The arts building was quiet, as if only he and Jiang Lin were there.
Lu Yuzhi searched room by room.
Jiang Lin spoke softly: “Lu, the art class is the first period in the afternoon. At this hour, classes should already be over.”
Lu Yuzhi stood in the middle of the corridor, his gaze sweeping over the tightly closed doors on either side.
Perhaps he was overthinking it.
That girl—maybe she simply didn’t like his class and had skipped out to go have fun.
He turned to leave.
After a few steps, he took out his phone and dialed that number again.
From not far away, from a corner outside one of the doors, came the sound of a phone ringing.
Lu Yuzhi’s footsteps halted, and he whipped his head around.
He strode over and, at the corner of the wall outside the piano classroom, saw a phone lying on the ground.
The caller ID showed his own number.
Lu Yuzhi stared at the phone, his face darkening bit by bit.
He bent down to pick it up and hung up the call to her phone.
Then he walked to the door of the piano classroom, gripped the handle, and twisted.
It was locked.
Lu Yuzhi raised his hand and pounded on the door. “Mu Suihe, are you in there?”
From inside came the girl’s eager, anxious reply, “Professor, I’m here.”
Hearing her voice, Lu Yuzhi suppressed his anger and kept his tone as even as possible: “Don’t be afraid. Step away from the door. I’ll get it open.”
Footsteps sounded inside, and then she said, “I’ve stepped back.”
Lu Yuzhi took two steps back, lifted his leg, and kicked hard at the lock.
“Bang—!”
The enormous sound echoed through the empty corridor.
The door shuddered, the lock loosened, but it still didn’t open.
Lu Yuzhi kicked again.
This one was even harder. The lock burst open, the door slammed against the wall, then bounced back.
He reached out and pushed the door open.
The light in the classroom was somewhat dim, the curtains drawn.
Mu Suihe stood in the center of the classroom, far from the door, looking at him.
She was wearing a light blue sundress today, her long hair draped over her shoulders, somewhat disheveled. Her small face was so pale it seemed translucent, her eyes wide open, the rims slightly red.
Lu Yuzhi strode over.
He gripped her arms and checked her over from top to bottom, then spun her around to check her back.
No visible injuries. He turned her back around and asked, “Are you hurt?”
Mu Suihe, spun this way and that, finally steadied herself, shook her head, and answered obediently, “I’m not hurt.”
Only then did Lu Yuzhi let go.
He stared at her face for a long while, then asked, “Who did this?”
Mu Suihe pressed her lips together and lowered her head, saying nothing.
“I’m asking you—who locked you in here?” Lu Yuzhi’s voice dropped, carrying an oppressive force that brooked no refusal.
Mu Suihe still shook her head.
Lu Yuzhi suddenly reached out and pinched her chin, forcing her to lift her head. “Speak.”
His fingers were somewhat forceful, pressing the soft flesh of her cheek slightly inward.
Mu Suihe’s lashes trembled. “It was Shen Jinxin.”
“She said I embarrassed myself in calculus class last time, and that Ninth Master doesn’t want to see me. She told me to stay here and reflect on myself.”
Lu Yuzhi stared into her eyes.
Such clean, clear eyes now inevitably filled with grievance and fear.
He released his hand, his thumb brushing over the spot on her chin where he’d pinched it red.
Such tender skin, such a delicate creature.
Lu Yuzhi asked, “She told you to stay here and reflect, so you just stayed?”
Mu Suihe muttered, “The door was locked. I couldn’t get out.”
“You couldn’t call for help?”
“I called, but no one heard. And she said if I didn’t behave, she wouldn’t protect me anymore.”
Lu Yuzhi frowned. “Protect you?”
Mu Suihe lowered her head and said nothing.
Some things weren’t easy to reveal to an outsider just yet.
Lu Yuzhi looked at the top of her head, and the spark of anger in his chest slowly turned into something he couldn’t quite name.
He remembered that time in the cafeteria, the way she sat alone gnawing on a steamed bun.
