"What's wrong with you?"
Xu Mu asked in a concerned tone.
"I... I'm fine."
Lu Xueyao didn't know what to say; she was self-aware.
Why would a big shot like him care about her trivial matters?
"If you're fine, why are you crying? I'm in a good mood today, so I'm giving you a chance. If you don't need my help, then I'll leave."
Xu Mu took out his keys and pressed a button, and the Porsche 911 nearby lit up.
Lu Xueyao took a deep breath. This might be her only chance.
Otherwise, as a student, how could she pay back twenty thousand yuan?
So, she briefly explained what had just happened.
"Understood."
Xu Mu nodded, pointing at Liu Tu and saying, "For this girl's sake, I'll reimburse your drink money. You don't have to pay her back."
He knew that those yellow-haired punks probably didn't even have five hundred yuan in their pockets.
They never intended to pay back the money at all.
"Thank you, Young Master Xu." Liu Tu smiled.
"If you dare to bother her again, I won't be polite."
Xu Mu walked over to Liu Tu and put his hand on his shoulder. "I think you also understand that my casual daily expenses could make you disappear."
Hearing this, Liu Tu's face turned pale, and his legs went weak with fright, almost making him sit on the ground.
He, of course, knew that Xu Mu had this capability.
Especially since he had just called Xu Mu a sucker in front of Lu Xueyao.
If Lu Xueyao told Xu Mu, he would be finished.
"Young Master Xu, I was wrong. I'll definitely stay far away from her in the future," Liu Tu said, trembling.
"Let's go."
Xu Mu released his shoulder and went towards his sports car.
Liu Tu and his group left in a hurry, terrified.
Lu Xueyao, on the other hand, came before Xu Mu, lowering her head and saying, "Thank you, Young Master Xu."
"Get in the car."
Xu Mu opened the car door.
Lu Xueyao was a little overwhelmed; she recognized the car emblem. "Young Master Xu, I..."
"Didn't understand?"
"Okay."
Lu Xueyao nodded and sat in the car.
After Xu Mu got in, he took out wet wipes and tissues from the side. "Wipe your face; it looks terrible right now."
Hearing this, Lu Xueyao's tears streamed down again.
But she still took out a tissue and wiped away her smudged makeup.
Xu Mu drove away from there. Along the way, he looked at Lu Xueyao beside him; her smoky makeup was completely removed.
At this moment, she looked young and beautiful, appearing to be about the same age as Ye Yu, at most just having become an adult.
However, she was different from Ye Yu. Ye Yu's face had a slight baby fat and dimples, belonging to the cute type.
This woman's face was thinner and more refined. Although not old, she gave off a cold and aloof feeling.
"You look so much better now than with that smoky makeup just now."
Xu Mu glanced at Lu Xueyao and asked, "Why did you dress like that?"
Hearing this, Lu Xueyao's tears fell again. "I... I don't want to be bullied anymore."
"Bullied? What happened?"
Xu Mu asked with a frown.
Lu Xueyao told Xu Mu everything she had experienced. Halfway through, she was already sobbing uncontrollably.
Xu Mu also didn't expect her background to be so tragic.
When she was little, her father went to work and lost contact, his whereabouts unknown.
Years later, her mother remarried, and her mother gave birth to a son with her stepfather.
She seemed superfluous in the family, and even her mother treated her poorly.
Later, her mother sent her to live with her grandmother, and she had been living with her grandmother ever since.
Her grandmother was old and supported her schooling by picking up trash.
In junior high, several classmates constantly insulted her by mocking her grandmother.
She thought things would be better in high school, but she didn't expect that some of her junior high female classmates, who had dropped out early, relied on hooligans for support.
They would block her at the school gate every day and demand protection money.
It wasn't a big deal when she was little.
But now that she was an adult, she also had dignity.
She struggled for a long time and decided to make a change. She dyed her hair yellow and prepared to actively get to know hooligans outside of school.
Liu Tu today was someone she had just met.
She actually knew that following such hooligans might mean losing her innocence.
But she really couldn't stand it anymore; she didn't want to live like that.
Lu Xueyao wiped her tears with a tissue and sobbed, "I don't want to be like this either, but what can I do? I only have a grandmother who picks up trash! I'd rather not have her! I'd rather she died! That way, no one would insult me!"
Hearing this, Xu Mu immediately stepped on the brakes.
Inertia caused Lu Xueyao's body to lurch forward, thankfully restrained by the seatbelt.
Xu Mu parked the car by the side of the road and said to Lu Xueyao, "Put your face over here."
Lu Xueyao didn't quite understand but still brought her face closer.
Slap!
Xu Mu slapped Lu Xueyao across the face.
Lu Xueyao's face stung. She covered her face, looking at Xu Mu in disbelief.
"Who is your grandmother picking up trash for? For her own food?" Xu Mu questioned.
"I..."
"Get the f*** out, you hear me?! What's the difference between you and those scumbags who bully you?"
Xu Mu pointed at Lu Xueyao and coldly snapped, "Did the money for your schooling and food fall from the sky?"
Even if she was a female lead, Xu Mu didn't want to associate with such a person.
Someone who didn't know gratitude could very likely turn around and bite him in the future.
"I'm sorry, I just spoke too quickly. I once did think that, but it was just a fleeting thought. My grandmother and I have a very good relationship."
Lu Xueyao said, covering her face and choking back sobs.
"Where do you go to school?" Xu Mu asked.
"Jiang City First High School, I'm in my third year of high school this year," Lu Xueyao replied, wiping her tears.
"Hmm? Do you know Ye Yu?"
Xu Mu suddenly asked.
"Yes, she's in Class 1, and I'm in Class 2."
There was some envy in Lu Xueyao's eyes. "She's the class beauty of Class 1. I heard she lives in the villa area, and many people pursue her."
Xu Mu shook his head. Perhaps no one knew that Ye Yu used to live in a doghouse.
However, Ye Yu could act as if nothing was wrong at school.
In terms of their composure and mindset, Ye Yu was much stronger than her.
"Relying on others is not as good as relying on yourself. Many times, bullying starts with stepping on shoes, you know?"
Xu Mu leaned back in his seat. "You need to know how to fight back. Don't always give in. Even if you get hit, make the other person feel the pain."
[Favorability +10]
Lu Xueyao nodded lightly, her eyes showing a hint of fierceness. "Young Master Xu, I understand."
"What do you understand?" Xu Mu countered.
"I was indeed too cowardly before. Tomorrow, when I go to school, I'll put a kitchen knife in my backpack." Lu Xueyao clenched her fists.
"You don't understand sh*t!"
Xu Mu rolled his eyes. "Tomorrow, I'll be watching you outside the school. You can fight, but don't break the law. I'll help you at critical moments."
[Favorability +10]
"Young Master Xu..."
Lu Xueyao wiped her tears with her hand, timidly reached out, and then gripped Xu Mu's arm tightly. "Let's go get a room."
"Huh?"
Xu Mu was a little dumbfounded.