novelraw Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Chapter 33 I’m ScaredAs soon as Wen Yufeng stepped out the back door of the Class 6 classroom, the group of students waiting at the front door hurried over.
“Yu-ge—”
Several of them spoke up at once.
“…”
Wen Yufeng lazily raised his eyes and swept his gaze over the crowd. The cold, heavy look in his eyes was enough to make them all fall silent, quelling the fiery determination that had initially driven them there.
Only after their aggressive momentum had been completely suppressed did Wen Yufeng, his expression still cool and indifferent, turn and walk toward the stairwell.
By that time, Zhao Ziru and Li Xiang had also come out of the classroom and followed without hesitation. The remaining students exchanged uneasy glances, seeing the same trepidation in each other’s eyes, and reluctantly trailed after them.
Once they reached the stairwell, Wen Yufeng came to a halt.
He turned to face the group, his right hand hanging by his side, his expression icy as he looked them over.
“It’s late. What are you planning to do, gathering a group like this?”
Standing next to Zhao Ziru, Li Xiang gritted his teeth, his eyes fierce. “Of course, we’re going to get revenge for you, Yu-ge! Those bastards from Third Middle School only know how to ambush and gang up on people. This time, they even got those street thugs involved and dared to use knives! If they don’t know the rules, we’ll teach them!”
“That’s right!”
“Li Xiang is right, we need to teach those bastards a lesson!”
…
Li Xiang’s words stirred the emotions of the students behind him, rekindling the anger that Wen Yufeng had just suppressed with a single glance.
Wen Yufeng said nothing, just stood there with his eyes lowered. His black hair fell over his forehead, partly obscuring his sharp, handsome features.
The eerie silence that followed slowly pulled the overheated students out of their impulsive haze, and their voices gradually died down. One by one, they looked hesitantly at Wen Yufeng, who remained leaning against the wall without a word.
When the stairwell finally fell completely silent, the boy who had been the focus of everyone’s attention slowly raised his eyes.
His dark eyes shimmered faintly, and a thin smile suddenly appeared on his lips, cold and distant.
“Go on, say it.” His voice was lazy and indifferent, echoing faintly in the empty stairwell.
His gaze moved slowly over each of their faces. “…Why aren’t you continuing?”
It was like a cold blade, pressing closer and closer to their throats, filling the dim stairwell with a suffocating atmosphere that pressed down on everyone’s hearts.
Only when no one dared to meet his gaze did Wen Yufeng finally look away.
He took a moment to calm his emotions.
“This afternoon, more than half of those people ended up in the hospital with me. They’re still lying there now.”
He paused, his voice steady. “So, how exactly do you plan on getting revenge… breaking their arms and legs?”
“They dared to attack you with a knife, breaking their arms and legs would be letting them off easy…”
Li Xiang muttered, his gaze still filled with simmering anger.
“…”
Wen Yufeng’s expression turned even colder.
He heard something in Li Xiang’s words that made him suspect more was going on.
His gaze swept over the group again, his eyes narrowing as he took in the unusual details.
As he realized what had happened, his expression became even darker.
The atmosphere in the stairwell grew increasingly tense, like a taut string ready to snap.
Unable to bear the pressure, Li Xiang finally stepped forward, breaking the silence.
“Yu-ge, I—”
Before he could finish, a swift punch came out of nowhere. Li Xiang instinctively closed his eyes, preparing for the impact, but it never came.
Instead, he heard a dull thud, and when he opened his eyes, he saw Zhao Ziru being helped up by the others, who were scrambling to their feet.
Li Xiang’s face turned red with anger and embarrassment. He spun around to face Wen Yufeng, who still stood there, his fist clenched, cold and expressionless. “Yu-ge, this was my idea. Zhao Ziru had nothing to do with it—”
“Shut up!”
Wen Yufeng gave him a cold, piercing look, his voice low and raspy.
Then he turned his gaze to Zhao Ziru, who was being helped up by the others.
“Do you know why I hit you?”
“Ugh…”
Zhao Ziru grimaced as he rubbed his cheek, struggling to stand. “I didn’t stop Li Xiang and the others. That was my mistake.”
“It’s not that you didn’t stop them. You didn’t even try!”
Wen Yufeng’s voice was dangerously low, his tone nearly frightening. He unclenched his fist and continued, “I’ve told you before that Li Xiang is impulsive and prone to making mistakes. When you’re with him, you need to keep an eye on him—so what did you do?!”
His gaze swept over the group again, lingering on their bulging pockets and the hidden objects in their clothes. His eyes grew even colder, as sharp as knives.
Finally, his gaze landed back on Li Xiang.
Having seen Zhao Ziru get knocked down without mercy, Li Xiang’s earlier anger had mostly dissipated. Now, under Wen Yufeng’s scrutiny, he lowered his head in shame.
