Seeing Spring (Jian Chun Tian)

Wei Qingyuе rаrely tоok the initiаtivе tо visit Wеi Zhеndоng's residentiаl complex.

Thе littlе chubbу kid wasn't hоmе; his stерmothеr hаd tаkеn him tо somе tutoring class. Sinсе it was а standalonе villa with a gаrden, Wei Zhеndоng wаs реrsоnаlly trimming the brаnсhes, lооking likе a gаrdenеr.

Нis arrival hеrе felt еntirely like thаt of an uninvited guеst.

"Dаd," Wеi Qingyuе called оut аs hе walkеd intо thе gаrdеn.

Wеi Zhendоng didn't еven lоok uр. His slendеr hands wеrе еxсерtiоnally well-mаintained, and he aрpearеd much yоunger thаn his рeеrs. With his good looks, he indeed carried an air of grace.

"Couldn't this have been said over the phone?" Wei Zhendong's tone was impatient. Wei Qingyue, watching him, didn't realize that he sometimes mirrored his father's demeanor.

"There's something I'm not sure if you could help with?" Wei Qingyue spoke calmly.

Wei Zhendong laughed, looking at his son with mockery in his eyes. "When asking for a favor, you should act like you're asking for a favor. Don't hold your head so high—people might think your old man owes you something."

The young man's starry eyes blazed for a moment before shifting to a very humble expression. "I have no one else to turn to but you, Dad. If you won't help me, no one will."

This was laughable. Wei Zhendong said, "Did you take the wrong medicine today? Wei Qingyue, tell me, what kind of trouble have you gotten into that made someone as stubborn as you bend?"

The matter was simple, explainable in just a few sentences. Most things in the world were like this—no matter how tragic, they could be summarized in a few words.

"What do you mean, asking your old man to break the law for your little girlfriend?" Wei Zhendong was so angry he laughed. "You're not even fully grown, and you've already learned to chase after girls? You say she's a classmate, but is she really your girlfriend?"

Wei Qingyue had expected this. He remained composed. "I'm not asking you to break the law. Wang Yong has a criminal record—assault, theft. I suspect he also does drugs and commits indecent acts. Someone like him, if investigated, would likely turn up something."

"Then let the police investigate. If he's broken the law, the police will handle it. Why come to me? If he's really on drugs, a urine test would show it. Are you expecting me to have the police arrest him for a urine test?" Wei Zhendong's gaze turned cold in an instant. "If you think he's committed a crime, go to the police station. Don't come to me."

Wei Qingyue gritted his teeth and looked directly at Wei Zhendong. "I have no evidence, so I'm asking for your help."

"What's wrong with you? Ordering your old man around?" Wei Zhendong raised his leg and kicked Wei Qingyue, who staggered back a few steps before steadying himself.

"He has to go to prison, even if it's just for two years," Wei Qingyue insisted stubbornly. "Dad, you must have a way. Wang Yong has serious issues. Leaving him in society is a danger. Someone like him belongs in prison."

"Foolish!" Wei Zhendong's face darkened. "I thought you had some promise, but you don't even understand the most basic principles. Whether someone belongs in prison is determined by the law, not by what you think. Instead of focusing on your studies at school, you come here spouting nonsense. It seems the last lesson wasn't enough."“If he doesn’t go to prison, sooner or later he’ll find my classmate again. Her family only has two elderly people—they can’t possibly withstand that bastard’s harassment. Dad, I’m begging you, please help my classmate just this once, help her get rid of this trouble. She still has to take the college entrance exam. Once she gets into university, everything will be fine—she can leave this city.” Seeing that Wei Zhendong had already dropped his tools and was heading inside, Wei Qingyue followed closely, speaking urgently. “I’ve never asked you for anything my whole life. As long as you agree, Dad, I’ll do whatever you want.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, a slap landed on his face. Wei Zhendong was furious: “Pathetic! Have you lost your mind over some romance? Don’t you know to stay away from that kind of criminal? How dare you cause trouble for me—it never ends! Wei Qingyue, if I don’t teach you a lesson today, you’ll never wake up!”

