Chapter 74: Bian Yang, Are You Angry?

“So you’re Tang Yu, aren’t you?” Mrs. Meng looked at the girl lying in the hospital bed, her cheeks and the corner of her mouth bruised, her hand receiving an IV drip. She seemed quiet and delicate.

The doctor had just said her injuries were quite severe, but looking at her now, she seemed perfectly fine. There didn’t appear to be anything serious at all—this was probably just a ploy to squeeze more money.

“I remember dealing with you before. Back then your parents took a hundred thousand from me and the matter was settled. How much do you want this time? Another hundred thousand? Or a hundred and fifty?” Mrs. Meng, draped in pearls and diamonds, still carried an air of superiority, even after coming straight from the police station. “I’m telling you now, if you want more, you won’t get it. The most you’ll get for these injuries is a hundred and fifty thousand!”

Bian Yang’s hand, hanging by his side, curled into a fist, pale skin stretched tight over sharp knuckles, veins visible. These damned animals…

Tang Yu gazed at Mrs. Meng, her expression unruffled, not the least bit humiliated, as if she had grown used to such treatment. “Auntie, you have two choices.” Her voice was calm and measured, weak but full of strength. “First, I refuse to settle, and your daughter Meng Shirui will have a criminal record. Or second, I accept a settlement, but under certain conditions.”

Bian Yang stared at her in shock, not expecting her to speak like that. “Xiaoyu…”

Tang Yu cut him off. “Bian Yang, don’t say anything.”

Bian Yang’s face darkened.

Mrs. Meng responded quickly, “Of course we’ll settle. Name your terms, as long as they’re not excessive.”

As long as a settlement was possible, it was easy to manage. Mr. Meng added, “You’re classmates—everything can be discussed, whether it’s money or something else.”

“I want Meng Shirui to withdraw from school or transfer elsewhere.”

“That’s impossible!” Mrs. Meng objected at once. Qingyuan was the best high school in the county. She’d donated a building precisely so her daughter could remain in the honors class. If her daughter transferred, wouldn’t all that money have been wasted?

Tang Yu didn’t press. “Very well, then Meng Shirui will have a criminal record.” Her tone remained serene. “I’ve heard that with a record, it’s difficult to find a job or pass the civil service exams in the future. Of course, your family probably doesn’t need her to work hard, but a criminal record can’t be a good thing.”

Mrs. Meng was rarely threatened, especially not by a mere slip of a girl. Her shrill voice split the hospital room. “Who do you think you’re threatening, little girl? You think you can just give my daughter a criminal record? You’re underestimating the power of our family. Believe it or not, even without your agreement, my daughter won’t have a record in the end!”

“You can try,” Bian Yang, who had remained silent until now, spoke coldly. The young man’s eyes were dark and sharp as he stood by the girl’s bed, radiating an aura far beyond his years.

Mrs. Meng felt an inexplicable chill in her heart. But he was just a kid—what was there to be afraid of? In Liangcheng, who could possibly challenge the Meng family?

About to retort, Mr. Meng suddenly spoke in a low voice, “A settlement is fine, but withdrawal or transfer is out of the question. The college entrance exams are just around the corner. Making her transfer now would affect Shirui’s grades. Name another condition, and we’ll do our best to meet it.”

Bian Yang’s face was as dark as thunder; he wanted nothing more than to throw everyone out, but the girl held his hand tightly. She didn’t look at him, her gaze steady as she faced the adults, as if drawing strength from simply holding his hand.

“If withdrawal’s impossible, then have Meng Shirui write a letter of repentance and publicly apologize in front of the entire school, promising never to harm me again. This is my bottom line. If you can’t agree, then we have nothing more to discuss. We’ll meet at the police station.”

As she finished, Bian Yang felt her grip on his fingers tighten.

He wrapped her fist in his palm, his constant warmth slowly calming her trembling body.

“You’re being too harsh, little girl! A public apology in front of the whole school? Impossible. Just take the money and don’t push your luck!” Mrs. Meng had no intention of letting her daughter be so humiliated.

Mr. Meng snorted, “Enough. That’s how it’ll be.” He glanced at Bian Yang, sensing the boy’s extraordinary presence, as well as the boy who had been on the phone outside—mentioning things like the Supreme People’s Court and public security exams. Not to mention their attire, the watch on his wrist alone, if real, was worth tens of millions—something even he couldn’t bear to buy.

“Honey, how can you let our daughter—” Mrs. Meng stomped her foot in anger.

Mr. Meng cast one last glance at the young man, then turned away. “That’s enough! She hit someone, an apology is only right. The college exams are coming, let her focus on her studies and stop mixing with those unsavory people outside. Just look at what you’ve taught her!”

He didn’t want a bigger scene. A simple, clean resolution would suffice. He strode out, Mrs. Meng following, arguing, “What do you mean, what I’ve taught her? Is she only my daughter? You’re the one never at home, and now you blame me!”

The two of them quarreled down the hall.

Tang Yu finally relaxed, her straight back sinking heavily into the pillow. Turning her head, she looked at Bian Yang, who still compressed his lips, his face grim.

She reached out and poked the back of his hand. He didn’t respond.

So she gently wrapped her fingers around his index finger and gave it a small shake. “Bian Yang, are you angry? Angry that I just gave in like that?”

He was angry—the frustration choking him. He’d already planned to use every connection, even at the cost of his pride, to send them to jail…

“Bian Yang, do you remember that recorder of mine?” Tang Yu spoke softly, her tone unreadable. “I bought that pen secretly after three months of working odd jobs. It recorded all the bullying I endured at school for a year. Every time Meng Shirui and her friends insulted, targeted, or beat me, I recorded it. Whenever I felt myself begin to slacken, I’d listen to those recordings and force myself to study harder…

“They’re minors, still in high school. As long as they don’t kill anyone, and as long as I can still move, the law can do nothing to them. I’ve tried to fight back—I went to teachers, the principal, the police—but in the end, nothing changed. Meng Shirui did whatever she pleased; there were just too many people protecting her.”

Her voice was calm. “And I’m not like other students. If someone else was bullied, they could hide behind their parents. Their parents would make a scene at the school, and the bullies would be wary, afraid to go any further. But my parents aren’t like that. They only care about money. Every time I was abused, they were actually happy…”

Tang Yu gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Because for them, it was just another windfall.”

Her quiet, indifferent voice was like cold iron hands gripping his heart, making it hard to breathe.

Bian Yang unconsciously tightened his grip on her hand, and she seemed to notice.

Her thumb gently stroked the back of his hand—she herself was in pieces, yet she was still comforting him.

“If I didn’t agree to a settlement, it wouldn’t be long before my parents found out and started asking for money—one hundred thousand, maybe one-fifty. Once they got the money, they wouldn’t care anymore. Then things would go back to how they were—Meng Shirui would keep bullying me, thinking money could solve everything, and I’d have no way to fight back. Over and over, the same cycle…”

Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a whole family or good parents.

Tang Yu was not one of the lucky ones.

She lowered her head, lips twisting in a bitter smile. “When I laid out my conditions, I already knew Meng Shirui’s parents would never let her withdraw. The principal’s on their side—if she doesn’t want to leave, no one can make her. So I could only settle for this, to protect what little I could.”

She gave his finger another gentle shake, looking up at him with a forced smile, afraid he might be sad for her.

“But don’t worry, I’m not so forgiving. I really am waiting for another chance—a chance I’ll win for myself.”

And when that chance comes, Meng Shirui and her friends will finally understand what true regret really means.