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

The heavy mahogany door slowly opened. Su Qinghe stood in the entryway, her breath almost stopping. When she saw Xie Wang walk in, her previously anxious heart eased slightly, only to be filled with another emotion—amazement.

Although she had seen him dressed like that in the mall yesterday, the tall, handsome young man in the dark blue suit under the villa's dazzling crystal chandelier still captivated her. He had concealed all his sharpness and roguishness; his eyes were clear, and his steps were steady, like a polished gem finally revealing its true luster.

"Qinghe." Xie Wang looked at her, his eyes softening instantly, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, giving her a reassuring look.

"Dad, Mom." Su Qinghe took a deep breath and turned to introduce, "This is Xie Wang."

On the living room sofa, Su Chengyun put down his newspaper, his gaze scrutinizing the young man before him through his glasses. Lin Wanyi also put down her flower shears, gracefully stood up, her eyes sharp as knives, scanning Xie Wang from head to toe.

The atmosphere froze for a moment.

Xie Wang did not flinch, but met their gazes frankly, bowing slightly with impeccable manners: "Uncle Su, Aunt Lin, hello. I am Xie Wang, a classmate of Qinghe."

His voice was calm and steady, neither hurried nor slow. He showed no timidity because of the grandeur of the mansion, nor did he fawn over the other party's status. He was neither servile nor arrogant.

A hint of appreciation flashed in Su Chengyun's eyes. He broke the silence first, smiling and waving: "Good, good. Little Xie, right? Don't stand there, come in and sit down."

Xie Wang stepped forward, not empty-handed. He handed the gift box in his left hand to Su Chengyun with both hands: "Uncle Su, I heard from Qinghe that you like to drink tea, especially aged tea. This is a cake of 06 Pu'er tea that I asked someone to find for me. Although it is not a top-grade antique, it has been stored in a clean place. You can try it."

Su Chengyun was taken aback, took the tea cake, glanced at it, and his eyes immediately lit up. Although the packaging was unassuming, it was clearly chosen by someone knowledgeable. "Thank you for your thoughtfulness, thank you for your thoughtfulness." Su Chengyun's smile became more genuine. "There aren't many young people these days who understand Pu'er tea."

Then, Xie Wang turned to Lin Wanyi, who had remained silent. He handed her the vinyl record: "Aunt Lin, this is the original vinyl version of Schubert's 'Winterreise.' I know you used to study cello, and the accompaniment orchestra on this record is very famous. I hope you like it."

Lin Wanyi's initially reserved and aloof expression finally cracked the moment she saw the album cover. She took the record, her fingertips lightly tracing the cover, her eyes filled with complex emotions. This wasn't just about money; it required extremely high taste and meticulous research. This young man had done his homework thoroughly.

"Thank you." Lin Wanyi looked up at Xie Wang, her tone still indifferent, but the coldness that had kept people at a distance had softened considerably: "Sit down. Wang Ma, bring tea."

First hurdle: first impression score – secured.

At the long, narrow dining table, the dishes were exquisite and plentiful. Su Chengyun sat in the head seat, Lin Wanyi sat to his left, and Xie Wang and Su Qinghe sat opposite him.

For the first fifteen minutes, the atmosphere was surprisingly peaceful. There was no tension as expected. Su Chengyun acted like a typical, talkative elder, chatting about the tea market over the past few years and asking Xie Wang for his views on the computer industry. Xie Wang's answers were impeccable, displaying both youthful vigor and insights beyond his years, prompting Su Chengyun to nod frequently.

Until the main course is served.

Lin Wanyi elegantly picked up a napkin and wiped her mouth. Her gaze swept over Xie Wang's hands resting on the table, and she suddenly spoke, her voice soft but instantly silencing the restaurant: "After talking so much, how about we talk about the past?" She raised her eyelids, her shrewd eyes looking directly at Xie Wang: "Xiao Xie, although it may be a bit presumptuous, given how close you and Qinghe are, I still need to find out some details. What's the current situation with your parents?"

