Chapter 121: The one who saved you was not him at all!

Jiang Yunzhou pressed her lips together, a hint of confusion flickering in her eyes. She clearly did not quite understand what everyone meant by the person who had “saved her.”

In truth, so many things had happened to Jiang Yunzhou over the years that she had nearly forgotten the most painful period of her student days.

Yes, despite once being the proud little girl doted on by her uncle, she had also suffered from school bullying.

At one time, Jiang Yunzhou had believed that the person who saved her from danger was her uncle, Shen Ruizhang—the radiant presence who could light up all darkness as soon as he appeared.

But now, it seemed there was more to the story.

Was there something she didn’t know?

Shen Ruizhang furrowed his brow slightly and instinctively grasped Jiang Yunzhou’s hand, though a chill crept to his fingertips.

He knew deep down that some things were bound to be revealed.

Jiang Yunzhou bit her lip, restraining the urge to pull her hand away. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Xu Yao, who had just spoken.

“What did you mean just now? The person who saved me back then?”

Xu Yao was straightforward by nature and hadn’t noticed the shift in atmosphere. He even assumed Jiang Yunzhou had simply forgotten the scandalous event from those years ago.

“Forgot?” he said, with a touch of exaggeration, before unveiling the long-buried past.

“Back then, wasn’t the school heartthrob always crazy about you? I remember he kept finding excuses to bother you, and even confessed to you right out on the playground. But you, Zhouzhou, your heart was completely set on our Mr. Shen, so you wouldn’t look at him twice.”

Jiang Yunzhou listened quietly, lips pressed tightly together, saying nothing.

A barely noticeable shadow crossed her downcast eyes, an indescribable bitterness swelling within her.

Was the love she had back then truly right?

Or was it merely obsession?

Even she couldn’t say for sure.

“You rejected the heartthrob in front of so many people, which made him hold a grudge and later take revenge on you,” Xu Yao continued, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “What was that girl’s name again?”

“You mean Qian Mengmeng?” the class monitor suddenly chimed in, offering a reminder.

Xu Yao nodded in realization. “Right, Qian Mengmeng. She’d always liked the heartthrob and chased after him, but he only had eyes for you. So Qian Mengmeng blamed you for the heartthrob ignoring her.”

---

“If I remember correctly, wasn’t she always trying to target you in various ways during that time?”

Jiang Yunzhou nodded faintly but remained silent.

How could she ever forget Qian Mengmeng?

If not for her, she wouldn’t have come so close to losing her innocence that year. That traumatic experience left a psychological scar, making her afraid to sleep alone at night for a long time, forcing her to keep the lights on just to fall asleep.

Lost in her thoughts, Jiang Yunzhou noticed her uncle beside her instinctively squeezing her hand. Her body stiffened slightly, and she looked up at Shen Ruizhang, puzzled.

She keenly sensed a trace of nervousness in his eyes.

And a faint hint of guilt?

What was he afraid of?

Shen Ruizhang seemed on the verge of speaking, but Xu Yao, oblivious to the glance, continued talking.

“That year, Qian Mengmeng was jealous of you. I remember one night, you were on duty, right? You and I were in the same group, but I had something at home, so I left right after sweeping. You were the last to leave?”

“Yes,” Jiang Yunzhou replied softly. “That day after school, I wasn’t in a hurry to go home, so by the time I left the school gate, it was already dark.”

She sighed lightly, a hint of melancholy in her voice.

“I just wanted to be lazy and took a shortcut through a small alley. Normally, I’d be able to see the driver waiting at home after passing through, but that night, something happened in that alley...”

Every time she recalled that night—

Jiang Yunzhou had entered the alley and noticed a few ruffians with dyed yellow hair nearby. They were smoking, their leering eyes fixed on her.

Sensing danger, she tried to back away, but when she turned, more men blocked her path.

She was trapped, caught between them at the alley’s mouth.

The ruffians spat smoke in her face, grabbed her cheeks, warning her that offending Qian Mengmeng would end like this.

They tried to rip her clothes off, and someone even attempted to film it.

In a panic, Jiang Yunzhou dialed her uncle’s number.

At that moment, her uncle was her only salvation—if only he would come.

---

Then, she was suddenly shoved aside, her head hitting the wall, and she lost consciousness.

When she woke, Jiang Yunzhou found herself in a hospital room.

Her uncle was there by her side, worry etched on his face.

During her hospitalization, she heard that the ruffians were arrested, and even Qian Mengmeng was expelled from school after evidence was found against her, and was sent straight to the police station.

Her uncle stayed with her for two days, soothing her heart little by little.

This solidified Jiang Yunzhou’s determination to stay by his side, for a lifetime.

“Zhouzhou, when Shen Tingxiao came to visit you in the hospital, he personally took the evidence to the principal’s office and exposed Qian Mengmeng. I saw it with my own eyes. It was so impressive!” Xu Yao exclaimed.

His words jolted Jiang Yunzhou awake. She frowned deeply, staring incredulously at him, her mind spinning.

So, the one who saved her back then wasn’t Shen Ruizhang, but Shen Tingxiao?

The classmates continued to chatter excitedly, the atmosphere lively. The class monitor skillfully shifted the topic, preventing Xu Yao from continuing.

Jiang Yunzhou remained silent, turning her gaze toward Shen Ruizhang.

Now she seemed to understand why her uncle had just been so flustered and guilty.

Because the truth wasn’t what she had thought.

The room buzzed with lively conversation, but between Jiang Yunzhou and Shen Ruizhang, there was only silence.

Suddenly, she spoke, her voice low and meant only for him.

“So, what were you doing at that time, Uncle?”

Shen Ruizhang frowned slightly. He knew he could no longer keep the secret. He decided it was best to tell the truth; otherwise, knowing Jiang Yunzhou’s character, she would investigate on her own.

If she found out on her own, it would be even worse.

He lowered his gaze and spoke softly.

“At that time, I was on my way to the airport to meet... Zhou Qingfei. She and you called at the same time. I thought you were just a child throwing a tantrum wanting me, so I hung up on you and answered her call first.”