Chapter 24

After school, Lin Chushui dragged Zhao Xiaolu by the hand and pulled her to the equipment room on the first floor of the school sports team.

Lu Chi saw his sister's swollen eyes after class and realized what had happened. He was so angry that his lungs almost exploded. He nearly grabbed a shot put to smash Zhao Xiaolu's head, but fortunately Zhang Chengyu stopped him—

"Girls' affairs should be handled by girls. Why are you butting in?"

Lin Chushui grabbed Zhao Xiaolu's hair and pressed her in front of Lu Tianbai: "Apologize to our bestie!"

With disheveled hair, Zhao Xiaolu struggled like a madwoman: "What do I apologize for? There is no such thing in this world as forcing someone to bow their head and apologize!"

"You took someone else's diary, took pictures and posted them online, invading their privacy."

"Then go report me to the office! See which side the teacher takes."

"Your grades are better than mine. Old Qin, that kind of teacher who only cares about grades, certainly won't take my side." Lin Chushui's mouth corner curled up coldly: "Why would I do something so thankless?"

She had long given up hope that adults could understand children's situations. Even class teachers only cared about the average grades, admission rates and their own performance. They didn't really care whether students were wronged or bullied.

Children's affairs can only be solved in children's ways.

Lin Chushui pressed Zhao Xiaolu in front of Lu Tianbai.

"Bestie, hit her!"

Although Lu Tianbai was angry, seeing Zhao Xiaolu's hideous expression, her concern outweighed her anger: "Forget it, girlfriend! Forget it. If the teacher finds out, we won't get away with it..."

"Have you forgotten what she did to you! She exposed your diary on the Internet. The post has been viewed over ten pages!"

The anger pent up in Lin Chushui's heart could not dissipate. She was even angrier than when her own diary was leaked.

Lu Tianbai hit Zhao Xiaolu once, but very lightly, no different from a gentle pat.

"That's enough, girlfriend. I'm appeased. Let's forget about this, okay?"

Of course Lin Chushui could not let it go so easily. She grabbed Zhao Xiaolu by the collar and took her to the sink, holding her head under the cold water.

Zhao Xiaolu screamed, "Lin Chushui, f**k you!"

"Say it again!"

"If my dad knows about this, he will never let you off the hook!" Zhao Xiaolu's words were like knives, stabbing her heart: "Lin Chushui, your dad is dead! Serve you right, you fatherless mongrel!"

Lin Chushui instantly let her go. The excitement that had been pent up subsided all at once.

She casually picked up a shot put on the ground, weighed it in her hand, with an icy coldness in her eyes. Seeing her expression, Zhao Xiaolu also became scared: "What are you going to do?"

"You'd better pray that my dad is still alive."

Zhao Xiaolu was so frightened that her facial muscles trembled: "Don't...don't do anything rash."

"If he were still alive, he would have stopped me from...killing you."

After saying that, Lin Chushui raised her hand, about to smash the heavy shot put at Zhao Xiaolu.

At the critical moment, the door of the equipment room opened. Xiao Yan strode in with a stern face, grabbed Lin Chushui's wrist.

Seeing Xiao Yan, her breath stopped for half a second.

"You..."

Xiao Yan exerted a little force with his fingertips and easily shook the shot put from her hand, dropping it heavily to the ground.

Lu Chi and Zhang Chengyu rushed in and said, "Sorry, Chushui. We couldn't stop this rascal."

Seeing the situation, Lu Tianbai shouted at Zhao Xiaolu: "What are you still doing here? Get lost!"

Zhao Xiaolu stumbled away.

The anger that Lin Chushui was holding in her heart had not yet dispersed. She picked up the shot put, wanting to chase after her, but Xiao Yan gripped her hand tightly and didn't let her catch up.

"Top scorer, why are you butting in?"

"I'm determined to butt into this."

After saying that, he pulled and dragged her away from the sports equipment room.

Lu Chi had wanted to catch up to reason with them, but Zhang Chengyu stopped him: "Don't poke your nose into other people's business between a couple."

Looking at Lu Tianbai with tears still on her face, Lu Chi felt heartache and hated iron for not becoming steel: "I told you not to like Xu Jia Ning. You can like anyone else, but you just had to like him!"

"Brother Jia Ning didn't do anything wrong."

"You see, since the incident occurred, has he said a word for you! You still need your girlfriend to stand up for you."

"But his phone..."

Lu Tianbai didn't believe Xu Jia Ning's phone just happened to fall into the toilet on the day her diary was uploaded to the forum.

He must have known everything and seen it all, but pretended otherwise so as not to embarrass her.

Lu Tianbai felt both ashamed and indignant, yet also helpless.

...

Xiao Yan pulled Lin Chushui to the stairwell. His tone rarely carried some anger: "You went overboard."

"Boys shouldn't interfere in girls' affairs!" "But I'm determined to interfere in this." Xiao Yan provocatively patted her cheek with one hand and said coldly: "What great enmity is this to make you act so ruthlessly? You don't know your own strength and don't consider the consequences, Lin Chushui. You're beyond saving."

Lin Chushui gritted her teeth. His harsh words made her feel very aggrieved.

When confronting Zhao Xiaolu earlier, she had felt courageous and fearless. She used to do whatever she wanted without inhibition.

But now, under Xiao Yan's piercing gaze, she felt very pathetic and bad.

It was her bestie who was bullied by others, yet now it seemed like her own fault.

Lin Chushui had no temper against Xiao Yan. She sat alone on the stairs, burying her head in her knees.

She hadn't felt such discomfort and grievance since her father's passing.

Only when Old Lin scolded her would she feel sad. After Dad was gone, there was no one in this world who could really make her cry, and no one could restrain her anymore.

Lin Chushui wiped her tears forcefully on her sleeve. She didn't want to cry at all, especially not in front of others, as that would seem weak.

Sunlight streamed through the oblique skylight, dappling her body with soft radiance that made every strand of her hair shine.

Gazing down at her, a surge of tender feelings arose in Xiao Yan's heart.

He knew it was the emotion of another soul in this body, not his own, but damn...

He was still influenced by such feelings.

The teenager eventually paced over and sat down next to her on the stairs.

Lin Chushui glanced sideways. Seeing his long legs spread open, occupying two full steps,

He moved closer to her and said in a gentle tone with inflections: "After such a long time, I've never seen you cry in front of others, only act coquettishly with me?"

"I didn't act coquettishly at all. You're helping Zhao Xiaolu speak, aren't you?"

"Oh, so my elbows face outward?" Then he casually put his arm around her. "Does that mean you're inside my elbow?"

"Oh my god." Lin Chushui pushed him away, regardless of her distress. "Top scorer, have some self-respect."

Xiao Yan no longer touched her. Bowing his head, he explained, "You're someone my elbows face inward to. That's why I scolded you. Have you ever seen me scold anyone else?"

Lin Chushui had never heard him speak in such a gentle tone before. At least when they were together in the past, it was either mockery or quarreling.

Looking at Xiao Yan, the boy's side profile was cold and hard. The sunlight falling on his delicate skin made him look glowing white.

At this moment, his gaze was extremely tender.

Feeling aggrieved, Lin Chushui said, "She said I'm a fatherless mongrel with no one to keep me in check."

"She didn't say anything wrong. That's just how you are."

Lin Chushui glared at him, too angry to stay. She got up to leave.

Xiao Yan smiled faintly: "But now, I'm keeping you in check, aren't I?"

She was stopped by his grip on her right wrist. His palm was warm and his fingertips had rough calluses—

"Aren't I keeping you in check?"