TWMOV Chapter 2: The Poor Little Thing Who Suffered Domestic Abuse 02
According to the system, the novel world he had entered was a dramatic love story between a male lead and female lead. The villain in the story was a man who appeared dignified and proper on the surface but was actually a total psycho.
He had fallen for the heroine because she looked just like the teacher he had secretly loved in his youth—his “white moonlight.” Using his power and influence, he tried to sabotage the male lead repeatedly. He even kidnapped and imprisoned the heroine, doing many twisted and disturbing things.
Yu Mu was now that white moonlight teacher.
His mission was to max out the villain’s affection and leave a permanent imprint on his heart.
Yu Mu looked into the mirror above the washbasin at his reflection. His eyes weren’t particularly big, but just the right size, single-lidded with a slightly upturned tail. His lips were pale. His hair was longer than his usual buzz cut, now neatly parted in a proper side-swept style, toning down his usual street-thug vibe.
Same face—just a different hairstyle.
He shaved the stubble off his face with a cheap razor, then leaned over the basin, mentally reviewing the novel info the system had provided.
The novel only briefly mentioned the villain’s youth: he had once loved a teacher who became his white moonlight, a life-changing presence. But how exactly that came to be was up to Yu Mu to figure out.
When the villain first appeared in the story, he was already in his thirties—powerful, rich, and extremely handsome. Outwardly, he gave no hint of how deeply disturbed he really was.
Midway through the plot, the villain even forced the heroine to cut her hair, bind her chest, wear men’s clothing, and was planning to force her to undergo gender reassignment surgery. If the male lead hadn’t intervened in time, the heroine would’ve been completely transformed into a man.
The male lead eventually rescued her, the villain’s crimes were exposed, and as the police dragged him away, he suddenly shouted:
“Teacher!”
The heroine, terrified, hid in the male lead’s arms.
The villain just shook his head and smiled, muttering,
“No… you’re not teacher.”
Then, to everyone’s shock, he swiftly grabbed the gun from a police officer’s belt… and took his own life.
Yu Mu was a straight man. He couldn't quite understand why a man would fall in love with another man, so naturally, he couldn't comprehend the villain's feelings for the teacher either.
But since the novel made it clear that the villain only had a crush on the teacher in his youth, all he had to do was treat the villain well and max out his favorability level.
As for the inner turmoil and pain the villain might feel after falling for him—there was no need for a straight man like him to try and understand that.
With his mindset adjusted, Yu Mu carried the basin and stepped outside to pour water.
It was a chilly morning in April. He had gone to bed wearing just a white tank top and boxer shorts, and he hadn’t changed.
Someone in the courtyard was already up—Zhang Mei, who lived next door. She was about thirty, a little plump, and was standing at her doorway boiling eggs and millet porridge. The fragrance filled the courtyard.
“Up already, Teacher Yu?” she greeted him with a smile. “Wearing so little in this cold? Hurry back inside and put something on!”
Due to a work transfer, Yu Mu had moved into the courtyard just two days ago to take up a teaching post at Beicheng No. 5 High School. But Zhang Mei was well-informed and already knew he was here to teach. It hadn’t taken long for her to start calling him “Teacher Yu.”
She opened the pot lid, scooped out two millet-covered eggs, rinsed them clean, and walked over to hand them to Yu Mu. “Here, Teacher Yu, take these for breakfast.”
Yu Mu knew she meant well. After politely refusing a few times, he accepted them.
Just as he was about to turn and head back inside, a loud crash of breaking glass came from the house across the courtyard. This was followed by hurried footsteps, a heavy thud, and some furious cursing.
The door was flung open, and a frail woman was yanked out by her hair by a tall man and thrown to the ground. Before she could get up, the man grabbed a broom leaning against the wall and began beating her.
“Tell me where you went last night! Whoring around again, huh? You filthy slut! Worthless whore! Used up trash!”
His foul language echoed harshly through the courtyard.
