Redemption from the Abyss: The School Beauty Insists on Pulling Me Out of the Mire

11 month 18 day.

Xie Wangzheng buried himself completely in the soft blankets.

"Click".

The bedroom door was pushed open a crack.

A faint scent of jasmine drifted in silently.

Xie Wang has light sleep, a result of years of staying up late and staying vigilant.

The moment the door lock clicked, his mind was already awake.

But he didn't move.

He heard deliberately slowed footsteps approaching his bedside.

Those were the footsteps of Su Qinghe.

Xie Wang closed his eyes, but his heart began to race uncontrollably.

What is this girl doing sneaking into my room so early in the morning?

Did they want to draw a turtle on my face while I was still asleep?

Just as Xie Wang was preparing to rise from the dead and retaliate at any moment.

He felt the mattress sink slightly.

Then, a soft finger gently brushed aside the slightly messy stray hairs on his forehead.

Xie Wang's breath hitched.

The next second, a warm, soft pair of lips pressed against his cheek.

"Ugh... Time to get up, you lazybones."

The girl's voice was soft, with a rare hint of coquettishness and playfulness.

After saying this, as if afraid Xie Wang would wake up and catch her red-handed, the jasmine scent instantly disappeared.

The sound of footsteps quickly escaped from the bedroom, and the door slammed shut.

Xie Wang, lying in bed, had his mind completely blank.

A full half minute passed before he slowly opened his eyes, raised his hand, and touched his cheek.

Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap!

Su Qinghe... actually stole a kiss from him?!

And you still call him a lazy pig?!

He sat on the edge of the bed, covered his face, and let out a silly laugh.

This is insane!

Today, let alone his birthday, even if Gu Nan brought a bomb to blow up his building, he would still laugh and light it!

Fueled by the stimulant, Xie Wang was in a state of high excitement all morning.

During morning reading time, while others were groaning in agony, Xie Wang recited classical Chinese texts with intonation and rhythm, as if he were reciting a love poem.

In math class, Mr. Li was explaining a bizarre solid geometry problem on the blackboard, and the class fell into complete silence.

Xie Wang not only looked up to listen to the lecture for the first time ever, but also gave Old Li an encouraging smile when Old Li looked over.

Old Li was so horrified by his laughter that he almost crushed the chalk in his hand.

in the afternoon.

The bell had just rung for the end of the last class.

Su Qinghe left with the words "I'm going to the restroom" and then mysteriously disappeared.

Just as Xie Wang was about to get up to go find her, Shen Hao suddenly blocked his way like a gatekeeper.

Before Xie Wang could speak, Song Yi rushed in and grabbed Xie Wang's arm.

"Let's go! Why go to the cafeteria? Let's play basketball! I'm on fire today, I have to fight you to the death on the court!" Song Yi's loud voice made Xie Wang's ears ring.

Shen Hao immediately grabbed Xie Wang's arm on the other side, the two working together seamlessly: "That's right! Brother Wang! Life is about movement! No one is allowed to leave until the full hour is over!"

Xie Wang was dragged downstairs by two burly men whose combined height was nearly 3.8 meters, one on each side, and he was completely exasperated.

He knew perfectly well that these guys were under strict orders from Su Qinghe to keep him glued to the basketball court so that they could have time to set up the scene.

Row.

Xie Wang took a deep breath.

I endured it for the sake of the surprise tonight.

Since you were forced into this situation, I'll play along and finish this clumsy act.

For the next hour, a brutal one-sided massacre unfolded on the outdoor basketball court of No. 1 Middle School.

Xie Wang vented all his frustration at not being able to see Su Qinghe immediately on basketball.

He pulled up for a three-pointer, drove to the basket for a layup, and even went so far as to deliver a devastating dunk over Shen Hao.

"Bang!"

The basketball slammed heavily against the rim, and Shen Hao collapsed to the ground, panting as he looked at Xie Wang with despair in his eyes.

Song Yizhi supported himself on his knees with both hands, sweat dripping down his face, and he didn't even have the strength to speak.

"Want to play again?" Xie Wang casually lifted the hem of his jersey to wipe the sweat from his chin, revealing his well-defined abs.

His gaze involuntarily drifted to the bench at the edge of the basketball court.

