Boyfriend Always Thinks I'm a Little Pitiful Chapter 1

As a key provincial high school, First High School is famous for its tough courses and difficult exams. The teachers in the exam question group are known among students as living hell, dedicated to making every student suffer. If anyone walks out of the exam room smiling, it's considered a serious dereliction of duty.

The exam bell rang, and the atmosphere in each exam room suddenly froze.

Meanwhile, in an old street next to First High School, Xie Ci was being cornered by a group of boys wearing sports school uniforms, with dyed and permed hair, in an alley littered with garbage.

His mind was a bit muddled, making it hard for Xie Ci to grasp the situation.

He should be on an island in Slinjia, chasing after the bastards who kidnapped Gu Yufeng, not here facing a bunch of immature hooligans.

But the dull pain at his temple, the swelling at the corner of his mouth, and the stench in the air were all too real, constantly reminding him that everything in front of him was indeed happening.

"If you don't pay up today, I'll make sure you leave here on a stretcher!"

The yellow-haired guy standing five steps away from Xie Ci was tapping a baseball bat in his hand, "I've already given you three days out of consideration for being a regular customer, don't push your luck!"

"Today's the start of the school exams, can't you wait until after the exams? Missing the exam means they'll call my parents!" A boy wearing a First High School uniform beside Xie Ci timidly chimed in.

"Still thinking about exams?"

The flat-headed pockmarked face next to the yellow-haired guy sneered, "If you don't pay up, neither you nor your cousin will be going to school, so what's the point of taking exams?"

The surrounding sports school boys laughed along.

"Chen Zhanpeng, weren't you all eager when borrowing money to go online? Now that it's time to pay back, you're full of excuses. If you keep stalling, I'll break one of your legs!"

"Didn't you say your cousin just got his paycheck? Let him help you pay it back."

"A parasite living off others, it's only right to help your host pay off debts."

"Exactly." The yellow-haired guy looked at Xie Ci with disdain, "Even your parents don't want you. If it weren't for Chen Zhanpeng's family taking you in, you'd probably be begging under some bridge."

"Xie Ci, you're the captain of the First High School basketball team, right? I remember there's a rich kid in your team who's quite generous. If worse comes to worst, borrow some from him. A rich kid wouldn't mind this bit of money."

After talking for a while and seeing Xie Ci remain silent, seemingly ignoring them, the group started to get annoyed.

Xie Ci, standing at 1.9 meters tall, was the tallest among them, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, standing straight with his school uniform jacket zipped up to the top. It didn't make him look stiff; instead, it highlighted his upright posture.

Girls often said he had excellent bone structure, and with his impeccable features, standing there expressionless, he was the absolute focal point in any crowd. Coupled with his extraordinary athletic ability, he was the pillar of the school basketball team and the recognized school heartthrob of First High School.

It's said that when Xie Ci was in middle school, he won first place in the national middle school mathematics competition for the junior group and entered Blue Sea City's First High School with the top score in the entrance exam, gaining much attention in the city at the time.

Unexpectedly, after entering high school, he completely slacked off, his grades plummeting from first place to the bottom of the grade within two months, drawing a lot of ridicule.

Some media even used "Fallen Superstar" as a headline to report extensively, but he never responded to it.

Xie Ci was introverted and not fond of talking, indifferent to everyone, but when truly provoked, he fought fiercely.

A few days ago, two senior students from the sports school were beaten into the hospital, and when their parents asked about it, they didn't dare to say a word, fearing retaliation from Xie Ci.

The group of boys looked at Xie Ci, who remained silent, their mouths full of bravado, but their hearts were somewhat apprehensive.

Seeing their expressions change, Chen Zhanpeng's heart pounded with fear, and he nudged Xie Ci with his elbow, whispering, "Bro, can you help me pay this time? I'll pay you back next week... Bro, bro?"

The flat-headed pockmarked face frowned, hating Xie Ci's pretentious demeanor, yet the girls loved it.

"Xie, are you deaf or dumb?"

The flat-headed pockmarked face walked up to Xie Ci, impatiently raising his hand to slap his face, "Didn't you hear me asking you to pay up?!"

But before his hand could reach Xie Ci's face, it was suddenly grabbed.

The flat-headed pockmarked face didn't have time to dodge, only feeling a sharp pain in his wrist, unable to hold back a scream.

"Old Lin!"

"You're looking for trouble! Let him go!"