"They're here!" Su Qinghe's heart tightened, and she was about to speak up in support when Xie Wang pressed her hand down under the table, signaling her not to move.

He put down his knife and fork, his expression calm, as if he had rehearsed this countless times: "Auntie is right, there's nothing presumptuous about it." "My father's name is Xie Zhengyang. You may have heard of him; he used to be a programmer, but later he got into gambling and incurred huge debts."

At this point, Xie Wang's tone turned colder, carrying a resolute sense of severance: "However, I have already cut ties with him. His debts are his, and I am me. All my current expenses are earned by myself through coding, and have nothing to do with him."

Lin Wanyi listened, her fingers lightly tracing the stem of her wine glass, seemingly unsurprised and uninterested in her gambling-addicted father. She then pressed on, asking, "And your mother?"

Xie Wang's eyes dimmed, and his voice was low: "My mother died when I was very young. In a car accident."

Lin Wanyi's fingers, which were caressing the stem of the cup, suddenly stopped. She stared at Xie Wang's face, her gaze lingering on his distinctive peach blossom eyes for a long time, a complex light flashing in her eyes—like surprise, or like some long-forgotten memory being awakened.

"Car accident..." Lin Wanyi murmured, repeating herself, then leaned forward slightly, her voice becoming somewhat hurried: "Your mother... is her name Xie Wan?"

Xie Wang suddenly looked up, his pupils contracting slightly. This name, aside from the locked old photo album at home, hadn't been mentioned for many years.

"Yes." Xie Wang stared into Lin Wanyi's eyes, his heart skipped a beat, and tentatively asked, "Auntie, do you know my mother?"

For a moment, the air at the dining table seemed to freeze. Su Qinghe also looked at her mother in surprise. She had never heard her mother mention this name before.

Lin Wanyi looked into Xie Wang's inquisitive eyes, her lips moving slightly. But the next second, that emotion in her eyes vanished like a flame forcibly extinguished. She leaned back in her chair, regaining her aloof demeanor, and shook her head: "No." "I don't know him." "It's just that the car accident back then caused quite a stir in Jiangcheng, and I happened to see this name in the newspaper. I felt a little sorry for him."

Although his mind was in turmoil, Xie Wang did not reveal a single flaw on his face.

So he lowered his eyes, concealing the sharpness in them, and nodded politely: "I see. Thank you for remembering her name, Auntie."

Sitting beside her, Su Qinghe keenly sensed something amiss. She glanced at her mother's enigmatic expression, then at Xie Wang's seemingly calm but actually tense profile. Her mother never read the social news sections of the newspaper, so how did she know Xie Wang's mother's name? And even remember it so clearly? The doubts in Su Qinghe's eyes deepened.

"Alright, alright, let's not dwell on the past." Su Chengyun stepped in to smooth things over, placing a piece of beef on Xie Wang's plate: "Here, try this, it's Wang Ma's specialty."

Lin Wanyi picked up her glass of red wine, took a sip, adjusted her emotions, and when she spoke again, the aggressive edge she had displayed was much less pronounced. Her gaze fell on Su Qinghe, who had been silent and obedient beside her.

That gaze held less sternness and more of a mother's tenderness and guilt.

"Now that we know about things at home, let's talk about Qinghe." Lin Wanyi put down her wine glass, looked at Xie Wang, and her tone surprisingly carried a hint of gentle gratitude: "Actually, Aunt and Uncle should thank you."

Xie Wang was taken aback, somewhat surprised: "Auntie, you're exaggerating."

"No, it's the truth." Lin Wanyi sighed softly, glancing around the luxuriously decorated but somewhat empty restaurant: "As you can see, Lao Su and I are always busy with business, flying all over the world. This house is big, but Qinghe lives here all year round." "We always feel that giving her the best material conditions and finding her the best teachers is the best thing for her. But deep down, we also know... this child is lonely."

