Green Tea Top Student Falls in Love with Me - Chapter 32

On Sunday evening, after seeing off Sun Yi and Wang Hu, Shi Wangui and Wen Youren returned home under the cover of darkness. The studying today had been painful. Teacher Wang had found a bamboo stick from somewhere and used it on anyone who did not pay attention in class.

It was enough to make one want to cry but have no tears left.

On the small path back to the village, Shi Wangui carried her heavy schoolbag and asked, “Do we really have to go back there on Tuesday?”

Wen Youren took the bag from her and slung it over her own shoulder. “We have to go. Once you are like me and no longer need tutoring, we will stop going.”

Shi Wangui was speechless. She thought to herself that since Wen Youren was the only one who did not get hit, of course she did not mind going back.

Teacher Wang did not hit hard. The pain from a strike disappeared after two minutes. Fortunately, they were all friends, and since everyone except Wen Youren had been hit, no one felt too embarrassed.

“Is there a possibility that my level is actually similar to yours now?” Shi Wangui asked, leaning closer.

Wen Youren pushed her head away and said flatly, “I do not believe that.”

“Then I want to go back to school.”

At school, the homeroom teacher would at most scold her daily. With so many students to manage, the teacher would not spend nearly as much energy focusing on her.

Wen Youren sighed and said earnestly, “Teacher Wang is a good person. You should follow her and study well. If you get into a good university later, you will not have to fight for money anymore. Frankly, that kind of money is illegal.”

Shi Wangui was shocked. “How do you know about that!”

“Did you think no one knew what you were doing?” Wen Youren looked down. “You never hide it well enough. You have always believed that you could support yourself by earning money after high school. But have you considered that you have no degree, you are barely an adult, and you have no one to guide you? How would you survive?”

Shi Wangui kicked a stone by her feet and said defensively, “Go away, shut up, and stop nagging. I will keep going, okay?”

Wen Youren replied softly, “Okay.”

“Wait, how did you actually find out?” Shi Wangui realized she had not received an answer. She then asked another question that had been bothering her, “There is one more thing. Was it you who beat up Li Jun?”

She had suspected it the moment she heard Li Jun was attacked. She originally thought Wen Youren had no reason to do it, but now it felt certain. A girl’s intuition is strong, and she knew she was not wrong.

Wen Youren adjusted the schoolbag on her shoulder. “You actually figured that out. I thought you would never find out. Impressive.”

“Hey, why are you like this?” Shi Wangui raised her voice. “I am asking how you beat her so badly that she ended up in the hospital yet was too afraid to call the police.”

Wen Youren was wearing a black outfit today with cargo pants that clinked when she walked fast. She gave a light snort. “In this place, no one dares to provoke me. Besides, I did not hit her. Her precious ‘big sister’ did. That woman led her into earning so much dirty money, so she naturally had ways to make her stay quiet.”

She did not fully understand why Li Jun’s boss listened to her or why she beat Li Jun right in front of her. Perhaps it was because she was Shi Wangui’s sister.

Shi Wangui said sarcastically, “Well, aren’t you just amazing.”

Wen Youren replied, “About the same as you.”

“Hmph.”

Moonlight spilled over the road. Though it was not yet the weekend, the village was filled with occasional sounds of laughter. Shi Wangui had lived here for a while now. Although she only knew a few people, she was closest to the neighbors because Wen Youren often sent her over to trade various items.

Through these interactions, they had naturally become acquainted.

“Do you plan on living here forever?” Shi Wangui asked.

Wen Yiyue had never officially registered her marriage with Shi Qin, but an aunt had mentioned that Shi Qin agreed to certain conditions. Shi Wangui always assumed it involved splitting assets between the mother and daughter. However, it now seemed that Wen Yiyue was just as corrupt as Shi Qin. What would become of Wen Youren later?

“Probably,” Wen Youren replied casually. “You must study hard and escape this place. Go see the vast world. Watch the sun rise and set, and see the mountains and the seas.”

Shi Wangui pressed further, “What about you? Your grades are so good. Where do you want to go? Beijing? Shanghai? Or somewhere else?”

Wen Youren suddenly fell silent. Shi Wangui nudged her. “I am talking to you.”

“I will decide later. I do not have a dream.”

“Then why do you study so hard every day?”

“For myself. We are home.”

They were late today because they took the last bus. The final bus was always slow, and they had walked leisurely from the village entrance, so it was already past eight o’clock.

The sky was almost pitch black, lit only by the faint light of the moon and stars.

Since they had already eaten dinner, there was no need to cook. The snacks Shi Wangui had bought were mostly untouched, so she could eat those if she felt hungry.

Shi Wangui had been out all day, so she ran inside to shower as soon as they arrived.

Wen Youren sat on the swing, troubled by the questions Shi Wangui asked on the way back. The gentle swaying did not solve her inner turmoil. Had she thought about the future? she could not remember.

