Wei Qingyue rarely took the initiative to come calling at Wei Zhendong’s residential complex.

The little chubby boy wasn’t home — his stepmother had taken him to some tutoring class. Because it was a detached villa with a garden, Wei Zhendong was personally trimming tree branches, like a gardener.

Wei Qingyue’s arrival here was completely like that of an uninvited guest.

“Dad.” Wei Qingyue walked into the garden and called out.

Wei Zhendong didn’t even look up. His pair of slender hands were very well-maintained. He appeared considerably younger than his peers, with fine features — and truly did carry a certain elegant bearing.

“What is it that can’t be said over the phone?” Wei Zhendong’s tone was impatient. That manner of his — Wei Qingyue, looking on, didn’t realize that he himself was sometimes identical to it.

“There’s a matter — I don’t know whether Dad could help with it.” Wei Qingyue opened calmly.

Wei Zhendong laughed, looking at his son with eyes full of mockery: “If you’re asking someone for a favor, you should look the part. Stop holding your head so high — a stranger would think your old man owes you something.”

The young man’s star-bright eyes flared for an instant, then there was a very humble expression: “I have no one else to ask — only Dad. If Dad won’t help me, no one can.”

This was quite funny. Wei Zhendong said: “Did you take the wrong medicine today? Wei Qingyue, tell me — what kind of trouble did you get into that could make a stubborn bone like you soften?”

The matter was simple — it could be explained in a few sentences. All things in the world are like this: no matter how tragic, they can be summarized in just a few words.

“What do you mean — asking your old man to do something illegal on behalf of your little girlfriend?” Wei Zhendong laughed from extreme anger. “Not even fully grown yet, and already you’ve learned to chase girls? You say she’s a classmate — is she your girlfriend or not?”

Wei Qingyue had known it would be like this. He remained calm: “I’m not asking Dad to do anything illegal. Wang Yong has a criminal record — rape, theft. I suspect he also uses drugs and has committed molestation. Someone like that — dig a little, and something will certainly turn up.”

“Then let the police investigate. If he broke the law, the police will handle it. What are you coming to me for? If he really uses drugs, a urine test would produce results. Are you also planning to have me find a police officer to arrest him for a urine test?” Wei Zhendong’s eyes turned cold in an instant. “If you think he’s a criminal, go to the police station. Don’t come to me.”

Wei Qingyue bit down briefly and looked Wei Zhendong directly in the eyes: “I have no evidence — that’s why I’m asking Dad for help.”

“What’s wrong with you? Ordering your old man around to do things for you?” Wei Zhendong raised his leg and kicked Wei Qingyue in the body. He stumbled back several steps, then steadied himself.

“He must go to prison — even two years would do.” Wei Qingyue said stubbornly. “Dad, you must have a way. Wang Yong has serious problems. Leaving him in society is a danger. Someone like him belongs in prison.”

“Foolish!” Wei Zhendong’s face darkened. “I thought you had some promise, but you don’t even understand the most basic principle — whether a person belongs in prison is decided by the law. There’s no room here for what you think. Instead of studying properly at school, you come here to talk nonsense at me. I see last time I didn’t teach you enough of a lesson.”

“If he doesn’t go to prison, he’ll eventually come after my classmate again. My classmate’s family only has two elderly people — they can’t withstand this scoundrel harassing them. Dad, I beg you, I beg you to help my classmate just once. Help her resolve this trouble. She still has to sit the university entrance exam — once she gets into university she can leave this city.” Wei Qingyue saw that Wei Zhendong had already dropped his tools and was heading back toward the house. He followed step for step, speaking urgently: “My whole life I’ve never begged Dad for anything. As long as Dad agrees, Dad can ask me to do anything.”

The moment the words fell, a slap landed across his face. Wei Zhendong erupted: “Useless! Did you lose your mind over a girl? Someone with a criminal record like that — don’t you know to stay far away? And you dare bring trouble to your old man — it never ends, does it? Wei Qingyue, if I don’t deal with you today, you clearly won’t come to your senses!”

