Qiao Qingyu left the school building on Friday afternoon, resolutely placing an art knife in her school uniform pocket and shouldering her backpack.
Black Brother and his group had arrived early. Half an hour before, Qingyu received a text from an unknown number claiming to be Black Brother, saying they were at the school gate. Ten minutes ago, looking from the corridor, she indeed saw several out-of-place young men standing on the sidewalk opposite the security booth, splitting the stream of students rushing to the bus stop like rocks in a creek.
Five minutes ago, Qingyu texted Li Fanghao, telling her about an outstanding graduate’s speech at school tonight and that she’d stay to listen. She wasn’t lying entirely—the senior giving the speech was named Ming Dai, reportedly Ming Sheng’s cousin. A considerable number of students had already gone to the lecture hall to secure seats, indicating the speech was worth hearing.
“Okay,” Li Fanghao’s simple two-word reply three minutes ago made Qingyu’s heart tighten. Usually, when Qingyu stayed late at school, Li Fanghao would remind her to come home early, but not today.
As she descended the stairs, Qingyu optimistically thought that perhaps her mother was just busy.
Approaching the school gate, her mind returned to the current predicament.
Most students who wanted to leave had already gone. The group of young men huddled together, with one in a shiny black leather jacket repeatedly glancing back toward the school gate. Qingyu maintained a steady pace, but her gaze darted away quickly when the man in the black jacket turned his head again—she was still a bit afraid.
Suddenly, she heard a hoarse, excited male voice: “Hey, beautiful!”
The man in the black jacket had recognized Qingyu.
As soon as she exited the gate, the group surrounded her.
“Qiao Qingyu, hey, you’re Qiao Qingyu, right?” The man in the black jacket, with a yellow sweater underneath reeking of cigarettes, got closest. “I’m Black Brother!”
“Hi,” Qingyu smiled slightly at the sallow face with cramped features, “Black Brother.”
“Hey, don’t be nervous. I’m not here to harm you,” Black Brother stared directly at Qingyu’s face, his eyes gleaming. “Studying is tiring, right? Come on, let brother take you to the arcade to relax! Hey, you guys, back off a bit. Don’t scare the little sister…”
There were five of them in total.
Not wanting to reveal her disgust, yet unwilling to let others think she was familiar with them, Qingyu felt as if an invisible hand was pushing her, her steps hurried and hesitant. As they quickly reached the intersection and Black Brother stretched out his hand to hail a taxi, Qingyu hastily spoke up: “Black Brother, the milk tea across the street is delicious. Why don’t we go drink some milk tea?”
Black Brother squinted at the opposite side, then turned back with an eager smile: “Whatever you say. Let brother treat you to milk tea first!”
The milk tea shop was already small, and with school just letting out, three of the four tables were occupied. Qingyu, the first to get her milk tea, walked straight to the empty table in the farthest corner.
Black Brother followed closely behind her, smiling broadly. As they approached the table, he darted in front of her and smoothly pulled out a chair for her. Soon after, the other young men joined them with their drinks, standing around like bodyguards, instantly making the small space feel cramped. In her peripheral vision, Qingyu noticed the students at the other three tables glance over a few times before standing up to leave.
This at least left them with plenty of seating.
Sipping her rich milk tea in small gulps, Qingyu’s gaze passed through everyone staring at her to the school gate directly opposite, which gave her a bit more courage.
Don’t be nervous, this place is safe, she told herself. Just treat it like a negotiation.
“How about I call you Little Qiao?” Black Brother looked her up and down intently. “We used to call your sister Little Qiao too. You’re both beautiful.”
Qingyu quickly glanced back at him, then lowered her eyes to the table. “I’m not worthy of that. My sister was much prettier than me.”
“Haha,” Black Brother laughed dryly, suddenly leaning in very close and whispering intimately, “I say you’re worthy if I say so. Your sister was just pretty to look at, but she had no brains. How could she compare to you? You’re so well-behaved and smart…”
“Did she upset you?” Qingyu asked, unconsciously leaning back a bit, her body tensing. “Why do you say my sister had no brains?”
Black Brother snorted, narrowing his eyes as if remembering: “Not just me, she upset a lot of people. Your sister, she was missing something up here. What a waste of that face.”
He tapped his temple with his index finger, a hint of viciousness in his words.
“Like a cat, she’d follow anyone who had good food. Couldn’t be kept,” Black Brother continued. “Made me worry for nothing. No loyalty.”
Then, as if changing masks, he put on a dreamy smile again: “I’m a generous person, and I don’t mind spending money on women, but the money spent should have some return, don’t you think?”
As he spoke, his hands moved closer. Qingyu, startled, quickly put her hands on her thighs.