Wen Yufeng’s expression remained cold as he stepped closer to Li Xiang.
When he reached him, he spoke in a low, controlled voice, “Li Xiang, I know you look down on those street thugs.”
Wen Yufeng reached into Li Xiang’s pocket and pulled out a tightly clenched folding knife.
He glanced at the knife, then looked back at Li Xiang, his gaze colder than the blade itself, as if two icy bullets had pierced Li Xiang’s heart.
“But if you go out tonight looking for a fight—how are you any different from those lowlifes who don’t value their own lives?”
Wen Yufeng grabbed Li Xiang’s tightly clenched hand, pried his fingers open, and slapped the folding knife back into his palm.
“If you want to be that kind of scum, then leave now.”
Wen Yufeng’s voice was harsh as he turned his gaze on the rest of the group, his tone icy and precise—
“The same goes for the rest of you.”
With that, Wen Yufeng said nothing more, turning on his heel and heading back toward the classroom.
As he passed Zhao Ziru, he paused and looked up slightly.
“Does it hurt?”
His voice was low and raspy. Zhao Ziru shook his head, regaining his composure as he met his gaze.
Wen Yufeng seemed like he wanted to pat Zhao Ziru on the shoulder, but as he lifted his right hand, his brows furrowed sharply.
After a moment of hesitation, Wen Yufeng said nothing more and left the stairwell.
Zhao Ziru turned, watching him go with a troubled expression.
“I’m the one who got you in trouble…”
Li Xiang walked up beside him, sighing.
Zhao Ziru was pulled from his thoughts. “No, it was my fault for not stopping you and going along with it. I deserved that punch.”
“…”
Li Xiang opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words to say.
Finally, he ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “I just can’t stand it… I really wanted to give those bastards a taste of what it feels like to get stabbed and stitched up.”
Zhao Ziru was silent for a moment.
“Yu-ge was right. We shouldn’t go tonight—at least, not with those weapons.”
“…”
Li Xiang guiltily tried to hide the folding knife back in his pocket.
Zhao Ziru didn’t look at him, instead staring in the direction Wen Yufeng had gone. “Do you understand what Yu-ge meant? If you get involved in this kind of thing, it’ll stay with you for life.”
“Yeah…”
Li Xiang hung his head in defeat, then looked up, noticing Zhao Ziru still staring after Wen Yufeng. Curious, he asked, “What are you looking at?”
Zhao Ziru turned back, frowning. “Do you remember which hand Yu-ge used to punch me?”
“Why are you holding a grudge—” Li Xiang started to complain, but then his face suddenly changed.
He bolted toward the direction Wen Yufeng had gone. “Crap! It was his right hand! The one that just got stitched up today!”
Zhao Ziru grabbed him by the arm, stopping him.
Li Xiang panicked. “Why are you stopping me? Losing too much blood can be dangerous!”
Zhao Ziru rolled his eyes. “Do you really think Yu-ge is as clueless as you? If he didn’t mention it, it means he wants to handle it on his own. Are you really going to follow him and make things worse?”
“…”
Li Xiang, chastened, slumped back, unable to argue.
Qin Qing found Wen Yufeng standing by the sink on the floor where Class 6 was located.
The light above the sink was broken, and only a soft, warm glow from outside filtered in through the window, casting a faint light on the tall boy standing in front of the sink. Despite the dim lighting, Qin Qing could clearly see the tightly furrowed brows on his handsome face and the bandage peeking out from under the loose sleeve of his hoodie, stained with a vivid red.
The sight of that red stung her eyes.
Qin Qing had always thought of herself as someone who feared pain and the sight of blood. Not just on herself, but also when she saw it on others. But at this moment, she didn’t know where the courage came from that allowed her to keep walking toward him, even though her fingers were clenched so tightly that they had turned white.
“…Wen Yufeng.”
In the quiet night, where the only sound was the faint trickle of water, Wen Yufeng suddenly heard a voice behind him. It was soft, with a trace of undisguised fear.
“…”
A trace of frustration flickered in Wen Yufeng’s eyes.
Perhaps the pain had dulled his senses, making him unaware of the girl’s approach.
He sighed softly and turned to face her, a faint smile playing in his eyes.
“I’ll finish the worksheets—”
His words stopped abruptly, and the arm he had half-hidden behind his back froze in midair.
The boy’s brows furrowed tightly—
The girl standing in front of him had eyes that were visibly red.
“Who bullied you?”
Thinking this was the only possibility, Wen Yufeng’s gaze turned sharp as he spoke.
Qin Qing shook her head firmly, then bit her lower lip and looked up at Wen Yufeng—
“This afternoon… did you go out and get into a fight?”
“…”
Wen Yufeng’s brows furrowed even tighter.
“Who told you that?”
His voice was low, tinged with obvious displeasure.
