Chapter 13: The Moon Never Closes Its Eyes

Chapter 13: The Moon Never Closes Its Eyes

Perhaps the three slaps Bailei mentioned were too light and insubstantial.

Fang Ye couldn’t believe that what she cared about was the money that had been stolen.

Every sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl he had ever seen, when bullied, would cry incessantly and complain to those around them.

None of them could be as indifferent as she was, as if the pain didn’t even register.

How could anyone be so indifferent?

When Bailei was little, she cried bitterly if bullied—louder and fiercer than anyone, tugging at his clothes as she poured out her grievances.

It was because she had been bullied all her life, with no one to protect her, that she had developed such a stifled personality.

Fang Ye closed his eyes tightly, biting down hard inside his mouth, and when he opened them again, his gaze was cold and sharp.

He had always thought that a child would fare better with their own mother.

He never expected this to be the result.

This world—his mother—was truly absurd beyond belief.

After wiping the dirt from the girl’s face, he expressionlessly hailed a cab and helped her into the vehicle.

Bailei gripped the door tightly, looking back in confusion. “Brother, can’t we call the police?”

Though she wasn’t very angry, she didn’t want to let those people off so easily.

Fang Ye glanced down the alley and said calmly, “Let’s go home first, take a shower, don’t catch a cold.”

Chengzi nodded as well. “Don’t be afraid, little sister. Let’s head home first. Chengzi promises to get your money and phone back.”

Only then did Bailei obediently sit in the car.

As the car turned around, she saw Chengzi on the phone, heading alone back into the alley.

On this rainy night, with no moonlight and no street lamps, the road was pitch black, so dark that one couldn’t see their own hand in front of their face.

Once a person entered the darkness, they were swallowed whole.

...

Back at home, under Fang Ye’s urging, Bailei quickly went to her room and took a shower.

The warm water mixed with lemon-scented foam gently washed away the mud on her body and the fading marks of the slaps on her face, leaving a tingling, itchy sensation.

When she finished and came out, something felt off.

After looking around, she realized Fang Ye was no longer there.

Sitting on the living room sofa, she kept recalling the image of Chengzi walking into the alley.

So, her brother had gone to find Chengzi? Where were they going? Were they going to confront those people? But there were five delinquent boys, and only her brother and Chengzi—two against five would definitely be at a disadvantage.

Such thoughts grew more certain by the minute.

Bailei couldn’t rest peacefully at home waiting.

After a while of restlessness, she decisively ran downstairs, grabbed an umbrella hanging by the door, and stepped into the puddles without looking back, running toward the place where the robbery had happened.

What could she do there?

She didn’t know.

But she didn’t want her brother to get hurt. If something did happen, she could call the police.

...

The rain continued pouring heavily. The closer she got to the darkness, the faster Bailei felt her heart pounding.

Only when she reached the alley entrance did she quietly stop.

Raindrops splashed onto the lampshade, forming a watery film.

The spot where the troublemaking students had been standing was now empty.

...No one was there.

It seemed she had been overthinking. Her brother hadn’t come?

She couldn’t tell if that made her happy.

Bailei lowered her head and let out a sigh of relief.

Turning around, she suddenly heard several cries of pain from another alley nearby.

Tilting her head to look, she saw a crowd densely packed at the narrowest alley entrance.

All of them had fierce, menacing faces and were holding wooden sticks.

It looked like a gang fight.

Bailei took a deep breath; her instincts told her not to get involved—this was far more dangerous than the group of delinquents.

Just as she turned to leave, her sharp eyes caught sight of the crowd parting.

Little Bai Ge emerged from the middle, holding a small white bag.

Looking closely, it was the very bag that had been stolen from her!

But because of the rain, the white fur on the bag was soaked and stained with something red—like blood.

Someone handed Little Bai Ge a piece of paper; he casually wiped the bag with a tissue, a careless smile playing on his lips.

“Tsk, why return this to a kid? It’s filthy. Who knows where nearby sells the same bag?”

Suddenly, a cold sweat broke out all over Bailei.

No need to guess what these people were up to.

Her brother... might be among them.

The wails of pain continued.

Terrified something terrible was happening, she didn’t bother hiding and hurried to the middle of the street.

Peering through the gaps in the crowd, she indeed saw Fang Ye.

He was smoking a cigarette, kicking the red-haired boy who had stolen the money with full force.

...

The red-haired boy was kicked into the corner, clutching his head in misery.

“Brother, I was wrong, I really was.”

Fang Ye was terrifying now—he pressed his foot on the boy’s stomach and pushed a still-burning cigarette stub right onto his head, singeing a lock of hair.

Chengzi was stepping on another person's hand, wearing a grim smile. With a raised hand, he slapped someone in the face.

“Damn it! How many times have I said? If you’re a student, then study properly! Stop messing around! How dare you rob on our turf, especially from our little sister? Can’t tell who’s who anymore?”

The delinquent boys had lost all their arrogance.

At their age, they hadn’t seen truly brutal people before. Having been schooled by society, they were now crying loudly.

“We won’t dare again, we really didn’t know,”

the red-haired boy pleaded, holding his head tightly, knowing Fang Ye was the leader of this group. He begged, “Brother, let’s make a deal. Spare us, and we’ll follow you from now on.”

Fang Ye looked over the people lying on the ground and, hearing that, laughed disdainfully as if feeling nothing.

Then he kicked the red-haired boy again.

Chengzi laughed too, took a few steps forward, and slapped him down with a fierce curse: “Damn, you’re the worst! You didn’t study and still want to gang up? With your dirty hands hitting little girls, bringing you in makes us all lose face.”

The heavy rain amplified the darkness in people’s hearts, laying it bare before Bailei.

If she wasn’t mistaken, she had seen these people at the tavern before.

Suddenly, she understood what Chengzi meant by “gang.”

Earlier, she had thought about calling the police for Fang Ye...

She trembled uncontrollably.

Suppressing her panic, she called out softly, “Brother.”

Her faint voice was swallowed by the rain, barely audible.

But Fang Ye suddenly looked up sharply.

From a few meters away, he could clearly see the girl’s trembling shoulders, even though she was holding an umbrella that couldn’t shield the raindrops drifting onto her face.

The girl’s expression was terrified.

Surprise flickered in his eyes; he hadn’t expected her to come.

Was she scared?

Looking at the miserable state of the others around him, he withdrew his foot from the red-shirted boy’s body, fingers tightening slightly.

Little Bai Ge’s face showed some embarrassment as well.

Perhaps because the girl’s eyes were so pure, he couldn’t bear to let her see such a scene.

Holding the soiled little bag, he walked over to her, wearing the same gentle smile as that day, coaxing her,

“Little sister, why are you here? The brothers have gotten your bag back. Check if anything’s missing. It’s pouring rain; don’t catch a cold. Take it and go home quickly.”

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(End of chapter)