bully

Gu Dandan swallowed hard and slowly said, "Mom... and Uncle An..."

"They often hit you!" Gu Ao was truly enraged.

She was so young, yet someone treated her with such cruelty. The whip marks on her legs and the handprints on her face stung him deeply. He wasn't a saint; others' lives had never concerned him before. But this girl, whom he had only met twice, inexplicably tugged at his heartstrings.

Gu Dandan nodded vigorously, tears flowing uncontrollably again. She looked at Gu Ao pleadingly, waiting for his final verdict.

Gu Ao reached out and wiped away her tears with his fingers, uttering two words, "Go to sleep."

Sleep? Gu Dandan was momentarily stunned but then obediently lay down and closed her eyes. That night, for the first time since her father's death, she slept soundly... even having a beautiful yet ethereal dream.

Gu Ao stepped out of the room, where the middle-aged man waited outside. "Mr. Gu, you wouldn't be thinking..."

"With your position, do you think you can interfere?" Gu Ao shot him a sharp glance.

"No, that's not what I meant, it's just that someone like her..."

"Get out!" Gu Ao growled.

...

When Gu Dandan woke up, Gu Ao was gone again. A pile of clothes sat at the foot of the bed, clearly meant for her. After changing, she walked out and saw the middle-aged man who had driven her home, now standing respectfully by the door.

"Miss, Mr. Gu asked me to take you to school," the man said, bowing slightly. "Please have breakfast first."

Miss? Was he addressing her? Taking her to school?

Without hesitation, Gu Dandan followed the man to the dining room, which left her in awe once more...

...

After breakfast, Gu Dandan was dropped off at the school gate. As she entered, the man gave her a slight bow, and she was sure she wasn't imagining it.

"Hehehe, look, it's Gu Dandan!" Several boys whispered behind her as she hurried into the classroom.

"Gu Dandan, did you get sold to an old man as a concubine? Hahaha!"

Just as she sat down, the boys surrounded her. They were used to bullying her.

"No! Don't say things like that."

"Liar! We saw it ourselves! An old man brought you to school!"

"It's not like that!"

"Gu Dandan married an old man! Gu Dandan married an old man!"

"Stop saying that!" Gu Dandan stood up, yelling at them and throwing her books.

"Hit her! How dare she throw things at us!"

The boys rushed at her...

In class, she had no friends. When she was bullied, everyone watched indifferently, as if enjoying the show.

Once, some boys stuffed a rag from the classroom into her mouth and scribbled on her face with chalk. When she went to the teacher's office, before she could step inside, the teacher scolded her, "Get out! Go cry somewhere else and come back when you're done!"

Then, she understood that even teachers didn't like her...

The boys pulled her hair forcefully, causing her to fall and scrape her skin. It hurt, but she bit her lip and endured it. Just a little longer, Gu Dandan...

"See if you dare fight back next time!" The boys sneered and walked away...

...

At dismissal, Gu Dandan stood alone at the gate, wondering if Gu Ao would send someone to abandon her again.

But soon, the middle-aged man appeared, "Miss, the car is across the street. Please get in."

Sitting in the car, she felt like crying. Gu Ao hadn't abandoned her...

Back at the mansion, Gu Ao sat alone on the sofa, silently reading the newspaper.

Seeing Gu Dandan enter, he stood up and approached her, noticing the injuries on her knees and elbows, clearly not from yesterday.

"Who did this?"

Gu Dandan lowered her head, silent.

"I'm asking you who did this!"

"Cl- classmates."

Gu Dandan thought Gu Ao was just casually asking, but he said, "Tomorrow, I'll take you there myself."

"What? You..." Gu Dandan gaped, surely she must have misheard.

"Sit down." Gu Ao said with a stern expression.

He pressed Gu Dandan onto the sofa and instructed the servant to clean her wounds while he watched quietly. She winced in pain.

"Don't you know how to fight back?" Was she a dead person, beaten at home and then at school?

"There are too many of them." How could she possibly fight back?

Getting beaten was something she had gotten used to; fighting back only made it worse. This was her experience over the years.

Hearing her words, Gu Ao's expression turned even colder. This girl was too naive, and it pained him.

After treating her wounds and having dinner, Gu Dandan approached Gu Ao, "Mr. Gu..."

"Don't waste time. Speak if you have something to say." Gu Ao interrupted her, her constant "Mr. Gu" wearing his patience thin.

"I... Can I stay here? I... I will repay you." Gathering her courage, Gu Dandan finally spoke her mind.

Gu Ao scrutinized her curiously. He had given her money, which she refused, yet she wanted to stay here. If it were any other woman, he would suspect ulterior motives, but this girl... he couldn't quite figure her out.

Turning around, he stared coldly at her, "Repay? With what?"

This question left Gu Dandan speechless, "I..."

"If I wanted your body, would you give it?" His lips curled into a perfect smirk.

Her silence stretched, unsure how to respond. 

Gu Ao continued to watch her, trying to understand the depths of this girl's thoughts.