Chapter 21
That rainy night together was like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples in Xu Nianlei's stagnant heart. Lu Baiyan's seemingly casual question, "Were you... alright later?" echoed repeatedly in her mind like a secret code. What did he know? How much did he know? Was it out of a sense of duty as class monitor, or... something else?
She dared not think too deeply about it, and could only suppress that inappropriate stirring in her heart. However, some things, once they sprout, are difficult to completely extinguish.
The next day during break, she was struggling with a physics problem—a problem about analyzing the forces acting on an inclined plane. The calculations of friction and component forces were confusing her. She bit her pen, her brow furrowed, and unconsciously glanced slightly to the side.
Lu Baiyan seemed to be reading an original English book. Sensing her gaze, he looked up and his eyes fell on her paused pen and open exercise book.
He didn't speak, but simply picked up his draft paper and pen, and in the blank space beside him, he drew a very concise diagram of the forces acting on an inclined plane, marking the directions of gravity, support force, and friction with arrows, and writing down several key calculation formulas next to it. His handwriting was clear and strong, and the diagram was easy to understand.
Then, he subtly pushed the draft paper toward her, at an angle that allowed her to catch a glimpse of it out of the corner of her eye, without making it seem deliberate.
Xu Nianlei's heart skipped a beat. She glanced quickly at the diagram, and the jumbled lines in her mind instantly became clear. She immediately realized her mistake, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly lowered her head to recalculate in her notebook.
This time, the pen moved much more smoothly.
The entire process was silent and without any verbal communication, yet it resulted in a precise act of assistance. Xu Nianlei felt a mix of emotions: the embarrassment of being seen through, the relief of having her problem solved, and an indescribable warmth of being quietly cared for.
He always seemed to have this ability: to offer her a lifeline in the most inconspicuous way when she needed it most.
However, the school's tranquility was merely an illusion. The shadow of family troubles, like a persistent, deep-seated ailment, never truly left.
On Friday afternoon, the bell signaling the end of the last class sounded like a pardon. The students cheered as they packed their bags, discussing their weekend plans. Xu Nianlei, however, dawdled, her movements slow and hesitant. She was afraid to go home, afraid to face Wang Xiuqin's still-simmering anger, afraid of that suffocating atmosphere.
As she slowly tidied her books, her old cell phone vibrated again in her pocket. It was that same number, unsaved yet memorized by heart: Xu Jianguo.
The text message was more direct than the last one, carrying an undeniable threat: "Eight o'clock tonight, same place (referring to the quiet alley behind the school). Give me five hundred yuan, or I'll go to the school and have a word with your homeroom teacher!"
The cold, hard handwriting coiled around Xu Nianlei's neck like a venomous snake, making it hard for her to breathe. Five hundred yuan! Where did she get five hundred yuan? Wang Xiuqin's allowance for living expenses was extremely limited, barely enough for food and the most basic school supplies.
Overwhelmed by immense fear and despair, she knew Xu Jianguo was capable of such actions. If he really made a scene at the school, her last shred of dignity and peaceful campus life would be utterly shattered.
Her face turned deathly pale, her fingers were icy cold, and she didn't even have the strength to pack her things.
Lu Baiyan was about to leave when he noticed the unusual silence beside him. He turned around and saw Xu Nianlei sitting there stiffly, her eyes vacant, her fingers gripping her phone so tightly that they were trembling violently, her knuckles turning white to almost transparent.
His heart sank. It was Xu Jianguo again!
This time, he couldn't let her face it alone again.
He thought quickly. Should he stop her directly? Xu Nianlei definitely wouldn't listen, and it might even anger Xu Jianguo, causing him to do something more extreme. Should he call the police? There wasn't enough evidence, and Xu Nianlei might not want to air her dirty laundry in public, which would make her even more embarrassed at school.
A more comprehensive solution is needed.
Without making a sound, he took out his phone, quickly typed a text message, and sent it. Then, as if nothing had happened, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and said to the still-frozen Xu Nianlei, "I'm leaving now."
Xu Nianlei showed no reaction, as if her soul had left her body.
Lu Baiyan gave her a deep look, then turned and left the classroom. But he didn't go far; instead, he stopped in a secluded corner under the teaching building, his sharp gaze fixed on the direction of the school gate and the back gate.
Time ticked by, and darkness gradually fell. Lu Baiyan's heart clenched tighter with each passing moment. He knew Xu Nianlei would definitely go; she had no other choice.
