Xie Landi looked blankly at Chiang Xiao. She had heard about Chiang Xiaoâs background but hadnât expected it to be so harsh.
"So, if I care so much about what others think, if I get insulted, should I have already gone looking for a way out?"
"Of course not!" Xie Landi said urgently, "If you had done that earlier, how could you be as good as you are now?"
Chiang Xiao pursed her lips into a smile, looked at her, and said, "Yeah, if you die now, how would you know your future wouldnât be good?"
"Chiang Xiao, I..." Xie Landi hadnât expected Chiang Xiao to know she had thoughts of ending her life just now.
"Xie Landi, do you think youâre worse than everyone else? Youâre not. You have to know that many kids in poor mountain villages donât even have the means to go to school. Your village must have some like that, right?"
Xie Landi nodded.
"But think about it, youâve already gone to college! And in Capital City, in the Academy of Fine Arts! If you study hard now, how do you know you wonât become someone admired for great painting skills and intelligence, someone everyone likes?"
"I, how could I..." Xie Landi instinctively touched her face.
"Isnât it just a little skin issue? Do you believe that in the future, manufacturers will produce very effective cosmetics, and just with some makeup, you can be as beautiful as you want. Besides, start taking care of your skin actively now, wash your face well, do some cleansing, apply cucumber slices occasionally, and your skin will improve over time. And because youâre not lazy, quite diligent, your body is well-proportioned, and once you wear better-fitting clothes, youâll be very pretty. So, donât think youâre worthless, and donât always compare yourself to others. Isnât it better to live a bit more relaxed?"
Chiang Xiaoâs words left Xie Landi in a daze.
But she hadnât finished speaking.
"As for that old man from Deng Qingjiangâs private city who harassed you, donât worry, this thing wonât get out. The principal and the teachers arenât gossipy. Ye Wanqing has already been expelled, and it was for such moral reasons. Do you think anyone would believe what she said?"
Xie Landi suddenly covered her face and started crying.
"But what she said is true!"
She cried and said, "That man harassed me. I did resist, and I said I wanted to report him to the police. But I wasnât strong enough; he threatened me, saying if I went to the police, he would badmouth me at school, and itâs best I avoid him, or who knows what heâd do next. He said if I didnât report him or tell the boss, he wouldnât bother me again and even gave me fifty yuan..."
What a scumbag old man.
Chiang Xiao felt a burning anger.
Xie Landi cried with trembling shoulders, "I really needed money and was scared, so I took his money. But after taking it, he asked me to accompany him. If I didnât agree, heâd shout everywhere that I sleep with men for fifty yuan a time."
Chiang Xiaoâs face turned dark, walked closer, gently patted her shoulder, sighed, and said, "Thatâs the old bastardâs fault, not yours! Itâs okay; no one will know about this, and even if someone does, Iâll stand by you. Didnât you say the teachers and classmates all like me? Theyâll believe what I say."
"Really?" Xie Landi looked up, her eyes swollen and sore, gazing at Chiang Xiao.
"Of course, itâs true."
Xie Landi couldnât help but hug Chiang Xiao and cried loudly.