Lin Huai smiled and said, “Alright, let’s go back first, then we can chat. Let me send you home first.”
“It’s okay, I am alright on my own.”
“I think it’s better for me to accompany you. After all, you were nearly in danger just now,” Lin Huai smiled and said. “However, from tomorrow onward, we will have rehearsals at night. Teacher, you don’t have to stay back and supervise us, right? Otherwise, it would be extremely late by the time you get home.”
“Of course I have to stay back. However, I have talked to the college and they are offering me a spot in the girls dormitory. Since Niu Haijiao has transferred to another college, I will temporarily be staying in her room. Once the annual gala is over, I would then return home.”
Oh, doesn’t that mean sharing a room with Mianmian? Damn, I want to stay there too!
Lin Huai said, “Then I shall send you home today…”
Lin Huai’s voice was interrupted by the sudden sound of footsteps barging into the shop. By right, this should be normal as the hotpot shop was very popular despite its secluded location. However, the sound of these footsteps were very different and it sounded like a drunk person. Furthermore, it seemed like the person was on the run because there were other distant footsteps chasing after him.
It turned out to be a pale little guy with unruly hair that looked around eighteen years old. He ran into the alley and quickly took out a bunch of cigarettes. It was described as a bunch as these cigarettes were not in a box. From this point, Lin Huai could tell that something was amiss.
The little guy looked pale, his eyes were out of sorts, and his entire body was trembling. He quickly squatted on the ground, put one of the cigarettes into his mouth, and started taking big puffs, as if he was enjoying himself.
By then, not just Lin Huai, even Pu Yingxue noticed that something was amiss.
Pu Yingxue grabbed onto Lin Huai’s arm and said, “Lin Huai, he…”
“He’s smoking opium,” Lin Huai coldly replied. He looked disgusted and his eyes were filled with hatred. Lin Huai had always been deeply disgusted by things like opium. More accurately, he had a deep hatred toward anything illegal.
Just then, a group of thugs rushed fiercely into the alley and pounced on the little guy. They didn’t waste a moment before snatching the bunch of cigarettes. The little guy cried as he tried to snatch the cigarettes back. In the end, he was kicked onto the ground and the group of thugs surrounded him and kicked him. They beat him up while scolding, “F*ck you! How dare you snatch our goods without paying us? How dare you? Do you have any idea who we are?”
Pu Yingxue lifted her head and looked at Lin Huai. In her eyes, Lin Huai was a superman and could do anything. Of course, she hoped that Lin Huai could step forward and help the little guy. Girls tend to be more sympathetic.
However, Lin Huai watched coldly as the events transpired. His attitude was icy and practically heartless. The group of thugs only stopped when they were done venting their anger. They then stormed off while cursing. Meanwhile, the little guy was in bad shape. He collapsed on the ground with blood all over his face.
Lin Huai dragged Pu Yingxue’s hand and coldly said, “We should leave.”
Pu Yingxue looked at the pitiful drug addict lying on the floor. In a trembling voice, she said, “Why did you choose not to help him?”
“Do you think he deserves sympathy?” Lin Huai sighted and said. “These drug addicts lose their intellect when they take drugs and would do anything. I remember back when I was nine years old, my mother saw a pitiful unconscious person on the ground and brought him back home. After he woke up, not only was he not grateful, he even knocked my mother unconscious and stole all the money from our house. That day, my mother had just withdrawn money to pay for my school fees. In the end, all the money was stolen by him. Do you have any idea how helpless my mother felt?”
Pu Yingxue was stunned. She dropped her voice and said, “I had no idea.”
Lin Huai pulled on Pu Yingxue’s hand and walked out of the alley. As they passed by the drug addict, the little guy grabbed Lin Huai’s ankle and said with a faint voice, “Help me, help me…”
Just as Lin Huai planned to kick his hand away, the young drug addict continued saying in a weak voice, “My father has passed away and my mother is the only one left. I cannot leave her alone in this world…”
Lin Huai’s footsteps stopped as this sentence had touched him. He squatted down, checked the little guy’s wounds, then sighed and said, “Your injuries are not lethal but you cannot keep lying down here either. I can call an ambulance for you but sadly, I know that to you, this will not be the last time.”
“I guarantee, I guarantee that it won’t happen again,” said the little guy. “I… I will abstain from drugs.”
Lin Huai coldly replied, “Are you still studying? Or have you graduated?”
“I am still in school, I am from Yulan… Yulan college.”
Both Lin Huai and Pu Yingxue were a little shocked to hear that he was a student from Yulan College.
The little guy said, “I know who you are… Lin Huai. You are very famous. Teacher Pu Yingxue too. I am from the sports major.”
“Okay.” Lin Huai never had favorable impressions toward drug users and thus did not feel like talking to him. However, although his injuries were not fatal, if nobody cared and he was left to lie down here alone, his life might be in danger. Therefore, Lin Huai took out his phone and dialled 120. He told the operator the address and hung up. He then said, “Stay here and wait, the ambulance will be here soon. Remember what you just said, you are the only person your mother has left. If you do not abstain from drugs, eventually your family will break apart. Not only will you destroy your life, your mother would also either go crazy or pass away.”
