When Lexi and Shilu entered the classroom, the previously noisy room suddenly fell silent, and all eyes were on Lexi, making him feel somewhat uncomfortable. After reflecting on his actions for the past few days, Lexi realized that he had indeed been too impulsive and lacked consideration in this matter. After all, not all students had cheated, but this report had harmed everyone. However, no matter how much he racked his brains, he couldn't think of a good solution. What should he do?
Because Lexi was ill, the school specially arranged for him to sit in the front row so that they could take care of him at any time. After the test papers were handed out, everyone breathed a sigh of relief: the questions were not much different from the last test, so the initial whispers about Lexi gradually subsided, and everyone began to hunch over their desks and write furiously. Four proctors were arranged in the classroom, walking back and forth, and the only sounds in the orderly classroom were the footsteps and the scratching of writing.
Qi Hui had initially told Le Xi he was going back to the company, but after getting into the car, he became worried and decided to stay and wait for him to finish his exams. Ever since he "caught" Le Xi, many people said Qi Hui was like a nanny, caring for him in every way, as meticulous as a mother hen. Actually, Qi Hui didn't want to be like this, always reminding himself not to be too protective, but after seeing Le Xi, he couldn't help but start worrying about every little thing again, as if only in this way could he repay everything he had owed him before.
The car heater was on high, making Qi Hui feel a bit hot, so he opened the car door and stood by the roadside for some fresh air. Qi Hui had a deep affection for this school; every blade of grass, every tree, every desk and chair was filled with memories of his most spirited and youthful days. Seeing that it was still early, Qi Hui decided to take a walk around the school.
He wandered around as if by some strange impulse, and when Qi Hui came to his senses, he found himself standing outside the window of the classroom where Le Xi was taking her exam. He smiled bitterly. Was this fate's arrangement? From the inside out, every inch of his skin, every cell, every thought was deeply attached to this child. This child, so focused on answering the questions, was someone he could find without even thinking or looking in a crowd. That attachment had seeped into his very bones.
Le Xi was tilting his head, propping it up with his hand, deep in thought. His pen tapped lightly on the table. Once he had a clue, he sat up straight and worked out the calculations on his scratch paper. After getting the correct answer, a satisfied smile curved his lips as he wrote on the test paper. This child didn't have a natural talent for studying, yet he constantly strived for his ideals. He wasn't mature, often making inexplicable mistakes, but he stumbled and struggled his way up. He was shy and not good at interpersonal relationships, but he tried his best to maintain optimism and a smile. Fate had been unfair to him, but even after learning that the mortality rate of infective endocarditis was 21% to 37%, he still smiled and told Qi Hui, "You should elegantly raise your long middle finger to fate."
How could anyone not love him? How could anyone not want to protect him? Even though he had an extremely ambiguous relationship with that Teacher Shi and always ignored his brother who had been by his side for thirteen years, it was still impossible to be heartless and blame him.
Qi Hui felt his heart melting away in the warmth, like snowflakes falling from the sky. This sentimental thought made his rational self shake his head with a self-deprecating laugh.
Leaving that window, Qi Hui walked in another direction. A large group of people had gathered in front of a blackboard not far away, whispering amongst themselves. Qi Hui walked over, and there, prominently displayed on the blackboard, was a large black-and-white poster:
Yao XX, a student from Xingzhi College, has engaged in extremely improper conduct. She has had inappropriate relationships with a Mr. Liu from the School of Arts and a Mr. Shi from the School of Journalism, and is also the mistress of a manager of a well-known company. We urge the school to take this matter seriously! Restore the sanctity of our ivory tower!
Suddenly, Qi Hui's self-assured control vanished. Panic, bewilderment, like a lost child. He stood there, dumbfounded, the huge characters on the posters transforming into monstrous beasts, baring their fangs and grinning menacingly before him. He rushed forward, scattering the crowd, frantically tearing up the papers, then furiously calling every school official he knew.
If anything happens to Lexi, I will make everyone involved pay the price!