Soon, a thin and tall teenage boy stumbled out of the house, wearing a school uniform. Blood was seeping from his forehead. He leaned on the doorframe, squinting to make out what was happening.
The moment he understood, he ran over and shoved the man away, then bent down to shield the woman with his body. He didn’t say a word as the furious man turned his anger on him, hitting his bent back with the thick broom.
“You little bastard! You dare to push me?! Getting bold, huh? I’ll beat you to death!”
The man’s blows came down harder and harder. By now, the ruckus had drawn out the other courtyard residents. Zhang Mei’s husband, Wang Bing, was the first to intervene and pull the man away. Yu Mu followed to help, and together they managed to separate them.
While others pulled the man aside and tried to calm him, Yu Mu turned his attention to the boy crouched protectively in front of the woman.
His bangs were long, covering half his face. His left temple had a gash, where dried blood and tangled hair had crusted together, making him look messy and disheveled.
Yu Mu focused on him because above the boy’s head, a line of text had appeared:
[Target: Liang Han, Age: 16, Occupation: Student. Mission Initiated.]
After that, five darkened hearts also appeared over Liang Han’s head.
The system's voice chimed in right on time:
[These five hearts represent Liang Han’s favorability level. When all five hearts turn red, your mission is complete.]
Yu Mu acknowledged the message.
Just as he was wondering how to get Liang Han to start liking him, he heard a sharp slap.
The woman Liang Han had just protected had hit him across the face with full force, snapping his head to the side.
“Get lost! I don’t need you to protect me!”
What surprised Yu Mu was that Liang Han didn’t cry or scream. It was as if he was used to this. He simply lowered his head and softly called out, “Mom.”
The woman yelled, “I’m not your mom! You’re not my son! Get out! Leave!”
Zhang Mei walked over at that point, tugged lightly on Liang Han’s clothes, and said, “Enough, Han. Go to school. Let your mom calm down. We’ll handle things here.”
Only then did Liang Han get up. He tried to reach out to the woman again but was shoved away. He bit his lip and finally said, “Mom, I’m going to school now.”
He went back inside, grabbed his schoolbag, still with the swollen bruise on his face and untreated forehead wound. It looked like he hadn’t eaten, either. The back of his uniform was a mess from the broom beating—he looked utterly wrecked.
Yu Mu squinted as he watched the boy walk past him.
Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Liang Han’s hand. He felt sharp bones and cold skin.
Without giving him a choice, he pressed the still-warm egg into the boy’s hand, wrapped his fingers around it, and held it firmly.
“Take it. Eat it on the way.”
Liang Han looked up at him, his gaze cutting through the long bangs.
After a moment, he opened his dry lips and hoarsely said, “No need.”
He tried to return the egg, but Yu Mu had already pulled his hand back and patted Liang Han on the back, nudging him forward.
“You’re gonna be late if you don’t go now.”
In the end, Liang Han kept the egg—but he didn’t eat it on the way to school. When he passed the garbage truck, he crushed the egg and threw it in.
“System, why didn’t I gain any favorability just now?” Yu Mu asked as he rode his bike to work.
[Host, do you think you’re raising a puppy or something?] the system replied exasperatedly. [Do you think Liang Han is the kind of person who’ll wag his tail just because you gave him an egg?]
“Yeah, he doesn’t seem like that type,” Yu Mu admitted.
Liang Han’s situation was complicated—Yu Mu had seen that firsthand.
With a background like that, it was no wonder he’d become a villain later.
Earning his trust wasn’t going to happen overnight.
Today was Yu Mu’s first day at work. From now on, he would officially be the homeroom teacher of Class 3, Grade 10.
After introducing himself at the podium, Yu Mu's gaze paused for a few seconds on Liang Han, who was sitting in the last row. But separated by that fringe, he couldn’t quite make out the boy’s expression.
Although Yu Mu looked like a troublemaker and had an unrestrained personality, he was actually a good student. Before transmigrating, he’d graduated from a prestigious university. With a teaching plan in hand, the class went smoothly.
