Chapter 4: No Debt Between Us

The rain fell heavier and heavier, and my tears could no longer be restrained. The rainwater mixed with my tears, leaving me in a state of panic. I did not want her to notice my weakness; I wanted to preserve the last bit of dignity to remain strong. I limped quickly, very quickly, until I completely disappeared from her sight. Only then did I suddenly look up and let out a roar, bursting into tears.

The road is not long, yet I have walked for a long time. Standing outside the school gate, I gaze at the brightly lit teaching building inside, my face filled with sorrow. Tears have unknowingly filled my face, all the pain and reluctance coalescing in these tears. I dare not cry out loud, I can only stand quietly, for a long, long time. I stand here in the rain, lost in thought, gazing at this university campus that carries my dreams.

I still dare not look at her. I only know that I cannot be moved; I must completely bid her farewell, without a trace of lingering attachment. Thus, I continued to respond coldly: "Heh, I don't know who that is; I just heard the boss say there was a disturbance in the store and hoped someone would take care of it, so I stepped forward. It has nothing to do with you!"

My cries were drowned out by the sound of the heavy rain, as if the entire world was weeping for me. In that moment, I felt like the most unfortunate person in the world

The boss personally welcomed me at the door and praised me, commending my loyalty and courage. After a round of compliments, he lowered his voice and got to the point, saying that I had offended the local thugs from www.hetushu.com. They had threatened that they would beat me up every time they saw me, and the police were powerless against those ruffians. The boss, fearing trouble, did not dare to keep me on and even prepared a month's salary for me as compensation.

At this moment, her voice took on a hint of sadness

I have endured so much, lost so much, yet in the end, I am treated as a soulless, lowly person, even worse than a beggar. I truly want to slap myself twice. I want to throw money in her face and loudly tell her that I did not save her for money. Can 10,000 yuan help me regain my home? Can it make my legs heal immediately? Can it make all the humiliation and suffering I have endured disappear?

Where should I go? Where can I go? I did not look back, I simply threw three words at her: "Leave this place!"

I stuffed the money into my bag and immediately walked around her, leaving quickly with a limp. At that moment, all I hoped for was to completely clarify the boundaries between us. From now on, I owe her nothing, and she owes me nothing. With ten thousand yuan, we are even.

Thus, I feigned indifference, pretended not to see her, lowered my head, limped away directly

I touched my head, which was still wrapped in bandages and faintly aching, and gently closed my eyes. Before long, a colleague from the kitchen arrived. He helped me pay for the medical expenses, and after I finished the IV drip, he supported me and took me back to the restaurant.

Gradually, I fell into a stupor amidst such grandiose pain

Xiao Yue seems to be my natural nemesis. I have saved her twice, and each time it has come at a painful cost. I am not afraid of being hurt; I only fear becoming a drifting dog, lonely and desolate. The home where I grew up is gone, and I thought I could cling to this dream of university life. Yet, this nemesis is also studying here. I truly do not want to have any further entanglements with her, even though everything is of my own making. I cannot blame her, but now I just want to distance myself from her, as far as possible. The home where I grew up is gone, and I thought I could cling to this dream of university life. Yet, this nemesis is also studying here. I truly do not want to have any further entanglements with her, even though everything is of my own making. I cannot blame her, but now I just want to distance myself from her, as far as possible.

I turned my head and found her pair of jet-black eyes staring directly at me, clear and bright. I dared not look at her for long, fearing my heart would waver, so I hurriedly lowered my head, gazing at the ground dampened by water, and replied softly: "Rest assured, I did not follow you here. I had no idea you were at this university before I came to work here!" From her words, I sensed a hint of doubt, and I did not want her to misunderstand my intentions.

