NOVPUBLiu Zhiyue faintly heard someone calling his name.
Slowly opening his eyes, he was greeted by the overwhelming smell of disinfectant.
The bright lights stung his vision, and he became aware of someone tightly holding his left hand. Turning his head slightly, he saw Liu Changqing sitting beside him, head bowed.
“Dad…”
Hearing his son’s voice, Liu Changqing, who had been on the verge of dozing off, immediately jolted awake. His eyes widened as he looked at the now-conscious Liu Zhiyue.
“Son… how do you feel?”
“I’m okay…”
“That’s good. That’s good…”
Liu Changqing let out a long sigh of relief, fearing any mention of lingering pain or discomfort from his son.
Lying in the hospital bed, Liu Zhiyue noticed that the sharp pain in his back had subsided significantly. However, his injured right foot, now entirely wrapped in bandages, throbbed dully.
When Liu Zhiyue had collapsed outside the house, Liu Changqing was terrified. He had rushed his son to the hospital, dreading the worst. Thankfully, the doctors confirmed there were no life-threatening injuries.
The marks on his back were from being struck with a heavy object, while the main injury was to his foot. Running barefoot on the rough ground had embedded small stones into his flesh, and the wounds had been further contaminated by dust and grime.
Though his body was otherwise unharmed, the doctor explained that the fainting had been caused by the sudden release of tension after prolonged stress—a diagnosis that finally eased Liu Changqing’s fears.
“Where’s Xiazhi?” Liu Zhiyue asked weakly.
Hearing his son’s question, Liu Changqing gently patted the back of his hand.
“Don’t worry. I sent Xiazhi to school already. You’re the one who’s been sleeping for a whole night.”
“I slept the whole night?”
Turning his head to look outside, he noticed it was broad daylight.
Sighing inwardly, Liu Zhiyue shifted his gaze back to his father.
“Dad… I’ve got exams coming up. I can’t stay in the hospital.”
“You’re in no condition to think about exams. It’s not the high school entrance exam—don’t worry about it.”
“But I promised I’d do well this time…”
“You need to focus on recovering. It’ll take at least ten days for your foot to heal properly.”
Liu Changqing calmed his son’s growing anxiety before his expression turned serious.
“What happened last night? Why did you come home in that state?”
“...”
Liu Zhiyue hesitated, his eyes fixed on the hospital ceiling as he tried to recall the events of the previous night.
All he could remember was the vague outline of the man who attacked him.
“I didn’t get a good look at him. He wasn’t very tall, and his face was covered—I could only see his eyes.”
“What kind of eyes?”
“They were… narrow, kind of like the ones I saw in a wildlife documentary about foxes. But not as exaggerated. And…”
“And what?”
“There was a strong smell coming from him, like he hadn’t bathed in days.”
The memory of the attacker swinging the iron rod was vivid, as was the stench that lingered in the air.
Liu Changqing frowned deeply.
He couldn’t recall offending anyone who fit that description, let alone someone who would attack his son.
“Do you remember where the attack happened?”
After a moment of thought, Liu Zhiyue nodded.
“It was on the road between Zhou Shiyan’s house and ours. At first, everything seemed fine, but then I felt like someone was following me. Luckily, I bent down to tie my shoelace and noticed him—otherwise, he would’ve ambushed me.”
“Zhou Shiyan…”
“It’s strange,” Liu Zhiyue said, his expression turning somber.
“Didn’t you ask her to help me with my studies? That night, after evening classes, she tutored me for a bit. When we were leaving, she seemed really scared, so I walked her home first…”
Liu Changqing recalled the first time he met Zhou Shiyan and her anxious demeanor.
At the time, he dismissed it as a misunderstanding—she’d been startled by a stray dog, or so he thought.
Now, with the attack on his son, things seemed more complicated.
He exhaled heavily.
“Don’t worry about it. Leave this to me. Someone will come by later to ask you some questions—just tell them everything you remember. Don’t be scared.”
“Okay.”
Knowing his father had likely reported the incident to the police, Liu Zhiyue nodded.
After making sure his son was settled, Liu Changqing stepped out of the hospital room. His expression darkened.
You dared to lay a hand on my son? You’re finished.
Saturday.
At home, Zhou Shiyan sat alone, focusing on her final preparations for the upcoming exams.
Her sister, Lan Yixian, had gone to work at the supermarket, leaving the house unusually quiet.
Seated at a worn-out desk, Zhou Shiyan held down the corner of her textbook with one hand while scanning its contents. Her other hand scribbled notes onto a piece of scrap paper.
Despite being the math class representative, Zhou Shiyan wasn’t naturally gifted in mathematics. She was the type to diligently study, meticulously recording every key point her teachers covered and reviewing them in her spare time.
Unlike the math prodigies in her class, Zhou Shiyan represented the average student who thrived through sheer effort and determination.
Over the past few days, she had been tutoring Liu Zhiyue. n𝚘vp𝚞𝚋.com
To her surprise, Liu Zhiyue grasped concepts quickly, sometimes even solving problems in ways she hadn’t considered.
Her impression of him—a middling student who often appeared uninterested in class—was beginning to shift. Could he be a rare math talent?
This thought distracted her from her studies.
Her pen came to a halt on the scrap paper as she stared blankly at her textbook.
When she had watched Liu Zhiyue leave the previous night, she couldn’t shake the ominous feeling that something bad was going to happen.
Her grip on the pen loosened, and it slipped from her hand, rolling across the table.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
A sudden knock at the door startled her.
She turned to look at the entrance.
Before she could ask who it was, a familiar voice called out.
“Zhou Shiyan, are you home? It’s Liu Zhiyue’s father.”
