DXXZL - 39

The incident of Jiang Tu fighting with Zhang Sheng was suppressed by Cao Shujun. With the college entrance exam approaching, and Jiang Tu being a top contender for the provincial top scorer, it was impossible to let him face disciplinary action at this critical time. However, Zhang Sheng’s family refused to let the matter go, insisting that someone be held accountable for their son’s injuries.

In the office of the moral education department, the principal, Director Liu, and Cao Shujun were present. Standing before them were Zhang Sheng and his parents, while Jiang Tu stood alone, expressionless, forming a triangular dynamic in the room.

Zhang Sheng’s father was visibly angry. “He was the one who threw the first punch, right?”

Director Liu interjected calmly, “Please calm down. Jiang Tu is an outstanding student with excellent character. He wouldn’t hit someone without reason.”

“So the one who starts the fight is in the right?” Zhang Sheng’s mother retorted sharply.

Jiang Tu gave them a cold glance. “Why don’t you ask what your son did first?”

Zhang Sheng’s injuries hadn’t healed yet, and his flushed face only made him look worse. He snapped back, “Do you have any evidence? It was pitch black—how could you possibly know it was me?”

Jiang Tu suddenly smirked, his smile dripping with sarcasm. “Then do you have evidence proving it wasn’t you?”

Furious, Zhang Sheng’s father pointed at Jiang Tu and turned to the principal. “Look at his attitude! There’s no way we can let this slide without serious punishment! He must also compensate us for emotional distress and medical expenses.”

“And what about Zhang Sheng sexually harassing my daughter?” Zhu Xingyao’s voice cut through the tension as she stood at the office door, accompanied by Zhu Yunping.

Jiang Tu looked up at her, his brow furrowing slightly.

The two walked into the office. Zhu Yunping turned to Zhang Sheng’s father. “I heard that my daughter was sexually harassed in the classroom, and the perpetrator is your son. This matter cannot end like this. Unless you want me to call the police?”

Zhu Yunping fixed his gaze on Zhang Sheng. At just eighteen years old, Zhang Sheng’s psychological defenses crumbled at the mention of calling the police. After holding his gaze for a moment, Zhang Sheng lowered his head.

Zhang Sheng’s parents snapped out of their anger and exchanged glances. Zhang Sheng’s father asked hesitantly, “Sexual harassment? What do you mean?”

Zhang Sheng didn’t tell the truth. He vaguely mentioned a conflict involving a girl but avoided naming Zhu Xingyao. People tend to pick on the weak and fear the strong. Zhang Sheng could afford expensive sneakers, but Zhu Xingyao had a custom-made cello worth over a million yuan. The Zhu family’s financial standing far surpassed theirs. If Zhu Xingyao’s claims were true, they had no chance of winning.

Zhang Sheng kept his head bowed, remaining silent.

Cao Shujun sighed. “My suggestion is to settle this amicably. After all, they’re about to take the college entrance exam soon. We shouldn’t let this affect their mental state and jeopardize their performance.”

Zhang Sheng’s father still wanted Jiang Tu to face some form of punishment. Zhu Yunping’s tone turned icy. “If that’s the case, then let’s call the police.” There was no reason for Jiang Tu to defend his daughter while he stood idly by. Zhang Sheng’s actions were utterly unacceptable—he deserved to be beaten.

Ultimately, the matter was resolved quietly through reconciliation.

After leaving the office, Jiang Tu said to Zhu Yunping, “Thank you, Uncle.”

Zhu Yunping sized up the teenager, who was slightly taller than him. He had been deeply impressed by Jiang Tu during their last encounter at the hospital. Patting his shoulder, he said, “No, I should be thanking you. That kid deserved a beating. It’s just that as parents, we can’t take matters into our own hands…”

Zhu Xingyao quickly interjected, “Dad!”

Jiang Tu had nearly faced disciplinary action, and her father was still joking around.

“Alright, go back to class. If anything happens in the future, make sure to inform the parents, okay?” As Zhu Yunping finished speaking, he realized his words might not have been appropriate. Jiang Tu appeared far more mature than his peers—what kind of parents would allow their child to accumulate gambling debts from high-interest loans? Jiang Tu seemed unfazed, walking off with Zhu Xingyao.

As Zhu Yunping walked away, he called Ding Yu. “It’s settled. But raising such a beautiful daughter is truly worrying. There are always boys eyeing her, and I’m afraid she’ll run into someone like Zhang Sheng…” He suddenly thought of Jiang Tu, feeling a nagging suspicion that the boy might have feelings for his daughter. Sighing, he muttered, “We’ve raised a femme fatale.”

