Chapter 34
The news of Xu Jianguo being beaten and hospitalized spread quietly like a hidden breeze within the small circles of the county town. The details were embellished in various ways, but the core message remained the same—he had messed with the wrong person and suffered a miserable end.
At school, the rumors about Xu Nianlei quietly shifted. Before, there was sympathy mixed with contempt, but now there was a hint of inexplicable fear. After all, having such a "notorious" father (even if he was the one who was beaten), and the terrifying noises that the neighbors heard coming from her house that night, all shrouded this usually quiet girl in a mysterious and unapproachable aura.
Liu Yiduo's gaze towards Xu Nianlei became even more complex, now tinged with a barely perceptible fear in addition to her original disdain, and she dared not make any further moves. Even Wen Wanyu subconsciously lowered her voice when speaking to her.
Xu Nianlei keenly sensed this change. She didn't like this alienation tinged with fear, but she had to admit that it was a little better than the pure bullying and isolation she had experienced before. At least, she had gained a distorted yet real sense of "peace and quiet."
She became more silent, barely speaking to anyone, but the sense of despair on the verge of collapse faded considerably from her eyes. In its place was a deep, scrutinizing calm. Occasionally, she would gaze out the window for a long time, her eyes vacant, as if contemplating something extremely important.
Lu Baiyan took in all her changes. He knew that although his "thunderous methods" that night were brutal, they had inadvertently broken down the invisible, malicious wall around her, and bought her precious, undisturbed breathing time.
But he knew even more that this was far from enough. The peace created by external forces was temporary; true redemption must come from the reconstruction of her heart. Xu Jianguo's hospitalization also meant that the stolen tuition fees were temporarily safe, but the fees for the next semester still hung like a boulder over Wang Xiuqin and Xu Nianlei's heads.
He must find a way to solve this problem at its root.
One afternoon during lunch break, Lu Baiyan was called to the office by his Chinese teacher to help organize the essay competition submissions. While flipping through the manuscripts, he came across Xu Nianlei's piece. Titled "Light Through the Cracks," it described her observations and feelings one afternoon in the library. The writing was delicate and the emotions sincere, especially the description of a small blade of grass stubbornly growing from a crack in the floor tiles in a corner, which was full of metaphor and power, far exceeding the level of her peers.
The Chinese teacher happened to be nearby and casually remarked, "Xu Nianlei is very talented in literature, but she's too introverted, which is a pity."
These words were like a bolt of lightning, cleaving through the fog in Lu Baiyan's mind.
Spiritual! Literary!
He immediately came up with an idea.
After school, he didn't go straight home, but went to the largest and only relatively large "Xinzhi Bookstore" in the county. He found the bookstore manager, handed over his student ID (the mark of being first in his grade was very convincing), and then took out an anonymous copy of Xu Nianlei's essay that he had prepared in advance and printed out (he had concealed the name and any information that could identify the author).
"Hello, manager. I'm a student from the county's No. 1 High School. This is an article written by one of my classmates, and I think it's very well written. I heard that bookstores sometimes need promotional copy or recommendations. I wonder if my classmate has any opportunities to participate? Her family is quite poor, and if she could earn some income, it would be a great help to her." Lu Bai's tone was sincere, and his attitude was neither humble nor arrogant.
The bookstore manager, a middle-aged man wearing glasses, took the manuscript with some surprise and began to browse through it. As he read, a look of astonishment appeared on his face.
"This...this was really written by a high school student?" The manager was somewhat incredulous. The depth of thought and the writing style were indeed outstanding.
“Absolutely true,” Lu Baiyan said confidently. “She just doesn’t talk much.”
The manager pondered for a moment. The bookstore does occasionally need some local, high-quality writing for promotion or to fill its internal publications. Hiring well-known writers is too expensive. If they can find promising students, it's cheaper, the results might be good, and they can even gain a good reputation for mentoring younger generations.
“Well then,” the manager put down the manuscript, “this article is indeed quite good. Our bookstore is going to create a ‘Message to Youth’ themed display next month, and we need some short and concise inspirational pieces. If your student is willing, he can try writing a few, about two hundred words each. If they are used, we will pay him fifty yuan per piece. What do you think?”
Fifty yuan! That's no small sum for a high school student. If they can write a few pieces, they might be able to cover most of next semester's tuition!
Lu Baiyan suppressed his excitement and nodded calmly, "Thank you, Manager! I will tell her. She will definitely write it carefully."
"Okay, it's settled then. Send the manuscript directly to this email address at the bookstore." The manager handed over a business card with the email address on it.
