Yu Yahe held up the camera to her, saying, "As long as you stay away from Yu Wenli, this video will never see the light of day. Conversely..."
She smiled cruelly, "If you dare to shamelessly cling to him, I'll make sure everyone in Jiangcheng sees what kind of flesh you're hiding beneath your clothes.
"Even if you don't care, what about your parents? The status they have now did not come easily. Don't you want them to have their lifelong efforts ruined because of you?"
...
The memories tugged, twisted, and distorted in her mind.
Finally, they transformed into sharp daggers, all piercing her simultaneously.
No blood was shed, yet the pain was absolute.
Wen Tingxue hugged her knees, her eyes vacant as she curled up by the edge of the bed.
Her phone, tossed aside, was constantly buzzing with incoming messages.
The noise gave her a headache.
The voices outside the door quieted slightly, as if they were discussing opening the door.
Wen Tingxue lowered her gaze, took a deep breath, and stood up.
Before they could force the door open, she turned the doorknob.
The moment the door opened, the dead expression on her face vanished, leaving only a hint of weariness.
"I'm so sorry, I must have dozed off just now and didn't hear you..."
Wen Tingxue leaned softly against the doorframe, rubbing her temples with one hand, appearing extremely drowsy and exhausted.
"How could you just fall asleep out of the blue?"
Yu Xiuxiu worriedly felt her forehead, "Did you catch a cold last night?"
"Ah..."
Wen Tingxue nodded along, her voice a little slurred, "Probably."
Yu Wenli stood beside Yu Xiuxiu. She didn't dare to look up.
She was afraid he would see through her.
Perhaps it was due to her guilty conscience that her body temperature had spiked.
"Silly child, you have a fever! Quick!"
Yu Xiuxiu, her brows furrowed, pushed her daughter toward the bed.
"Lie down quickly, Mom will get you some medicine."
Wen Tingxue was vaguely ushered into the quilt, unable to interject a single word.
Yu Xiuxiu tucked in the covers and hurried downstairs, leaving only Wen Tingxue and Yu Wenli in a silent stare-down.
The air suddenly became thin.
Wen Tingxue silently pulled the quilt up, covering her face and blocking Yu Wenli's line of sight.
She prayed fervently in her heart not to be discovered pretending to be sick.
Otherwise, her image in his eyes would surely take a nosedive...
Yu Wenli subtly glanced at the phone by the bed, then pulled a stool to the bedside.
"How did you get a fever?"
His voice was filled with concern, and up close, one could discern a hint of heartache.
Wen Tingxue, acting on impulse, poked her head out. The next second, a warm palm covered her forehead.
It was even hotter than her own temperature.
In a flash, only one thought popped into Wen Tingxue's mind.
It's over!
I'm definitely going to be found out!
As her heart pounded like a drum, the young man withdrew his hand and clicked his tongue.
"You are a bit warm. Did you kick off the covers last night?"
Wen Tingxue turned her eyes to him with some surprise. The young man sat backward on the chair, his chin resting on his hand as he gazed at her.
His soft black bangs fell to his temples, and when the sunlight colored them, he appeared so young and obedient, lacking his usual cold sharpness.
Wen Tingxue stared blankly for two seconds before remembering to answer his question.
"Ah, I think so."
Her lack of confidence made her voice sound weak, and at first listen, it indeed sounded like she was genuinely ill.
Yu Wenli, fully convinced, furrowed his brows. "Then after you take your medicine, you should rest well. We can postpone the shopping trip until tomorrow."
As Wen Tingxue breathed a sigh of relief, she felt another headache coming on.
Yu Yahe had made it very clear on WeChat: the moment she saw her with Yu Wenli, she would release the video.
Under duress, she dared not disobey.
"Mm..."
With no other recourse, Wen Tingxue had to stick to the pretense of being sick.
"We'll see. I'm not sure if I'll have the strength tomorrow."
Yu Wenli thought her reasoning was sound and felt a slight self-reproach.
"It was my oversight. You should indeed rest at home when you're sick. I'll go get you a glass of water and some candy, so the medicine won't be too bitter later."