Su Chengyun, standing to the side, also took off her glasses, rubbed her temples, and sighed, "Yes. Every time we came back before, seeing her sitting alone in the music room practicing the piano, or eating alone, it broke our hearts. But the business world is like a battlefield; once it stops, everything is interconnected... We really don't have time to spend with her."

Lin Wanyi looked at Xie Wang again, her eyes sincere: "But recently, Qinghe has changed. She smiles more, talks more, and even that aloofness she used to have is less." "I heard from her homeroom teacher that you've been taking good care of her at school, helping her integrate into the group, and even... taking her to do many things she wouldn't have dared to do before." "Xiao Xie, thank you for your companionship during this time, filling the void left by us as parents."

These words were spoken with heartfelt sincerity. Su Qinghe lowered her head, her eyes slightly red. She hadn't expected that her mother, who was always so assertive and only valued grades and efficiency, actually understood everything.

A hush fell over the dining table. Xie Wang looked at the parents, their faces filled with remorse, and then at the silent girl beside him. A soft spot in his heart was touched.

He gently took Su Qinghe's hand under the table, their fingers intertwined, conveying a silent strength. Then, he raised his head, the sharp edges he had displayed when facing scrutiny softening into an expression of unprecedented tenderness and solemnity.

"Auntie, Uncle." "Actually, you don't need to thank me." Xie Wang turned his head, looking at Su Qinghe's profile, his gaze so focused it was as if she were the only person left in the world:

"On the contrary, I should thank Qinghe." "Everyone thinks I'm the one taking care of her, the one leading her around. But actually... she's the one illuminating my path."

He turned around, looked directly at Su's parents, and spoke in a steady voice, each word coming from the bottom of his heart:

"I used to think she was the kind of porcelain doll who needed to be held in someone's hands for fear of breaking. But later I realized that she was much stronger than I imagined." "She doesn't need anyone to save her; she's just been walking alone for too long and needs someone to tell her: 'Don't be afraid, I'm here.'"

Xie Wang paused, the youthful arrogance fading from him, replaced by a mature sense of responsibility.

"I can't build her a business empire like your aunt and uncle, but I can promise you—" "No matter how busy I am, I will never let her walk alone." "As long as she turns around, I will always be behind her." "Whether it's to the library or to the ends of the earth."

Lin Wanyi stared at him for a few seconds. Finally, her tense lips slowly relaxed, and the last trace of defensiveness in her eyes completely disappeared.

Turning her head, she instructed the kitchen, "Wang Ma, add some soup for Xiao Xie. The child is still growing, so he should eat more."

[8:00 PM · Villa entrance]

After dinner, Su Qinghe escorted Xie Wang out.

A cool night breeze dispelled the lingering smell of gunpowder from the dinner table. Lu Wen's Cullinan was still parked at the door; that guy had actually been waiting in the car for over two hours.

"Thank you, Wang." Su Qinghe stood on the steps, looking at him with sparkling eyes: "You look... incredibly handsome today."

Xie Wang loosened his tie, let out a long sigh, and resumed his lazy demeanor. He reached out and ruffled her hair: "That's right. After all, you were taught by Teacher Su." "Let's go back. It's cold outside."

"Mmm." Su Qinghe nodded, but didn't move. Suddenly, she took a step closer, stood on tiptoe, and quickly kissed Xie Wang on the cheek. "As a reward for you."

After saying that, she blushed and ran into the gate.

Xie Wang touched his cheek, watching her retreating figure, unable to suppress the smile on his lips. He turned and walked towards the Cullinan, opened the car door and got in.

"How did it go?!" Lu Wen jumped up from the driver's seat. "Did you get out alive? Were you humiliated? Did they throw a check in your face and force you to leave her daughter?"

Xie Wang leaned back in his chair, looking at the lights on the second floor of the Su family home, his eyes clear: "Damn it, things went fairly smoothly."

The car started and slowly drove away from Yujing Bay.