Chapter 19
It was late at night when Lu Baiyan returned home. Zhao Mei sat on the sofa in the living room, her face displeased, clearly extremely dissatisfied with his late return and inability to be contacted.
"Where did you go? You didn't answer your phone." Zhao Mei's voice was filled with suppressed anger as she scrutinized him.
"I was reading in the bookstore and lost track of time. My phone was on silent." Lu Baiyan lowered his eyelids and gave the prepared explanation. His voice was calm, without any emotion, as if the person who had just stood in the cold wind, suffering inwardly, was not him.
Zhao Mei stared at him for a few seconds, seemingly trying to find a flaw in his face, but in the end she just sighed and softened her tone: "Baiyan, you are the class monitor, you should set an example. The three years of high school are crucial, don't be distracted by trivial things. Especially..." She paused, implying, "some inappropriate interactions."
Lu Baiyan's heart sank slightly. His mother's information network was indeed impressive; what happened at the school gate, and those vague rumors, had probably already reached her ears. He raised his head, his eyes clear and frank: "Mom, I know. I was just fulfilling my responsibility as class monitor, helping classmates in need. It won't affect my studies."
His answer was watertight, acknowledging that he had "helped his classmate" while clearly defining the boundaries of his "class monitor responsibilities," leaving Zhao Mei with no reason to continue her outburst. She finally waved her hand and said, "Go wash up. Be mindful of the time next time."
"Hmm." Lu Baiyan responded and turned to walk towards his room. After closing the door and shutting out the outside world, the calm mask on his face slowly crumbled, revealing the deep weariness and worry beneath.
He walked to his desk, without turning on the light, and looked at the physics competition problems spread out on the table by the faint moonlight streaming in from the window. Those complex formulas and symbols had lost all meaning to him at that moment. His mind was filled with the image of Xu Nianlei huddled in the corner of the stairs, her thin figure finally disappearing into the cold night.
He turned on his computer and logged into an anonymous social media account. He had only recently registered it, and his sole purpose was to follow Wang Xiuqin.
By piecing together fragmented information and cautiously probing, he found a local forum that Wang Xiuqin occasionally browsed. He knew that directly changing Wang Xiuqin's deeply ingrained beliefs was almost impossible, but he could try to exert influence subtly.
He spent a lot of time selecting articles and case studies on parent-child relationships, adolescent psychology, how single mothers can adjust their mindset, and the harm of excessive control over children. Using anonymous accounts, he pushed these articles to sections that Wang Xiuqin might see, or quoted them in discussions that she might participate in, in a seemingly objective and rational tone, without arousing suspicion.
He knew it would be slow, with minimal effect, and possibly even futile. But it was one of the few methods he could think of that could address the root of the problem. He couldn't confront Wang Xiuqin directly; that would only escalate the conflict and cause Xu Nianlei even greater harm. He could only try, like water dripping on stone, to carve a crack in that solid wall.
After finishing, he shut down the computer and rubbed his temples. The night was deep and silent. He walked to the window and looked in the general direction of Xu Nianlei's house. The streetlights were sparse, and most windows were dark. He wondered where she was, braving the chill of the late autumn night.
A strong impulse drove him to go out immediately, to find her, and to bring her warm food and thick clothes. But he restrained himself. He knew that what she needed most at that moment was not material charity, but the preservation of her dignity and the understanding of her personal space.
The next day was Saturday. Lu Baiyan left home early, citing going to the library to look up information. He didn't go to the library; instead, he rode his bicycle slowly around the neighborhood. He knew this behavior was almost obsessive, but he couldn't stay home; he needed to make sure she was safe.
Finally, he saw that familiar figure on a bench in a park two blocks away from her home.
Xu Nianlei sat there, still wearing the same thin school uniform as yesterday, with only an old knitted cardigan over it. She hugged her knees, buried her head in her arms, and remained motionless, like a frozen sculpture. The morning sunlight filtered through the sparse sycamore leaves, casting dappled light on her, but it did nothing to dispel the loneliness and coldness surrounding her.
Lu Baiyan's heart clenched. He stopped the car and stood behind a large tree in the distance, watching quietly. He saw elderly people who were exercising early in the morning casting curious glances at her, and people walking their dogs trying to strike up a conversation with her, but she never looked up, as if she were isolated from the whole world.
