Chapter 81: Tutoring
The morning rush continued into the afternoon, keeping You Ruxu busy. One news story after another. Just after her lunch break, she received a call from Zhou Tianzui.
“I saw Yao Zhao’s news.” It wasn’t a primetime story, but it still gained traction online, trending amidst the Fengyuan news.
You Ruxu held her phone while looking at her computer screen.
It was published on the station’s website, but it had already been reposted by various marketing accounts with sensational headlines, like “Lying Girl,” “Framing Stepfather,” and “Sexual Assault,” among others. You Ruxu pursed her lips, noticing the most popular post was just a screenshot of their news report, its popularity due to the account’s large following.
The comments were filled with accusations against Yao Zhao, accusing her of lying for sympathy.
[I defended Yao Zhao before, now I want to slap myself, that poor father.]
[Poor? How is he poor? He didn’t get to sleep with a fourteen-year-old, so he’s poor?]
[Agree with the above, Yao Zhao is only fourteen, it’s understandable that she didn’t dare call the police, understandable that she lied, if I were in her shoes, I wouldn’t necessarily do any better!]
[Are you all being too emotional? What if she’s lying again this time? Her previous lie was too big, so she’s trying to cover it up with an even bigger one!]
[Exactly, someone who lies once will lie countless times. Poor father.]
You Ruxu scrolled down, reading the comments, insults, doubts, accusations, of course, there were also many who expressed understanding, praising Yao Zhao’s bravery, encouraging her, saying it wasn’t easy for a girl her age to come forward with such a story.
Zhou Tianzui, hearing silence on the other end, called out softly, “A Ran—”
You Ruxu, holding her phone, responded, “Mm-hmm.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Don’t overthink it, it’s Yao Zhao’s choice.”
“I know.” You Ruxu, looking at the comments, knew it was one thing to understand intellectually, and another to see the doubts and accusations, which still made her feel a little sad. But from others’ perspective, it was natural to be skeptical.
Could Yao Zhao withstand this?
She looked out the window. The snow was still falling heavily, blanketing the ground, the trees, the windowpanes. Yao Zhao also looked out the window at the accumulating snow, not melting immediately. Her deskmate whispered, “Yao Zhao, want to grab dinner together tonight?”
She added, “My treat, I’ll buy you some vermicelli noodles.”
Yao Zhao shook her head.
Her deskmate continued, “Come on, come on, I’m bored eating alone.”
Yao Zhao looked at her. They had been deskmates for almost two months now. Song Chenyue had always been kind to her, defending her against bullies, arguing with others on her behalf. She was like a small, warm heater, bringing warmth into her life every day.
But she—she had no money.
She couldn’t reciprocate.
Yao Zhao bit her lip. Song Chenyue tugged on her arm, “Come on, come on~”
The teacher, noticing the commotion, coughed and called out their names. Yao Zhao turned around. Song Chenyue stuck her tongue out at her, and Yao Zhao couldn’t help but smile. When the bell rang, Yao Zhao heard the class monitor say, “The homeroom teacher wants to see you.”
The others were curious: “What for?”
“Don’t you know yet?” A boy said loudly, deliberately, “The mute lied, now we’ll have a good show.”
Song Chenyue spat, “What good show? You just enjoy seeing others suffer!”
“It wasn’t me who said it, it’s in the news.” The boy held up his phone. “It wasn’t enough for Yao Zhao to accuse her father of domestic violence, she’s now saying he tried to sexually assault her, like someone like her…”
“Like someone like her, what?” Song Chenyue stood up and marched towards the boy aggressively. Some classmates tried to stop her, holding her back, but she continued to yell, “Like someone like her, what?! Do you have any empathy at all? Her mother left, and she’s living with her stepfather, can’t you see what kind of person he is? He doesn’t even give Yao Zhao money for school lunch, and you expect him to take care of her? He must have ulterior motives! If you don’t have any empathy, fine, but don’t say such disgusting things! It’s not shameful to be classmates with Yao Zhao, it’s shameful to be classmates with you!”
The boy’s face flushed red, he stood up, wanting to argue with her, but Song Chenyue didn’t back down, all the girls siding with her. Hearing her words, some people fell silent.
They also knew how difficult Yao Zhao’s life was.
They had also joined the boy in calling Yao Zhao “mute.”
They had also felt ashamed of having a mute classmate.
During school events, students from other classes would always mock them: “Look, there’s a mute.”
Not only did they not defend her, they resented Yao Zhao, also feeling ashamed. But Song Chenyue’s words were like a thunderclap, striking their hearts.
