NH chapter 020

Chapter 20: Thorn

Huo Ye asked Gao Xiaoyuan if she was afraid.

Gao Xiaoyuan first nodded, then slowly shook her head after a moment. She gripped her phone tightly, her palms sweating uncontrollably, hesitating to say she would go back, discuss it, and think it over again.

Huo Ye promised to give her one night to consider.

Liao Zheng had harmed at least ten girls from the first year to now; they had endured so long because they were afraid of these embarrassing matters being brought to light.

Indeed, not everyone who has been through rain is willing to sacrifice their reputation just to hold an umbrella for someone else.

They needed to muster more courage.

That day, on the way home, Shen Tingyu was in a low mood and didn’t say much. Although he wasn’t very talkative, for some reason, Huo Ye could sense the slightest change in his emotions.

“Master, what’s wrong?” Huo Ye asked softly, taking advantage of the brief minute waiting for the red light.

Shen Tingyu crossed his arms over his chest and ignored him.

Huo Ye watched him for a while, then suddenly stretched out his hand and scratched Shen Tingyu’s stiff jaw. He often did this when Huo Yan was pouting.

Unfortunately, Shen Tingyu was not an easy child to coax; he looked offended by the playful gesture and turned his head away.

Huo Ye retracted his hand and sighed.

He said, “Do you think I’m meddling? Actually, I’m not someone who likes to meddle. If I were, I wouldn’t have let Liao so easily walk away the first time we met in the equipment room… Have I told you?”

Huo Ye paused, his gaze softening, “I have a younger sister.”

Shen Tingyu stirred slightly but still remained silent.

“My little sister is eight years old, clever and mischievous, and especially prone to throwing tantrums with me. But I know she only acts like this with me; she behaves herself in front of my dad because, besides me, she has no other outlet for those little tantrums. She really depends on me.”

With ten seconds left on the red light, Huo Ye lowered the handbrake and said calmly, “I just hope that when it’s her turn to go to high school, if I can’t be by her side, there will be someone else to take care of those things that might seem unrelated.”

Shen Tingyu suddenly spoke up, his question seemingly out of nowhere: “What about you? Have you ever been locked up?”

Huo Ye was taken aback.

——At that moment, the green light came on.

“You keep talking about others; I’m not interested,” Shen Tingyu said, not looking at him, staring instead out of the car window, his throat moving slightly.

His tone was cold and complex, carrying a hint of Shen Tingyu’s unique chill. He continued, “You observe everyone in detail but keep yourself hidden, Huo Ye, that’s not fair.”

Huo Ye tried to start the car but it stalled.

Though he wasn’t very old, he had years of driving experience; even a seasoned driver could make such a silly mistake.

Huo Ye found it somewhat amusing and raised the corner of his mouth.

The cars behind began to honk impatiently, and he lowered his eyes, feeling a weight settle in his heart before restarting the engine.

Luckily, this time it went smoothly, and they headed towards the outskirts of the city.

Without receiving an answer, Shen Tingyu turned back to him, his gaze fixed, saying, “Huo Ye, answer me.”

“I have.”

Huo Ye replied nonchalantly, “If you want to know, I’ll tell you.”

“Have you ever seen a teaching baton? It’s over half a meter long, thick, the texture solid and rough. Before it swings down on you, you can even hear it tearing through the air. Even the toughest kid will soften when they see the monitor pick up the baton.”

“The baton is a common form of punishment, it’s as ordinary for us as eating and drinking. The monitors like to use it because it doesn’t injure bones or muscles and won’t cause obvious bleeding, but the bruises—blue and purple—can leave you unable to stand straight for days, forcing you to limp along.”

As if oblivious to Shen Tingyu’s unusual expression, Huo Ye continued as though narrating someone else’s story, steadying the steering wheel, saying indifferently, “Before being locked up, there’s an important procedure, which is ‘reflection’ in the contemplation room. This period is accompanied by punishments, but the baton isn’t necessary anymore.”

“When pain becomes a habit, it no longer tempers a student’s will; after all, there are those who refuse to bow to pressure. At this point, a controlled electric shock can bring us to a daze.”

Just then, they arrived at home. Huo Ye unlocked the car door and looked at him, asking, “Want to hear more? I can get more specific about electric shock therapy.”

Shen Tingyu pursed his lips tightly and said sternly, “You know very well that’s not what I want to hear—”

“Then what do you want to know?” Huo Ye asked, “About how fragile I am?”

Huo Ye didn’t realize how sharp he sounded, almost aggressively so. He wasn’t always willing to let others mold him; under the seemingly indestructible outer shell, he was still a hedgehog whose quills had been plucked.

“As soon as that black stick touches you, it’s hard for anyone to stay conscious. Your limbs start convulsing violently, your mind goes cloudy and soft, and those with poor physical condition might faint in under ten seconds, or even lose control of their bladder or bowels. At that moment, to the monitors, you’re like a dead dog…”

“Enough!” Shen Tingyu cut him off.

Huo Ye suddenly realized he was breathing too quickly and quickly calmed himself down, regaining his usual stoic demeanor. His eyes were deep and quiet, and no one could see if there was a current underneath them.

For people like them, the phrase “It’s nothing” was often on their lips, but did it really mean it was nothing after it passed?

