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

[10:30 AM · Jiangcheng International Financial Center]

The shopping mall was packed with people on the weekend, the air conditioning was on full blast, and the air was filled with the scent of expensive fragrances.

Xie Wang, with one hand in his pocket, lazily followed behind Su Qinghe.

Su Qinghe had clearly come prepared today. She had a clear goal: to head straight for the high-end menswear section on the third floor.

"This one, this one, and this one."

Her fingers lightly swept across the clothes rack, selecting only well-tailored and high-quality styles.

"Teacher Su," Xie Wang raised an eyebrow as he looked at the growing pile of clothes in his hands, "that's enough, that's enough."

Su Qinghe stopped, turned around, adjusted his glasses, and looked as serious as if he were solving a challenging math problem.

"Although it's a family dinner, my parents are the kind of people who judge a person by their 'aura' first; first impressions are very important."

"Go try it."

Xie Wang was pushed into the fitting room.

A few minutes later, there was a soft click from the door lock.

Su Qinghe was sitting on a leather sofa in the rest area, flipping through a magazine, when he heard the sound and looked up.

Her breath hitched slightly the moment her gaze fell upon that white figure.

Xie Wang came out.

He changed out of his usual loose T-shirt and put on a crisp white wrinkle-free shirt, paired with dark gray slim-fit trousers.

The shirt seemed tailor-made for him, perfectly outlining the boy's broad shoulders and slender waist. His usual nonchalant roguishness had been somewhat toned down, replaced by a cool and upright air of heroism.

This is what is called a "hypocrite"... no, a scoundrel.

The word popped into Su Qinghe's head out of nowhere, and her cheeks inexplicably felt hot.

"How is it?"

Xie Wang walked to the mirror and looked at himself. Looking at the dazed Su Qinghe through the mirror, a mischievous smile crept onto his lips.

"Ms. Su, are you stunned? Did you suddenly realize your boyfriend is devastatingly handsome?"

Su Qinghe snapped out of his daze, closed the magazine, tried to remain calm, and walked over:

"Not bad, clothes make the man."

She walked up to him, her brows slightly furrowed:

"Your collar is messed up."

The top button was undone, and the tie was hanging loosely around his neck.

Su Qinghe stood on tiptoe and reached out to help him tidy up.

The two were very close together.

Xie Wang was so close that he could smell the faint scent of shampoo in her hair, and Su Qinghe could feel his warm breath on her forehead.

Su Qinghe's fingers were slightly cool, and he inadvertently touched Xie Wang's prominent Adam's apple.

Xie Wang's eyes darkened instantly.

He didn't flinch; instead, he lowered his head slightly to match her movements. But just as Su Qinghe was focused on tying her tie, one of his hands silently rested on her waist.

The warmth of his palm traveled through the thin fabric, making Su Qinghe's waist go limp.

"Don't move." Her voice trembled slightly, and she slowed down the knotting motion in her hands.

"Su Qinghe".

Xie Wang's deep voice sounded above him, tinged with a hoarse laugh:

"You look so much like..."

"Like what?" Su Qinghe looked up at him.

"Like a young wife tidying up her husband's appearance."

Su Qinghe's face flushed bright red instantly.

She tightened her grip, almost making Xie Wang cough.

"Cough cough... Murdering your husband?" Xie Wang grabbed his tie and begged for mercy.

"Shut up."

Su Qinghe glared at him, her ears turning bright red, then turned and left.

"This is the one, swipe your card."

After buying the clothes, the two did not rush back.

Carrying several elegant shopping bags, they strolled slowly along the open-air walkway on the second floor of the mall.

The afternoon sun streamed through the glass dome, casting long shadows of the two people.

"I'm leaving tomorrow."

Su Qinghe held a glass of iced Americano in his hand, took a sip, and his tone still carried a lingering worry:

"Xie Wang, I need to give you a heads-up."

Xie Wang took the bags from her hands and held her hand with one of his own:

"I'm listening."

"My dad is a typical businessman. He's very good at judging people and very realistic. He might ask you a lot of tricky questions, like future plans, or even... your family situation."

She paused, then gripped Xie Wang's hand tightly:

"As for my mom... she's more assertive than my dad. At home, she basically calls the shots. If she likes you, she'll be very enthusiastic; if she doesn't, she might leave you speechless."

Xie Wang listened quietly, feeling the slight tremor in his palm.

He stopped, turned around, and looked into Su Qinghe's eyes, which were filled with worry.

He dropped his usual nonchalance and became more serious than ever before.

"Su Qinghe".

He called her name, his voice steady and strong:

"I know what you're worried about. You're afraid my self-esteem will be hurt, and you're also afraid of making things awkward."

He raised his hand and gently tidied her wind-blown hair, his movements tender and solemn.

"But since they are your parents, the ones who raised you and taught you to be so outstanding, my first instinct is to respect them."

"I'm going tomorrow, not to fight a war, nor to show off. I'm going as a man to ask my elders for the right to stand by your side."

Xie Wang looked into her eyes, and the arrogance of before was gone, replaced only by the frankness and responsibility of a young man.

"If my uncle and aunt want to scrutinize me, that's understandable, since I'm about to abduct their precious daughter."

"I will show them with my actions that I have the courage to fight to the death and the confidence to never let you suffer any injustice."

He paused for a moment:

"So, trust me this once."

Su Qinghe looked at the radiant young man before him.

He stood in the sunlight, wearing a newly bought white shirt. He had lost that sharp, piercing edge, and gained a reassuring calmness.

He seemed to have grown up overnight, learning to temper his sharpness in order to better protect her.

All the anxiety was miraculously soothed at that moment.

"it is good."

Su Qinghe smiled, the most relaxed smile Xie Wang had ever seen:

"Then I'll wait for you at 5:30 tomorrow night."

"Arrived on time."

Xie Wang escorted her to the intersection and watched as the Su family's black sedan slowly drove up.

He helped her open the car door, shielding her head as she got in, and only straightened up after the car disappeared into the traffic.

The warmth on his face slowly faded, replaced by a deep solemnity.

He looked down at the expensive suit he was carrying.

Xie Wang turned around and prepared to walk towards the subway station.

The midday sun was intense, and the surrounding area was bustling with people, noisy and boisterous.

However, at the very moment he crossed the road—

An extremely uncomfortable feeling, like a cold needle suddenly piercing the back of his neck.

That's an intuition unique to people who are used to sneaking around in the dark.

Someone is watching him.

It wasn't the kind of casual staring from passersby, but a purposeful, scrutinizing, or even malicious probing.

Xie Wang's steps did not stop, and he didn't even lose his rhythm.

He remained in that pose with one hand in his pocket, as if he hadn't noticed anything.

But his hand, which was in his pocket, suddenly gripped his phone tightly, his muscles tensing to the extreme.

He walked up to the window of a luxury store and pretended to adjust his collar.

Using the reflection from the bright shop window, his gaze quickly swept across the street behind him.

A bustling crowd, couples playing on their phones, a clown handing out flyers, and an inconspicuous black Volkswagen parked on the side of the road.

Everything seems normal.

But that feeling of being constantly on edge didn't disappear; instead, it became even stronger.

who is it?