Whenever he plays ball, no matter how busy Su Qinghe is, he will sit there quietly, holding a bottle of mineral water, and occasionally look up to push up his glasses and glance at him.

But today, the bench is empty, with only a few sycamore leaves blown down by the cold wind.

Although he had already figured out the group's plan perfectly in his mind, and knew that Su Qinghe was probably busy arranging his birthday party.

But looking at that empty bench, Xie Wang couldn't help but feel a subtle pang of sadness.

Reason is one thing, but emotionally... he had gotten used to the days when he could just turn around and see her.

"No... I'm not fighting anymore."

Shen Hao glanced at his watch and let out a long sigh of relief.

"It's almost time, Brother Wang, let's go back to the classroom."

Xie Wang picked up his school uniform jacket from the ground, slung it over his shoulder, and walked towards the teaching building.

……

Meanwhile, in the classroom of Senior Three (1) Class.

The classroom had been completely transformed beyond recognition.

The curtains were all drawn, and the blackboard was covered with exaggerated graffiti in colored chalk, which read "Xie Wang! Happy Birthday!"

Several girls were standing on chairs, working busily.

Lin Lu and Xu You are frantically sticking balloons onto the ceiling.

Qiao Yue and Lin Lan were also pulled in as laborers, and they were hanging colorful streamers on the window tracks.

Lu Yi was forced to stand in the center of the classroom, holding up an extremely flashy sequined "Happy Birthday" banner with a look of utter despair.

He said with a hint of resentment, "A birthday is just a countdown to another year closer to the grave. Why celebrate the loss of life with such fancy rituals?"

"Lu Yi, if you dare to say another discouraging word, I'll shove that banner in your hand into your mouth."

Lin Lu stood on the chair and waved the double-sided tape in her hand menacingly.

Su Qinghe stood on the podium, directing the entire operation.

Today she was wearing a beige knitted sweater, her long hair was tied back with a wooden hairpin, and a few strands of hair fell on her fair neck, making her look both cool and gentle.

"Qinghe, I think Xie Wang is simply the happiest man in the world."

As Qiao Yue hung up the ribbons, she couldn't help but sigh.

"You're usually so busy, you wish you could stretch every minute into two to study, yet you're willing to spend so much effort doing this behind his back."

Lin Lan laughed and chimed in, "That's right! I used to think that Xie Wang, that kind of school bully, was impossible for anyone to control. Su Shen, how did he fall in love with you?"

Hearing the girls' teasing, Su Qinghe paused in his actions.

"No, I'm happier to have met him."

The words had barely left his mouth when Lin Lu, who was keeping watch in the corridor, darted in, waving frantically in a low voice, "He's here! He's here! He's here!!! Xie Wang's upstairs!! Turn off the lights!!"

With a "snap," the classroom lights went out.

Su Qinghe took a deep breath, quickly walked out of the classroom, and closed the back door behind him.

At the top of the stairs in the corridor, Xie Wang was carrying his school uniform jacket, his body slightly sweaty from playing basketball, as he lazily climbed the stairs.

As soon as he stepped onto the third-floor corridor, he saw Su Qinghe standing outside the back door of Class (1).

Xie Wang stopped in his tracks.

The motion-activated lights in the corridor were broken; there was only a faint light at the end.

Su Qinghe stood at the edge of that halo of light, quietly watching him.

Xie Wang's Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

Just as he was about to speak, Su Qinghe suddenly strode forward, silently reached out and covered his eyes with both hands.

Suddenly, everything went dark.

All that remained was the soft, slightly cool touch of Su Qinghe's palm and the calming scent of jasmine.

"Don't move."

Su Qinghe's voice was somewhat unsteady, revealing a rare hint of tension.

Xie Wang's lips curled into a wild smile as she covered his eyes.

coming.

The long-awaited highlight has finally arrived.

Xie Wang took a deep breath.

Calm down, Xie Wang, calm down.

From this moment forward, you are no longer the mastermind behind counter-surveillance; you are an innocent high school boy who knows nothing of what is about to happen.

Use your Oscar-worthy acting skills; you absolutely cannot let her find out that you already knew!

"Teacher Su?"

Xie Wang deliberately made his voice sound doubtful, and even reached out and grabbed Su Qinghe's wrist in an extremely affected manner.

