Chapter 40
That night on the rooftop was like a watershed moment. Xu Nianlei didn't immediately become cheerful and outgoing; she remained silent and continued to study with all her might. But Lu Baiyan could clearly sense that something within her had changed. That fragile feeling of being on the verge of collapse had lessened, replaced by a silent resilience, like wild grass that, after being broken by wind and rain, only makes its roots grow even deeper.
She no longer completely negates herself because of a single exam failure. Faced with Wang Xiuqin's harsh criticism, although she still feels sad, she no longer internalizes it completely as before. Instead, an invisible barrier has formed, and she begins to try to distinguish her mother's anxiety from her own self-worth. This process is difficult and often involves setbacks, but the direction is right.
Lu Baiyan continued his quiet and gentle protection. He no longer only focused on her studies and emotions, but also began to pay attention to her physical health. He noticed that she seemed to have mild anemia due to long-term staying up late and malnutrition, and occasionally felt dizzy.
As a result, Xu Nianlei's drawer began to receive some "anonymous" supplies from time to time—a small box of individually packaged red dates stuffed with walnuts, a bottle of multivitamin supplements, and even once a box of simply packaged goji berry and chrysanthemum tea labeled "Relieves Eye Strain".
The items weren't valuable, and their appearance was completely random, as if they were truly the work of some anonymous kind person. But every time Xu Nianlei saw these things, she understood perfectly. She silently accepted them, silently used them, burying that gratitude deep in her heart, transforming it into motivation to move forward even more diligently.
She knew he didn't want her to feel burdened. So she cooperated and pretended not to know.
In the second semester of her junior year, the school started organizing evening self-study sessions to improve its college entrance examination pass rate. Most students participated, and Xu Nianlei was no exception. This meant she was getting home later every day, and the potential dangers of walking alone in the county town at night were even greater.
Lu Baiyan couldn't possibly give her a ride every time he was "on the way." He had to come up with a more reliable solution.
He found several reliable boys in the class who lived in the same direction as Xu Nianlei's house, including the sports committee member Zhao Qiang. As the class monitor, he tactfully suggested that everyone, especially the girls, could walk together in the evening, so they could look after each other and demonstrate the class's unity and mutual assistance.
Zhao Qiang, being a kind-hearted person, readily agreed and even took on the responsibility of organizing the "shared route team." This way, Xu Nianlei could usually walk home with several classmates at night, ensuring her safety. As for Lu Baiyan, he would sometimes use excuses like going to a teacher's house to ask questions or to a bookstore to choose different routes and avoid attracting unnecessary attention.
His considerations were alarmingly thorough.
However, the biggest hidden danger—Xu Jianguo—although he had behaved himself for a while after his previous lesson, a leopard can't change its spots. Lu Baiyan learned through anonymous channels that after Xu Jianguo recovered from his injuries, although he dared not openly cause trouble at school or home anymore, his drinking problem remained unchanged. Moreover, it seemed that due to debt and his injury, his personality had become more gloomy and paranoid, and he often drank until late at night at a small bar near Xu Nianlei's house.
This is an extremely unstable factor.
One Friday evening, evening self-study ended a little later than usual. After saying goodbye to Zhao Qiang and several other classmates, Xu Nianlei walked alone down the last stretch of alleyway home. Just as she was about to reach the entrance of her building, a dark figure darted out from a corner and blocked her way.
A strong smell of alcohol hit me. It was Xu Jianguo!
His eyes were cloudy, his face flushed an unnatural red, and he stared intently at Xu Nianlei, grinning with a nauseating smile: "You brat... you think you're all grown up now? You're avoiding me like the plague?"
Xu Nianlei turned pale with fright, her heart stopped, and she instinctively backed away, wanting to run away.
"Run? Let's see where you run!" Xu Jianguo suddenly grabbed her backpack strap with surprising strength. "Give me some money! I'm out of money for drinks!"
"Let me go! I have no money!" Xu Nianlei struggled desperately, her voice trembling with fear.
