Ruan Chen had expected the police to act quickly. By the time he was halfway there, Jiang Tingting had already been taken to the police station to continue the farce, so he had no choice but to change his destination as well.
To be honest, he had no interest in any of this. He was inarticulate, the kind of person who couldn’t squeeze out a single sentence even after a long while, utterly incapable of arguing with others. In front of the police, he was especially compliant.
The words he said the most were simply, “Teacher Song, please calm down. Don’t do anything illegal.”
Jiang Tingting felt a trace of disdain in her heart. Senior Brother Ruan was still as useless as ever. Even at a time like this, he showed no sense of manliness. He had come all this way as if crossing great distances yet aside from getting in the way, he served no purpose at all.
What she didn’t know was that Ruan Chen was completely uninterested in this melodramatic mess. He was only here to muddle through the situation.
Teacher Song found it amusing. “Ruan Chen, I’ve taught you for several years. You’ve been used by this woman and you’re still speaking up for her?”
“I think you should be asking her for compensation, get back the money you’ve spent on her.”
“She even wore the necklace you gave her and mocked you in front of me, calling you an idiot.”
Most people in this world are like that.
No one treats another person well without reason. Every bit of kindness, every cent spent, is an investment made early on, with the expectation of gaining tenfold or even a hundredfold returns in the future.
And when they realize they won’t get anything in return, they start wanting to reclaim their investment.
That’s how others are.
But not Ruan Chen.
Jiang Tingting quickly said, “He’s talking nonsense. I never said anything like that. Senior Brother, Senior Brother… I… I know I’ve wronged you in some ways but I’ve always genuinely respected you…”
Before she could finish, Ruan Chen interrupted her. “Are you talking about always asking me to do your homework for you?”
Jiang Tingting froze.
Gradually, the room fell silent.
This quiet, dull man who never seemed to fit in looked at her calmly and said, “I know. I know most of it. I’ve known for a long time.”
“You lied to me, saying your boyfriend cheated on you and you didn’t have the mood to do your assignments. So I did them for you.”
“Whenever you got drunk and stayed out overnight, you’d ask me to pay for your room.”
“Before your birthday, when you wanted something, you’d hint for me to buy it.”
The color drained from Jiang Tingting’s face, little by little, until nothing remained.
Teacher Song let out a laugh. “You knew all that and you still rushed to be taken advantage of? How many times have you slept with Jiang Tingting?”
“I didn’t treat Junior Sister that way…” Ruan Chen said, his voice suppressed, strained. “Why are you people always like this? No matter what you say, it always comes back to the body.”
“Even if it was fake, even if her kindness toward me had ulterior motives, she really did treat me well at times.”
“She wasn’t like you, Teacher, or the other classmates. She didn’t ignore my existence. She cared about me, smiled at me. On my birthday, she wished me a happy birthday.”
“That’s enough. So I don’t regret what I gave to her.”
What an utterly devoted, almost pathetic confession.
Everyone present who heard it fell silent, choked by the words.
Jiang Tingting’s mind was in chaos.
Ruan Chen continued, “But later I realized… I don’t actually like you, Junior Sister. I just wanted to repay the kindness you showed me.”
“Actually, I’ve wronged you in some ways too.”
Ruan Chen let out a soft sigh, as if hesitating to speak further.
“I treated you like a younger sister. So even when you did something wrong, I couldn’t just abandon you.”
Jiang Tingting gave a small “mm,” but for some reason, she felt as though she had lost something precious.
Unconsciously, she reached out, wanting to tug at him, an instinctive gesture of gratitude and dependence.
Before she could touch him, a sudden shout came from outside the door: “What are you doing!”
The voice sounded even more like a police officer than the actual police, except one with a terrible temper.
Who had arrived now?
Everyone turned toward the doorway at the sound and saw a tall young man walking in. His clothes couldn’t exactly be called neat. His hair was half dry and the T-shirt he wore clung tightly to his body, outlining a well built, athletic physique.
There were wounds on his face and stitches not yet removed on his arm. He had the rugged handsomeness of a brute.
At this moment, there was not a trace of friendliness on his face, only a fierce, menacing aura.
How should one describe it?
He looked even more intimidating than Teacher Song at his angriest, to the point that even the person involved felt at a loss.
Mu Xinghai? How did he chase him all the way here? Is he a mad dog? Ruan Chen felt both annoyed and irritated.
Instinctively, Ruan Chen stepped back, hiding slightly behind Jiang Tingting.
“Mu Xinghai?” Jiang Tingting asked.
Mu Xinghai only spared her a glance before walking up to her, looking as though he wanted nothing to do with this trouble yet had no choice but to get involved.
Jiang Tingting wasn’t self absorbed enough to misinterpret the situation. She could sense that the atmosphere was extremely strange.
Was Mu Xinghai here to hold her accountable? But hadn’t he just been speaking up for her among the classmates?
A police officer asked, “And who are you, student?”
Teacher Song answered, “Her ex-boyfriend. She was dating him while being involved with me at the same time and even told me the one she liked was me. Funny, isn’t it?”
Mu Xinghai fixed his gaze on Ruan Chen and said, “Senior Brother Ruan, I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Come with me.”