After finishing her exam, Le Xi was picked up by Qi Hui, who was already waiting outside, without even having a chance to say goodbye to Shi Lu. Shi Lu, on the other hand, was called away by his superiors as soon as his exam was over. Sitting in the car, Le Xi looked at Qi Hui, who was behaving strangely and talking to himself, with some confusion.
"Brother, what's wrong? Why did we take a detour just now?" Le Xi interrupted Qi Hui, asking with some concern.
"It's nothing." Qi Hui smiled awkwardly. "Baby, I have some good news! I just received a notification from the school saying that, considering your health condition, they've decided to allow you to take the exam alone at the hospital. That way, you won't have to run around."
"What's so good about that? I don't want any special treatment. Besides, my health doesn't require me to take the exam in a hospital, does it?"
"The school has already made its decision, so don't think about anything else. Just focus on taking the exam at the hospital."
"Oh!" Lexi nodded, glancing out the car window curiously, "Why are so many people gathered outside the teaching building today? What are they doing?"
"Alright, alright, stop being so curious. Close your eyes and rest for a while. You've had enough today!" Qi Hui bent down to fasten his seatbelt and quickly started the car.
When Shi Lu was summoned to the principal's office, he saw the righteous and indignant big-character poster on the principal's desk and couldn't help but laugh so hard his mouth twisted into a crook. Also in the office were the department head, the dean of academic affairs, the party committee director, and so on. Seeing Shi Lu's inexplicable laughter, everyone was stunned for a moment, then quickly composed themselves and seriously asked him what he had to say about the matter.
"An explanation? What kind of explanation do you want?" Shi Lu retorted.
"Teacher Shi, we hope you can cooperate. After all, this matter has become the talk of the town, and we need to give an explanation to the teachers and students," a teacher said seriously, raising his voice.
"What explanation do you want? I'll put up a big poster outside tomorrow, and then you can arrest someone else and make them explain?!" Shi Lu laughed angrily.
"We plan to send someone to investigate that student from Xingzhi Academy mentioned above. Teacher Shi, it's not that we intentionally target you, but a long time ago, students reported to us that you violated professional ethics by making vulgar jokes in class and giving special treatment to that student surnamed Yao. Otherwise, why would we have contacted you immediately to verify this?"
"A low-class joke? How come I don't know I'm low-class?" Shi Lu shook his head with a smile and asked in return.
"You asked your classmates to perform an open house in class, and you even joked about something ambiguous, like 'front' and 'back.' Many classmates said your jokes in class were vulgar. How do you explain that?"
"How do you expect me to explain this? A thousand people will have a thousand different interpretations of Hamlet! How can I control what they think?" Schru laughed until his stomach hurt.
"And what about you and that classmate surnamed Yao? Some students have reported that you two are behaving too intimately, and some people have even seen you secretly kissing at school, saying that you are gay. How do you explain that?"
"When did this happen?" Shi Lu's expression changed.
"School has only been in session for a short time! After military training is over! Do you need me to find someone to confront you? Or do you want to call Yao over to make things clear in person?"
"Don't bother him!" Schru shouted. "He's sick right now, he... he can't take this..."
Schru suddenly felt powerless. How could things have developed so suddenly and so completely out of control?
Several teachers started chattering amongst themselves, and Shi Lu couldn't remember what they said afterward. It seemed like she was constantly refuting them, yet also admitting it, and seemingly trying to exonerate Le Xi. Finally, she thought she said something like, "It was all my doing, seducing him, using my position as a teacher to blackmail him. He's innocent from beginning to end." What exactly did she say? What did she say? Shi Lu wondered.
This bullshit world
As Shi Lu came out of the principal's office, he bumped into a group of students who were watching him from all sides. The students, who had been very close to Shi Lu, now lowered their heads timidly when they saw him. Pang was the only one who seemed a little more normal. He walked up to Shi Lu and asked him what was wrong and if he needed any help.
Schru was still smiling. He patted Pang on the shoulder and said in a very cheerful mood, "No need, I'm fine."
