Redemption from the Abyss: The School Beauty Insists on Pulling Me Out of the Mire

In the evening, in the classroom of Grade 11 (1).

The bell had long since rung, and the classroom was empty.

Jiang Yue was the only one sitting in the seat.

The lights were off, and the dim light swallowed his gloomy face.

His phone screen was lit up, the interface showing the school's confession wall.

The pinned post had a strikingly red title:

[Breaking News! Campus Belle Su personally delivers water to students on the basketball court! A cool, aloof goddess descends to earth; their on-screen chemistry is overflowing!]

The accompanying image is a high-resolution snapshot.

In the photo, Xie Wang, covered in sweat and exuding a wild energy, stands with his head down, while Su Qinghe stands in front of him, handing him a bottle of pink soda water. The surrounding crowd is blurry, but the two of them are clearly visible, as if they belong to another world.

The comments section below is exploding:

"Holy crap! I always thought Su Qinghe was some kind of fairy who didn't need to eat or drink, but I never expected she'd deliver water too?"

"Just who is this Xie Wang? Is he really a prodigal son who has returned home?"

"To be honest, these two are a perfect match in terms of looks..."

"President Jiang must have fainted from crying in the toilet."

"Click."

The expensive fountain pen in Jiang Yue's hand was broken in two, and the ink stained his fingertips black.

"A perfect match? Does he even deserve it?"

Jiang Yue stared intently at Xie Wang's arrogant face in the photo, the jealousy in his eyes gnawing at his reason.

On what grounds?

How could a piece of trash living in a slum, whose father is a gambling addict, steal his national competition spot and capture Su Qinghe's attention?

With trembling hands, he dialed a number that had no contact information.

That was a gang leader from outside the school whom he had met by chance before, known as "Tiger Brother".

"Hey, Tiger, it's me, Xiao Jiang."

Jiang Yue's voice sounded particularly cold in the empty classroom.

"I have a business opportunity for you regarding what you mentioned last time."

"Help me teach someone a lesson. Tomorrow, I'll make sure he can never hold a pen again."

……

Evening self-study time, on the top floor of the library.

The night outside the window was deep, and the city's neon lights flickered in the distance, like a flowing sea of ​​light.

Only one warm yellow table lamp was lit in the reading room.

Xie Wang had just finished a mock English test that Su Qinghe had given him and was lying on his back on two chairs pushed together, resting with his eyes closed.

The basketball game during the day had taken a toll on his energy, and his muscles were sore all over, but he was unusually excited.

"Wake up."

After Su Qinghe finished grading the test papers with a red pen, she gently poked his arm with the pen cap.

"There's a grammatical error here in the essay, deduct 5 points."

Xie Wang opened his eyes and looked at the girl standing in front of him against the light.

The light outlined her soft features, and the small lamplight was reflected in her clear, cool eyes.

He didn't move, maintaining that lazy posture, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

"Teacher Su, I've already won the game, can you give me some special treatment? Just forget about these 5 points."

"cannot."

Su Qinghe sat down on the chair next to him, patted the test paper on his chest, and said, "No one will give you preferential treatment in the exam room."

Xie Wang chuckled, picked up the exam paper to cover his face, and his voice came out in a muffled tone:

"So strict."

After a while, he suddenly put the test paper away, turned his head to look at Su Qinghe, and his eyes became somewhat deep:

"Su Qinghe".

"Um?"

"This afternoon at the stadium, Song Yizhi and his girlfriend... you saw them, right?"

Su Qinghe paused, turning the pages of his book. "I saw it. What's wrong?"

Xie Wang sat up, crossed his legs, his gaze fixed on the night outside the window, and said in a low voice:

"I'm quite envious."

"The feeling of being able to hold hands in the sun without having to hide from people or worry about being pointed at...that's nice."

The reading room was quiet for a few seconds.

Su Qinghe closed the book, turned her head, and looked at him intently.

She knew what he was thinking. He was thinking about his tainted past and the rumors circulating about him.

"Thank you for your vain."

Su Qinghe suddenly spoke up, changing the subject:

"I haven't done today's English speaking practice yet."

Xie Wang was taken aback: "Huh? Now?"

"Yes, now."

Su Qinghe pulled an English poetry collection from the pile of books, turned to a page with a folded corner, and handed it to him.

"Read this passage."

Xie Wang took the book and read it by the light of the lamp.

It was a short English poem about gravity and stars.

He cleared his throat and began to read aloud.

After these few days of correction, his pronunciation has become much more standard. His deep, slightly hoarse, husky voice has a unique sexiness when he reads English poetry.

"Gravity is not a chain, but a visible longing."

(Gravity is not a chain, but a visible desire.)

"No star can hide in the dark forever. When it burns hot enough, the whole universe will look at it."

(No star can remain hidden in darkness forever. When it burns bright enough, the whole universe will be watching it.)

Xie Wang stopped reading after finishing the last sentence.

As he looked at those two lines of text, his heart skipped a beat.

He looked up and met Su Qinghe's clear yet firm eyes.

"Did you understand?" Su Qinghe asked.

Xie Wang tightened his grip on the book's pages: "I understand."

Su Qinghe leaned forward slightly, shortening the distance between them.

She looked into the boy's eyes and said, word by word:

"Song was able to hold hands under the sun because he himself was radiant."

"If you envy him, then make yourself burn even brighter."

"When you win the gold medal, when you stand at the top, you'll be the one setting the rules. You can hold hands wherever you want."

"At that time, no one will dare to say that you are the Xie Wang you once were."

"All they'll say is, 'You are the sun.'"

Xie Wang's breathing became erratic.

This was probably the most subtle yet audacious love confession he had ever heard.

The wind from the top floor of the library blew in through the half-open window, turning the pages of the books and also making the boy's heart pound.

Xie Wang suddenly laughed.

That laughter was no longer the usual laughter, but a heartfelt, ambitious laugh.

He closed the book and casually put it aside.

Then, he reached out and gently hooked his little finger around Su Qinghe's little finger, which was resting on the table.

It just hooked, but didn't hold on tightly.

It was a test, and also an agreement.

"OK."

Xie Wang looked at her, his eyes burning, his voice hoarse:

"Then it's settled."

"The day I become the sun... Teacher Su, you won't be able to run away."

Su Qinghe lowered his eyes and looked at their little fingers intertwined.

She did not pull her hand away.

Instead, she gently hooked it back with her other hand.

"Um."

"I won't run."

The evening breeze was gentle, and the moonlight was perfect.

On that rooftop where there were only two people, the boy and girl made a vow about the future called "ambition".