Chapter 42: I Don’t Want to Trouble Him

Shattered glass and crimson liquid instantly splattered across the floor, causing many girls to recoil in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief at the unfolding scene.

The woman was stunned by her sudden action, but after regaining her composure, she stared at Qiao Shuyi with a smirk, “I remember you, Qiao’s… what’s your name again?”

Sheng Tang abruptly stood up, pointing towards the entrance, her voice almost a shout, “Get out!”

The woman chuckled, swaying her hips as she walked away, “We’ll meet again later.”

Sensing Sheng Tang’s distress, Qiao Shuyi quickly grabbed her hand and found an empty lounge, locking the door behind them.

She got up and poured a glass of water for Sheng Tang, “Tangtang, have some water.”

Sheng Tang took the glass but didn’t drink. She just held it, staring blankly ahead, her mood somber.

Qiao Shuyi watched her quietly, a profound sense of sorrow and heartache welling up within her.

Simultaneously, some buried memories resurfaced in her mind.

Someone once asked Qiao Shuyi and Sheng Tang a question: why were their relationship so close?

Why would the proud and hot-tempered Sheng Tang become best friends with the quiet and introverted Qiao Shuyi?

In terms of family background and wealth, the Qiao family was far inferior to the Sheng family.

In terms of time spent with Sheng Tang, Qiao Shuyi was also far behind Cen Xi and the others.

However, it was Qiao Shuyi who stood up for Sheng Tang during her most vulnerable moments, who bravely protected her when she was bullied.

As the only daughter of Shengshi Group, Sheng Tang had always been the center of attention since childhood.

For the first fourteen years of her life, she grew up surrounded by the love and support of her family, her personality bright and cheerful, innocent and genuine.

However, at the age of fourteen, a sudden car accident took the lives of her parents, leaving her and her brother Sheng Yu as orphans.

Sheng Yu was only twenty years old at the time, still in college. He had to juggle handling his parents’ funeral with safeguarding the Shengshi Group, left behind by his parents, from those with ulterior motives.

No one could imagine how he had endured that difficult time.

However, Sheng Tang, the little princess of the Sheng family, didn’t have an easy time either.

She went from being the envy of everyone to an object of pity. What’s worse, some took advantage of her vulnerability and bullied her mercilessly.

Leading the pack was her cousin, Sheng Mingwei.

Sheng Mingwei was studying at the high school next door, but she would bring a group of delinquents to the junior high school to harass Sheng Tang every day.

At first, she just made Sheng Tang run errands, buy snacks and drinks.

But later, she became increasingly outrageous.

She locked Sheng Tang in empty classrooms, slapped her in front of everyone, wrote dirty words on her desk…

Everyone knew about these things, but no one dared to intervene.

After all, the Sheng family only had Sheng Yu and Sheng Tang left. Sheng Yu was too young, and no one believed he could shoulder the responsibility of the Sheng family.

In contrast, Sheng Mingwei, although just a child of the Sheng family’s side branch, had considerable power and wealth behind her.

No one wanted to offend the wealthy and influential Sheng Mingwei for the sake of a helpless Sheng Tang.

Even those who had once been friends with Sheng Tang.

At that time, Qiao Shuyi wasn’t close to Sheng Tang. Although they were in the same school, they were in different classes.

Moreover, Qiao Shuyi was relatively introverted and quiet by nature. She didn’t like to be in the middle of the crowd, nor did she like to please or flatter others. Therefore, she and Sheng Tang had always been in a state of acquaintance but not familiarity.

After learning about the changes in the Sheng family, Qiao Shuyi also felt a pang of pity and sympathy for her for a while.

But she never imagined that the once proud and noble Sheng Tang would be reduced to being bullied.

The first time she witnessed Sheng Tang being bullied was after a physical education class.

She and her classmates were returning from the cafeteria with drinks when they saw Sheng Mingwei and her group of delinquents cornering Sheng Tang.

Sheng Mingwei was holding a can of cola, pouring it over Sheng Tang’s head.

“Little sister Sheng Tang, your hair needs a wash. Sister will help you wash it.”

The delinquents behind her laughed in unison.

The brown liquid flowed down Sheng Tang’s head, running down her delicate and beautiful face, staining her white uniform.

She just stood there silently, letting them bully her, not daring to fight back, not daring to escape.

She was pathetic and pitiful.

At that moment, something in Qiao Shuyi’s heart was struck, leaving her stunned for a long time.

Her classmates urged her to leave, saying that Sheng Mingwei was bullying Sheng Tang again.

But her feet seemed to be rooted to the ground, unable to move.

Then, to the astonishment of her classmates, she rushed forward, pushing Sheng Mingwei away and knocking the cola out of her hand.

“What’s so funny about this?!”

Later that day, she held Sheng Tang’s hand as they were chased by Sheng Mingwei and her delinquents around the campus. They hid in the greenery together, and later, she helped her wash the cola out of her hair and face in the bathroom, lending her her own clean uniform.

Sheng Tang choked back tears and asked her why.

Why did everyone avoid her, yet she rushed to her aid without hesitation?

Qiao Shuyi couldn’t explain why.

Perhaps it was a sense of justice?

Or maybe it was kindness?

She only remembered that when she was in junior high school, she had her period early one time, and blood stained her pants. She hid in the bathroom, feeling helpless.

Later, the bathroom door was knocked, and Sheng Tang stood at the door, holding clean sanitary pads and clothes, smiling sweetly at her.

She said, “Classmate, I think you might need help.”

Later, she wanted to thank her.

But when she found her, she saw her surrounded by people.

She just glanced at her from afar and turned away.

Sheng Mingwei was not someone to be trifled with.

After Qiao Shuyi helped Sheng Tang for the first time, she had essentially offended her.

But the Qiao family was also a force to be reckoned with, and Sheng Mingwei dared not do anything to her. She could only vent her anger on Sheng Tang.

Sometimes, Qiao Shuyi could catch them in time and save Sheng Tang from their clutches.

Sometimes, she couldn’t catch them in time. By the time she found Sheng Tang, she was already in a sorry state.

She would just stand there silently in a corner, clutching her clothes, heartbreaking to see.

She couldn’t help but ask her, “Where’s your brother? Does he know that Sheng Mingwei is bullying you?”

Sheng Tang sniffed and said, “My brother is having a hard time too. He’s trying to protect what Mom and Dad left behind. The uncles in the family are giving him trouble… I don’t want to trouble him anymore.”

Qiao Shuyi understood her feelings and felt even more sympathy for the siblings.

From that day on, she became even more determined to protect Sheng Tang.

If Sheng Mingwei bullied her, she would rush in to protect her.

Sometimes, Sheng Mingwei would bully them both, so they would seize the opportunity to escape, hiding here and there.

Their relationship grew closer, and Sheng Tang finally started to smile again.