"Oh, those two? Some thugs were harassing them earlier. I happened to pass by and saved them."
Li Hanqiu took it as a simple question from Tang San and answered casually.
Oscar nodded frantically, the little pure-white tuft on his head bobbing up and down. "Sister Dai, that's exactly what happened! Sir saved us. He's a good person!"
"Yes, yes!" Ma Hongjun poked his head out from behind the chopping board, tofu crumbs still clinging to the corner of his mouth. "Some bad guys were bullying us, and this big brother chased them away!"
"Hmph! Those are two separate matters." Dai Mubai snorted. "Even if we grant that he protected you, do either of you know what he's really after?"
Dai Mubai folded his arms and shot Li Hanqiu a sidelong glance with another snort.
"Who knows what he's plotting? Maybe it was all a staged act to trick you two into a hotel and do something filthy!"
At those words, it wasn't just Li Hanqiu who reacted.
Even Oscar and Ma Hongjun jolted, freezing where they stood.
"Teacher would never do that!" Tang San gritted his teeth, his eyes reddening.
Xiao Wu planted her hands on her hips in displeasure as well.
"Listen here, blondie! Your own mind is filthy, so you keep splashing dirty water on our teacher. I think you're begging for your Sister Xiao Wu to teach you a lesson!"
As she spoke, Xiao Wu swung her long legs, itching for a fight, only for Li Hanqiu to hold her back with one hand.
Oscar and Ma Hongjun exchanged looks, then quietly tried to reason with Dai Mubai.
With a large iron pot strapped to his back, Oscar raised his little hand, making for a striking contrast. "Sister Dai, aren't you overthinking this? Sir doesn't look like a bad person to me..."
Ma Hongjun nodded repeatedly as well. "Exactly, exactly!"
"Hmph! Neither of you has seen much of the world. Once you see this man's true colors, you'll know how frightening he is!" Dai Mubai tossed his golden hair and pointed at Li Hanqiu.
"I only believe what I see. Whatever else you might say, the fact that he booked a couples' room with two little girls is undeniable!"
Faced with Dai Mubai's slander, Li Hanqiu merely smiled with narrowed eyes, showing that he didn't mind.
At the same time, he pressed one hand onto Xiao Wu's shoulder, stopping her from charging forward with clenched fists.
Meanwhile, Dai Mubai had already walked between Oscar and Ma Hongjun and grabbed one on either side.
"You two, just wait until we get back. I'll straighten you out for daring to associate with such disreputable people."
"Sister Dai, Sir really is a good person..." Oscar said quietly.
"Hmph! If you keep speaking up for that pervert, I won't have anything to do with you." Dai Mubai cut him off, then gave Li Hanqiu another glance. "Let's go."
He pulled the two boys along and strode out the door.
Behind them, Xiao Wu stamped her feet. "He-he's as stubborn as a mule! If I'd known, I would've had Little San whip his backside good and hard!"
Tang San lowered his head without a word. Standing amid the wreckage, he stared at the pink glow in the empty doorway and remained silent for a long time.
Dealing with the aftermath and compensating the hotel took some effort.
The hotel owner trembled as he accepted the compensation Li Hanqiu handed him, wearing an ingratiating smile for fear that Li Hanqiu's temper might turn without warning.
The Rose Hotel was no longer fit to stay in, so Li Hanqiu negotiated with the proprietress of another hotel and booked three rooms at triple the price.
As the night deepened, the carefree Xiao Wu hugged her carrot-shaped pillow and fell asleep, breathing heavily.
Tang San, however, couldn't sleep. He climbed up to the rooftop alone.
The night wind was strong, whipping the hem of his clothes about.
He sat in a corner beside the railing with his arms around his knees and his chin resting on them, his gaze vacant, nothing but a faint melancholy left in his eyes.
Teacher must be so disappointed in me...
"Teacher..." Tang San buried his face in his knees, his voice muffled.
Just then, footsteps sounded from the stairwell.
Before Tang San could raise his head, an outer robe still warm with body heat settled gently over his shoulders.
