After Xue Yue returned to the classroom and sat down, Wei Yuyang walked over to her, a worried look on his face.
"Are you okay?"
Xue Yue shook her head. "I’m fine."
Wei Yuyang hesitated for a mont, then asked, "Huang Xinyi said you’re married. Is that true?"
Xue Yue was taken aback for a second, then nodded.
A flicker of hurt crossed Wei Yuyang’s eyes. He returned to his seat.
Song Wenli glanced at Xue Yue, then at Wei Yuyang, and whispered, "I think Mr. Wei might like you."
Xue Yue was startled and quickly replied in a low voice, "Don’t be ridiculous. I have a husband."
Song Wenli pouted. "Well, that’s just how it looks to . He seems really concerned about you."
Xue Yue scoffed, "That’s just common courtesy between classmates."
Huang Xinyi was true to her word about not letting Xue Yue off the hook. After school, not far from the campus, she and a few others blocked Xue Yue’s path.
Xue Yue frowned. "What exactly do you want?"
Huang Xinyi snorted. "I want you to apologize to , then kneel and slap yourself a few tis. Do that, and we’ll call it even. Otherwise, I’ll do it for you until I’m satisfied."
Xue Yue looked at the group of them. She knew she didn’t stand a chance. She darted a glance at the surrounding routes, wondering how she could run to shake them off.
Seeing Xue Yue remain silent, Huang Xinyi took a step forward. "Looks like you don’t want to do it yourself. In that case, I’ll do it for you."
As she spoke, the group started walking toward Xue Yue.
The mont she saw them coming, Xue Yue spun around and bolted.
"You dare run? Grab her—"
Xue Yue ran as fast as she could. As she passed an intersection up ahead, soone suddenly grabbed her.
Xue Yue imdiately started to struggle, about to strike back.
"Student Xue, it’s —"
Only then did Xue Yue look at him and see that it was Wei Yuyang.
The group chasing them was about to catch up. Xue Yue wanted to run again, but Wei Yuyang held her back and stood in front of her, facing the approaching group.
Huang Xinyi bent over, panting for breath, then pointed at Xue Yue and said, "Xue Yue, I’m definitely going to teach you a lesson today!"
Wei Yuyang said in a low, serious voice, "Huang Xinyi, what do you think you’re doing?"
Only then did Huang Xinyi look up and see Wei Yuyang standing in front of Xue Yue. A flash of delight appeared in her eyes, but when she saw Xue Yue behind him, she glared. "Xue Yue, you’re a married woman! Soone saw you over by the market and said your husband is a street vendor who sells clothes. No wonder you dress so flashy every day and still try to seduce Yuyang. So you’re just another gold digger trying to climb the social ladder, huh?"
Wei Yuyang was stunned for a mont, then snapped, "Huang Xinyi, that’s her private business! What’s it got to do with you?"
Huang Xinyi said angrily, "What do you an it has nothing to do with ? Your mother was already planning on arranging our engagent, but you refused! Isn’t it because she seduced you?"
Anger flashed in Wei Yuyang’s eyes. "My mother doesn’t speak for . There’s no way it could ever work between us. You’re not my type. But this has nothing to do with anyone else."
It was only then that Xue Yue understood. No wonder Huang Xinyi always had it out for her. So that was the reason. She took two steps back, putting so distance between herself and Wei Yuyang.
"Student Huang, I’ll say this one more ti. I am married. I have a husband and children, and I love them. So there’s no ’seducing others’ like you claim. In the future, please get your facts straight before you speak, and don’t go looking for trouble where there is none."
At this, Huang Xinyi’s eyes dimd, hurt by Wei Yuyang’s words.
Seeing her fall silent, Xue Yue said, "If you’ve got nothing else to say, I’m leaving. I have two children at ho waiting for ."
The people Huang Xinyi had brought with her glanced at her, as if to ask if they were still going to cause trouble, since their target was about to leave.
Huang Xinyi didn’t speak, lost in her own emotions.
Xue Yue didn’t have ti to wait for her. She walked quickly toward Ruanruan’s school without so much as a goodbye to Wei Yuyang. He was a big part of the reason this whole ss had happened, after all, and Xue Yue was still upset about it. ’What a ridiculous situation.’
Xue Yue had no idea what happened after she left, but Ruanruan was still waiting at school to be picked up. Realizing so ti had passed since school let out, Xue Yue quickened her pace from a brisk walk to a run.
By the ti she got to Ruanruan’s school, the main gate was already shut. Anxiously, Xue Yue paced back and forth outside, peering inside. She thought she saw soone, so she shouted toward the grounds, "He Ziluo! Ruanruan—"
After two shouts, Ruanruan ca running out from inside. She stood behind the gate, looking at Xue Yue with an aggrieved expression. "Mama, why are you so late? All the other kids have gone ho."
The teacher followed her out, her expression sowhat unpleasant. She said to Xue Yue curtly, "Please co earlier to pick up your child in the future. We have families too, and children of our own. We have things to do when school lets out. Besides, it’s upsetting for a child to see they’re the only one left."
Xue Yue nodded repeatedly. "I’m so sorry, Teacher Guo. I’ve wasted your ti. Her father is away on a trip, and I was unexpectedly delayed by a small incident today. I’ll do my best to be earlier in the future. Thank you for your trouble."
"Alright, just take your child and go ho."
She then opened the gate, and Ruanruan ran out. Xue Yue took Ruanruan’s hand.
"Say goodbye to Teacher Guo."
Ruanruan obediently waved her hand. "Goodbye, Teacher Guo."
"Goodbye."
On the way ho, Xue Yue said to Ruanruan, "Tomorrow, Mama will definitely pick you up on ti. The teacher didn’t scold you, did she?"
Ruanruan shook her head. "Teacher Guo just grumbled a bit. She didn’t scold ."
Xue Yue nodded, finally breathing a sigh of relief.
This was probably a common affliction for all parents. After sending their children to school, they were terrified the child would be bullied and afraid the teachers wouldn’t like them. It was a major contradiction, and as a parent, Xue Yue was no exception.
On He Lang’s end, he got off the train in the evening. He had planned to walk ho, but unexpectedly, he ran into He Nan coming ho from work halfway there.
"Third Brother?"
"Oldest Brother."
Seeing that it really was He Lang, He Nan got off his bicycle and walked over, pushing it alongside him.
"Didn’t you just leave not too long ago? Why are you back again? Did sothing happen?"
He Lang nodded. "Yes, sothing’s up. Let’s talk about it when we get back."
"Alright, hop on. I’ll give you a ride back."
The two had just reached the village entrance. It was the busy farming season, and the villagers were just getting off work when they saw the two brothers of the He Family returning.
Soone teased, "He Lang, why aren’t you staying in Beijing City? What brings you back? Things not going so well for you there?"
"He Lang, your wife’s in school, so does that an you’re at ho watching the kids every day? Can you even handle that?"
"If you ask , you can watch kids anywhere. Why run off to Beijing City to do it? That’s no place for people like us."
Everyone started chattering at once.
mbers of the He family ca over from a distance. Seeing He Lang, Mrs. He imdiately ran over.
"Third Son, why are you back?"
He Lang said with a smile, "I ca back for a reason. Mom, let’s talk at ho."
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