That evening during self-study, Lin Qingle didn’t return to the classroom. Instead, she took leave and went home.
Lin Yufen had already finished work. When Lin Qingle got home, she found her mother on the balcony folding clothes.
“Why are you back? Isn’t it time for evening classes?” Lin Yufen asked in surprise.
Lin Qingle shook her head without a word and turned to head inside.
“What’s going on, Qingle? What are you doing?” Lin Yufen followed her into her room, holding a pile of clothes.
Kicking off her shoes, Lin Qingle climbed straight into bed. “I’m not feeling well… so I took the night off.”
She wouldn’t tell Lin Yufen about what happened tonight. Those memories would only cause her mother more pain.
Emotionally, Lin Qingle had never confided in her mother—not when she was young, and not now.
“Not feeling well? Do you have a fever?” Lin Yufen quickly set down the clothes and reached out to feel her forehead.
“No, I just feel a bit dizzy. I want to sleep.”
Still worried, Lin Yufen fetched a thermometer to check her temperature. Once she confirmed there was no fever, she let out a sigh of relief. “Why are you suddenly dizzy? Did you not sleep well?”
“Maybe…”
“Were you up late again last night, working on assignments?” Lin Yufen frowned. “You can’t keep doing this. It’s counterproductive. Look, getting sick will only waste more time than staying healthy.”
Lin Qingle truly felt dizzy. Her temples throbbed, and her entire body felt hollow, as if she were floating in midair.
“Mom, I just want to sleep. Please leave,” she said softly.
Lin Yufen hesitated. “I’ll make you something to eat.”
“I’m not hungry. I just want to sleep.”
“Alright, alright. But if you feel worse, you must tell me right away.”
“Mm.”
When the door closed, the room finally grew quiet.
It seemed that now she was in her safe space, the tension she’d carried from school began to ease.
Cocooned in her blanket, Lin Qingle reached under her pillow for her phone.
She had strong self-control and never used her phone for entertainment. Other than calling Lin Yufen, it served little purpose.
But tonight, gripping the phone in the dark, she clicked on the forum content that Zhang Yikun had mentioned.
> **[Do any of you remember the murder case from seven years ago? The killer was from our area. I remember he killed his coworker and was eventually caught and executed. Guess what? That man was the father of a freshman girl at our school!]**
> **[Are you serious? Don’t spread rumors like that.]**
> **[I have proof—newspaper clippings from back then! The man was Li Minshan, and his daughter is Lin Qingle, a freshman at our school.]**
> **[Lin Qingle? Isn’t she the pretty one? No way…]**
> **[Is it okay to reveal her name like this? She’s innocent.]**
> **[There’s a reason for it! I heard that years ago, when the victim’s family sought justice, she took a knife and… you know. She was super ruthless. I’m not making this up—ask any adult who remembers the incident.]**
> **[Can behavior like this be inherited? Scary.]**
> **[Her dad killed someone, and instead of apologizing, she retaliated against the victim’s family?]**
…
Even before opening the thread, Lin Qingle had guessed what they might say. She’d heard these words long ago.
It wasn’t that she wouldn’t explain—she had, years ago. But she’d learned that people who believe will believe, and those who don’t never will.
That night, Lin Qingle slept fitfully.
She dreamt of the past—the volatile temper and violence of her father, the fear and caution she and her mother endured in his shadow, and the sharp accusations that came after the incident.
“Kun-ge, we’ve got free time this Saturday. Let’s finally teach Xu Tingbai a lesson. No holding back!”
“Exactly. I saw Dai Rong crying and running away the other day.”
Zhang Yikun shot the speaker a glare. “If you’d followed her, you’d know why she was crying. Otherwise, shut up. Are you an idiot?”
“I—I didn’t want to follow too closely and get caught.”
“You—”
“Kun-ge, Kun-ge! Enough. Look, Xu Tingbai’s coming.”
The group fell silent, their eyes turning to the figure emerging from the alley. Xu Tingbai walked toward them, head slightly lowered, tapping the ground with his cane.
“Hey.” Zhang Yikun stepped into his path.
Hearing the voice, Xu Tingbai furrowed his brows.
Zhang Yikun sneered, “Xu Tingbai, didn’t I warn you to stay away from Dai Rong? You didn’t listen, did you? Still bothering her and making her cry?”
Xu Tingbai remained silent for a moment before replying coldly, “Zhang Yikun, you know I’m blind, right?”
“No shit. Do you think I’m blind too?”
“Then you should understand—I couldn’t possibly seek her out. If anything, she came to me.”
Zhang Yikun was momentarily at a loss. “Then you must’ve called her! Dai Rong’s such a kind person. If you begged, she’d definitely come to help!”
Xu Tingbai let out a cold laugh. “If I wanted her to come so badly, why would she leave crying?”
