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

at the same time.

Just a wall away, the light in Su Qinghe's room was still on.

On her desk, high school review materials were piled up like a mountain. Besides her own set of physics competition extension problems, the most conspicuous place was an open high school Chinese textbook, which was densely marked with homophones and classical Chinese words in red pen—it was specially prepared for Xie Wang.

Su Qinghe had just finished showering and was wearing a light blue cotton pajama set. Her long hair was wet and draped over her shoulders, with water droplets at the ends soaking the collar of her pajama. She was holding a cup of hot milk in her hands, and the rising steam blurred her cool and aloof face.

The phone screen on the corner of the table was lit up.

On the video call screen, Lin Wanyi, the mother, was sitting upright in her office, with a stack of documents waiting to be reviewed beside her.

"How's your studying going lately? Uncle Chung told me you haven't been back to the old house this week, and you've been studying very late every day."

Lin Wanyi's voice came through, carrying the unique concern of a mother.

Su Qinghe took a sip of warm milk, a faint smile playing on his lips:

"It's good. It's the first day of school, and all the teachers are working very hard, but the intensity is still within our comfort zone. And..."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the Chinese textbook, her smile deepening like a lake rippling in the spring breeze:

"Moreover, having someone to study with makes it much more efficient than before, and it doesn't feel boring at all."

The mother and daughter chatted for a few more minutes about everyday things, and the atmosphere was unusually gentle. Su Qinghe's fingers, which were holding the mug, gently rubbed against the inside of the mug, and her fingertips turned slightly white from the pressure.

She hesitated for a moment.

"mom."

Su Qinghe took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind:

"There's something I've been wanting to ask you..."

Lin Wanyi put down her pen, took off her gold-rimmed glasses, and rubbed her temples.

"Speak, what can't you tell me?"

"It's about... Xie Wang's mother, Aunt Xie Wan."

Upon hearing the name, Lin Wanyi on the other end of the video visibly stiffened. The hand that was rubbing her temples froze in mid-air, and her previously tired expression instantly hardened.

silence.

Five or six seconds passed before Lin Wanyi put her glasses back on, her expression becoming somewhat complicated, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible inscrutable meaning.

"Xie Wan and I are more than just acquaintances; we were classmates at Jiangcheng University, and even... lived in the same dormitory."

"She is a true genius, much smarter than me and your father. Back in the finance department, her ability to build mathematical models was unmatched. Even the strictest professors praised her highly."

At this point, Lin Wanyi's eyes turned cold:

"Unfortunately, she joined Tianlong Group after graduation."

Su Qinghe's heart skipped a beat. Even though she had already heard it from Xie Wang, confirming it again from her mother still sent a chill down her spine.

"Then her death..." Su Qinghe asked cautiously.

"It wasn't an accident."

"Although the police ultimately classified it as 'vehicle losing control and falling into the river,' those of us in this circle knew perfectly well that around that time, Xie Wan seemed to have discovered a huge loophole in Tianlong Group's accounts, which involved a money laundering chain of billions of dollars. She wanted to report it, and may have even collected evidence, but then..."

Lin Wanyi closed her eyes briefly, seemingly unable to bear recalling that tragic ending:

"You've seen the result."

Su Qinghe hurriedly pressed for an answer:

"Mom, do you have any relevant evidence?"

"no."

Lin Wanyi shook her head helplessly:

"Gu Tianlong is too ruthless. All paper documents have been destroyed, and the relevant personnel have either disappeared or been bribed."

Upon hearing this answer, Su Qinghe's hopeful gaze instantly dimmed, unable to conceal the disappointment in his heart.

At this point, Lin Wanyi's tone suddenly changed, a hint of doubt in her voice:

"But it's strange, recently, Tianlong Group seems to have offended some very powerful people."

"Their core money laundering subsidiary, 'Hongyuan Trading,' has had its entire secrets exposed, with irrefutable evidence posted online. Gu Tianlong is now in a terrible predicament, frantically trying to fill the financial hole."

"I know you and Xie Wang are close. Now that you know the truth, you should understand the dangers involved. You are still students after all. Don't get involved in those things, okay? Leave everything to Mom."

"I understand, Mom."

Lin Wanyi's expression softened, not wanting to dwell on it any longer. "Alright, it's getting late. Get some rest and don't stay up too late. You have class tomorrow, so don't be late."

"Mom, go to sleep early too. Goodnight."

The video call ended.

The room returned to silence, with only the occasional sound of the wind blowing through the window.

Su Qinghe put down the milk, which had long since gone cold, and let out a long sigh.

She picked up her phone and turned on the screen.

The lock screen wallpaper is a photo.

The background is a noisy amusement park, the sunlight is dazzling, Xie Wang holds a half-person-sized Miffy doll in his hand, and smiles brightly and arrogantly, while she stands next to him, making a silly peace sign, her smile bright.

That was taken on my eighteenth birthday.

Su Qinghe stretched out his finger and gently touched the boy's cheek on the screen.

Su Qinghe looked at the photo, smiled sweetly, and silently said in her heart:

Goodnight, my boy.

Then, she turned the desk lamp back on and took out a set of science practice papers that she hadn't finished yet.

The pen tip scratched across the paper, making a soft, rustling sound, until late into the night.

……

The next morning.

The sunlight outside the window was already bright, and the glaring light mercilessly shone on Xie Wang's face.

The phone under the pillow vibrated incessantly. Xie Wang frowned, struggled to open his eyelids, which were stuck together, and groggily picked up the phone.

Focusing my gaze, I saw a large number displayed on the screen: 07:30.

"...Holy crap!!"

Xie Wang's half-sleepwalking mind was instantly jolted awake by a bucket of ice water, and he sprang up from the bed as if he had been electrocuted.