Chapter 75

Chapter 75 Why Are You Stopping Me?

Standing at the school gate, Xu Yannuo immediately took out his phone from his uniform pocket and turned on the sound, then focused on waiting for the call.

Zhao Ying originally planned to wait together, but within a few minutes, her mother arrived by car to pick her up. Since long-term parking wasn’t allowed at the school gate, Zhao Ying had no choice but to leave first. Xu Yannuo reassured her not to worry, saying he’d inform her immediately if there was any news.

After seeing Zhao Ying off, Xu Yannuo kept her head down staring at her phone screen. Even though she had set it to vibrate plus ringtone, she was still afraid of missing Zhang Qi’s call. The crowd of classmates who had been swarming at the school gate earlier had gradually dispersed, and now only a few stragglers on duty were making their way toward the exit.

Most of the cars that had been parked in multiple rows along the roadside by the school gate had left as well, with only a handful still waiting for their children. Yet, Xu Yannuo’s phone remained silent, never emitting that delightful ringtone she was waiting for.

Xu Yannuo grew impatient, her fingertips turning cold. She stomped her feet twice and took a deep breath, only to notice someone still standing beside her. She turned her head and saw Chen Ciyi still by her side.

“Why are you still here?”

“I’ll wait with you for a while, there’s nothing to do back home anyway.”

Xu Yannuo responded with an “Oh,” feeling somewhat touched, and continued to stare at her phone. The campus was now empty of students leaving, and the cars parked along the roadside had all driven away. Suddenly, the entire street and the campus behind them became eerily desolate, with only the streetlights standing alone along the road casting their glow. Xu Yannuo estimated the time—by now, Zhang Qi should have already arrived home.

Just as she was about to call Zhang Qi, her phone screen suddenly lit up, followed by a vibrating ringtone. The caller ID displayed: Zhang Qi.

Xu Yannuo immediately answered and asked, “Zhang Qi, is that you?”

Zhang Qi’s voice came from the other end of the line, “Yes, it’s me. Grandma said you wanted to ask me about the homework?” Then, she lowered her voice and asked, “You didn’t tell Grandma about me asking for leave tonight, did you?”

“No, no. It’s just that Zhao Ying and I were a bit worried about you, so we called to check.” Xu Yannuo quickly recalled the excuse she had just given to Grandma, “I told her I took leave and wasn’t at school.”

On the other end, Zhang Qi lowered her voice, “I’m fine. It’s just that my mom called at noon and said she wanted some old-fashioned pastries from here, so…” She paused before finishing the rest of her sentence, sounding as though she was making it up on the spot, “She asked me to buy some and mail them over. I was afraid the shop would close after school, so I asked Hua Jie for leave.”

Xu Yannuo glanced at Chen Ciyi beside her. The campus at night was not particularly quiet or desolate. Xu Yannuo’s phone had some audio leakage, and since it was about Zhang Qi’s safety rather than her privacy, she didn’t intentionally avoid Chen Ciyi, so Chen Ciyi could hear their conversation.

Xu Yannuo frowned. She wanted to tell Chen Ciyi that Zhang Qi was lying, but Chen Ciyi placed a finger to his lips, making a “shh” gesture, then silently mouthed to her: “Since she won’t say, don’t ask for now.”

Xu Yannuo nodded. Anyway, Zhang Qi was at home now, and Grandma didn’t notice anything unusual about her, which meant she was safe.

Xu Yannuo continued listening for Zhang Qi’s response on the other end, but Zhang Qi didn’t provide any further reply. She only said, “Let’s talk later, Nuo Nuo. Grandma is calling me. See you tomorrow.” With that, she hung up the phone.

Xu Yannuo looked at Chen Ciyi and said, “She hung up.”

“If she hung up, then so be it. Don’t worry too much, and don’t push her too hard. There’s nothing we can do right now. Just keep an eye on her tomorrow. If she tries to act alone again, follow her.”

“Yeah.” That seems to be the only option now.

The next morning, Zhang Qi appeared quite normal, though she walked with a slight limp. Xu Yannuo asked her what was wrong, and she explained that she had accidentally twisted her ankle on her way back the day before but felt much better after a night’s rest. After that, no one mentioned her request for leave again.

At lunch, she ate with Xu Yannuo and Zhao Ying, and her mood seemed much brighter than the day before. However, during the evening self-study session, her expression grew tense again. When class ended, before Xu Yannuo or Zhao Ying could say anything, Zhang Qi quickly packed her bag and said, “I have something to take care of—I need to go ahead.” With that, she dashed out of the classroom.

Xu Yannuo, having prepared in advance, quickly blended into the crowd and followed. She trailed Zhang Qi all the way to the school gate and noticed that Zhang wasn’t taking her usual route home. Instead, she turned in the opposite direction, walking briskly with evident panic in her steps.

Xu Yannuo silently followed from behind. Fortunately, it was right after school dismissal, and the streets were crowded with students, making it easier for her to stay concealed. But when Zhang Qi suddenly turned a corner onto a quieter side street, Xu had no choice but to keep her distance.

The further they went down the side street, the fewer people there were. The surroundings grew eerily quiet, with only the sound of wind rustling through the leaves. Zhang Qi wasn’t heading far ahead—instead, she was circling the school mysteriously. Xu Yannuo had to continue hiding in the shadows of the trees, cautiously keeping up. Eventually, after looping around, Zhang led them to a dead-end alley behind the school’s back gate.

The moment Zhang Qi turned into the alley, Xu Yannuo quickened her pace to catch up. Standing at the mouth of the alley, she hid in the shadows and peered inside.

It wasn’t just Zhang Qi inside; there were also four senior high school girls standing around her. One of the girls shoved Zhang Qi hard on the shoulder, and the force was strong enough to make Zhang Qi stagger back two steps, though she didn’t fall. Xu Yannuo was so anxious that her eyes widened. She took a mask out of her school uniform pocket, put it on, and was about to rush in. But as soon as she took a step, someone grabbed her by the collar of her school uniform and pulled her back.

Xu Yannuo was startled and almost cried out, but the person behind her who had grabbed her collar quickly covered her mouth, preventing her from making a sound.

She couldn’t afford to be ambushed by someone else before even rescuing Zhang Qi.

Xu Yannuo was about to elbow the person behind her when they nimbly sidestepped, and at the same time, she heard a familiar voice in her ear, “It’s me.”

It was Chen Ciyi’s voice.

Hearing Chen Ciyi’s voice and recognizing him, Xu Yannuo relaxed, catching the distinctive, pleasant scent of laundry detergent that always surrounded him.

Xu Yannuo immediately lowered his arm, and Chen Ciyi also put his hand down. Xu Yannuo turned his head and looked at him with confusion, muttering quietly, “Why did you stop me? Zhang Qi is being bullied inside.”

Chen Ciyi looked at her and pointed upward toward the top of her head.

Xu Yannuo followed the direction of his pointed finger.