Qin Qing took a deep breath and forced herself to speak louder. “Is it true?!”
——
The girl clearly wasn’t used to speaking this way, and her raised voice was somewhat uncontrollable, with a hint of a tearful tone.
Wen Yufeng felt a pang in his chest, but he was at a loss for how to handle the situation.
This was the first time he had faced something like this, and he didn’t know how to respond, fearing that any word or action might make her even more upset.
In the end, he could only sigh, bending down to make his eyes level with hers.
“That fight at noon was an accident. I had no intention of skipping class.”
“…”
Qin Qing listened to his reassuring words, but she couldn’t help focusing on his right arm. Eventually, she stopped trying to hide her concern.
Qin Qing reached out and grabbed the hem of his hoodie, as if afraid he would run away—
“Let me see.”
A flash of irritation crossed Wen Yufeng’s eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.
He lifted one corner of his mouth in a mischievous grin.
“What do you want to see… Sweetie?”
He deliberately lowered his voice to a husky tone and leaned closer to her.
His warm breath brushed against her delicate neck, and his gaze was dangerously close. Normally, Qin Qing would have glared at him and run away, but this time she held onto his hoodie, biting her lip to suppress her fear, and looked up into his eyes—
“Let me see… your injury.”
“…”
Faced with her serious and stern expression, Wen Yufeng was momentarily stunned.
When he regained his senses, he narrowed his eyes slightly.
——
“Are you… worried about me?”
His voice carried a hint of uncertainty.
Qin Qing didn’t respond to his words. She just stubbornly held onto his hoodie.
Wen Yufeng couldn’t resist her persistence and slowly extended his right arm, which he had been hiding behind his back.
In fact, he was suddenly curious to see how his little desk mate would react when she saw his injury.
Qin Qing didn’t disappoint him. When she saw the dark red blood seeping through the bandage up close, her soft breathing quickened, and the emotions she had just managed to calm down surged back.
Her eyes turned red again.
Wen Yufeng’s gaze deepened.
Unlike before, this time, seeing her reaction made him feel not only heartache but also a strange desire to see her even more upset because of him.
Maybe… she would cry?
If she cried while clutching his hoodie, would her voice still be as soft and teary as before… perhaps even letting out a light sob, making her eyes look as if they were shimmering with water…
Wen Yufeng felt as if a flame was licking at his heart, filling his entire body with restless energy.
After a while, he forced himself to look away from her face.
“…Damn.”
He cursed under his breath.
——If this continued, he might really turn into a pervert.
Qin Qing was also pulled back to reality by his voice. She clasped her hands tightly, forcing herself to regain her composure.
Then she looked up at him and said, “I’ll go with you to the hospital.”
“…”
Wen Yufeng instinctively wanted to refuse, but as soon as his brain registered the words “I’ll go with you,” the words that had been about to leave his mouth were swallowed back down.
“You wait at the classroom door for me. I’ll go get a leave slip from Teacher Shen.”
With that, Qin Qing released her grip on his hoodie and headed straight for the teacher’s office without looking back.
Her high ponytail swung gently from side to side as she walked away.
The boy slowly straightened up, narrowing his eyes slightly.
——
He felt like he was being hypnotized by that beautiful ponytail and its owner.
…And it might be a spell he’d never wake up from.
…………
During the first evening study session, Qin Qing, holding a leave slip stating “fever and cold, needs to rest at home,” left the school with Wen Yufeng.
They hailed a taxi as soon as they left the campus, heading straight to the nearest hospital.
At that hour, most of the hospital had closed for the night, leaving only the emergency department and the inpatient ward still lit up in the darkness.
When the driver saw Wen Yufeng’s arm exposed to prevent infection, especially the long streak of blood seeping through the bandage, he didn’t dare to delay and drove them straight to the emergency department.
Qin Qing hurried out of the car with Wen Yufeng and quickly handled the registration and paperwork for a medical record card.
Her actions were practiced and efficient, clearly familiar with the emergency procedure.
So, as soon as Qin Qing finished the paperwork and returned to Wen Yufeng’s side, ready to take him to the doctor, Wen Yufeng grabbed her delicate arm.
“Do you come to the hospital often?”
His brows furrowed instinctively, his gaze deep and somewhat dangerous.
Combined with the visible injury on his arm, it was enough to make the surrounding people avert their eyes.
But Qin Qing wasn’t intimidated by his demeanor.
“Having a cold or fever is an issue of immunity. At least I don’t end up in the hospital because of fights.”
Wen Yufeng: “…”
——
He realized that his little desk mate had, over the course of the evening, shed all her fear and was now fully in a mode to settle accounts.
With no other choice, Wen Yufeng allowed her to lead him to the doctor’s office.
When they were just a few steps from the door, Qin Qing noticed something that made her frown.
She hesitated, glancing at the nearby waiting area.
