Vol. 1 - Ch. 123 - It’s time to go

Ye QiuXue put on her backpack and started walking home, but soon heard footsteps behind her.

She turned around and saw HuMing.

HuMing walked right up to her and said,

"Your hand is hurt."

Only then did Ye QiuXue notice the scrape on her palm and the corner of her mouth hooked up a faint smile.

"It's nothing serious. But you, you really came."

HuMing grabbed her wrist, catching Ye QiuXue by surprise. He then took out a band-aid and covered her wound gently.

"I just got here. I saw you sitting with a girl in the noodle shop, so I didn't go in," HuMing muttered, his gaze flickering. "Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? Don't tell me you think it's your fault?" Ye QiuXue's expression turned a bit helpless.

She couldn't help but feel that HuMing often had a habit of shouldering everything himself.

After all, HuMing was just a student, too. There were many things beyond his control, and he didn't need to burden himself with so much responsibility.

HuMing didn't respond to Ye QiuXue's question. He took her backpack, and the two of them continued walking home together.

"Oh, by the way, do you know the girl I just met? Her name is Xia XiaoXi, and she's a campus idol."

"I've heard of her. Han YunXi mentions her sometimes, and some classmates have talked about her too."

"I see. Well, you should've seen her face when she realized I didn't recognize her. She couldn't hide her shock."

"Mm."

HuMing gave a nonchalant reply, but Ye QiuXue suddenly stopped in her tracks.

She turned around and pinched HuMing's cheek.

"HuMing, if you keep being like this, I'm going to get mad. Come on, give me a smile, okay?"

With a small, reluctant smile tugging at his lips, HuMing didn't seem all that different from before.

...

HuMing walked Ye QiuXue all the way to her doorstep. Before he left, Ye QiuXue looked at him seriously and said,

"HuMing, I'm really happy. You once said you'd show up if I ever called."

"You did it, and I'm satisfied with that. It's been a long time since someone's been this kind to me. Thank you."

With that, Ye QiuXue hugged HuMing briefly before running back up to her apartment.

HuMing stood there in silence for a while, thinking about what those boys had said earlier.

Somehow, they had learned about Ye QiuXue's family situation, and they planned to spread rumors the next day about how she had been abandoned by her parents.

That's why HuMing had stuffed those boys into a trash bin and warned them that if they said even a single word, he'd be waiting for them after school every day.

He had done this under a disguised identity, so the boys had no idea who he really was.

But HuMing knew all too well how much damage rumors could do to a person.

Even though Ye QiuXue acted like she didn't care, he knew that if this happened, it would affect her deeply.

Ye QiuXue had defended him in front of others more than once, and HuMing didn't want to see her go through something like that.

But if things kept going this way, HuMin's words would come true.

He couldn't afford to have any weakness...

HuMing took a deep breath, turned around, and walked towards home.

...

After dinner, HuMing returned to his room.

Perhaps sensing HuMing's mood, Kang Xin put down her pen and asked,

"Young Master, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, just thinking about a few things," HuMing replied as he lay on his bed, eyes closed as if lost in thought.

Suddenly, he felt a gentle pressure on his shoulders. Kang Xin had quietly moved beside him, massaging his shoulders.

Her hands applied just the right amount of pressure, offering a comforting relief. She continued in silence, knowing that HuMing had been troubled lately---his real identity, his plans to leave the Han family, and his revenge against Han ShuYi. All of it weighed heavily on him.

This simple act of comfort was all she could do for him.

The two remained quiet until HuMing finally told Kang Xin to return to her room and rest.

After turning off the lights, HuMing stood by the window, staring at the bright moon in the night sky.

"It's time to go."

He murmured to himself, his gaze turning deeper.

...

The next day, when Ye QiuXue arrived at school, she didn't see the boys from the day before. According to their classmates, they had all taken the day off.

Hearing this, Ye QiuXue decided to leave the issue for another time.

It was her first school's sports meet, and Ye QiuXue pushed herself to the limit.

In the morning's final race, she won first place, even outpacing the sports class students.

Afterward, she spotted HuMing in the crowd---he seemed rather unremarkable among the others, especially compared to Han ShuYi, who was dominating the basketball court.

The contrast between the two made HuMing seem even less noticeable.

Yet, HuMing himself didn't seem to mind at all. He yawned and gave Ye QiuXue a faint wave when he saw her.

For some reason, Ye QiuXue felt that something was off about him.

He hadn't shown much of a smile, as if something big was about to happen.

As the day's events wrapped up, the school released the students early in the afternoon.

As the student council president, Ye QiuXue, announced the end of the sports meet from the stage, prompting cheers from the students. They then gathered their belongings and headed home.

Ye QiuXue immediately went to look for HuMing, but he was nowhere to be found.

A growing sense of unease filled her heart.

Meanwhile, HuMing walked out of the school gates, expressionless as he made his way down the street.

But behind him, a van seemed to be following closely.

Inside the van sat Zhao Wei and Lu GuiFang! Searᴄh the novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

They fixed their eyes on HuMing's back and muttered to each other.

"We're his parents. We have the right to send him to that place."

Lu GuiFang clutched her pants tightly, her impatience clear. She seemed ready to leap out of the car and drag HuMing away.

But there were still too many people on the street. If they acted too hastily, they might attract unwanted attention.

The van continued to follow him. Then, HuMing turned down a side street, where the crowd was noticeably thinner.

Lu GuiFang looked at the burly man beside her and asked, "He knows some martial arts. Can you handle him?"

"Martial arts is nothing. Besides, with all of us here, there's no problem getting your son into the school to help him kick his gaming addiction!"

The van was filled with so-called "teachers" from one of those notorious boot camps for internet addiction that Lu GuiFang had hired.

She was determined to send HuMing to that school for some tough reformation.

In her mind, as his mother, she believed she had the right to make any decision for him.