Chapter 5: Premonition of the Truth 4
Tang Ai thought that Xi Chen just had some minor conflicts with his family and that they would eventually pass. However, that was just what she thought.
Things are far from over, so it is not surprising that accidents happen quietly.
There were no classes that day, so Tang Ai and her classmates stayed at home in the dormitory and even ordered takeout for meals.
Suddenly, Qu Zhouzhou, who was lying on the bed next to him, called out, "Tang Ai?"
"Ah?" Tang Ai was browsing Weibo.
"You..." She lifted the curtain, put one hand over the bed railing, supported herself on Tang Ai's bed, and held up her phone with the other hand to show her, "Do you know about this?"
On the phone screen was the school's Baidu Tieba. The posts on the first few pages were all related to Xi Chen, and all of them were negative.
It's about Xichen's family background...
Tang Ai grabbed the phone and scrolled down. All the posts were from the same person, and each title was very attractive. Tang Ai clicked on one of the posts and saw that it was written by Xi Chen's mother.
It is said that Xi Chen is just an illegitimate child, and his mother is the lowest employee in Xi Zhengfeng's company. She used all kinds of means to take advantage of Xi Zhengfeng's loss of his wife to climb up the social ladder and try to turn a sparrow into a phoenix.
"What is all this?" Tang Ai swiped the screen of her phone randomly, and finally threw the phone to Qu Zhouzhou and climbed down from the bed.
She wanted to find Xichen and wanted to know what he was like now. Was he angry after seeing these rumors? The person who spread the rumors was too hateful!
Tang Ai ran out of the dormitory, took out her cell phone and called Xi Chen. The call went through, but it was not Xi Chen who answered the phone.
It’s Xi Shanshan.
On the phone, Xi Shanshan didn't wait for Tang Ai to speak, and shouted: "Tang Ai! Can you stop pestering my brother all the time? You are like a stinky fly, so annoying!" After that, Xi Shanshan hung up the phone angrily and added Tang Ai's number to the blacklist.
When Tang Ai was about to call back, Shen Ruoyun called.
"Shen Ruoyun?" Tang Ai shouted after the call was connected.
Shen Ruoyun said: "I know you are worried about Xichen, come to the hospital, the First Hospital."
"Okay, I'll go right away." Tang Ai hung up the phone, and without thinking, rushed out of the school, hailed a car and rushed to the First Hospital.
In the hospital, Xi Chen was covered in bruises, and two nurses took turns cleaning his wounds. Shen Ruoyun stood aside, not knowing whether to laugh or cry - this Xi Chen was too much of a mess.
When Tang Ai ran into the ward and saw this scene, she shrank her neck nervously: "How could this happen? Xichen, are you okay?"
Shen Ruoyun grabbed Tang Ai and stopped her from getting close to Xi Chen, saying, "He's fine, he just suffered some minor injuries."
"Why are you still screaming?" He was clearly covered in wounds.
Shen Ruoyun disagreed: "His injury was very light, don't you see Chen Mei's injury..."
"Shen Ruoyun."
Xi Chen lay on the chair and lowered his voice to warn Shen Ruoyun not to say anything more.
Shen Ruoyun didn't take his words seriously at all. He hooked his hand around Tang Ai's neck and led her aside, then said gloatingly, "Chen Mei's injuries are really serious. Not only was she beaten, but she was also scalded with boiling water. She's like a dead pig scalded by boiling water , hahaha."
"What's so funny? If Chen Mei holds someone responsible, Xi Chen will be the one to be punished." Tang Ai said with a dark face.
Shen Ruoyun pursed his lips and said, "Xi Chen was the first to start. Whether we pursue the responsibility or not, Xi Chen can't escape."
"Was this post sent by Chen Mei?" Tang Ai asked.
Shen Ruoyun glanced at Xi Chen, grabbed Tang Ai's arm and walked outside: "Xi Chen, we'll wait for you outside."
After walking outside, the two sat down on the chairs in the aisle. Shen Ruoyun sighed slightly and said, "I don't know if it is Chen Mei yet, but in this school, the only person who targets Xi Chen is Chen Mei."
"Is it because Xi Shanshan likes Xi Chen, and Chen Mei likes Xi Shanshan, so Chen Mei did that?" Thinking back to the time when Chen Mei bullied her before, Tang Ai asked after sorting out her thoughts.
Shen Ruoyun didn't say anything, just nodded.
"In this case, Chen Mei will definitely not let go of this opportunity and will severely retaliate against Xi Chen." Tang Ai grabbed her thigh nervously. According to Chen Mei's character, how could he miss such a good opportunity?
