#56

The next day was the exam.

Chen Yang had barely slept all night. When he woke up in the morning, he still felt dazed. He splashed some cold water on his face and stared blankly at himself in the mirror.

Outside, the sound of a wheelchair rolling by could be heard. It seemed they knew he was awake, as the noise didn’t soften at all—it even felt deliberate.

The house’s phone number had been changed, and very few people knew it—let alone a woman who had just been released from a psychiatric hospital.

Chen Yang sneered.

Perhaps Chen Mingwu hadn’t expected Fang Yuan to have already been released. If he had known, his mood now would undoubtedly be completely different.

The noise outside continued.

Chen Yang ignored it, finished washing up, and left the house on his own.

First High School started classes early these days. Morning self-study began at six o’clock, and the sky was still dark, with a biting cold wind blowing.

The first exam of the day was Chinese, scheduled for eight o’clock in the morning. By leaving now, he was probably the first student in the entire school to arrive.

There were hardly any people on the streets, except for one or two shops that had opened early.

Chen Yang bought something to eat along the way and headed straight to Class 17. The homeroom teacher had previously given him a key.

Perhaps because of his bad mood, he hadn’t done much studying.

He stared at the few numbers on the page, then pressed his lips together tightly. Finally, he tore off the test paper, rolled it up, and clenched it tightly in his hand.

The sharp edges of the crumpled paper dug into his palm.

By coincidence, Liang Qian’s exam room was in Class 17. As soon as he entered the classroom, he spotted Chen Yang sitting in the back row and asked curiously: “Yan Ge, why are you here so early today?”

Previously, Chen Yang always arrived just in time for school.

Chen Yang was on the phone. When Liang Qian sat down, he noticed the name “Le Ya” on the screen and smirked knowingly.

Calling her this early in the morning—this couple was too lovey-dovey.

Before he could think too much about it, he saw Chen Yang’s expression gradually darken, exuding an ominous storm-like aura.

On the other end of the line was a female voice speaking English.

Chen Yang hung up without expression and turned to Liang Qian: “Try calling Le Ya.”

Though she rarely used her phone, he had felt something was off since yesterday. That uneasy feeling was growing stronger.

Liang Qian said: “I don’t have her number.”

Alarm bells rang in his mind. Could it be that Chen Yang thought he had secretly contacted Le Ya?

The more Liang Qian thought about it, the more terrified he became. He hurriedly tried to clear his name: “I swear, I only added her on WeChat, but I’ve never talked to her!”

This was terrifying.

Seeing that Chen Yang didn’t respond, Liang Qian quickly said: “Today is the exam, so Le Ya will definitely come. Yan Ge, there’s no need to feel so down about it, right?”

Chen Yang remained silent.

After a while, students began entering the classroom. Seeing the two people sitting in the back row, they were startled and quietly took their seats.

Chen Yang spoke in a low voice: “You contact Xie Qingyu.”

Although he knew Xie Qingyu, he didn’t have her contact information.

Liang Qian thought his secret crush on Xie Qingyu had been discovered. After fidgeting nervously for a moment, he felt a chill run down his spine under Chen Yang’s gaze. Begging for mercy, he said: “Okay, okay, I’ll call her right now.”

He pulled up Xie Qingyu’s number and dialed.

Xie Qingyu had just woken up and was getting dressed. “Calling me this early in the morning? If I were still asleep, you’d be dead.”

Before Liang Qian could say anything, a hand reached over and took the phone from him.

“It’s me, Chen Yang.”

Xie Qingyu was startled. “Chen Yang? Why are you using Liang Qian’s phone?”

Chen Yang said: “He’s beside me. Le Ya hasn’t come to school yet. See if you can call her.”

“Oh,” Xie Qingyu replied. “Wait a moment.”

After hanging up, she still couldn’t figure out why he wanted her to call so early in the morning, but she dialed Le Ya’s number anyway.

The call took a while to connect.

Xie Qingyu asked: “Le Ya, are you home?”

Le Ya hummed softly: “I’m not going to school today. I’m feeling a bit unwell. My dad has already informed the teacher about the exam.”

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Xie Qingyu asked with concern. “Oh, by the way, Chen Yang asked me to call you. I don’t know why he didn’t call you himself—it’s so strange…”

She rambled on for a while.

On the other end, Le Ya listened quietly. After half a minute, she finally said: “I need to get up. I’ll hang up now.”

Though Xie Qingyu felt something was off, she responded: “Alright, take care and rest well. If you’re not feeling well, go see a doctor.”

“I know.”

After hanging up, Xie Qingyu thought for a moment and called Liang Qian back to tell him what had happened.

Liang Qian watched Chen Yang listen with a calm expression.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. Could it be that this young couple had suddenly gotten into a fight and were now on the verge of breaking up?

Thinking about it, he felt sorry for Yan Ge.

Liang Qian sighed deeply, then saw Chen Yang shove the phone into his hand and leave the classroom, slamming the door behind him.

