Volume One: High School Days Chapter 065: Bian Ran's Account

Because Yagyu had been placed in the slow class, he became even more unruly. Today, he pushed the limits further, bringing peanuts and countless beers into the classroom. While the teacher lectured at the podium, the students in the last two rows, led by Yagyu, all started drinking. Before the first period was even over, those in the back had already drifted off to sleep.

Bored by the sight of his sleeping classmates, Yagyu seized the chance while the teacher was writing on the blackboard to sneak out the back door with Ren Xiadong. The two of them climbed over the wall by the sports field and left the school. With nothing to do, they wandered into an internet café near campus. Yagyu watched Ren Xiadong, who was having a blast gaming, but he himself didn’t feel any interest. Perhaps he was getting old—he just didn’t care for games anymore.

Suddenly, Yagyu saw his old favorite game on the computer. He vaguely remembered how, back when he played, he had no money and was constantly mocked by others. So, he convinced Ren Xiadong to each register an account and top up with five thousand yuan apiece, then spent the entire morning indulging in the game.

Since most students were still in class, there were only a handful of people in the café that morning. Time passed quickly, and as Yagyu and Ren Xiadong discussed what to have for lunch, a man sat beside them, smoking and furiously pounding his keyboard, occasionally cursing out his teammates for being useless.

Suddenly, that man spat on the ground, and the spittle landed right on Yagyu. Without hesitation, Yagyu took off his headphones, stood up, and slapped the man on the back of the head. The man immediately jumped up and shoved Yagyu, who stumbled and collapsed onto Ren Xiadong, who was still deeply engrossed in his game.

Ren Xiadong, eyes glued to the screen and fingers tapping away, sensed Yagyu leaning on him. Without even looking, he muttered, “What’s wrong? Had too much to drink?”

Yagyu didn’t bother to answer. He straightened up, clenched his fist, and punched the man in the face. Sensing something was wrong, Ren Xiadong turned to see Yagyu wrestling with the young man. Ren Xiadong took off his own headphones and was about to jump in, but he saw the young man already pinned to the ground by Yagyu.

Only after the café manager intervened did Yagyu release him. The young man got up, heading toward the exit while calling out, “You’re from No. 7 Middle School, aren’t you? Just you wait!”

After the man left, Yagyu lost all interest in staying. He didn’t want to return to school either, so he took Ren Xiadong and went home.

When the two of them arrived, Lele quietly ran up behind them and told them that Bian Ran’s parents would be coming that afternoon to take her home.

“What’s going on?” Yagyu’s curiosity was instantly piqued. He had always wanted to know how Bian Ran had been abducted and had tried different ways to coax it out of her, but never succeeded. Today, she finally agreed to talk, and Yagyu and Ren Xiadong were eager to hear her story.

Lele whispered, “After you left today, I noticed Bian Ran seemed down, so I tried to ask what she’d been through. Later, she asked for my phone to call her family. From her conversation, I learned that today is her mother’s birthday.”

“So she asked for your phone to call home, her family found out where she was, and now they’re coming to get her tonight. Is that right?” Yagyu asked, looking at Lele.

Lele nodded. The three of them walked to Bian Ran’s room, and Yagyu knocked on the door, saying, “Lele told us you’re leaving today. Before you go, let’s talk a bit—as friends getting to know each other.”

After a moment, Bian Ran opened the door. She was wearing new clothes Lele had helped her buy in recent days, looking especially pretty in a floral dress with her hair in a ponytail.

Seeing her dressed up, Yagyu commented casually, “You’re definitely school beauty material—if only you had more up top and in the back!”

Bian Ran, in a better mood today—perhaps because she would soon see her parents—wasn’t offended by Yagyu’s teasing. Instead, she replied, “I know you want to hear my story. I’ll tell you now.”

Ren Xiadong took out beer, cigarettes, and peanuts, placing them on the table. The four of them sat down together. Yagyu opened four beers, handing one to each, and said to Bian Ran, “The stage is yours.”

Bian Ran took the beer Yagyu gave her and took a sip. It was the first time the three had seen her drink. “It’s awful,” she said, then grabbed a peanut and asked Yagyu, “Remember that day you asked where you should take me, and I said I just wanted to follow you?”

Yagyu replied, “Maybe you were planning something against me. Or maybe you wanted to marry me, freeload and scam me for food!”

“No, it’s because your license plate was from Xinghai City. I’m a freshman at Xinghai Normal University.”

Bian Ran then recounted everything that had happened to her from beginning to end:

Her family lived in Jinjiang, four hundred kilometers from Xinghai City. On the last day of August, with her admission notice in hand, she set out for university. Just outside Xinghai’s train station, she saw an elderly woman fall. No one around stopped to help, so out of kindness, Bian Ran went over to assist her.

The old woman, after standing up, said, “Don’t worry, I have health insurance. I won’t try to extort you. You seem like a kind girl. I have trouble walking—can you help me get home?”

Bian Ran, inexperienced and moved by pity, agreed without a second thought. Following the woman’s directions, she helped her into a deserted alley. Suddenly, everything went black, and she remembered nothing more.

