After classes ended on Friday, Qiao Qingyu slipped an art knife into her school uniform pocket, shouldered her backpack, and resolutely walked out of the academic building. Black Brother and his gang had already arrived. Half an hour earlier, Qiao Qingyu had received a text message from an unknown number claiming to be Black Brother, saying they were at the school gate.
Ten minutes ago, looking down the corridor toward the gate, she had indeed spotted several conspicuously dressed young men standing on the sidewalk opposite the security booth, like rocks splitting the stream of students flowing toward the bus stop.
Five minutes ago, Qiao Qingyu had texted Li Fanghao, telling her that there was a distinguished alumni speech at school tonight and she would stay to listen. She hadn’t completely lied—the speaking senior was called Ming Dai, reportedly Ming Sheng’s cousin. A considerable number of students had already gone to secure seats in the lecture hall, suggesting the speech was worth attending.
“Okay.” Li Fanghao’s simple two-character reply from three minutes ago had made Qiao Qingyu’s heart tighten. Usually, when she stayed late at school, Li Fanghao would always remind her to return home early, but not today. Walking down the stairs, Qiao Qingyu optimistically thought that perhaps her mother was just busy.
As she approached the school gate, her mind returned to the present predicament. Most students who planned to leave had already gone, and the group of young men huddled together, with one wearing a shiny black leather jacket and long hair constantly looking back toward the school gate. Qiao Qingyu maintained a steady pace, though her gaze hurriedly darted away when the man in the black jacket turned his head again—she was, after all, somewhat afraid.
Suddenly, she heard a hoarse, excited male voice: “Hey, beautiful!”
The man in the black jacket had recognized Qiao Qingyu.
As soon as she exited the school gate, the gang surrounded her.
“Qiao Qingyu, hey, you’re Qiao Qingyu, right?” The man in the black jacket drew closest, his yellow sweater underneath reeking of cigarette smoke. “I’m Black Brother!”
“Hi,” Qiao Qingyu gave a slight smile to the cramped features on his sallow face, “Black Brother.”
“Hey, don’t be nervous, I’m not here to hurt you,” Black Brother stared directly at Qiao Qingyu’s face, his eyes gleaming. “Studying is tiring, right? Come on, Big Brother will take you to the arcade to relax! Hey, you guys, back off a bit, don’t scare our little sister…”
There were five of them in total.
Not wanting to show her disgust, yet unwilling to let others think she was familiar with them, Qiao Qingyu felt as if an invisible hand was pushing her, her steps hurried yet hesitant. Soon they reached the intersection, and seeing Black Brother reach out to hail a taxi, Qiao Qingyu quickly spoke up: “Black Brother, the bubble tea across the street is delicious. Why don’t we go get some bubble tea?”
Black Brother squinted at the shop across the street, then turned back with an eager smile: “Whatever you say, whatever you say. Big brother will treat you to bubble tea first!”
The bubble tea shop was already small, and with school just letting out, three of the four tables were occupied. Qiao Qingyu was the first to get her drink and walked directly to the empty table in the furthest corner.
Black Brother followed closely behind her, smiling broadly, and darted in front of her to helpfully adjust her chair as they reached the table. Soon, the other young men joined them with their drinks, standing around like bodyguards, making the cramped space feel even more confined. In her peripheral vision, Qiao Qingyu noticed the students at the other three tables glancing their way before quickly getting up to leave.
This at least left them with plenty of seating.
Taking small sips of the rich bubble tea, looking past all the stares fixed on her, the school gate directly opposite gave Qiao Qingyu 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.”
Qiao Qingyu quickly glanced at him before lowering her eyes to the table: “I’m not worthy of the comparison. My sister is much prettier than me.”
“Haha,” Black Brother gave a dry laugh, suddenly leaning in very close and speaking in an intimate tone, “If I say you’re worthy, then you’re worthy. Your sister was just pretty on the surface, but she had no brains. How could she compare to you? You’re so well-behaved and clever…”
“Did she make you unhappy?” Qiao Qingyu asked, unconsciously leaning back slightly, her body tensing. “Why do you say my sister has no brains?”
Black Brother snorted, narrowing his eyes as if remembering: “She did more than make me unhappy, she made a lot of people unhappy. Your sister, she was missing something up here.” He tapped his temple with his index finger, his words carrying an unexpected viciousness.
“Like a cat, she’d follow anyone who had food for her, impossible to keep,” 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. Qiao Qingyu quickly pulled her hands to her thighs in alarm.
“Don’t be scared, little sister. Brother saw you weren’t wearing much and wanted to help keep you warm…” Black Brother smiled lasciviously, his voice was as sticky as honey. “Brother likes you, like you from your photo, and seeing you in person makes me like you even more… Brother knows your life is hard, with no one to care for you. It breaks my brother’s heart. Stay with your brother, and not only will no one bully you at school, but even when you get out into society, your brother can still back you up… Whatever you need, just tell brother, and I’ll buy it for you…”
Under his leering gaze, Qiao Qingyu unconsciously slipped her hand into her pocket, secretly gripping the hard art knife.