At 7:50, he saw that thin figure, like a leaf that could be blown away by the wind at any moment, slowly and very reluctantly moving towards the back gate of the school.
Lu Baiyan immediately followed, maintaining a safe distance and using the shadows of the buildings to conceal his figure.
The alley behind the gate was even darker than I remembered, with only a half-broken streetlamp casting a dim glow. Xu Jianguo was indeed waiting there, leaning against the mottled wall, a cigarette dangling from his lips, its red glow flickering in the twilight.
Seeing Xu Nianlei approach, he threw away his cigarette butt, stomped it out, and walked forward with a sinister grin: "Where's the money?"
Xu Nianlei instinctively took a step back, her voice trembling, "I...I don't have that much money..."
"Nothing?" Xu Jianguo's face darkened, and he suddenly grabbed her backpack strap and pulled hard. "Damn it, have I been raising you for nothing? Take it out now!"
"Let me go!" Xu Nianlei struggled in terror, tears welling up in her eyes.
Just as Xu Jianguo raised his hand, seemingly about to resort to violence—
"stop!"
A sharp shout came from the alley entrance. It wasn't Lu Baiyan's voice.
Two middle-aged men in security uniforms strode in, carrying powerful flashlights that shone directly into Xu Jianguo's face.
"What are you doing! Pulling at a female student near the school!" The head security guard's voice was loud and authoritative.
Xu Jianguo squinted from the bright light, his arrogance instantly diminishing. He released his grip and shouted, his bravado masking his weakness, "I... I was talking to my daughter, what's it to you!"
"Daughter?" The security guard sized up Xu Nianlei, who was trembling with fear, then looked at Xu Jianguo, who had a roguish air about him. He clearly didn't believe it. "Can't we talk things out? Why are you resorting to violence! Come to the security room with us and we'll get to the bottom of this!"
"I'm not going! What right do you have to arrest me!" Xu Jianguo shouted, but his eyes were already starting to dart around.
"We're not arresting you, we're asking you to cooperate with the investigation! We received a report from students that someone is harassing female students here!" another security guard said in a forceful tone, taking a step forward and subtly forming an encirclement.
Seeing this, Xu Jianguo knew he was in trouble. He glared at Xu Nianlei and said, "You brat, you just wait!" Then, cursing and shoving, he pushed past the security guard and quickly slipped out of the alley, disappearing into the night.
The two security guards didn't forcibly chase after her; their main purpose was to drive her away and deter her. They approached the still-shaken Xu Nianlei, their tone softening slightly: "Student, are you alright? Go home earlier after school in the future, and avoid these kinds of secluded places. If you encounter something like this, shout for help or call the police immediately, understand?"
Xu Nianlei was still in shock, her face pale. She just nodded mechanically, her voice choked with sobs, "Thank... thank you, Uncle."
"Go back now," the security guard waved his hand.
Xu Nianlei felt like she had been granted a pardon. She picked up her almost torn schoolbag and staggered out of the alley.
Lu Baiyan, who was hiding in the shadows, watched as the security guards appeared in time and drove Xu Jianguo away, and watched as Xu Nianlei left safely. Only then did his tense nerves finally relax, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.
The text message was sent anonymously to the school's security office, reporting that sleazy individuals were harassing students in the alley behind the school gate. He had timed it perfectly to ensure the security guards could arrive before the conflict escalated.
He couldn't show up in person every time; that would be too obvious and would create dependency or greater psychological pressure for Xu Nianlei. He had to rely on the rules and the power of third parties to build a broader safety net for her without exposing himself.
This time, he succeeded.
But he knew this was far from enough. Xu Jianguo was like a ticking time bomb; as long as he existed, Xu Nianlei would never have a peaceful day. Wang Xiuqin, on the other hand, also needed a more fundamental solution.
Lu Baiyan stepped out of the shadows, gazing in the direction Xu Nianlei had disappeared, his eyes deep and resolute. Night had fallen, and the city lights were gradually coming on, but they couldn't illuminate the darkness in certain corners.
Leilei, driving away a vicious dog is easy, but eradicating the breeding ground for vicious dogs takes time. Don't be afraid, we'll take it one step at a time.
He turned and disappeared into the night, beginning to devise his next, more far-reaching plan. He needed power, not just the power to protect her, but the power to fundamentally change her situation. And all of this required him to grow faster and plan more meticulously.
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