On the way, neither Jiang Tu nor Zhu Xingyao spoke. Zhu Xingyao felt awkward recalling the accidental kiss from the previous night. As they passed the infirmary, she finally turned to ask, “You didn’t get the tetanus shot this morning, did you?”

“No,” he replied. “I’ll get it at noon. Don’t worry.”

Zhu Xingyao murmured, “Oh. Then I’ll go with you.”

Jiang Tu paused for a moment. “Alright.”

At noon, Zhu Xingyao didn’t accompany him after all because Zhang Sheng was ambushed and beaten in the restroom by Lu Ji. As soon as school ended, she was mysteriously dragged by Li Xixi to a secret spot—the rooftop of the experimental building.

Few people came here when classes weren’t in session. In the past, Lu Ji and Xu Xiangyang, along with other competition students, often spent time here. Standing at the rooftop entrance, Zhu Xingyao teased, “So, is this where you and Xu Xiangyang usually come for dates?”

Li Xixi blushed. “No! We only come here occasionally, okay?”

Zhu Xingyao asked, “Then why did you bring me here?”

“It was my idea to bring her.”

Lu Ji, who had been leaning against the corner, stepped forward, his hands in his pockets as he looked at her.

Surprised, Zhu Xingyao stared at him. Li Xixi whispered, “I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

The wind on the rooftop was strong, blowing their hair around. Zhu Xingyao’s uniform billowed as she stepped forward, staying close to the wall. She tilted her head to look at him and softly asked, “Why did you beat up Zhang Sheng? What if a teacher catches you?”

Lu Ji stood beside her, tilting his head with a faint smile. “How could I stay indifferent seeing you being bullied?”

He wanted to add, You’re my girlfriend—I have to protect you.

But Zhu Xingyao seemed to think that being isolated by Principal Liu equated to a forced breakup. Yet, they had never officially broken up.

Zhu Xingyao suddenly didn’t know what to say. Lu Ji grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward a few steps. She panicked, looking around. “What are you doing? What if Principal Liu catches us?”

The two moved to the other side of the wall, where a small table was set up. On it were several disposable lunch boxes from the restaurant where he had celebrated his birthday.

Lu Ji let go of her hand, opened the lunch box, and looked up at her. “It’s been a long time since we’ve eaten together. Can you stay and eat before leaving?” He added, “I skipped class this morning to buy these from the city.”

Zhu Xingyao sat down and sent a text to Jiang Tu: “Brother Tu, can you go get your tetanus shot by yourself?”

After a while, Jiang Tu replied: “Alright.”

Twenty minutes later, Zhu Xingyao went downstairs first. Li Xixi ran out of the lab and linked arms with her as they walked toward the classroom. With a mischievous grin, Li Xixi pressed her index fingers together and asked, “Did you two kiss on the rooftop?”

Zhu Xingyao was momentarily stunned and shook her head.

She and Lu Ji had only kissed once—when he had stolen a kiss in the hospital.

Li Xixi’s eyes widened. “You haven’t kissed yet?”

Zhu Xingyao shook her head again and whispered, “We have.”

Li Xixi exclaimed, “I knew it! How could you not have kissed?”

Zhu Xingyao opened her mouth but couldn’t find the words to express the strange feeling in her heart. She felt uneasy, especially when she thought about the accidental touch from the previous night. Suddenly, she felt guilty for having kissed two different boys—it shouldn’t be like this.

Because of the incident, Zhang Sheng’s mental state deteriorated, and he temporarily went home to rest. No one sympathized with him; after all, anyone who took advantage of girls in school deserved worse than a beating.

The countdown on the blackboard shifted from over 20 days to just over 10. Sometimes, everyone would discuss which universities they wanted to attend and what majors they’d pursue. Lu Ji and Xu Xiangyang planned to study computer science at Tsinghua University. Li Xixi had made significant progress and fantasized about performing exceptionally well on the college entrance exam to get into Peking or Tsinghua University. Lin Jiayu said she wanted to attend Beijing Normal University and might become a teacher in the future. Zhou Yuan hadn’t decided yet, while Ding Xiang planned to enroll in a police academy.

It felt as though everyone was suddenly growing up, and choosing a major seemed to determine their destinies.

Zhu Xingyao asked Jiang Tu, “What about you?”

Jiang Tu replied, “I haven’t decided yet, but something research-related.”

Zhu Xingyao blinked. Research? A scientist?

Seven days before the college entrance exam, the school prepared the testing rooms, and students were given a break.

