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

Room 1602 was empty.

Apart from the black backpack Xie Wang brought and the few computer parts boxes Lu Wen had just piled up at the door, there was almost nothing in this large, single-level apartment of over 100 square meters.

Even the curtains are simple Venetian blinds left by the previous tenant.

A lingering chill of long-abandoned dwellings remained in the air.

Su Qinghe stood in the center of the living room and looked around.

She took out her phone and skillfully dialed Uncle Zhong's number.

"Hey, Uncle Chung."

Su Qinghe's voice was very calm:

"Okay, I won't go back to the villa. I'll stay at the apartment tonight; it'll be closer to school tomorrow."

"Don't worry, I have the access card, and you know the security here. I want to get some rest, so I won't bother with anything else."

After hanging up the phone, she placed it on the dusty windowsill and turned to look at Xie Wang:

"Take your things out. Don't keep stuffing them in your bag, or your clothes will get wrinkled."

Xie Wang unzipped his backpack.

His luggage was really pitifully little.

A few changes of clothes, several heavy original computer books, and a tin box that looked quite old.

She took the books and walked to the empty shelf in the living room, arranging them neatly one by one.

"Are these books about computer architecture?" she asked.

"Yes, these are all left by my mom." Xie Wang was hanging clothes in the empty closet, his voice coming from the bedroom with a slight echo. "Some of the notes were handwritten by her, and you can't buy them on the market now."

Su Qinghe's fingers gently traced the spine of the book.

In this empty house, this was all of Xie Wang's belongings.

Not much, but heavy enough.

Ten minutes later, the things were packed up.

There wasn't much to pack; the house was so big that the little bit of luggage looked rather lonely.

"Alright."

Su Qinghe dusted off his hands, glanced at the time, and realized it was almost eleven o'clock.

She pointed to the opposite side:

"Then I'll head back. You should get some rest too."

Xie Wang stood in the entryway to see her off, leaning against the doorframe, his eyes carrying a hint of excitement and languor from just moving into a new home.

"Okay. Goodnight."

"Click".

The door opposite closed.

Xie Wang turned around and went back to the living room.

Although it's a fully furnished apartment with a ready-made sofa, it seems like something crucial is missing.

He touched the coolness of the leather sofa and realized that he didn't have a blanket.

I was so focused on taking my books and computer when I moved that I completely forgot about these necessities.

The nights in Jiangcheng were still a bit chilly. Xie Wang even considered whether he should wear those coats to make do for the night.

Just then, my phone, which was on the coffee table, vibrated.

The screen lights up, and a message pops up on WeChat.

Y: Are you asleep?

Xie Wang's lips curled into a smile as he picked up his phone to reply:

X: [No. I'm just preparing to live under the open sky.]

The screen displayed "Typing...", and after two seconds:

Y: [Come here.]

Y: [I just remembered, there's a new spare set of bedding in my closet. Come get it, don't catch a cold.]

Xie Wang stared at the word "Come here" on the screen, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Go to her room and get it.

These words were quite tempting to him.

……

【Room 1601 - Bedroom】

"Knock knock knock".

A soft knock on the door.

Su Qinghe opened the door.

Xie Wang stood at the door, wearing that black T-shirt, his hair a little messy, looking casual and homey.

"Excuse me, Professor Su." He smiled, but his eyes remained proper and did not wander.

"Come in, no need to change your shoes."

Su Qinghe turned and walked inside, leading him through the living room and into her bedroom.

This was the first time Xie Wang had entered her bedroom.

Unlike the pink and tender girl's room I had imagined, Su Qinghe's room was very simple.

The room was decorated in a light blue hue. Her desk was piled high with various physics competition problem sets and draft papers, and the air was filled with a faint jasmine scent—the smell of her usual shower gel.

"On the top cabinet."

Su Qinghe pointed to the top shelf of the wardrobe, "It's too high, I can't reach it easily."

"I'll do it."

Xie Wang walked over.

He was a head taller than Su Qinghe, and without even needing a stool, he could easily reach the top cabinet door with a stretch of his long arm.

