Chapter 221: Chapter 221
Before Sun Mingjie’s words were fully spoken, Zhang Linong’s fist was the first to strike. Sun Mingjie staggered back two steps before stabilizing himself, glaring at Zhang Linong in disbelief, as he couldn’t believe that Zhang Linong, who usually diffused conflicts, would hit him.
Liu Zhiyuan, on the side, was originally organizing people to send the four young men to the police station. The four young men were cursing and swearing, resisting fiercely, which was enough to irritate Liu Zhiyuan. In the midst of this incident, Sun Mingjie was making sarcastic comments. Not only were the students present sympathetic towards Ye Ling, there were no unpleasant words spoken among them. For Sun Mingjie to act this way was infuriating to Liu Zhiyuan.
Therefore, Liu Zhiyuan simply pretended not to see and directly instructed people to drag the four away. Dong Haoyu casually advised Sun Mingjie, "Such a big incident happened, you should hold back a bit."
Sun Mingjie wasn’t actually targeting Ye Ling. He was sympathetic towards Ye Ling due to the incident; he just couldn’t stand Zhao Guodong and his group. Now, seeing such an opportunity, he spoke without thinking. Now that Zhang Linong had punched him, he was somewhat sobered up. Even if that hadn’t happened, Dong Haoyu’s words had reminded him.
So, despite being hit, Sun Mingjie touched half his face without saying much, and certainly didn’t retaliate. Zhang Linong didn’t hit him again either, turning away after just one punch. Zhao Guodong cursed at Sun Mingjie and chased after Zhang Linong. Such a huge commotion in the park, even the senior students’ gathering was disrupted.
Xiang Weilai walked away carrying Ye Ling, but he didn’t return directly to the compound. Instead, he found a clear spot before sitting down. Ye Ling had been in his arms all the while as he gently patted her back for comfort, much like consoling a frightened child.
In a voice that only the two of them could hear, he spoke softly, "It’s all over now. I know you’re afraid; you’re always strong in front of your parents, unwilling to bow down. Now that this has happened, you don’t want people to see you at your weakest. I won’t take you back to the compound then. We can stay here until you feel better, and decide where to go afterward."
"Honestly, you’re very brave. In that situation, you were still able to protect yourself. They only tore your shirt, and there was a vest underneath. You managed to bite off a piece of their flesh; you’re still the one who won."
"There are a lot of such hooligans nowadays. Encountering them is no big deal; this incident isn’t a big deal either. You didn’t lose anything and there were so many people watching."
Xiang Weilai’s words slowly entered her ears. Ye Ling wasn’t ignoring him. From the moment she was carried away by Xiang Weilai and left the crowd, the quiet surroundings helped Ye Ling gradually regain her senses. But the previous incident had hit her hard, shattering Ye Ling’s persistence, leaving her feeling as if all strength had drained from her bones, with pain throughout her body.
Xiang Weilai’s comforting words and their meanings were clear to Ye Ling.
In today’s society, incidents can tarnish a woman’s reputation. Xiang Weilai’s words were meant to assure her not to overthink or worry. A person she hadn’t interacted much with in this life, who previously looked on from afar with amusement at her, was now gently comforting her like a child. Ye Ling couldn’t help but cry softly.
"Are you in pain? I’ll take you to the hospital," Xiang Weilai asked nervously when he noticed her crying again.
Bending down, he saw her red eyes, swollen and bruised face quivering with cries, her face so battered without a spot untouched, his heart ached.
"I’m okay now." Ye Ling didn’t want Xiang Weilai to keep guessing, so she spoke with a choked voice, "I’m just exhausted. I’ll be fine in a while."
Xiang Weilai’s heart eased. Seeing Ye Ling’s child-like grievance, he smiled, "That’s good. Don’t worry about being tired, I’m holding you, nothing to fear."
In front of Xiang Weilai, Ye Ling always showed her strong side, never the weakness typical of girls. But at this moment, she shed all pretenses, revealing her true self to Xiang Weilai, knowing this was a sign of her trust in him.
This brought them a step closer, though Xiang Weilai wasn’t aware of the happiness it brought him.
"When everyone sees me , won’t they all be delighted, laughing at me?" Ye Ling asked Xiang Weilai, whimsically without knowing why.
Even she didn’t realize the hint of coquettishness in her tone.
Xiang Weilai deliberately exaggerated his expression, "Happy? Laughing at you?"
His eyes widened, "Why? Do you think none of us likes you, so they’ll be happy if they see this? Laugh at you?"
Ye Ling turned her head, "I wouldn’t care whether you all like me or not. I live for myself, not for outsiders to see."
"If you are living for yourself, then why care about how others see you?" Xiang Weilai showed a contented expression, his voice softening, "Ye Ling, whether others view you a certain way or you view yourself a certain way, I don’t know. In my eyes, Ye Ling, you’re one of the clearest-living individuals. You don’t care about outsiders’ perspectives. At home, faced with unfair treatment, you don’t compromise or fear others’ strange gazes, accusations; doing what you want to do, you’re that kind of person. The incident today frightened you, but no matter what others might say, it won’t affect you, will it?"
"Thank you for thinking highly of me." Ye Ling gave a bitter smile, "Sometimes I feel like I’m being dramatic. I claim not to care about anything, but deep inside, I still can’t help but care. Do you think I’m hypocritical? I envy Ye Qian; she doesn’t have to do anything to win everyone’s favor. I envy the children in the compound; they are cherished by their parents, no matter the mischief they cause. Their parents always stand by them. In contrast, when I look back at myself, there’s nothing. That’s when I tell myself not to care about those things, there’s only you to live happily for, but in reality, you look—because I lack everything, I must make myself strong."
"Do you feel contempt for me hearing these words?" Ye Ling looked up at Xiang Weilai, yet in his embrace, she seemed to forget about this matter, not feeling cautious due to it, her gaze straightforward as she continued, "Actually, after sharing my thoughts with you today, I might not want to see you again because I would feel inferior. I’ll never forget that in the most helpless moment of my life, you helped me; regardless, hearing these words, you might call me heartless or undeserving of sympathy. Let me down now, I’m used to it."
"I believe hearing you say these words means you’re truly okay now, and that’s good." Xiang Weilai returned to his usual slightly smiling expression, "Are you sure you want me to put you down now?" (To be continued. If you work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets for me on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile readers please read at m.qidian.com.)