At a small restaurant outside the school, Lin Huai ordered peanuts and a dish of meat fried with pepper. Both of them requested for more than ten bottles of beer and they began to drink.
After they had downed several bottles of beer, Wang Hongwei burst into tears. His eyes were red as he cried and said, “Brother Huai, don’t you think that I’m a coward? But all I want is to attend school and study well.”
Lin Huai didn’t drink too much, but he felt dizzy. He pounded the table lightly, looked around, and said, “We are men, there is no need to cry. If there is something that needs to be said, just tell me.”
“Just let me cry. Usually I wouldn’t dare to cry even if I wanted to.”
Lin Huai was silent. He wasn’t sure what kind of environment would cause someone to be such a coward.
“We were just an average family and didn’t have a lot of money. It was not easy for my mum to support me and sponsor my studies at university. You have no idea how hard it was for me, growing up. ”
Lin Huai listened quietly as he spoke. He despised Wang Hongwei’s character. He looked down on his inability to defend himself when he was bullied. He also loathed him for refusing to spill the secrets of those bad students despite knowing them. Not only that, he, too, hated Wang Hongwei’s whines and cries when he was drunk. However, Lin Huai was aware that a man who burst into tears when drunk was a man with a hidden story.
In this society, it was tiring enough to put on a facade every day so who would desire to be so useless for their entire life?
“I come from one of the towns in the county. My dad used to be a pedicab driver, and now he is a bricklayer. Bricklaying is a strenuous job, but the income is decent. However, my dad never brought money back to the family.”
Lin Huai was surprised. “Why is this the case?”
“He goes out to drink every day. He often comes home drunk. My family stays in a single story landed house, so every night, we need to lock the door before going to sleep. My mum is rather mentally weak, and she’d just wait in the room for him everyday, not daring to fall asleep until the door is finally opened. Usually, she ends up waiting till after midnight before he gets back, and then they start arguing. ”
Lin Huai sighed and said, “All his income is spent on his drinking habit? Your parents must have a strained relationship.”
“After I had graduated elementary school, not once did I see them together at the dinner table. My mum hated my dad, for he didn’t take care of her when she was pregnant. The fruits and eggs that she ate during her pregnancy were given to her by her own family. She was alone the day I was born. She gave birth to me on the floor of my home. When my mum was in confinement, she still had to do the chores at home, and because of this, she has been ill since. One day, when I was just one month old, my dad was at home drinking from early morning until midnight, so my mum advised him not to drink. And right away, he picked up a kitchen knife and asked her to get out. Later, when I was at school, he rarely paid for anything. He used all his money for drinks. All my studies were sponsored by my relatives. ”
Lin Huai felt depressed over the situation and he sympathized with Wang Hongwei’s mother. However, these were personal matters, and he felt that he had no right to interfere in them.
“Later, my mum became colder toward my dad, and she did not even want to eat together with him. From an early age, I never dare to get too close to my classmates, for I’m afraid that they would want to come to my house if I got along too well with them. I-I dare not let them witness this situation at home.”
After he had said all this, Wang Hongwei collapsed onto the table and cried his heart out. Lin Huai stared at him, helpless. Perhaps… perhaps he should not be so harsh on Wang Hongwei. Children from broken families would inevitably face challenges in their lives. Even if they were not socially awkward, nor did they have an inferiority complex like Wang Hongwei, they might go to the other extreme and become rebellious.
Lin Huai sighed gently and took out a cigarette case. He struck the case on the table and took out a cigarette carefully. He had even replaced the cigarettes with cheaper ones as he was pretending to be a poor student. Then, he put a cigarette in his mouth. After a moment of silence, he lit the cigarette and inhaled deeply. The fumes started to swirl around him, forming shadowy figures.
Amid these figures, a middle-aged man, who was tall and burly, was squatting on the ground. His arms were stretched out, and on his face was a kind and warm smile.
“Huai, if you fall down, just stand up quickly. Hurry up, come over and give me a hug.”
Lin Huai’s eyes were tearing up and his vision became slightly blurred. At this moment, he suddenly heard someone calling his name continuously, “Brother Huai, Brother Huai.” Lin Huai came to his senses and saw that Wang Hongwei had, at one point, dried his tears. Wang Hongwei was looking at him rather drunkenly, but he seemed moved. “Thank you, Brother Huai. You don’t have to feel sorry for me. I’m f*cking used to it already.”
“This kid is even cursing out loud? He must be drunk.” Lin Huai shook his head, gesturing his hand with a wry smile, and called out for the bill. “Can I have the check please?”
Lin Huai walked to the cashier to settle the bill. After that, he turned around and saw that Wang Hongwei was lying on the table sobbing again as he said, “All I wanted was to study well and become successful, so that I can prove to myself that I can do well, but this Yulan College… this Yulan College… Haha, what a joke, can I even learn anything here?”
Lin Huai suddenly felt a bit sour, and finally smiled bitterly. “You can’t go back to the dormitory in this state now. I’ll help you to find an inn to stay for the night. Alas, everything that you are going through… I can understand.”
