Chapter Forty-Seven: No One Came to Save Me

The final exams were fast approaching, and Yu Chen had become busier these days. His last exam hadn't gone well, and Wei Yabai had almost flayed him alive.

Sigh! Yu Chen let out a heavy breath. Before the previous test, he'd thought he had prepared enough, so he allowed himself some indulgence. The night before the exam, he stayed up late playing a game, telling himself he'd play just one round. But that night, he kept losing and losing, and his frustration kept him glued to the screen until dawn.

Seeing him sigh, Li Bingxia glanced over.

Li Bingxia was the kind of girl everyone admired: graceful manners, delicate features, excellent grades, fair skin, large eyes, sleek straight black hair—an archetypal beauty.

Many boys in their class envied Yu Chen for being her desk mate, but Yu Chen felt nothing special. Though they'd shared a desk for almost half a year, he always sensed a certain distance between them.

It wasn't that she was aloof; she was actually quite warm and friendly, yet there was a feeling as if she was reaching out from afar. So Yu Chen never felt the fluttering excitement typical of boys his age—she simply wasn't his type.

"What's wrong? Are you struggling with your studies lately? If you have any questions, feel free to ask me," Li Bingxia said, smiling gently.

Any other boy would have been moved by that smile, but Yu Chen wasn't ordinary. He didn't even lift his head, continuing to work through his problems at the desk.

"No, I just remembered the terror of being dominated by my mother last time."

Li Bingxia's eyes flickered, and she bit her lip awkwardly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yu Chen, are you close with Shen Henyun?"

"Hm? Why do you ask?" Yu Chen still didn't look up.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just noticed he often comes to our class to find you."

"Yeah, we're friends," Yu Chen replied, chewing on his pen.

Li Bingxia hesitated, lips moving as if she wanted to say more. "Yu Chen..."

"Yu Chen! Yu Chen! Come out, I've got something to tell you." The voice of a boy at the door drowned out Li Bingxia completely.

A little annoyed, Li Bingxia looked up to see who had interrupted her, only to find that arrogant yet handsome face.

Yu Chen turned and saw Shen Henyun, tossed down his pen, frowned, and walked to the door. "Didn't I tell you not to call me like that? You'll disturb my classmates."

Shen Henyun slung an arm around Yu Chen's neck and dragged him toward an empty classroom, grinning. "I've got good news for you!"

"If this isn't really good news, you're dead," Yu Chen warned.

Last time, Shen Henyun had insisted there was something great and dragged Yu Chen out at noon. When Yu Chen arrived at the place, it turned out to be an ice cream shop. The so-called 'good news' was that the shop was a hidden gem; its ice cream was delicious. Though Yu Chen had to admit it was good, that wasn't the point!

"This time I'm not tricking you. Well, I didn't trick you last time either—that shop really was good, wasn't it?"

Yu Chen tried to shake off his arm and turn back.

"No, no, bro, don't leave!" Shen Henyun grabbed him again.

"Speak, what good news?"

"Didn't you ask me to tutor you? The finals are here. No one's at my house these days, so come over and study!"

"That's it?" Yu Chen's face darkened.

"Doesn't it count? I can tutor you, you'll improve, and you won't get beaten by your mom."

Yu Chen wanted to curse, but remembering his terrible grades, he held back. "Aren't you taking exams too? Won't it interfere? And why does it have to be at your house?"

"Me? These little exams can't trouble me. Besides, my old man is on a business trip, so the house is empty. No one but me. Why go anywhere else? I've got everything you need—you're guaranteed to be satisfied."

Yu Chen's mouth twitched. He couldn't shake the feeling that if he went to Shen Henyun's house, they might forget all about studying.

"Alright, when are you free?"

"I'm always free! It's Friday—let's start today, I'll give you a private lesson," Shen Henyun said, winking.

Yu Chen thought about it. He had no other plans anyway. "Alright, see you after school."

"Great!"

Back in class, Yu Chen recalled Li Bingxia had seemed to want to say something earlier. He turned and asked, "Did you call me just now? Was there something you wanted?"

Li Bingxia was momentarily stunned, then smiled enchantingly. "No, you heard wrong."

After school, Yu Chen posted in the class group that he was going to study with a friend, then saw Shen Henyun waiting for him at the classroom door.

As soon as Yu Chen stepped out, Shen Henyun handed him a helmet. "Ride with me today. My house is a bit far from school, and my bike's parked outside, so we'll walk there first."

Yu Chen nodded. If it was far, he didn't want to ride his own bike. Besides, he actually enjoyed riding with Shen Henyun; his bike skills were impressive, and sitting in the back felt exhilarating, like chasing the wind.