Even Liang Qian could tell that Chen Yang was emanating an aura of restlessness.

After the exam ended, Xie Qingyu finally noticed something was wrong.

After class, Liang Qian secretly messaged her on WeChat: “Yan Ge has been acting strange these past two days. It’s like he’s been dumped.”

Being dumped was probably impossible.

Xie Qingyu speculated that it might be related to Le Ya. After all, she hadn’t been coming to class recently. Could it be that their relationship had been discovered?

And then she was grounded by her father?

This scenario seemed plausible. It fit perfectly with how Le Ya’s father had initially kept the sponsorship arrangement hidden from her. Xie Qingyu increasingly believed this was the case.

She couldn’t get much out of calling Le Ya, so she decided to ask the homeroom teacher.

Xie Qingyu used the excuse of being unable to reach Le Ya and went to the office to find Teacher Jiang. There, she learned shocking news.

Teacher Jiang was surprised: “Didn’t Le Ya tell you?”

As far as she knew, the two girls were close friends. Could it be that Le Ya hadn’t mentioned it because they were about to part ways?

Xie Qingyu shook her head. “Tell me what?”

“It’s better if you ask Le Ya yourself,” Teacher Jiang said. “But I don’t think it’s a big deal. Le Ya’s father mentioned the early admission program to me today.”

Though Xie Qingyu wasn’t a top student, she was familiar with the concept of early admissions. There had been such slots in the school before.

Students admitted through this program didn’t need to take the college entrance exam—they could directly proceed to university afterward.

Xie Qingyu wasn’t surprised by this. Given Le Ya’s grades, she was fully qualified. “Is Le Ya being admitted early?”

Teacher Jiang explained: “The early admission slot was originally reserved for her. From now on, she won’t attend classes and will return only for the final exams.”

It was similar to students who planned to study abroad. They just needed to take a few tests and wait for their families to make arrangements.

Teacher Jiang didn’t know the specifics of Le Yijian’s plans, but there was a high chance Le Ya would study abroad. The exact details would depend on the paperwork in the coming weeks.

If the early admission slot wasn’t accepted, it would be given to someone else.

This long explanation left Xie Qingyu stunned, speechless for a long time.

Le Ya hadn’t mentioned any of this when they last spoke on the phone. It was too sudden—something must have happened.

Teacher Jiang said: “Perhaps Le Ya doesn’t know how to tell you.”

Xie Qingyu nodded.

After leaving the office, her head was spinning.

Could it be that the other day, when Chen Yang suddenly used Liang Qian’s phone to have her call Le Ya, he already knew about this?

Xie Qingyu dialed Le Ya’s number.

The call connected after two rings: “Hello?”

Xie Qingyu asked softly: “Are you not continuing with classes?”

“…” After a long pause, Le Ya replied: “Mm. You know about my hearing issue. A doctor has been arranged, and I’m going for treatment.”

“Really?” Xie Qingyu was briefly delighted but quickly furrowed her brows. “Why so sudden? I just came from Teacher Jiang’s office, and she completely confused me.”

“It’s not sudden. My dad mentioned it to me a long time ago, but we only made the decision recently. I’ll return for the college entrance exam.”

Le Ya’s voice was soft and slightly hoarse.

Xie Qingyu assumed she had a cold. “In that case, seeing the doctor is more important. After all, your health comes first. Not attending school for several months sounds quite relaxing…”

Mid-sentence, Chen Yang’s figure appeared at the end of the hallway.

Xie Qingyu instinctively paused.

She wasn’t sure if her words had been overheard, but Chen Yang’s expression was the most terrifying she had ever seen.

It was oppressively frightening.

Outside the school at the milk tea shop.

This was the first time Xie Qingyu had spoken to Chen Yang alone. Seeing girls in the distance glance at her, she felt a bit nervous.

After all, it was her first time being so close to someone of his stature.

Chen Yang ordered her a milk tea. “What did you just say?”

Xie Qingyu didn’t drink it. Hesitating, she said: “You should ask her yourself.”

She wasn’t sure whether she should tell him about this. If Le Ya hadn’t even told her, then it was likely that Chen Yang hadn’t been told either.

Thinking about it, the unanswered phone calls from before suddenly made sense.

The young man in front of her lowered his gaze, fixating on the table. Shadows fell across his eyelashes as he softly said: “I can’t get in touch with her.”

Xie Qingyu felt uneasy hearing this.

She quietly said: “I’m not entirely clear on the situation yet, but she’ll be coming back to school later. You can ask her directly then.”

Teacher Jiang had mentioned that Le Ya would return in a couple of days to pick up some things.

Chen Yang pursed his lips: “Mm.”

Even after leaving the milk tea shop, Xie Qingyu looked back to see him still sitting inside, motionless like a statue.

She sighed deeply.

What a mess this was.

In the evening, Xie Qingyu went to Le Ya’s house.