Jiang Tu helped Lin Jiayu carry her books home. Her parents weren’t there, so Lin Jiayu followed him and chatted. “Jiang Tu, you’re definitely getting into Tsinghua. If you do, are you really not planning to confess to Zhu Xingyao? Look, we’re about to become property owners. My parents are already looking at houses and preparing to buy a new one. Your mom said that after paying off the debt, you’ll still be able to afford a small apartment…”

Lin Jiayu’s family had no debts, so the compensation money would allow them to buy a good house in a nice neighborhood.

Jiang Tu placed the stack of books on the coffee table and turned to look at her. “And then what?”

Lin Jiayu confidently stated, “Once you’re debt-free, even if your family’s financial situation isn’t great, at least you won’t have any burdens. You’re handsome, academically accomplished, and have a bright future ahead of you. If Zhu Xingyao likes you, she wouldn’t care about those things.”

Jiang Tu fell silent for a moment. He admitted that Lin Jiayu’s words stirred something in him. It would be wonderful if he could truly live without burdens.

“Let’s talk about it after the exam.”

After the compensation money came through, everything would settle down.

Jiang Tu turned and left. Lin Jiayu mulled over his words and muttered to herself, “Does he really plan to confess or not?”

That evening, both families gathered for dinner—excluding Jiang Jinhui. Lin Jiayu’s father sighed, “In a little while, the place we’ve lived in for most of our lives will be demolished.”

Jiang Lu, now in seventh grade, had grown taller. Biting into a chicken leg, he said, “Good riddance. I’ve wanted to leave this place for ages. It’s freezing and damp in the winter—it’s stunting my growth.”

“Once we move, no internet cafes will take you in,” Lin Jiayu pointed out bluntly.

“What?” Jiang Lu froze. “Then… then what am I supposed to do?”

Jiang Tu’s voice was cold. “That’s perfect.”

Jiang Lu was devastated. He muttered, “Anyway, after the college entrance exam, you’ll be off to Tsinghua in Beijing. By then, you won’t be able to control where or how late I go online.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Tu smacked the back of his head.

During the college entrance exam, Zhu Xingyao, Lin Jiayu, and Ding Xiang were assigned to the same testing room, while Jiang Tu was placed in another building.

Many parents and students pinned their hopes on the exam. Jiang Tu was no exception. After the first day and the morning session of the second day, he felt as though he had taken several steps forward, getting closer to the stars.

But fate always has a way of playing tricks on you.

Under the scorching June sun, the red brick walls of Hexi Lane glowed vividly, as if they were about to crack open.

A tall, lanky teenager in a school uniform burst out of the narrow alleyway. His face, neck, and hands were covered in injuries, and his clothes were dirty, but he paid no attention to any of that. He rushed to a police car, stopping in front of it, leaning against the door with bloodshot eyes and a hoarse voice barely audible: “Please… take me to the exam venue…”

The police car sped through the streets, its horn blaring to clear the way.

As soon as they arrived at the school gate, Jiang Tu jumped out of the car and sprinted toward the campus as fast as he could. The entire school was eerily quiet, with everyone else taking the exam. The gatekeeper turned and shouted, “Run faster! If you’re more than 15 minutes late, you won’t be allowed into the testing room!”

Jiang Tu always seemed to be racing against time and fate.

The first time was missing Zhu Xingyao’s performance at the welcome party.

This time, he didn’t know what he might miss—and he didn’t dare to think about it.

He reached the examination room, gripping the doorframe and panting heavily. Sweat poured down his body, dripping onto the floor with a faint pitter-patter sound.

The English listening section was nearly over, and everyone glanced up at him. The proctor was momentarily shocked by Jiang Tu’s disheveled appearance. Checking the clock—it was 3:14 PM, just seconds away from the 15-minute cutoff—the teacher quickly approached, verified his admission ticket, and whispered urgently, “Hurry, hurry, come in!”

What happened to him? Was he in an accident or robbed?

Jiang Tu swallowed hard, forcing down all his emotions. With stiff movements, he walked to his seat.

His seat was in the last row of the fourth group. Sitting down, his entire body tensed to the extreme. He pressed his hand on the test paper, his fingers trembling slightly. Seeing his condition, the proctor grew concerned and checked on him.

Jiang Tu lowered his eyes, his throat dry as if scorched by fire. He said, “I’m fine.”

Whether it was the proctor’s imagination or not, he felt as though the student’s eyes were wet.

Jiang Tu picked up his pen as the music signaling the end of the listening section played.

All sounds ceased except for the soft rustling of papers as students worked on their exams.

His test paper was blank, and his mind felt equally empty.

Jiang Tu turned to look out the window, staring absently at a distant point. The words echoed in his mind: “If only you sign the mortgage, he can go take the exam.” Lowering his gaze, he took a deep breath and began answering the questions.

I have tasted the bitterness and hardships of life.

This world… perhaps it’s better if you don’t come.