Xue Yue didn’t sleep well all night.

When she woke up in the morning, He Lang was already gone from the room.

Xue Yue lay in bed for a while, dazed. After eating, she went to work.

When she arrived at her office, Feng Yujie was already there.

Xue Yue glanced into the main office before walking over to her own desk and sitting down.

Zhao Li looked at her and asked in a low voice, "Didn’t sleep well last night?"

Xue Yue nodded. "I had insomnia."

Zhao Li chuckled lightly. "I swear, you young people have too much time on your hands. It’s not like me. I have a mountain of chores waiting for me when I get home. I have to wait on my in-laws and take care of several kids. I’m so exhausted every day that I fall asleep the second my head hits the pillow."

Xue Yue gave an awkward smile.

"Xue Yue, come in for a moment," Feng Yujie’s voice called from the office.

"Coming."

Xue Yue quickly stood up, tugged at the hem of her shirt, and went into the office.

"Sister Feng, you called for me."

Feng Yujie glanced at her and handed her a few sheets of paper.

"Translate the foreign text on these pages into Chinese. We need it for the meeting this afternoon."

Xue Yue took them. "Okay."

Xue Yue came out and quickly threw herself into her work.

Once she got busy at the office, she pushed last night’s troubles to the back of her mind.

That evening, when she got home from work, Mrs. He had already picked up the children.

But something seemed off about Xiao Yu. She was clutching her schoolbag and wouldn’t let Mrs. He see it.

Mrs. He grew even more suspicious. She snatched the bag from Xiao Yu and dumped its contents out—a pile of paper.

Upon closer inspection, she saw it was Xiao Yu’s textbook, torn to shreds.

Looking at the pile of paper, Mrs. He was both heartbroken and furious.

She pulled Xiao Yu over and swatted her bottom a couple of times.

"Why would you tear up a perfectly good book? We work so hard and spend so much money to send you to school, and this is how you repay us? What are you trying to do?"

Xiao Yu just sobbed loudly without saying a word.

Shiyi held Ruanruan’s hand, watching with a frightened look.

Xue Yue happened to return just then.

She could hear Xiao Yu’s crying from down the alley.

"What’s going on?"

Mrs. He angrily pointed at the pile of torn paper on the floor. "She tore her textbook up like this. It looks like she doesn’t want to go to school anymore."

Xue Yue glanced at the paper and pulled Xiao Yu to her side.

"Xiao Yu, tell Auntie, did you tear this?"

Xiao Yu shook her head, still crying.

When Mrs. He heard that, she became even more furious.

She yanked Xiao Yu back over to her.

"You didn’t tear it? Then who did?"

Xiao Yu shook her head.

Mrs. He was getting frantic, her voice growing much louder. "Stop just crying and say something!"

Xiao Yu’s body trembled, and she began to cry even harder.

"This child, you’re going to be the death of me! All you do all day is cry, cry, cry! Why can’t you get over this habit of crying all the time?"

Xue Yue said to Mrs. He, "Mom, please don’t get upset yet. Let’s ask her again in a little while. Xiao Yu is timid by nature. Let’s give her a moment to calm down."

Mrs. He sighed and sat down on a stool.

Xue Yue looked at Xiao Yu. "Xiao Yu, don’t be scared. No one is blaming you. Can you tell Auntie, is someone bullying you?"

Xiao Yu nodded through her sobs, then immediately shook her head.

Xue Yue frowned.

Watching this, Mrs. He felt another surge of anger. She stood up and stormed into the kitchen. Out of sight, out of mind.

It was clear they wouldn’t get any answers right now. Xue Yue said to Ruanruan, "Mom is going inside. You two comfort your little sister Xiao Yu and help her stop crying."

Ruanruan nodded. "I know, Mom."

Shiyi’s little face was all scrunched up too. He came over and took Xue Yue’s hand.

It seemed he didn’t want to stay there either.

Xue Yue led him into the house. As she took off her coat, she heard Shiyi pout and complain, "Mom, Xiao Yu is so annoying. Why does she always cry? She can’t even speak clearly. I don’t like her."

Xue Yue hung her coat up, pulled Shiyi to her side, and stroked his head.

"Xiao Yu’s parents aren’t around, that’s why she’s so timid. She’ll stop crying so much when she gets a little older."

Shiyi tilted his head. "That’s not it. She’s been at our house for so long now. She just likes to cry. Niu Keke in my class cried too when she first came, but she stopped after a few days."

Xue Yue smiled. "Every child is different."

Shiyi was young and blunt, but he could still listen to reason. Xue Yue wasn’t going to force him to like anyone.

It was Ruanruan who came in and told Xue Yue, "Mom, Xiao Yu said some kids bullied her and they’re the ones who tore her book, but the teacher told her not to say anything."

Xue Yue’s brow furrowed. "Go bring Xiao Yu in here."

Ruanruan ran out and led Xiao Yu inside.

Xiao Yu glanced at Xue Yue, then lowered her head.

"Xiao Yu, are you saying that some kids at school bullied you, and your teacher knows about it?"

Xiao Yu nodded. "The teacher... the teacher told me not to tell anyone at home. She said the other kids didn’t do it on purpose."

"Do you think the kids did it on purpose?"

After a few seconds of silence, Xiao Yu nodded.

Xue Yue was fuming.

Mrs. He had been listening at the doorway. Now that she understood the reason, she walked in angrily.

"This is too much. What kind of teacher is that? How could they let this bullying happen?"

She asked Xiao Yu, "Did they hit you?"

Xiao Yu shook her head. "No."

Mrs. He said furiously, "I’m going to go see for myself tomorrow! What kind of people are these? How can someone like that even be a teacher? They’re ruining children’s futures!"

Xue Yue said, "I’ll go with you tomorrow."

Mrs. He waved her hand. "No need. you have to work. I can go by myself. I refuse to believe they can eat me alive."

That night, when Mr. He came home and found out, he was also incredibly angry.

"We must go to the school and demand an explanation. This is outrageous! This is pure bullying, isn’t it? Wife, I’ll go with you tomorrow."

He Lang said to his father, "When you and Mom go to the school tomorrow, don’t get into a fight. Talk things out calmly."

Mr. He nodded. "You don’t have to tell me. I know. There must be a way to reason with them at the school."

Xue Yue glanced at He Lang and pressed her lips together.

Later that night, Xue Yue returned to the room after her shower and found He Lang wasn’t there.

He was in the children’s room, telling the two of them a story.

He only came back to their room after the children had fallen asleep.

He saw that Xue Yue was already lying in bed.

He Lang stood at the door, pausing for two minutes before walking toward the bed.

Xue Yue’s back was to He Lang. When she heard the door open, her heart stirred.

But then it was silent again.

A few minutes later, she felt the mattress dip behind her as He Lang got into bed and lay down.

With a CLICK, the light was turned off.

Listening to his breathing and almost feeling his warmth, Xue Yue wrung her hands.

Neither of them spoke. In the darkness, the sound of He Lang’s even breathing soon filled the room. Xue Yue felt a pang of sadness.

After a while, she slowly turned over. Though she couldn’t see clearly, she stared in He Lang’s direction.

’This guy has some nerve, just falling asleep like that,’ she thought. ’And look at me. Not only am I upset, but I can’t even sleep.’

’Does he not care about me at all?’

’Stupid man.’