11 Help

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Chen Ran glanced at Sun Ze. This was a narrow path with hardly anyone around. Even the few passing classmates kept their distance, avoiding them altogether. Neither teachers nor school administrators were nearby; the closest school staff member was at least a hundred meters away. The path was surrounded by farmland and high walls, which enclosed the school grounds.

Behind Sun Ze stood several men holding iron rods. They didn’t look like students but more like local thugs.

“Chen Ran, your dad’s a cop, so I don’t dare mess with you. But you? You’re an orphan without a father. Who knows what your mom’s up to, having fun with someone else? Nobody’s got your back now!” Sun Ze’s tone was flippant, his smug expression making him seem insufferably irritating.

Chen Ran’s face remained cold as he said, “What, you think bullying me is fun?”

“Oh, tough guy, huh?” Sun Ze’s face twisted into a vicious sneer. “Listen, Chen Ran, you fatherless kid, your mom’s probably running off with another man. You’re truly unwanted.”

Laughter erupted from the men behind him. Chen Ran clenched his fists tightly, the words cutting deep. Gritting his teeth, he retorted, “Sun Ze, you trash. You’re only ever going to end up like your dad—serving time.”

“My dad’s a martyr! What about yours? A convict!” Chen Ran’s voice dripped with scorn. He knew exactly where to hit. Reckless youth hate hearing these truths. “Your mom ran off because your dad’s nothing but a lowlife. She abandoned you, your dad spends his days locked up at the station, and you—you’re just an orphan. Didn’t you know?”

Chen Ran’s voice was low, but to Sun Ze, it was unbearable. His body trembled violently as he snatched the iron rod from one of his men.

“Well, this is lively,” Wang Weidong sauntered up from behind Chen Ran, casting a disdainful glance at Sun Ze. He sneered, “Is that all you’ve got, Sun Ze?”

“Wang Weidong, stay out of my business or else—”

“Or else what?” Wang Weidong shoved his hands into his pockets, still wearing that careless, cocky expression. “You gonna hit me?”

“Oh, I’m soooo scared!” Wang Weidong mocked him. “Scram.”

“You…”

“What you gonna do?” Wang Weidong stared at Sun Ze. “Or do you want to go to the station and keep your dad company? Yeah, I’m a convict. So what if my son’s one too?”

Chen Ran sneered beside him. “A family that locks up together, stays together.”

Wang Weidong was no pushover. He was physically strong, and Sun Ze knew his father was a cop too. It was unexpected that Wang would step in for Chen Ran at a moment like this. Sun Ze wasn’t fearless; he was terrified of the police, having witnessed his father’s arrests many times. The memory was too traumatic.

Moreover, Wang’s father was a detective—far more formidable than Chen Ran’s late father.

The thugs around Wang Weidong visibly shuddered upon hearing his father was a cop. Their fear was palpable—an instinctive wariness of law enforcement. As the lowest rung of society’s outcasts, they knew better than to provoke a policeman’s son. Wang Weidong’s gaze fixed sharply on them. “Get lost!”

Sun Ze looked at Wang Weidong, then at Chen Ran, seemingly weighing his options. The thugs quickly turned and fled.

Wang Weidong said flatly, “Don’t bother Chen Ran if it’s nothing serious. If you’ve got a problem, take it up with me. I’ll handle it.”

Sun Ze’s face flushed crimson with embarrassment. He felt humiliated—his hired thugs scared off before they even started.

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He spat out a harsh warning, “Wang Weidong, don’t get cocky,” then turned and fled.

Wang Weidong walked past Chen Ran. “Let’s go—what are you standing there for?”

“Thanks,” Chen Ran said quietly.

Wang Weidong didn’t look back. “I was just passing by.”

Chen Ran wondered if Wang knew something. He didn’t ask further. The two walked into the courtyard, one ahead of the other.

When Chen Ran reached the stairwell, Wang Weidong stopped. “Chen Ran.”

“Huh?” Chen Ran turned, blinking. “What is it, Wang Weidong?”

“Nothing,” Wang shook his head. “If that guy Sun Ze ever bothers you again, just tell me.” Seeing Wang’s serious expression, Chen Ran was momentarily stunned.

Wang Weidong stood not far away, waving his hand. “Well? What’s up?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Chen Ran said, puzzled. They weren’t close. Even though they lived in the same courtyard, they had little interaction. Chen Ran could count on one hand the number of times he’d seen Wang Weidong since childhood. He didn’t understand why Wang suddenly wanted to help him.

Wang glanced at Chen Ran but said no more. “Anyway, if Sun Ze bullies you, tell me. I’ll beat him up for you.”

