Chapter 54: Higher threshold

If it really was a case of his account being hacked, shouldn’t the hacker be posting small advertisements on his Qzone or messaging his friends to borrow money?

That would be much more in line with a hacker’s logic.

But the person using his QQ right now didn’t seem interested in money.

Instead, they seemed intent on deliberately destroying his social circle.

This behavior was far too abnormal.

‘Is that hacker just bored out of their mind?’

Gu Yebai turned the thought over in his head repeatedly.

If he had to name the most likely suspect…

It seemed the only one was Gao Hongyi.

First, there was the phone’s passcode.

It was very likely she had seen him enter it during some careless moment.

Then, while he was sound asleep, she could have quietly unlocked the phone and logged into his QQ account.

After that, she insulted Yukino, went as far as deleting her without permission, and kicked her from the group chat.

If Hongyi really did this…

The nature of the act was simply too malicious.

But Gu Yebai instinctively rejected the suspicion.

He preferred to believe someone had simply hacked his account.

In his heart, Gao Hongyi had always been a kind, sensitive, and fragile girl.

She shouldn’t, and couldn’t, do something like that.

He shouldn’t suspect her without proof.

“What is it, Uncle Bai?”

“You look like you have a lot on your mind.”

Gao Hongyi clung to his arm as they stepped into the elevator together.

“Someone hacked my account.”

“They even gave Yukino a piece of their mind.”

“Hackers are so disgusting.”

“Exactly.”

“Wait, I need to check my QQ quickly, too.”

As Hongyi spoke, she pulled out her phone.

A moment later, she froze slightly.

“Uncle Bai.”

“I was deleted, too.”

“And they left a similar message for me.”

“What?”

Hongyi immediately handed her phone over.

On the screen were several lines of unbearable text.

[Baiye Duxing]: Hey, bitch, are you selling yourself?

[Baiye Duxing]: How much for one night?

[Baiye Duxing]: I don’t need a slutty reader like you.

Gu Yebai couldn’t help but frown when he saw the content.

It felt as though something was blocking his chest, and a nameless fire quietly rose within him.

They didn’t just insult Yukino.

They insulted Hongyi as well.

And the insults were incredibly foul.

If he hadn’t been with Hongyi right now, this kind of misunderstanding might have been impossible to clear up.

This also served as invisible proof of one thing.

The suspect wasn’t Gao Hongyi.

It was someone else entirely.

This conclusion caused Gu Yebai, amidst his anger, to feel a strange sense of relief in his heart.

“I don’t really mind, though.”

Hongyi’s tone was excessively light, almost carrying a hint of a smile.

“I believe from the bottom of my heart that you would never say things like that, Uncle Bai.”

“Besides, I was sleeping at that time. You know I didn’t have the time to commit the crime and insult myself.”

“So, the only explanation is — “

She narrowed her eyes, her tone suddenly becoming meaningful.

“Uncle Bai, stop looking at those adult websites.”

“See? You’ve been caught this time.”

“In all my years…”

“I’ve never actually visited an adult website.”

Gu Yebai retorted almost instinctively.

“Uncle Bai is so cute.”

“The word ‘cute’ is a compliment for girls.”

“Describing a boy that way doesn’t exactly make him happy.”

“No, no, no. You don’t understand the true meaning of the word ‘cute,’ Uncle Bai.”

The corners of Hongyi’s mouth curled into a charming smile that seemed far too mature for her age.

“You have to break this adjective down to understand it.”

“What do you mean?”

“The first part suggests being ‘able’ or ‘agreeing.’ And as for the ‘love’ part… well, love has many meanings.”

“It can be a noun, but it can also be a verb.”

“I love you very much, Uncle Bai.”

“And I really want to make love with you.”

“Ah.”

Hearing this, Gu Yebai stood with his mouth agape for a moment, unsure of how to respond.

His face, which was usually pale from staying up late, quickly flushed a deep shade of red.

“I’m just joking, Uncle Bai.”

“Look at you.”

“It’s because you have such a big reaction that teasing you is so much fun.”

“I don’t hate it when the person I like talks dirty to me, though.”

Her tone shifted instantly as if nothing had happened.

“So, what do you want for lunch, Uncle Bai?”

Gao Hongyi walked close beside Gu Yebai down the streets of Shencheng.

“Anything is fine.”

“Um…”

“Don’t you think we’re walking a bit too close?”

“I can’t help it.”

“It’s my first time in the Northeast.”

“The weather here is too cold. Even penguins huddle together for warmth.”

“So, I have to huddle with you to stay warm, Uncle Bai.”

“If you want to be warm, you should stop wearing stockings and put on some thermal long johns instead.”

“If I wore those…”

“Sticking close to you wouldn’t be able to get you excited anymore.”

Hongyi tilted her head, wearing a small, mischievous grin.

Gu Yebai’s first impression of Gao Hongyi was that of an angelic girl.

But now, he felt more and more like she was a little demon with an angelic appearance.

Or perhaps, calling her a fallen angel would be more fitting.

For lunch, the two of them picked a Japanese restaurant listed on Shencheng’s “Must-Eat” list.

They easily spent over 1,000 RMB.

Near the restaurant was Shencheng’s top high school.

Shencheng First High School.

Once, this school had extended an olive branch to Gu Yebai.

Countless diligent students had graduated from here, eventually entering prestigious Project 985 and Project 211 universities.

Even Tsinghua University and Yanda had enrollment slots here almost every year.

During junior high, Gu Yebai had many fantasies about this place.

He had truly believed that as long as he stepped through those school gates, he could change his destiny through hard work.

The gate was not far away.

It was much lower and smaller than he remembered.

The walls weren’t high.

The iron gate wasn’t thick.

The guardhouse at the entrance was quiet and old-fashioned.

Everything was very orderly.

This was a place where, as long as you followed the rules, you would receive a reward.

Gao Hongyi stood before the school gate.

Her gaze swept from the certificates on the wall of honor all the way to the ranking list for the college entrance exam results.

She looked at them very seriously.

“Uncle Bai.”

“You were originally supposed to be a good student here.”

Her tone wasn’t one of regret.

It was more like she was stating a fact that had nothing to do with her.

“Going to class on time every day.”

“Doing practice problems.”

“Taking exams.”

“And then being sent into the next assembly line.”

“If your life had stopped here…”

She turned her head slightly to look at Gu Yebai.

“That way of living would be far too cheap.”

This was a place that dismantled people into parts.

Talent, effort, and obedience were all pressed into a mold together.

Finally, batches of qualified life samples were produced.

“A place like this…”

Gao Hongyi gave a soft sneer.

“It’s not worthy of you.”

She reached out and gripped Gu Yebai’s wrist.

Her strength wasn’t heavy, but it was unyielding.

“Your life doesn’t need to rely on grades to fight for a normal position, Uncle Bai.”

“You deserve a much higher threshold.”