Chapter 23: School Bully 23 (Finale)

During the summer break, everyone was talking about it. Li Qingyu had previously been wrongfully accused by that scheming "black lotus" more than once, and before graduation, she had even been pushed down a flight of stairs. The resentment ran deep, which was why Li Qingyu, fueled by anger, insisted on confronting An Xiyan at the graduation ceremony, even while dragging her own injured body.

After two months of rest, Li Qingyu recovered and flew abroad to pursue further studies. Contrary to the original course of events, the four school heartthrobs did not cling to An Xiyan; instead, they all went abroad, unwilling to be left behind. Among them, Wang Zilong received a full scholarship to study abroad due to his achievements in Taekwondo.

Four years later, upon their return, the four heartthrobs followed their life plans, either joining family businesses or starting their own ventures. Li Qingyu, holding shares, joined the board of directors of the Li Corporation, taking on a comfortable, low-pressure management role.

Li Qingyu was beautiful, possessed a pleasant temperament, and was the only daughter of the CEO. The parents of the four heartthrobs all set their sights on her, trying to get close in hopes of forging a powerful alliance through marriage. Wang Zilong was the most likely candidate, as he had known her the longest.

The original host hoped to establish a solid emotional foundation first. To avoid becoming another An Xiyan, she announced that she would not drag things out and promised to consult her parents within a year to become engaged to the person she loved most. Everyone accepted this arrangement.

Compared to the smooth sailing of the four heartthrobs and the original host, An Xiyan’s life was quite bleak.

After graduation, due to her disastrous college entrance exam results, she could not enter university. The principal had reviewed the surveillance footage from that day and concluded that it looked more like she had thrown herself at the car. Furthermore, since her father’s motorized bicycle had been traveling on a restricted road, he was held fully responsible.

The principal decisively cut ties with An Xiyan, tossing her 200,000 yuan out of a sense of humanitarian duty, and thereafter ignored her completely.

When An Xiyan went looking for work, she only had a high school diploma from a private academy. While still young, she managed to find a job as a server at a high-end hotel. For reasons unknown, she spilled a drink on a wealthy patron. When she looked up at him with teary eyes, the young CEO simply let it go, seeing no reason to lose his temper with a young girl.

Upon returning home, the CEO felt a flicker of interest and sent someone to investigate. Wealthy individuals are always cautious about outsiders trying to exploit them. The investigation results made him frown; An Xiyan’s entry into the private school and the messy drama surrounding her were common knowledge, and some of those in the know were his own business associates. The CEO tossed the file directly into the trash.

An Xiyan took the CEO’s business card and tracked him down, claiming she wanted to apologize and make amends. The CEO was disgusted by the old routine—convinced she would do anything for money—and ordered security not to let her in. An Xiyan never even stepped inside the company.

Realizing her chances were gone, she went home. Clumsy and prone to mistakes, she was fired after her probation ended. She had to find work as a department store clerk. Standing for twelve hours a day was agonizing. Back home, she was harassed by that local delinquent.

With the four heartthrobs gone, the delinquent had nothing to fear. Having served seven days in jail on her account, he was determined to get his "dues." Faced with An Xiyan’s tears and her pleas of "I always thought of you as a brother, how could you do this?", the delinquent ignored her entirely and forced himself upon her. He threatened that if she dared to call the police, he would scar her face, promising to marry her after he got out of jail. An Xiyan could only weep, and two days later, the delinquent returned.

Two months later, An Xiyan confirmed she was pregnant. Because she was under twenty—the legal age for marriage in the city—and due to the delinquent's mix of coercion and manipulation, she had to quit her job to focus on her pregnancy. By the time she turned twenty, their son was already a year old, and they finally registered their marriage.

The delinquent did not work. He lived on government assistance and spent his days playing mahjong—the gambling kind. Though the stakes were low, he still lost more than he won. When he had money, he bought beer and deli meats to feast at night; when he was broke, he demanded money from An Xiyan. Between prenatal check-ups and child-rearing, the 200,000 yuan settlement dwindled to 100,000.

An Xiyan tried to apply for social security to help with the child, but she was ineligible due to her 100,000 yuan savings. The delinquent used this as an excuse to squander the rest of the money recklessly. Once it was gone, they finally qualified for the monthly 3,000 yuan in assistance, which the family lived on.

If they were frugal, 3,000 yuan was enough to get by. But the delinquent couldn't stay away from the mahjong tables. Every month, by the time the next check arrived, they were starving. The delinquent came up with a new idea: insurance fraud. Being a coward, he pushed An Xiyan to throw herself in front of cars.

At first, An Xiyan resisted, but after receiving money twice, she grew numb and indifferent. One day, she spotted a luxury sedan and threw herself in front of it, waiting for the delinquent and his accomplices to emerge and demand compensation. She didn't realize that the person in the car was Leng Heming.

With a sharp screech of tires, Leng Heming, who had just returned from abroad and started at an investment firm, frowned as his laptop slid off his knees. The driver opened the door and shouted, "There is a dashcam in the car. Either move or we call the police!"

"Ouch, ouch!" An Xiyan lay in front of the car, rolling around and refusing to get up.

"Call the police and notify the lawyers," a frustrated Leng Heming said as he stepped out of the car, intending to take a taxi to his meeting.

When they turned and caught sight of each other, both froze. An Xiyan’s face flushed bright red, and she scrambled to her feet and ran. Leng Heming couldn't believe his eyes: was this bloated woman, lying in front of his wheels and faking an injury, actually An Xiyan?

The delinquent, sensing something was wrong, fled with his accomplices. When he heard what happened later, he flew into a fit of jealous rage and stormed out to play mahjong.

After dropping her son off at kindergarten, An Xiyan secretly went to see the four heartthrobs. They had all returned, looking sharp and successful as they entered high-end office buildings or their own companies. She looked at her own bloated frame, a consequence of childbirth, and realized she was no longer the An Xiyan she once was. Even if she cried in front of them, she no longer had that pitiable, delicate charm. Moreover, she was married with a four-year-old son.

Returning to her shabby, impoverished home, a profound sense of loss washed over her. The days when she was the center of attention for the four heartthrobs felt like a beautiful dream. Her current life was nothing like what she had wanted.

If she hadn't been so greedy back then, if she had just managed to hold onto one of them, she could have been a wealthy socialite—pampered by a successful husband, riding in luxury cars, with money to spend at will. But it was all too late.