"What are you doing? I can't see, it's so dark, I'm so scared."

Su Qinghe: "..."

If the atmosphere weren't so tense, Su Qinghe would have loved to kick this over-the-top actor in the shin.

"Come with me."

Su Qinghe ignored his erratic behavior, pushed his back, and walked step by step toward the back door of the classroom.

"Squeak—"

The back door was pushed open.

Su Qinghe abruptly pulled his hand away from his eyes.

"Snap!" The classroom lights suddenly blazed on, making Xie Wang squint involuntarily.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three deafening explosions of fireworks burst in quick succession!

Colorful confetti and sequins rained down from the sky, covering Xie Wang from head to toe.

"Thank you, Wang! Happy birthday!!!"

Shen Hao, Song Yiru, Xu You, Lin Lu, Qiao Yue, and Lin Lan all shouted in unison!

Due to the excitement at the scene, Shen Hao's confetti cannon went astray, and a cannon full of confetti accurately sprayed into Lu Yi's mouth, who was just about to speak.

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey..." Lu Yi rolled her eyes resentfully after being sprayed with latte art in her mouth.

"I knew this kind of worldly revelry would kill me sooner or later."

The classroom was in complete chaos, as noisy as a vegetable market.

The exaggerated graffiti on the blackboard, the huge cake on the table, and the most genuine smiles on everyone's faces.

Xie Wang stood amidst the colorful fragments fluttering in the air, watching his classmates bustling about for him.

His gaze swept across the crowd and landed on his homeroom teacher, Mr. Li, who was standing beside the podium, smiling at him.

He even saw Lu Wen's face, blurred by network latency, on the iPad screen that Lin Lu held high, as he roared at the top of his lungs at the company:

"Happy Birthday, Wangzi!! Xinghuo Network's eternal technological core!!"

Xie Wang was stunned.

Oh no, I've completely forgotten all the exaggerated acting I prepared.

Who can stand this.

Xie Wang's eyes reddened slightly, a rare occurrence for him.

He lowered his head, smiling like a child who had received the most precious gift in the world.

"Thank you everyone." Xie Wang's voice was slightly hoarse, but extremely sincere.

He turned to look at Su Qinghe standing beside him:

"This is truly the most enjoyable birthday I've ever had in my life."

"Click—"

A flash of light went off at the edge of the crowd.

Lu Yi pressed the shutter.

He looked at Xie Wang's rare appearance in the photo, his eyes slightly red, and sighed softly.

"The unruly soul eventually bowed to the warmth of the world... This moment of falling to earth deserves to be preserved forever."

……

The lively birthday party came to an end with Lao Li's words, "Alright, alright, finish your cake and quickly clean the classroom to prepare for evening self-study."

The night was deep and the wind was biting.

The streets were nearly deserted after school.

Xie Wang and Su Qinghe walked side by side on their way home.

The nights in Jiangcheng always have a special tranquility.

Before they knew it, the two of them stopped at a certain intersection.

Xie Wang looked up and paused for a moment.

Happiness Community.

How did I end up here?

Su Qinghe stopped and turned around to face Xie Wang.

The early winter wind blew her scarf, and her bright, phoenix-shaped eyes narrowed slightly, like Sherlock Holmes.

"Thank you for your vain."

Su Qinghe put his hands on his hips.

"I just thought back, when I walked in, the fireworks exploded half a meter away from your ear. Shen Hao's shout could scare a dead person back to life."

Su Qinghe took a step closer, staring into Xie Wang's eyes:

"But back then, you didn't even flinch."

Once a genius's brain starts logical deduction, it becomes virtually flawless.

Su Qinghe sneered: "So, you saw through our plan all along? You were just playing along with us?"

Xie Wang looked at his sullen girlfriend and finally couldn't hold back anymore.

He chuckled softly, then decided to drop the pretense and openly admit it:

"Teacher Su, it's really not my fault, you guys had too many flaws, hahaha."

After hearing this, Su Qinghe was not angry at all. Instead, he slowly lowered his hands from his hips.

A sly glint flashed in her eyes, and her eyebrows curved into a smile.

"Really? A master of counter-surveillance?"

"What about this one?"