Wei Zhendong kicked open a door and, while walking, rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, retrieved his horse whip, and brought it down on Wei Qingyue without mercy.

He didn’t dodge — he just stood rigid and let Wei Zhendong beat him. Wei Zhendong, seeing his obstinate expression, grew even more furious and struck harder. Each lash of the whip made Wei Qingyue’s body shudder, yet he gritted his teeth and made not a sound.

“A criminal recidivist like Wang Yong — you dare provoke him? Do you have a death wish? Trying to play the devoted hero, are you? Your old man will beat you to death today.” Wei Zhendong’s veins bulged. Even the whip seemed insufficient to vent his fury. He hurled it aside and resorted to his feet — it had always been like this, the more he beat, the angrier he became.

From beginning to end, Wei Qingyue made not a sound. His face was drenched in sweat.

Wei Zhendong could not help but concede that this boy had some backbone — no matter how much pain, he would never make a sound.

He grew tired of beating. Breathing heavily, he pointed at Wei Qingyue’s nose: “Don’t you dare cause me any more trouble. Your old man has no time to clean up after you every single day. Do you hear me?”

Wei Qingyue’s eyes were red from holding everything back; his lips trembled continuously: “I beg Dad to help me just once.”

“If Wang Yong really uses drugs, that makes him all the more dangerous. Drug addicts will hack apart their own parents and children — what exactly are you trying to do? Who do you think you are? What does any of it have to do with you? Wei Qingyue, the world doesn’t revolve around you. Get back to school and study! If I find out you dare do anything again — I’m telling you, your old man won’t let you go abroad. I’ll just beat you to death and be done with it!”

Wei Zhendong roared the word “get out” in succession, several times.

The entire villa echoed with “get out.” Wei Zhendong’s expression was ferocious — even the most handsome person, in a moment like this, turned out to be very ugly.

Wei Qingyue’s two eyes were like black hollows as he looked at Wei Zhendong. He couldn’t control himself from shaking. His body was covered in whip wounds, aching terribly, his temples throbbing with taut tension.

The villa was exquisite and beautiful. Wei Zhendong was impeccably dressed — luxury goods from head to toe, cologne and expensive watches — like a mannequin. He thought of Jiang Du’s essays, the ones the teacher had read aloud as models of good writing. Her grandmother was always making watermelon sauce and drying radish strips. Her grandfather liked afternoon naps. Summer sunlight filtered through bamboo curtain blinds. Neighborhood friends would come to find her, and she would be thinking about sneaking away from her nap while telling them to keep their voices down, not to disturb her grandfather. And how her grandfather would discover a group of children looking like little thieves about to slip away, and tempt and tease them with money — come give him a back rub, and whoever did well would each receive a coin for a popsicle. That was her grandfather’s way of dragging out the time to stop them from running off into the blazing afternoon sun, afraid it would harm them.

The teacher had said he truly loved Jiang Du’s essays. Many had been skeptical — too mundane, not flowery, no technique. The teacher had said: at your age, you’re all too full of self-importance to understand what it means to express deep feeling through simple language.

Jiang Du was far enough from him. Wei Qingyue thought sadly — how wonderful it would be if he could live with her, in the home of old people who made watermelon sauce. He had never eaten watermelon sauce, but he needed it.

That day, he drifted alone to the hospital to see a doctor, collected some ointment, then put his long sleeves back on.

In the blink of an eye, June arrived, and the tension of the final year of high school reached its peak.

The class group chat for the advanced humanities class was silent. But the old group — the original Class Two group — was extremely lively. Lots of people jumped in talking about celebrating Children’s Day, saying they were still little babies, followed by a string of shameless remarks accompanied by various emoji.

Lin Haiyang was the most exuberant of all. He drifted around the group for a long time, and when there was no one left talking, he stared at the gray, offline avatar labeled “Ghost Writer” in his friends list and fell into a daze.

When Jiang Du received Lin Haiyang’s message, she was just preparing to return to school.

