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

Chapter 50 Undercurrents

The first weekend after moving into the Cloud Top Piano Room.

The rainy season in Jiangcheng seems to be finally coming to an end. The long-awaited sunshine shines through the clouds, making the French windows warm and cozy.

8:00 AM

"Knock knock knock".

The familiar knocking sounded right on time.

Su Qinghe, wearing pajamas and slippers, went to open the door.

Outside the door, Xie Wang was already dressed and ready.

He wore a simple white T-shirt and black cargo pants today, which made his shoulders look broad and his legs look long, giving him a very refreshing appearance.

Good morning, Teacher Su.

Xie Wang leaned against the door frame, carrying the Cantonese dim sum he had bought downstairs—shrimp dumplings and custard buns again.

He looked at Su Qinghe's eyes, which were not yet fully open, a smile playing on his lips:

"Although it's Saturday and we don't have to go to class today, according to our final exam sprint plan, we need to start memorizing vocabulary at 8:30."

Su Qinghe closed his eyes in pain, turned around and walked back, his voice still soft and sleepy:

"...Xie Wang, are you a devil?"

"I'm doing this for your own good."

Xie Wang followed her in familiarly, placed the breakfast on the table, and poured her a glass of warm water.

"Who said they were going to make sure I get into the top ten in my grade? If you don't set a good example, I'm going to go back to sleep."

Su Qinghe sighed and resignedly went to wash up.

When she finished tidying up and sat down at the dining table, Xie Wang had already broken open the custard bun for her, and the golden filling flowed out, emitting a fragrant aroma.

After finishing breakfast, Su Qinghe did not rush to get the book.

She held the cup in both hands and glanced across the street through the living room window—at Xie Wang's house.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows without curtains, you can vaguely see that the living room across the street is empty, with only a lonely sofa and a pile of expensive computer equipment.

"Thank you for your help," Su Qinghe suddenly said.

"Hmm?" Xie Wang was flipping through his notebook of wrong answers.

"Are you just going to leave the other side empty indefinitely?"

"Is it free?" Xie Wang looked up and said, "I think it's alright. There's a computer and a place to sleep. That's enough."

For someone who has lived in an attic for eighteen years and is used to abject poverty, the current conditions are already considered a luxury home.

Su Qinghe put down his cup, adjusted his glasses, and his tone became serious:

"no."

"That's home."

She stood up and went to the entryway to change her shoes.

"Stop memorizing vocabulary. Let's go."

Xie Wang was taken aback: "Where to?"

Su Qinghe turned to look at him, sunlight falling on her face:

"Go to the supermarket. Fill your house up."

……

The shopping mall was bustling with people on the weekend.

Everywhere you look, there are couples holding hands and families of three pushing strollers.

Xie Wang pushed a huge shopping cart, following behind Su Qinghe.

This kind of lively scene was actually quite unfamiliar to him. In the past, when he came to places like this, he was either doing part-time work moving goods or just quickly buying things and leaving.

This is the first time in my life that I've strolled around so leisurely, stopping to pick out a cup.

"How about this one?"

Su Qinghe stood in the home textile section, holding two pieces of curtain fabric in her hands and gesturing to indicate their names.

One piece is dark gray, and the other is off-white.

"Gray, I guess," Xie Wang said. "It's dirt-resistant."

"Then hang the gray one in the living room and the off-white one in the bedroom." Su Qinghe put the fabric in the car. "The bedroom needs to be warmer, otherwise it will feel too cold."

Xie Wang looked at her profile, his Adam's apple bobbing, but he didn't say anything. He just obediently pushed the cart and followed.

"I need to buy two pairs of slippers."

Su Qinghe walked to the shoe rack.

She picked out a pair of black men's plus-size slippers and tossed them into the car. Then her gaze swept over a row of women's slippers next to her, finally settling on a pair of pink bunny slippers after some hesitation.

"Want this?" Xie Wang leaned closer and chuckled in her ear.

"...That's a bit childish." Su Qinghe wanted to pull his hand back.

Xie Wang grabbed the pink bunny slippers and threw them into the shopping cart, placing them next to the black slippers.

"What's so childish about it? You can always be a kid with me."