“You like bubble tea, brother can have people 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 during holidays, wherever you want to go, brother will take you…”
Seeing that he was just rambling and not making any further moves, Qiao Qingyu gradually regained her composure.
“But I don’t want a boyfriend.”
Black Brother laughed loudly: “I said you were innocent and naive! Brother knows you’re a good student, I won’t force you, just want to be good to you. Not a boyfriend, no, just a big brother who’s good to you. You can completely trust your big brother! When your hands are cold, brother will warm them up, when your body’s cold, brother will help keep you warm, that’s enough! 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?” Qiao Qingyu asked. “Was it that you were very nice at first, but then you liked someone else and became mean to her?”
“Oh, look how clever this little sister is, asking roundabout questions about whether I’m faithful,” Black Brother laughed to the others, then turned back. “Brother won’t hide it from you, Little Qiao, it was your sister who didn’t want a brother! After not even two weeks, she ignored her brother and went off with another man!”
“Wasted so much money, didn’t even get a kiss,” someone on the side muttered while chewing on a straw.
“Ahem, ahem,” Black Brother coughed twice, sat up straight, and said seriously, “At that time, brother was just a small-timer, and didn’t have much money. These past couple of years, I’ve made quite a name for myself, so, Little Qiao sister, the Black Brother sitting in front of you now isn’t that poor guy from back then. My willingness to protect you is your good fortune.”
The others nodded in agreement.
“Then,” Qiao Qingyu thought quickly, “are you doing better than that person? The man 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 everything he did was illegal! But me, Black Brother, I don’t do anything illegal!”
The others nodded in agreement.
“My Black Brother relies on personal charm,” Black Brother became smug. “Spend a few days with me, and you’ll know what personal charm means.”
“I think you’re indeed very understanding,” Qiao Qingyu looked into Black Brother’s eyes, trying to speak naturally. “Not the unreasonable person I imagined, that’s why you have so many loyal brothers.”
Black Brother gave a satisfied grunt.
“You liked my sister and were good to her without forcing her, I find that touching. Although my sister’s fickleness left you with regret, I believe she must have had a good impression of you, which is very important. Because if you had forced her, she would have told me, and I wouldn’t have agreed to meet you.”
Black Brother hadn’t expected Qiao Qingyu to say this, and his gaze held a new admiration when he looked at her.
“Besides, you answer every question I ask seriously, which shows you’re a very patient and gentle person,” Qiao Qingyu continued. “To be honest, I was very nervous before meeting you, afraid that you would bully me, but now I see I was wrong. You’re all very smart—if you wanted to bully me, you wouldn’t have chosen to meet me at the school gate, right?”
“Right, right, right,” Black Brother agreed eagerly, “Brother cares for you so much, how could I bully you… If I wanted to harm you, I wouldn’t be offering to take you home, right?”
“Speaking of going home,” Qiao Qingyu’s eyes sparkled as she looked directly into Black Brother’s narrow single-lidded eyes, “I’m different from my sister. My parents are very strict with me, strictly forbidding me from associating with the opposite sex. So, if we’re going to be friends, we can’t let my parents see.”
Black Brother nodded vigorously: “Of course, of course, you’re still young after all, still a high school student, we should at least wait until you’re of age before letting your parents know about our friendship.”
The words “our friendship” made Qiao Qingyu break out in a cold sweat—the wolf’s den had revealed itself.
“Just friends, not boyfriend and girlfriend,” she corrected, trying to stay calm.
“Just friends, just friends,” Black Brother giggled, turning his head to give his followers a meaningful look before turning back with exaggerated seriousness. “Then, Little Qiao, how about every Friday, I’ll pick you up after school, and we’ll go out together, okay?”
“Not today,” Qiao Qingyu said, “My parents are waiting for me to come home for dinner.”
“Didn’t you say you weren’t in a hurry to go home?” Black Brother frowned, showing signs of annoyance.
“I would normally be home by now, but today I specifically told my mom I’d be half an hour late, just to meet you all,” Qiao Qingyu felt her inner strength depleting, “Next time, okay? Next time I’ll think of another excuse to skip dinner at home.”
“Ah, but that means waiting another week, brother will miss you to death!” Black Brother put on a plaintive expression, “Brother came specially from Jiangbin, such a long way, and you won’t even give me the face of having dinner?”
A yellow-haired lackey suggested: “At least give him a hug before you go.”
Several of them suddenly stood up, blocking the path. Black Brother coughed twice, leisurely stood up, and moved to Qiao Qingyu’s side, smiling as he opened his arms.
“Show some sincerity in our friendship, Little Qiao,” he deliberately slowed his speech, smiling falsely, “You’ve had your bubble tea, trying to trick me as your sister did?”
Qiao Qingyu shook her head. Her defensive walls were about to collapse.
