A Young Woman's Heart

"Go home early," he said casually, the smile on his face gone.

Wei Mengran clenched her fists and fled in a panic, as if she were being chased by someone.

Mr. Xue watched her figure disappear from his sight, then suddenly turned around and blocked a fist that was aimed at the back of his head.

"Are you alright?" He pressed the fist down with his other hand, then cupped it in both hands and squeezed it gently.

The green-haired thug who had suddenly attacked was a little stunned, because the boy in front of him had no intention of attacking at all. His expression was neither angry nor surprised, and he was as calm as a statue.

"Click-click—" The poorly maintained streetlight flickered, scattering a few sparks and breaking the brief silence.

"Although she was indeed wrong, violence is ultimately not the best approach."

The green-haired thug wanted to tell the other person that he was a gangster who was good enough if he didn't cause trouble for others. How could he reason with someone who came to him?

But faced with Mr. Xue's peaceful smile, he was speechless for a long time.

Mr. Xue helped the others up one by one: "Shouldn't you all go home now? Are you hurt?"

"Damn it, it hurts like hell, but I haven't even been hurt yet... um...? It seems like I'm really not injured..."

"Damn it, we just came out to have a nice meal and ran into this kind of bad luck, damn it!"

These thugs were all staring at him, their expressions somewhat ambiguous, as if they wanted to test their skills against him.

"Let's go, I'll treat you all to dinner, as a way to make some friends."

These petty thugs always call themselves gangsters, but they're just a bunch of idle people. Many of them dropped out of school before finishing junior high. This is the first time they've encountered people like this in the years they've been wandering around.

Everyone looked at each other in disbelief, and then subconsciously followed Mr. Xue toward a nearby restaurant.

So many people couldn't beat him just now, and now he says he wants to make friends. It seems like he has no choice at all...

Don't assume that all thugs are tough; in reality, they are very good at changing their tune depending on the situation.

This time, however, they truly saw a certain magnanimity in Mr. Xue—something they themselves lacked.

"Is this... the confidence of the strong?" a thug couldn't help but mutter.

"Damn it, stop reading those cheap novels. Strong people? What an idiot! I'm a great hero!" Although the green-haired thug cursed under his breath, he had to admit in his heart that his friend was right.

After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, Mr. Xue made new friends.

However, he was only human after all, and after a few drinks, he became more talkative and told his new friends about what had happened between Wei Mengran and himself.

"Damn, Mr. Xue, you're really patient! If it were us brothers, we would have already attacked!"

"I've already said that violence is not the best way to fight violence."

"Then why were you fighting us just now?"

“In those situations, you need to quiet down so you can have a proper conversation.”

"Then why can't you hit her?"

"She didn't make the first move."

"So that's how it works...? If I were to attack, would you retaliate?"

"Haha!" Mr. Xue laughed, tilting his head back without answering. He had just been forced to drink a few ounces of baijiu by these thugs and was now slightly tipsy. Pointing at the green-haired thug's hair, he said, "Why did you dye your hair green? It looks like paint was poured directly onto your head!"

"That's just personality, okay?"

“Hmm.” Mr. Xue lifted his eyelids slightly, “but actually…”

Next came Mr. Xue's lecturing segment. His lecturing was not only not offensive, but it was also so engaging that people recognized their mistakes.

"What's that saying again? Hearing one sentence from you is better than reading three years of books!"

"As expected of someone whose name is 'Mr,' haha, he knows too much, doesn't he?"

Mr. Xue simply smiled and ignored the praise from others; male friendship can sometimes come so quickly.

A fight, some drinks, some food, and you've built a brotherly friendship.

"Haha, if that woman saw us like this, she'd probably think it was all a play that Mr. Xue asked me to put on!"

"It's better not to let her see it, otherwise this woman will be confused again."

It was already quite dark, though it was only a little past seven o'clock.

A cold wind blew across Mr. Xue's cheeks, causing the blush on his face to fade slightly and also sobering him up considerably.

The bus wasn't crowded at night, and he easily found a window seat.

The window was only slightly ajar for ventilation, and his own face was reflected in the windowpane.