If he really takes revenge, what will happen to Xichen?
Shen Ruoyun reached out his hand, tapped Tang Ai on the forehead, and comforted her: "It's okay. The Xi family is rich and powerful. It's easy for them to deal with Chen Mei. Why are you worrying about it?"
Tang Ai didn't know what she was worried about. She looked up and asked pitifully, "Are those posts true?"
Shen Ruoyun did not answer but asked: "Do you believe it?"
Tang Ai shook her head: "I don't believe it."
Shen Ruoyun smiled and said, "That's right. To Xichen, the most important thing is your trust. As long as you don't believe those rumors, he won't care about other people's opinions. As for why he beat Chen Mei, it was because Chen Mei insulted Xichen's beloved mother. In order to protect his mother, the school's punishment is nothing to Xichen."
"What about Chen Mei? You said he was scalded by boiling water. How is he now?" Tang Ai asked worriedly.
Shen Ruoyun curled his lips and smiled, leaning back in his chair, and said indifferently: "Who knows."
At the end of the third floor of the First Hospital, Chen Mei, who was scalded by boiling water, was wrapped in gauze, crying and screaming, howling like a pig waiting to be slaughtered.
Half a day later, Xi Chen, who had applied medicine, slowly walked out of the ward.
"Xi Chen." Tang Ai stood up and looked at him, her eyes filled with heartache.
Xi Chen glanced at Shen Ruoyun with resentment and said, "Tell him not to call you here and make you worry so much. My minor injury is nothing. There's no need to mobilize a large force."
"You didn't let me come, so I worried!" There was some blame and anger in Tang Ai's voice. Their relationship was so good, why should she be afraid of the other party worrying?
Xi Chen heard Tang Ai's reproach and didn't say anything for a moment, just lowered his eyes.
Shen Ruoyun tactfully put his hands in his trouser pockets and walked away silently.
"I'm sorry, Xiao Ai." Xi Chen scratched his head, not daring to look up at her.
Tang Ai stretched out her hand, stopped at Xi Chen's wound, and asked, "Does it hurt?"
Xi Chen's eyes suddenly became moist for no reason, and he said in a hoarse voice: "Xiao Ai, can you please not be so nice to me?"
Tang Ai was stunned and looked at him in confusion.
"You are so good to me, what if I fall in love with you?" Who would have thought that this man would suddenly shed tears at this moment, for the deception he could not help and the unexpected emotions.
Tang Ai asked in a daze: "What if... you fall in love with me? You mean, you have never liked me now... or in the past, right?"
This time it was Xi Chen who was stunned.
Tang Ai's eyes were shining brightly, looking at Xi Chen with expectation. But Xi Chen panicked at that moment, and accidentally pushed Tang Ai away and ran away.
But he didn't know that his push and his run had actually pierced a hole in Tang Ai's heart.
Tang Ai's heart is very small, and can only hold Xi Chen. It is because of Xi Chen that she can accommodate more people and things, and has the motivation to make herself better, but what if one day Xi Chen is no longer by her side and says that he doesn't like her?
What should she do at that time?
Tang Ai stood in the aisle, and it took a long time for her to come back to her senses. She felt a little pain in her heart, but she still told herself that it was okay, Xi Chen must have some difficulties, and his original intention must be different from what she understood.
So this time, Tang Ai bravely chose to believe Xi Chen, even if it was only one-sided.
A few days later, the news spread among the classmates.
Chen Mei was scalded to the second degree by Xi Chen's boiling water. His parents asked the school to expel Xi Chen and give him a disciplinary action. If the school ignored their request or the solution was unfair, they would sue the school.
The school was afraid of trouble, and since Xi Chen was at fault, they naturally agreed to the request of Chen Mei's parents.
At this moment, Xi Chen was being taken by Xi Zhengfeng to the school administration department to go through the withdrawal procedures.
Tang Ai sneaked into the administration department and listened to the noise inside at the door.
The school teacher verbally reprimanded Xichen and his father as well. Xichen's father kept nodding and saying, "Yes, yes, it's our fault."
Xi Chen didn't say a word the whole time.
I don’t know what Chen Mei said to the school. Many of the words the teacher said were difficult to tell whether they were true or false, but Xi Chen was unwilling to explain.
When Tang Ai was about to go in to explain, someone grabbed her arm.
She looked up in surprise and called out softly, "Teacher Shao?"
Shao Yu grabbed her arm and shook his head at her seriously.
At this time, the door of the administrative department was opened, and Xi Zhengfeng walked out with a sullen face, followed by Xi Chen with his head down.