The little guy was panting and breathing heavily. Some blood seeped out of his mouth and it was obvious that he suffered from internal injuries. However, he had a grateful smile on his face and said, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Lin Huai held onto Pu Yingxue’s hand and walked out of the alley. Soon, somebody will arrive to help the little guy. Lin Huai kept quiet throughout the journey home and he suddenly felt very gloomy. A student has already been addicted to drugs. If he could not abstain from it, wouldn’t his life be ruined?
Although Lin Huai hated these drug addicts, he still had some sympathy left for them.
Finally, they managed to hail a cab and Pu Yingxue suddenly said, “Lin Huai, you look like you are not in a good mood. Why don’t you head back and rest now?”
“It’s okay, let me send you home first.” Lin Huai opened the car door for her and said, “After you.”
Pu Yingxue sat in the backseat and moved inward in order to make room for Lin Huai. Lin Huai took a seat too. Then, Pu Yingxue provided the cab driver with her address. The driver acknowledged and drove off.
Lin Huai sighed and said, “Actually, it’s not that I want to leave them alone to rot and die. However, since these people made a mistake, they have to pay the price. If they don’t pay the price, they would never be able to learn their lesson and turn over a new leaf. Teacher Pu, you are too kind.”
Pu Yingxue agreed in a weak voice and said, “I know. I just can’t seem to turn my back on incidents like these.”
Lin Huai smiled and said, “Nonetheless, you are very tough. Most people would be scared and would’ve dragged me far far away.”
“How could that be? How could anyone not have the slightest bit of kindness in them?”
Lin Huai laughed and said, “That’s why your kindness has also rubbed off on me. Not only this time, but last time as well. Oh right, Teacher Pu, why did you choose to become a teacher?”
Pu Yingxue smiled and said, “Because my father is a teacher.”
“Oh, so you were influenced by your parents.” There was nothing unusual about this as Lin Huai had heard of many children who got influenced by their parents and got interested in a profession. Of course, there are also children who specifically don’t want to choose their parents’ career.
Pu Yingxue smiled and asked, “Oh right, what are your plans after you graduate?”
“Bodyguard.” Lin Huai instantly revealed his actual profession. He smiled and said, “As you can see, I am rather capable with my body and am therefore well suited to be a bodyguard. I wish to protect all the good people around the world from being bullied by bad guys.”
Pu Yingxue chuckled and said, “Then why don’t you become a policeman?”
“I am not from a police academy!” There was a slight glint in Lin Huai’s eyes. “Besides, in this world, there are many things or people that the police cannot touch. Therefore, I will handle these things. As a professional bodyguard, not only would I fulfill my mission in life, I could also do so while treading within the grey areas of the law.”
Pu Yingxue thought what Lin Huai said was rather heavy. She asked, “Are you sure you won’t go too far and become a changed person? For example, what if one day your mindset changes and you turn from a bodyguard into an actual gangster?”
Lin Huai smiled and said, “Do you know that throughout my entire life, I’ve had an immense hatred toward gangsters?”
“Oh, I hate them as well. However, what was your experience?”
“My father walked out and disappeared when I was very young. He has never returned since then. I was still very young back then and there were no men in the family. Thus, my mother had to work hard and support the entire household from a young age as well. We were constantly harassed and bullied by thugs. Sometimes, I would see my mother hiding in a corner and wiping her tears. She always tried to hide her emotions so that I wouldn’t see them. Hence, I swore that I would protect her when I grew up. I also wanted to protect all the good people that were being threatened by bad guys.”
“So that’s the situation,” Pu Yingxue said apologetically. “I am sorry for bringing up those unhappy memories.”
“It’s alright.” Lin Huai smiled.
Eventually, they arrived at their destination. Lin Huai looked at the driver and said, “Mr. Driver, let me pay you for the ride first. Then, could you wait here for me briefly? I will just send her home and will be back shortly. I still require your car services.”
“Okay, sure.” The driver was a nice person. He overheard the conversation between Lin Huai and Pu Yingxue but did not interrupt throughout the journey. Lin Huai paid the driver and got out of the car with Pu Yingxue.
Pu Yingxue said, “We’re already downstairs of my building. Actually, you don’t have to send me any further.”
Lin Huai smiled and said, “Are you worried that it will be inconvenient for me to send you home? Would it be a problem for you if your family mistook me as your boyfriend?”
Pu Yingxue blushed and groaned. She said, “What nonsense, why would I have a boyfriend as young as you are?”
Lin Huai laughed out loud and said, “Age is not an issue when it comes to relationships. Your mindset is too outdated.”
Pu Yingxue turned her head away and shyly said, “Not going to squabble with you anymore. You are still my student, how could you speak to me like that?”
Pu Yingxue ran toward the stairwell. Lin Huai laughed and followed after her. “Wait for me.”
Pu Yingxue’s house was on the second floor and Lin Huai sent her all the way to her doorstep. After personally watching Pu Yingxue open her house door, Lin Huai waved his hand and walked back downstairs.
An aunty in her forties was seated in the living hall and witnessed all of it. Once Pu Yingxue was in the house, her eyes immediately lit up. With a curious look, she asked, “The person that just sent you home… is he your friend?”