Chapter 45: Late Again

A few more quiet days passed, and the training course was already halfway through. Everyone was trying to make the most of the time, fully immersed in the lessons.

During this intense period of study, Shen Zhuo realized he was still being targeted. Earlier, someone had let the air out of his bike tires. This time, the tires had been slashed.

He frowned as he looked at the gash in the tire. It was the end of the school day, and people were coming and going from the bike shed. Some students noticed that Shen Zhuo, instead of leaving right away, was lingering by his bike, which was unusual. Curious glances were cast his way.

One person quickly spotted the problem. “Shen Zhuo, your bike’s broken?” a female trainee asked.

Shen Zhuo hesitated before lifting his gaze, scanning the few faces in the shed. Some looked curious, others amused, and a few simply pushed their bikes and left. He couldn’t tell if the culprit was among them.

Seeing the girl still waiting for a response, he answered, “The tire’s been slashed.”

She gasped, then huffed indignantly, “Who could be so nasty? Doing something so low!”

She added with concern, “You should take it to the repair shop. Get it fixed so you can go home early. Do you have money on you? If not…”

“I have some,” Shen Zhuo interrupted, nodding faintly. “Thank you.”

With that, he pushed his bike out of the shed.

The slashed tire slowed his pace, and as he walked, his sharp hearing caught the conversation behind him:

“Lin Xiuwan, stop being so full of yourself. He doesn’t need your help.”

“And what’s it to you, Xiao Tianbao?”

“…”

Shen Zhuo ignored the rest and headed to the town’s bicycle repair shop. He was familiar with the place, having repaired his brakes there when he’d first brought Ye Xin, and later had his tires pumped up a few times. Luckily, the repairman lived nearby and stayed open late.

Recognizing Shen Zhuo, the repairman came over, inspected the tire, and said, “It’s a small cut, nothing too serious. I’ll patch it up for you.”

Shen Zhuo nodded. “Thanks, sir.”

Pumping air was free, but patching the tire would cost him. Fortunately, Ye Xin had insisted he carry a few coins just in case. If not for her foresight, he would’ve been stuck today.

She really was thoughtful, always anticipating what he might overlook.

The repairman expertly lifted the bike, removed the tire, and began cleaning the damaged area to prepare for the patch. Shen Zhuo stood by, waiting.

Despite the repairman’s skill and quick hands, it still took some time. As the minutes passed, the sky darkened, and Shen Zhuo’s brows furrowed deeper with a growing sense of unease. Winter days were short, and though school let out at five, by the time he usually biked home, it was nearly dark.

It wasn’t the darkness that worried him—it was the thought of Ye Xin anxiously waiting for him.

Finally, the tire was patched and pumped. “There you go, young man. Be careful next time. Someone clearly slashed it on purpose,” the repairman said knowingly. He’d seen this kind of thing often enough to recognize it instantly.

Shen Zhuo paid and politely thanked him. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. Hurry home, it’s getting dark and cold. I’m about to close up myself.”

Shen Zhuo mounted his bike and pedaled home as fast as he could.

…

Meanwhile, Ye Xin was going about her evening as usual, lighting the fire and preparing dinner. She had already finished cooking, but Shen Zhuo still hadn’t returned. She couldn’t help but feel a little puzzled.

“Could he have been…”

Stayed Late? No way…

Ye Xin muttered to herself, glancing out toward the courtyard gate. She saw no sign of him, so she went back to the kitchen and started chopping vegetables. Usually, she waited for Shen Zhuo to come back before cutting and stir-frying. It wasn’t that she was being lazy—it was cold, and if she cooked too early and he wasn’t back yet, the food would get cold and lose its flavor. Besides, his cooking was better.

After chopping the vegetables, she still hadn’t heard any movement. Her brows furrowed.

The sky was already pitch dark, and worry began creeping into her heart. Shen Zhuo wasn’t the type to get sidetracked or delay his return home without reason—if he was late, something must have held him up. She just hoped it wasn’t something serious.

Leaving the vegetables aside, she lit the kerosene lamp and stepped out into the courtyard, opening the gate to peer into the darkness. It was utterly black. A cold wind swept through, rustling the leaves, sending chills through her.

Her worry deepened, and just as she was about to head out with the lamp to look for him, she finally heard the familiar sound of a bicycle approaching. A beam of light cut through the darkness, straight toward her.

—He’s finally back!

Ye Xin’s eyes widened, and sure enough, it was Shen Zhuo. He had a hat on his head, a cloth bag slung over his shoulder, holding a flashlight in one hand and guiding his bike up the hill with the other. The cold wind whistled around him as he pushed the bike uphill.

Relief washed over her, and she couldn’t help but shout, “Why are you so late?” She hurried toward him.

Hearing her voice, Shen Zhuo looked up and saw her walking toward him, holding the kerosene lamp. In the darkness, her figure seemed so frail, her face etched with worry. Her voice was a mix of urgency, anger, and a hint of frustration.

His heart softened instantly.

He’d rushed all the way home just to see her, and now that he had, he finally felt at ease. Seeing her waiting for him, even coming out in the dark to look for him, filled him with both gratitude and guilt.

Quickly, he pushed the bike a few steps closer to her. “I got held up on the way,” he said.

Ye Xin lifted the lamp and looked him over, making sure he wasn’t hurt and there were no signs of a fall. Once she was sure he was fine, her worry dissolved, but in its place, annoyance flared. “What took you so long? Don’t you know I’ve been waiting for you? It’s completely dark out!”