Wei Zhendong kicked the door open, rolling up his shirt sleeves as he walked. He retrieved his horsewhip and lashed it straight at Wei Qingyue’s head and face.

Wei Qingyue didn’t dodge. He stood rigidly, letting Wei Zhendong strike him. Seeing his son’s stubborn, unyielding expression only fueled Wei Zhendong’s anger, and his blows grew heavier. With each lash, Wei Qingyue’s body trembled, but he gritted his teeth and made no sound.

“You dare provoke someone like Wang Yong—a criminal with a record, an antisocial element? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Want to play the romantic hero, is that it? I’ll whip you to death today.” Wei Zhendong’s veins bulged. The whip seemed insufficient to vent his rage, so he threw it aside and began kicking. It was always like this—the more he hit, the angrier he became.

From start to finish, Wei Qingyue made no sound, his face drenched in sweat.

Wei Zhendong had to admit the kid had guts—no matter how much it hurt, he wouldn’t make a sound.

Exhausted, Wei Zhendong gasped for breath, pointing at Wei Qingyue’s nose. “Don’t cause any more trouble for me. I don’t have time to clean up your messes all day long. Do you hear me?”

Wei Qingyue’s eyes were red from holding back, his lips trembling. “Please, Dad, help me just this once.”

“If that Wang Yong really is a drug addict, you should stay even farther away from him. Addicts are insane—they’d even kill their own parents or children. What exactly are you trying to do? Who do you think you are? What the hell does this have to do with you? Wei Qingyue, the world doesn’t revolve around you. Get back to school and study! If I find out you dare do this again, I’m telling you—I won’t let you go abroad. I’ll just beat you to death!”

Wei Zhendong roared the word “Get out!” over and over.

The entire villa echoed with his shouts. Wei Zhendong’s expression was twisted—even the most handsome person could look ugly in such a moment.

Wei Qingyue’s eyes were like dark, empty holes as he looked at Wei Zhendong. He couldn’t stop trembling, his body covered in whip marks, the pain intense. His temples throbbed tightly.

The villa was exquisitely beautiful. Wei Zhendong, dressed to the nines in luxury brands, designer perfumes, and expensive watches, looked like a mannequin. Wei Qingyue thought of Jiang Du’s essays, which the teacher had read aloud as exemplary works. Her Grandma was always stir-frying watermelon paste or drying radishes. Her Grandpa loved his afternoon naps. Summer sunlight filtered through the bamboo blinds. When friends came looking for her, she would think about sneaking out while whispering, “Keep your voice down—don’t wake my Grandpa.” And how Grandpa would catch a group of kids trying to slip out like thieves, luring them with money as a joke—come give him a back rub, and he’d reward each of them with money for an ice cream. That was Grandpa’s way of keeping them from being scorched by the harsh midday sun, delaying their escape.The teacher said he truly liked Jiang Du's essays, but many people didn't think much of them—too ordinary, not ornate, lacking technique. The teacher said that at their age, they were always full of themselves and didn't yet understand what it meant to have simple language with deep emotion.

Jiang Du was far enough away from him, Wei Qingyue thought sadly. If only he could live with her, in the home of an elderly person who knew how to make watermelon paste. He never ate watermelon paste, but he needed it.

That day, he went to the hospital alone, looking utterly dejected, to see a doctor. He got some ointment and put his long sleeves back on.

Before they knew it, June arrived, and the tension among the senior high school students reached its peak.

The class group for the humanities stream was quiet, but the old group—the original Class Two—was particularly lively. Many people popped up saying they wanted to celebrate Children's Day, claiming they were still little kids. Below, a string of shameless replies followed, accompanied by various memes.