"But could you come with me to my family's company first? Something urgent just came up and I need to go there," Shen Henyun said apologetically.

Yu Chen didn't mind. "Sure."

The two chatted at the classroom door, unaware that their conversation had been overheard by someone behind it.

Their school was to the east, Shen Henyun's company was in the center, and his house was to the west, so visiting the company was just on the way.

Shen Henyun parked outside the company and was about to head in.

"I'll wait for you down here, no need to go up," Yu Chen said.

Shen Henyun thought for a moment. "Alright, I'll be quick," he said, running toward the entrance.

As he reached the door, he bumped into someone head-on.

"Sorry, sorry—oh, Jing'an? You got called here too?" Shen Henyun asked, seeing Song Jing'an.

Song Jing'an nodded silently, rubbing the spot where he'd been hit. "Bro, I'm going ahead."

Shen Henyun muttered an acknowledgment and hurried inside.

Song Jing'an still wore his fringe covering his eyes and a school uniform, and Yu Chen was immediately drawn to him. He seemed out of place here, and his uniform was the same as Yu Sheng's school.

So he goes to my sister's school, Yu Chen thought.

As Song Jing'an passed Yu Chen, he lifted his eyes through his fringe and glanced briefly at him, then looked away and walked past, hailing a taxi at the curb.

Yu Chen paid him no mind and continued fiddling with his phone.

He didn't notice that, from a distance, Li Bingxia had been watching them. She was visibly startled when she saw Song Jing'an. When he got into the taxi, she clenched her hand slowly, then exhaled and leaned against the wall, pulling out her phone to dial a familiar number.

"Hello? Li Ledong?"

Shen Henyun soon came out again, apparently still unclear about why he'd been summoned.

Yu Chen looked up as he returned, put his phone away, and asked casually, "So, what was it about?"

Shen Henyun scratched the back of his head. "I don't know. They just asked a few questions, nothing important. Let's head to my place!"

Yu Chen nodded. He hadn't been interested in the matter anyway—it was just a casual question.

"But who was that you were talking to just now? He seems to go to the same school as my sister," Yu Chen said, remembering the strange boy.

"Hm? You mean Song Jing'an? He's my cousin, and yes, he goes to Number Three High, same grade as me."

"So, you're both juniors."

"Yep. Don't be fooled by his appearance—before high school, he was a genius, way better than me. He even skipped a grade in middle school because of his excellent performance, so we're now in the same year. But something happened, and now he's just drifting along. Honestly, I feel bad for him. We're cousins, but we're the closest in the family."

"Something happened? What was it?"

Shen Henyun hesitated and handed Yu Chen the helmet. "I'm not really sure. It has something to do with his classmates in middle school. I went to middle school out of town, so I don't know much, but when I came back and saw him like this, I could tell it hit him hard."

Li Bingxia lay in bed, lost count of how many times it had been now. After each intense encounter, she liked to empty her mind and stare at the ceiling; it helped ease the guilt and sadness inside.

"Xiaxia, does it still hurt today?" the boy beside her asked cautiously.

"It doesn't hurt anymore." Li Bingxia sat up and wiped her thigh with the tissue by her pillow.

Seeing she responded, the boy grew excited. "Xiaxia, you've been calling me so often lately—just a few days ago, wasn't it...?"

"What, you don't want it?" Li Bingxia replied expressionlessly.

"No, no, it's just... I wonder, is something on your mind?"

Li Bingxia stared at him blankly, saying nothing. Suddenly, she leaned forward and kissed him. The boy was obviously stunned; apart from their first drunken night, Li Bingxia never let him kiss her lips, but today she was the one to initiate. Overjoyed, he quickly took the lead.

Afterwards, Li Bingxia spoke. "Do you like me?"

The boy lay exhausted on the bed, breathing softly. "Yes, I like you."

Li Bingxia gave a weak smile. "Then could you do me a favor?"

"Anything, Xiaxia. Just tell me, I'll help!"

Li Bingxia picked up her phone, swiping for a while before showing him a photo. "Can you help me find this person?"

The boy took her phone, confused. The screen showed a photo of a boy, youthful and radiant, smiling with classmates, handsome.

"Who is this?" he frowned.

"This is my middle school classmate, Song Jing'an," Li Bingxia said with a smile. "I've lost contact with him, but I need to find him. Can you help me?"

The boy nodded, wanting to ask more, but Li Bingxia pressed her lips to his.

"Thank you, you're so good," she murmured softly.

The boy melted in her tenderness, never noticing the endless sorrow and abyss in her eyes, hidden in the darkness.