“Don’t be afraid, little sister. Brother saw you weren’t wearing much and wanted to warm you up…” Black Brother smiled lasciviously, his voice was as sticky as honey. “Brother likes you. I liked you in your photo, and seeing you in person, I like you even more… Brother knows you’re suffering, with no one to care for you. It breaks my heart. If you stick with your brother, not only will no one bully you at school, but even when you get out into society later, your brother can still back you up… Whatever you need, just tell brother, and I’ll buy it for you…”
Under his leering gaze, Qingyu unconsciously slipped her hand into her pocket, quietly gripping the hard art knife.
“You like milk tea, brother can have someone buy it and deliver it to the school gate every day,” Black Brother said. “Think about how much face that would give you among your classmates! Brother can also buy you branded clothes, branded shoes, and when you’re on holiday, wherever you want to go, brother will take you…”
Seeing that he was just rambling on without making any further moves, Qingyu gradually regained her composure.
“But I don’t want a boyfriend.”
Black Brother laughed loudly: “I said you were innocent and naive, little sister! Brother knows you’re a good student, I won’t force you, I just want to be good to you. Not a boyfriend, no, just a big brother who’s good to you. You can trust a big brother completely! If your hands are cold, Big Brother can warm them up for you, if you’re cold, Big Brother can keep you warm, that’s enough, right? Brother won’t do anything to you, it’s all for your good, don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid…”
“Were you this good to my sister too?” Qingyu asked. “Was it very good at first, but later you liked someone else and weren’t good to her anymore?”
“Oh, look how smart this little sister is, asking in a roundabout way if I’m faithful,” Black Brother laughed to the others, then turned back to her. “Brother won’t hide it from you, Little Qiao. It was your sister who didn’t want a brother! After just two weeks, she ignored me and went off with other men!”
“Wasted a lot of money, didn’t even get to kiss her,” someone on the side muttered, biting his straw.
“Ahem,” Black Brother coughed twice, sat up straight, and said seriously, “At that time, brother was just a small fry, and didn’t have much money. These past two years, I’ve made a bit of a name for myself, so, Little Qiao, the Black Brother sitting in front of you now is not the poor boy from back then. I’m willing to protect you, consider it your good fortune.”
The others nodded in agreement.
“Then,” Qingyu thought quickly, “are you doing better than that guy? The one who took my sister away?”
“He’s inside now,” Black Brother sneered. “That’s why I say your sister had no brains. That guy looked flashy, but he was doing illegal stuff! But me, Black Brother, I don’t do anything illegal!”
The others nodded in agreement. Black Brother, feeling smug, boasted, “My charm is what sets me apart. Spend a few days with me, and you’ll understand true charisma.”
Qiao Qingyu, looking directly into Black Brother’s eyes, replied as naturally as possible, “I find you quite understanding—not at all unreasonable as I had imagined. That must be why you have so many loyal brothers.”
Satisfied, Black Brother grunted approvingly.
Qingyu continued, “I’m touched by how you treat my sister. You like her and treat her well, but you don’t force her. Although her fickleness left you disappointed, I’m sure she still has a good impression of you, which is crucial. If you had forced her, she would have told me, and I wouldn’t have agreed to meet you.”
Surprised by Qingyu’s words, Black Brother’s gaze filled with admiration.
“Moreover, you answer all my questions thoughtfully, showing you’re patient and gentle,” Qingyu added. “To be honest, I was nervous before meeting you, fearing mistreatment. But now I see I was wrong. You’re all smart—if you wanted to harm me, you wouldn’t have chosen to meet at the school gate, right?”
“Absolutely,” Black Brother eagerly agreed. “I care for you too much to hurt you. If we meant harm, we wouldn’t be taking you home, would we?”
“Speaking of home,” Qingyu said, her eyes bright as she looked directly at Black Brother’s narrow single eyelids, “I’m different from my sister. My parents are very strict and forbid me from associating with the opposite sex. So, if we’re to be friends, we can’t let my parents know.”
Black Brother nodded vigorously, “Of course, you’re still young—a high school student. We’ll wait until you’re of age before letting your parents know about our friendship.”
The phrase “our friendship” sent a chill down Qingyu’s spine—the wolf’s den was revealing itself.
“Just friends, not boyfriend and girlfriend,” she corrected, trying to stay calm.
“Yes, just friends,” Black Brother chuckled, glancing at his companions before turning back with an exaggerated seriousness. “So, little Qiao, how about I pick you up every Friday after school, and we go out together?”
“Not today,” Qingyu replied. “My parents are waiting for me to have dinner at home.”
Black Brother frowned, visibly annoyed. “Didn’t you say you weren’t in a hurry to get home?”
