Falling Dreams, Rising Hopes: Saving Mr. Boyfriend

Free from any pressures, Mei Qingyang had a good night sleep. She had heard a few people trying to enter her room stealthily but she had very simple traps laid out for them on her door. Her windows were far too small for letting a human enter. So, should she be thankful to Yu Rong for giving her such a dingy room?

In the morning, she woke up totally fresh. She decided to visit library first. She needed to visit the old man and see if he had some interesting news to tell her. She had been gone from the campus life for about a month. Her suspension had been lifted just yesterday, so she was free to go back to her classes. But her semester final exams were starting the next day, so classes were already over.

People had thought she would fail this time for she practically missed the majority of the classes everyone would be tested upon in the finals. However the lass Ma Shuxin got her notes from time to time and she took full advantage of her rest to catch up on her classwork on her own.

Yu Tian was also there to solve any doubts for her. That was also a reason how they had become closer.

Now was the time to finally go to her favorite place and may be have some tea with the old man. The librarian, also known as old man around the whole school was a neutral party, an observer. He never interfered in anything going on and was expert in his work of maintaining library. He knew every nook and corner of the library.

From the way he was so passionate about his job and the place, Mei Qingyang had a feeling that he knew about her seniors' hidden place too. He had been here for a long long time. He had known her dad from his childhood days and they were pretty close, so close for the old man to risk his life and help her dad out currently. Library was the place she used to send messages to her dad, through books.

When she reached the library, old man was busy reading some book in his private garden, as usual. He was a learned man and the only source of information her had was his books. He could recite half of the books from his memory, and the total collection of the books with the school in the library and on off-site storage locations was in millions.

"Did you find something new to read old man?" Mei Qingyang greeted the librarian cheerfully.

"Qing Qing! It's been long time since I saw you. I thought your dad withdrew your admission," the old man was also happy to see the girl. She was a regular customer here and she also happened to be Jiang Nuo's foster daughter. He closed the book and stared at the chess spread in front of him.

He had received a letter from his son-like pupil, Jiang Nuo a few months ago that his daughter was taking admission in the college here and he would need to look out for her. The old man was a lecturer in this very college in his prime days and Jiang Nuo was one of his favorite students. Later he had decided to retire from his job as an active teacher and become a full time librarian. He still maintained great relationship with Minister Jiang.

He had asked the same thing for his son a few years back. Old man did not deny requests from Jiang Nuo for he had helped him numerous times in the past. If he could repay anyhow, he would. And it was no trouble to look after his kids, after all they were like his grandchildren.

Old man never married and these books were his only family. Then Jiang Nuo introduced Jiang Bo to him and then rest was history. Jiang Bo would sit in the library for hours, just chit chatting and reading with him. And then when he passed away, old man's world shattered. Not only he failed to protect him, he lost his only companion. Loneliness engulfed him and Jiang Nuo also became busy and was in grief.

Old man had a lot of shame regarding that incident, so he never contacted Jiang Nuo again. So, he was surprised to get that letter from him after so many years of no contact.

"How are you doing grandpa? It's been indeed a while," Mei Qingyang would call the old man grandpa in endearment.

"Same old, same old. Come sit down. Do you want to have some tea?" he pointed to the chair in front of him. The invitation was also to play his opponent in chess. Mei Qingyang chuckled and took a seat.

"Anything new in the campus?" she asked while playing the next move.

"Hmm… nothing interesting in the past few days. Oh yeah! They dug up a few dead bodies near the lake," old man said nonchalantly, as if this was everyday occurrence. Mei Qingyang's eyes widened in shock.

"Dead bodies?"

"Yeah, they were all kids, somewhere between nine to fifteen years old," the man took a puff from his cigar wile contemplating his next move.

"Who dug it? If it was Yu Rong's work, then why would she dig up her own dirty deeds out in open?"

"Because no one cares? Really, as long as it is not someone famous's son or daughter, no one would bat an eye on what's happening. They all happen to be poor kids, so forget it," old man waved his hands dismissing any ideas Mei Qingyang would have.

"Then, I would assume, no investigation?"

"Why would an investigation be required? It was a dump land for the people who killed their trial servants. Won't a lot of people be implicated if someone is to look into it?" he scoffed. Who had time for that anyway?

"Okay, anything else?" This lead seemed like a dead end, nothing she would get out of. She would later go to pray for the dead souls. But to think her favorite place, that lake, was a dumpster for unknown bodies, her heart ached.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, a poor kid escaped from the torture prison, was caught and shot on the spot," the old man again said nonchalantly.

What was with his carefree attitude? Did he also not care at all?

"Grandpa! Why do you not seem concerned at all? Don't you think these incidents have suddenly increased in the past month?" Mei Qingyang was agitated. It was not just Yu Rong, each and every person was culprit here, including this old man in front of her. It seemed like they were just gossiping about what was happening on campus, these were serious things, these were human lives!

"Girl, calm down. Nothing will come out of being angry," he took another puff from his cigar.

"Listen girl, you are misinformed. These are actually very common things here, you perhaps did not get to hear them much earlier. Now me as your information assistant, how could you not know about these things? I understand your frustration, it took me years to come to terms with my incompetence. It's just been few months for you," he sympathized with her. He knew exactly how she felt.

Years ago, when he was lecturer, the school was still fine. Since the day Yu Rong took over, it was game over for the poor kids. He had wanted to resign from his position but because he had been taking care of the library for years already, and it was under his autonomous control, he decided to make it a safe haven for everyone. At least people could find some respite here.

"Then, what about torture prison? What is that? How many kids are there?" Mei Qingyang asked seriously, her sharp eyes filled with a determination. The old man shook his head, this girl was going to do something beyond her power.

"I will tell you, but you have to promise you won't meddle. It is not your place Qing Qing, you just need to…"

"Grandpa," she cut him off before he could finish, "I am here to take revenge for my foster brother. More than that, I am here to bring justice to my previous family and my current family. It is exactly my place to meddle here. So, please just tell me. I won't implicate you," she pleaded to him. These were just excuses though, she could absolutely not let anything horrendous happen to those kids under her nose, kids who should be playing out in the fields.

"Fine. You went to the prison already. There are two levels to it. The one you saw is for punishing anyone by the school laws. Beneath that exists the place where poor kids are brainwashed into becoming the servants and maids. They are fed medicines and what not and beaten black and blue. I have never been there but I am pretty sure how Yu Rong is, she might be doing some human experiments in there as well," the man with a wrinkled face raised his head to look at the girl. He could see the anger and frustration on her face. He was like that too, when he came to know about these things.

"Even animals get much better treatment than this, what to do grandpa?" If in her hands, she could just get them all our right this instant. Or perhaps, if she was not indulging at Yu Tian's place during that month, she could have fostered the child in her own room. She was regretting agreeing to Yu Tian's suggestion of staying at his place.

"Don't beat yourself up. These things can't be solved in a day. Take your time. Countless lives have already been sacrificed, a few more is nothing. Whoever you are able to save, that is still saving them. So, Qing Qing, don't torture yourself over this okay?" the old man patted her hand on the table, reassuringly.

It was like a heavy stone was lifted over her heart. Of course, she needed to remind herself again and again that she was not a savior, she herself was a human being. And her work would start in small steps, she could not save everyone at once. She went back home without visiting the two patients and re-strategize. If she was able to save even one kid, they would become a key witness in her grand scheme.