Leaving the bookstore, Lu Baiyan let out a long sigh of relief. The sunlight felt warm on his skin. This was the first time he had found a way out for her, not through confrontation and destruction, but through construction and creation.
The next day, Lu Baiyan found an opportunity to slip a folded note and the bookstore business card into a reference book he had given to Xu Nianlei.
The note still bore his clear and strong handwriting:
"Xinzhi Bookstore is accepting submissions for its 'Youthful Messages' column. Each submission is 200 words and will be paid 50 yuan. The submission email address is on the back of the business card. Your words deserve to be seen and rewarded. Give it a try."
No signature, no unnecessary words.
Xu Nianlei was stunned again when she saw the note and the business card. She held the thin business card and looked at it repeatedly for a long time, her fingertips trembling slightly.
Submitting articles? Payment? Her writing?
This was a completely unfamiliar territory for her, something she never dared to even imagine. She wrote only to vent her emotions that she had no one to talk to, never thinking about what it would bring her.
But... fifty yuan a piece... if... if she could write it...
A mixture of fear, excitement, and a glimmer of hope churned within her. She glanced at Lu Baiyan beside her; he was engrossed in calculating complex physics formulas, his profile focused, as if nothing in the outside world concerned him.
But she knew it had to be him. Only he could always open a new window for her in such unexpected ways.
This time, it's not about protection or getting her out of trouble, but about giving her a chance—a chance to fight for her future through her own abilities.
That night, after finishing her heavy homework, Xu Nianlei spread out her draft paper under the desk lamp. She bit her pen and thought for a long time, recalling the little grass she had seen in the library, recalling the glimmer of light she had occasionally caught in those gloomy days, recalling... that silent figure who had pulled her back from the brink of despair time and time again.
She began to write. At first, her writing was somewhat awkward, but soon, her thoughts poured out like a floodgate opening. She wrote about struggle, about hope, about the indomitable glimmer of light in the darkness, about the tenacious life clinging to the cracks...
She was so engrossed in writing that she continued until late at night.
The next day, she sent out her three revised drafts to the email address on the business card. After doing all this, her heart was still pounding, a mixture of anticipation and anxiety about rejection.
In the days that followed, she was somewhat restless, and would occasionally glance at Lu Baiyan, as if hoping to get some hints or encouragement from him.
Lu Baiyan noticed her unease but showed no reaction. He knew that this was a process she needed to experience herself, and whether it was the joy of success or the setback of failure, it was all part of her growth.
A week later, Xu Nianlei suddenly stopped breathing while checking the email on her old computer at home (which she occasionally used to look up study materials).
There's a new email in my inbox from Xinzhi Bookstore!
She clicked on it with trembling hands.
"Dear Xu Nianlei: Hello! We have received all three of your submissions. They are beautifully written, emotionally sincere, and full of power. After review, all three have been accepted! The total payment is 150 yuan, which has been enclosed with a bookstore gift card (worth 150 yuan), which can be used at our store or exchanged for cash. Thank you for your submissions, and we look forward to more excellent works from you!"
She did it! She did it!
Xu Nianlei's eyes instantly welled up with tears as she looked at the words on the screen. One hundred and fifty yuan! This was the first time in her life she had earned money through her own efforts! Though it wasn't much, it felt incredibly heavy!
She quickly covered her mouth with her hand to stop herself from crying out. Tears, hot and scalding, slid down her fingers, filled with excitement and an unprecedented joy called "a sense of accomplishment."
The next day at school, Xu Nianlei seemed to be radiating light. Although she remained silent, the melancholy between her brows had largely dissipated, and something deep within her eyes had been ignited, sparkling brightly.
She didn't tell anyone about it, not even Li Yue or Zhang Xiao. It was a secret that belonged only to her... and perhaps to someone else as well.
During break, she mustered her courage and quietly slipped a new note into Lu Baiyan's half-open pencil case.
Lu Baiyan noticed the movement, opened his pencil case, and saw the folded note. He unfolded it; it contained only two words, the handwriting still neat, yet carrying a kind of vibrant strength:
"Thanks."
This time, there were no doubts, only pure, unspoken gratitude.
Looking at those two words, Lu Baiyan finally couldn't help but let a clear smile curve his lips upwards. He carefully smoothed out the note and tucked it into his usual Oxford dictionary.
Leilei, look, your own light has finally shone. It shines brighter and lasts longer than anyone else's protection.
In this silent conspiracy, they achieved perfect understanding. One paved the way in the shadows, the other walked in the light, together fighting against the shadow cast by fate. The road ahead was still long, but the spark of hope was firmly held in her own hands.
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