Inside the hospital, Su Qing's wounds took almost two weeks to heal.
When Su Qing was discharged, people from her dorm came to visit her. This time, the bodyguards finally left just as she was about to be discharged, and thankfully, it was a weekend.
Zhang Xiaoli, Cheng Xuening, and Bai Lulu arrived at the ward, carrying flower baskets.
They stared at each other, unsure what to say, but the guilt on their faces spoke volumes.
Su Qing had already missed her final exams due to her hospitalization. With only a little over a month left until the college entrance exam, one can imagine how devastating this incident had been for her. Those past times would never return.
Everyone was acutely aware of this. Su Qing's academic performance was obvious to all, so the damage wasn't just physical; it could be emotional. Everything about her future could be altered by this moment.
The butterfly effect: in places you're unaware of, everything is quietly changing.
Su Qing had already packed her luggage, her face expressionless. Was it blame or anger? Su Qing didn't know, but she truly wasn't ready to shake hands and make peace.
In the heavy atmosphere of the hospital ward, Bai Lulu walked from behind several people to the front. She opened her mouth slightly and said, "Su Qing, I'm sorry. I've been wanting to apologize to you."
Her voice was slightly hoarse and trembling.
This courage was hard-earned. Perhaps only Bai Lulu knew that no one in the dormitory had contacted her anymore. The word "forgiveness" was not just a lip service.
She could betray her out for a few tens of thousands of yuan, which wasn't really betrayal, but had her reasons in this.
So, forgiveness wasn't so easy to come by.
Su Qing looked up at Bai Lulu. Her attire wasn't typical of city kids; it was simple. Like her, she ate the cheapest meals in the cafeteria and relied on a scholarship to get by.
Logically, Su Qing felt she could empathize with her in this situation, but her expression was truly cold. She pursed her lips and pinched her fingers.
"I always thought I was different from everyone else. They had enough to eat, beautiful clothes to wear, and the freedom to laugh without restraint. I had low self-esteem, so I studied hard. But because I was weak, I would be bullied."
"I feel low because I feel so insignificant in this world. It's not because I'm poor or cowardly, but because I feel I'm just an ant in this vast world."
She was serene and indifferent, the light of the glass shimmering above her head. A glint of holiness shone in her eyes, a glint of indifference that made it impossible to look away.
"I want justice, to live a glorious and glorious life under the sun, not like a maggot, selling dignity for food."
Bai Lulu looked up at Su Qing, instantly understanding the meaning behind her words.
She was blaming herself, and rightly so. Bai Lulu's eyes were filled with guilt. "I know saying sorry won't help, Su Qing. I already promised the police I'd testify in court."
"I've already returned the money to them and handed it over to the police."
No matter how hard they try to correct their mistakes, those who have done wrong always feel inferior. Bai Lulu felt as if the guilt was overwhelming her.
She pursed her lips and lowered her head.
The weak always inspire sympathy. Zhang Xiaoli and Cheng Xuening watched Su Qing's cold demeanor, still delivering high-sounding lectures, and the guilt in their eyes gradually faded.
Grabbing Bai Lulu's wrist.
"Lulu already apologized. Su Qing, we live in the same dorm..."
Zhang Xiaoli wanted to say something, but met Su Qing's cold gaze, and the words froze.
Su Qing's eyes were like ice, making it impossible to look directly at them.
She seemed to have no intention of ever forgiving them.
"Get out." The young man, who had completed the discharge procedures, saw several people swarming in the hospital ward, and his eyes turned completely cold.
The young man glanced expressionlessly at the faces of the few people.
"Get out."
The order to leave was so clear that Bai Lulu was about to say something, but Su Qing ignored her.
"Let's go."
Seeing they didn't move, Su Qing squeezed Jiang Sui's arm and said something to the young man.
Jiang Sui always stayed close to Su Qing, so when Su Qing said to leave, the young man didn't make any move. He took Su Qing's wrist and led her towards the door.
What's with her attitude? Even if she was injured, we didn't do it on purpose. We weren't the ones who hurt her…"
Zhang Xiaoli was impatient and a little annoyed.
Cheng Xue Ning kept her head down, pursed her lips, and said nothing.
Only Bai Lulu raised her head, not daring to look at Su Qing's back. She stared blankly at the empty hospital bed. "Su Qing's mother passed away while she was hospitalized. She and her mother depended on each other for survival."
Bai Lulu didn't know why she had spoken out; she had heard the news at the police station.
Her guilt might never dissipate.
This news was unexpected for everyone.
They were completely stunned upon hearing it, unsure what to do.
Zhang Xiaoli was speechless, staring at Bai Lulu with wide eyes. Her expression was filled with shock, and a faint sense of powerlessness and guilt enveloped her.
People, as always, are insensitive to pain that isn't their own.
Cheng Xue Ning also raised her head in a daze.
She kept wondering if she would choose to forgive. Did Su Qing hate her? Did she dislike her?
She hadn't seen anything in her eyes just now, only unfamiliarity.
As if they were strangers, people they had never met.
After pondering for a long time, Cheng Xue Ning felt that if it was her, it would be more than just a matter of not forgiving.
"As the saying goes, only those who drink the water know whether it's hot or cold. We don't have the right to be forgiven. We're adults, aren't we? We should bear the consequences of our mistakes. Who is that to try to force forgiveness by moral coercion? No different from Li Xu."
She muttered to herself, not knowing if she was speaking to herself or something else.
The rumor spread in the air, leaving several people stunned. They never took the step to find Su Qing and apologize.
What they didn't know over the past few months was that this butterfly effect would change not only Su Qing, but themselves as well.