Shen Zhuo didn’t want to trouble her with the irritating details. He lowered his voice and apologized, “I’m sorry for making you wait.”

She studied his face for a moment, then huffed, “Let’s go home! I didn’t even cook yet because I was waiting for you. We’ll talk about this over dinner!” With that, she turned and headed back.

Shen Zhuo quickly followed, pushing his bike.

It was indeed late. Once home, they rushed to light the fire again, one cooking and the other prepping the food. They whipped up two dishes, finally sitting down to their much-delayed dinner.

As they ate, Ye Xin asked, “Alright, tell me—what exactly happened?”

Shen Zhuo knew he couldn’t avoid the question, so he answered, “The tire got damaged, and it took a while to get it fixed.”

Ye Xin pressed, “How’d it break?”

“Maybe I wasn’t paying attention on the road and hit a sharp rock. The repairman patched it up…”

Ye Xin scoffed. “A sharp rock? More like someone’s knife! Did someone slash your tire?”

Shen Zhuo hadn’t expected her to be so sharp, and for a moment, he was stunned.

Seeing his reaction, Ye Xin knew she’d hit the mark.

Looking at his handsome face and remembering his quiet, reserved nature, she immediately thought of all the school bullying stories she’d heard in the past. Her heart filled with both frustration and concern, especially since he was trying to hide it from her.

She put her bowl down and fixed her eyes on him. “Tell me the truth, or don’t make me mad!” she demanded.

Shen Zhuo had no choice but to confess. “Yes, someone did slash the bike tire…”

Someone Slashed It On Purpose.

Ye Xin immediately thought back to the time when Shen Zhuo suddenly started bringing steamed buns with him. With a cold snort, she said, “I thought you finally wised up and were trying to get along with people. Turns out, you’ve been targeted for a while, and it’s because someone in the same team helped you out that you felt you needed to thank them with food, right?”

Shen Zhuo hesitated for a moment before nodding. He couldn’t help but admire how sharp she was—how did she figure it all out so quickly?

Ye Xin shot him an annoyed look. “Why are they targeting you? What else have they done? You’d better tell me the whole story!”

Seeing that she was genuinely upset, Shen Zhuo had no choice but to tell her everything—how people had been gossiping about him, how Li Guangyao helped clear things up, and how his bike tires had been deflated twice before.

Ye Xin exhaled in relief, though she still felt like rolling her eyes. “It seems like you didn’t take this seriously before, which is why you ended up in trouble today.”

Shen Zhuo frowned, still puzzled. “I thought once it was explained, everything would be fine. Why are they still targeting me?”

Ye Xin gave him a look. “Because you don’t understand the real issue.”

He was confused. “What real issue?”

Ye Xin didn’t feel like talking anymore. Normally, she thought he was quite clever, but now she realized that in some ways, he was downright oblivious.

She picked up her bowl, continuing to eat as she calmly explained, “This is the third time something’s happened to your bike. Who’s to say something worse won’t happen next? You can’t leave it in the school bike shed anymore. Starting tomorrow, leave it at Doctor Xu’s place.”

Shen Zhuo thought it was a good idea but hesitated. “Won’t it be too much trouble for Doctor Xu if I leave it there every day?”

Ye Xin replied, “There aren’t many days left in the training course. Tomorrow, bring some vegetables for Doctor Xu as a thank-you.”

Shen Zhuo saw that she wasn’t pleased and agreed without hesitation.

Ye Xin continued, “That only protects your bike. But as for what’s happening at school and the person causing trouble, can you handle that yourself?”

Shen Zhuo’s expression hardened, and he nodded firmly, “I can.”

His tone softened as he added, “You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be careful from now on.”

Ye Xin didn’t want to spend too much energy worrying about him either—he was, after all, a grown man. But she still felt the need to remind him, “Just remember, your safety comes first. Don’t go to any secluded areas alone, and keep your water bottle and lunch box in your bag, never out of sight.”

The world was full of darkness in those days, and it was always better to prepare for the worst. There were plenty of reckless people out there.

Shen Zhuo nodded, “I know. I always keep my things with me.”

Ye Xin added, “And don’t forget, you’re there for medical training. Studying is your main focus—don’t let these other issues get in the way.”

After thinking for a moment, she frowned and added, “If you do end up confronting the person who’s messing with you and it turns into a fight, don’t be afraid. Fight if you have to! You’re strong now; don’t let them get the upper hand!”

Shen Zhuo was a bit taken aback, though he didn’t think it would come to a fight. Still, he felt her concern and earnestly responded, “Don’t worry. I understand.”

Ye Xin gave him a sidelong glance. “If you really want me to stop worrying, then be more alert. Have some common sense! Don’t you know I’m waiting for you at home? I was starting to think you’d fallen into a ditch…”

Hearing the hint of hurt in her voice, Shen Zhuo’s heart ached with guilt.

He thought back to when she had come outside, holding the kerosene lamp in the cold night. Her figure was so small and frail, and the night was so dark and chilly. How dangerous it must have been for her to come out searching for him.

He quickly reassured her, “Starting tomorrow, I’ll be extra careful. I’ll come home on time every day and won’t make you worry again!”

Only then did Ye Xin seem satisfied. After finishing her meal, she put down her chopsticks and told him to wash the dishes, while she went off to take a bath.