"What are you staring at?! Did I say something wrong?! She just has an accent!"
"Yeah, she reads so terribly. Do you want me to introduce you to my foreign tutor?"
"A foreign tutor costs over a thousand per lesson. She probably can't afford it."
Xie JinYi gritted his teeth and roared, "Get lost! Are you guys annoying or what? Do you really think you're cool just because you can speak a few phrases in a London accent?!"
Xu KeXin tapped the blackboard but it had little effect.
It wasn't until someone noticed Yu WenLi walk in with a poker face that the class gradually quieted down.
But the crowd around Wen TingXue remained noisy.
Xu KeXin's gaze deepened as he glanced at Yu WenLi, then he put down the chalk, returned to his seat, and put on his earphones.
At the same time, the little girl also put on her earphones, filling her ears with sweet love songs.
She could no longer hear those bothersome humiliations.
She looked up, her vacant gaze settling on the boy's stunning face.
Then, light fell into her eyes, slowly brightening like a night sky dotted with stars.
The boy, standing against the light, curved his lips slightly and mouthed, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Her numb heart was suddenly touched.
Tears welled up in the little girl's dry eyes, her soaked gaze becoming as clear as crystal.
Yet, she had never been cherished.
This was the first time, in front of everyone, someone had told her: Don't be afraid, I'm here.
It was as if he possessed magic, a simple incantation capable of deflecting all the hail of bullets.
And she no longer needed to pretend to be strong, just hiding behind him would keep her safe.
The little girl took Xie JinYi's hand, her eyes obediently looking at him.
She seemed to have taken his words to heart.
A hint of a smile surfaced in Yu WenLi's clear, cold eyes. He then turned, his handsome and distinguished face no longer showing a trace of softness.
Only a sheet of frost remained.
The boy stood for a moment, hands in his pockets.
Those who had been chattering noisily moments before were instantly silenced as if their tongues were tied, their faces exchanging glances, not daring to speak.
Yu WenLi smiled faintly, the curve of his lips full of mockery.
"I thought you guys had a much stronger case."
"Heh." His Adam's apple bobbed, a scoff escaping his lips. "You're nothing special after all."
His voice was naturally rather cold, and when devoid of emotion, it was even more chilling, landing on everyone's ears with a strong sense of humiliation.
The long-haired girl who had started the commotion frowned unhappily.
She mumbled in a low voice, "What case or no case, we were just saying a few truths."
The moment the words fell, a gaze landed on her.
It held no warmth, yet it carried a significant weight, making it impossible to ignore.
The girl's heart tightened. She looked up, meeting a pair of deep, dark eyes that were placid but potent.
Fear spread through her, and her heartbeat faltered.
Just as she was about to say something perfunctory, she saw the boy curve his lips, looking sexy and alluring.
"Truths? Alright."
Yu WenLi didn't make things difficult for her, instead, he smiled gently.
"Since you say my sister's spoken English is not standard, then I'd like to know, how standard is yours?"
"At least better than hers."
The girl proudly raised her chin.
Yu WenLi continued to smile, "People strive for progress; why would you compare yourself downwards? Why not compare yourself with me?"
The girl's face instantly turned pale.
Everyone in Jiangcheng knew that Yu WenLi had been invited to speak at the United Nations at the age of eight.
He could switch between three languages effortlessly, with a pure accent and forward-thinking arguments.
Combined with his aloof demeanor in front of the camera, he had directly exploded on the Jiangcheng forum.
Even domestically and internationally, people were discussing this genius boy.
It was in that year that the name Yu WenLi directly became a brand in Jiangcheng.
When a reporter went to the school for an interview, they unexpectedly learned that he had been involved in a fight the day before he left, using ruthless methods, which was not at all like an excellent student.
Perhaps it was this completely contradictory temperament that made people remember him more vividly.
That year, Yu WenLi, in white clothes and black trousers, illuminated the night sky for countless people.
Including her.
The girl's eyes flickered, a hint of unwillingness, but more of panic.
Her spoken English was good, but compared to Yu WenLi, it was like the difference between heaven and earth.
The long silence made the boy's smile grow.
But upon closer inspection, one could see that his eyes were calm and still, even layered with ice.
"Afraid to compete? Is it because you're not working hard enough, or is your over-a-thousand-yuan-per-lesson foreign tutor not good enough? Hmm?"
The slightly raised end of his tone was laced with danger, yet he was still smiling.
The girl's facial muscles twitched, but she couldn't utter a single word.
She could feel the disdain in his gaze, stabbing her heart like a knife.
The atmosphere in the classroom became heavy and silent.
Yu WenLi impatiently withdrew his gaze, his eyes calmly stating:
"To mock those who are working hard when you yourself are not, only makes you..."
He paused, then scanned the room and corrected with a smile, "No, it makes you all, more ignorant."
Those who had been the most vocal quickly averted their gazes and then scattered.
Wen TingXue, wearing earphones, couldn't hear what they were saying specifically, but judging from Yu WenLi's expression.
It seemed they were having a friendly exchange.
Yu WenLi offered no further explanation. After comforting the little girl, he walked out.
The girl received the signal and tremblingly followed him to the corridor.
It was almost time for class, and most students were heading back to their classrooms. Almost no one noticed Yu WenLi in the corner.
The boy leaned against the wall, his posture lazy and composed.
But the words that came out were extremely arrogant.
"Tell Yu Ya He that if she dares to cause trouble again, I'll have her expelled from school."
The girl's shoulders trembled, and she repeatedly agreed.
Yu WenLi gazed distantly and added, "Have your people apologize, otherwise when Yu Ya He gets expelled, you'll go with her."
He wasn't bluffing. That video was enough to charge them with school bullying.
At that point, being forced to withdraw would be the least of their worries.
The girl dared not delay and quickly took her friends to apologize.
The little girl didn't want to deal with them. No matter what they said, she remained indifferent, refusing to speak of forgiveness.
This infuriated those people, making them jump with anger but unable to do anything. They could only call Yu Ya He.
And relay Yu WenLi's exact words.
Yu Ya He was silent for a few seconds and said, "Jiangcheng No. 1 High School isn't run by him, don't worry, just proceed with our plan."
"But..." The girl recalled Yu WenLi's words and still felt a little apprehensive.
Yu Ya He said impatiently, "What are you afraid of? Isn't Shang ZiQian still here? He'll handle it."
-
After school at noon, they went home.
The little girl leaned against the car window, her mood somber, letting the scenery blur past her eyes.
No matter how hard she tried, the scene from English class lingered.
Those laughs felt like a curse.
They were trapping her dwindling confidence.
She had tried to read the English text aloud, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she remembered the scene of everyone laughing their heads off today.
Then, she couldn't recognize any words.
The little girl closed her eyes in despair.
She didn't know how long it would take her to process this, to be able to pick up a book again and read aloud fluently without hindrance.
She feared she would never be able to speak English in her life. Those laughs...
Those words...
They were truly, truly too jarring!