Hearing Chen Xiao’s exclamation, the other two people in the dorm quickly gathered around.
“What happened?”
Chen Xiao covered her mouth, turned around, and pointed at her phone: “Someone posted on the forum saying that Xie Ci… he apparently assaulted a first-year student, and it’s been reported to the school…”
The post briefly described the time and details of the incident.
As Xu You read through it, her brows furrowed deeper and deeper.
Beside her, Chen Xiao and Liao Yuemin analyzed the situation back and forth.
“It was so dark then, how did the student know it was Xie Ci?”
“Didn’t they say? After the student was rescued, even though the person ran away, they found Xie Ci’s school badge on the ground…”
“But that’s not right. During the sports meet, Xie Ci wasn’t even at school. His class went out with Class 4.”
“Look at the post — someone from Class 4 said Xie Ci disappeared around five or six in the afternoon. No one knew where he went. Doesn’t that match up perfectly…”
“What time did the incident happen?”
“Right when Xie Ci was absent, around six in the evening. The student went out to buy bubble tea, and on the way back…”
“…Did anything actually happen or…”
“Nothing happened because someone passing by saved her, but think about how serious this is! Getting expelled would be the least of his worries. If this escalates…” Chen Xiao’s expression was dramatic, but she left the rest unsaid.
The sports meet evening, five to six o’clock, a lost school badge.
No alibi, perfect timing, and seemingly solid evidence.
Xu You put down Chen Xiao’s phone and sat quietly for a while.
She didn’t know what she was thinking about, but her face turned pale, sweat forming on her forehead, her hands tightly clasped together.
—
During afternoon classes, everyone was indeed discussing this incident.
Xie Ci’s seat was empty, and Song Yifan was nowhere to be seen.
The Academic Affairs Office was in a building next to the second-year teaching building.
Xu You held the form their homeroom teacher had given her that morning and submitted it to the office.
In the quiet corridor, only strips of light fell on the tiled floor.
After submitting the form, Xu You walked out of the office with her head down.
At a corner, passing by a door, she gradually slowed her steps.
The Principal’s Office.
Intense arguing could be heard from inside, intermittently mixed with sobbing.
“Xie Ci! Explain to me what’s going on!” A middle-aged man’s powerful roar rang out, clearly very angry.
A woman spoke anxiously, repeatedly urging: “This isn’t a joke! Stop being silent, say something!”
Someone tried to mediate in a low voice.
Another slightly sharp female voice rose: “You say it wasn’t you, but you can’t explain where you were that night?! Still won’t admit it?! After what happened to my daughter, if you don’t speak up, I’m calling 110 right now!”
Xu You stepped back half a step, her hand on the doorknob.
Suddenly, someone inside exploded, either smashing or knocking something over.
Everything became chaotic.
Xie Ci’s voice came through, cold and careless, “I said I didn’t do that stuff. If you want me to drop out, fine. Go ahead and call the police.”
Even at this point, he was still being stubborn, refusing to give in.
A loud slap rang out, the sound so sharp it was startling just to hear.
The middle-aged man said in a deep voice: “If you don’t explain to your father right now what you were doing between five and six that evening, you can wait for the police to question you!”
“Just say something, Xie Ci, are you trying to worry me to death?!”
People kept urging anxiously, but Xie Ci remained quiet, maintaining his silence without explaining anything.
Xu You felt something indescribable in her heart, her shoulders leaning weakly against the wall, her mind in chaos.
…
[That day’s matter…]
[Don’t tell Xueli…]
[Yeah.]
[Don’t tell anyone else… don’t tell anyone at all.]
The fresh evening breeze blew into the car, gentle orange sunset, crowded people…
He leaned his head back against the chair, lazily agreeing with her.
Okay.
…
The sunlight fell on exposed skin, yet provided no warmth at all.
Xu You took a deep breath, dragging her steps, hiding in the shadows of a corner.
She slowly crouched down along the wall, hugging her knees, staring blankly ahead.
The arguing continued endlessly.
The door suddenly opened, and someone rushed out.
Xie Ci’s eyes were cold and distant as he walked forward, completely ignoring the chaos of everyone behind him.
In the office were the girl’s parents, school leaders, the homeroom teacher, his parents…
In an instant, Xie Ci’s figure disappeared.
Xu You came to her senses. After a moment’s reaction, she stood up and ran down the stairs.
When she reached the ground floor, he was already far ahead, almost at the school gate.
“—Xie Ci!” Xu You found strength from somewhere and shouted his name while standing still.
He didn’t hear her and continued walking without looking back.
Xu You gathered her breath and sprinted, catching up to him in one go.
She was out of breath from running, slightly bent over and panting.
“Xie… Xie Ci..” Xu You used all her strength to grab his wrist.
Xie Ci heard the movement and turned around.
His gaze first fell on Xu You’s face, which had turned red from the intense running.
Then it moved down.
Her slender white fingers were tightly gripping his wrist, as if afraid he would run away.
The bell for second period had long since rung, and there were few students in the vast campus. The security guard in the nearby guardhouse poked his head out.
Looking suspiciously in their direction.
Xu You breathed heavily, her heart in her throat, unable to speak, only knowing to pull Xie Ci backward.
He frowned and gently tried to pull his hand away. Of course, he couldn’t.
“Come… come back with me… I’ll go with you, let’s explain everything clearly.” Xu You’s eyes were slightly red, her lips tightly bitten, seeming somewhat at a loss.
Xie Ci looked at her, silent for a while.
“Explain what, there’s nothing to explain.”
He said quietly, “My parents don’t care about me anyway, so…”
“—Don’t be afraid.”
Xu You looked down at the ground, interrupting him softly, saying: “Don’t be scared… Xie Ci.”
—
Back in that office, everyone’s attention was immediately drawn to Xu You.
Xie Dongyun was sitting on the sofa making calls when he looked up to see his son being led in by a small girl.
Seeing Xie Ci, the female student’s parents became agitated again.
The girl’s mother stood up abruptly, pointing at them excitedly: “You dare to come back!”
Just as Xie Ci was about to react, he felt a gentle squeeze on his hand. All his words got stuck in his throat.
Xu You quietly let out a breath.
She subtly stood in front of Xie Ci, her small frame perfectly straight, “Hello auntie, I’m Xu You from Class 2-9, Xie Ci’s classmate.”
Nobody in the room knew what was happening, they looked at each other, all staying silent.
You could hear a pin drop.
Only Xu You was speaking, her voice characteristically soft but her pronunciation very clear.
“During the sports meet that evening, between five and six, Xie Ci was with me. We were in the underground parking lot at Zhengda Plaza. I believe there should be security footage you can check. From five to eight o’clock, during the time your daughter was harmed and then rescued by passersby, Xie Ci was with me the entire time. I can be a witness.”
Xie Ci opened his mouth.
The surroundings were completely quiet.
She stood protectively in front of him, like guarding a baby chick.
Yet unknowingly, she looked so frail it made one’s heart ache.
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