Chapter 10: Shielding Her Beneath Him

Evening.

After school, Tang Susu walked out with her backpack. Miscalculating the time, she barely caught the bus at the last second and squeezed herself on.

It was early autumn, and the crowded bus was stuffy and didn’t smell great.

But she was in a good mood. Head down, her eyes curved in a smile—even the tens of thousands of yuan she owed didn’t seem quite so bothersome anymore.

He Zhimou was going to the hospital, which meant his leg wouldn’t need to be amputated, and he wouldn’t have to go through those terrible experiences.

Didn’t that mean she had saved someone?

And not just anyone—he would become a truly good person in the future, a great philanthropist.

No one else knew, but in her heart, she felt deeply fulfilled.

Getting off the bus, Tang Susu hummed a little tune and walked with a lighter step than usual.

After passing through a narrow alley, she finally arrived at He Zhimou’s home.

The door was slightly ajar. With her backpack still on, she ran up eagerly.

“He Zhimou,” she called, gently pushing the door open.

The room was dim, the lights off, and very little daylight came through.

The boy seemed to be waiting for her. He sat in a yellowed chair, his pale face nearly translucent, and his charming, fox-like eyes were shadowed and dark.

Tang Susu’s smile froze.

She looked down at his leg. Just like yesterday, it was wrapped in white cloth and splinted with wood.

“You didn’t go to the hospital?”

Her joy from earlier instantly disappeared.

He stood, limping as he walked toward her. Even in his sickly state, his beauty was undeniable.

His lips parted slightly. “You just regret hurting my leg, don’t you? I took your money. You can go now. Whatever happens to me has nothing to do with you.”

Tang Susu froze, suddenly lifting her head.

His gloomy eyes were filled with hostility.

She blinked slowly, trying to calm herself.

She reminded herself not to be angry—he just misunderstood her and held a grudge.

What mattered most now was He Zhimou’s leg.

“If you just didn’t want to go alone and felt lonely, I can take the day off tomorrow and go with you—”

“I threw the money away,” he said lightly.

Tang Susu froze in place.

“You… threw it away?” Her voice trembled.

He nodded, eyes full of malice.

Tang Susu finally couldn’t hold it in anymore. “He Zhimou! Do you know that money was for your treatment? How could you just throw it away?!”

This time, she was truly upset.

He clearly knew how hard it was for her to come up with that money.

Today, she took the bus to save money. She hadn’t even eaten dinner.

That money—Tang Susu, the “villainous female supporting character,” was reluctant to spend even on herself. Yet she took it out for his leg.

And he didn’t even blink before throwing it away.

In this moment, she felt utterly ridiculous.

“He Zhimou, how could you be like this?” She tried to control her emotions, but her soft voice still held a trace of tears.

He turned his head indifferently. “That’s just how I am. Who asked you to butt in? Leave.”

“Fine, I’ll go! You think I want to care about you? I’ll never care about you again! Whether your leg gets infected or amputated—none of it has anything to do with me!” She turned, the palm of her hand still holding a pack of pressed candies she had bought earlier.

She threw them to the ground.

She didn’t know why he always carried one candy when he grew up, but she remembered that detail and bought them for him.

With eyes turning red, Tang Susu stormed out.

Sniffling, she told herself:

She would never care about him again. The younger He Zhimou was just awful!

He clearly didn’t need her help. She had already given him the money—it was his own choice not to get treated. It had nothing to do with her anymore.

Whatever happened to him in the future, it wasn’t her problem. She was just a passerby in this world. His fate was his own responsibility.

At the intersection, the sunset had stained the clouds red.

A breeze blew gently. Tang Susu stood silently at the corner for a long while before managing to calm herself.

She was upset, yes—but she still had to pay back that 20,000 yuan.

That money was part of her mother’s dowry for her. She had to return it.

But aside from piano, she knew nothing else.

She had won many awards and even performed on national stages—maybe she could earn money through piano.

With her head down, she slung on her backpack, feeling downcast and prepared to leave.

Just then, a few punks with dyed yellow hair passed by.

“You sure he’s crippled now?”

“Yeah, he’s lame for real.”

