Chapter 2

After starting middle school, Bevis's intelligence became increasingly apparent in his studies. Problems that others couldn't grasp even after three explanations, Bevis could solve in at least three different ways. While I was still struggling with the basics, he was already representing our town's school in competitions in the city.

By the time we reached high school, his achievements had caught the attention of city officials. He was invited to attend a high school in the city with all tuition and fees waived. Determined to ensure I received a good education as well, my mother bit the bullet and sent me there too. I remembered being so touched at the time. I hugged Bevis and promised, "I will definitely listen to your advice and study hard."

Bevis just patted my head and said, "You don't have to try too hard. I'll take care of you for life." At that moment, I felt deeply moved and silently vowed never to skip classes or misbehave again.

Entering high school, I started with full confidence, studying hard every day. Despite still not understanding much, I would always ask when I didn't know. I continued to ask Bevis for explanations, but as he grew busier, he had less time, and I gradually stopped bothering him, turning to teachers and classmates instead.

Teachers were often impatient, and classmates would mock me for not understanding even the simplest things. But I didn't care. I kept trying hard, wanting to cherish the opportunity Bevis had given me and not to disappoint him. I wanted to prove myself.

Suddenly one day, rumors spread that I was only there because of connections, a mere "buy one, get one free" deal. The rumors grew worse and more hurtful, and my attempts to defend myself were futile. I started to suffer from bullying at school, locked in bathrooms, doused with dirty water, and pelted with garbage.

Living in the school dormitory, with home too far away except for long holidays, I had no escape. I would wake up at night to find bugs in my blanket or urine poured on it. I was also falsely accused by the resident assistant of being unsanitary and keeping weird insects in the dorm, which was disgusting.

They often conspired to kick me out of the dormitory, and I frequently ended up sleeping in the storage room, which was cold and dirty. That was how I endured three years.

There were times I thought about giving up and going home, but I didn't want to give up. I tried to explain my situation to the teachers, only to be met with cold indifference and told I deserved it. Any resistance I offered only led to harsher treatment.

Bevis was often away for training and competitions, and I never told him what was happening. Whenever he was at school, I pretended everything was fine. He thought I was doing well at school, the only regret being that we couldn't see each other often.

He would say after each competition he could finally focus on preparing for the college entrance exams at school. But as the school began to value him more for his excellence, they established a special class to provide a distraction-free environment for top students, strictly off-limits to ordinary students, especially someone like me who got in through connections.

These were Bevis's words to me, warning me not to seek him out openly, as the teachers in the special class were very strict, and he feared I would get scolded. He promised to secretly meet me instead.

I shook my head, not wanting to cause him trouble, and said it was okay. We could just meet during the holidays.