“…”
“Just because you’re interested in her doesn’t mean everyone else is,” he said impatiently, his tone hardening. “Move.”
Zhang Yikun froze for a moment and even stepped aside instinctively. But he quickly regained his composure and blocked the way again. “What the hell are you acting all high and mighty for? You and that Lin Qingle—both of you don’t take me seriously, do you?”
Xu Tingbai stopped in his tracks. When he spoke again, it was clear he was angry. “Did you mess with her?”
“Mess with her? I should be thankful she’s not messing with me!” Zhang Yikun sneered. “Last time, just because I said a few words about you, she splashed water in my face in front of everyone. If she weren’t a girl, I wouldn’t have let her off so easily!”
Xu Tingbai blinked in surprise.
Splashed water in his face?
She hadn’t mentioned that to him.
What an idiot… risking provoking this lunatic because of him.
“But I suppose you two are birds of a feather,” Zhang Yikun said slowly. “Your parents caused a bankruptcy scandal back in the day, screwing over a bunch of people. And Lin Qingle? Even better—her dad’s a murderer—”
“Who told you that?” Xu Tingbai’s voice dropped sharply, cutting him off.
Zhang Yikun glanced at him. “What?”
“I said, who told you about her father?”
“Does someone need to tell me? It was posted on the school forum yesterday. The whole school knows now.”
No wonder…
No wonder she didn’t come here today, even though it was Saturday.
“Hey, Xu Tingbai, this isn’t the time to change the subject. We’re not done with the Dai Rong issue—”
“Get lost.”
“What the—!” Zhang Yikun grabbed his collar. “I’m not done talking. You’re not going anywhere!”
“What are you doing? You kids, what are you up to?!” A sharp voice suddenly rang out. Granny Jiang, returning from grocery shopping with two other elderly women, happened to pass by. Spotting Xu Tingbai among the group, she immediately stepped forward and scolded them.
Seeing people approach, Zhang Yikun let go of Xu Tingbai.
“Damn it. Lucky break for you!”
Zhang Yikun gestured to his companions and flashed a fake smile as he walked past her. “Oh, granny, we weren’t bullying anyone. He can’t see, so we were just helping him find his way.”
Granny Jiang shot him a glare, clearly unconvinced.
But Zhang Yikun didn’t care if she believed him or not. He waved off her skepticism and strolled away with his group of followers.
Once they were gone, Granny Jiang hurried over. “Xiao Bai, did they bully you?”
Xu Tingbai’s face was pale, and he shook his head. “It’s fine, Granny Jiang. I’ll head home now.”
Since Lin Yufen had already taken her day off earlier in the week, she had to work on Saturday and couldn’t stay at home. At lunchtime, she called Lin Qingle and told her to cook some noodles for herself. Lin Qingle agreed but didn’t actually leave her room.
She had initially only pretended to be sick, but she hadn’t expected to actually start feeling unwell.
**Ding-ding, ding-ding…**
Her phone rang. Aside from Lin Yufen, no one else would call her.
Lin Yufen could be so naggy sometimes. Feeling annoyed, Lin Qingle didn’t want to answer, but the phone kept ringing persistently, as if it wouldn’t stop until she picked up.
With no other choice, she flipped her phone over. To her surprise, the screen displayed an unfamiliar number.
Puzzled, she answered, “Hello?”
No response. The line was silent.
Just as she was about to assume it was a wrong number and hang up, a familiar voice suddenly came through.
“Lin Qingle.”
She froze. Quickly, she checked the screen again before bringing the phone back to her ear. Disbelief filled her voice. “It’s me…”
“This is Xu Tingbai.”
“…”
Her eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t expected Xu Tingbai to suddenly call her, and at this particular moment, when she felt so down.
Since last night, she hadn’t shed a single tear. Though she felt hurt and humiliated, she had held herself together, telling herself she couldn’t cry over that anymore. She was grown now and couldn’t act like a child.
But for some reason, the moment she heard Xu Tingbai’s voice, her eyes instantly reddened. A tear welled up and rolled down, and all her bottled-up grievances burst like an overfilled balloon.
She couldn’t control her body’s reaction.
Burying her face in her pillow, she tried to wipe her tears away. “I… I know.”
“You’re crying?” he asked.
She instinctively shook her head. “No…”
“Your voice sounds muffled.”
“I’m still in bed,” she said, swallowing back her sobs. “I’m under the covers.”
There was a long silence on the other end.
After waiting for what felt like forever, she couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you call me? Is something wrong?”
“No.”
“Then why—”
“Lin Qingle.”
“Mm?”
“Don’t listen to what others say.”
In the darkness, her eyes widened. Stunned, she heard him continue, his voice steady and firm.
“None of it is your fault.”