The next morning, halfway through the morning reading session, a teacher from the Academic Affairs Office called Lu Zhiye out with a dark expression.
Su Nuonuo’s heart “thudded,” and she immediately realized that the matter from yesterday had come back to them.
In her previous life, the parents of those thugs had made a scene at the school, insisting that Lu Zhiye compensate them. Grandpa Lu had emptied his savings just to settle the matter.
Later, when Grandpa Lu fell ill, he could not even afford medicine. He delayed treatment, and after being unable to bear the blow of Lu Zhiye’s passing, he too passed away not long after.
No—she absolutely could not let that tragedy happen again!
Su Nuonuo “shot” up from her seat, completely ignoring Su Xiaoyu’s ghost-like expression, and ran straight toward the Academic Affairs Office.
Her palms were covered in cold sweat, and there was only one thought in her mind:
This time, she would definitely protect him.
The atmosphere inside the Academic Affairs Office was as cold as an ice cellar, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.
Three thugs stood off to the side, their faces bruised and swollen. The bruises at the corners of their mouths had been deliberately left untreated—it was obvious they were there to feign victimhood.
Their heads were lowered, but the unwillingness in their eyes was clear to anyone who looked closely.
Their parents stood at the front with hands on their hips, spitting as they pointed at Lu Zhiye’s nose and cursed him loudly, their profanity mixed with accusations.
Not only were they demanding full compensation for medical expenses, they were also insisting on additional emotional damages. Their arrogant demeanor was astonishing.
The Class Teacher stood nearby, frowning. They wanted to say something in mediation but did not know where to begin, and could only sigh repeatedly.
Lu Zhiye kept his eyes lowered. His long eyelashes concealed the emotions in his eyes, his jawline tightly set. His entire body exuded a fierce, unapproachable aura.
No matter how the other side cursed him, he did not utter a single word. He neither explained nor lowered his head, clearly intending to shoulder everything on his own.
“Why should he pay?!”
With a loud “bang,” Su Nuonuo kicked open the door of the Academic Affairs Office, the door slamming against the wall with a loud crash.
Her voice carried a slight tremor from urgency, but every word was clear.
She met the stunned gazes of everyone in the room, her back straight and upright, showing no fear at all.
The thugs’ parents immediately glared at her, their faces full of impatience. “What are you, a little girl, meddling for? This has nothing to do with you. Get lost!”
“Why can’t I be here?” Su Nuonuo lifted her chin, her almond-shaped eyes wide open.
Then, she enunciated each word clearly and forcefully: “Yesterday after school, they deliberately blocked me on a small path behind Bi Yue Community. They touched me and used vulgar language to harass me! Lu Zhiye fought them because he was trying to save me! They were the ones who started it—why should he pay compensation?”
As soon as she said this, the office fell so silent that even the sound of a needle dropping could be heard.
The thugs’ faces turned pale instantly. They hurriedly looked up and tried to defend themselves: “You’re lying! We clearly didn’t—”
Before the words “succeed” could be spoken, Su Nuonuo sharply interrupted them.
“Whether I’m lying or not, the police will know once they arrive!” Su Nuonuo stared directly at their panicked expressions without the slightest trace of fear, instead showing complete certainty.
“I reported it to the police yesterday when I got home. The police have already accessed surveillance footage near that path. The way you surrounded me, harassed me, and pushed me is all clearly recorded. The evidence is irrefutable!”
She deliberately emphasized the words “police report” and “surveillance,” loudly and clearly, intentionally cutting off their path to extortion and letting them know they would gain nothing today.
In truth, she had not actually reported it to the police, but she knew very well that if she did, the police would certainly be able to retrieve that footage.
If news spread that she had been harassed by thugs, as a clean and well-behaved student, she would undoubtedly become the subject of gossip among the entire school, and her reputation would not sound good.
But she did not care about any of that.
As long as she could protect Lu Zhiye, prevent him from repeating the same tragic path of her previous life, and prevent Grandpa Lu from suffering that heart-wrenching hardship again, what did such a price amount to?
Lu Zhiye suddenly raised his head, his pitch-black eyes locking tightly onto Su Nuonuo. His gaze churned with turbulent emotions…
Shock, surprise, disbelief, and a trace of indescribable warmth intertwined densely within him.
His throat rolled hard twice, countless words stuck in his throat, yet he could not utter a single one.
He could only stare blankly at her—at this girl who had stood up for him without hesitation.
The thugs’ parents’ expressions changed instantly. Their previous arrogance and dominance deflated in an instant.
Several of them looked at each other, then back again, stammering for a long time without being able to refute a single word. Their earlier confidence had completely turned into guilt and panic.