“That little bastard’s always disrespecting me. Now that his leg’s busted, I’ll teach him a lesson. If I don’t make him kneel and call me daddy today, my last name isn’t Wu.”

Their tone was arrogant and cruel.

Tang Susu instinctively felt fear and disgust. She quickened her pace and hurried away.

But a few minutes later, she suddenly stopped.

Crippled?

Were they talking about He Zhimou?

Were they going to cause him trouble?

She shook her head—what did it matter to her? At most, she could call the police for him.

Lowering her head, she pulled out her phone—and suddenly turned pale.

She remembered.

Wasn’t this the scene?

The darkest moment in He Zhimou’s life. Though only briefly mentioned in his adult memories, it was horrifying even in passing.

At dusk, as daylight faded and the world was swallowed by shadows—

His right leg, already infected, had a fever reaching 40°C. Then the door was kicked open by a gang of punks.

They took advantage of his fever and injury.

Beating him, forcing him to kneel, subjecting him to humiliation beneath their feet.

A night of torture, unbearable and obscene.

By the time dawn came, the nightmare had passed, but no one ever knew what horrors he had endured.

Tang Susu immediately turned back.

The punks were long gone.

She quickly called the police and looked around—spotting a dirty rolling pin in a pile of garbage.

Ignoring the smell and filth, she picked it up and ran after them.

The blood-red sunset dyed the sky crimson.

When Tang Susu arrived, He Zhimou was already surrounded.

The boy stood pale and silent, head lowered, his expression unreadable.

The punk leader, a tall 6-foot man weighing over 200 pounds, cursed while shoving him.

“Weren’t you so tough before?”

“Act tough now! Why aren’t you mouthing off?”

“Last time my buddy let you go ‘cause he wasn’t feeling well. Think you’ll get lucky again today?”

He Zhimou took two steps back, fingers slipping into his sleeve where he had hidden chemical reagents.

Suddenly unwell?

That was one of his experimental drugs.

If he hadn’t still wanted to live here, he would’ve killed them already.

Seeing that He Zhimou was truly weakened, the punk lifted his foot, ready to kick hard.

“Your dad’s a murderer, your mom didn’t want you, and your grandpa’s dead. Why are you still alive? You’re worse than the maggots in the gutter!”

He Zhimou suddenly lifted his gaze—those shadowed fox-like eyes gleamed with killing intent.

The punk’s heart skipped. Realizing he was frightened by a cripple, he felt humiliated.

But when he saw He Zhimou’s face again, lust flickered in his eyes. “Damn, how come I never noticed—your face is prettier than a girl’s! Too bad I’m not into guys.”

He raised his foot to stomp down.

“Stop!” came a crisp voice.

The punk froze.

He Zhimou also looked up.

A girl charged straight toward them.

She wore a school uniform and carried a backpack, gripping a rolling pin tightly in both hands as she stood in front of him, shielding him without hesitation.

The punk leader looked her up and down—she wasn’t exactly beautiful, but her aura didn’t fit this place at all. She didn’t look like an ordinary girl.

He licked his lips and sneered, “Little girl, I suggest you mind your own business. I’m not gonna hit you—yet. But if you keep sticking around, I’ll beat you too.”

He raised his fist menacingly.

Tang Susu instinctively wanted to back away, but thinking of He Zhimou behind her, she stood firm.

“I’m not leaving. He’s hurt. You can’t treat him like this.” Her grip on the rolling pin was slick with sweat. Even her voice trembled.

She was terrified—but she didn’t step back.

The evening wind blew gently behind her, and the boy let out a soft sigh.

Tang Susu froze. She didn’t know why he sighed, but she took half a step back and whispered:

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you. Just hide behind me—the police are almost here.”

The punks burst into laughter. “He Zhimou, you call yourself a man? Hiding behind a girl?”

Their leader made a gesture, spat out his betel nut, snatched the rolling pin from Tang Susu’s hands, and shoved her aside.

“Get him.”

They all lunged forward.

Bang!

A heavy thud.

He Zhimou lowered his head. Pain exploded across his back. His long fingers curled into a fist.

Courting death!

The reagent was about to spill.

But then, in the corner of his eye—he saw the girl rushing in again.

His eyes darkened.

And in that moment, he held back and instead ran forward—to shield her with his own body.