Su Qinghe's ears turned slightly red. She glared at him but didn't take out the shoes.

Next is the toiletries area.

Toothbrush, mouthwash cup, towel.

Xie Wang pushed the cart, watching it gradually fill up.

An unprecedented, bittersweet feeling filled his chest.

So this is what "living life" is all about.

"What are you spacing out for?"

Su Qinghe waved a cushion in front of him, "Put this on the sofa, so you can lean on it more comfortably."

Xie Wang snapped out of his daze, looked at the cushion with the silly grinning Shiba Inu pattern printed on it, and couldn't help but laugh:

"Teacher Su, your aesthetic sense... is quite unique."

"Don't want it?" Su Qinghe pretended to put it back.

"I want it." Xie Wang snatched it away. "This dog looks quite festive, like Lu Wen."

……

[2:00 PM · Room 1602]

Come back fully loaded.

The once empty and deserted 1602 was instantly filled with bags and packages.

The two began to set up.

The dark gray curtains were hung up, blocking the glaring sunlight and softening the indoor light.

The newly purchased four-piece bedding set was laid out on the mattress that had just been delivered.

On the bathroom sink, there were two identical mouthwash cups.

In the entryway, next to the black slippers, the pair of pink bunny slippers were neatly arranged.

"call……"

After working for two hours, it was finally finished.

Exhausted, Su Qinghe sat on the sofa, hugging the Shiba Inu plushie, a thin layer of sweat beading on his forehead.

Xie Wang went to the kitchen and poured two glasses of water.

He handed the water to Su Qinghe, then sat down on the carpet next to her, looking up at the newly renovated home.

No longer cold.

Here there is color, there is warmth, there are...her traces.

Xie Wang turned his head and looked at her.

"I used to think that as long as I had a place to shelter from the wind and rain, I could survive."

"But today I realized... that's what home is like."

He reached out and gently took Su Qinghe's hand, which was resting on his knee:

"This is the first decent home I've ever had in my life."

Su Qinghe felt a pang of sadness.

She knew what kind of life he had lived for the past ten years or so.

She put down the cup, turned her hand to clasp his fingers, and said gently:

"It will get better and better in the future."

She pointed to the pair of pink slippers in the entryway:

"Those shoes are mine. I'll wear them when I come to check on you from now on."

He then pointed to the Shiba Inu plushie:

"This is mine too. You can lean on it when you're tired of playing on the computer, but no one else is allowed to lean on it."

Xie Wang couldn't help but laugh, his chest shaking with laughter.

He leaned closer, his forehead touching hers:

"I'll listen to you, Teacher Su."

"Everything here is ready for you to check on at any time."

[At the same time, in Beijing]

As night fell, neon lights painted the Beijing night sky a hazy, dark red.

The chairman's office on the top floor of the Tianlong Group headquarters building.

Standing with his hands behind his back in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, Gu Tianlong looked down at the bustling traffic below, which resembled a flowing golden river.

The air conditioning in the room was on full blast, and it was so quiet that the only sound was the faint white mist coming from the humidifier.

"Mr. Gu."

The assistant behind him nervously placed a document on the table, his voice very low:

"This is the second young master's final review report for this national competition. Although he didn't win a gold medal, but..."

"Alright."

Gu Tianlong turned around, not bothering to flip through the thick report, but simply flicking the cigar ash from his fingertips, his tone indifferent:

"A loss is a loss. The Gu family gave him the best resources, hired the best private coach, and even the questions were... Hmph, and he still only got a silver medal. Useless."

The assistant dared not reply, cold sweat trickling down his forehead.

Gu Tianlong walked to his desk and casually glanced at the top sheet of paper in the document.

That's a brief introduction of the gold medalist in this competition.

Name: Xie Wang

School: Jiangcheng No.1 Middle School.

Gu Tianlong's gaze lingered on that name for two seconds.

"Thank you, Wang..."

He murmured those two words, his brow furrowing very slightly.

The name gave him a strange sense of familiarity, as if it came from a distant past.

Just like a piece of junk he had casually dealt with years ago, or an insignificant insect he had stepped on.

"Jiangcheng..." Gu Tianlong mused, "...surname Xie?"

He didn't say anything more, but simply waved his hand, signaling his assistant to leave.