Scarred Boy

Recalling that she had spoken to her student in such a tender and ambiguous tone, and that her buttocks had accidentally made such an intimate contact with his face, He Xiaoyu felt like dying, and even more so for Li Zedao.

And she was even more worried in her heart, thinking that with this act of hers, would Li Zedao overthink it? Would he foolishly think that her teacher really had a crush on him?

The most crucial point is whether Li Zonghan will seek revenge. Perhaps Li Zonghan cannot harm himself, but Li Zedao is merely an ordinary student. Should Li Zonghan decide to take revenge on such a student, it should be an effortless task for him. He could easily find two thugs to ambush him at the school gate, and it would be more than enough to make Li Zedao's life difficult.

Thinking about the possibility that Li Zedao might be retaliated against due to his momentary impetuousness, He Xiaoyu was filled with regret.

"I was really touched by my own kindness," He Xiaoyu muttered, then suddenly stopped and turned around. There were some things she had to clarify with Li Zedao as soon as possible, otherwise, misunderstandings might deepen, and that wouldn't be good for anyone.

Li Zedao also came to a halt, maintaining a distance of three or four steps from He Xiaoyu. He knew that the scent on him was not pleasant, and he didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble for He Xiaoyu.

And he also knew that He Xiaoyu would definitely explain some things to him, although he had already understood those things.

Huo Xiaoyu's gaze fell upon Li Zedao, and her heart tightened slightly, her brow furrowing even more.

At this moment, with the help of the not too dim streetlight beside him, He Xiaoyu could clearly see that there were some bloodstains and bruises on Li Zedao's face and body, and the blood had coagulated. Moreover, his clothes were covered with numerous footprints, and it was evident that they had been torn apart, far from the explanation he gave of being scratched by branches.

"What's wrong with you? Did you get into a fight?" He Xiaoyu asked, with a hint of concern in her tone.

"It wasn't a fight, just... I was mobbed," Li Zedao said with a faint smile, as if he were describing an ordinary matter.

"Why a gang beating?" He Xiaoyu widened her eyes, suddenly understanding, "Is that the two ruffians you ran into at noon who sent people to beat you up at your house? That's why you ran to the seaside?"

She said it herself, someone like Li Zedao, who is as outdated as can be and has no sense of romance, how could he possibly come out to the seaside at night? Moreover, the seaside isn't exactly close to the place he lives.

Li Zedao nodded and said, "It was them, they burned all the things in my house and ambushed in that room waiting for me."

"Hmm..." He Xiaoyu exclaimed, her expression one of shock.

"I'm lucky to have escaped and didn't sustain any serious injuries," Li Zedao said, then he shrugged and gave a carefree smile, revealing a row of perfectly white teeth that didn't match the color of his skin.

This is a smile so clean and enviable that you can't see any sadness in his eyes. It's as if the incident of everything at home being burned didn't happen to him, or as if the person being beaten wasn't him. Of course, you could also say he's heartless, or that he has already learned to calmly face all the hardships of life.

But no matter what, after seeing that clean smile on the dirty face, He Xiaoyu's resolute heart was fiercely tugged.

"Why aren't you... homeless now?" He Xiaoyu asked, feeling an inexplicable sense of compassion for the student.

Huo Xiaoyu was originally a very kind person; she always felt compassion for stray cats and dogs, let alone for a living human being

And this individual is also her student, and the reason this student suffered such an ordeal is because he helped her drive away the hooligans and was retaliated against as a result.

What Xiao Yu is thinking is, how to help him without hurting his pride.

Li Zedao did not respond, but instead opened his tattered bag and then pulled out five hundred yuan from a stack of bills, handing it to He Xiaorou and saying, "Teacher He, here."

"..."

"The money for two hospital stays." Li Zedao smiled slightly as he said.

"Get out of here!" He Xiaoyu nearly swatted Li Zedao to death with a slap. She was already homeless, and yet this guy wanted to return her money. Did he have to be so formal?

Unbeknownst to her, Li Zedao treated her with such reserve, which made her extremely angry. She glared at Li Zedao fiercely, then turned around abruptly and left without a word.

"Teacher He..."

"Don't call me!" He Xiaoyu said without turning her head, then after taking a few steps, she suddenly turned back. In the surprised gaze of Li Zedao, she hurried back and fiercely snatched the five hundred-yuan bills from his hand, stuffing them into her bag carelessly. Then, with an impatient tone, she said, "Li Zedao, is that okay now?"