Tang Ai's eyes fell on Xi Chen, but the boy followed his father quietly, his face was as cold as ice, and he didn't even look at her. Tang Ai called his name softly, hoping that he would look back, but in the end, he didn't look back.
He didn't look back until their backs disappeared at the end of the corridor.
"Xi Chen..." Tang Ai murmured his name, feeling a sudden panic in her heart.
"Let's go back to class." Shao Yu held Tang Ai's shoulder and said softly.
Tang Ai shook her head, raised her head, and cried in her voice: "Teacher Shao, but Xichen..."
"Go back first, everything will be fine. Believe me, things are not as bad as you think." Shao Yu gently comforted Tang Ai.
Although Tang Ai was worried, what Shao Yu said seemed like her hope. She really wanted some kind of guarantee, so she asked, "Really?"
"Believe me." Shao Yu emphasized these three words.
Tang Ai held back the tears in her eyes and nodded.
Afterwards, Tang Ai returned to the classroom. Lin Xiaoya and the others knew about this matter, but they didn't know how to comfort Tang Ai. This kind of thing, as long as it is mentioned, it will be like a scar, right? It's better not to mention it.
When the get out of class was over, Tang Ai said to Lin Xiaoya and the others, "You guys go eat first. I'll go back to the dormitory for a while."
Lin Xiaoya said worriedly: "Then let's bring you a meal after we finish eating?"
Tang Ai nodded.
After the three of them left, Tang Ai walked towards the dormitory alone.
The spacious red brick road was lined with dense camphor trees, and classmates on bicycles passed by her playfully.
What kind of person is Xi Chen? What has happened to him in his growth? Tang Ai wants to understand him, because only by understanding him can she know how to help him. She likes him, and in such a relationship, she wants to fight for it bravely and give her all.
"No way? You still like that Xi Chen." The conversation between the two girls in front suddenly caught Tang Ai's attention.
Another girl took her phone and said, "Why don't you like it? As long as it's good-looking, it's fine."
"Wake up! Xi Chen is just an illegitimate child who has no status in the Xi family. It's amazing that he has good looks. He is just an empty shell."
Hearing this, Tang Ai stepped forward and said in a stern voice but with an indifferent expression: "Who do you think is the illegitimate child who cannot be seen in public?"
The two girls heard the voice and turned around at the same time.
The girl who mentioned the illegitimate child took one look at her and immediately recognized her: "Oh, Tang Ai, Xi Chen's girlfriend?"
"I asked you who the illegitimate child is?" Tang Ai stared at the girl.
The girl was startled, and guessed something in her heart. He was here to pick a fight, and she was not happy when someone said her lover. The girl laughed and said, "Of course it's Xichen. Why, you're his girlfriend, don't you know?"
The tone was full of sarcasm, and Tang Ai felt sick when she heard it.
Seeing Tang Ai's expression change, the girl rolled her eyes at her with disdain: "Tsk...what's that expression? I didn't say anything wrong. Everyone in school knows that Xi Chen is an illegitimate child. His mother..."
Tang Ai was about to go forward and teach that girl a lesson, but suddenly she saw a hand grab the girl's hair and swing her around, and a voice cursed fiercely: "His mother? What did his mother do to you! Gossip!"
The two girls were about to get angry after they stood firm, but when they saw the face of the person who was speaking, they shut up silently.
Tonglin put one hand in his pocket and pointed to the end of the road with the other hand, raising his voice and saying, "Get out! Get out now!"
Almost all the girls in the school didn't dare to mess with Tonglin, and these two were no exception. Once the senior sister got angry, they could only leave obediently.
"Tonglin..." Tang Ai looked at Tonglin and asked, "Why are you here?"
"I know why you are confused." Tonglin tilted her head and looked at her.
Tang Ai lowered her head, her hands tangled together.
Tong Lin patted Tang Ai's shoulder and said, "Hey, let's find a place, tie up Shen Ruoyun and let him tell you what you want to know."
"Will he tell us? I've asked before, and he never told us."
"Hey, what are you hesitating about?" Tong Lin stretched out her hand and hooked Tang Ai's neck, taking her out of the school. "If you want to know something, try every possible way to understand it. Don't be so fussy and indecisive. Life is not like buying bread. Why are you still being picky and not making a decision? Time won't wait for you."
Tonglin is a very straightforward person. On some level, she means the same thing to Tang Ai as Xichen does.
They can both help Tang Ai make up her mind, but one is the graceful school while the other is the bold school.
With Tonglin around, Tang Ai felt at ease.
So that day, Tonglin found a private movie theater and tricked Shen Ruoyun into going there under the pretext of inviting him to watch a movie...
