to always be one step ahead of me. But it's your life, so why do you always compare yourself to others?"
She raised her head again, looking at He He with resentment: "Yes, I'm jealous. I just can't stand you. Why do you have a good background while I was just adopted from the countryside by the He family? Why did we grow up together? Ye Minglang likes you too. This is not fair, not fair at all."
He He thought He Shuying could come to her senses, but she never expected He Shuying to be so obsessed.
She came for nothing today.
"He Shuying, what exactly do you want?"
After saying this, He He left. Outside, her uncle, nephew, Chen Jingbai, and Chen Jingyi were there. She should have listened to them from the beginning and not come to see He Shuying.
As He Shuying watched He He's retreating figure, she murmured, "What I want is..."
"What I want."
"I have no idea."
After He He left, Chen Jingbai took her cold hand in his and put it in his pocket.
With her uncle around, He He felt a little embarrassed by Chen Jingbai's actions.
But Chen Jingbai wasn't shy at all and generously warmed her hands.
The uncles didn't say anything, just smiled and said that it's good to be young.
Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi were called back to the Cheng family home by their uncle for a meal. After the meal, they were allowed to stay at the Cheng family home and play for a while longer.
While they were engrossed in chatting happily with Chen Jingyi and Cheng Surin, and no one noticed her and Chen Jingbai in the corner, He He secretly pulled Chen Jingbai upstairs to her room.
Chen Jingbai's hand was still not healed, so He He didn't dare to do anything. She just pulled Chen Jingbai back to her room, giving the two of them a chance to be alone.
Now that He He and Chen Jingbai are back together, she's not afraid of what they'll say if she's caught sneaking away.
He He moved another chair over and placed it in front of the desk. She wanted Chen Jingbai to see the novel written by a classmate that she had chosen.
The two sat side by side, Chen Jingbai reading a book, while He He quietly watched Chen Jingbai's profile.
The soft, yellowish light shone on his face. Up close, He He could see the fine downy hairs on his face. She just stared at him like that, and before she knew it, she couldn't help but laugh.
Hearing a soft laugh, Chen Jingbai looked up at her, a smile playing on his lips. "What are you laughing at?"
He He said, "You are so good-looking. I envy myself for having such a handsome boyfriend."
Chen Jingbai raised his eyebrows at He He's words, his gaze towards her becoming somewhat cloying. "Don't envy yourself, I am yours."
The atmosphere was a little ambiguous, and He He blushed slightly. She quickly interrupted, "Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. What do you think of it? My classmate wrote it well, right? I think this book should sell very well!"
"It's well-written. Your little stash of money will be much more substantial then." Chen Jingbai wasn't a big fan of these novels, but he felt it was well-written, at least enough to keep someone like him, who didn't particularly enjoy reading novels, reading it.
Speaking of this, He He raised her chin. She now has her own little savings and can buy whatever she wants. However, she is indeed quite good at spending money. She buys whatever she likes without any hesitation.
Even so, Chen Jingbai was willing to give her a portion of the money he earned, telling her to spend it as she pleased, and he didn't keep the rest for himself, saying he would save it up to marry her after graduation.
Even the money He He gave her before their breakup, which she wanted to return after the breakup, he didn't take; he just kept it with her.
Chen Jingbai is making a lot of money now by following his teacher. He earns more from one task than He He does in a month, which makes He He extremely envious.
She pressed down her lips again: "I'm barely passable, still not as good as you. If I had known that studying architecture would make so much money, I wouldn't have chosen Chinese literature. I could have made even more money then."
Chen Jingbai couldn't help but laugh out loud. He reached out and gently touched He He's nose. "Little money-grubber, all the money I earn from now on is yours. You can manage all the money in the house."
He He's eyes lit up with surprise; she almost jumped for joy. "Really? You're really willing?"
Chen Jingbai earns a lot of money. If we let her manage the money, her little savings will turn into a huge fortune!
Chen Jingbai's expression was very serious, and the upward curve of his lips never disappeared. "Of course."
A man's money should be given to his wife to manage and spend as she pleases. Therefore, giving money to He He is a matter of course for him.
"Chen Jingbai, you're such a good person. I was right to have chosen you!" He He leaned close to Chen Jingbai and gave him a big kiss on the cheek.
Chen Jingbai was embraced tightly, his face felt hot and itchy, and his heart was burning. "You are very good too."
A glint of light flashed in his eyes as he reached out his uninjured hand and put it around He He's waist, bringing the two of them closer.
Chen Jingbai's lips gradually touched He He's cheek, just as He He had kissed his cheek.
Then slowly move your lips, pecking from the cheek to the corner of the mouth, and then press them against He He's lips until they are completely covered, and then slowly and gently kiss them.
I don't know who stuck out their tongue first, but the air became more humid.
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