Hey, Happy Children’s Day.

Jiang Du replied: Same to you.

To her surprise, Lin Haiyang replied instantly, asking: Is it convenient to give you a call? Does your family have a landline?

It seemed he had taken for granted that since her household had only elderly people, they’d naturally still have a landline.

Jiang Du thought it over and replied: I’m just about to go back and resume classes.

Really? That’s wonderful.

Lin Haiyang sent her a string of welcoming emoji.

The day she returned to school was Monday the 4th. The reason she chose this day was because starting from this day, the third-year students would no longer have classes. The first and second-year students would only attend this one day before their classrooms would be rearranged in the afternoon as examination halls for the university entrance exam.

In the morning, her grandmother had prepared fresh soymilk and bought small steamed buns, and sat watching Jiang Du eat. The neighbor across the hall, Grandma Weng, gave her a vintage brooch, saying it would look nice pinned to a school uniform. Word of what had happened to her had spread among the neighbors above and below and across the hall. People had come to check on her, though they only stood briefly at the doorway, saying a few words in very hushed voices, as if deliberately trying to shield her from hearing. Jiang Du pretended she’d seen and heard nothing.

“Little one, if anyone at school says something wrong to your face, don’t be afraid — tell the teacher. Whatever you do, don’t bottle it up by yourself.” Her grandmother watched her face carefully as she offered the reminder, helping her pin on the brooch.

Jiang Du had even bought herself a new hairband; the edges of her sneakers had been scrubbed snow-white.

She nodded, picked up a bag full of handouts and test papers, waved to her grandmother, and set off with her grandfather to catch the bus.

What she didn’t know was that not long after she left, Wang Jingjing’s mother came by, and sat with her grandmother in the living room talking.

“I kept saying I’d come visit, but I was afraid Jiang Du would feel awkward, so I didn’t dare come until now. Just as well that you said the child was going back to school today — so I finally dared to come have a look.” Wang Jingjing’s mother, Li Suhua, had brought a great many nutritional supplements, placing them on the coffee table.

Her grandmother poured water and cut up some watermelon, saying: “In this heat, how could I make you come all the way here.”

“Of course, of course.” Li Suhua didn’t know that Wang Jingjing and Jiang Du had grown distant. She only knew they were no longer in the same class and didn’t see each other as often as before. Having heard about the incident, she’d told Wang Jingjing not to rashly ask Jiang Du anything about it. Wang Jingjing had worn some strange expression at the time, simply saying she understood, then retreating into her own room without coming out.

“You see, we also didn’t dare to ask exactly what happened. Society is chaotic these days — all kinds of people about. Jiang Du must have been terribly frightened. You must guide her, help her not to take it to heart. She should do what she needs to do, study hard, and prepare for the university entrance exam — that’s what matters.” Li Suhua spoke and sighed, the way women sometimes do when they don’t know what else to say but accompany someone with sighs.

Her grandmother dabbed at her eyes and said: “This poor child Jiang Du — all these years, the two of us old people never let her suffer even half a grievance. I’ve been thinking about having her transfer schools, but she doesn’t want to. So I thought, let her go back first and see. If there’s no gossip, if she can stand to keep studying there, then she will. If not, we still have to transfer.”

Li Suhua slapped her thigh, her face full of righteous fury: “Transfer schools for what? That man is going to eat prison food! He had no grudge against us, and he beat our child black and blue. I’m telling you — don’t be afraid of the trouble, just sue him. Make him pay and go to prison. Why should our child be the one to transfer? Is there still justice in this world? That despicable creature — you have no idea how it nearly broke my heart when I heard about this. That despicable wretch — make him go to prison!”

Her grandmother’s tears streamed down. She said nothing — she had a belly full of bitterness and nowhere to put it. And so, in the midst of her old friend’s righteous outrage, she just kept letting the tears flow.

The school was short one year group and felt quite spacious. When Jiang Du arrived at the school gate, her grandfather stood in place. She told him to go home; he said it was all right, he’d watch until she went inside.

