Chapter 36: I’ll hit you, badass
A Painful Confrontation
“Junior Lin, it hurts…”
Mi Xue bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes. She was already frail from her experiments, and Lin Lu’s strong hand clamped tightly onto her delicate arm like a vice.
Pleading at the Staircase
“Can we go inside first… too many people at the staircase.” Mi Xue’s face flushed as she pleaded, her eyes already closed, her body surrendering as if ready to be plucked, her hair slightly disheveled across her forehead.
Lin Lu’s Defiance
Lin Lu wasn’t falling for her damsel act. He grabbed her arm and pinned it against the door, trapping her in a wall-slam, staring down at her flustered face. “Stop pretending! Don’t you hate me? If you’ve got something to vent, just do it! No need to trick me into going inside for some shady plan.”
Close Encounters
His face drew closer, almost forehead-to-forehead, their lips barely half a foot apart. Mi Xue trembled like a startled deer, her eyelashes fluttering. When she briefly opened her eyes and met his serious gaze, she quickly shut them again, a flush spreading from her cheeks to her ears.
Denials and Dinner
“I-I’m not pretending… really, I just wanted us to have a family dinner.”
“You’re still denying it? All the awful things I did to you, you don’t remember a single one? You don’t want revenge at all?”
Past Promises and Present Fears
Zhuang Yan Yue and the others were quick to take advantage of his weaknesses, holding leverage over him. In front of them, he was like a groveling grandson, forced to smile and speak sweetly. If they so much as breathed heavily, he’d flinch, fearing a storm was coming.
And you’re not jumping at the chance to step on me too?
Mi Xue’s kindness made him uneasy, like ants crawling over his skin. The gentler she was, the more unnerved he felt.
He must be sick, getting a thrill from this.
A Weak Retaliation
“I remember everything, but I’m too weak to fight you…”
Mi Xue struggled but couldn’t move. Her chest ached from being pressed so tightly against him, her body practically deformed. She felt so wronged. He told her to take revenge, yet he was still bullying her…
An Offer of Atonement
Lin Lu belatedly loosened his grip, raising his hands to show he meant no resistance.
“Hit me. Go ahead, even a slap’s fine. Whatever makes you feel better.”
If a beating could lessen her hatred, it’d be a bargain.
Hesitant Hands
Mi Xue gently rubbed her sore arm, flustered by his invitation to hit him. She’d never spoken a harsh word to anyone, let alone hit someone—especially not Lin Lu…
“What are you waiting for? Hit me! Who was it that made you run errands to the store in the scorching heat? Who harassed you on weekends, interrupting your studies and part-time jobs, forcing you to go on dates? Who stole your first kiss, making you cry all night? It was me, this jerk, standing right here for you to deal with. Why aren’t you moving?”
Hidden Kindnesses
Mi Xue understood all this. But every time Lin Lu sent her to buy something for his class, he’d always give her extra money—enough for her and her mother’s meals for the day…
When he dragged her out for dates on weekends, he took her to her favorite bookstore, where she could read to her heart’s content. He’d buy her study materials and practice tests she couldn’t afford, ones she’d otherwise have to borrow or ask teachers to print as outdated versions.
Time and Money
She never had money, let alone time. She worked part-time on weekends, so bookstores were a luxury. But now, Lin Lu stopped her from working, giving her time instead. As for money… he always found ways to give her some without hurting her pride—errand fees, breakfast money, delivery fees, and more.
The Stolen Kiss
But he was right about one thing. In the library, that solemn, quiet place, he’d forcibly kissed her. After losing her first kiss, she couldn’t sleep, twisting in her blankets like a wriggling worm. Her mother had told her a girl must cherish herself, that no matter how poor they were, selling her body was never an option…
Did letting Lin Lu kiss her count as selling herself?
A Gentle Strike
At that thought, Mi Xue slowly raised her hand, clenching her small fist…
“That’s it, hit me.”
“I-I’ll hit you… you jerk.”
Her fist landed on his arm, soft and painless.
After the Blow
“I’m done…” She withdrew her hand, lowering her head anxiously, awaiting his reaction.
If Mi Xue hadn’t said anything, Lin Lu wouldn’t have even noticed she’d hit him. Her punch was more like a playful tap.
“That’s it?”
“Y-yeah.”
Dinner Plans
“Dinner?”
Mi Xue shook her head. “Let’s make dinner first. We didn’t eat much at the restaurant.”
“No, I mean, can’t you hit harder? A kick would do…”
“I’ll have energy after dinner.”
A Warm Welcome
Like she’d been saved, Mi Xue pulled out her keys and turned to open the door. As it swung open, a white blur dashed from the couch, latching onto her leg like a facehugger—
A beautiful white cat.
Their daughter, Bing Cheng.
A Feline Reunion
Lin Lu had wanted Mi Xue to hit him a few more times, but seeing the kitten he hadn’t seen in years now grown into a fluffy ball, he happily grabbed a cat treat and crouched down.
“Meow?”
Bing Cheng eyed Lin Lu warily, then looked up at her mom in confusion.
A Shared Memory
Mi Xue crouched beside him, glancing at Lin Lu with a flushed face. “Tch, this is your dad. He was the one who bravely climbed the roof to save you back then.”
Back then, Bing Cheng’s mother had run off with some stray tomcat, leaving the kitten stranded on the roof, meowing for help with no food and no way down. Since then, Mi Xue had raised her.
A Cat’s Trust
As if understanding, Bing Cheng wagged her tail and approached Lin Lu obediently. He scooped her up, standing and petting her enthusiastically.
Truth be told, he was a cat lover—cough, a cat enthusiast.
An Unexpected Gesture
While bonding with Bing Cheng, he suddenly felt something at his feet. Looking down, he saw Mi Xue kneeling, untying his shoelaces to swap them for slippers.
Lin Lu stepped back, startled.
“I can do it myself.”
“You’re holding Bing Cheng. Let me.”
“No, no, really…” He took another half-step back.
A Painful Past
Mi Xue looked up at him, her expression a bit hurt.
“I used to tie your shoes like this… why won’t you let me now?”
It wasn’t that he doubted her kindness, but it felt so awkward. Lin Lu said, “You’re a university professor now. Technically, you’re my teacher. A teacher kneeling to change a student’s shoes? That’s weird…”
“But you’re also my ex… ex-boyfriend…” Her voice trembled.
A Fragile Connection
“Ex-boyfriend, not current boyfriend.”
“Why do you keep pushing me away tonight? Did I do something wrong…?”
Her voice broke, and Mi Xue finally let out a sob, as if reaching her breaking point.