Ruan Chen took a deep breath and shifted half a step forward. “Mm.”
Everyone could sense it.
Something felt off.
Ruan Chen silently followed Mu Xinghai a couple of steps away. Jiang Tingting snapped back to her senses, a hint of panic rising in her chest. If he left, she would be the only one left to face Teacher Song. The thought alone made her uneasy.
Instinctively, she called out, “Senior Brother Ruan!”
Ruan Chen stopped in his tracks and turned back to look at her. Then he said to Mu Xinghai, “How about this, I’ll wait here until her family arrives. Once she’s safe, we can talk about our matter.”
Still trying to avoid this? Still trying to hide? Mu Xinghai was so irritated he almost laughed. “Her family isn’t coming. Her hometown is in the countryside. They were planning to drag her back into marriage as soon as she came of age. If her family shows up, it might be worse than them not coming at all.”
“Then that makes it even more impossible for me to leave…”
Mu Xinghai said, “She’s a very strong woman. She won’t actually suffer a loss. Don’t be naive. What, are you still hung up on her?”
The moment those words were spoken, anyone could practically smell the sharp tang of jealousy in the air.
Jiang Tingting looked at Mu Xinghai, then at Ruan Chen. Her scalp tingled, disbelief flooding her.
Ruan Chen’s face flushed red. He didn’t dare turn back to look at anyone’s expression, his fingertips trembling slightly. “Stop talking… what are you even saying?”
Mu Xinghai replied in a strange, mocking tone, “Then stop making me angry and I won’t talk nonsense.”
“I-” Ruan Chen said stubbornly, “I still think I can’t leave. According to what you said, her family can’t control her either. At the very least, I have to uphold this bit of moral responsibility, ”
“I’ve never seen a simp like you. Not just a simp, one who sticks his nose into other people’s business for nothing.” Mu Xinghai’s nose almost twisted with anger. “Can you give even half of that devotion to me? Can you treat me a little better?”
Ruan Chen rushed forward and clapped a hand over his mouth. “I told you to stop talking!”
But Mu Xinghai was taller and more agile. Instead, he grabbed Ruan Chen’s wrist.
Just as Ruan Chen tried to struggle free, Mu Xinghai called out in pain first. “Don’t fight me. My stitches aren’t even out yet. If you use force, they’ll tear open.”
Ruan Chen was beside himself with frustration yet there was nothing he could do about him.
What could he do? An honest person fears nothing more than someone who plays shamelessly.
Ruan Chen, who had been cold and detached ever since arriving at the police station, was now thoroughly flustered by Mu Xinghai’s antics, his face alternating between red and pale.
“You’re not even embarrassed?” Ruan Chen said.
Mu Xinghai replied without a trace of concern, “What’s there to be afraid of? Lin Mu already took photos. He said he’d post them online. By now, while we’re still arguing here, the whole school probably already knows.”
“You think you came here for justice? You just wanted to run away, didn’t you?”
A police officer interjected, “Are you two here to argue in the police station?”
Mu Xinghai forced himself to be patient and answered, “Sorry, officer. Just a moment. We’ll finish discussing things right away.”
The officer said, “Discuss all you want but no physical violence.”
Ruan Chen hurriedly explained, “Sorry, sorry. This isn’t violence, just normal physical contact.”
Ruan Chen turned his head and glanced at Jiang Tingting. He didn’t even realize that the look he cast toward her carried an unconscious hint of seeking help.
Jiang Tingting was already stunned. She vaguely understood now what Ruan Chen had meant when he said he had wronged her. What could she say? She could only respond awkwardly,
“Forget it… Senior Brother, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine here. If you and Mu Xinghai have something to discuss, go outside and talk…”
The moment her words fell, Ruan Chen felt his wrist suddenly loosen, followed immediately by a warmth spreading into his hand.
Under the weight of everyone’s gazes, the tightly clasped hands, their palms pressed together, carried a strangely scorching sensation.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Mu Xinghai pulled him away.
✦ ✧ ✦
Fleurveil
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Somewhere, a translator stares dramatically into an empty coffee cup. ☕
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Rear WindowChapter 2 · Kahlil Gibran, “I Have Spit My Soul Seven Times”Chapter 3 · His ToyChapter 4 · Star GazingChapter 5 · Just a dreamChapter 6 · ColdChapter 7 · Yearning for LoveChapter 8 · A Good PersonChapter 9 · Such a good boyChapter 10 · Delivered to your doorChapter 11 · Not familiar with itChapter 12 · First loveChapter 13 · Giving giftsChapter 14 · HeartstringsChapter 15 · Chinese New YearChapter 16 · TruthChapter 17 · SeparateChapter 18 · Planting minesChapter 19 · ChoiceChapter 20 · More hereChapter 21 · Could things have gotten any worse?Chapter 22 · Not because you like me?Chapter 23 · Not because you like me?Chapter 24 · It’s a tangled mess, impossible to unravelChapter 25 · The truth has been revealedChapter 26 · Extra: 1Chapter 27 · Extra: 2Chapter 28 · Extra: 3Chapter 29 · Extra: 4Chapter 30 · Extra: 5Chapter 31 · Extra: 6Chapter 32 · Extra: 7