Chapter 19: Shame

Chapter 19: Shame

Bai Li felt like a child eager for answers, wanting to rush back to her room and call her mother to confront her immediately.

But after taking a few steps, she knew it was impossible.

Her mother was surely by her stepfather’s side now, unwilling to tell her anything for the sake of a wealthy life—this was a conclusion she didn’t even need to try to confirm.

Yet the reality became ever clearer.

Suddenly, she recalled a vague conversation from years ago when she overheard a neighbor saying her mother was a heartless woman.

Before this serious talk could reach its end, her stepfather’s car arrived at the courtyard to pick them up.

If that “heartless” referred to abandoning Fang Ye,

then the surprise in Fang Ye’s eyes when she came to Lingjiang for refuge made sense.

His refusal to go home was explained.

His recent coldness and impatience toward her also found their reason.

Bai Li bowed her head, a wave of shame choking her throat so tightly she dared not cry out loud, only letting tears fall silently to the ground, swallowed by the dry cement beneath.

Unintentionally, her forehead suddenly bumped against something hard, her legs nearly giving way, but a pair of strong hands caught her effortlessly.

Along with it came a faint scent of mint, mingled with a subtle trace of tobacco.

The fragrance was familiar, having invaded her senses many times before.

She looked up, stunned, to find him standing barely half a meter away.

Fang Ye stood in front of her, brow furrowed, long lashes lowered, his spine straightened without the traces of humiliation it once bore.

Perhaps because of the story she had just heard, she noticed a scar at the corner of his brow, forming a naturally broken eyebrow, far from a flaw, instead accentuating his wild aura with a superior edge.

The boy held her gently, a hint of confusion in his voice: “Why are you crying?”

Bai Li remained silent.

But Fang Ye was sharp enough—seeing Chengzi passed out by the table, recalling the unfinished words from their first meeting, and knowing all that Chengzi knew—

he immediately found the answer:

“Bai Li, did you ask? About what you wanted to know.”

A chill ran through her body. She bit her lip and nodded.

Fang Ye smiled.

He rarely smiled, and this one didn’t quite reach his eyes, his voice calm and low:

“So, why did you ask?”

The question was sharp, piercing Bai Li’s most shameful heart.

While she and her mother enjoyed the compensation from Fang Ye’s father, Fang Ye had been bruised all over in this city, scraping by for money.

Bai Li lowered her head in embarrassment, struggling to come up with something feasible in the near future:

“I’ll work hard to earn money. From now on, all the money I make will be for you… until you don’t need it anymore.”

Silence fell again for several seconds.

She heard Fang Ye laugh, and it seemed genuine—not mocking.

She knew her offer was insufficient; she barely earned a penny. If she were in Fang Ye’s shoes, no one would even want her for illegal work.

All she could do was nervously clasp her fingers, relying on the warmth of her palms to support her thick skin as she stood before him, awaiting judgment.

After a moment,

Fang Ye suddenly bent down, pinched her cheek casually, and said:

“I don’t want your money. You living well—that’s helping me.”

Such words sounded official.

But Bai Li felt the sincerity unmistakably.

Fang Ye truly wished for her to have a good life.

This only deepened her shame. She couldn’t help but feel sorrow for the boy he once was.

On this summer night, every tree was covered with cicadas, chirping piercingly at certain moments.

Xiao Bai and the others came in from the living room, helped Chengzi up, and headed outside. Fang Ye told Bai Li to rest before following them out.

Bai Li returned to her room, absentmindedly showered, and lay on her bed when her phone suddenly rang.

Just like before, whenever the phone rang urgently, her heart would race in panic.

But this time was different. Her hand no longer trembled—perhaps because what she suspected was so infuriating. She picked up the phone, glanced at the caller ID, and answered.

“No one’s home,” she said boldly, turning on the speaker.

“Mom.”

“What do you mean?”

The familiar voice came through the air, teeth clenched, suppressing anger but too afraid to shout for some reason.

Hu Qingmei was nearly losing her mind. Her daughter had been sensible for so many years, but this summer seemed like a deliberate rebellion, repeatedly defying her orders.

She continued, “Why aren’t you home? Your brother came back but no one opened the door, your calls went to your uncle’s phone? Are you deliberately making life hard for me? Have you had enough of your good life? Are you trying to ruin me?”

The scolding sounded more like a feud between adults than a parent’s concern.

Just missing a few curses.

Disappointment? Anger? Sorrow? Bitterness? Bai Li suddenly felt none of it. She was long accustomed to it all.

She answered sincerely, “Yes, I’ve had enough of your kind of good life.”

“Absurd! Whether you like it or not, you have to endure it.” Mrs. Hu’s voice was hoarse, unable to believe her daughter disobeyed her again, furious beyond measure. “I don’t care where you are, come home and open the door immediately. Your brother is staying at a classmate’s tonight. Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused this family?”

Bai Li lowered her gaze without replying, thinking back to everything she’d just learned.

She decided that even if she couldn’t get a clear answer, she had to ask.

“Mom, did my brother really survive? Did you stop him from coming home?”

The calm was shattered as her voice cracked with tears.

The other side seemed unprepared for this question. Her anger mostly extinguished, she asked, “Why bring him up?”

A few seconds of silence.

Then Mrs. Hu sensed something was wrong, her anger flaring even more uncontrollably.

“Did you go to Lingjiang? Did you go looking for him? Are you crazy? You really think he’s your brother? How dare you!”

“...”

In that moment, Bai Li was stunned.

Her mother had never lost control like this before.

But it only confirmed her suspicions. There was no shock in her tone—only shame and rage—and she knew where Fang Ye was.

At that moment, footsteps sounded downstairs.

Fang Ye had returned.

Bai Li decisively hung up, switched off her phone, then turned and pulled the blanket over her head, curling her nails into her palms until the flesh ached.

Tears traced down her cheeks once more.

She tossed and turned, thinking that in this cruel world, no one was spared.

Fang Ye did not hate her.

But what about her?

What could she truly do for Fang Ye?

Things will start to get better from here.

Tomorrow, there’s a recommended PK battle—please leave comments! Monthly votes and recommendation votes are appreciated!

If the PK doesn’t go well, I’ll have to change the story again, so please take a look.

(End of chapter)