“I was already home, but I told my mom I’d be half an hour late specifically to meet you,” Qingyu explained, feeling drained. “Next time, I’ll think of another excuse to skip dinner at home.”
“But that’s a whole week away! I’ll miss you terribly!” Black Brother feigned disappointment. “I came from Jiangbin. Won’t you at least have a meal with me?”
A yellow-haired lackey suggested, “How about a hug before you go?”
Suddenly, the group stood up, blocking the exit. Black Brother cleared his throat, slowly moving next to Qingyu with open arms and a forced smile. “Show some sincerity in our friendship, little Qiao. You’ve had your bubble tea—don’t try to trick me like your sister did.”
Qingyu shook her head, feeling her defenses crumble.
“Fine, you can go home for dinner,” Black Brother said, leaning over her with a soft yet menacing tone. “But if you pretend not to know me next time, I’ll have wasted money on this bubble tea. You don’t think I’m stupid enough to fall for the same trick twice, do you?”
“I won’t pretend not to know you,” Qingyu replied, trying to maintain her composure.
“But my fragile heart doesn’t believe you,” Black Brother whined with fake tears. “Give me a little kiss, and even if you ignore me next time, I won’t blame you.”
As he leaned in, fear overwhelmed Qingyu. She quickly covered her face and moved to another chair against the wall. Suddenly, a girl’s voice called out, “What are you doing?”
Black Brother straightened up. Qingyu opened her eyes to see a female employee from the bubble tea shop watching them.
“Nothing, just chatting,” Black Brother smiled.
The employee, spotting the frightened Qingyu in the corner, looked suspicious. Black Brother sent one of his lackeys to buy another bubble tea, and the employee reluctantly returned to the counter.
Black Brother resumed his advances, sitting in Qingyu’s vacated seat. “Come on, little sister,” he cooed, “just one little kiss on your cheek. It’ll be like a mosquito bite—no harm done, right?”
As he leaned in again, Qingyu frantically pulled out a utility knife, extending the blade. “Stay back!” she warned.
Black Brother paused, eyeing the knife for a moment before smiling chillingly. “Oh, so you were playing me from the start, bringing a knife? You little bitch, quite daring, aren’t you? Did that slut of a sister teach you this? Think it’s fun to mess with me?”
The blade trembled in front of him—Qingyu couldn’t control her shaking hands.
“Little Qiao,” Black Brother gripped her wrists tightly through her school uniform, immobilizing her hands. “My sweet, innocent little Qiao, I wonder how you taste?”
He suddenly increased his grip. Combined with her previous burn injury, Qingyu’s left hand weakened, and the knife began to slip. Black Brother lowered his head, staring intensely at Qingyu while biting the knife handle. With a quick flick of his head, the knife clattered to the floor.
“Such a cute, blushing face. Come on, it’s simple, just one little kiss…”
“Hey, you guys!” the female employee called out again, “If you’re done drinking, make room for other customers. Don’t disrupt our business!”
“How the hell are we disrupting your business?” one lackey argued. “We bought several bubble teas. The customer is king!”
“More kings are coming, and they’ve requested clean seats,” the employee persisted, raising her voice. “Ming Sheng from No. 2 Middle School is bringing people, and I can’t disappoint him!”
Hearing this, Black Brother suddenly released Qingyu. “Sister, let’s go somewhere else…”
Qingyu shook her head vigorously, gripping the table edge. “I’m not going.”
Black Brother spat out, “You can’t escape forever!” He stepped over the fallen knife and strode towards the exit, his lackeys hurrying after him.
“Boss, what’s wrong?”
“Didn’t Ye Zilin say this girl was a nobody we could play with?”
“Did you kiss her, boss?”
“Shut up, all of you,” Black Brother snarled. “You want to fight over turf with that kid at No. 2 Middle School’s gate? What’s it got to do with this girl?”
As they left, Qingyu remained frozen in place, her mind in chaos.
“Are you okay, student?” The female employee approached, straightening the chairs. “Why were they bullying you?”
Qingyu snapped back to reality, remembering Ming Sheng was coming. She stood up abruptly.
“Take it easy,” the employee patted her shoulder sympathetically. “You look pretty shaken up. Just sit for a while, it’s fine.”
“But isn’t Ming Sheng…” Qingyu felt dizzy from standing too quickly.
“Ha,” the employee laughed, “I was just scaring them off. I have no idea if Ming Sheng is coming or not. Just sit down, it’s no trouble.”
Feeling as if a long-prepared exam had suddenly been canceled, Qingyu felt both relieved and disappointed.
As she boarded the bus, she realized that perhaps relief was the dominant emotion—relief that Ming Sheng hadn’t seen her defeated and vulnerable state.