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After returning home, Zhu Hui was still seething with anger. The thought of Liu Xi bullying her classmates made her blood boil. She tossed and turned in bed all night, contemplating the situation. Finally, she decided to confront Liu Xi the next day and talk to him about it, hoping he would apologize to Meng Fei.
Unfortunately, Liu Xi did not come to school the following day. All the lines she had rehearsed in her mind went unused. Nevertheless, she was unwilling to give up and decided to go to Liu Xi's house after school.
Following the address, she found Liu Xi's home in a rundown neighborhood. Standing outside his door, she could hardly believe her eyes. Liu Xi, who always donned designer clothes and exuded a trendy aura, lived in such a shabby place. The door was so dilapidated that she could see almost all the furnishings inside. A wave of sadness washed over her as she took in the sight.
After hesitating for a while outside his door, she finally mustered the courage to knock. A plump middle-aged woman with silver hair opened the door. Though her face bore signs of age, it did not look old. The woman seemed to have an eye condition; her eyes were cloudy as if veiled by a layer of white mist, and they lacked any sparkle. Upon seeing Zhu Hui, the woman smiled warmly, her face twitching slightly with age lines, and asked whom she was looking for. After Zhu Hui politely explained her purpose, the woman invited her inside.
Once inside, Zhu Hui's eyes darted around the room in search of Liu Xi, but she was surprised to find that his home was even more modest than hers. With one eye half-closed, she could see every corner of the house clearly; however, Liu Xi was nowhere to be found.
"Auntie, where did Liu Xi go?" Zhu Hui asked in confusion.
"Oh, Liu Xi? He probably went to work after school!" Liu Mama replied with a smile that radiated happiness. She continued proudly, "Our Liu Xi is such a good boy; he knows how to care for his mother. To lighten my burden, he works outside to help earn money for the family!"
"Is... is that so?" Zhu Hui looked at this happy mother and found herself at a loss for words. She couldn't bring herself to tell her that Liu Xi hadn't come to school that day.
"Surely Liu Xi is doing well in school?" Liu Mama asked confidently.
"Um... um... he's doing okay," Zhu Hui replied softly, unable to meet her gaze.
"Did you come here today because you have something important to discuss with him?" Liu Mama asked curiously.
"N-no... nothing important, really."
"Is that so?" Liu Mama smiled gently at her and went into the kitchen to pour her a glass of water. Taking her time, she added, "You two are classmates; you should visit each other more often like this to strengthen your friendship!"
"Y-yes, I think so too," Zhu Hui said perfunctorily while avoiding eye contact.
"It's getting late; I think Liu Xi will be back soon. Why don't you stay for dinner? Although my eyesight isn't great, my cooking is top-notch!" Liu Mama warmly insisted.
"N-no... my grandma has already prepared dinner and is waiting for me to eat with her. I appreciate your kindness; maybe I can come over another time," Zhu Hui said hurriedly as she set down the teacup and thanked Liu Mama before leaving.
As Zhu Hui walked out of Liu Xi's house, she felt conflicted and unsure of where to go next. It was as if she had fallen into an endless ocean and transformed into a solitary boat drifting aimlessly, waiting for a storm to wash over her. Everything around her seemed justifiable now because it was filled with an emotional warmth that was hard to let go of. Faced with this warmth, she began to feel anxious and restless, unsure how long she could uphold the sense of justice she had fiercely defended against Liu Mama's confident smile. Lost in thought about this matter as she walked along, it tormented her while also testing her resolve.
The next afternoon after school ended, she skipped lunch and went alone to People's Hospital to visit Meng Fei's grandmother, hoping to gain some insight from her that might help free her from her confusion.
Upon entering the hospital room, she was surprised to find Meng Fei there. He sat quietly in front of his grandmother's bed, like a piece of wood, staring blankly at her.
“Meng Fei, what are you doing here?” Zhu Hui exclaimed, both surprised and delighted to see him after such a long time.
“Do you think I should be at an internet café right now?” Meng Fei turned to look at her, his expression calm but his brows furrowed with coldness.
“No, no, that’s not it.” Zhu Hui hurried to explain, “Dong Xiwen has already told me the truth about everything. I know you’re not an unfilial person. I believe you love your grandmother very much, don’t you?”
“So what? My grandmother did have a stroke because I pushed her.” Meng Fei bit his lip as he spoke, brushing aside the messy hair on his grandmother's forehead, using all his strength to keep himself from trembling.
“But you need to explain to those who don’t understand that you’re not a heartless person. You have no idea how cruelly they talk about you behind your back.”
“Is that so? Then let them say whatever they want! It actually makes me feel a bit better; at least I’ve received my punishment.” Meng Fei forced a bitter smile.
“How can you say such self-destructive things? I believe that once your grandmother knows the truth, she will forgive you because she loves you too.” Zhu Hui said urgently.
“I don’t want to explain anything right now, nor do I want anyone’s forgiveness. I just want to sit here quietly and accompany my grandmother through the last moments of her life.”
