After dealing with He Li, Su Cui rushed back to school as fast as she could.
To follow He Li after school, Su Cui had made an excuse about a meeting for the cleaning staff and called Su Baixue to have dinner at the school cafeteria first, and also to pack a portion for her, waiting for her there.
When Su Cui returned to school, the cafeteria lights were half off. Under the bright light, Su Baixue was sitting seriously on a cafeteria chair doing homework. Su Cui felt relieved.
She called Su Baixue, who answered quickly.
"Baixue, Grandma is done with work. I'm waiting at the school gate. Come quickly."
"Grandma... won't you come to the cafeteria to eat first? You can go home after eating."
"No need. Come out quickly."
"...Okay."
On the way home, Su Baixue said dejectedly, "Grandma, why does the school need you to have extra meetings? Can't you quit this job? You're getting older..."
"Here you go again. Don't say that. I know you care about Grandma, but meetings are the easiest thing. I just sit there; it's not tiring." Su Cui smiled and sat with Su Baixue on a bench near the bus stop. The bus they needed came every half hour, and one had just left. Su Cui wasn't in a hurry. She took the lunchbox Su Baixue was holding and ate happily. "Just a bit hungry, haha. Give the lunchbox to Grandma..."
The traffic was endless, headlights flickering as cars whizzed by. Su Baixue thought about how her grandmother, to avoid embarrassing her by revealing she was a cleaner, would rather eat at the bus stop than in the cafeteria. As she thought, tears fell.
She didn't cry out loud. She just watched the flowing traffic, tears silently streaming down in drops.
Su Cui had taken a couple of bites and was enjoying her meal. She turned to see her granddaughter crying silently. The sight was heartbreaking, and she was momentarily stunned. She quickly put down the lunchbox. "Why are you crying again? There, there. What's wrong?"
"Grandma, I'll definitely make a lot of money for you in the future," Su Baixue said glumly.
Su Cui understood as soon as she heard that. She deliberately pretended to be unhappy. "I was eating so happily, and then you suddenly cry. Now I'm so worried I can't eat."
"Grandma... you're happy?" Su Baixue was confused, asking timidly.
"Of course! Grandma did a good deed today and felt really happy inside. The food you packed is exactly what I like. I couldn't even wait to get home. If I waited until we got home, the food would be cold and I'd have to reheat it, so I'm eating it while waiting for the bus." Su Cui took out a tissue to wipe Su Baixue's face. "Don't feel wronged for Grandma. I'm happy. Eating is the same no matter where you do it. As long as the person eating is happy, that's what matters."
"Child, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Your youth is only a few years... Enjoy it. Be happy."
After saying that, Su Cui picked up a piece of stir-fried pork belly and fed it to Su Baixue. "Ah~ open wide."
Su Baixue opened her mouth and ate the meat.
"Good girl." Su Cui praised her. "My granddaughter's tears are like a fairy's. They're actually quite pretty!"
Hearing this, Su Baixue laughed through her tears.
The buildings near the bus stop lit up with colorful neon lights. The rainbow-like glow reflected in the girl's almond eyes. Her long eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes seemed to hold little stars.
...
The day after He Li's incident, everything was calm.
The third day, rumors started spreading on campus. Su Cui saw many people coming and going from the principal's office. He Li's homeroom teacher from the second-year science experimental class was also called to the principal's office several times.
Neither the hooligans nor He Li came to school for two days.
On the fourth day, the news was leaked to the media. A major scandal for City A's top high school: the top student in the grade was beaten up by some school hooligans and hospitalized. The police came to the school and took the hooligans away for questioning.
Su Cui thought that the hooligans' families must be quite influential to have suppressed it for so long.
Someone should come to question her soon.
Sure enough, early on the fifth day, Wang Miao took her to an empty classroom, closed the door, and asked questions. There was also a strange middle-aged man in the room who looked a bit familiar, but Su Cui couldn't remember clearly. He was probably some school official.
"Su Cuihua, a while ago, did you place a bucket of sewage water on the second floor of the old teaching building in the west campus, and a student deliberately knocked it over, splashing several male students?" Wang Miao asked.
Su Cui thought for a moment and nodded. "I vaguely remember something like that."
"The old teaching building has never had surveillance cameras. Did you see the student who deliberately spilled the water?"
"No." Su Cui shook her head. "I only vaguely remember that classmate. He had a tall back and seemed to wear glasses."
"What do you mean 'vaguely remember'? Didn't you see clearly?" Wang Miao said angrily.
"Supervisor, my eyesight is failing. That student who spilled the water ran off quickly, so I didn't see clearly," Su Cui replied timidly.
Wang Miao glanced at the leader beside her and asked again, "Do you know He Li from the second-year experimental class?"
Su Cui shook her head.
"You really don't know him?" Wang Miao took out a student ID photo of He Li and showed it to Su Cui. "This is the person in the photo."
Su Cui's eyes lit up with recognition. "Ah! So it's him!"
Wang Miao quickly asked, "What, you recognize him? Was it He Li who spilled the water?"
Su Cui waved her hand in shock. "No, no. This classmate He is a good student. Why would he spill water on anyone? I remember him because he helped me carry a water bucket to the flowerbed during a break."
Wang Miao and the male leader hadn't expected that answer. But they had also heard about He Li. Good students always had an advantage in their minds. Hearing Su Cui say this aligned with their own thoughts.
"Supervisor, did something happen to He Li?"
Wang Miao said impatiently, "Just confirm whether he was the one who deliberately splashed water with your bucket. Some students reported that He Li intentionally splashed sewage on them."
"That definitely wasn't him." Su Cui said firmly. "I didn't see clearly who splashed the water that day, but I believe that young man is a good student. He's kind-hearted and handsome. He wouldn't do something like that! That day he helped me carry the bucket to the flowerbed, and many classmates saw it. They can testify!"
Wang Miao looked at the leader. The leader nodded, so she said, "Alright, you can go back now."
Su Cui looked a bit flustered as she stood up. "I'll go back then. Call me if you need me."
She gently closed the door.