Watching Yu Wenli's retreating back, Wen Tingxue patted her chest with a sense of lingering fear.
Did she manage to get away with it this time?
She just wondered what excuse she would use next time she needed to avoid him.
Wen Tingxue stared at the ceiling with mixed emotions, lost in thought.
The spiral staircase.
Yu Wenli's expression turned cold as he stopped Yu Xiuxiu, stating with certainty, "She's not sick, so there's no need for so much medicine."
"Not sick? Then why was she pretending..."
Yu Xiuxiu was puzzled at first, then understood, "Could it be related to... her again?"
"Yes." Yu Wenli nodded, his eyes holding a deep darkness.
Yu Xiuxiu clutched the medicine box until it creaked, "Do you know who that person is?"
"I do."
"Give me her contact number to..."
Yu Xiuxiu, impatient, wanted to give that heartless person a good beating.
Yu Wenli frowned, "Auntie, the root of the problem isn't with that girl."
Yu Xiuxiu looked up in confusion.
Yu Wenli said, "No matter how many of them we deal with, if Yi Yi doesn't learn to resist, she will always be the one getting bullied. So, please be patient.
"Don't worry, this matter started because of me. I will definitely handle it well and prevent Yi Yi from getting hurt again."
Yu Xiuxiu fell silent for a moment, "Then should I get her the medicine now?"
Her tone was somewhat dejected.
As a mother, she felt useless for not being able to protect her daughter.
Yu Wenli's eyes softened, "Auntie, you and Uncle are always her strong support. But why use a butcher's knife to kill a chicken? The real time you and Uncle need to step in is yet to come."
Although she knew he was trying to comfort her, Yu Xiuxiu felt a little better.
"I just wish my Yi Yi can be safe and sound, and not be bullied anymore."
Thinking of that strangely smelling outfit, Yu Xiuxiu's heart felt like it was being pricked by needles.
When her daughter was wronged, her first thought was to hide it, not tell her parents.
Doesn't that mean she doesn't trust her parents?
Yu Wenli lowered his gaze, his eyes falling on the assortment of medicines in her hand.
"Just get some effervescent powder. We can't let her notice anything."
"Alright."
Yu Xiuxiu tucked the other medicines into her pocket, then wiped her tears and went upstairs as if nothing had happened.
Yu Wenli went to the living room to pour a glass of warm water and took a few pieces of soft candy into his palm.
-
Without going shopping with Yu Wenli, Yu Yahe indeed became quieter.
However...
Looking at Yu Wenli's avatar, Wen Tingxue sighed softly.
She really, really wanted to go shopping with him, even if it was just wandering aimlessly.
On Sunday, Yu Wenli asked about her condition as usual, then reminded her to keep her covers on at night.
Their conversation ended there.
Wen Tingxue dared not chat too much, afraid she would become addicted.
The next day, Monday, she asked Yu Xiuxiu to drive her to school, not taking the Yu family car.
Yu Xiuxiu could tell she was avoiding Yu Wenli but didn't expose her.
She just hoped Yu Wenli would resolve this matter quickly.
After all, from the current perspective, the incident's origin was likely not unrelated to him.
Yu Xiuxiu silently made a note of it in her heart.
Wen Tingxue avoided Yu Wenli for two days. The next time she saw him was at the flag-raising ceremony on Monday.
He stood by the national flag, delivering a speech. His enunciation was clear, and his voice was several times more pleasant than a voice actor's.
She had to cruelly avoid the gaze of such a fine young man.
The flag-raising ceremony turned into a one-sided torment for her.
After enduring it with great difficulty until the end, she just wanted to slip away quickly.
Who knew that on her way back, she would run directly into Yu Wenli.
Author's note: Sorry, sorry. I'm really stuck today. I probably won't be able to finish the other chapter and will have to post it at seven in the morning.
(Note: According to the new regulations from Tadiao, posting is not allowed between 12:30 AM and 7:00 AM, so it can only be posted at seven in the morning.)