After finishing the cleaning and locking the classroom door, Su Nuonuo prepared to go home.
She didn’t take the wide main road. Instead, she turned into the narrow but quiet old alley.
It was her shortcut home. Although the path wasn’t wide, the environment was nice—and more importantly, it was where her fate with Lu Zhiye had truly begun in her previous life.
On this very day in her past life, she had been blocked here by three vocational school boys.
Lu Zhiye had appeared and saved her. That was when she began to notice him, and gradually became drawn to him.
As she walked into the alley, she tightened her grip on her schoolbag strap, her heartbeat quickening, her eyes fixed on the corner deep within the alley.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before several boys with dyed hair came strolling over, arms slung over each other’s shoulders, cigarettes hanging from their mouths, their gazes leering as they sized her up.
The yellow-haired one in the lead whistled, calling her the school beauty of No. 1 High in a frivolous tone. He reached out to grab her, spouting filthy words.
Su Nuonuo’s heart tightened, but she wasn’t as panicked as she had been in her previous life.
At the very moment the yellow-haired boy’s hand was about to touch her hair, Lu Zhiye stepped out from the shadows at the alley entrance, his tall figure firmly blocking her path.
He had just finished playing basketball. A thin layer of sweat clung to his temples. His windbreaker hung over his shoulders, his forearm lines clean and sharp, and the pull-ring ring on his thumb reflected a cold glint in the sunset.
A violent aura surged around him. His clenched fists turned pale at the knuckles, and his eyes were filled with fierce, restrained brutality—he was clearly ready to strike.
Su Nuonuo’s heart clenched sharply.
In her previous life, in order to protect her, he had beaten these people so badly they ended up in the hospital. Grandpa Lu had emptied his savings to compensate them, making life even harder for the grandfather and grandson.
Grandpa Lu was such a good person. In this life, she absolutely would not let that tragedy happen again.
Almost instinctively, she reached out and tightly grabbed Lu Zhiye’s warm wrist. Her voice was soft, yet carried unquestionable firmness as she lifted her head to meet the violence in his eyes.
“Lu Zhiye, don’t do it.”
Lu Zhiye’s entire body stiffened. He glanced at her from the side. The hostility in his eyes receded slightly, and his clenched fists slowly loosened.
Instead, he lifted his leg and kicked hard at the bicycle of the boy closest to her. The wheel instantly bent out of shape, the harsh noise making the group flinch.
He swept his cold gaze over the three of them. His eyes were icy to the bone. His thin lips parted, uttering only one word, carrying terrifying force:
“Get lost.”
Their arrogance was crushed by that single word.
They had already feared Lu Zhiye’s reputation, and even though he had been restrained, his presence was still overwhelming.
They didn’t dare act recklessly anymore. After muttering a few curses, they hurriedly picked up the twisted bicycle and scrambled out of the alley in panic.
The alley instantly returned to silence, leaving only the rustling of plane tree leaves.
Lu Zhiye didn’t look at her. He turned and walked away, his lean and upright back carrying a hint of a young man’s awkward pride.
In her previous life, she had been timid, only daring to watch him from afar, missing out on such a good boy.
Fortunately, she had been reborn.
Su Nuonuo looked at his back. Her nose tingled, and tears welled up unexpectedly, but she forced them back.
She quickly chased after him, her voice carrying a faint sob, yet filled with deep care:
“Lu Zhiye, wait for me.”
His steps paused slightly. He didn’t turn back, but he slowed down.
Su Nuonuo quickly caught up, and the two of them walked side by side along the stone-paved road.
The evening breeze brushed past, carrying the faint fragrance of locust blossoms. She looked at the sharp line of his jaw, and her heart felt warm.
Thankfully… thankfully, in this life, she had protected him, protected his grandfather, and protected their future.
As if remembering something, she tilted her head to look at the boy beside her. A playful softness shimmered in her eyes as she asked gently:
“Lu Zhiye, why were you here?”
Lu Zhiye’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. He kept his gaze forward and replied in a flat tone:
“Passing by.”
Su Nuonuo couldn’t help but smile, exposing his lie. “Passing by? Isn’t your home not even in this direction?”
The tips of Lu Zhiye’s ears instantly flushed red. He glanced at the locust tree by the alley and said stiffly:
“I was taking a walk. Can’t I come here to look at the scenery?”
The evening wind carried falling locust blossoms onto his shoulder. Su Nuonuo looked at the faint redness on his ears.
Holding back her laughter, she nodded, sweetness overflowing in her eyes.
“Of course. The scenery here is indeed worth going out of your way to see.”
Hearing this, his steps slowed even more. The hand at his side curled slightly, his fingertips still retaining the warmth of where she had held him earlier. Even the lingering hostility around him was quietly soothed by the evening breeze and the gentle sweetness of the moment.
The wind continued to carry petals onto his shoulder. Su Nuonuo looked at his reddened ears, smiling as her eyes softened with warmth.
“Of course. The scenery here is indeed worth going out of your way to see.”
The two walked side by side the rest of the way. Though they didn’t speak, it didn’t feel awkward. The stone road was bathed in the warm gold of the setting sun, the scent of blossoms clinging to their clothes, even their footsteps becoming softer.
Before long, the grand iron villa gate came into view. Inside the yard, greenery flourished, and warm lights glowed faintly, giving off a sense of peaceful comfort.
