Mo Xin Er stood in front of her brother, her hand on her hips as she gazed at him with worry in her eyes. She wondered if she was too harsh on him for he was abnormally quiet. He wasn't even looking at her.
She called out, "Yuan."
No reply.
"Brother?"
No reply.
She bit her lips anxiously, inching closer and shook him slightly. She called out to him again, "Yuan!"
"Huh?"
So, he was deep in thought? She wondered if there was a major problem he was facing.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked and he seemed about to nod positively but changed his mind when his eyes met Lan Zhi who was standing beside her.
Mo Xin Er glanced at the boy beside her and he seemed to catch the hint for he nodded and left. She looked back at Mo Yuan before asking, "Why did you cause trouble in just three days of resumption?" And she took a seat beside him.
"I didn't cause trouble" He sounded wronged. She sighed and patted his back.
"Tell me what's going on?"
He turned to face her earnestly. "You remember Su Cha?"
"Su Cha?" Mo Xin Er held her chin seeming deep in thought. Her eyes suddenly brightened and she asked, "Your pen friend? That girl you liked?"
He looked at her for a fleet of time and his eyes seemed to water a little. "She lied to me."
"Lied? Tell me more"
"She was… She was assaulted. No, it wasn't even assault. It was bondage sex," he said almost in a whisper.
She looked thoughtful as she held his trembling hand and stated in a matter of fact tone, "How is that assault then? There are some girls who like bondage sex. Maybe a fetish."
"I know. But she wasn't willing."
She gasped, "Rape?"
"Hmn." He nodded positively and avoided her gaze. "How ironic. She agreed to be my girlfriend just a day ago and I got to see her been brutally raped a day after."
He turned quiet after that, that one would even wonder if he ever spoke earlier. But from his slightly trembling shoulders and stifled sobs, she knew he must have finally broken down into tears.
He sobbed, "It was so horrific. They shamed her in public. Oh god, … She was crying. They… tied her… up." He choked with tears.
Mo Xin Er hurriedly came closer to him and let him lean into her embrace. She said slowly in a light voice, "Shh! It's okay. Everything will be fine."
She had no idea for how long they sat there as he whimpered. It must have taken its toll on him. She knew how much he liked Su Cha. They had been talking for two years and he would always talk about her at home. She knew he loved her too much.
Mo Yuan finally calmed down and began to talk again, "I saw them molesting her behind the faculty hall. Not many people usually passed through there. But, anyone would have seen them if they passed through there. It was in public, Xin Er. How could they do that?"
"What did you do when you saw them?"
"I helped her escape. But, do you know what she said? She said I was being meddlesome. That I ought to mind my business. She slapped me and ran off. I don't know why she did that. I like her, Xin Er. I like her a lot. It hurts when I think of what happened."
"Then, what was that with the crowd?"
He continued, "They tried to corner me after she ran away. He said she was his fuck toy. He said so many things. Like how he would make her beg him for sex. It was awful"
His voice was now clogged up and Mo Xin Er truly pitied him. It must have been a sight for him to see someone he loved being shamed so publicly.
"Now that you know such a thing about her, what do you want to do?" she asked. She needed to know what was his take on the matter before she could do anything. After all, she couldn't just sit down and do nothing. And from the looks of things, it all sounded so suspicious. Since it was such a public space, why didn't the girl scream. Even if it was deserted area, if she shouted at least one person would hear.
"I don't know, Xin Er. I want to know what's going on with her. But she is not even talking to me."
"Try calling her," she suggested.
He nodded, taking his phone out and dialed a number. From where she sat, Mo Xin Er could distinctly make out the words being said. It seemed to be the mechanical voice of the network.
"She isn't picking up."
"Do you dislike her now that you know she has been tainted?" Mo Xin Er suddenly asked and he went quiet. But from the complicated emotions swirling in his eyes, she knew he was thinking.
He shook his head sadly and began, "I'm not disgusted. But I'm angry. She could have told me. She had all the chances to, Xin Er. I'm sure it's not the first time they have been doing that to her. It felt so natural. They must have gotten used to it. Even if she felt insecure, she could have told me a long time ago if she wanted to. After all, she couldn't see me. Nor did I see her before until three days ago. She didn't to worry about me judging her. I don't know what to do, sis."
"Can you give me her email?" she asked, a tiny smile on her lips as she stood up from where she sat. She remembered, that the had shared messages through email. Her voice wasn't very cold but when she saw the distrustful glare he was giving her, she laughed lightly, "Don't worry. I'm not gonna eat your girlfriend."
Mo Yuan felt his fingers tremble slightly; he had no idea why. She was definitely just smiling. So, why did he feel she looked kinda scary?
"Xin Er"
She smiled. "Give it to me."
And he gave it to her immediately. He lowered his head again, not daring to speak. He was suddenly ashamed of himself. He had always known that his sister was definitely not like other girls but he couldn't possibly admit that he was scared of her, would he? He had enough self awareness to know that he better don't say anything at the moment.