"That's good, teacher..." Pang forced a smile, his shoulder gripped tightly by Shi Lu, the grip painfully tight.
“But I can’t understand it, I really can’t understand why this is happening.” Shi Lu shook his head in anguish.
“Teacher, you have to admit you’re biased,” Pang said painfully. “You’ve neglected everyone. You only have eyes for one person, and anyone with eyes can see that. You find him the best seat in class, he’s always the only one to answer questions, and you even eat with him after class. When we ask you to come out and play, you ignore us completely. Don’t forget you’re everyone’s teacher! You’re not just his tutor! Is that fair to us? Why? Why?!”
"Why? You little brats, what do you know?... He's so sick now... He went into shock during his last IV drip and almost didn't make it. His life is in danger at any moment. What do you know? Why won't you let him go! You still have the nerve to ask why? What right do you have?! Is it fair for you to treat him like this?" Shi Lu shouted uncontrollably, letting tears stream down his face.
Two days later, while processing her resignation, Shi Lu ran into Old Liu from the art academy. Previously, Shi Lu had always thought Old Liu was rather sleazy, and seeing him showing concern for Le Xi's studies and life like an elder, she had always suspected him of having ulterior motives. She had even felt jealous when she learned that Le Xi was his nude model and secretly cursed him to go bald. But now, seeing him again, she felt quite pleased.
Old Liu said that some people brought up Le Xi's work as a nude model, but because he was a well-known scholar at the university and even in the entire academic community, the university let the matter drop. In contrast, Shi Lu was a scapegoat, used as a warning to others. When he resigned, the university repeatedly stated that the investigation into him was just a formality and that they didn't really intend to take any action. But Shi Lu resolutely resigned. He said to Old Liu, "This damn ivory tower, this bullshit sanctity."
“I don’t plan to quit either. Actually, I started my own company a long time ago. The reason I stayed at the school for so many years was to thank the students for their support. It was the lovely students who kept me here. But I think things outside the school gates might be more suitable for us.” Old Liu said cheerfully, “Xiao Shi, if you’re willing, you’re welcome to join my company.”
"Thank you, but I've already thought about my options. A magazine has been inviting me to join, but I'll stick to my old profession." Shi Lu chuckled as he looked at Old Liu's slightly balding head.
"Alright, take care, Shi. I'll visit Yao after I'm done here. He's a good boy." Old Liu patted Shi Lu on the shoulder, then added after a moment's thought, "He should be happy. I... wish you all the best..."
After arriving at the hospital, Shi Lu went to her mother's ward first. The specialist then came over to perform a preoperative examination on her. Seeing the specialist's relaxed expression, Shi Lu couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
After seeing the expert off, Shi Lu massaged his mother, combed her hair, and held her hand, quietly telling her his innermost thoughts. He was secretly relieved that his mother couldn't hear him now, couldn't hear her son say he liked a boy. He said that if possible, he would be willing to exchange everything for that boy's safety, even a lifetime of happiness.
Afterwards, Shi Lu went to Le Xi's ward. He was receiving an intravenous drip, and the pain from the large dose of antibiotics made him somewhat dazed. There was a tape on his chest for a monitor that tracks his heart rate and blood pressure, and his nasal oxygen had been replaced with an oxygen mask. His small face was almost completely covered by the oxygen mask, and only his eyelashes could be seen fluttering gently.
Shi Lu walked up to Qi Hui, who was staying by the bedside, and asked him in a low voice, "How are you?"
Qi Hui carefully held Le Xi's hand, which had an IV needle inserted, and gently breathed on it to warm it. After a long pause, he finally spoke when he heard Shi Lu's question: "He almost went into shock again just now, but he was rescued in time and is now in good condition."
Upon hearing the sound, Yue Xi slowly opened her eyes, turned her head to look at Qi Hui, then at Shi Lu, and laboriously raised the hand that wasn't being pricked to make a "V" sign at the two of them, her eyes crinkling as if she were smiling.
"Baby, what do you want?" Qi Hui leaned closer to him and listened carefully to what he was saying.