Several men, looking drunk and reeking of alcohol, were sprawled out across the benches. Two of them had dirty stains on their clothes, mixed with traces of blood.
One of the men, noticing Qin Qing’s gaze, looked up and gave her a lewd smile, suggestively shifting his hips.
But before she could see too much, a slender hand with well-defined knuckles came up to shield her eyes.
Qin Qing was startled and turned to look at the boy standing beside her.
He wasn’t looking at her but instead gazing disdainfully at the waiting area.
His slightly upturned eyes held a cold, fierce glint, and the starlight in his dark eyes seemed to shimmer with a cold gleam.
Just a single glance from him made the man lower his gaze in fear and pull back his lecherous stare from Qin Qing.
Only then did Wen Yufeng withdraw his icy gaze.
He lowered the hand that had shielded Qin Qing’s eyes and placed it on her shoulder, guiding her protectively into the doctor’s office.
The doctor inside looked up and was momentarily taken aback by the way the patient and their companion entered the room.
Qin Qing quickly freed herself from Wen Yufeng’s grasp, handed the doctor the registration papers, and gently pulled Wen Yufeng over to him.
Throughout the process, Wen Yufeng remained silent, his dark eyes fixed on her every move, with a faint, mischievous smile on his lips.
Looking at his relaxed demeanor, no one would have guessed that he was the one who had been stabbed and received over a dozen stitches.
Even the doctor initially thought the young girl was overreacting—until he saw the blood seeping through the bandage on Wen Yufeng’s arm.
The doctor frowned immediately.
“This is not a minor injury. Didn’t you do anything strenuous?”
Qin Qing instinctively wanted to nod, but she hesitated halfway, recalling the time during evening study when she couldn’t find Wen Yufeng.
She glanced at him uncertainly.
Their eyes met for a moment.
Wen Yufeng looked away and replied casually to the doctor.
“I just threw a punch. Nothing else.”
Hearing this, Qin Qing’s eyes widened in shock.
“…Wen Yufeng!”
She looked at him in frustration.
Seeing this, the doctor sighed and interrupted their conversation.
“The stitches have likely come undone. We need to anesthetize and re-stitch the wound.”
“…”
Qin Qing was stunned, turning to the doctor. “Do you really have to re-stitch it?”
Her voice trembled slightly.
“Yes, it must be done.”
The doctor replied as he began preparing the necessary items.
Once ready, he handed the prescription to Qin Qing. “Go to the pharmacy and get the anesthesia and sterilization supplies for the stitches.”
Still in shock, Qin Qing took the paper and hurried out of the room.
Wen Yufeng frowned and followed her.
“I’ll go with you.”
The doctor, too late to stop them, watched his patient follow her out.
…
A few minutes later, Qin Qing and Wen Yufeng returned to the office with the supplies.
The doctor took them and prepared for the procedure, then turned to Qin Qing.
“You should wait outside.”
Wen Yufeng paused.
…He remembered that the drunken men were still outside.
Qin Qing glanced at Wen Yufeng’s arm, hesitated, and then agreed to leave.
But just as she was about to step out, he grabbed her wrist.
She looked up at him in confusion.
Without changing his expression, Wen Yufeng looked at the doctor and slightly lifted the corners of his mouth—
“I’m scared. Can she stay with me?”
Qin Qing: “…”
Doctor: “………”
After a long, awkward silence, the doctor finally nodded, albeit slowly and reluctantly.
Thanks to the cooperation of the person who openly admitted being “scared,” the preparation for the procedure went smoothly.
——
Once the anesthesia had taken effect, the doctor prepared to start the stitches. Before beginning, he hesitated and frowned at Wen Yufeng.
“Anesthesia can affect different patients differently. Since you were already injected a few hours ago and this wound has been continuously open, I can’t guarantee the full effect of this second anesthesia… it might still hurt a bit.”
Hearing this, Wen Yufeng finally looked away from the nervous girl beside him.
He nodded calmly, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
“Okay.”
The blue surgical drape was laid out, exposing the jagged wound beneath. The doctor picked up the sterilized instruments and began unwrapping them.
Seeing the wound and the tools, Qin Qing turned pale, her clear eyes filled with fear, as if she were the one about to get stitched up.
After a few seconds, she slowly turned her stiff neck back, her soft voice trembling, “Wen Yufeng… are you scared?”
“…”
Wen Yufeng raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
“Yes.”
His voice was laced with a husky chuckle.
Qin Qing, too anxious to discern his tone, reached out and grabbed his hand.
Her fingers were cold.
“…What should we do, then?”
Her voice was almost tearful.
Wen Yufeng felt his gaze darken as he was drawn in by the sound of her trembling voice, as if two bottomless wells had formed in his eyes.
After a few seconds, he opened his mouth, almost as if possessed.
“…If you kiss me, it should help.”