Chapter 8 (2/2)

Having overheard Wei Cai’s threat, the form teacher shouted, “You guys are still unrepentant?!”

Wei Cai and her group of friends didn’t even bother turning back to acknowledge the form teacher’s scolding, and simply strolled off in a rather lackadaisical fas.h.i.+on.

The form teacher was extremely enraged, and called every single parent of Wei Cai and her group of friends. Despite his insistence that the parents take their children in hand, the parents were too preoccupied with their work, and simply brushed him off. As a result, the form teacher’s fury only worsened after his calls.

Chen Nian remained rooted at her original spot, her hair and clothes in a terrible mess.

The anger of the form teacher subsided the moment he glanced at Chen Nian. Strolling over, he patted Chen Nian’s shoulders and sighed, “Don’t be affected by them, and don’t get distracted – just persevere a little longer. They will no longer be able to bother you after you complete your examinations.”

Once, Chen Nian had pinned all her hopes and dreams on the upcoming examinations; now, the stairway to hope seemed so fragile and distant.

“Teacher……” Chen Nian raised her head and looked him in the eye, her lips trembling slightly, “Could you……send me home……after school?” Her voice was extremely small and shaky, as though it was a string entangled to the point of deformity, “She will……definitely find ways to……execute her……revenge. I know this……for sure.”

The following week, Chen Nian didn’t dare to journey to and fro from school alone. Instead, the form teacher was responsible for fetching her to and fro from school. During the journey, Chen Nian frequently saw Wei Cai and her group of friends; they were like persistent spirits which refused to leave, and always stared at her from a distance away. Every single time, however, they only appeared for an instant – thus, by the time Chen Nian tried to point them out to the form teacher, they were no longer there.

However, school was where Chen Nian’s nightmare truly began.

The remaining group of girls who were good friends with Wei Cai viewed Chen Nian as a thorn in their side, and frequently bullied and tormented Chen Nian – they began to blatantly mimic and mock her stutter in cla.s.s without a single ounce of fear; they would frequently trip Chen Nian whenever she was distributing worksheets; and they even splashed red ink on her chair, so that Chen Nian’s white skirt would be splattered with ‘menstrual blood’ the moment she sat on her chair. After school, their bullying extended to secretly pinching Chen Nian whenever she walked past them and locking her into various cubicles; on innumerable occasions, they would splash Chen Nian with water ‘by accident’ in the course of their bantering, and whenever Chen Nian ‘blocked their way’, they would simply push her out of the way or even slap her directly.

Chen Nian had informed the form teacher about these bullying incidents, but this group of students were no longer amenable to the disciplinary actions of the school.

Li Xiang tried to help her several times. Chen Nian too, attempted to fight back. However, the end result was that the bullying became more severe. And when Xiao Mi attempted to help Chen Nian, she too, nearly became the target of bullying as well.

Many others, however, simply chose to turn a blind eye – like Zeng Hao.

Zeng Hao’s parents had instructed her to strictly keep herself out of these troublesome matters; rather than las.h.i.+ng out and making enemies, she ought to be fully focused on her studies instead. That day, when Zeng Hao and Wei Cai were at the Public Safety Bureau, Zeng Hao’s parents voluntarily forgave Wei Cai and subsequently forced the two to shake each other’s hands as a sign of “reconciliation”.

As a result, out of all the potential prey Wei Cai could hunt, only Chen Nian remained.

The school was akin to a community of biological animals. Just as animals instinctively yearn after various benefits and conscientiously avoid all forms of disadvantages, Chen Nian’s cla.s.smates naturally drifted away from Chen Nian, the current target of bullying and ostracism.

As graduation neared, the form teacher faced an increasing pile of work. As a result, he no longer had the effort and energy to deal with Chen Nian’s troubles, and could no longer find the time to send Chen Nian to and fro from school. Additionally, Wei Cai’s failure to reappear also helped to soothed his worries.

One day, the form teacher informed Chen Nian that he was no longer able to send her to and fro from school, and instructed her to contact him the moment she encountered any form of trouble as she was on her way to school.

That day, Chen Nian didn’t dare to stay in the cla.s.sroom after school ended. Chen Nian didn’t dare to walk out of the school compound either, and simply lingered in the vicinity of the school gates. As her schoolmates streamed past her, she seemed akin to a mortal who was unable to move a single inch after having been placed in a protected zone by the immortals.

As the last student exited the school compound, the light in the guardhouse flashed on. The security guard exited his guardhouse, ready to purchase his dinner. Upon seeing Chen Nian, he asked out of curiousity, “Why aren’t you leaving?”

Chen Nian shook her head.

As Chen Nian’s legs gradually grew numb, she seated herself on the steps of the school gates. Silence descended upon her. As Chen Nian stared into the darkening sky, she felt as though she was trapped in her very own grave.

She was at the end of her rope.

A fuzzy memory suddenly flashed across her eyes. Hurriedly, she dug out Zheng Yi’s namecard from her school bag.

By the time Zheng Yi arrived, the sky had already darkened completely. Soft glows of yellow light radiated weakly from the open windows of every household in the vicinity, as though each and every single household was an old lantern. Chen Nian quietly sat on the steps, her body curled into a small ball.

“I’m sorry I’m so late, work’s simply too busy.” Zheng Yi huffed and puffed as he ran towards Chen Nian. Carefully, he patted Chen Nian’s skinny and frail shoulders, “Let’s go.

Chen Nian sat there, unmoving. Her arms were wrapped around her legs, and her head was buried in her lap. It was as though she was a pupa.

She was simply too tired.

The gentle night breeze drifted past Officer Zheng Yi’s drenched back, causing a small chill to run up his back. Gradually, Officer Zheng Yi sensed that Chen Nian wasn’t behaving normally. He distinctly recalled his promise to her – that as long as she told him the truth, punishment would definitely be meted out to that group of bullies.

However, they weren’t punished – not even in the slightest. Ultimately, the person who was dragged to h.e.l.l was her. Chen Nian.

His inability to keep his promise filled him with a great sense of frustration and disappointment. He made an internal promise to himself – from this point forth, he would use his utmost effort to protect her, and s.h.i.+eld her from harm.

Slowly, Officer Zheng squat down till he was at Chen Nian’s eye level. However, before he could even open his mouth, Chen Nian had already shook her head. Her gentle and quiet voice rang out in the night, “School, isn’t supposed to be like that.”

Her single sentence rendered Zheng Yi speechless.

“Will University……be any better?” Chen Nian raised her head, her eyes filled with tears. “It will, won’t it?”

She pleaded, “It will definitely be better, right?”

Zheng Yi looked at the small and frail girl seated in front of him, his heart feeling as though it’s been stabbed by a knife.

Chen Nian’s eyes brimmed with tears, her lips quivering as she confessed, “Officer Zheng, I……I lied. I have……sinned. Sorry…….Hu Xiao Die, that……that day when she……committed suicide, she…….she did say something……to me.”

Zheng Yi felt his heart tighten, “What did she say to you?”

“Wei Cai, and her friends, are bullying me, can’t all of you see that?”

Can’t all of you see that?

Why isn’t anyone doing anything?

Why aren’t you guys doing anything?!