Song Chenyue said, “What? Want to hit me? Come on then, you’re an embarrassment! You’re even worse than Yao Zhao! Someone like you, if you encountered what she’s going through, you would probably be crying and running home to your mommy and daddy! You call Yao Zhao a mute, what are you? A baby who hasn’t been weaned?”
The boy’s face was red with anger, the veins on his hands bulging as his classmates held him back, dragging him towards the back door. Song Chenyue stood there, glaring at him, unflinching.
The atmosphere in the classroom was tense. Yao Zhao stood at the door, looking at Song Chenyue, biting her lip. Someone noticed her and said, “Yao Zhao’s back.”
The others dispersed, a few girls walking over to Yao Zhao, trying to defuse the tension.
“Yao Zhao, why did the homeroom teacher want to see you?”
Yao Zhao, usually so quiet, said, “She asked me about the situation.”
Someone asked with concern, “Are you okay?”
Yao Zhao looked up at her classmate, meeting her gaze. She rarely made eye contact before, always shrinking back, afraid to speak, afraid to move, trying to make herself invisible, but not anymore.
Yao Zhao said, “I’m fine.” She smiled, “Thank you.”
The girl who asked blushed, flustered by her gratitude. It was just a simple question, yet Yao Zhao’s sincere tone, as if she had done her a huge favor, and her gentle smile, made her feel even more embarrassed.
Song Chenyue said, “See, she’s fine.”
Yao Zhao, her hair neatly tied back with the red hair tie, her delicate features and clear eyes visible, said to Song Chenyue, “I’m fine.”
Song Chenyue said, “Good to hear that.”
Yao Zhao said, “Thank you, for what you said to…”
“Oh, that? I was just arguing with an idiot, I’ve wanted to put him in his place for a while!” Song Chenyue said with bravado. The other girls chimed in, “Exactly, he’s so annoying, always giving people nicknames, he called Xiao Mo ‘Big Butt’ last time, she was so upset she cried.”
“Exactly!” Others agreed, “I can’t stand him either, always bullying his classmates.”
Yao Zhao, listening to them, felt a sense of belonging for the first time. She sat at her desk, surrounded by her classmates. Those who had previously doubted her didn’t say anything now, just whispered amongst themselves, their gazes occasionally drifting towards Yao Zhao.
All sorts of looks, Yao Zhao could feel them, but her expression remained unchanged. When the bell rang, the students returned to their seats. Yao Zhao whispered to Song Chenyue, “Thank you.” She called her, “Yueyue.”
She hadn’t dared to address her by name before, now calling her “Yueyue” so casually.
Song Chenyue waved her hand dismissively, “It was nothing.”
To her, it might be nothing, but to Yao Zhao, it was a momentous event. She hesitated, and Song Chenyue, seeing this, said, “Just say it.”
Yao Zhao said, “Why did you defend me?”
Her classmates, most of them disliked her to some extent before, even those who didn’t know her well, while not disliking her, treated her like a stranger. Having someone like Song Chenyue stand up for her was a first.
Song Chenyue said, “Just for that?”
Yao Zhao nodded.
Song Chenyue said, “Because we’re classmates, aren’t classmates supposed to help each other?”
Yao Zhao pondered her words.
Song Chenyue continued, “Of course, your grades are good, it would be even better if you could continue tutoring me…” She put on a pitiful expression. Yao Zhao nodded, smiling, “I’m happy to.”
Song Chenyue grinned, “You’re so nice.”
Yao Zhao didn’t think she was nice at all. Song Chenyue was the nice one. But she would try her best to be a good person.
After school, Song Chenyue insisted on taking Yao Zhao out for dinner, telling her to wait in the classroom while she went to the restroom. Yao Zhao sat at her desk and heard the classroom door being kicked open. The boy she had argued with earlier walked in, saw Yao Zhao, and marched over, “Hey, mute, where’s Song Chenyue?”
Another boy, older than them, bigger and stronger, was with him. Yao Zhao said, “What do you want with her?”
“Oh, you’re not mute anymore?” The boy chuckled, “We have some business with her, she was all high and mighty this afternoon, where is she now, hiding like a turtle?”
Yao Zhao glared at him, “She went home.”
“Who are you trying to fool?” The boy said, “I’ll just wait for her here then!”
Yao Zhao ignored him and stood up, about to leave, when her wrist was grabbed, “You’re not going anywhere!”
His grip was tight, painful. Yao Zhao looked at him, not a trace of fear in her eyes. She stopped struggling and said, “Fine, I won’t go.”
