Chapter 14: A True Good Student
Luo Xing watched as Xu Si left, then quietly ran to Jiang Rong to repeat what he’d heard today: “Xu Si just randomly beat up that boy. What if one day when he’s in a bad mood, he beats us up too? At lunch he even flipped a food tray onto that person’s head.”
Jiang Rong paused for a moment: “If we don’t know the truth of what happened, we shouldn’t judge. I don’t think he’s that kind of person.”
Though her interactions with Xu Si had been brief and they hadn’t spoken much, she felt he wouldn’t bully others without reason.
Just as she finished speaking, she noticed someone standing beside Luo Xing. Xu Si stood there expressionless. “Excuse me.”
Luo Xing, who was already somewhat afraid of Xu Si, wasn’t sure how much of his earlier words had been overheard. He awkwardly moved aside and said to Jiang Rong, “I’ll come find you next class.”
Jiang Rong replied, “Okay.”
Xu Si sat down and pulled out his phone to play a match-three game. He didn’t care about the gossip. However, he was surprised that his well-behaved desk mate had said, “I don’t think he’s that kind of person.”
He glanced at Jiang Rong and saw she was reading some book. He clicked his tongue. Reading during breaks too. Such a good student.
————
“I don’t want to go to school anymore,” Qin Lu gathered her courage to tell her mother.
“Not go to school? Why don’t you want to go?”
Qin Lu lowered her eyes. “I just don’t want to go anymore.”
“You ungrateful girl, are you just bored with nothing better to do? I work so hard to provide for you – food, clothes, education – and now you’re telling me you don’t want to go to school? Are you trying to kill me?”
Yesterday’s events flashed through Qin Lu’s mind, and tears spilled from her eyes. She looked at Li Xin with reddened eyes: “Don’t ask why. I said I don’t want to go, so I don’t want to go.”
Just thinking about school made her feel physically ill as she remembered those disgusting things.
“Oh, I get it now. This isn’t about feeling unwell and wanting to come home – you just want to skip class, right? Well well, Qin Lu, you’ve grown up now, daring to lie to your mother. Who do you think I’ve been working myself to death for all these years? Tell me, what was it all for? Isn’t it because I wanted to give you a better life? I’ve put all my hopes in you – can’t you just try harder? Can’t you just make an effort?”
Li Xin grabbed at Qin Lu as she spoke, growing increasingly furious.
“I said I don’t want to go to school. Stop talking. Please stop talking.” Qin Lu pulled away from her grip, her face covered in tears.
“Don’t want to go, don’t want to go – I don’t care what you want. You must go to school today. You’re already in your second year of high school, with such intense studies. How can I let you relax at home for so long?”
Qin Lu looked at Li Xin and spoke word by word: “I said I don’t want to go. Please stop pushing me, okay? I’m begging you, stop pushing me. I don’t want to go to school. I really don’t want to go to school at all.”
“Have you forgotten everything I’ve done raising you all these years? I work so hard every day just for you, to give you better conditions for your studies. Have you forgotten that?”
Li Xin wiped her tears as she spoke. Qin Lu had hesitated all night, finally gathering the courage to tell Li Xin about what happened, but Li Xin seemed to only care about her studies.
Li Xin’s words left Qin Lu speechless, her heart aching terribly. Li Xin cried while pulling at her own hair, slapping her own face: “It’s my fault for not raising you properly. It’s my fault, it’s all my fault.”
Her hair became disheveled from her pulling. Every time they had an argument, or when Qin Lu didn’t do things according to her wishes, Li Xin would use these extreme methods to force her to compromise.
And once again, she compromised: “Mom, please don’t be like this. I’ll go to school. I’ll go to school, okay?”
Li Xin looked at her: “Promise me you’ll study hard at school.”
Qin Lu spoke word by word: “I promise. I will study hard.”
Li Xin hugged her: “That’s better. That’s my good daughter.”
Tears fell silently down Qin Lu’s face.
————
Walking toward the teaching building, Qin Lu saw the familiar school and familiar paths, and her whole body trembled violently. She didn’t know what would have happened if Xu Si and the others hadn’t suddenly appeared that time. She didn’t dare to think about it.
She looked up and saw on the second floor that unmistakable figure, who was casually chatting with others nearby. She swayed, but someone caught her arm. A girl with clear eyes spoke gently: “Are you okay?”
Qin Lu shook her head: “I’m fine, thank you.”
Jiang Rong asked again uncertainly: “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.”
————
“Qin Lu, you’re finally here! You won’t believe how chaotic school has been these past two days. You know Xu Si from Class 17, right?” Qin Lu nodded.
The girl continued: “We used to think he looked cool when he fought, kind of rebellious, but who knew he was this kind of person? He actually bullies classmates and even dumped food on Liu’s head. Isn’t this just school violence? That’s going too far…”
Qin Lu stopped listening after that. The hero who saved her had become labeled as the perpetrator, while that disgusting scum had become the victim in everyone’s eyes.
Li Xin had told her many times not to date, saying she should focus on her studies – that studying well was her only way forward. Perhaps due to rebellion, or maybe because of youthful romance, she started dating Liu Xingfa from her class.
Both she and Liu Xingfa were top students in their class. He told her they should keep their relationship secret, not public within the class. Qin Lu agreed, as she didn’t want any rumors reaching Li Xin’s ears.
They dated for a while. Liu Xingfa’s grades didn’t drop, but hers fell somewhat. She often felt insecure and couldn’t help overthinking. Seeing him talk with other girls would make her sad. Combined with pressure from teachers and Li Xin, she brought up breaking up with Liu Xingfa.
Liu Xingfa readily agreed, saying he had something to give her, and asked to meet behind the school field. She never imagined that Liu Xingfa, who seemed so gentle and kind, would drag her into the equipment room and lock the door.
“It’s after school now, everyone’s gone to eat. Even if you scream until your throat is raw, no one will know.”
Qin Lu was terrified, her voice trembling: “What are you going to do?”
Liu Xingfa smiled, his face becoming grotesque and frightening. He said: “What do you think?”
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