Hearing this, Zhu Hui stepped forward to look at the grandmother lying on the bed, who had not woken up. It felt like being struck by a hammer in her heart—both painful and heavy—as tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. She recalled the last time they had met during a parent-teacher conference when Meng Fei's grandmother had been lively and smiling. In less than half a year, she had changed so drastically—her complexion darkened and unresponsive, a sight too tragic to bear.
“Don’t be so pessimistic. I believe your grandmother will get better,” Zhu Hui comforted him.
“Class monitor, thank you for your comfort. But I know my grandmother’s condition very well…” Meng Fei said, unable to hold back his tears as they shimmered in his eyes.
“Meng Fei, be strong. Let me help you get through this difficult time together, okay?” Zhu Hui looked at him sincerely.
“No.” Meng Fei flatly rejected her kindness.
“Why not?” Zhu Hui was genuinely surprised by his refusal.
“Class monitor, I appreciate your good intentions, but I really don’t want to drag you into this. I hope you can understand.”
“I don’t understand,” Zhu Hui replied indignantly. “I only understand that friends should stand by each other in times of trouble and lend a helping hand. Besides, you still call me class monitor, so I’m definitely involved in this.”
“Why can't you just follow my wishes and let me survive?”
“Is surviving really what you desire? Are you truly willing to watch that person who has harmed you so badly go free?”
“What can I do? I admit I'm useless; I can't fight against him.”
“If violence could solve problems, then what do we need the law for?”
“The law? The law relies on evidence, just as living requires ability. Who would believe mere words?”
“I don't care about that. I believe in justice, and I will make that bastard Liu Xi kneel down and apologize to you,” Zhu Hui declared resolutely.
Soon after, the news of Meng Fei's grandmother's passing reached Zhu Hui's ears. Upon hearing this tragic news, her heart tightened, and her mind became chaotic as if struck by a hurricane. She saw Liu Xi laughing with his classmates in class, showing no sign of remorse, which only fueled her anger further. Unable to bear it any longer, she rushed over to confront him. “Do you not know that Meng Fei's grandmother passed away last night?”
“What does his grandmother's life or death have to do with me?” Liu Xi replied dismissively.
“How shameless can you be? You actually think his grandmother's death is none of your business? Don't you fear retribution?”
“Zhu Hui, you're no longer the class monitor. Don't meddle in things that don't concern you; it's dangerous,” Liu Xi threatened, as if he sensed something in her words.
“Dangerous? Your idea of danger is having a few thugs teach someone like me a lesson for not listening to you, right?”
“Just know this: if you dare to shout at me again, I'll make sure you regret it after school.”
Zhu Hui scoffed at his words, disdain evident on her face. “I thought you were something special! Turns out you're only brave enough to threaten me after school. Let me tell you, if I report how you've bullied our classmates to the teacher, I won't even have to wait until after school to make you regret it.”
“You dare—”
“Just watch me.”
At that moment, the class monitor Wan Shuhui suddenly stepped in. Without asking for context, he pointed at Zhu Hui and said with feigned righteousness, “Zhu Hui, I warn you, this is school; you can't run wild and spout nonsense here.”
“Shut up! Who do you think you are, daring to point fingers at me?” Zhu Hui shouted, her anger escalating when she saw Wan Shuhui jump in to defend Liu Xi. “Do you think I’m a fool? I know all about you two scoundrels colluding to extort Meng Fei. Let me tell you, this matter will not end here. I will definitely seek justice for Meng Fei.”
As soon as Zhu Hui finished her fierce declaration, Liu Xi, furious, raised his fist to strike her. However, he didn’t expect that someone else would strike faster than him. Before his fist could even reach Zhu Hui, he was suddenly knocked to the ground by a swift punch from Liao Chengwei. In an instant, Liao Chengwei pounced on him like lightning, pinning him down so he couldn’t move.
“You’d better behave yourself. If you dare to touch a hair on her head, I’ll make sure you suffer,” Liao Chengwei warned, raising his fist and delivering another blow to Liu Xi’s face.
Seeing her boyfriend getting beaten, Wan Shuhui panicked and jumped around, frantically hitting Liao Chengwei with her small fists. Although her strength was minimal, she managed to drive Liao Chengwei away and quickly helped Liu Xi up from the ground.
“How dare you hit me!” Liu Xi shouted, pointing at himself, his anger causing veins to bulge on his forehead. He clenched his fists and prepared to confront Liao Chengwei again. Just then, their homeroom teacher Yu Hong appeared in front of them, stopping the impending fight.
“What is going on here? Why are you fighting?” Yu Hong demanded angrily.
Before either of them could respond, Zhu Hui seized the opportunity to reveal how Liu Xi had bullied Meng Fei. Yu Hong was shocked upon hearing this and immediately reported the incident to the principal. After learning the truth, the principal was furious and expelled Liu Xi without processing any formalities.
Watching Liu Xi leave the school, Zhu Hui felt a mix of emotions. She wondered how Liu Xi’s mother would react upon hearing that he had been expelled; surely she would be heartbroken! But in light of Meng Fei’s grandmother’s death, this was a reality Zhu Hui had to face and take responsibility for without any conditions.
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