40 : offer comfort

 Song Shi sat in his seat and checked the time on his phone. He had received a message from Chen Zhoumu this morning and had already organized all the messages. It

should have been sent out by now. He glanced at the seat next to him. The person who usually sat there hadn't been heard from since last night.

Song Shi pursed his lips. The post was already very popular. The evidence and the things Zhu Mingjing had done could immediately send that person to jail.

[Breaking News]: Has No. 1 Middle School become a base for Zhu Mingjing to satisfy his desires? Is the money laundering related to the Zhu family?

[Attached Photos +10] [Attached Photos +5]

[Classmate 1]: Is all of this true? It's so scary and disgusting. I even spoke up for him back then.

[Classmate 2]: No wonder I felt uncomfortable the first time I saw him. How did No. 1 Middle School get him in?

[Classmate 3]: I'm shocked. Chen Zhoumu is simply eliminating scum. I only have one sentence: Good job. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to stay calm like him.

[Classmate 4]: This is just what's been revealed. Who knows how much more this scum has done behind the scenes? I think the Zhu family is definitely involved too. Maybe there are many more beasts like this in the Zhu family.

[Classmate 5]: Support, I suggest a thorough investigation.

[...]

The person still lying in the ward looked at the comments one by one. A message popped up on his phone a second later: "Dad." Zhu Mingjing's hand trembled and he didn't dare to answer.

After ringing a few times, the phone went silent. He didn't know who provided the evidence to Chen Zhoumu and his group. The Shen family had investigated it themselves.

But this time he really lost. It's okay, he'll lay low for a while. Next time, next time he will definitely bring Chen Zhoumu down.

Zhu Mingjing took a deep breath, then picked up his phone again and dialed. The other end answered quickly: "Book me a plane ticket..."

Before he could finish speaking, the ward door was violently opened, and the person who came in was Zhu Youting, who had just made the call. He walked towards him with a gloomy face.

Half a second later, a 'slap' sounded, and his face burned with pain.

Zhu Mingjing trembled, his body shaking, "Dad..."

"Don't call me Dad. You can't even beat a few high school students. Didn't I tell you not to get yourself into trouble?" Zhu Youting looked at him contemptuously. "Idiot! The Zhang family's contract is over."

"You're just like your mother! Equally stupid!" He slowly lowered his head. "It's impossible for your mother to come back. I'll transfer her to Singapore." He

slowly stood up, his hand unconsciously turning the buttons, looking down at him with disdain. "The next time you meet her, it'll be in Singapore's red-light district."

Zhu Mingjing's pupils contracted sharply, struggling to grab his hand. "What the hell did you say!"

The other man didn't look at him anymore and turned to leave the ward. Zhu Mingjing's breathing became rapid. Yes, his mother was Zhu Youting's mistress, a mistress who knew about the affair but was actually a mistress. Later, when the original wife came knocking on their door,

she took little Zhu Mingjing and went into hiding. Later, after the original wife fell ill and died without leaving any children, Zhu Youting happened to be diagnosed with azoospermia. That's when he thought of him and his mother.

His mother, Tong Ru, was a beauty from Jiangnan. In her youth, she was completely deceived by her lover, becoming his mistress. Even after learning he had a wife, she wanted to leave.

However, she became pregnant with Zhu Mingjing and, for the sake of her child, continued this absurd life. After giving birth, she planned to escape with him.

Just then, Zhu Youting's wife came knocking. What should have been a peaceful life was shattered by Zhu Youting's arrival.

Because she had no heir, she thought of her child who had been living away from home, using Tong Ru to blackmail him and drag him into the capital and Xia City.

As the child of such a person, how could he be innocent? His evil nature had long been sown in his life of debauchery.

Zhu Mingjing was handcuffed and taken from the hospital by the police. Many parents stood at the door, attacking him just as they had attacked Chen Zhoumu a few days earlier.

He looked at them coldly and then got into the police car.

"Rape, money laundering, threatening students." The person in front slammed the evidence on the table, then leaned on it, looking at the pale-faced man sitting there. "Zhu Mingjing, do you have anything to say?" The

harsh incandescent light of the interrogation room shone on his face, and Zhu Mingjing shook his head. Then, as if remembering something, his eyes flashed, and he looked up. "I want to see Song Shi, one last time."

Soon after, Song Shi received the news and rushed over. The two were separated by glass, and Song Shi looked at him calmly. "What is it?"

Zhu Mingjing looked up. "I've never had any reliable friends in my life. From the time I can remember, I've always been hiding. Although I seem to be in a high position here, I've always been at the bottom."

"I think maybe you can be relied on. I hope my intuition is right this time." He picked up a pen and paper from the table and wrote down some numbers.

"This is all my passwords. My room is on the second floor of a small villa next to Xiacheng No. 1 Middle School. The safe next to the bed contains some of the Zhu family's shady dealings; it might be helpful to you."

