Chapter 1086: One Must Learn to Save Themselves
He had been planning to wait until he grew up before he looked for Maritian Tautou to seek revenge. However, Maritian Tautou died, so Xiao Yuan turned his hatred onto her son… Zhou Yuchen.
Before Maritian Tautou pa.s.sed away, she made the necessary arrangements for Zhou Yuchen. She was worried that her young child wouldn’t be able to safeguard the a.s.sets she left behind and was troubled before her death. Eventually, she decided to set up a testamentary trust for her a.s.sets…
Other than being able to get his living fees monthly, Zhou Yuchen would also be able to get a sum of money every year on his birthday to buy something that he liked.
There was also money set aside for every festive occasion in order to a.s.sure Zhou Yuchen’s standard of living.
Maritian Tautou had initially planned on taking Zhou Yuchen back to France, but her parents had already pa.s.sed away, and her relations.h.i.+p with her younger sister wasn’t good. She was afraid to leave Zhou Yuchen to her sister. Her sister would think of different ways to get her hands on Maritian Tautou’s a.s.sets and mistreat her son. Therefore, Maritian Tautou left Zhou Yuchen to… the kindhearted nanny who had been taking care of them.
The nanny had lost her husband in her younger days, and then her son when she was middle-aged. She was all by herself in the world.
Therefore, when Maritian Tautou entrusted Zhou Yuchen to the nanny, the nanny felt agitated and also felt sorry for Zhou Yuchen at the same time. She agreed without a second thought. She said to Maritian Tautou that… if Zhou Yuchen was around… the two of them would have each other to rely on in this world.
Maritian Tautou had only one request of the nanny—to do her best to take care of Zhou Yuchen. All their necessary expenses would be taken care of by Maritian Tautou.
Maritian Tautou was a famous person, and when news of her death spread out, Xiao Qinghai found Zhou Yuchen immediately. He wanted to bring his son back to the Xiao family. However, he was given a fright when he saw Zhou Yuchen’s eyes.
Zhou Yuchen had always been hidden by Maritian Tautou, so he was more cowardly. He was unwilling to leave his nanny, who was the only person he could trust, and he was also unwilling to return to the Xiao family with Xiao Qinghai.
Xiao Qinghai felt that if he were to take Zhou Yuchen back, Old Madam Xiao would probably not be able to accept his eyes either. Eventually, this matter was left at that.
…
Yun Liuli pulled Zhou Yuchen downstairs, then let go of his hand, saying, “Everyone bullies the weak and fears the strong! The more you keep quiet and withstand all the bullying, the more you will get beaten up! One must learn to save themselves!”
Yun Liuli told Zhou Yuchen the exact same words that Gu Qingcheng had told her in the past.
She stood before Zhou Yuchen, carrying her book with one hand as she took the water bottle she had clamped under her arm with the other. “I’m the same as you, not good at getting along with other people. When I was in middle school, I was also isolated! Someone told me that if I didn’t stand up for myself, then other people would bully me even more! He told me that… you can’t fight against everyone, but you can grab onto one of them and beat them up with all you have. This is how things are for everyone… When you’re harsh, they’ll cower! Don’t be bullied like this again in the future!”
Zhou Yuchen pursed his lips tightly, not saying anything.
Other than the fact that he never retaliated, another reason he was always bullied was that he had an inferiority complex. He felt inferior because of his eyes.
Yun Liuli couldn’t see Zhou Yuchen’s eyes, nor could she see his expression. She could only see coldness and aloofness from the delicate outline of his chin.
Yun Liuli was very familiar with such an expression. It was the same expression she had worn in the past.
Since she had brought trouble for Zhou Yuchen, Yun Liuli wasn’t planning on sitting next to him anymore. From tomorrow onward, she would sit somewhere else. She hoped that Zhou Yuchen would be able to listen to her words.
Zhou Yuchen looked at Yun Liuli’s departing slender back with his eyes that were hidden under his fringe. His tightly clenched fingers showed signs of loosening up.
Zhou Yuchen was unlike the other people in school. He didn’t like Yun Liuli…
It might be… because Zhou Yuchen had sensed a hint of similarity coming from Yun Liuli.
This feeling became especially obvious after Yun Liuli told him that she had also been isolated in the past.
Neither of them was good at socializing with other people. They were easy targets to be isolated and bullied.
Zhou Yuchen had never cared about other people’s isolation.
In the past, Yun Liuli never cared about it either.
Yun Liuli only started to care because of Gu Qingcheng’s birthday wish.
And Zhou Yuchen also started to pay some attention to it because of someone’s appearance. He was concerned about whether she would care that he was bullied, looking down on him.
That person was Yun Liuli’s roommate, Du Yingzi.
During the first week of school, Zhou Yuchen had bought a bunch of books from the bookstore opposite school. When he came out, he was knocked over by a middle school student riding a bicycle, and his books dropped onto the ground.
Du Yingzi and the other two ladies from her hostel came out of a milk tea store and helped him pick up his books. In the next moment, when he raised his head, his eyes—one being emerald and one being amber—were revealed to Du Yingzi when the wind blew his fringe to the side.
Du Yingzi’s delicate and pretty face was slightly stunned.
Zhou Yuchen quickly lowered his head to tidy his fringe, then wore his sweater’s hoodie, pressing his hair down. He anxiously grabbed the books from Du Yingzi’s hand, wanting to leave, when he heard her say, “Your eyes are very beautiful!”
That was the first time in many years that someone said that his eyes were very beautiful…
After that, Zhou Yuchen started to take note of Du Yingzi. He naturally also noticed Yun Liuli, who stayed in the same hostel as Du Yingzi.
When Zhou Yuchen first saw Yun Liuli, he realized that she was the same kind of person he was. Therefore, he didn’t like her. This was because he subconsciously detested himself.
Zhou Yuchen quietly paid attention to Du Yingzi. He knew that she was lively by nature, and many people liked her. Although Du Yingzi didn’t stand out that much when standing beside an astonis.h.i.+ng beauty like Yun Liuli, everyone liked her easygoing character.
In the beginning, Du Yingzi would greet Zhou Yuchen when she saw him. Later on… people started to isolate Zhou Yuchen, and Du Yingzi followed suit.
At a later time, Zhou Yuchen overheard Du Yingzi telling other people behind his back that his eyes were terrifying. He felt distraught. He thought that he might really be a monster like others said. Otherwise, why would the colors of his eyes be different?
After Du Yingzi’s case, it became even harder for Zhou Yuchen to open up to others. This was even though Du Yingzi hadn’t really done anything, not even having the thought of making friends with Zhou Yuchen.
Zhou Yuchen stood by the stairs for a while, his mind filled with what Yun Liuli said, that one must learn to save themselves.
Zhou Yuchen closed his eyes and told himself… to not feel touched over what someone else said again. It was just something that the other person had casually said, and he shouldn’t think too much into it.
He hugged his books before his chest and headed toward the school gates.
Zhou Yuchen took a seat in the third row from the back in cla.s.s the next day. The seats around him continued to be vacant.