"It's windy at night." Li Hanqiu sat down beside him. "You'll catch a chill without a coat."
Tang San hunched his shoulders and murmured an acknowledgment. He opened his mouth, hesitated, and ultimately closed it again.
Li Hanqiu didn't press him. They sat side by side, gazing into the layered shades of dusk.
Night descended, unfurling a black vault overhead. Countless stars dotted the sky, like fine grains of silver scattered across the heavens.
The night breeze softened, and starlight spilled silently over the earth.
After admiring the breathtaking scene for a while, Li Hanqiu finally began to speak.
"Emotions are difficult to control. When anger surges, no one can guarantee they'll remain calm and composed. There isn't a single person in this world who can go forever without making a mistake."
He still didn't look at Tang San, only gazed at the starry sky as he reflected aloud.
"But Little San, you must remember this: the truly strong never let anger sway their true hearts. A moment's resentment should never become the basis for a decision."
Tang San raised his head, his eyes red.
"Teacher... I'm not afraid of what others think of me. I'm only afraid... that you'll hate me."
Li Hanqiu chuckled softly.
"I'm your teacher. Even if everyone in the world looks down on you, I'll stand firmly behind you."
Tang San's nose stung, and that aching sensation surged straight into his eyes. He bit down hard on his lower lip, forcing back the tears on the verge of spilling over.
He lowered his head and shifted his hips almost unconsciously, edging a little closer to Li Hanqiu.
"Then, Teacher, you said there isn't a single person in this world who can go forever without making mistakes, and no one can keep anger from swaying their true heart."
Confusion crossed Tang San's face as his beautiful eyes turned toward Li Hanqiu's profile. "But I've never seen you make a mistake, Teacher, or seen you get angry."
Li Hanqiu smiled faintly at that, a trace of tenderness passing through his eyes. "It isn't that I never get angry. If you or Xiao Wu were hurt or bullied, anger would rise in my heart as well."
He reached out and tucked Tang San's wind-tousled strands of hair behind his ear.
"But that is precisely why we must stay true to our hearts and not let our emotions control us. Will you remember that?"
Tang San stared at Li Hanqiu in a daze. "I will..."
Then he suddenly threw himself forward and wrapped his arms around Li Hanqiu's waist.
His tears rubbed onto the front of Li Hanqiu's clothes, soaking a large patch of fabric.
"Teacher... I'm sorry... From now on... I'll change..."
Li Hanqiu froze briefly. In the end, he only sighed softly and patted Tang San's back.
"There is no greater virtue than recognizing your mistakes and correcting them. Take it slowly. There's no rush. Your teacher will be beside you."
Listening to the young boy sobbing in his arms, Li Hanqiu sighed.
It seemed tonight's words had reached straight into the boy's heart.
"It's getting late. Go downstairs and sleep. We still have to register tomorrow."
But Tang San didn't let go. He kept his head buried and tightened his embrace.
The wind swept across the rooftop, sending his long hair dancing wildly.
He buried his face deep in Li Hanqiu's clothes, his shoulders trembling without pause. From the outside, he looked like a boy moved to tears by his teacher's counsel.
In truth, however, though the fabric hid his face, there wasn't the slightest trace of remorse on Tang San's expression.
His eyelids drooped, tears sliding down his cheeks, yet an intense, almost obsessive possessiveness churned in his eyes.
There was even a faint, sickly smile lurking at the corners of his mouth.
How wonderful. Teacher is willing to hold me like this, all because I nearly killed someone. Only when I do bad things will Teacher hold me and care for me so gently and attentively.
Ah-I love him so much, I love Teacher so much. I wish everyone in the world would die, leaving only Xiao Wu and Teacher.
Teacher would hold me forever, and no one could ever separate us...
Tang San wept soundlessly, allowing that fragile, helpless appearance to show itself fully before Li Hanqiu.
At the same time, he kept the deranged thoughts in his heart firmly hidden in the shadows of that embrace...
Before you continue