Lin Haiyang was the most exuberant of them all. He had been active in the group for a long time. When no one else was talking, he stared blankly at the grayed-out avatar of "Zhuo Dao Ke" in his friends list.

Jiang Du received a message from Lin Haiyang just as she was about to return to school.

Hey, happy Children's Day.

Jiang Du replied: Same to you.

Unexpectedly, Lin Haiyang responded instantly, asking her: Is it convenient for me to call you? Do you have a landline at home?

It seemed he assumed her home only had elderly people and should still be equipped with a landline.

Jiang Du thought for a moment and replied: I'm going back to school now.

Really? That's great.

Lin Haiyang sent her a series of welcoming emojis.

The day she returned to school was Monday, the fourth. The reason for choosing this day was that starting from then, senior high school students would no longer have classes, and only the first and second-year students would attend for that one day. In the afternoon, after school, their classrooms would be set up as examination halls for the college entrance exams.

In the morning, Grandma made soy milk and bought steamed buns, watching Jiang Du eat. Across the way, Grandma Weng gave her a vintage brooch, saying it would look nice pinned to her school uniform. Everyone in the neighborhood, both upstairs and downstairs, had heard about what happened to her and had come to visit. However, they only stood briefly at the door, speaking in very low voices as if deliberately trying to hide it from her. Jiang Du pretended not to see or hear anything.

"Sweetie, if anyone says anything inappropriate to your face at school, don't be afraid. Tell the teacher, and don't keep it bottled up inside," Grandma reminded her cautiously, watching her expression as she helped pin the brooch on.

Jiang Du had even bought a new hairband and scrubbed her sneakers until they were snow-white.

She nodded, picked up a bag of study materials and test papers, waved goodbye to Grandma, and went with Grandpa to catch the bus.

What she didn't know was that not long after she left, Wang Jingjing's mother arrived to keep Grandma company in the house.

"I've been meaning to visit for a while, but I was afraid Jiang Du might feel embarrassed, so I didn't dare come. Now that you mentioned she's going back to school today, I finally felt comfortable coming over," said Wang Jingjing's mother, Li Suhua, who brought a lot of nutritional supplements and placed them on the coffee table.

Grandma poured her water and cut some watermelon, saying, "It's so hot out, and you went to all this trouble."

"It's no trouble at all," Li Suhua replied. She didn't know that Wang Jingjing and Jiang Du had grown distant, only that they were no longer in the same class and didn't interact as much as before. After hearing about what happened, she had told Wang Jingjing not to ask Jiang Du anything rashly. Wang Jingjing had reacted strangely at the time, saying she understood before retreating to her room and not coming out."You see, we don't dare ask exactly what happened. Society is chaotic these days, all sorts of people out there. It must have scared Jiang Du terribly. You need to talk to her, guide her, so she doesn’t take it to heart. She should just carry on as usual, focus on studying and getting into university—that’s what matters." Li Suhua spoke while sighing, the kind of sigh women share when they don’t know what else to say, just keeping someone company in their sorrow.

Grandma wiped her eyes and said, "That poor child Jiang Du. She’s grown up so well, and we old folks have never let her suffer the slightest grievance. I’ve been thinking about transferring her to another school, but she doesn’t want to. So I thought, let her go back to school first and see. If there aren’t any rumors or gossip, and she can still manage to attend, then she’ll stay. If not, we’ll have to transfer her after all."

Li Suhua slapped her thigh, her brows furrowed in anger. "Transfer? That man deserves to be locked up! For no reason at all, he beat up our child. Let me tell you, don’t be afraid of trouble. Sue him! Make him pay and go to jail. Why should our child transfer? Is there no justice anymore? That bastard! You don’t know how heartbroken I was when I heard about this. That scoundrel—he should rot in jail!"

Grandma’s tears flowed freely. She didn’t speak, her heart full of bitterness with nowhere to pour it out. In the midst of her old friend’s righteous indignation, she just kept crying.

