Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Children can be a little pretentious at times. When I saw Dongyu, my tears started to flow again, and rather profusely too. This developed into a loud bawling.
The more I cried, Dongyuâs face became increasingly ashen. His hand trembled as it held out a towel to wipe me down.
I thought that at that point, he must have been burning with hatred for the person who bullied me. At least, I had never seen him bear such a terrifying expression. It was gloomy, filled with hatred, and even his hands were abnormally stiff.
âDoes it hurt?â he asked, wincing as he cleaned me.
I nodded, feeling aggrieved. I pointed pitifully at a few spots on my body and held his shoulders tightly, groaning and complaining silently..
Then, I felt a squeeze on my shoulder. It was a sign of affection and pity.
âDonât be afraid.â His voice was slightly hoarse. âIâm here. Donât cry anymore.â
In that instant, I calmed down.
After showering, he put some ointment on me and instructed me to rest in his bedroom. I was tired from crying, so it didnât take me long to fall asleep.
I didnât know how long I had slept for, but in the evening, I was suddenly woken up by a commotion in the living room. Through the window I saw that the skies had already darkened. I ran to the door and opened it a crack. Through it, I could vaguely see the living room. I thought I heard Doudouâs crying, followed by the angry voices of adults arguing with Grandma.
âYour Dongyu has beaten my son to such a state! And youâre saying that itâs alright?â
âA fight between children? How could a child do such a thing? How did my Doudou offend him? Did he have to be this vicious?â
âAuntie, Iâm usually polite to you because I respect you as an elder, but over what has happened today, your family has to give me an explanation!â
âI think your Dongyu usually looks...â
From where I was, I could only vaguely make out the outline of Dongyuâs thin back. He just stood there quietly, calm and collected. He didnât explain or debate. Even when faced with harsh criticism, he wasnât ruffled.
I was a little frightened. I hid in the room and didnât dare to go out. I just stared blankly at the scene in the living room. After this argument, Doudou and his family left angrily. Grandma frowned and sighed as she turned around. She rubbed her forehead and asked, âDongyu, why did you hit Doudou?â
Dongyu didnât say anything. The old lady was getting anxious and stamped her foot. She urged him again. âSay something!â
He was silent for a long time. Suddenly, he raised his little face stubbornly and coldly.
âHe deserved it.â
Bam!
âDonât say that! Fighting is wrong! Dongyu, be sensible and apologize quickly!â
âHe bullied my sister in the first place!â Dongyu said angrily. âHe was in the wrong. I didnât do anything wrong. I wonât apologize!â
Grandma was stunned for a long time, and seemed to be at a loss as she said, âI donât know whom you took after. Youâre so stubborn and unforgiving.â
After this episode, none of the boys in the village dared to bully me again. They must have been extremely afraid of Dongyu.
However, to girls, Dongyu always had an indescribable attractiveness. Hence, there were many girls in the village who admired him. For their own benefit, they tried to get close to me.
When we got more familiar with each other, theyâd inevitably come to me during my free time and ask, âXiachun, is your brother off school?â
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