People with low self-esteem had a high desire to prove themselves. They valued prestige and status. However, Yulan College had destroyed his dreams for the future, and that was a great tragedy indeed.
Lin Huai escorted Wang Hongwei—who was still blowing his nose and wiping tears away—out of the restaurant and found a small inn nearby. As they walked in, Wang Hongwei continued crying and weeping, saying, “Brother Huai, you are my saviour. Not only did you help me, you even treat me like a friend. ”
Lin Huai paid for the room and left his phone number. He told the innkeeper if Wang Hongwei needed anything, he could contact him. He accompanied Wang Hongwei to his room and then left.
As Lin Huai walked back to school, he thought about Wang Hongwei’s words. He used to think that Wang Hongwei was disgusting and that he did not deserve any sympathy, but now he realized that disgusting people deserve pity sometimes. If they had switched families, would he have turned out the same way? Who knew?
Yet, such a person—with the desire of proving himself due to his family background—had decided to enter such an academy. He spent every day frightened and afraid. He was one of the few students in the class who was willing to study hard, but with a classroom discipline like that, what use would it be? For the time being, the students had indeed improved their discipline because they were afraid of Lin Huai, but what would happen when he left?
Heck, the more he thought about it, the more his head ached. Anyway, what does this have anything to do with me? I’m not a savior!
Lin Huai walked into the courtyard, passing the famous sacred grove, which was popular for fights as well as for picking up girls in the school. Suddenly he heard a shrill scream of a girl from within the grove. Alarmed, he automatically rushed into the woods.
As Lin Huai rushed in, two things crossed his mind. Firstly, although the voice had cracked, he recognized it as a voice belonging to one of his acquaintances. But of course, even if Lin Huai did not recognize the voice, he would still try to save her. The second thing he thought of was the fact that women only scream like this when they were in extreme panic and desperation. Immediately, the word ‘rape’ popped into his mind.
When Lin Huai arrived at the scene, he saw a girl lying on the ground. Her clothes were crumpled, and she had a dishevelled appearance. Two buttons on her blouse were torn off, revealing the seductive flesh underneath it.
Several boys were surrounding her, and one of them was loosening his belt. When they heard that someone was coming, they got cold feet and started shouting as they ran into the distance. Lin Huai was going to chase after them, but the girl threw herself directly at him, hugging him tightly. She was crying continuously as she said, “Lin Huai, please rescue me…”
Seeing that those boys had run away, Lin Huai could not help but sigh and said, “Niu Haijiao, put on your clothes first, and then tell me what is going on.”
Even though Niu Haijiao could not be said as one of the most stunning beauties of the school, it was indeed true that birds of a feather would flock together. Several roommates in Wei Qimian’s dormitory were considered good-looking, and this Niu Haijiao had a lovely appearance and a petite figure. Despite her petite body, her bosom was surprisingly ample. Most of the girls who were full-figured did not seem to have an ample bosom, but Niu Haijiao was an exception. Holding Lin Huai this way, he could clearly see the pleasant view inside, because the buttons on her clothes had been torn open.
Lin Huai gulped again and again. I can’t believe her mounds are actually so huge! If he were to bury his face in them, he would be in danger of being suffocated.
Oh God, this is not the time for me to be thinking of such things!
Lin Huai wasn’t trying to take advantage of the situation. He struggled slightly but couldn’t break free from her. It was not that Lin Huai was weak, but this girl was hugging him too tightly, like a frightened rabbit. He was afraid he might accidentally hurt her.
Lin Huai smiled bitterly and said, “Niu Haijiao, can you wait a second before you cry? Why don’t you put on your clothes first?”
“I’m… really s-sorry…”
Lin Huai flashed a wry smile. “Those people should apologize, not you. Don’t worry, let me know who they are, and I will definitely teach them a lesson and make them suffer. Hurry up and put on your clothes before you catch a cold. ”
To his surprise, Niu Haijiao hugged him even tighter, and her soft large breasts pressed against Lin Huai’s body, almost causing the air in his lungs to be squeezed out of him. The sight was too much of a wonder, to the point where he almost stopped breathing. Niu Haijiao did not care that her chest was pressing against Lin Huai, nor was she bothered about the fact that they were completely exposed in front of him. She continued to hug him tightly, crying as she apologized repeatedly.
Lin Huai felt slightly exhausted and at the same time pleased. Pain and pleasure, one might say. Suddenly, there was a flurry of footsteps coming from far, and they heard Wei Qimian’s voice. “Oh dear, where is Niu Haijiao?”
Then it was followed by Xuan Yuzhai’s voice. “I saw her entering the grove from there.”
Lin Huai was a little dazed, but at the same time a bad premonition washed over him. Could this be a coincidence? But it was impossible. He had just saved Niu Haijiao, and this current compromising situation he was in could cause a misunderstanding. What were they doing here at this time?
Thereafter, Lin Huai heard Wei Qimian’s doubtful reply. “How strange. What is she doing here in the woods?”