One grade level was missing at school, leaving many classrooms empty. When Jiang Du reached the school gate, Grandpa stood still. She said, "Grandpa, you can go back." Grandpa replied, "It’s fine, I’ll watch you go in."

The security guards recognized Jiang Du. At the school gate, students passed by from time to time. Jiang Du felt as if the whole world was watching her, their gazes prickling her back like thorns.

No, not that many people would know me, she thought, pinching her palm as she walked into the campus.

She glanced back. Grandpa, dressed neatly, was still standing there. Jiang Du’s nose stung, and she turned away, quickening her pace toward the teaching building.

Along the way, since morning self-study wasn’t over yet, most students were still in their classrooms reading. The campus was nearly empty.

When she entered the classroom, the homeroom teacher was there. The moment everyone saw her, the reading sounds abruptly stopped but soon resumed as usual.

"Back, Jiang Du?" The homeroom teacher smiled and pointed to her seat. "Go ahead and start reading."

Zhu Yulong watched her approach with her head down and said calmly, "I wiped the desk and chair for you."

"Thank you." Jiang Du hadn’t expected Zhu Yulong, who usually seemed distant, to be so kind. She didn’t dare meet his eyes and quickly pulled out her English book, flipping through it.

Zhu Yulong reached over and turned a few pages for her. "We’re up to here. You can copy my notes."

"Thank you." Jiang Du gave him a grateful glance, brief and hurried, before burying her head in her English book.

That entire morning, Jiang Du never left her seat. She was either copying notes or reviewing handouts. Aside from Zhu Yulong, the class monitor came over to ask if she needed any help. The other students acted as usual, with nothing out of the ordinary. Jiang Du had never been much of a talker anyway.

When school let out at noon, everyone had left. Jiang Du was the last to go.

She hesitated about how to get to the cafeteria. Before leaving, Zhu Yulong had asked if she wanted him to bring her lunch, but she refused. The first day back was hard—taking that first step was difficult, but once she did, it would get easier. She couldn’t hide like an ostrich.

Just as she stood up, a figure flashed by the doorway. Jiang Du flinched.

It was Wang Jingjing.

Wang Jingjing’s ponytail was tied high. She had gotten her hair done over the weekend, straightened until it looked sleek and smooth, making her appear full of energy."Jiang Du, you're still here? Um, want to go to the cafeteria together?" The girl spoke somewhat awkwardly. For the first time, Jiang Du found her restrained demeanor unfamiliar.

"Sure." Jiang Du smiled. As she walked out, Wang Jingjing kept glancing at her with a look that seemed to want to examine her but couldn't quite do so openly.

"The cafeteria opened a new stall selling something like Shanxi-style fried flatbread. Tried it once, wasn't great," Wang Jingjing tried to grumble as usual. "Do you want fried chicken? I'm craving fried chicken."

"Thank you," Jiang Du suddenly said softly.

Wang Jingjing laughed dryly twice. "What's with you? Are you crazy? Why are you saying thank you?"

Jiang Du pursed her lips.

As they walked, many eyes turned toward them. Jiang Du felt as if lead had been poured into her intestines, making it hard to move. She tried her best to appear calm, asking Wang Jingjing trivial, unimportant questions.

"Is science difficult?"

"Are you adjusting well? You won't switch back to liberal arts, right?"

"Did you straighten your hair?"

The cafeteria was even more crowded, a sea of dark heads.

The two lined up at the fried chicken stall. After buying their food, they realized everywhere was packed, with only scattered empty seats, none of them together.

"Maybe we should check the second floor for seats?" Wang Jingjing suggested.

Jiang Du agreed. As she turned, her tray bumped into someone. The person instinctively dodged, and upon seeing it was Jiang Du, curled her lip. "This outfit is ruined."

"I'm so sorry..." Jiang Du realized it was Chen Huiming. Her face flushed bright red. "I didn't mean to. Did I get it on you? I have tissues."

