Chapter 9

In the midst of this small ambiguity, suddenly a fawning smile appeared before the two of them.

Looking at this person, Xiao Qi felt a surge of anger, and he fiercely lowered his voice: "Traitor! You still dare to show up? If it were a few decades ago, I would have shot you on behalf of the party and the state!"

"Don't, boss," He Hao turned around and whispered with a smile: "I really didn't betray you intentionally. We rode our bikes, right? Yang Xue saw us when he left yesterday, and this morning he saw me riding the bike to school. He beat me up so badly that I could only struggle to climb up the stairs. Seeing how pitiful I am, don't hold it against me anymore."

Xiao Qi was taken aback, then he remembered that it was indeed true. When the two of them ran into the woods last night, the bike was left lying by the roadside, making it easy to be seen.

Realizing this, Xiao Qi's expression softened. Just as he was about to say something, the homeroom teacher Xue Daqiang walked in.

"Cough, cough, everyone, stop for a moment!" The slender Xue Daqiang cleared his throat, attracting everyone's attention, and said: "Just now, a police officer from the station came and told me that there has been some unrest in the Yellow Woods recently, with frequent incidents of robbery and extortion. It's best not to go there, especially not at night! You're all about to take the college entrance exam, so don't cause any trouble, understood?"

"Understood!"

A group of students loudly and casually replied.

They were already under a lot of pressure and rarely went out at night, let alone to the Yellow Woods.

Only a few people changed their expressions.

After Xue Daqiang left, He Hao turned around with a strange look on his face, "Ah Qi, what are you up to? Are you threatening them? Did you report it to the teacher?"

"Is my character so despicable?" Xiao Qi was quite speechless, "Alright, stop talking, turn around, and don't speak to me anymore!"

Seeing Xiao Qi's angry face, He Hao didn't dare to say more, but his doubts didn't diminish at all.

Xiao Qi didn't care and focused on chatting with his desk mate.

The young man, using his advantage of being reborn, soon made the clear and graceful girl smile, which made a group of thirsty young men around him so angry that they wished they could throw Xiao Qi out the window and enjoy the girl's gentle smile themselves.

Huangfu Cai's grades were excellent, and missing one or two classes for review didn't matter much, but the little girl couldn't help but feel a bit strange: how did this woodenhead suddenly become so articulate?

Before they knew it, it was time to go home.

But as Xiao Qi was packing his bag, the bright and charming girl walked over and patted his desk, "Xiao Qi, and He Hao, don't go back for lunch. I'll treat you to a small stir-fry."

"Wow, I'd be delighted, Tang Daren!" He Hao was pleasantly surprised.

Xiao Qi's desk mate, who had been in a good mood all morning, frowned slightly again but said nothing, and walked out with her small backpack.

In the end, in the simple private room of a small stir-fry restaurant outside the school, besides the three of them, there was also a couple.

Everyone looked at each other, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Taking advantage of the stir-fry not being served yet, Tang Mingxiang clapped her hands and said, "Alright, listen to me... Xiao Qi, tell me, what did you go to the Yellow Woods for last night?"

Su Zi immediately interjected, "Xiao Xiang, didn't you say you wouldn't bring it up again? Don't make it hard for them!"

"The situation might not be what you think. Listen to me first," Tang Mingxiang reassured Su Zi and then stared intently at Xiao Qi's eyes, "I heard everything at the office door! If you don't tell the truth, I'll tell my uncle!"

Her uncle was Xue Daqiang, their homeroom teacher. Tang Mingxiang wasn't from Yuan Yin City and was staying at her aunt's house to study here.

Xiao Qi smiled bitterly and remained silent for a while, still not speaking.

Yang Xue hesitated and spoke first, "Ah Qi... as long as you don't do such things again, Xiao Zi and I won't hold it against you."

In fact, Xiao Qi and Yang Xue were not only good friends, but their parents were from the same village and were classmates. Before Yang Xue's father passed away due to illness this year, Yang Xue lived in the next unit to Xiao Qi.

Such a two-generation friendship meant that Yang Xue wouldn't have thrown that punch today if he hadn't felt that Xiao Qi went too far last night.

"Speak up!" Seeing Xiao Qi remain silent, Tang Mingxiang became somewhat angry, "Why don't you tell them that you went to catch a pervert with a homemade gun last night? That pervert was hiding in the Yellow Woods and had raped women there before!"

"Ah!?"

Yang Xue, Su Zi, and He Hao all cried out in shock.

Especially Yang Xue and Su Zi, their faces turned pale with fear.

Under everyone's gaze, Xiao Qi felt somewhat uncomfortable, especially when he met Yang Xue's complex eyes. He smiled slightly, "It was just a coincidence. I heard from my cousin that a rapist had been spotted there recently, and I suddenly remembered that you sometimes go there... I just wanted to check, but I ended up saving you by chance. Most of the credit goes to Master He; without his help, it wouldn't have been so easy to scare off the bad guy."

He Hao opened his mouth, wanting to say that it wasn't like that at all, that Xiao Qi had rushed over to save them in a panic... but before he could think more, he felt a pain in his foot, clearly a warning from Xiao Qi not to say more.

Although Master He's nickname was "Electric Wire," he wasn't stupid. He could only put aside his doubts and scratch his head, "Ha ha, it's nothing. I didn't have any other thoughts at the time. If I had known he had a gun, I might have run away. Xiao Qi was the most composed!"

Su Zi mused, "No wonder I heard footsteps running after He Hao's antics last night..."

Yang Xue also understood, "So your injuries..."

"Oh, nothing, just a graze from some iron sand," Xiao Qi shrugged.

"Ah Qi... I'm sorry..."

Yang Xue looked at him with a heavy expression, feeling guilty, "I... I thought... you were looking down on me because my dad was gone, and you were trying to steal my girlfriend..."

Before Yang Xue's father passed away due to illness, he was the director of the Health Bureau, and had been examined by the city committee to be appointed as the head of the organization department. But a serious illness took his life, leaving behind a widow and an orphan.

When Xiao Qi went to comfort Yang Xue, Yang Xue said with self-mockery, "I didn't realize it before, but now that my father is gone, so few people come to visit. It's really a cold world."

But Xiao Qi didn't expect that his originally generous and outgoing friend had such a sensitive side. No wonder he was so angry today, not just because he thought it was a prank.

Patted Yang Xue's shoulder, Xiao Qi smiled gently, "What are you thinking? Su Zi isn't my type. I prefer someone with a good figure, a fiery personality, and a bit taller..."

As Xiao Qi pointed out the opposite of Su Zi's characteristics, Tang Mingxiang's face grew increasingly red, and she finally stopped him with a glare.

Su Zi found it amusing and quickly cleared her throat, "Alright, since it was a misunderstanding, let's not talk about it anymore. Yang Xue, let's all raise a glass to thank Ah Qi, our unsung hero!"

Yang Xue nodded, poured everyone a glass of cola, and stood up with both hands, sincerely saying to Xiao Qi, "Brother, it was my mistake. I won't doubt you anymore! For our friendship and your concern for me, cheers!"

"Cheers!"

All five stood up, drank their cola, and their faces lit up with relaxed smiles.

Seeing Yang Xue and Su Zi, who were completely different from their original fates, Xiao Qi was the happiest. Even the other four were puzzled, not knowing why he was so happy. Was it just the relief of clearing his name?