“You want to go home for dinner, fine,” Black Brother leaned down with one hand on the table corner, his tone still soft but with a sinister horror to it, “But if you pretend not to know me next time, haven’t I just wasted money on this bubble tea? You think I’m so stupid I’d forget the lesson I learned with your sister?”
“I won’t pretend to know you.” Qiao Qingyu tried to look at him calmly.
“But brother’s fragile little heart doesn’t believe you,” Black Brother put on a fake crying voice, “Give brother a little kiss, and even if you don’t acknowledge brother next time, brother won’t blame you.”
With that, his face pressed down. Terror suddenly peaked, and Qiao Qingyu quickly covered her face with her hands, hurriedly moving to another chair against the wall. Just then, a girl’s voice suddenly came from nearby: “What are you doing?”
Black Brother seemed to straighten up. Qiao Qingyu opened her eyes nervously to see it was a female employee of the bubble tea shop who had spoken.
“Nothing, nothing, just chatting.” Black Brother smiled.
The employee stood on tiptoe and spotted the panicked Qiao Qingyu in the corner. At this point, Black Brother sent one of his lackeys to buy another bubble tea, and the employee returned to the counter with a suspicious look.
Black Brother launched another offensive, sitting in the chair Qiao Qingyu had just vacated, pleading in a sickeningly sweet voice: “Sister, Little Qiao sister, brother just wants one little kiss on your face, just think of it like a mosquito bite, what’s the harm, right? Come on sister, come…”
As he spoke, he was slowly pressing forward again, this time with his whole body. In her panic, Qiao Qingyu pulled out the art knife, quickly extending the gleaming blade: “Don’t come any closer!”
Black Brother stopped his forward motion, stared at the art knife for a few seconds, then smiled chillingly: “Oh, so you were playing with me from the start, brought a knife and everything~ You little bitch have quite some nerve, did that big slut of your sister teach you this? Think it’s fun to mess with me?”
The blade trembled before her eyes—Qiao Qingyu couldn’t control her shaking hands.
“Little Qiao sister,” Through her school uniform, Black Brother grabbed both her wrists like vices, making it impossible for Qiao Qingyu to move her hands, “Pure as water Little Qiao, I wonder if you’re as sweet as you look?”
He suddenly increased his grip and combined with her still-not-fully-healed burn, Qiao Qingyu’s left hand immediately lost strength from the pain, and the knife was about to slip from her grasp. At this moment, Black Brother lowered his head, keeping his eyes fixed on Qiao Qingyu while gripping the knife handle with his teeth, and casually flicking his head. With a clear clang, the art knife fell to the ground.
“Such a cute blushing face, come on, it’s simple, brother just wants one kiss…”
“Hey, you lot,” came the female employee’s voice again, calling inside, “If you’re done drinking, hurry up and free the seats, don’t interfere with our business!”
“How the fuck are we interfering with your business?” one lackey argued, “Haven’t we bought several bubble teas? The customer is god!”
“More gods are coming, several people specifically asked for clean seats,” the employee was unmoved, raising her voice even louder, “Ming Sheng from No. 2 Middle School is bringing people, I dare not neglect him!”
Black Brother, who had been listening intently, suddenly released his hands at these words: “Sister, let’s go somewhere else…”
Qiao Qingyu shook her head desperately, gripping the table corner tightly: “I won’t go.”
Black Brother spat out viciously: “You can escape the monk but not the temple!”
With that, he stepped over the art knife on the floor and strode toward the door. Seeing this, his lackeys hurried after him.
“Brother, what’s wrong?”
“Didn’t Ye Zilin say this girl was disliked by everyone, that we could play with her however we wanted?”
“Brother, did you get to kiss her?”
“Shut the fuck up, all of you,” Black Brother’s vicious voice, “You want to fight over territory with that kid at No. 2 Middle School’s gate? What’s it got to do with this girl!”
As they grew more distant, Qiao Qingyu remained frozen in place. Like being ravaged by a wild storm, her mind was in chaos.
“Are you okay, student?” The female employee came over to straighten the chairs, “Why were they bullying you?”
Qiao Qingyu came to her senses. Ming Sheng is coming soon, she thought. Her body seemed to move of its own accord as she suddenly stood up.
“Take it easy, take it easy first,” the employee patted her shoulder sympathetically, “I can see you’re quite shaken. Just sit here, it’s fine.”
“But isn’t Ming Sheng…” Qiao Qingyu felt dizzy, perhaps from standing up too quickly.
“Ha,” the employee laughed, “I was just scaring them off, how would I know if Ming Sheng is coming or not? Just sit, it’s no trouble.”
Like being told a carefully prepared exam was suddenly canceled, Qiao Qingyu felt both relieved and disappointed.
As she boarded the bus, she vaguely felt that perhaps relief was the stronger emotion.
Relief that Ming Sheng hadn’t seen her in such a defeated state after surrendering her weapons.