The security guards all recognized Jiang Du. Students passed in and out of the school gate from time to time. Jiang Du felt as though the whole world was filled with stares, prickling against her back like needles.

It won’t be like that — not so many people will recognize me. She pinched her own palm and walked into the school grounds.

She glanced back. Her grandfather, dressed neatly, was still standing there. Jiang Du’s nose stung. She turned away and walked quickly in the direction of the teaching building.

Along the way, because morning reading hadn’t ended yet, most students were still in their classrooms. There were very few people on the school grounds.

When she entered the classroom, the homeroom teacher was there. The moment everyone saw her, the sound of reading came to an abrupt stop — but quickly resumed as normal.

“You’re back, Jiang Du?” The homeroom teacher smiled and pointed to her seat. “Go read now.”

Zhu Yulong looked up as she came with her head bowed and said lightly: “I’ve wiped down your desk and stool.”

“Thank you.” Jiang Du hadn’t expected Zhu Yulong, though she seemed very aloof, to actually be such a considerate person. She didn’t quite dare look directly at her, quickly pulled out her English textbook, and started reading.

Zhu Yulong reached over and turned it forward several pages for her: “We’ve gotten to here. You can copy down my notes.”

“Thank you.” Jiang Du gave her a quick, grateful glance and buried herself in reading English.

That entire morning, Jiang Du never left her seat — she was either copying notes or reviewing handouts. Other than Zhu Yulong, the class monitor came over to ask if she needed help. Everyone else was as usual; nothing out of the ordinary. Jiang Du had never been much of a talker to begin with.

When the noon bell rang and people cleared out, Jiang Du was the last one to leave.

She was hesitating about how to get to the cafeteria. Before leaving, Zhu Yulong had asked if she wanted her to bring back food. Jiang Du had declined. There were many things on this first day that were difficult to take the first step through — once she crossed them, it would be all right. She couldn’t bury her head in the sand.

She had just stood up when a figure flashed past the doorway. Jiang Du flinched.

It was Wang Jingjing.

Wang Jingjing’s ponytail was tied very high. She’d had her hair done that weekend — straightened and very smooth, looking especially neat and put-together.

“Jiang Du, you haven’t left yet? Well, um — want to go to the cafeteria together?” The girl spoke a little awkwardly. It was the first time Jiang Du had seen her looking constrained — it felt a little unfamiliar.

“Sure.” Jiang Du smiled. She walked out, and Wang Jingjing kept glancing at her from the corner of her eye — wanting to look but not quite daring to look seriously.

“The cafeteria has a new window now — some Shanxi stir-fried flatbread thing. I tried it once. Not that great.” Wang Jingjing tried to talk the way she used to, grumbling away. “Do you want fried chicken? I want some fried chicken.”

“Thank you.” Jiang Du suddenly said quietly.

Wang Jingjing gave two dry laughs: “What are you doing? Are you crazy, saying thank you like that?”

Jiang Du pressed her lips together.

Walking along the path, the glances directed at her were obviously numerous. Jiang Du felt as though her insides were weighted with lead, unable to walk easily. She forced her expression to remain calm and asked Wang Jingjing trivial, inconsequential questions.

“Is science class hard?”

“Are you settling in? You wouldn’t transfer back to humanities, would you?”

“Did you get your hair straightened?”

The cafeteria was even more crowded — a dark mass of people.

The two of them queued at the fried chicken window, and after getting their food, found that everywhere was packed, with only scattered single seats, none of them adjacent.

“Should we go up to the second floor and see if there are seats?” Wang Jingjing suggested.

Jiang Du said sure. She turned around, and the tray in her hands bumped into someone. The person instinctively shrank back, and when they saw it was Jiang Du, their lip curled: “These clothes are ruined now.”

“I’m so sorry…” Only then did Jiang Du realize it was Chen Huiming. Her face flushed crimson. “I didn’t mean to — did it get on you? I have tissues here.”