Meeting Lu Zhiye’s burning gaze, Su Nuonuo gently pressed her lips together, a steadfast determination hidden in her eyes that only the two of them could understand.
This time, she would absolutely not let the suffering of her previous life fall upon him again.
With Su Nuonuo’s testimony, the school’s handling became much easier, and they showed no leniency toward those individuals at all.
It was laughable—how could thugs from a vocational school dare to cause trouble at their No. 1 High School?
However, what Su Nuonuo did not expect was that after she stepped forward, the Dean of Discipline immediately called her parents.
Not long after, her mother, Zhou Qing, arrived in a hurry.
Upon entering and seeing that her daughter was unharmed, Zhou Qing first let out a sigh of relief.
After hearing the full sequence of events, she quickly walked up to Lu Zhiye and nodded solemnly at him. “Classmate Lu, thank you so much. Thanks to you for protecting our Nuonuo. I can’t even imagine the consequences otherwise.”
Lu Zhiye’s throat moved slightly, the sharp lines of his face softening a little as he replied in a low voice, “It was nothing I shouldn’t do.”
Seeing that her daughter was fine, Zhou Qing prepared to leave.
Before leaving, she pulled Su Nuonuo aside, gently stroked the top of her head, her fingertips carrying a cool warmth. Her tone was filled with lingering fear and concern: “Silly child, after such a scare, why didn’t you tell Mom right away? That path is so remote—there’s no one there at night. If something really happened, there would be no one to help you. You’re not allowed to walk there again in the future. After school, Mom will come pick you up. Do you understand?”
Su Nuonuo clutched the hem of her mother’s clothes, her nose aching slightly. She looked up at her and said, “Mom, don’t worry. I’m really fine.”
Then, thinking of something, she continued, “Mom, don’t listen to what others say. Lu Zhiye is not a bad kid at all! What the school says about him being a School Bully is all just rumors spread by others! He has a very kind heart. If it weren’t for him this time, I would have been in real danger. He’s a good person!”
She was afraid her mother would be influenced by rumors, afraid she would misunderstand Lu Zhiye. Her anxious expression and earnestness were impossible to hide.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing’s gaze paused slightly. She lowered her head to look at her daughter’s bright, stubborn eyes, then glanced at Lu Zhiye, who was preparing to return to class. In an instant, she understood something, and a faint smile passed across her lips.
She reached out and lightly tapped Su Nuonuo’s forehead, her tone gentle but firm: “Mom knows he helped you this time and that he’s a good child. But Nuonuo, there are many rumors at school. You’re still young. In the future, you should keep some distance from him and focus on taking care of yourself—that’s what matters most.”
These words were not heavy, but each one was clear and distinct, just enough to reach Lu Zhiye, who had returned.
His hands at his sides quietly clenched, his knuckles turning pale.
The warmth in his heart from Su Nuonuo standing up for him was suddenly doused by a bucket of cold water, cooling halfway in an instant.
The faint warmth that had just arisen in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a trace of subtle loneliness.
He lowered his gaze, hiding all his emotions.
Keeping his head down, he walked straight into the office and quickly came out carrying a stack of test papers.
Upon hearing this, Su Nuonuo grew anxious. She was about to argue, but Zhou Qing gently pressed her shoulder and silently shook her head, her eyes full of helplessness and tenderness.
At that moment, the class bell rang.
Su Nuonuo hurried back to the classroom. As soon as she entered, she subconsciously looked toward Lu Zhiye’s seat. The boy was sitting with his head lowered, looking at his book, though it was unclear what he was thinking.
After enduring until the end of class, Su Nuonuo tidied her desk and looked over again, only to find that Lu Zhiye’s seat was already empty.
She immediately got up and chased after him. When she reached the rooftop of the Teaching Building, she saw Lu Zhiye standing by the railing.
His back was thin and lonely. The evening breeze lifted the hem of his uniform, carrying a sense of cold detachment that kept others at a distance.
She walked over quickly and called softly, “Lu Zhiye.”
Lu Zhiye slowly turned back. The darkness in his eyes no longer carried the warmth from the Academic Affairs Office, leaving only a deep stillness.
His thin lips were pressed into a hard line as he spoke in a fierce tone, warning her, “Enough is enough.”
“I could never like someone like you, a rich young lady.”
Looking at his deliberately fierce expression, Su Nuonuo instead smiled. Her eyes curved into crescent moons as she replied lightly yet firmly, “I know.”
“But I like you.”
Lu Zhiye seemed as if he had been burned. He froze abruptly, his ears instantly turning red.
He opened his mouth but could not say a single word. In the end, he only managed to mutter, “I can’t be bothered with you.”
After saying that, he turned and ran off in a panic. His retreating figure looked flustered, even the hem of his clothes carrying a sense of disarray.