Remembered her saying that Song Shiqian was the only one for her.
“You like him that much?” Lu Yuzhi suddenly spoke, his voice flat.
Mu Suihe looked up at him, bewildered.
“For him, you’ll endure any grievance?” Lu Yuzhi took a step forward, closing in on her.
He was so tall that standing before her, he nearly engulfed her entirely in shadow.
Mu Suihe had no choice but to tilt her face up to look at him. “Professor…”
“Shen Jinxin bullies you, and you just suffer in silence. You’re hoping Song Shiqian will pity you, aren’t you?”
Mu Suihe didn’t deny it.
Lu Yuzhi suddenly laughed.
“Mu Suihe, are you eighteen yet?”
She nodded.
“Eighteen. Time to grow a brain.” Lu Yuzhi’s voice dropped.
Mu Suihe pouted. Was he saying she had no brain?
“Affection bought by wronging yourself is worthless.”
“If he could misunderstand you yesterday over a few words from someone else, tomorrow he can abandon you over something else.”
“A man like that is worth locking yourself in a dark room for two days? Just to win a little sympathy?”
Mu Suihe’s eyes went wide. “Two days?”
“What, she didn’t tell you?” Lu Yuzhi stared at her face.
“It’s Friday today. No one comes to this classroom over the weekend. She locked you in here planning to keep you for two days, and only let you out on Monday.”
Mu Suihe’s mouth opened, and her body swayed, stumbling back half a step.
Lu Yuzhi reached out and gripped her wrist, steadying her. “Now you’re scared?”
Mu Suihe nodded, then shook her head, looking up at him. “Professor, thank you for coming to find me.”
Lu Yuzhi stared into her eyes. At such close range, he could see that trace of stubbornness at the bottom of them.
Clearly frightened, yet still swallowing her grievances, stubborn to the bone.
He couldn’t help stepping forward, his large hand hesitating before finally landing.
He patted her frail back in comfort.
By the time Mu Suihe returned to the Shen Family villa, it was completely dark.
The living room was brightly lit. Shen Jinxin was curled up on the sofa scrolling through her phone. At the sound of the door opening, she looked up, and the moment she saw Mu Suihe walk in, her eyes went wide.
“How did you get out?” Her voice shrill, she sprang up from the sofa.
Mu Suihe ignored her and lowered her head to change her shoes.
“I’m talking to you!” Shen Jinxin rushed over and grabbed her wrist.
“Who let you out? Did you break the lock? Mu Suihe, you’ve got some nerve!”
Mu Suihe lifted her head and looked at her, those almond eyes devoid of emotion.
Shen Jinxin felt a chill under her gaze and gripped harder. “Speak!”
“I let myself out,” Mu Suihe said, her voice very soft.
“Yourself? I locked that door with my own hands. How could you—”
“That’s enough.”
Shen Wanyue came down from upstairs, a moon-white robe loosely tied, long hair draped over her shoulders.
She glanced at Shen Jinxin’s hand still clutching Mu Suihe’s wrist and frowned slightly. “Let go. What does this look like?”
Shen Jinxin reluctantly released her grip. A red ring had already formed around Mu Suihe’s wrist.
“Sister, she’s definitely lying!” Shen Jinxin turned to Shen Wanyue. “That door lock—”
“I said, that’s enough.” Shen Wanyue cut her off, her voice gentle yet brooking no argument.
She walked up to Mu Suihe and looked her over.
Her skirt was a little wrinkled and her long hair a bit messy, but she was fine, without any injuries.
Shen Wanyue reached out and smoothed the stray hairs at her forehead, her movements tender. “Suihe, dear, are you hurt anywhere?”
Mu Suihe shook her head.
“Good.” Shen Wanyue smiled, then turned to look at Shen Jinxin. “Jinxin was just worried about you—afraid something might happen to you out there all alone.”
“Next time, if anything urgent comes up, remember to let the family know. Don’t make everyone worry.”