Anger burned rapidly in my chest, and I couldn't help but raise my head, looking indignantly at Xiaoyue. What frustrated me was that her face remained so pure and beautiful, and her gaze even carried a hint of concern. I wanted to unleash my anger on her, but I couldn't. I struggled to restrain myself, trying to accept this ridiculous outcome. Perhaps everything I did could only be offset by this ten thousand yuan! My losses, the sacrifices I made with * books, although I did not receive the respect and understanding I deserved, at least were not completely worthless. I wanted to unleash my anger on her, but I couldn't. I struggled to restrain myself, trying to accept this ridiculous outcome. Perhaps everything I did could only be offset by this ten thousand yuan! My losses, the sacrifices I made with * books, although I did not receive the respect and understanding I deserved, at least were not completely worthless

Upon waking, I found myself in a small clinic. Fortunately, my mind was still clear, and my limbs could move. Alone, I was connected to an IV drip, and the sound of the second hand ticking on the clinic's clock filled my ears. Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming sense of desolation in my empty heart. The grand scenes from before my unconsciousness floated in my mind, but after the clamor, all that remained was a profound loneliness, along with my injured body.

Thinking of this, I trembled as I extended my hands to take the stack of money from Xiao Yue. I smiled and said, "What I did for you was merely a small effort. Today, I only sustained a minor injury; it is nothing serious. I am content with the amount you have given me, thank you"

Xiao Yue let out a soft "oh" and continued, "Why do you want to save me again? Aren't you afraid of the danger?" This time, her voice had become somewhat hoarse.

Money is such an important thing for someone like me who is homeless, yet why do I feel so distressed seeing it at this moment? It has completely destroyed the last bit of self-esteem I wanted to preserve. If Xiao Yue's previous words of concern were a form of comfort to me, then now, her act of throwing money at me has truly angered me. What does she take me for?

I still kept my head down and replied indifferently, "It has nothing to do with you; I accidentally dropped the book myself!"

The ringing of the bell suddenly broke the tranquility of the night, and I finally came to my senses, wiping away my tears vigorously. I turned to leave, but in that instant of turning, I saw a figure standing behind me in the rainy night, holding an umbrella.

Tonight is unusually quiet, as I walk alone in the rain, my heart filled with desolation. This injured leg has become even more inconvenient after being beaten by a thug. I endure the pain, facing the fine rain, limping slowly towards the university gate.

In the moment when she brushed past her, Xiao Yue finally spoke up, gently asking: "Ge Tian, how did you come to work here?"

Although she changed into a different outfit, I still recognized her at a glance. I don't know if it was due to the fear of being entangled with troublemakers, but she wore a baseball cap under the disguise of a black tracksuit. Even so, it could not conceal her beauty. Xiaoyue was still as charming as ever, making it hard for one not to steal a few more glances. However, this time, I had no intention of appreciating her beauty; I just wanted to escape quickly

After taking only a few steps, a soft call from behind reached my ears: "Where are you going?"

After a long silence, she finally spoke again: "What happened to your leg? It was fine at home; is it because of me?"

Xiao Yue seemed quite disappointed after listening, and softly responded with an "oh".

Clearly, this group of people would not be moved by my lofty ambitions. As the glass shard in my hand fell to the ground with a bang, they charged at me with fierce momentum. Soon, fists and feet rained down upon me, and I was instantly knocked to the ground. The pain in my body could no longer stimulate my nerves; no matter how they trampled me, I remained silent. Compared to the humiliation of having my leg broken by my father, this torment felt far more unrestrained.

I really don't want to get entangled any longer, so I simply said to her: "Is everything alright? If everything is fine, I will take my leave now!" After saying this, I immediately took my leave.

Xiao Yue hurriedly caught up with me, ran in front of me, and handed me a stack of money, saying: "This is the 10,000 yuan I just withdrew. I know it's a bit little, but this is all I can take out right now. If you think it's insufficient, I can ask my dad to send more over!"

What was meant to come has indeed arrived. Although I had mentally prepared myself, I still cannot suppress the discomfort. This is my second home, and now it is gone again. The peaceful life I longed for has been shattered once more

Perhaps from beginning to end, she sees me as someone who would do anything for money. For the sake of money, I abandoned her on my brother's wedding day. For the sake of money, I came to this school to save her

Receiving my first paycheck from the boss, which was not thick but felt heavy for me, I shouldered my bag, thanked the boss, and then turned to leave the restaurant. The city, which had been under the scorching sun for over a month, was now draped in a light drizzle, as if even the heavens were weeping for my miserable situation