"No money? Your mother, that stinking woman, definitely gave you money! Give it to her!" Xu Jianguo pulled hard, almost dragging her down.
At this critical moment, a blinding white light suddenly shone from the alley entrance, striking Xu Jianguo precisely in the face, accompanied by a stern rebuke:
"What are you doing! Let her go!"
It was the new security guard patrolling the neighborhood! He was carrying a powerful flashlight and walking quickly towards us.
Xu Jianguo was blinded by the bright light and startled by the sudden reprimand. He sobered up considerably and subconsciously let go of her hand.
The security guard approached and recognized Xu Nianlei and the drunken Xu Jianguo. His brows furrowed. "It's you again! Xu Jianguo! How many times have I told you not to cause trouble in the neighborhood! You can't even harass your own daughter! Get out of here! Or I'll call the police!"
Xu Jianguo seemed somewhat wary of the security guard, especially the words "call the police." He glared fiercely at Xu Nianlei, then looked fearfully at the tall, burly security guard, muttered a few curses under his breath, and ultimately didn't dare to linger any longer, slinking away in a dejected manner.
"Are you alright, classmate?" the security guard asked Xu Nianlei with concern.
Xu Nianlei was still in shock, her face pale. She shook her head, her voice still trembling, "No...it's okay, thank you, Uncle."
"Go home now, and try to walk in groups at night from now on," the security guard advised before continuing his patrol.
Xu Nianlei leaned against the cold wall, panting heavily. It took a while for her wildly beating heart to slowly calm down. She stared in the direction the security guard had disappeared, her heart filled with lingering fear and confusion. That security guard… his appearance was too coincidental.
Unbeknownst to her, just half an hour earlier, Lu Baiyan had used that anonymous number to send a "concerned citizen" report to the property management office, stating that a drunk person had been found behaving suspiciously near Building X and might harass residents, suggesting that patrols be increased.
This wasn't the first time he had used this method to remotely defuse a crisis around her. He always seemed to anticipate danger and prepare defenses in the most inconspicuous way possible.
Xu Nianlei returned to that suffocating home. Wang Xiuqin was probably already asleep; there was no sound. She locked her bedroom door, slid down to the floor with her back against the door, and a complex mix of emotions welled up inside her.
Fear, lingering fear, but more than anything, a deep sense of powerlessness and... a strange, tightly protected sense of security.
That silent boy, like an invisible net, quietly spread out where she couldn't see, shielding her from all sides, both overt and covert attacks. He never took credit, and never let her notice; but whenever she was about to fall or encounter danger, a force would always appear at just the right moment, steadying her and pulling her back to safety.
She took out her phone, looking at the unfamiliar number that had once sent her the message "Rooftop. Now." (which she had secretly saved long ago). Her finger hovered over the dial button for a long time, but in the end, she didn't press it.
She simply edited a text message, writing and deleting repeatedly, until finally only three words remained:
"Are you alright?"
She didn't know if he could understand. She just wanted to confirm whether the person who had sheltered her from the storm in the shadows was safe and sound.
A few minutes later, the phone screen lit up, and the reply was simple:
"Okay. Get some rest."
Seeing the familiar, calm reply, Xu Nianlei's tense nerves finally relaxed completely. She pressed the phone tightly against her chest, as if she could feel that distant yet incredibly solid protection through the cold screen.
Tears streamed down her face silently, but this time, they were not from sadness or fear, but from an overflowing gratitude that she could hardly bear and... something deeper and more complex.
Lu Baiyan, who exactly are you? Why are you so good to me?
She couldn't find the answer. But she knew that no matter who he was or why he was like this, he had become the only undeniable source of light and support in her dark youth.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Lu Baiyan looked at the abrupt "Are you okay?" message on his phone, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips. He put down his phone and continued working on the complex physics problem in front of him, his gaze focused and resolute.
Leilei, I'm fine. As long as you're safe and sound, I have nothing to fear. I will continue this silent protection until you are strong enough to face all the storms of this world alone.
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