Chasing You - Chapter 76: Chapter 76

Bao Bao reverted back to his normal self by the morning. He didn't want to wallow in his own pity and set off immediately after Chen Ming woke up. Chen Ming let him with only four words, which made Bao Bao feel warm and loved.
Yu Zian and Chen Ming spent the next three days side by side. Yu Zian would attentively watch over Chen Ming and would talk to him. They did some minor activities together but majority of the time, Chen Ming would be painting inside of his room. Yu Zian helped him store whatever paintings he finished.
Their days were leisurely and restfully spent. When it came time for lunch or dinner, Chen Ming would help out around the kitchen. As for breakfast, Yu Zian usually made it as he got up earlier.
When spring break came to an end, Chen Ming had to go back to school. Yu Zian would personally drop him off in the morning and come pick him up when school was over.
Chen Ming waved goodbye to Yu Zian and made his way to inside. Many of the students were looking over at Chen Ming. He ignored all of their stares and walked without shrinking. At his locker, a couple of the bullies came up to him.
Bully A, "Hey Ming, haven't seen you in a long time."
Bully B, "Ah, you look so much better now, Ming~."
Chen Ming frowned a little but ignored them, "..."
Bully B got a little irked at Chen Ming, "Hey, we're talking to you. Don't try and ignore us!"
Chen Ming took out the school slippers exchanged it for his shoes, "..."
Bully A snorted and 'bumped' into him making him drop his shoes, "See us after school. You know where."
The rest of the day, Chen Ming would have 'accidental' encounters with his bullies.
One time it was right by the infirmary. Liu Jiao opened the door right on time to see them push Chen Ming to the wall. She was one of the younger and newer employee in the school and had a sense of immaturity in her. She didn't have the calm composure or maturity that came with experience, she was quick to respond to her feelings.
Liu Jiao grew up in a regular and common household. Showered with love from her parents and siblings, she had a good common sense and morals. So when she saw Chen Ming's bruises on his body, she decided to keep an eye on him. Over time the abrasions on his body only accumulated and so she decided to talk to Chen Ming. She found out that he was withdrawn from the others and was weary of everyone else.
She had also seen some 'playing' around with Chen Ming and seven different male students, but whenever she asked him he wouldn't say anything. This was a common sight to see, but it didn't discourage her from trying to help him.
Liu Jiao's eye brows knitted, "Hey, what are you guys doing?"
The bullies, "Nothing at all, just playing around."
Liu Jiao turned to Chen Ming, "Is that so?"
The bullies replied and walked away. "Yes, doc."
After the bullies left, Liu Jiao looked at him, "Were they bullying you?"
Chen Ming just grabbed his bag that fell on the floor and pat off the dust on it. He gave Liu Jiao a nod as if acknowledging her and walked off. Liu Jiao scratched her head, "Aish, he walked away..."
After school was finished, Chen Ming decided to 'hang out' with the bullies. He intentionally strolled past the open doors to the infirmary. Liu Jiao was going to find Chen Ming, she had been trying to talk to him for a long time now. Since, he had gone to the hospital and took some time off of school, she wasn't able to talk to him. Class had just ended, she could go find him.
Just as she turned around, she saw Chen Ming go pass her door. Liu Jiao was flabbergasted. Like the saying, 'speak of the devil and he shall appear'. She watched him go by her door and only after his figure had disappeared did she snapped out of her stupor.
Dashing to the door and called out, "Chen Ming, hold on a second!"
But just as she reached the doorway, he had already turned the corner. Liu Jiao rubbed her forehead, "Should I chase after him? Aiyo, whatever let me go find him."
She took off running after him, but she was always a little too 'slow' to catch up to him. Subsequently in pursuit after him, Liu Jiao seemed to have lost Chen Ming's tracks. She had followed him to the west side of the school where the gymnasium was. She ran around each of the buildings there in search for him.
She searched for him for a full ten minutes. She huffed, "Where was he going to?"
Just as she was about to go another round, she heard the voices of a group of students.
"Do you understand?"
"Stupid mute brat!"
"Hahaha, I wonder how he's going to even find a girlfriend."
"You better come tomorrow!"
Liu Jiao raced. One of those voices belonged to one of the students that was around Chen Ming earlier today. When she caught view of them, she saw a group of five male students standing and one male student on the ground. She could recognize the person on the floor and shouted, "Hey! What are you guys doing?!"
The five students saw Liu Jiao running over to them and madly dashed away.
"Ah, hurry go!"
"F*ck, why does she have to be here?"
"Come on, let's go."
....
When Liu Jiao got there she could see Chen Ming clutching his arms over his stomach. His hair and clothes were disheveled and dirty. She knelt on the ground, "Hey, are you okay? Can you stand?"
Chen Ming peeked up at her. He struggled to sit up and leaned against the wall. His forehead was drenched in sweat. Liu Jiao felt distressed and reached over to help him, "Here, let me help you."
Chen Ming saw her hands get closer to him and fiercely shook his head. Liu Jiao didn't care if he protested, she needed examine him and make sure that he's alright. She hauled his arm over her shoulders and half-drag half-carried him to the infirmary. Once inside, she helped clean him up a little and tended to his smaller wounds on his arm and legs.
When she tried to lift up Chen Ming's shirt, he stopped her. She shook her head, "I have to check, you were holding your stomach. I have to make sure that you're alright."
Chen Ming finally settled down and let her examine his abdomen. When she saw the ghastly large bruise on the lower left side of his stomach, she frowned. How could they be so vicious? They exerted a lot of force to leave such a deep bruising on his skin. Liu Jiao took out an ice pack and wrapped it in a towel before putting over the area.
She murmured, "This will have to be on for 20 minutes. After we have to bandage the area with an elastic bandage as it's swelling."
Chen Ming made a sound of agreement with her words. After ten minutes his phone received a notification. He reached over and picked it up. He had received a message from 'Zian dage'
Zian dage: [Where are you?]
Chen Ming panicked at the text. What time was it? He looked at tie on his phone, it was almost six o'clock*. It's been an hour since his usual pick up time. Chen Ming's eyebrow scrunched up. What should he say?
As he was thinking, another message came in.
Zian dage: [Xiao Ming? Is everything okay?]
Chen Ming: [Sorry, Zian dage. I'll be on my way out.]
But was Liu Jiao going to let Chen Ming escape this time? No, of course not. Especially not after what she saw. Anyone could infer that he was being bullied by the others and that they were planning to do something in a similar fashion tomorrow.
Liu Jiao looked at him, "Was that from your parents?"
Chen Ming, "No, it's my uncle."
Liu Jiao raised her eyebrows, "Uncle?"
Chen Ming, "Yes, he picks me up and drops me off at school. He was wondering where I was."
Liu Jiao thought of something, "Press this here for me."
Chen Ming did as he was instructed and pressed the ice pack on his abrasion. Liu Jiao snatched his phone. He looked up at her in surprise. He tried to stand up and get his phone back but his body ached and he winced.
She opened his phone and found that it didn't have a lock on it. She clicked on the phone button and dialed the only contact that he had on there. Putting the phone next to her ear, she waited for the other side to pick up.
A deep magnetic voice answered, "Who's this?"