Chi Ze Rui leaned against the doorframe, watching the young girl's rare, subdued expression with amusement. He was curious about her choice.
Yu Wen Li stood silently beside the young girl, his knuckles turning red from clenching them in his pocket, suppressing the surge of anger within him. He maintained a gentle and indifferent facade.
The room was silent for a long time, or perhaps, only for a few seconds.
Wen Ting Xue spoke, her voice neither warm nor cold, lacking its usual sweetness, carrying a rare coolness. "Do you hate me that much? So much that even when you've done wrong, you offer no apology?"
Yu Ya He glanced at her strangely, then averted her gaze, forcing herself to say, "I do hate you, but accidents are accidents. Don't falsely accuse me."
"Hmph." Chi Ze Rui snorted coldly, saying without mercy, "Since it was an accident, then I'll also accidentally push you. Then I'll come swaggering in front of you, is that okay?"
"If I accidentally push you to death, don't falsely accuse me either," Chi Ze Rui added with a smile, rolling up his sleeves.
"You... what do you want to do?" Yu Ya He trembled and retreated, until she had nowhere left to go. But Chi Ze Rui clearly had no intention of stopping, his seductive lips curling into a cruel smile. Since Brother Yu was considerate of the little girl and couldn't act, he would reluctantly act on his behalf.
"I might hit a bit hard, so don't mind." Chi Ze Rui rolled up both sleeves, revealing his forearms. The skin was fair, and upon closer inspection, faint pink scars and the sculpted lines of muscle from training could be seen. Yu Ya He's lips trembled as she stared at Chi Ze Rui's raised right hand. The oppressive proximity was enough to shatter her composure.
The second before the punch landed, she covered her head and crouched, screaming hysterically, "Ahhhhhhhhh!"
The scene fell silent. Chi Ze Rui clicked his tongue in annoyance, clearly bothered by the noise.
"Ting Xue!" Xie Jin Yi suddenly called out, her voice a little sharp. Chi Ze Rui turned back nonchalantly. Xie Jin Yi was clearly quite scared, staring blankly at Yu Ya He, who had collapsed on the floor. She tightly gripped Wen Ting Xue's arm, the pain pulling Wen Ting Xue back to reality. The young girl's gaze drifted between Yu Ya He and Chi Ze Rui, seemingly not understanding what they were doing.
Until Xie Jin Yi spoke with tears, "Ting Xue, I'm begging you, okay? Let it go this time..." They had been friends for many years, and even though they had fallen out and gone their separate ways, she couldn't stand by and watch her get beaten. "Whatever wrong she did, I'll bear it for her. I'll buy you meals, do your homework, help you up and down the stairs. You can scold me however you want, just let her go this once..." Xie Jin Yi crouched in front of Wen Ting Xue, her nose red from crying. "Okay? Please, for my sake, give her one chance..."
Wen Ting Xue's hands were wrapped in bandages, making it impossible to help her, let alone refuse her. Putting aside everything else, she hadn't found an opportunity to thank her for the bracelet incident. Since that was the case, let it be a trade-off.
Besides, she hadn't intended to do anything to Yu Ya He. Whether it was intentional or accidental, she couldn't just watch Chi Ze Rui beat her. All she wanted was an apology. Since she couldn't get one, she would let it cancel out.
Yu Ya He scrambled out of the room. Yu Wen Li's eyes held a dark glint as he subtly signaled to Chi Ze Rui. Chi Ze Rui, with his companions, followed.
Silence returned to the room. Yu Wen Li leaned down, calmly pinching the young girl's soft cheek. He asked in a low voice, "Brother will go out and say a few words, then take you home?"
"No."
"Then I'll escort you back to class?"
"Mm-hmm." The young girl nodded repeatedly. The young man smiled helplessly. "Okay, wait for Brother for a moment." He then straightened up and said to Xie Jin Yi in a light tone, "Please take good care of her." Xie Jin Yi nodded, wiping away her tears.
Outside the infirmary. Chi Ze Rui blocked Yu Ya He's path, his drawn-out tone lazy and nonchalant. "Did I say you could leave?"
"What else do you want?" Yu Ya He swallowed, her face pale. "She's not pursuing it anymore, right? You..." Before she could finish, the infirmary door was pushed open. The young man in black, dressed in mourning, strode in with a chill colder than the outside world. His dark eyes held no trace of humanity. Compromise be damned. His little girl had suffered severe injuries, and he would make her pay double!
*Cough cough, a small explanation: The male protagonist isn't exactly a gentle character. He's only gentle towards the female protagonist. At his core, he's still an arrogant, unruly demon king, the type who fights fiercely.*