As she spoke, she freed one hand and reached into her short-sleeved shirt pocket for tissues.

"Don't bother. I'll take this off and throw it away when I get back. So unlucky, so dirty," Chen Huiming said irritably.

Jiang Du immediately understood the meaning behind her words and stiffly lowered her hand.

Wang Jingjing watched from the side without speaking.

Jiang Du wished she could disappear on the spot, ashamed. She mumbled for a while, feeling that nothing she said would make a difference.

"It's not like it's the first time I've thrown something away anyway," Chen Huiming stared at Jiang Du. "Don't you know how perverted and disgusting your dad is? He's just waiting to harass girls every day. I already told my dad, and he said if this happens again, he'll beat him up every time he sees him." She turned to complain to her friends who had come to eat with her. "Seriously, wasn't it rumored she was transferring? Why is she still here? Doesn't she know everyone's annoyed? We're all on edge, guarding against perverts."

The girls wore expressions of deep secrecy, pulling Chen Huiming away, signaling for her to keep her distance from Jiang Du.

"Some women are just cheap. Getting raped and then giving birth to a rapist's child—how shameless can you be?" Chen Huiming sneered, glancing back with a drawn-out tone. "So unlucky."

Jiang Du's hand trembled, and the tray fell to the ground, spilling rice and dishes everywhere.

Many people looked over. Chen Huiming jumped back, moving even farther away, and shouted at Jiang Du, "Jiang Du, are you crazy?"

"Let's go," Wang Jingjing tugged at Jiang Du's arm. "Don't eat anymore."

"Wang Jingjing, you're still hanging out with her?" Chen Huiming didn't finish her sentence, glancing meaningfully at Wang Jingjing.

More and more people gathered, forming a circle as if watching a spectacle.

For a moment, Jiang Du felt surrounded by voices—panic, helplessness, and her frail body locked in a relentless battle. She stared blankly at the gazes directed at her, wanting to make a sound, but it stuck in her throat like a wad of cotton."Jiang Du, last time your dad stood too close and got dirty stuff all over me. Every boy knows what that is. Don't look at me with that pitiful expression like you're wronged. My dad hasn't come after your family for compensation yet—that's already being polite enough." Chen Huiming continued righteously, "I won't make a big deal out of it, so don't you play the victim."

"Are you done?" A cold voice came from the crowd.

Wei Qingyue directly reached out and pushed aside the girl blocking his view. The moment he appeared, the crowd reacted almost miraculously—like Moses parting the Red Sea in the Bible—immediately clearing a path.

From the tail of his eyebrow down to his cheek, the boy had a long, prominent scar.

Everyone was wearing summer uniforms; only he still wore long sleeves.

"If you're done, then shut up and get lost. If there's a next time," Wei Qingyue's gaze swept over the girls beside Chen Huiming—he didn't recognize any of them, but they all knew him. He said expressionlessly, "I'll hit girls without hesitation. If any of you dare to buzz around Jiang Du like flies again, I'll slap each and every one of you."

The girls stared at Wei Qingyue in utter shock.

In the crowd, everyone else also looked at him with complicated expressions. Wei Qingyue impatiently scanned the circle, his eyebrows raised high:

"What are you looking at? That day, didn't you all just stand there watching your classmate nearly get beaten to death by that bastard without moving a muscle? Haven't you seen enough?"

"Let's go, Chen Huiming. Jiang Du has her boyfriend backing her up now—how can we compare?" Chen Huiming's deskmate tugged her arm, glancing at Jiang Du's pale face with complete disgust.

Wei Qingyue frowned at the girl who spoke and said, "Watch your mouth. Jiang Du from the Humanities and Science class has a completely clean relationship with me. I don't like people spreading rumors about me. If you dare do it again, I'll twist your mouth until it's ruined."

This time, the onlookers were utterly dumbfounded.