Xie Ci held onto the twisted face in pain, took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and casually tossed him into the corner, ignoring the cursing hooligans around him. He leisurely took a cigarette from the pack, placed it in his mouth, and lit it.

The effect of nicotine was immediate. Xie Ci exhaled a puff of white smoke, his tense and irritable mood eased, and with his thoughts settled, he finally focused on the situation at hand.

Xie Ci scanned the alley filled with these colorful delinquents, about seven or eight of them. At the end of the alley, two motorcycles were parked, with sports school boys sitting on them, watching the scene, seemingly backing up their companions. On the back seats of the motorcycles sat two girls with heavy makeup and wearing miniskirts.

This scene felt familiar.

Xie Ci vaguely remembered that during high school, he did have an experience of being extorted, almost paying a heavy price.

Back then, his parents' marriage was opposed by both families, but they insisted on getting married and having a child. His father severed ties with his family, and his mother distanced herself from hers.

But love eventually lost to reality. Shortly after he was born, they divorced. His mother remarried and settled abroad with her second husband, while his father, focused on art, went abroad for further studies, leaving for ten years. At that time, he was left to be raised by his grandmother in the countryside.

His grandmother was old and frail, often unable to take care of him, gradually becoming overwhelmed.

When he was eight, his little aunt, who often visited him, suddenly proposed to take him home and care for him.

His little aunt's family lived in the city, and his uncle worked in a big company, with living conditions far better than his grandmother's. But he didn't want to leave the place where he grew up, hoping to stay and take care of his grandmother.

"Xiao Ci, your uncle is a kind-hearted man, always smiling and never losing his temper. His salary is high, several times that of others, so raising one more child is no problem! Besides, your little aunt watched you grow up, and I'd be at ease if you went to her."

When his grandmother said this with joy, he wavered.

He didn't want to disappoint his grandmother and also thought that without him as a burden, she might live more comfortably.

When he first arrived at his little aunt's house, he did feel a sense of belonging for a while. His gentle little aunt, kind uncle, and a cousin of the same age gave him the illusion of having a complete family.

Until that night, he was awakened by a fierce argument and saw his drunken uncle holding a chair, ready to smash it on his little aunt.

The living room was a mess, his little aunt was dodging the blows, barefoot on broken porcelain, leaving glaring bloodstains.

His cousin, Chen Zhanpeng, was crying in fear. It was his first time witnessing such domestic violence, and he was equally terrified.

He bravely rushed out, intending to take his little aunt to the bedroom, but unexpectedly, she pushed him in front of his uncle.

The chair, raised high, came crashing down on his head.

He was sent to the hospital with a head injury, requiring three stitches on his temple. If he hadn't instinctively avoided a critical spot, he might have died.

Afterward, his little aunt sat by his hospital bed, crying and apologizing, and his sober uncle also bowed his head, asking for forgiveness.

He thought it was an accident, but after that, his uncle's target for domestic violence shifted from his little aunt to him.

And every time his uncle chased him to beat him, his little aunt would lock herself and his cousin in the bedroom, ignoring the situation outside.

Initially, his little aunt would buy lots of snacks and cook a good meal to "comfort" him afterward, but later it turned into cold remarks like, "Didn't you know to dodge when he hit you?" "Why does he hit you and not Pengpeng?" "You only know how to study, not smart at all."

When his grandmother came to the city to see him, he wanted to speak up.

But when his grandmother and little aunt talked about his daily life, seeing her happy expression, he couldn't say anything.

At that moment, he deeply realized that he couldn't rely on anyone.

He understood what it meant to live under someone else's roof and learned to protect himself, locking himself in his room except for meals and necessary activities.

From elementary to middle school, he had few happy memories. Besides dealing with his uncle's domestic violence, he faced his little aunt's cold treatment, especially as the gap between his and his cousin's grades widened. Every time he brought home a report card, he faced his little aunt's cold face and sarcastic remarks, thinking he couldn't understand, and suddenly many trivial matters would arise, preventing him from studying peacefully.

He learned to hide himself, deliberately failing exams, always scoring lower than his cousin.

When his little aunt was happy, he could have a few peaceful days.

When you have no bargaining chips, a rough struggle won't bring the desired result. In the rules of adults, he was like a baby, and fighting against the odds would only hurt himself.

Instead of struggling and sinking deeper into this foul swamp, it was better to be a patient hunter, quietly waiting for the day he became an adult.