"Want to eat beef noodles on Ma Zi Road?" Qi Huiqiang smiled and perked up. "Okay, we'll go eat there when you're better. We'll get a 20-yuan bowl, with extra meat, okay?"
Le Xi's eyes curved even deeper, as if she wanted to say something more, but Qi Hui stopped her: "Be good, don't talk. Conserve your energy to fight to the end, understand?"
Lexi nodded gently, glanced at Shilu, and closed her eyes with a smile.
Yang Jingyu told Yan Shuang that he felt Qi Hui had aged a lot recently. He said that once when he visited Le Xi in the hospital, he was genuinely shocked to see Qi Hui taking such meticulous care of her. Qi Hui, who was usually so fierce and menacing at the slightest provocation at work, was now smiling so brightly, his eyes so full of affection—it gave Yang Jingyu a chilling feeling, as if he were possessed by an evil spirit. Later, when Qi Hui bent down to pick Le Xi up, Yang Jingyu suddenly noticed that this man, not even thirty years old, already had gray hair.
Yan Shuang chuckled and shoved the cigarette butt into the mountain of ashtrays in front of her, saying lightly, "Because that child truly deserves Qi Hui's love!" In truth, Yan Shuang was initially attracted to Qi Hui as well, but after learning about Qi Hui's relationship with Le Xi, she knew she would never have a chance.
After Le Xi was hospitalized, the sewing classes at the special education school were suspended. The children, confused, asked Yan Shuang why Teacher Yao wasn't coming anymore. Even those who couldn't speak clearly started using sign language, asking Yan Shuang if they had done something to upset Teacher Yao. They held up their colorful, bizarrely designed sewing clothes and said to Yan Shuang, "Teacher Yan, look, we've all been learning sewing properly. Can you tell Teacher Yao that we'll behave from now on and won't make fun of him in class anymore?" Then Xiao Xiao pulled a younger child to stand in front of Yan Shuang and said, "Little Salt, during Xiao Bao's last class, Xiang Xiang threw pebbles at him, which made Teacher Xiao Bao very angry. Now Xiang Xiang misses Teacher Xiao Bao and wants to apologize!" Yan Shuang looked at the child named Xiang Xiang. This child was an orphan who died in a car accident. He was withdrawn and hostile towards everyone. Le Xi had previously spent a lot of effort befriending him, but Xiang Xiang always insulted him, throwing pebbles and calling him a "stinky tailor" every time Le Xi approached. Now, the child looks at Yan Shuang with teary eyes, tugging at her sleeve and calling her "Teacher Xiao Bao".
Yan Shuang was at a loss for what to do.
A few days later, Qi Hui learned about this. He went to the special education school and saw the boy named Xiangxiang. The boy was huddled in a corner, looking at Qi Hui pitifully, just like Le Xi when she looked at him timidly. Qi Hui was initially filled with malice; after Yan Shuang told him that Xiangxiang had thrown pebbles at Le Xi, he wanted to go to the school to scare him first, then teach him a lesson so he would never dare to be rude to Le Xi again. But that expression touched the softest part of Qi Hui's heart. He went over and squatted down next to Xiangxiang, speaking softly, "Xiangxiang, I'm Teacher Xiaobao's older brother."
The child burst into tears and threw himself into Qi Hui's arms, stammering an apology, saying, "Xiao Bao, Xiao Bao, please don't abandon me. I promise I'll behave well from now on and never make you angry again." Qi Hui suddenly thought, how wonderful it would be if Le Xi could say the same thing to him, that she would never leave him again and never make him angry again!
There's a little devil inside me
Students who posted big-character posters at school, as well as those who had laid a hand on Le Xi, were all placed on probation. Two students, whose parents held powerful positions and who themselves showed no remorse, were expelled from school after Qi Hui went to great lengths to secure their expulsion. Yang Jingyu strongly disagreed with this, but Qi Hui simply said, "Those who hurt Le Xi deserve to die. I've already done enough for them."
Yang Jingyu fell silent.