Su Nuonuo stopped and turned to look at Lu Zhiye. Her eyes were clear, carrying a hint of tentative softness as she spoke gently:
“I’m home.”
Lu Zhiye also stopped. His gaze swept over the refined villa area. His Adam’s apple moved slightly, and he unconsciously took half a step back.
A trace of unease flickered in his eyes as he simply responded, “Mm.”
Su Nuonuo looked at his awkward, evasive expression, her heart softening completely.
She bit her lip, but couldn’t help asking what was on her mind. Her voice was soft and gentle:
“Lu Zhiye… do you often secretly follow me and make sure I get home safely? Otherwise, how would you know I live here?”
The moment she said this, Lu Zhiye froze. The tips of his ears instantly turned completely red, as if his secret had been exposed.
He abruptly turned his head away, not daring to meet her bright eyes.
His Adam’s apple rolled sharply as he forced out a stiff reply, stubborn to the extreme:
“Don’t flatter yourself! I was just passing by. Who has nothing better to do than protect you?”
As he spoke, his fingers clenched until his knuckles turned pale, his foot unconsciously grinding against the stone pavement.
The redness on his ears burned hot. He didn’t even dare glance at her, his words contradicting his true feelings so completely that his thoughts were laid bare.
Seeing him like this, Su Nuonuo couldn’t help but smile. Her eyes filled with fine, gentle sweetness as she softly said:
“Oh, I see. Then thank you for protecting me today, Lu Zhiye. See you tomorrow.”
As soon as Su Nuonuo stepped into the house, she heard a familiar voice she hadn’t heard in a long time.
“Nuonuo, you’re back?” Her mother, Zhou Qing, leaned out from the kitchen, holding a spatula, wearing a floral apron.
Her father, Su Hongyuan, was sitting on the living room sofa watching financial news. He also turned and smiled gently.
“Dad, Mom, I’m back.”
After changing her shoes, Su Nuonuo didn’t go straight to her room as usual. Instead, she walked toward the living room.
She took a deep breath, her fingers curling slightly, then lifted her head and looked clearly at her parents. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was firm:
“Dad, Mom, when I got out of school just now and took the shortcut through the old alley, I was stopped by three vocational school boys.”
Zhou Qing’s expression changed immediately, and Su Hongyuan straightened up.
“What happened then? Are you okay? Were you hurt?” Zhou Qing hurried over, grabbing her daughter’s hands and looking her up and down.
“I’m fine, Mom.” Su Nuonuo held her mother’s hand in return, squeezing it reassuringly. “Someone helped me. It was my classmate Lu Zhiye. He happened to pass by and stood in front of me.”
“Lu Zhiye?” Zhou Qing’s voice rose sharply, filled with disbelief and deeper concern. “That… that boy who’s always fighting? Did he get into another fight again? Nuonuo, how many times have I told you to stay away from students like that? Violence doesn’t solve anything—it only brings more trouble! He must have fought again, right? Did he hurt you? Did he provoke those people?”
A string of questions poured out, filled with ingrained prejudice and worry.
In her previous life, her mother had warned her in exactly the same way.
If it had been before, Su Nuonuo might have stayed silent, might have retreated, allowing the misunderstanding to deepen.
But now, the image of that resolute figure in the sea of flames flashed before her eyes.
She couldn’t let him be misunderstood like this again.
“Mom,” Su Nuonuo interrupted, her voice steadier than before.
She looked at Zhou Qing, then at Su Hongyuan, who seemed thoughtful.
“He didn’t provoke them. Those three came to block me first. They said… very unpleasant things, and even tried to touch me. Lu Zhiye helped me.”
She paused, then continued:
“Dad, Mom, I know you’ve heard bad things about him. But what I saw today was that he protected a classmate when it mattered. He might… have a bad temper, or sometimes handle things more directly, but he’s not a bad person. He… is a very good person.”
Her final words were especially earnest—as if she wasn’t just stating what happened today, but also speaking up for the boy who had silently protected her and ultimately given his life for her in her previous life.
Zhou Qing’s expression became complicated.
As a mother, she felt relief that her daughter was safe, and gratitude that someone had stepped forward to help.
But her long-held beliefs and stereotypes about “problem students” made it difficult for her to change her view immediately.
She worried her daughter might develop feelings out of gratitude, and feared even more that there could be further trouble.
“No matter what, he helped you—that’s a fact,” Su Hongyuan said in a steady voice to Zhou Qing before turning to Su Nuonuo, his tone softening. “Nuonuo, Dad is glad you told us about this instead of keeping it to yourself. From now on, try to take the main road after school, or go with classmates. Your safety always comes first.
As for that classmate, Lu Zhiye…” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “If he could step in to help when you were in trouble, it shows his nature isn’t bad—his heart is warm. He just seems a bit wild, maybe a bit reckless. That’s not necessarily a big issue. Dad understands, and I’ll remember what he did for you.”
Zhou Qing moved her lips as if to say something, but in the end only said:
“You should focus on your studies. The college entrance exam is coming soon.”
She said this because she had seen that boy before—he was very good-looking, and she had heard many girls pursued him. She was afraid her daughter might develop feelings, so she often reminded her.
“I understand, Mom. Thank you, Dad.”
Su Nuonuo felt a weight lift from her heart, though something still lingered.
She knew it wouldn’t be easy for her parents to fully accept Lu Zhiye. But at least, she had taken the first step—she had spoken part of the truth and gained a small measure of understanding for him.