Mr. Xue in the mirror was not quite the same as usual. His eyes were not so clear, but rather somewhat cloudy, perhaps because he had been drinking.

He muttered to himself in the mirror, "Are you angry? Heh... Of course."

……

Wei Mengran returned home with her head down.

Her mother asked her what happened to her face, and she said she fell and hurt herself.

But the handprint on his face was so clear that it didn't look like he had fallen.

"Who bullied you? What are you afraid of? Just tell your parents."

"He really fell by himself..."

"Can't we even see the handprint?"

"Where's the handprint?!" Wei Mengran had washed her face, and the handprint was gone. She pretended to be clueless and said.

She barely ate any dinner before returning to her room.

It is actually very difficult to change a person's mindset, especially for someone who is already a high school student.

Moreover, most people are unwilling to admit their mistakes, which is why it's so difficult for many to say "I'm sorry" even though it's only three words.

Before admitting your mistakes, you have to criticize yourself—if it's just a lip service apology, there's really no need to say it.

However, if a person takes this step and can clearly understand and criticize themselves, their level of thinking will inevitably be elevated.

When a person realizes that the world doesn't revolve around them, it proves that they have grown up.

At this moment, Wei Mengran probably had that feeling.

She tore off a piece of paper, paused for a long time at the beginning, and finally made up her mind to write down what was on her mind.

She admitted that she vented her anger on others because of pressure, and that she knew she had acted too rashly and selfishly. She also knew that her behavior after watching the video was just stubbornness...

She didn't realize how many flaws she had until she started writing.

She even found it strange that there were still people who could get along with her.

Or rather, in the past, did anyone truly have a friend who was genuinely interested in her?

If you're surrounded by selfish companions like her, how can you consider them your friends?

Put yourself in her shoes. If it had been her companion from the bus who encountered those thugs instead of her, she might have also chosen to sneak into the crowd and pretend not to know her.

In the end, the only ones who get hurt are those who respect her.

Just as those who trust themselves are the only ones who are deceived.

Wei Mengran took a deep breath and looked at her messy handwriting on the paper, which included many typos.

Even though they are already seniors in high school, they are still so careless.

"Where is it..." She looked down and rummaged through her drawers, only to find them also in a mess, filled with a bunch of useful and useless things.

That beautiful letter paper from my memory has now turned somewhat yellowed.

She bought the paper intending to write letters to her elementary school classmates, but now she's in high school and has never used the whole stack of letter paper.

She rarely did this; she copied her apology letter very carefully onto the stationery, making it three times before she finally produced a perfect apology letter without any typos.

Self-criticism is painful at first, but after criticizing yourself from head to toe, you feel a strange sense of clarity. Wei Mengran had never felt the air so refreshing before.

Previously, she only felt that the winter nights were cold, making it impossible for her to concentrate on studying.

Wei Mengran carefully put the letter into the envelope, then pushed open the door and prepared to go downstairs.

"Where to?" her mother asked.

"Go to the school!"

"What are you doing out so late?"

"You didn't bring your homework!"

The bus was very quiet at night. Perhaps to save fuel, the lights were not on in the carriage, and it was pitch black everywhere.

She clutched the envelope in her hand, feeling somewhat uneasy.

The lights were on in the security booth at the school gate, but the security guard was not there.

She secretly slipped in through a side door and slipped the envelope into the classroom of Class 2, Grade 11.

She didn't know if others would believe that her attitude toward the same thing had changed so drastically in just one night.

But at the very least, she had to convey her apology and tell him that she truly regretted her mistake, so that she could have a clear conscience.

……

Chapter 192: Choose a Story

On Tuesday morning, taking a deep breath of the cold air, I felt a chill run down my spine.

In the quiet corridor, the only sound was the key turning the lock. Mo Xueyao stood to the side, breathing out cold air, watching her breath fog up the glass.

"Click." The classroom door opened, but Li Wanyan did not immediately push it open and go in.

"What's wrong? Aren't you going in?" Mo Xueyao approached curiously, following her gaze to the ground.

There is a letter on the ground.

The envelope was addressed to "Mr. Xue".

The signature is Wei Mengran.