The incident eventually alerted the school leadership, who suspected a sensitive online bullying case and summoned both sets of parents.
The student in the front row was severely reprimanded by their parents, who then apologized to He Yao’s mother and offered to cover He Yao’s medical expenses, resolving the matter.
He Yao’s willingness to go so far and her calculated approach when faced with actual trouble further worsened her reputation among the girls in the class.
However, when Xu Zheng returned to school after his two-day absence, he heard about the incident and praised He Yao.
“When you’re bullied, you should fight back decisively. He Yao did nothing wrong. I couldn’t stand that group of girls myself, but as a man, it wasn’t appropriate for me to intervene, so I endured it. He Yao actually helped me vent my anger.”
It was just that after only two days of absence, He Yao no longer needed him to pick her up and drop her off, which left him feeling quite disappointed.
He Yao started taking the bus to and from school, and her interactions with Zhan Jingrui ceased.
Life moved on uneventfully until two weeks later, one evening during dinner, Tang’s father brought up their neighbor.
“Your grandmother and I were out for a walk today and encountered the male owner of that house carrying the female owner out. It seemed the woman had a miscarriage. The woman doesn’t look that old, so it’s unlikely she couldn’t even carry a child. I have a feeling there’s something off about that man.”
“Your grandmother and I are getting old, and she’s not in good health. Plus, we have you two little ones to look after. It seems we have no choice but to hire more help for the household.”
“When your uncle and aunt return this time, I’ll have them choose a suitable housekeeper. I’m giving you a heads-up in advance.”
Zhan Jingrui didn’t care much about housekeepers or nannies. His first reaction upon hearing the news was about He Yao’s mother, who seemed to value this child so much, yet couldn’t keep it.
While doing his homework that evening, he found himself distracted. His room’s window faced He Yao’s front door at an angle, allowing him to see the entrance to her house clearly whenever he looked up.
He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he subconsciously kept glancing in that direction.
As he watched, someone indeed appeared.
He Yao’s stepfather drove up to the entrance.
He got out first, and He Yao slowly followed him out of the car.
His expression was grim. As he opened the door, he looked back at He Yao with icy eyes.
He Yao stood a few steps away from him, unwilling to get closer.
Then, he suddenly pointed at He Yao fiercely several times and reached out to grab her.
He Yao struggled desperately, but she was no match for his strength. In a few moments, he shoved her into the house, pulling and pushing her.
Zhan Jingrui suddenly remembered that He Yao’s mother was not home. This man was not her biological father, and what if…
He was never a particularly helpful person, but for some reason, in this situation, he turned and rushed downstairs.
To the astonished expressions of Tang’s father and mother, he rushed out the door and ran towards He Yao’s house.
Aunt Li was at the hospital taking care of her mother, leaving He Yao alone at home with her stepfather.
He Yao was pinned to the living room sofa by her stepfather, who was tugging at her clothes, when the doorbell rang.
Her stepfather stopped, his interest waning, and ordered her to go back to her room. He then looked at the video intercom and saw it was her classmate.
He had initially thought the Zhan family was a connection he could leverage, but after two interactions, he realized they were very guarded. His enthusiasm for Zhan Jingrui had diminished.
“What is it?”
On his way, Zhan Jingrui had already prepared his response: “May I ask if He Yao is at home? I need to talk to her about something.”
“What is it you need to talk to her about?”
“May I ask if she is at home? I’d like to speak with her in person.”
Her stepfather replied impatiently, “Why can’t you tell me what it is? Do you have to say it in person? You’re both old enough now. You should be mindful of the boundaries in interactions between male and female classmates, don’t you know that?”
Zhan Jingrui’s sharp senses detected something unusual in his words. He persisted.
“It’s because of an assignment from the teacher. It’s not that I won’t tell you, but some things, if I told you, you wouldn’t understand. Please, let me see He Yao.”
Her stepfather impatiently opened the door.
Zhan Jingrui entered. Although no one was in the room, he sensed an unusual atmosphere.
“Where is He Yao?”
“In her room. Wait, I’ll call her down.”
She stood at the bottom of the stairs and called upstairs, but He Yao didn’t respond.
After calling a few times, he turned back to Zhan Jingrui and shook his head, feigning helplessness.
“This girl has a very peculiar temper. Every time I call her, it’s like she doesn’t hear me.”
“How about I go up and find her myself?”
After saying this, Zhan Jingrui quickly added, “I’ll go call her down.”
Her stepfather didn’t object. He quickly went upstairs.
This was the first time he had called He Yao’s name to her face. He hesitated at the door for a long time before speaking.
He Yao had just finished tidying her clothes, her heart pounding wildly, and she clutched a fork in her hand.
Hearing someone knock, she raised the fork to her eyes.
“Who is it?”
“Me. Zhan Jingrui.”
Why was Zhan Jingrui at her house?
He Yao put down the fork and opened the door. Seeing that it was indeed him, she was surprised and grateful, but also a little embarrassed.
“You came to find me? Is there something you need?”
Although the first thing she did upon returning to her room was to fix her clothes, the areas that had been pulled out of shape couldn’t be properly rearranged.
And her complexion, Zhan Jingrui noticed the abnormality at a glance.
He had never realized he had such a helpful side to him.
“It’s nothing, I just… is there anything you need my help with?”
Clever He Yao instantly understood his implied meaning.
She took a step back, inviting him into her room, and hid the fork back under her books.
“Did you… did you see just now?”
Before Zhan Jingrui could answer, she continued to talk to herself.
“This isn’t the first time. I knew someone would see it eventually. I told my mom before, but she didn’t believe me. If it weren’t for you today… I don’t want to stay in this house. At least, I absolutely cannot stay here today. Zhan Jingrui, can you take me out?”
Soon, the two of them went downstairs together.
Pretending that nothing had happened, Zhan Jingrui said to her stepfather.
“He Yao doesn’t have the study materials here. The teacher asked our group to complete a project report as soon as possible, due tomorrow. She needs to come to our house with me.”
Her stepfather was smoking, still maintaining his refined demeanor, but no matter how he tried to conceal it, his sinister nature was evident beneath his refined exterior.
Upon hearing this, he looked them over thoughtfully.
“Are you two perhaps dating secretly and trying to pull a fast one on me?”
Zhan Jingrui put on the appearance of a good student: “No, sir. If you don’t believe me, I can call the teacher right now in front of you.”
Seeing his earnestness, her stepfather was temporarily convinced and asked He Yao.
“When will you be finished?”
He Yao ignored him. Zhan Jingrui replied.
“We’re not sure. It will take at least an hour or two.”
“What are you doing that takes so long?”
“A chemistry experiment. The process is quite lengthy.”
“Alright. Then come back immediately after you’re done. Yao Yao, be well-behaved when you’re at someone else’s house, and don’t overstay your welcome.”