Chapter 114: Transcending Adversity, Reaching the Stars

A heavy rain fell in early June, washing the city clean and leaving it unusually fresh.

The night before the college entrance exam, after finishing a phone call with her grandparents—who had gone to bed by nine—Tang Yu found herself restless, unable to sleep, plagued by a touch of insomnia.

She got up and meticulously checked her stationery for the morning three times, then did the same for Bian Yang’s supplies several times over.

In two transparent exam bags were neatly packed their respective admission tickets, compasses, right-angle and triangular rulers, erasers, two black pens, 2B mechanical pencils, and two bottles of mineral water.

After double-checking everything, Tang Yu took out the pens and scribbled on some scrap paper to ensure they worked properly, then tiptoed back to bed.

Even with the lightest movement, the boy on the other side of the frosted glass window heard the noise.

“Can’t sleep?” he asked softly, his arm resting behind his head, his voice low.

Tang Yu nestled under the blanket and murmured, “A little nervous.”

A few days ago, the principal and the head of the grade had both approached her, saying she was the student with the greatest potential to become the top scorer in the province, as long as she performed normally.

But she wanted more than just the provincial top score.

“Want me to read you some civil law?” he half-joked.

Tang Yu shook her head gently. “I’ve already memorized that book. Now I’m studying economic and administrative law.”

Through the blurry glass, Bian Yang tilted his head to look at her. “Impressive, Little Tang Yu.”

He smiled. “But soon you’ll have to be called Lawyer Tang.”

Tang Yu laughed softly, then lay flat, staring at the ceiling, exhaling gently. “Bian Yang, do you remember my voice recorder?”

“Of course,” he said, lowering his eyelashes.

Qin Mingyu had told him about it.

Tang Yu continued, “I heard every year the provincial TV station interviews the top three scorers live. I plan to reveal those recordings then.”

That had always been her goal.

Whenever she felt she couldn’t endure anymore, she would curl up under the blanket and listen to those recordings over and over.

She kept telling herself she would become the provincial top scorer.

She would stand in front of the camera and tell everyone what she had been through.

“I heard a while ago that Meng Shirui will hold a coming-of-age ceremony after the exam. What do you think—should I give her a big gift too?”

Her voice was calm, piercing the silence with crystal clarity.

Bian Yang said nothing, but his heart ached uncontrollably.

Tang Yu bit her lip tightly, her voice trembling as she went on, “Actually, I’m a very resentful person. The violence I endured, and Xu Xinyan’s leg... none of it can just be forgotten. She never saw hurting others as a mistake, never seriously reflected on her actions. Many classmates like me were bullied by her, simply because she couldn’t stand seeing something she disliked, and we had no power to fight back.”

Whether reporting to the police or informing teachers, it always ended up as trivial quarrels between students, followed by meaningless admonishments that did nothing to stop her.

Meng Shirui continued to bully with impunity while they suffered in silence.

The hatred bottled up in her heart made her tremble. Tang Yu closed her eyes. “I’m lucky to have you, Bian Yang. Without you, every time I resisted, she would retaliate even more viciously. I might not have made it this far…”

Her helpless pain, her powerless struggle, her countless pleas—all were mere toys in Meng Shirui’s eyes.

The 158 megabytes on the voice recorder were just the tip of the iceberg of her ordeal.

They had turned her hopes and dreams into a cold, starless abyss.

No one could truly empathize, no one could imagine everything she had endured.

No one could forgive it for her—not even Tang Yu herself.

So this... could not be just let go.

For a long while, there was no sound from Bian Yang.

Her fear magnified in the darkness, tears welling up, her body trembling softly beneath the blanket.

Until he spoke in a hoarse voice—

“Little Tang Yu, thank you for holding on all this time by yourself.”

Instantly, tears streamed down Tang Yu’s face.

Bian Yang lay there, his eyelids red.

His voice was rough, “If only I had come to Liang City sooner, maybe my little girl wouldn’t have suffered so much.”

What he saw was a Tang Yu who had already walked a painfully difficult path alone.

While he lived a life of ease in the capital, his little girl endured such sorrow.

If only he could go back, how much better it would be. He’d have come to Liang City earlier to find her.

No one would dare to bully her, no one would dare to belittle her, no one would let her suffer even a little—

But there were no ifs. Those dark days were part of her past, like an indelible brand.

Without him, she would have silently endured.

But now, with someone to rely on, someone she could trust, the grievances she had suppressed for so long erupted all at once. She couldn’t hold back her sobs, tears falling onto the pillow, her voice thick with emotion.

“I thought just now you were going to say... that I was so bad.”

Because once the recordings were made public, everyone involved would be exposed. The impact would be enormous.

Hearing her sobs, Bian Yang’s heart felt crushed.

He wanted to hold her, to comfort her—but he couldn’t.

He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to control his emotions.

Tomorrow was the exam. It was very important to her.

He had to soothe his little girl first, so she could face these two days peacefully.

“Little Tang Yu,” his voice seemed to suppress some emotion.

Tang Yu wiped her tears.

Hearing his earnest tone, she listened.

“You were never wrong. The fault lies with flawed laws that let villains exploit loopholes. The fault lies with those who bullied you. The fault lies with those who turned a blind eye. You did nothing wrong.”

“The Tang Yu who made it this far is brave and resilient.”

“But no misfortune ever turns into a blessing just because of bravery.”

Tang Yu covered her eyes with the back of her hand, gradually calming down.

“Remember what I told you? When your rights are violated, if you don’t fight back, they will only take advantage. Human nature is not a blank slate. Only punishment can bring change.”

“You don’t have to be so kind or generous—that’s what saints do. We’re ordinary people, so screw it. We allow ourselves to have flaws.”

He didn’t want her to cry or fall into a bad mood, so he forced a smile to sound more comforting.

“Our grudging Tang Yu is so adorable—free to throw tantrums, to be a little selfish. After all, those who love you will love everything about you. As for those who don’t—well, next time just curse them out straight to their face. Don’t let them control you. If they don’t like it, they can just deal with it, none of my damn business!”

Hearing this, Tang Yu couldn’t help but laugh through her tears.

He exhaled deeply, turned on his side, and looked at her. “So, in this short life of ours, let’s be bold. Go for it, Tang Yu. No matter how hard it is now, believe that tomorrow will be better than today. Think carefully—how bad can the worst case really be? If the sky falls, I’ll catch it for you!”

Through the hazy glass, she looked at his silhouette with trust.

As if some magic could make all those terrible feelings vanish.

Bian Yang would always catch her every time she fell, no matter how many times.

His fingertips tapped on the frosted glass, leaving faint, shadowy marks.

She saw him writing there.

Tang Yu rubbed her eyes. It looked like English, but the letters together didn’t form a proper word.

Quietly watching for a moment, her fingertips traced the letters he had written and asked, “What does it mean?”

The boy’s hoarse voice read aloud, “Per Aspera Ad Astra.”

“It’s a Latin proverb,” he whispered. “Through hardships to the stars.”

He wished for his little girl to reach the stars and have all her dreams come true.