“I can’t stand people like Sun Ze.”

“Thanks.” Chen Ran thanked Wang Weidong, then turned and headed up the stairs.

Wang Weidong casually slung his backpack over one shoulder, continuing on.

Back home, Chen Ran thought it over. It seemed he really had no ties with Wang Weidong. He only knew Wang had gone to police academy after middle school and then became a policeman. Beyond that, he was unsure.

In fact, in the previous life, their contact barely extended beyond being middle school classmates. For three years, they never spoke.

After middle school, Wang Weidong was sent by his father to police academy, while Chen Ran continued high school.

In both this life and the last, this was probably the closest they’d ever been.

Did Wang Weidong dislike Sun Ze? Chen Ran thought it was quite possible. Wang and Sun were fundamentally different. Sun Ze was purely bad, while Wang seemed carefree and rough around the edges but was essentially a good person. At least in the previous life, Chen Ran had heard Wang did well as a policeman. Wang probably had a strong sense of justice and couldn’t stand the innate wickedness that radiated from Sun Ze.

“Xiao Ran, you’re home?”

“Mom.” Chen Ran set down his backpack and whispered to his mother, “I bought five books today and spent exactly ten yuan.”

He took his textbooks out of his bag and placed them on the table—from second semester of first year’s math to second semester of third year’s math—lined up neatly on the coffee table.

Luo Mingxiu glanced at the books. They looked new, not like secondhand bookstore purchases.

“Textbooks that cheap?” she asked, puzzled.

Chen Ran shook his head gently. “I bought them at the secondhand bookstore near school. Two yuan each. Probably from older students who didn’t need them anymore.”

Luo Mingxiu put down the books and asked, “Xiao Ran, you’re only in first year. Are you self-studying because the teacher asked you to?”

“No, I just want to try studying on my own.” Chen Ran lowered his head, seeming a bit unsure.

Luo Mingxiu stroked his hair. Her warm hand conveyed comfort. “You’ll be fine, Xiao Ran.”

After tidying up, Chen Ran whispered, “Mom, I’m going to study now.”

“Go ahead.”

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The sky had darkened. The late autumn night enveloped every corner of Ningchuan City in darkness. What had once held a faint, misty light was now pitch black. Dim yellow streetlights illuminated the cold earth. Sitting at his desk, Chen Ran switched on his desk lamp. He opened his textbook and read eagerly through the geometry section of second semester, second year.

The geometry wasn’t especially difficult, but Chen Ran struggled. He had forgotten much and picking it back up gave him a headache. He pressed his forehead and rested for a moment, then resumed studying, fully immersed. Time seemed to fly.

The door opened, and Luo Mingxiu entered with a cup of warm milk. “Xiao Ran, are you cold?”

Chen Ran focused intently on his book, not answering. His eyes never left the pages, a pen in hand, working calculations on scrap paper. Seeing his serious expression, Luo Mingxiu guessed he hadn’t heard her. She placed the milk on the desk. It was nearly midnight, time to sleep or risk being late for class.

“Xiao Ran, remember to sleep later.”

She knew not to disturb him and quietly closed the door behind her.

When Chen Ran finally looked up, the milk was cold. He took a few sips, then set the empty glass down, closing his eyes to think.

Whether first semester or second semester of first year, or second semester of second year, all the material was etched word for word in his mind. He knew how to understand each problem, various transformations, and how to solve similar types. Chen Ran was remarkably clear on all this.

He closed the book and left the room. Luo Mingxiu was sitting on the sofa, knitting.

“Mom.”

She put down her knitting and quietly said, “Xiao Ran, it’s past one o’clock. You’ve got school tomorrow, so wash up and go to bed.”

“Okay!” Chen Ran breathed a sigh of relief. He felt his progress was rapid. In one afternoon and evening, he could complete two semesters’ worth of study. At this rate, he might finish all middle school knowledge in fifteen days.

After washing up, Chen Ran returned to his room to sleep.

“Mom, you should rest early too,” he said as he closed the door, lying in bed with eyes shut. His mind still churned through countless formulas, running calculations over and over.

Sleep gradually claimed him.

The next morning, Chen Ran ate breakfast at home and headed to school, full of energy.

It was as if he hadn’t stayed up past one in the morning reading. For some reason, he felt great, physically and mentally, showing no signs of fatigue.

He paid no mind to this.

At school, he eagerly opened the second semester, second-year math textbook to review.

Wang Weidong sat at his desk just as the morning study bell rang.

Chen Ran glanced at the handsome Wang and nodded, “Morning!”

“Mm.” Wang Weidong kept his usual impassive expression. Chen Ran returned his gaze to the book.