Chapter 11 - Exam Eve
Qin Shaohu's grip was a vice around my throat, choking the air from my lungs. I clawed at his wrist, my voice a hoarse rasp. "What the hell do you want? Let me go!"
"I didn't want to mess with you," he snarled, teeth bared, spit flecking my face. "But you treat my words like air. Now "tell me"—where the hell were you last night?"
Last night at the Night Beauty KTV. Drunk out of my mind, drowning in beer and regret. Waking up in a cheap motel, Fu Xiaoya's scent lingering beside me. No way in hell I'd spill that truth—especially not the part about sharing a bed.
"None… of your damn business!" I glared back, neck stiff, heart hammering like a war drum.
"Quit acting tough!" His hand cracked across my face, a whip of pain that exploded in my skull. "Manman didn't come home last night. Her family couldn't reach her. This morning, I went to your house—your mom says "you" were gone all night too! Now talk! Where is she?"
"I didn't see her! I don't know!" I shouted, desperation clawing at my voice. My eyes darted to the security guards at the gate, praying they'd intervene. But they stood like statues, blind to the precinct chief's son and his reign of terror.
"Boys, hold him down," Qin growled, his voice low and venomous. "I'm slicing this bastard. Let's see how long he keeps his mouth shut."
Cold steel flashed as he flicked open a spring-loaded knife. My stomach plummeted, ice flooding my veins. His gang swarmed, pinning me to the ground like a trussed animal. I kicked, thrashed, screamed—useless. Dirt smeared my face, grit grinding between my teeth. The blade glinted inches from my throat, and despair swallowed me whole.
I shut my eyes, bracing for the cut.
Then—a sharp blare of a car horn.
Qin's head snapped up. His lackeys scrambled to their feet, lining up like obedient dogs. The knife vanished behind his back. I staggered upright, trembling, my breath ragged.
A black sedan rolled toward us, its tinted window sliding down to reveal Principal Li's cold, severe face. His eyes swept the scene, sharp and unyielding. "What time do you think it is? Why are you all still loitering here?"
Qin's grin split like a cracked mask. "Principal, just messing around with Zhou Yan. Last chance to bond before the big exam!"
"Yeah! Practicing… wrestling!" one of his goons chimed in, smirking.
"He's getting pretty good at it too!" another added.
"Enough!" Principal Li's voice was stern, his eyes empty. "Focus on your studies. Back to class—all of you."
He didn't dig deeper. Didn't care. The sedan rolled through the gates, and he was gone. I brushed dirt off my clothes, heart still pounding, and slipped inside. Crisis dodged. Saved by Principal Li. But gratitude? Not a drop. Qin Shaohu ruled this campus because men like Li turned a blind eye, smoothing over the cracks, pretending the world wasn't burning.
---
In class, I buried myself in books, pretending the humiliation didn't burn like acid in my veins. I swore silently, my pen digging into the paper: "One day, I'll rise. And when I do, no one will ever step on me again."
Yu Qingman walked in, and the air shifted. She was different today—makeup flawless, hair swept up, a black sweater clinging to every curve. A heart-shaped crystal necklace gleamed at her throat, catching the light like a beacon. An outfit for a date. Or something bigger. Jealousy twisted in my gut, sharp and ugly, a blade I couldn't dodge.
She passed my desk, pausing for a heartbeat. I dropped my head, scribbling nonsense, refusing to meet her eyes. A soft sigh brushed my ear, then her heels clicked away, leaving me with the sting of her disappointment.
That day, Qin left me alone. Probably got the truth from her. After school, I dragged myself home. Xu Li didn't ask where I'd been, didn't mention my absence last night. Fine by me. My room was my only sanctuary—four walls lined with books, review sheets scattered like the footprints of my struggle.
I collapsed onto my bed, Fu Xiaoya's face flashing in my mind. Her scent, soft and sweet, clung to my memory. Her voice echoed: ""Don't think about anything else. Focus on the exam.""
I laughed, bitter but resolute. She was right. Nothing else mattered. Not this house, not Xu Li's poison, not Qin's fists. Just the exam. My future. My freedom.
---
Days blurred into a relentless grind. Morning to night, I devoured books, my soul consumed by formulas and texts. The final mock exam came, and I crushed it—first in the entire grade. The teacher's praise rang out in front of the class: "Zhou Yan has practically secured a spot in a top university."
They didn't know what it cost me.
Dad was barely home, always chasing business deals. Xu Li's harassment grew bolder—lingerie "accidentally" left in the bathroom, showers taken with the door cracked open, slivers of pale skin flashing through steam. I fled every time, cheeks burning, heart racing. Worse, she started washing my underwear, finding them no matter where I hid them, hanging them beside her bras on the balcony, shameless as sin.
I adapted. Washed my clothes the second I changed. Locked my door. Ate fast. Hid like a fugitive in my own home. Her outfits grew bolder—loose sleep shirts slipping off a shoulder, skin-tight yoga pants, even fishnet stockings. Bait. Always bait. I wasn't falling for it.
---
The college entrance exam arrived, a looming giant. Dad called from out of town, his voice gruff but warm. "Make the family proud, Zhou Yan." Mom called too, promising to support me through college. Even my little sister's voice came through, sweet and childish, cheering me on. "Gege, you'll win! You'll crush it!"
I laughed, choking up, promising her, "When I get in, I'll come find you." Happiness swelled, so big it nearly burst my chest. Tears stung my eyes.
Xu Li sat on the sofa, watching me take call after call, her face a storm of emotions—jealousy, resentment, something darker. Then she snapped, yanking the phone cord clean out of the wall. I didn't argue. None of it mattered anymore.
Soon, I'd be free. From her. From this house. From all of it. I even planned it—once the admission notice arrived, I'd leave early, find a job, live on my own. A new life, carved by my own hands.
---
Then—"knock, knock, knock."
Xu Li answered the door, her face lighting up like fireworks. "Xiaoya! You're back!" Her voice trembled with tears, a performance so convincing it almost fooled me.
But the voice from the doorway cut through like a blade, sharp and unyielding. "I'm here for Zhou Yan. Tell him to get his ass out here."
Fu Xiaoya.
My heart lurched, a mix of dread and relief. I stepped into the living room, bracing for the storm that was her.