He gripped the handlebars tightly, his knuckles turning white. He saw the faded canvas satchel she had placed on the corner of the bench, and knew that it probably contained her trampled books—her entire possessions and hopes.
Time ticked by. Lu Baiyan stood there, like a silent guardian stone. He didn't know how she had spent the night, whether she had eaten, or if she had been afraid. Every guess was like a small knife, slowly torturing his heart.
It wasn't until nearly noon, when the sun became scorching, that Xu Nianlei finally stirred. She slowly raised her head, her face deathly pale, with dark circles under her eyes. She looked around blankly, then slowly stood up, slung her schoolbag over her shoulder, and walked unsteadily out of the park.
Lu Baiyan immediately got on his bicycle and followed her at a distance. He saw her go into a convenience store, and come out a while later, holding only a bottle of the cheapest mineral water and a small bread roll. She stood at the store entrance, eating mechanically in small bites, her eyes blankly staring at the bustling street.
At that moment, Lu Baiyan almost couldn't control himself and rushed over. He wanted to take her out for a hot meal, buy her a thick coat, and tell her not to be afraid.
But he managed to hold back. He watched her finish the dry bread, throw the empty wrapper and water bottle into the trash can, and then continue wandering aimlessly down the street.
He knew that Wang Xiuqin's anger wouldn't subside so quickly; she might not be able to return to that "home" today, or even tomorrow. He had to do something, but it couldn't be something she would notice.
Lu Baiyan turned his bike around and sped towards the nearest bank ATM. He withdrew a sum of cash from a separate account he had opened using his years of saved New Year's money and pocket money. Then, he found a clean and affordable-looking family-run hotel, booked a short-stay room with cash, and prepaid for three days.
Next, he went to a nearby supermarket and bought some individually wrapped cookies, bread, milk, fruit, a thick, logo-free gray wool coat, and a pair of gloves. He put these items, along with the note with the room number and password, into an inconspicuous reusable bag.
After doing all this, he got back on his bike and searched for Xu Nianlei. He found her sitting on a bench at a bus stop, head down, as if she had exhausted all her strength.
Lu Baiyan parked his bicycle some distance away, pulled his hat down low, and walked quickly over. Just as he was about to pass her, he seemingly dropped something unintentionally, letting the eco-friendly bag "accidentally" fall at her feet. Then, without stopping, he quickly walked away and turned into the alley next to him.
Startled by a noise at her feet, Xu Nianlei looked up and saw only a blurry figure hurrying away. She stared at the reusable bag in confusion, hesitated for a moment, then bent down and picked it up. When she opened the bag and saw the brand-new coat, food, and the note with the room number and password written on it, she was completely stunned.
Who is it?
She jumped to her feet and looked around, but the figure had already vanished. People were coming and going at the bus stop, all in a hurry; no one noticed her, and no one showed any unusual reaction.
She stood there, holding the bag, her face filled with confusion, wariness, and a hint of disbelief. Was it a stranger's accidental help? Or…? She dared not think of that name. It was too much like a fairy tale, and her life had never been one of those.
But the aroma of the food in the bag, and the warm-looking wool coat, were a real temptation to her hungry and cold body. The address on the note wasn't far from here.
After struggling for a long time, the instinct for survival and the longing for warmth finally overwhelmed everything. She clutched the bag tightly, as if it were her last straw, and walked toward the address on the note.
Lu Baiyan hid at the alley entrance, watching her finally head towards the family-run inn. Only then did the tension in his heart finally ease slightly. He leaned against the cold wall and let out a long, silent sigh.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps between the tall buildings, illuminating his young face, which already bore too much weight. He knew this was only a temporary refuge. The problems—with Wang Xiuqin, with Xu Jianguo, and the invisible pressures at school—were far from resolved.
But at least, on this cold weekend, she didn't have to sleep on the streets or suffer from hunger and cold.
Leilei, maybe you don't know who's helping you yet, maybe you never will. But that's okay. You just need to know that this world isn't entirely cold. Please, just a little bit more, have faith in it.
He looked up, squinted at the sky, got on his bicycle, and disappeared into the city's traffic. His battle had only just begun.
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