When she awoke, her hands and feet were bound, and she was seated in a car with a hood over her head, unable to see anything. The people in the car noticed she was awake, forced an injection on her, and she lost consciousness again.

Who knows how much time passed before she woke up again—this time in the home of the middle-aged man where Yagyu later found her. She was naked, tied to the kang.

After hearing her account, the three fell silent. Bian Ran went on, “Back then, I wanted to die. But I’m my parents’ only child. For their sake, I chose to live.”

Lele glanced at the scars on Bian Ran’s arm, tears of sympathy streaming down her face. She wanted to say something, but words failed her.

At that moment, Bian Ran raised her beer and clinked it against Yagyu’s, saying, “Thank you. If not for you, I’d still be in their clutches.” With that, she started gulping down the beer.

“See? I said Yagyu’s got a soft heart. At first, I thought you were the one who abducted Bian Ran,” Ren Xiadong joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Yagyu, however, asked seriously, “Do you know how you’ll face your parents soon?”

“Who doesn’t know how to face their own parents?” Ren Xiadong interjected.

“Shut up,” Yagyu shot back, then looked at Bian Ran.

With her head lowered, Bian Ran asked in a small voice, “Am I dirty now? Will my parents despise me?”

“They won’t. Don’t overthink it. Time will heal,” Lele finally managed. There was little else to say but to comfort her.

Ren Xiadong wisely kept quiet, afraid to say the wrong thing and upset Bian Ran.

“Your parents won’t reject you. Trust me, we’ll wait with you. Don’t burden yourself—everything will get better, and no one will ever look down on you,” Yagyu said sincerely. He didn’t want Bian Ran to dwell on it. She was still so young; if this became her lifelong shadow, her life would be ruined.

“Would you despise me? Think I’m dirty?” Bian Ran gazed at Yagyu with longing.

She was deeply grateful to Yagyu for taking her in. As long as he didn’t reject her, she wouldn’t care about anyone else’s opinion.

“You’re perfectly clean—don’t dwell on it,” Yagyu replied.

“Then let me stay. I can cook and clean for you.” Bian Ran pleaded, her eyes full of hope.

Yagyu was flustered by her request. He had only meant to comfort her out of pity, but now she seemed ready to pledge herself to him, and he didn’t know how to respond.

In the living room, Bian Ran, Lele, and Ren Xiadong all looked at Yagyu, waiting for his answer.

He hesitated, stammered a bit, then, thinking quickly, said, “Focus on your studies. You’re always welcome here whenever you have time.”

Bian Ran looked disappointed, only murmuring an “oh.” The room fell silent. Yagyu, however, was already planning to stand up for her and find the culprits behind her abduction, then hand them over to the authorities—though that would have to wait until after Xiaoya’s brother’s wedding.

As time ticked by, Bian Ran grew more anxious, unsure how she would face her parents after they learned what had happened.

Just then came a knock at the door. Yagyu, Lele, and Ren Xiadong all looked at Bian Ran, who trembled, not knowing what to do.

“It’s all right now. The ones who care most about you are your parents,” Yagyu said, heading to open the door.

Outside stood a middle-aged couple. Yagyu recognized them as Bian Ran’s parents. Before they could speak, he said, “Bian Ran is inside.”

They rushed in and, seeing their daughter, embraced her tightly.

Bian Ran and her parents wept in each other’s arms. Her parents cared nothing about what she had suffered—only that she was safe.

After a while, Bian Ran pointed to Yagyu and said, “He’s the one who saved me.”

Her parents hurried over to thank him, trying to kneel in gratitude, but Yagyu, Ren Xiadong, and Lele stopped them.

“Thank you for bringing our daughter back,” her mother said, taking out a thick wad of cash. “We don’t have much, but please accept this as a token of our gratitude.”

Yagyu quickly pushed the money away. “No need, really. I just happened to be there.”

After repeated refusal, her mother put the money away. Looking at the travel-worn couple, Yagyu said, “You haven’t eaten, have you? Since you’ve come all this way to Xinghai, let me host you for a meal.”

With Yagyu’s coaxing, he took Bian Ran’s family and Ren Xiadong’s couple out for dinner. Afterwards, Bian Ran’s family booked train tickets for that very night.

Yagyu drove them to the station. As they got out, Bian Ran knocked on his window and asked, “Will you let me stay?”

Yagyu said nothing for a long while. Seeing his silence, Bian Ran didn’t linger but followed her parents into the station.

Watching them disappear, Yagyu picked up his phone and called Zhao Bin.

“Well, Young Master Yagyu, what prompts you to call me today?”

“Brother Bin, I know you have connections. I want you to investigate the abduction that happened outside Xinghai train station at the end of August—find out who was behind it.”

“That’s… that’s not easy. Only gangs would do such a thing. I don’t have the resources to go up against them.”

“One hundred thousand. I just need to know who did it—the rest is none of your business.”

“All right! I’ll look into it and contact you as soon as I find anything.”