The swing was large enough for Wen Youren to curl up on it, just as she used to curl up in the wardrobe as a child. She pulled up her black hood. Dressed entirely in black, she seemed to vanish into the night. She closed her eyes without realizing it.

“Wen Youren?” Shi Wangui came out of the shower and found the bedroom, living room, and study empty. She went to the courtyard to look for her.

Without the outdoor lights on, she could barely see Wen Youren at first. She looked like a piece of clothing hanging on the swing, devoid of any sign of life.

“What are you doing here? Are you not going to shower?” Shi Wangui approached.

Wen Youren opened her eyes, sat up straight, and said in a raspy voice, “I am going.”

“I realized I have not really sat on this swing yet. Is it sturdy? Can it hold two people?”

“It can.”

Wen Youren started to move aside, but Shi Wangui sat directly on her lap and looked down at her. The courtyard light was dim, and with Shi Wangui’s back blocking it, they could hardly see each other’s faces.

“You…”

Shi Wangui said proudly, “What? I am not allowed to sit here? I am honoring you by sitting on your lap.”

Wen Youren chuckled. “Of course you are allowed.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

Worried that Shi Wangui might fall, Wen Youren wrapped her arms around her waist. “Ask away.”

Shi Wangui asked cautiously, “Any question?”

Wen Youren guessed what was coming, but she was in a good mood. “Only for tonight.”

“Why do you self-harm?”

After a moment of silence, Wen Youren spoke. “Wen Yiyue never liked me, and she did not like my father either. In her words, she would never have married him if the bride price had not been so high. But then my father was in a car accident. He was left with a limp, and the money he could give her decreased.”

Shi Wangui was a perfect listener tonight. “I see.”

“Then she wanted a divorce. My father agreed at first, but she insisted on taking me with her. She had been sold by her family for a bride price, so she wanted to sell me too. Did you know? Her original target was not your father. She wanted your father to target me.”

Shi Wangui clenched her fists. She knew Wen Yiyue was disgusting, but she had no idea it went this far. No wonder she did not care about a marriage certificate; money was all that mattered. Shi Wangui lost her voice momentarily, her heart aching as if it were being twisted.

“But your father took an interest in her instead. But that is a story for later.”

“Yes.”

“My father refused to let her take me, so he refused the divorce. Later, my mother thought about selling me directly, but then she discovered the letters I wrote to Jiang Anan.”

“Jiang Anan?” Shi Wangui’s voice was low.

Wen Youren buried her face in Shi Wangui’s chest. She remained silent for a long time, sobbing quietly. Some childhoods can never be repaired. Even mentioning the word makes the heart tremble. Terrifying scenes replayed in her mind, eroding the mental walls she had worked so hard to build.

Shi Wangui mimicked the way her mother used to comfort her as a child, patting Wen Youren’s back. Once Wen Youren’s emotions stabilized, she continued.

“She discovered I was gay. She told my father and claimed I was harassing other girls and had been caught by their parents. She said she had already informed Jiang Anan’s parents and that they wanted to kill me.”

“My father was worried about me, so he went out in his wheelchair to find me. It was raining heavily that day. I was just out playing and did not have an umbrella, so I was waiting for some classmates. When I got back, my father had not returned. I went to look for him and found his body floating in the pond.”

Wen Youren began to cry, her whole body shaking uncontrollably. Shi Wangui did not even know where to put her hands. She held them in the air for a moment before looking down at the person in her arms with deep pity.

“I killed him. It was me. I should not be alive. I should have been the one to die,” Wen Youren said as her distress grew.

Shi Wangui immediately hugged her tightly. “It was not you. You cannot die. Your father would want you to live well. It is all Wen Yiyue’s fault. People like her are the ones who deserve to die.”

“I dream of taking her down with me. Every single night!” Wen Youren’s voice was hoarse. Her vision was blurred, and her breath hitched with a profound sorrow.

“Why do I still have to live with her? Why do I still have to answer to her!”

Shi Wangui held her firmly. She could feel the intense agitation in Wen Youren’s body. Her breathing was shallow and rapid, and her tears had already soaked through Shi Wangui’s pajamas.

“Let’s go somewhere later where they can never find us. We will watch them tear each other apart while we live happily together, okay?”

Wen Youren gradually calmed down and explained the true cause. “My father died in the second half of the year. Every year during that time, I punish myself on rainy days. I thought I could control it. I really thought I could. But I cannot. I have a mental illness. I should not exist.”

“You do not have a mental illness. Not at all. Look, it rained a while ago and you were fine.”

“It does not happen every time it rains.”

Shi Wangui was at a loss for words. Her attempt at comforting her had failed. “Sister.”

Wen Youren replied, “Yes?”

Shi Wangui made a firm decision. “You are my sister and my family. You still have family in this world; you have me. So, we both have to live well.”

Wen Youren looked up. Her face was wet with tears, her eyes were swollen, and there was a small trace of blood where she had bitten her lip.

“Okay.”

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