Chen Yang remained silent behind her, not uttering a single word. From school to here, his silence felt unusually unsettling.

Xie Qingyu said: “Let me check first.”

She needed to confirm whether Le Ya was willing to see him. Her friend naturally came first.

Chen Yang gave a slight nod. “Thanks.”

The luxurious villa nestled amidst lush greenery exuded wealth and refinement, showcasing the family’s status. Lights were on both the first and second floors.

Just as Xie Qingyu was about to go in, the person behind her suddenly spoke: “If she doesn’t mention a reason, ask her if she saw something.”

“Just that?”

Chen Yang said: “Just that.”

Xie Qingyu nodded.

There weren’t many people in Le Ya’s house. She had visited numerous times before, and Aunt Zhang immediately informed her that Le Ya was upstairs.

As Xie Qingyu reached the second floor, she happened to see Le Ya opening her door. It was clear that her emotional state was off.

The two entered the room together.

Xie Qingyu sat on the bed. “While I support you going to see the doctor, why so sudden? If I hadn’t asked Teacher Jiang, I wouldn’t have known what was going on.”

Le Ya said: “It was only decided these past two days.”

The next day, she had planned to take the exam, but both she and Chen Yang were in the first testing room, making it impossible to avoid seeing each other.

She didn’t know how to face Chen Yang.

Especially now that she knew everything, everything had become a river separating them. Her family had been destroyed because of his father, and yet she had still been with him…

Xie Qingyu sensed something was wrong. “You haven’t contacted Chen Yang recently. Did something happen between you two?”

Le Ya fell silent.

“I kind of guessed,” Xie Qingyu whispered. “Liang Qian told me that Chen Yang has been acting strange lately.”

Le Ya still didn’t speak.

Xie Qingyu said: “Chen Yang came to me today.”

Le Ya looked up at her. The light above cast a glow in her tear-filled eyes, making her look impossibly beautiful.

Xie Qingyu was momentarily stunned. “Did you two have a fight?”

Le Ya shook her head and softly replied: “No.”

The room grew quiet, filled only by the sound of their breathing.

Le Ya lowered her gaze. “Do you know why my hearing is like this?”

Xie Qingyu shook her head.

Though she had known Le Ya for a long time, she was aware it wasn’t congenital, but she didn’t know the specific reason.

Le Ya’s eyelashes trembled slightly. “A long time ago, I saw my parents fighting—very fiercely. Things in the room were breaking. I was young and thought my dad was hitting my mom, so I wanted to help.”

“And then?” Xie Qingyu couldn’t help but ask.

“And then…” Le Ya’s voice quivered. “She screamed hysterically, pushed me down, and threw everything from the dressing table onto me.”

The person she had desperately wanted to protect had no place for her in their heart. They only wanted to leave the house, showing no concern for her presence, even seeing her as an obstacle.

Xie Qingyu was speechless for a long while.

She had imagined countless possibilities but never this one.

Xie Qingyu called out: “Le Ya…”

Le Ya’s expression, however, was eerily calm. “It’s already been ten years. I’m used to it. It’s fine.”

Xie Qingyu forced a smile and changed the subject. “Once you see the doctor, you’ll be better. You won’t have to worry about intense physical activities anymore.”

Le Ya gave a faint smile. “Mm.”

After circling around the topic for a while, Xie Qingyu finally remembered Chen Yang’s matter. Carefully, she broached the subject: “About Chen Yang… Do you want to talk to him about it?”

Le Ya lowered her head. “I won’t be going to school for the next few days.”

In the end, everything was a mistake.

From the very beginning, she had been wrong. She shouldn’t have let her curiosity drive her to care about who the sponsored student was, and she shouldn’t have grown closer to Chen Yang.

If it had been anyone else, she might have thought nothing of it, but it was him. His identity constantly reminded her of what had happened back then.

And yet, everything had progressed to this point.

She finally understood why she had been kept in the dark when she asked before, why a false identity had been fabricated for her.

But she couldn’t understand why her father had sponsored him.

Le Ya vaguely felt there was some crucial piece of information missing, but she couldn’t recall it for the life of her. As for asking Le Yijian, that was completely out of the question.

She touched her ear, feeling the coolness of her earlobe.

Xie Qingyu hesitated for a moment before saying: “He asked me to relay a question to you: ‘Did you see it?’”

Le Ya’s head shot up abruptly.

Xie Qingyu didn’t know what Chen Yang meant by this, but she reminded her: “He came with me today.”

Le Ya opened her mouth but couldn’t bring herself to say a word.

Xie Qingyu said: “He’s waiting downstairs right now.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she saw Le Ya jump off the bed barefoot and run to the window, pulling the curtain aside slightly.

The winter night was bitterly cold. Beneath the dim yellow streetlight, the tall youth leaned against the lamppost, his shadow stretching across the ground, solitary and desolate.

Chen Yang seemed to sense something and looked up.

Le Ya froze for a moment, instinctively stepping back.