"I also know about you and Zhu Jiujiang. Taking down the Zhu family will end everything."

Song Shi finally understood what the other person meant: "Why do this?"

The other person stared at the paper in his hand for a long time. This password was the date he and Tong Ru parted ways; today was the 1850th day. He pushed the paper away: "No reason."

Then he turned and nodded. The police behind him helped him up. He spoke the last sentence very softly, but Song Shi still heard it.

He said, "I'm sorry."

On his way back to No. 1 Middle School, Song Shi held that thin piece of paper in his hand. Of course, this conversation wouldn't change his opinion of Zhu Mingjing.

He didn't know what was going on between the other person and the Zhu family, and of course, he didn't want to know now.

The only thing he cared about now was that Chen Zhoumu hadn't replied to his message yet. Last night, the other person answered a phone call on the balcony and hurriedly ran out,

leaving only the words, "I'll be back soon." Song

Shi looked down at the messages, which remained unchanged despite repeated refreshes, his finger hovering over the other party's phone.

Finally, he dialed. By then, he had already gone upstairs to the back door of Class One.

The phone kept showing "dialing," and just when he thought no one would answer, a "ding" sounded—the call had connected.

"Hello?" A familiar voice came from the other end, muffled by the noise.

Song Shi had already entered through the back door; the background noise from his phone gradually blended with the surrounding sounds.

He looked up and saw a figure sitting in the empty seat from that morning. As if sensing his presence, the person sitting nearby turned around.

Their eyes met unexpectedly, and the phone rang again, this time clearly: "What's wrong?"

He paused, hung up, and then walked to his seat, casually asking, "Where did you go?"

"Take care of something. I've seen the post."

"Hmm."

"So what's up with calling me?"

"Can't I call if there's nothing wrong?"

"Yes, I can call. I thought someone was worried about me and wanted to ask if I was coming back, and when."

"You're overthinking it."

The phone in his desk rang again. This time it was Chen Zhoumu. After seeing the caller ID, he wiped the corners of his mouth from his smile, picked up the phone expressionlessly, and walked out.

The noise gradually subsided. Chen Zhoumu walked to the end of the corridor. The voice on the other end of the phone was a little angry: "Didn't I tell you to come back? I've already been lenient enough by asking you to go to Xia City."

Chen Zhoumu looked at the people coming and going downstairs: "Give me a few more days."

"Three days. If I don't see you in Beijing after three days, wait for me to bring people to pick you up."

After saying that, the other end hung up. Chen Zhoumu slowly put down the phone and stared blankly ahead.

The school bell rang overhead, bringing him back to his senses. He turned around and walked to the back.

Song Shi saw the person returning and sensed that something was wrong with him, but he still didn't press him for details.

A fall rain swept through the entire city of Xia, bringing with it the first signs of winter. The rain pounded against the windows, dampening people's spirits.

"It's raining again! This awful weather is unbearable. Jingzi! Can I borrow your umbrella?" He Xi said, shivering in the wind.

Zhang Jingxiao casually tossed her umbrella to him, then slipped under Tan Qi's umbrella: "Here, Qizi and I will go back together."

"Thanks!"

Because of Shen Yihan's departure, Tang Ze had been with them for the past few days. He came over from Class 4 with an umbrella: "Old Song! Want to walk together?"

Song Shi glanced casually at the people still tidying their desks, and was about to step over when the other person stood up and blocked his way, smiling as he refused Tang Ze: "No, your Old Song is coming with me today."

Tang Ze looked at the two of them, and this time the feeling was even stronger than at the beginning of the semester. It seemed that his Old Song's best friend had really changed; it wasn't him, nor Tan Xiuyuan.

It was actually Chen Zhoumu.

Still stunned, He Xi, who hadn't left yet, looked at Tang Ze's oblivious expression and wrapped an arm around his neck from behind: "Hey, hey, Lao Tang, come with me."

"Aren't we going the same way?" Tang Ze, bewildered, asked. He Xi was a local from Xia City, not far from Xia City No. 1 High School.

He Xi wasn't bothered at all: "What do you mean by going the same way? We'll find out as we walk."

After everyone left, Song Shi and Chen Zhoumu walked outside. Chen Zhoumu followed behind him, standing on the first-floor corridor, and opened his umbrella.

Song Shi walked under the umbrella, and Chen Zhoumu, feeling the slightly chilly wind, tilted his head slightly and asked, "Aren't you cold?"

The other shook his head. Looking at the slightly pale face, he did what he usually did with couples, touching Song Shi's hand that was lying to the side.

The other's hand was usually cold, but now it was even colder in the wind. Before the other could struggle, he stuffed it into his pocket.

The pocket was already warm from the heat, and the umbrella tilted slowly.

"What are you doing?"

"Warming your hands."

"I said I'm not cold."

"I am cold." Chen Zhoumu laughed: "So, could Song be a little more generous and warm your frail roommate's hands?"

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