An Rong returned to the dilapidated dormitory, her heart pounding with fear as she rummaged through her clothes.
Pei Chongxi stood quietly by the door, both girls dressed in their school uniforms.
An Rong looked completely shaken, forcing a bitter smile onto her face.
“Why do those bad people have to bully a poor student like me? I don’t have anything.”
An Rong had no idea how beautiful she truly was.
Tears still welled in the girl’s eyes, yet her face wore an expression of utmost resilience.
It was truly enough to make anyone want to bully her.
“Sigh, by the way, have you seen a few pieces of my clothes?”
An Rong tidied up the mess scattered all over the floor while speaking to Pei Chongxi, who stood at the doorway. “If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what I would have gone through tonight.”
The mere thought terrified An Rong, she didn’t dare dwell on it.
Looking over at Pei Chongxi, there were still traces of blood on her body.
Ever since they returned from the police station that evening, Pei Chongxi had remained silent, keeping her hand inside her pocket the entire time.
Thinking she was frightened, An Rong stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Pei Chongxi. “Sigh, don’t be scared anymore.”
As An Rong offered comfort, her own body trembled.
Tears glistened in the depths of the girl’s eyes. Even though she was terrified out of her wits, she still reached out to touch Pei Chongxi’s face.
“Look at you, there’s blood all over your face.”
The hand wiping away the dark red blood trembled violently. “How could you be so brave? You just grabbed a stone and smashed it right onto his head.”
The more An Rong spoke, the faster her tears flowed.
Pei Chongxi said softly, “I wanted to protect you.”
An Rong didn’t catch what Pei Chongxi said. She looked up in confusion and asked, “Sister Pei?”
Pei Chongxi said, “I’m still a minor. Even if I hit him hard enough to cause serious harm, it wouldn’t matter, besides, I was acting in self-defense.”
Pei Chongxi’s voice was very faint. “It’s just that I didn’t hit him hard enough. If I had used a bit more force…”
If I had used a bit more force, that man would be dead.
Pei Chongxi did not finish her sentence. At that moment, she had truly intended to kill him, but out of consideration for An Rong, she had hesitated slightly after all.
In the dim dormitory, An Rong’s movements as she wiped Pei Chongxi’s face were somewhat stiff.
“You can’t do bad things for my sake. Now that the police have arrived, everything is fine.”
Believing that Pei Chongxi was completely frightened, An Rong took the initiative to embrace her again, pulling Pei Chongxi’s head down to rest against her chest.
“Alright, alright, don’t be scared. See, even I’m not scared, so why are you so afraid?”
An Rong felt the body of this usually steady Sister Pei, who always seemed capable of solving anything, trembling violently.
“Sigh, right… those two…” An Rong’s voice dropped to an extremely soft whisper. “Were my two undergarments… taken away by the police? Surely they wouldn’t need things like that, right?”
Pei Chongxi’s fingers inside her pocket tightened forcefully around the two pieces of fabric resting in her palm.
“Probably,” Pei Chongxi told a lie. “The police have to keep evidence like that.”
An Rong uttered a soft “oh” and said, “Then that’s so embarrassing.”
Pei Chongxi shook her head and said, “They’re kept in evidence bags, so generally no one should be handling them.”
An Rong pouted her lips and said, “That’s really a bit unreasonable. At least we’re okay.”
An Rong stopped dwelling on her two pieces of intimate clothing. “But those were the only two changes I had. What am I going to wear tonight?”
Seeing that Sister Pei was no longer trembling, she let go of her and began searching through the closet again. “And the handkerchief I used before… Why would they even steal a handkerchief? Those people are truly good for nothing scum.”
Pei Chongxi’s eyes flickered slightly as she said, “Yeah, they really are scum.”
An Rong eventually pouted. After double checking that Pei Chongxi was completely fine, she turned around to head to the public bathhouse.
The shaken girl’s lips twitched slightly. Her eyes darted around, carrying a touch of embarrassment. “Our body types are about the same, and I don’t have any clean clothes to change into tonight. Could you…”
An Rong stumbled over her words, occasionally scratching her cheek. “Could you lend me something you wear? An old set will do.”
Pei Chongxi abruptly tightened her grip on the bundle of cloth inside her pocket.
Acting completely normal, she walked over to her own small cabinet and pulled out a brand-new pack from beneath a pile of clothes.
“I’ve washed these, but haven’t had the chance to wear them yet. Take them for now.”
As she spoke, Pei Chongxi also dug out her relatively new pajamas and pajama pants, handing them over to An Rong as well. “I’ve worn these a few times, the fabric is quite soft. Take them and wear them too.”
An Rong blinked her eyes and said, “I have my own pajamas and pajama pants. Why would I wear yours?”
Pei Chongxi’s fingers froze in midair before she retracted them nonchalantly. “Alright then, go take your bath. If you’re scared, I’ll guard outside the door.”
An Rong was naturally afraid in her heart, no girl wouldn’t be after going through something like that.
An Rong walked ahead, and Pei Chongxi followed behind.
Once they reached the entrance of the large bathhouse, Pei Chongxi stood before the tightly shut door. She heard the sound of rushing water from inside, and a layer of mist had formed on the frosted glass, making it impossible to see any movement within.
Pei Chongxi pulled the soft bundle of fabric out from her uniform pocket and squeezed it in her hand.
Sniffing it carefully, she could only catch the faint scent of soap.
No matter how hard she sniffed, she could only smell the scent of the soap they both shared.
“I really am a beast,” Pei Chongxi let out a self-deprecating laugh.
She then pulled out a faded handkerchief from her inner pocket and wiped away the non-existent sweat on her neck.
From inside the bathroom behind her, a muffled voice called out, “Sister Pei, I left my shampoo outside. Could you bring it in for me?”
Panicking slightly, Pei Chongxi stuffed the fabric back into her pocket.
She retrieved the shampoo and called out loudly, “Coming right in!”