NASAY CH 5

The principal signaled to Teacher Zhou, who walked over and raised the head of the hospital bed, helping him sit up and adjusting his IV tube.

“No evening classes, yet you sneaked out to bring fruit. What’s your intention?”

 Teacher Zhou sneered, “Did you bring a knife with you? If not, should I lend you mine so you can kill me too?”

Luo Xing pressed his lips together, set the fruit tray aside, and apologized softly, “I’m sorry, Principal. My mom…”

The principal chuckled a few times.

 “It’s fine, it’s fine. Teacher Zhou is always saying I have high blood fat and high blood sugar. Letting out some blood might actually improve my health.”

 After thinking for a moment, he added, “But you… your mom must have called to scold you, right?”

Luo Xing shook his head.

 “No, she knows going to No. 2 High School won’t affect my studies, so she didn’t say much. The fruit basket was her idea—she asked me to buy it for you. She said she was too impulsive and asked me to apologize on her behalf. Also, thank you for not calling the police.”

The principal understood that Luo Xing was deliberately hiding the truth. This child had always swallowed his grievances and refused to share them. That apology was probably his own idea, not his mom’s.

As for not calling the police, the principal simply didn’t want such a minor injury to jeopardize Luo Xing’s academic future—especially in such a critical year.

“I’m not really worried about your grades,” the principal said.

 “Luo Xing, academic success isn’t everything. You’ve grown up; it’s time you made a few friends. Try to accept others’ kindness instead of always pushing people away. In the future, when you’re out in the world, you won’t be able to do everything on your own, right?”

Luo Xing nodded obediently. 

“I understand. Thank you, Principal.”

The principal looked at him and felt a pang of heartache. 

Luo Xing had always been thin, with delicate wrists and a small face. Even though he was a senior, he still looked frail. Zhao Jiulan must not have given him much love. Judging by her behavior that day, she likely had some kind of illness. 

Luo Xing not only had to endure but also take care of her at such a young age.

Life had been tough on him.

The principal reached under the pillow and took out a small envelope, gesturing for Luo Xing to come closer.

Luo Xing walked over. The principal placed the envelope in his hand and patted the back of it. 

“Your mom probably won’t give you any living expenses for a while. Take this for now.”

Luo Xing quickly withdrew his hand, set the envelope on the bed, and took two steps back.

 “Principal, I have money. Thank you for your kindness.”

Seeing this, Teacher Zhou immediately mocked him again. 

“Of course, your family is rich. That’s why they dare to hit people so casually. You can afford to pay the medical expenses, after all.”

The principal’s face darkened. 

“Teacher Zhou, what are you saying in front of a child?”

Teacher Zhou slapped the fruit knife on the table. 

“Why can’t I say it? If his mom dared to storm into the school and hit someone, she probably wouldn’t hesitate to kill. Instead of using connections to get him into a school, she might as well use her own abilities to send him directly to No. 1 High School. What’s the point of showing off here?”

“Enough! I’ve already said this has nothing to do with Luo Xing. You—”

“Principal, Teacher Zhou, I only took three hours off. Please rest well. I’ll come visit you again on Sunday.” 

Luo Xing bowed politely and left the hospital room in a hurry.

“Luo Xing! Luo Xing!” 

The principal sighed, looked at the envelope on the bed, and then glanced at the fruit basket Luo Xing had brought. 

He quickly said, “Teacher Zhou, open the fruit basket.”

Teacher Zhou frowned. 

“Why? Are you really planning to eat the fruit he brought? Who knows what kind of intentions that mother and son have. What if it’s poisoned? I think we should just throw it away—”

“Just open it.” 

The principal reached for his IV line. 

“If you won’t do it, I’ll do it myself.”

Startled, Teacher Zhou hurriedly pressed his hand down to stop him and reluctantly started unpacking the fruit basket. She took out each piece of fruit one by one and found sixteen neatly folded hundred-yuan bills at the bottom.

“This…” 

Teacher Zhou was stunned. The principal slapped the bed, trying to sit up.

 “I knew it… That child…”

Teacher Zhou held the money and scoffed, “It’s not even enough to cover your hospital stay for two days. At least he has some conscience, unlike his mother, who’s a complete shrew.”

The principal sighed. 

“You don’t understand!”

He stared at the doorway. Luo Xing had been forcibly molded by his mother into a “perfect robot”—he never voiced his grievances and remained calm and polite even when mocked. It seemed like nothing could break his extreme self-discipline.

What Luo Xing said about taking only three hours off was true. He came at this time so he could still catch the bus. If he returned any later, he’d have to take a taxi, which would cost at least 20 yuan. The round trip by bus only cost 4 yuan.

Fortunately, the city’s education bureau provided standardized study materials and workbooks, so he didn’t need to buy any. 

He came here to exchange them, and the school gave him a set of daily necessities for free. For now, apart from meals, he didn’t have much to spend on. If he worked a little overtime at night, he could manage for a few more days.

Sitting on a long bench at the bus station with his backpack, Luo Xing felt the coldness of the stainless steel seat in the chilly evening.

The bus came every 20 minutes. Luo Xing calculated based on the time he had left for school earlier and figured the next bus would arrive in about 10 minutes.

He unzipped his backpack, took out a small, worn notebook, and carefully opened it. Inside, there was a piece of candy wrapper, pressed flat with neat creases, like faint lines on a palm.

Luo Xing gently touched the wrapper, then closed the notebook with care and placed it back in his bag.

By the time he returned to school, it was five minutes before ten o’clock. He headed straight to the classroom, just as the bell signaling the end of class rang.

Ye Qiaoqiao was locking the door when she noticed him and asked in surprise, “Are you here to get something?”

Luo Xing said, “Class monitor, I want to stay in the classroom to do my homework for a while. Can you give me the key? I’ll come early tomorrow morning to unlock the door.”

Ye Qiaoqiao nodded. 

“Okay, but remember, the door opens at 6:30 a.m. Don’t be late.”

Luo Xing took the key. He sat at a desk toward the back of the classroom, where turning on just the rear lights would be enough. However, he still turned on all the lights.

He wasn’t some kind of genius. The reason he got first place in the city on the high school entrance exam was that he studied over and over again until the knowledge was carved into his brain. 

When he saw a question, he could answer it almost reflexively.

By the time he finished his homework and looked up again, it was already close to 1 a.m. He yawned, rubbed his eyes, and pulled out a slightly old laptop from his bag.

He had taken on a translation job.

Ever since he could remember, he had been forced to learn all kinds of things, and some of that knowledge had proven useful.

Since starting high school, he hadn’t asked his mom for a single penny. Although he didn’t earn much, he lived frugally. 

Not only was it enough to support himself, but he could even save a little.

Maybe one day, he’d save enough for the surgery.

***

Huo Xingzhou shared a dorm room with Feng Jia.

After evening self-study yesterday, Cheng Limin specifically called him to the office and informed him that Luo Xing would be moving into their dorm. He asked Huo Xingzhou to help him carry back his daily necessities.

 Huo Xingzhou kicked off his sheets with a grunt. The rustling jolted Feng Jia awake. 

“Dude,” Feng slurred, squinting at his phone’s glare. 

“It’s 3 a.m. What’s keeping you awake?” 

Huo Xingzhou ignored him, pacing the narrow aisle between their beds. 

His gaze snagged on the untouched mattress across the room—Luo Xing’s bed, pristine as a museum exhibit. Teacher Cheng’s warning echoed in his head: “He’s a good kid. Don’t bully him.”

Good kid my ass.

The “good kid” hadn’t shown all night.