The boy exchanged a look with his friend and said, “Not afraid of us?”
“No.” Yao Zhao said, “I even dared to report my stepfather for sexual assault, what do I have to be afraid of? You’re holding my wrist now, that’s evidence, I can report you to the reporters, they’ll investigate, they’ll expose everything about you, they’ll contact your family, everyone online will know where your parents work, they’ll be pointed at and ridiculed, they’ll lose their jobs.” Yao Zhao took a step closer, “I’m not afraid as long as you’re not afraid.”
The boy instinctively let go of her hand.
Having never heard so many words from the “mute” before, he was stunned, she was like a different person.
The other boy frowned, seemingly realizing that Yao Zhao wasn’t bluffing, she had already reported her own stepfather, what else wouldn’t she do?
Nothing left to lose.
The more you had, the more you had to protect, the more cautious you became. The boy blustered, “Are you crazy?!”
Yao Zhao didn’t move.
The boy, losing face, heard his friend say, “Let’s go, let’s go.”
He took the opportunity to back down, muttering a few threats before leaving. Yao Zhao’s hand relaxed, her palm sweaty. She sat down heavily on the chair and heard a familiar voice behind her.
“Yao Zhao.”
She turned around; it was You Ruxu and Zhou Tianzui. She immediately stood up: “Reporter! Dr. Zhou!”
You Ruxu had arrived earlier and heard Yao Zhao’s words. Zhou Tianzui said, “See, it’s her choice.”
It was her choice, and she would follow through, without hesitation. Yao Zhao asked, “When, when did you arrive?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “While you were talking to your classmate.”
“I…” Yao Zhao suddenly remembered what she had said, afraid You Ruxu might think she was using her and the media, she quickly explained, “Reporter, I…”
You Ruxu said, “You did well.”
Yao Zhao bit her lip.
You Ruxu’s gaze was gentle, her smiling eyes even more so. The breath Yao Zhao had been holding finally escaped her lungs, her nose tingling, tears welling up, “Thank you, Sister.”
She had been so afraid before, afraid her classmates would find out, her neighbors, her teachers, everyone she knew.
She had thought it was her shameful secret, something to be hidden in the shadows.
But You Ruxu and Zhou Tianzui had taught her how to turn that fear into a weapon, to protect herself.
Someone peeked in through the back door, calling out, “Yao Zhao!”
Yao Zhao responded. You Ruxu said, “Go ahead.”
Yao Zhao obediently nodded, “Goodbye, Sister, goodbye, Dr. Zhou.”
After she left, You Ruxu and Zhou Tianzui walked out of the school building. The snow had lessened slightly, the ground covered in white. Zhou Tianzui said, “Feeling reassured now?”
You Ruxu looked at her, “I wasn’t worried.”
“Right.” Zhou Tianzui said, “Rushing over here after work, definitely not worried.”
Her tone was sarcastic.
You Ruxu glanced at her. Zhou Tianzui was wearing a dark down jacket over a light blue sweater and fitted pants, her figure tall and slender, her legs long and straight. She had applied light makeup for tonight’s dinner at Zeng Jing’s, making her features even more striking. You Ruxu said, “What are you doing?”
Zhou Tianzui leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Jealous.”
The wind blew, making You Ruxu’s cheeks flush. She glared at Zhou Tianzui. A teacher walked past them, and Zhou Tianzui, watching the teacher’s receding figure, asked You Ruxu, “I remember you had good grades in school?”
Perhaps because they were in a school environment, the sudden question didn’t seem out of place. You Ruxu didn’t hesitate, “They were decent.”
“My grades weren’t good.” Zhou Tianzui lied, her tone serious. “So, Teacher You, could you tutor me tonight?”
“Tutor you?” You Ruxu looked at Zhou Tianzui, “Tutor you on what?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Didn’t I fail the practical exam for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation last time? Teacher You, could you give me some extra tutoring tonight?”
You Ruxu ignored her.
Zhou Tianzui continued, “Anatomy is also fine.”
You Ruxu pursed her lips.
Zhou Tianzui said, “Or maybe the female anatomy…”
You Ruxu quietly interrupted, “Shut up.”
Zhou Tianzui: “Okay, Teacher You.” Her eyes crinkled with amusement, her tone playful. You Ruxu touched her ear, Zhou Tianzui leaning closer, asking, “Teacher You, which subject are we studying tonight?”
You Ruxu: Zhou Tianzui.
Zhou Tianzui: Call me Classmate Zhou.
You Ruxu: …
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