"This money originally belongs to Teacher He," Li Zedao nodded and said.

Oh my god! He Xiaoyu's mouth twitched, and she nearly lost her temper again, about to smash this guy with her high heels.

"What are you going to do then?" He Xiaoyu composed herself and asked, "Go find your father... By the way, where has your father gone?"

Li Zedao did not respond, instead tilting his head slightly to gaze at the scattered stars in the sky, and the sorrow deep within his eyes flickered briefly.

Huo Xiaoyu saw him like this and suddenly felt a jolt in her heart. She suddenly thought of how, when Li Zedao was drowned and sent to the hospital, she had called his father countless times, but couldn't get through. When she visited his home in that desolate place, it seemed she hadn't seen Li Zedao's father either..

The heartstrings of He Xiaoyu tightened as she thought about it, and she remembered the time when she was at Li Zedao's doorstep, when she heard that extremely sorrowful cry coming from inside the house. And when she knocked on the door, Li Zedao suddenly pulled it open with a look of joy and shouted "Dad" to her, but when he saw it was her, the joyful expression on his face turned numb instantly.

She remembered again the content on the paper soaked by seawater that she had accidentally seen in the hospital, could it be that..

"You father..." He Xiaoyu hesitated for a moment before asking.

"He is no longer here, he has become a star." Li Zedao said in a calm tone, his gaze fixed on the brightest star in the sky.

Huo Xiaoyu was completely stunned, his meaning... did his father pass away?

A few weeks ago, my father was diagnosed with uremia, and fortunately, my kidney matched his. Li Zedao said softly while looking at the star, "But even so, the surgery cost is a fortune for a family like ours. I didn't go to class yesterday, and instead, I chose to kneel on the overpass to seek help, hoping to see if there were any kind-hearted people who could lend a hand. Unexpectedly, I was deceived in the end, and I was almost drowned after being thrown into the sea."

Huo Xiaoyu stared blankly at Li Zedao's dirty side profile, so taken aback by his words that she nearly forgot to breathe. That is to say, she had misunderstood him when they were in the hospital.

Li Zedao's tone remained calm: "But when I left the hospital and returned home, my father had disappeared. He left some money and a note, in which he told me he was useless, that he was sorry to me, that he couldn't provide me with a better environment and had already let me down. How could he ask me to donate a kidney, and at the same time bear the immense pressure of raising money to save him? So he said he had left, and he had found a place where no one could find him to end his life..."

Huo Xiaoyu subconsciously covered her mouth with her hand, tears already streaming down her face. She finally understood why Li Zedao had cried so heartbreakingly and helplessly the previous noon, and why he had been so excited to open the door and call her "dad," only to faint and have a fever afterward.

It was also clear why Li Zedao seemed to change into a completely different person in an instant, and it was also understood why Li Zedao was lost in thought during the class that afternoon.

Of course, He Xiaoyu misunderstood Li Zedao about being in a daze, but she didn't know it.

 At the moment, her hand moved forward gently. She wanted to hug the scarred big boy in her arms and comfort him. She wanted to tell him, even if your father is gone, what teacher do you have... But she gave up after all, she was afraid of Li Zedao.I thought too much and misunderstood, so that this simple teacher-student relationship eventually deteriorated.

 She has studied psychology, and she knows that a young virgin at this age (He Xiaoyu firmly believes that he must be a young virgin, after all, he is not handsome, his studies are not outstanding, and there is no sparkle in his body, and his family is not very good. How could a girl like him and dedicate herself to him? As for going to find chickens... does he have money? ) It is very restless, and it is easy to think too much.

 This is also why she stopped to explain what happened by the sea, but what she didn't expect was that she hadn't explained it yet, but she knew something that caught her a little off guard.

 "I just fell asleep on the beach and I had a dream. I dreamed that my father sat down next to me, and then patted my head with his big hand as usual, and then said to me, 'son, everyone has a choice in their own life.The right, what I choose may not be the best for you, but it is the best for me, so you don't need to forget the beauty of this world because of my business...'"

 He Xiaoyu fully believed that such philosophical words must have been said by his father when he entrusted it to him. She had the impression that Li Zedao, who had a mess of Muna's Chinese grades, would never be able to say such words.

 "Before my father had time to say the next words, I felt a soft, smelly thing hit my face all of a sudden. "Li Zedao said regretfully, "So I woke up too." "