Perhaps the violence gene is hereditary. His cousin developed an internet addiction, and when his uncle cut the internet to help him quit, his cousin went berserk and smashed the entire study.

His little aunt doted on her only son, soon replacing everything, only for it to be smashed again, and then replaced, repeatedly.

His cousin started stealing money from home to go to internet cafes, then borrowed from classmates, and when discovered by his uncle, he borrowed from this group of hooligans from the sports school. Every time he couldn't pay back, he would leave the mess for him to clean up.

Fighting and brawling, if serious, could lead to expulsion, and not being expelled was his bottom line.

He not only wanted to go to college but also the best college, which was the path he sought for himself.

For this, he had been extorted several times.

And this time, he couldn't hold back and fought with these kids, which ended up escalating. Someone called the police, and they were taken to the station for questioning.

Some idiot had hidden two thirty-centimeter fruit knives in their bag, and this was reported to the education bureau, which wanted to make an example.

His little aunt and uncle, who rushed over, not only didn't speak up for him but instead blamed him for leading his cousin astray, saying he had a violent tendency in front of the officers.

In the end, his cousin and the hooligans got off scot-free, while he, with no one to back him up, was left to take the fall, no matter how much he explained.

He was notified of expulsion from First High School.

He thought it was irreparable, but unexpectedly, his homeroom teacher, who usually didn't like him, stood up to vouch for him, saving his enrollment.

Xie Ci looked at the yellow-haired guy, his tone relaxed and low, without much fluctuation, as if it wasn't him who had just taken someone down with one move: "How much did he borrow?"

Xie Ci suddenly spoke, startling the yellow-haired guy. He glanced at the flat-headed pockmarked face being helped up and angrily said, "Eighty! With interest, it's one hundred and sixty in total!"

One hundred and sixty was a huge sum for a high schooler.

Xie Ci remembered his cousin Chen Zhanpeng's weekly allowance was fifty, while he only had forty, and that was for breakfast.

Giving away this one hundred and sixty meant no money for food for a month.

"Who borrowed it?" Xie Ci asked.

"Him, Chen Zhanpeng!"

The yellow-haired guy said, already impatient.

Xie Ci continued, "Why did he borrow it?"

"To go online! Are you looking for trouble?!" The yellow-haired guy pointed the baseball bat at Xie Ci, "We're not afraid of you, even if there are ten of us!"

Xie Ci: "Chen Zhanpeng borrowed money to go online and owes you one hundred and sixty, what's that got to do with me?"

The flat-headed pockmarked face, clutching his wrist, shouted, "How is it not related? He has no money, so of course, you have to pay!"

Xie Ci ignored him, gesturing to the yellow-haired guy with a cigarette, signaling him to come over.

The yellow-haired guy couldn't figure out what Xie Ci was up to, thinking he was finally going to pay up.

After all, there were ten of them, even Xie Ci would be scared, right?

"That's more like it, pay up early and save everyone's time." The yellow-haired guy opened his palm in front of Xie Ci, his tone somewhat smug.

"Not paying back is indeed his problem, whether you beat him to death or cripple him, it's up to you."

Saying this, Xie Ci pressed the cigarette butt into the yellow-haired guy's palm, extinguishing it, "Don't bother me with this trivial matter again, understand?"

"Hiss—"

The yellow-haired guy winced in pain, cursed, and raised the baseball bat to hit, "You bastard—"

The baseball bat was snatched by Xie Ci halfway through the swing, and before the yellow-haired guy could react, the bat was pressed against his chin.

"If I remember correctly, your name is Zhang Xingxing, right? Second-year, third class at the sports school, lives in Huian Community on Lanxin North Road, parents run a fruit shop in the old town."

Xie Ci looked at the wide-eyed face in front of him, his tone unchanged.

But it was this calm face that scared the yellow-haired guy, faintly hearing a threat in Xie Ci's tone: "How do you know that, what do you want to do?!"

"What do you think?"

Xie Ci's gaze swept over everyone around, "Anyway, I'm a dead man walking, what can't I do?"

If there's one thing high school students fear most, it's their parents.

At the mention of parents, this group of arrogant delinquents didn't dare to make a sound, not even daring to meet Xie Ci's eyes, fearing he might say, "I know your home address too."

Xie Ci casually tossed the baseball bat aside, turning to leave.

The sound of police sirens approached from afar, reaching his ears.

Were they coming this way?

Why were they so much earlier than last time?