The two stood very close together.

When Xie Wang raised his hand, his refreshing and pleasant scent, mixed with a faint hint of tobacco, gently enveloped Su Qinghe.

He took the vacuum-compressed comforter and pillowcase from his pocket, held them in his arms, and looked down at her.

Thanks.

Su Qinghe looked away somewhat awkwardly, then turned and took a set of dark gray sheets and duvet cover from the drawer, handing it to him:

"This was washed and dried before, it's clean. Do you know how to put on a duvet cover?"

Xie Wang tossed the item in his hand and raised an eyebrow:

"I'm not some rich kid; I can take care of myself."

He looked at Su Qinghe:

"Go to sleep, you have school tomorrow."

"Okay. Goodnight."

Xie Wang walked out of 1601 carrying a pile of soft bedding.

Back in his empty 1602, he spread the blankets on the large sofa.

As he lay down inside, the same faint jasmine scent as the one in the next room lingered around his nose.

That night, although I slept on the sofa, I slept surprisingly well.

……

[The following day, 6:30 AM]

The sky was just beginning to lighten.

After Xie Wang finished washing up, he tiptoed out and bought breakfast before returning.

6: 50.

He stood at the door of 1601 and raised his hand to knock.

The door finally opened after a long while.

Su Qinghe had obviously just been woken up by the knocking.

She was wearing a loose school uniform T-shirt, her hair was untied and draped messily over her shoulders, and she had a dazed look on her face that you would never normally see. She wasn't even wearing glasses.

She squinted to make out the person at the door, her voice hoarse:

"...Xie Wang?"

"morning."

Xie Wang felt incredibly soft-hearted seeing her so unguarded.

He waved the soy milk in front of her eyes:

"Get up, Su. The first period today is math class with our teacher. If you're late, you'll be punished by standing in the corner."

Su Qinghe rubbed his eyes, finally becoming a little more awake, and scratched his hair in frustration:

"...The alarm clock didn't seem to go off."

"It's okay, I have a biological clock." Xie Wang smiled brightly. "I'll call you."

……

Twenty minutes later.

The two walked side by side on their way to school.

As dawn breaks, steam rises from the roadside breakfast stalls, filling the air with the warmth and vibrancy of everyday life.

Xie Wang carried his schoolbag on one shoulder and held the unfinished soy milk for Su Qinghe in his hand.

Su Qinghe had reverted to her usual aloof and studious demeanor, with her hair tied in a high ponytail and wearing silver-rimmed glasses.

"Oh, right," Xie Wang suddenly said, "final exams are in two weeks."

"Hmm," Su Qinghe responded. "What's wrong? Nervous?"

"I'm not nervous at all."

Xie Wang kicked away a small pebble from the roadside. Although his tone was casual, his eyes were very serious:

"But now that we've won the national gold medal, if our final exam score is too low, our teacher will lose face."

He gets full marks in science subjects, but Chinese and English have always been his weak points. He used to disdain studying them, but now... he wants to catch up with her.

"I want to aim for the top ten in the grade." Xie Wang turned to look at her. "Could you give me some extra help with Chinese and English?"

Su Qinghe stopped and turned to look at him.

Su Qinghe's lips curled slightly upward as she took out a familiar notebook from the side pocket of her backpack and handed it to him:

"It's all prepared."

"This is a compilation of techniques for appreciating classical Chinese poetry, along with high-frequency essay templates for English. You have a good brain, just memorize them."

Xie Wang took the notebook and ran his fingers over the cover.

It turns out she had been thinking about it all along.

"Thanks, Teacher Su."

Xie Wang carefully tucked the notebook into his bag, then naturally took her wrist and led her across the traffic light.

"As a return favor, how about I treat you to... noodles I cooked tonight?"

Su Qinghe smiled helplessly:

"Besides cooking noodles, what else can you do?"

"He can fix computers, he can fight, and he can also..."

Xie Wang turned around, backlit, his smile both flamboyant and gentle:

I will still like you.