Huo Ye took a few deep breaths and then looked at Shen Tingyu with slight remorse, saying, “I’m sorry for making you listen to this.”

Shen Tingyu’s chest heaved, his lips pressed pale, as if he wanted to say something but struggled to express it, looking trapped in his thoughts. He silently unbuckled his seatbelt and, without looking back, slammed the car door shut.

Huo Ye watched his back fade away, as if every day from the past merged into one, watching Shen Tingyu walk away.

So proud, yet so lonely.

He didn’t look back even once.

Huo Ye sat in the car, staring blankly for fifteen minutes without touching his phone or smoking.

Eventually, it was completely dark outside. Huo Ye suddenly found it foolish to wait this way. He had been alone for so many years, when had he ever waited for someone to turn around? How silly.

Huo Ye decisively stepped on the gas and drove straight back to that rundown urban village within the city, narrow, dilapidated, cramped—this was really his home.

That night, after taking a shower, Gao Xiaoyuan sent a message. Huo Ye dried his hair and opened it, then shut off his phone.

“I’m ready.”

The day after the sports meeting, Huo Ye thought that Shen Tingyu would choose to go cold on him after their unpleasant encounter last night and wouldn’t take his jalopy again. Surprisingly, Shen Tingyu came out as usual.

Huo Ye brought the xiaolongbao and, just like before, he ate them; the cup of hot soy milk Huo Ye brought was also drunk, not discarded, not a drop left.

He was all set for Shen Tingyu to toss it in the trash.

However, their daily interaction was limited to this; the two didn’t chatter as they usually did. Typically, while eating breakfast, Shen Tingyu would have teased about a scruffy stray dog passing by the car window, saying, “That dog is really ugly.”

The world seemed to have lost its color, and anything lost its appreciation value, becoming utterly uninteresting.

In the few minutes waiting for Liao Zheng to show up, Gao Xiaoyuan felt tense and sweaty-palmed in the empty self-study room.

It was always Liao Zheng who asked to meet; she had never initiated it before. When Liao Zheng received the message, he was surprised but didn’t doubt Gao Xiaoyuan’s intentions. Instead, he borrowed a mirror from his new girlfriend and looked into it.

“Hey, do you think I look even more handsome?” Liao Zheng asked, tousling his bangs in the mirror, winking.

“Little Liao is still the school hunk.”

The girl rolled her eyes secretly, forcing a smile.

A short while later, Liao Zheng swaggered into the self-study room, and Gao Xiaoyuan cautiously closed the door behind him.

It felt quite strange; before, Liao Zheng would impatiently close the door, and the sound of the door shutting would make Gao Xiaoyuan want to cry. But this time, she was the one setting the trap, her heart racing, but she didn’t want to cry and wasn’t as afraid.

The phone was propped up in a hidden corner, the camera positioned perfectly to capture most of the self-study room. This angle had taken Gao Xiaoyuan a long time to adjust.

She couldn’t afford to fail; this time, she had to record his wrongdoing.

When Gao Xiaoyuan closed the door, Liao Zheng scoffed and said, “You’re out selling yourself, so shameless, huh? Afraid someone will see?”

Gao Xiaoyuan’s face turned pale, and she shook her head in panic. Yet inside, she thought, you big bad man, I was indeed afraid of being seen before, but this time I want everyone to see it; it’s you, the hypocritical bad guy, who should be worried about losing face. When did the victim have to bear public criticism?

Liao Zheng, while doing bad things, loved to say inappropriate comments, shamelessly flirting as he picked her up onto the desk and leaned down to kiss her.

Gao Xiaoyuan desperately pushed him away, suddenly starting to cry dramatically, saying, “No, I don’t like this, please let me go, will you just let me go…”

Pushing him away became a playful tease, but it felt futile as he didn’t take it seriously. After pushing several times, Liao Zheng lost patience and exploded, angrily saying, “You’re asking for it, aren’t you?!”

“I have no grievances or grudges with you, why are you looking for me? I don’t want this; you’re forcing me, this is against the law,” Gao Xiaoyuan said, inadvertently provoking him as she cried, which only irritated him further.

“Against the law? I am the law!!” Liao Zheng’s voice rose sharply, as if he hit the most sensitive point in his heart, angrily raising his hand to slap her.

Gao Xiaoyuan’s head turned with the force of the smack, a bright red imprint quickly appearing on her face. But perhaps because of the adrenaline rush, she didn’t feel any pain and became even more agitated.

“Do you dare to say that again?!” she stoked the flames.

Liao Zheng, blinded with rage, sneered, “The entire Lanjing belongs to the Liao family. With just one word from me, you’ll never set foot in Lanjing again, believe it?” He mercilessly grabbed Gao Xiaoyuan’s neck and shoved her against the wall, forcing the words through gritted teeth, “I said I am the law, who dares to have a problem?”

As soon as he finished speaking, a tremendous force struck his side, and Liao Zheng didn’t even have time to vocalize his pain before he was sent flying to the side.

That was a staggering kick.

For a moment, Liao Zheng almost felt like he saw stars.

The excruciating pain from his broken bones spread quickly. In his daze, he lifted his eyes and saw the shadow of the newcomer towering over his disheveled and panting figure. Huo Ye’s expression was intense, filled with arrogance and provocation.

“I have a problem.”