Chapter 245 - What's that smell?

....

Meanwhile, at Imperial Secondary, Xiao Zhihao was not having a great time. Somehow, the news of him being away because of a friend's death was spread all over the school, and people who knew him personally or in passing were giving him sympathetic glances. 

To be honest, their sympathies made him feel even worse than before. He tried studying at the library, but the whispers and glances made him feel so suffocated that he ran out to the toilet to vomit.

Everything that he ate in front of his mother came out of him the moment he was in front of the toilet bowl.  

"The smell..." he thought as he flushed the toilet. As he slowly stumbled out of the toilet while holding his now empty stomach, he murmured softly, "How do I get rid of the soil smell?"

"Eww... What's that smell?"

Xiao Zhihao cursed under his breath before slowly lifting his head. He would recognize that voice anywhere. "Johnny Lam."

When he looked up, he saw Johnny Lam and his two sidekicks, Oliver and Joshua, who were both sneering at him. Oliver was even pinching his nose as he muttered, "Gosh, the stench! Say, Xiao Zhihao, do you have an eating disorder?"

Xiao Zhihao gave him a blank look before walking over to the sink to wash his hands. As he was washing his hands and mouth, he heard the tree walk over and knew that they had him surrounded. 

After he splashed his face with water a couple of times, he asked, "What do you guys want?" 

"No, nothing. We just want to extend our condolences," Oliver said with a sneer as he placed a hand on Xiao Zhihao's left shoulder. 

Xiao Zhihao looked up at the mirror and looked at them through the reflection. "Thanks." 

"Well, don't be too upset," Johnny said. "I mean, a friend of a piece of trash is also a piece of trash. This is like the disposal of trash. I'm sure you can find more friends from the garbage bin you came from." 

Xiao Zhihao had an urge to punch, but before he could raise his hand, Oliver caught one of his arms while Joshua caught his other hand. Johnny then pushed his face into the wall to wall mirror.

"Argh!" Xiao Zhihao cried out when his face hit the mirror and a crack was formed on the mirror, cutting slightly into his face. 

"Do you think that because you have the backings of the Du young masters that I won't be able to touch you?" Johnny snarled. He was pressing Xiao Zhihao's face into the wall mirror so hard that Xiao Zhihao's cut was getting bigger.

Blood was dripping, and the smell of it caused him to think about Yun Qi, and he immediately closed his eyes as he willed the smell away. He hated it. The scent of blood, rain, and soil made him extremely fearful. 

"Let me go," he whispered softly as he tried to push his face away. However, with his hands being held at an awkward, painful position by the two teenage boys, he was rendered powerless.

"If I were you, I'd be less arrogant when walking around the school halls," Johnny added. He looked at his boys and signaled them to release Xiao Zhihao. He then turned Xiao Zhihao around and slammed a fist into Xiao Zhihao's face, causing him to sprawl on the toilet floor. 

He then stepped on Xiao Zhihao's head and snapped, "A piece of trash will forever remain a piece of trash. Be like one and stay down there forever." 

He then kicked Xiao Zhihao's side before laughing loudly and walking out of the toilet with Oliver and Joshua.  

Xiao Zhihao clutched his painful side as he slowly got up from the toilet floor. 

He then stared at the broken mirror, as well as his wounded face, for a long time. Whenever a student came in to use the toilet and saw Xiao Zhihao who was staring at his own bloody face so intensely, the student would slowly walk back out.

A while later, someone else came in, only this time, it was not a student. 

A hand touched Xiao Zhihao's face gently before a voice said, "Who dares to hurt our little Zhihao's face?" 

As if he was in a trance, Xiao Zhihao did not reply, nor did he look at the man touching his face. 

The man washed his hand before using his wet hand to slightly slap Xiao Zhihao's face until the boy to eventually look up at him. 

"Mr. Murong..."

"Let's get your wound tended to before they get infected," Murong Yu said softly as he released the boy's face. "I'll apply for the rest of the day off for you."

Xiao Zhihao stared at him for a moment before nodding. He wanted some quiet, and Murong Yu's office was a good place that he could be at. 

He followed behind Murong Yu closely as they walked to Murong Yu's office. Xiao Zhihao could hear whispers from the people he passed by, but he ignored them as he kept his eyes down. When he looked down, he could even see drops of his blood on the ground he passed through. 

When they arrived at Murong Yu's office, the man immediately said, "Sit at the couch." 

Like a robot, Xiao Zhihao sat at the couch obediently.

Murong Yu took out a first-aid kit and a wet towel. He then sat next to Xiao Zhihao and gently tended to the boy's wound. 

"Why didn't you fight back?" Murong Yu asked as he wiped the blood off Xiao Zhihao's face. "Didn't your parents teach you how to fight?" 

Xiao Zhihao did not reply to him. He did not even wince when Murong Yu placed antiseptic ointment on his wounds.

"There are a few cuts, but nothing too deep. I think I should give your mother a call."

"No!" Xiao Zhihao finally answered him. He glared at Murong Yu and snapped, "Don't bother her!" 

Murong Yu raised an eyebrow at the boy. Xiao Zhihao might be sarcastic at times, but he had always been a gentle and well-spoken boy. This was the first time Murong Yu heard Xiao Zhihao raise his voice. 

"If you don't want me to call your mother, then tell me. Who did this to you?" 

"I don't know their names," Xiao Zhihao lied as he looked away. 

Murong Yu put a bandaid over the deepest wound on Xiao Zhihao's face as he said, "You know, even if you don't tell me, I can still guess." 

"That's none of your business." 

"A man must not lower his head."

Xiao Zhihao glared at him, but he did not say anything. 

Murong Yu did not take offense to it. Instead, he merely smirked and leaned into the couch. He then crossed his legs and thought for a while before saying, "If you ever fight back, I'll cover your a*s."

"I don't need you to do things for me." 

Murong Yu was about to say something, but his head was starting to hurt badly all of a sudden. It got bad so fast that he rushed over to his table. He then frantically searched around the table, as if he could not see anything. 

Xiao Zhihao found it weird and asked, "What's wrong, Mr. Murong?"

"My medicines!" Murong Yu snapped as he clutched his head. "I... need them!" 

Xiao Zhihao saw the only bottle of medicines on the table. He took it and put it in front of Murong Yu. "Is it this one?" 

Murong Yu's eyes were unfocused, and he asked, "Two! Give it to me!" 

Xiao Zhihao took out two pills and handed it to Murong Yu. He then quickly went to the water dispenser and got a cup of water for Murong Yu. Once Murong Yu took the pills down with the water, Xiao Zhihao helped him to the couch. 

"Cover my a*s?" Xiao Zhihao scoffed as he sat down next to Murong Yu. "As if you can do it in your condition." 

Murong Yu's face had turned pale from the pain earlier, but he could still joke, "It takes a lot more than this to kill me..."