She tried to free one hand to fish tissues from the pocket of her short-sleeved shirt.

“Don’t bother with tissues. I’m going home and throwing these clothes out anyway. How disgusting. What bad luck.” Chen Huiming said irritably.

Jiang Du understood the implication immediately. Her hand stiffened and dropped.

Wang Jingjing stood beside her, watching, and said nothing.

Jiang Du was so mortified she wished she could disappear on the spot. She stammered for a while, feeling that nothing she said would do any good.

“It’s not the first time something’s been thrown out anyway,” Chen Huiming said, staring at Jiang Du. “Your father is a disgusting predator — don’t you know? He’s always lurking around to assault girls. I’ve already told my father, and he said if this ever happens again, he’ll beat that person on sight.” She turned to the classmates who’d come to eat with her and complained: “Honestly — weren’t there rumors she was transferring? Why is she still here? Doesn’t she know how anxious it makes everyone? We’re all on edge, afraid of that predator.”

The girls wore expressions of deliberately concealed meaning, pulling Chen Huiming away, indicating she should keep her distance from Jiang Du.

“Some women are just shameless — getting violated, and then going and giving birth to a predator’s child. How disgraceful.” Chen Huiming cast a sidelong glance back, dragging out her words in a mocking tone. “What bad luck.”

Jiang Du lost her grip on the tray. It fell to the ground. Rice and food spilled everywhere.

Many people looked over. Chen Huiming jumped back further, shouting at Jiang Du: “Jiang Du, what’s wrong with you?”

“Let’s go,” Wang Jingjing pulled at Jiang Du’s arm, “forget about eating.”

“Wang Jingjing, you’re still hanging around her?” Chen Huiming left her words incomplete but glanced at Wang Jingjing meaningfully.

More and more people gathered, circling around like spectators.

All at once, Jiang Du felt sounds coming at her from every direction. Panic, helplessness, and her slight frame fought back and forth against each other. She stared blankly at the gazes being leveled at her, tried to make a sound, but it caught in her throat — like a wad of cotton stuffed inside.

“Jiang Du, last time your father pressed up against me and got filth all over me — boys all know what that means. Don’t look at me like that, with that wronged expression. My father not coming after your family about it was already being very generous.” Chen Huiming continued, speaking with complete self-righteous confidence. “I’m not holding it against you — so don’t play the pitiful victim.”

“Are you done?” came a cold voice from within the crowd.

Wei Qingyue reached directly into the crowd and pushed aside the girls blocking his view. The moment he appeared, the crowd became something miraculous — like Moses parting the Red Sea in the scriptures — immediately opening a path.

From the outer corner of his eye down to his jaw, there was a long, striking scar.

Everyone else was wearing summer uniforms. He alone was still in long sleeves.

“Done talking? Then shut up and get lost. Next time—” Wei Qingyue’s gaze swept over the girls standing alongside Chen Huiming — not a single one he recognized, but every single one of them recognized him. He spoke without any expression: “I don’t spare girls when I hit. As long as any of you dares to show up in front of Jiang Du again like flies, I’ll slap each of you across the face one by one.”

The girls stared at Wei Qingyue in utter astonishment.

Everyone in the crowd looked at him with equally complicated expressions. Wei Qingyue impatiently swept his gaze around, eyebrows raised high:

“What are you staring at? That day, didn’t you all just stand there and watch your own classmate nearly get beaten to death by a scoundrel without moving an inch? Still not had enough of watching?”

“Come on, Chen Huiming. Jiang Du has a boyfriend backing her up now — how can we compete?” Chen Huiming’s seatmate tugged Chen Huiming’s arm, casting a glance full of contempt at the ashen-faced Jiang Du.

Wei Qingyue’s brow furrowed as he looked at the girl who had spoken: “Watch your mouth. Jiang Du from the advanced humanities class and I are absolutely clean and proper acquaintances. I don’t like people spreading rumors about me. If you dare do it again, I’ll twist your mouth right off.”

At this, the onlookers were completely and utterly speechless.