Qi Hui's next target is Shi Lu.
The saying "cast a long line to catch a big fish" perfectly describes Qi Hui's approach to Shi Lu. Sometimes Qi Hui felt he was being too despicable, but a little devil with sharp horns and black bat wings flapping on its back chuckled evilly inside him, saying, "Are you a pig? Damn it, you son of a bitch, he wants to steal your treasure, why are you pitying him? Why are you showing him any compassion? You pighead! You idiot!"
Shi Lu's mother's surgery was expensive. Shi Lu borrowed some money from Yan Shuang, but even with the family's savings over the years, they were still short. So Qi Hui casually wrote a check and told Shi Lu with concern, "Just let me know if you need anything else." In reality, he was secretly gloating.
Contacting experts, arranging surgery, and securing the costs—this favor was owed at just the right time. Shi Lu vaguely guessed what Qi Hui was thinking, but compared to that, wasn't her mother's health more important? If she could, Shi Lu would love to scream like the heroine in an eight o'clock soap opera, throw the check in Qi Hui's face, and then arrogantly tell him, "Fuck you!" But could she? Could she be so willful?
The surgery on Ms. Shi was successful; the blood clots in her brain were mostly cleared, and she opened her eyes a few days after the operation. Although there were some aftereffects, it was fortunate that she woke up at all.
After Le Xi's persistent pleas, Qi Hui finally agreed to let him visit Mother Shi. In fact, by this time, Le Xi was almost unable to walk; his condition had been fluctuating since he was admitted to the hospital. His previous year of aimless wandering, suicide attempts, and drug use had nearly exhausted his already fragile health, and the consequences were now manifesting in his treatment and recovery.
When Shi's mother saw Le Xi, she stared at him with wide eyes. Her mind, still a little foggy from the surgery, worked for a moment before she slowly asked Shi Lu, "Where's Xiao Le? Where is Xiao Le?"
Shi Lu was both amused and exasperated. She pointed to Le Xi, who was sitting in a wheelchair, and said, "Mom, this is Xiao Le!"
"Nonsense! How could he be Xiao Le? Xiao Le is such a beautiful child. He just looks a bit like Xiao Le, don't try to fool me. Call Xiao Le here right now! And you, Qi Xiaohui, why are you hiding your little brother? Are you afraid I'll eat him?"
Le Xi was also very embarrassed. Looking at his pale and swollen face reflected in the glass, he looked haggard and sickly. He had become so thin that he was unrecognizable. No wonder Shi's mother didn't recognize him.
"Brother, let's go back." Le Xi turned around and said to Qi Hui, who was pushing the wheelchair.
Qi Hui looked up, gave Shi Lu and Shi's mother a deep look, and then pushed Le Xi out the door.
Old lady, don't blame me for taking action against your son. Heh...
The little devil inside me was screaming wildly.
Qi Hui decided to adopt Xiangxiang. Although Yang Jingyu found him somewhat unreasonable, Qi Hui kept insisting that he was almost thirty years old and would soon have no relatives left, so he met the national criteria for adopting orphans. Yang Jingyu then thought that Qi Hui was going crazy.
When Shi Lu came to visit Le Xi, he saw Xiang Xiang, who had been adopted and renamed Qi Le Xiang. Qi Hui taught Xiang Xiang, pointing at Le Xi and saying to him, "Quickly, call him Second Dad."
Le Xi frowned and said with dissatisfaction, "Why do you call me Second Father?"
Qi Hui said, "Because I'm the eldest father. So you're the second father."
Schru coughed awkwardly twice, causing the three who had been enjoying themselves to look up at him. The scene was... truly bizarre...
Xiangxiang is a somewhat withdrawn and stubborn child. Lexi and Yanshuang have tried many methods to help him become more cheerful, but with little success. For example, Yanshuang pointed to Shilu and taught Xiangxiang to say, "Call him Teacher Shi."
Xiangxiang looked at Shilu expressionlessly and called out, "Teacher Hua."
"Teacher Shi." Yan Shuang's face darkened.