Perhaps because his hair had grown out and was neatly combed, and because he was serious when teaching, the usual roguish vibe about him wasn't obvious. He actually left a pretty good impression on the students.
Especially the girls—many of them came over after class to ask him questions.
Yu Mu took the chance to observe the classroom atmosphere.
After a semester of adjustment, the first-year students had already formed small social circles based on shared interests and compatible personalities. But naturally, there were still a few who stood apart.
From his looks to his personality, Liang Han wasn’t the likable type. He seemed gloomy and unapproachable, so naturally, no one wanted to get close to him.
Last row, sitting alone—that setup was most likely the “masterpiece” of the former homeroom teacher.
Liang Han had been completely isolated from the others.
Yu Mu frowned. This was probably what people called emotional neglect.
It seemed that whether at home or at school, Liang Han didn’t have it easy.
At Beicheng No. 5 High, students were required to run laps during the big break—four laps around a 400-meter track. Homeroom teachers supervised nearby, and some even ran with the students.
These kids were growing fast during middle school, most of them tall and lanky. Their parents usually made a point to supplement their diets—Yu Mu had personal experience with that in middle school; his mom had stuffed him with all kinds of good food.
Yu Mu ran with the students and noticed that most of the boys in the back rows were energetic, even playful. Some were tugging on the girls’ ponytails when the teachers weren’t looking.
But Liang Han stood out—he was too thin. His oversized school uniform hung loosely on his frame. He kept his head slightly lowered and ran quietly.
Yu Mu noticed his lips were dry and chapped, even pale. By the third lap, his steps were already starting to falter.
Remembering the beating Liang Han had taken that morning, Yu Mu got a bad feeling.
Sure enough, just before the fourth lap ended, Liang Han fainted, prompting screams from several students.
Yu Mu quickly stepped in, carried him on his back, asked another teacher for the infirmary’s location, and headed over carrying Liang Han.
Having once been a school delinquent, Yu Mu was in great shape. The system had told him that he retained his real-life physical stats even after transmigrating, so carrying a skinny 16-year-old boy was no problem at all.
The female school nurse, upon seeing Liang Han, didn’t seem panicked or surprised. Calmly, she asked Yu Mu to lay him down. She took out a bottle of glucose and hooked him up, then expertly parted his hair to disinfect and treat the wound on his forehead.
“This is the fifth time this month,” she sighed, sitting across from Yu Mu. “You’re his new homeroom teacher, right? What’s your name?”
“Yu,” he replied. “Yu Mu.”
The nurse smiled, “I’m Tian Fang, but you can call me Xiao Tian.”
Her smile faded as she continued, “Mr. Yu, you might not be aware of this child’s family situation yet, since you just took over Class 3…”
The system hadn’t given Yu Mu much information on Liang Han, and now, listening to Tian Fang, he realized things were worse than he thought.
Liang Han’s father was five years older than his mother. After she rejected his advances, he raped her. When she got pregnant, in an era when premarital pregnancy could ruin a woman’s life, she tried to get an abortion, but her family stopped her, saying it would be too shameful. Eventually, they forced her to marry her rapist.
A marriage that started with violence—it was hard to imagine how traumatizing that must have been for Liang Han. His father turned out to be a total scumbag—constantly abusive to both wife and child. His mother soon broke down, developing severe mental illness. At her worst, she’d scream and wail all day, or run into the streets singing. It would take a group of people to bring her back home.
Growing up in such a household, it was a miracle Liang Han had survived at all—let alone with any semblance of quality of life.
After the conversation, Yu Mu stopped by the school store and bought a cream bread and a carton of breakfast milk. While checking out, he noticed a small rack on the counter displaying various hair clips—black, white, colorful, even some shaped like cartoon characters.
He thought of how Tian Fang had parted Liang Han’s hair to treat his wound. On a whim, he picked a pink strawberry-shaped clip.
He remembered when he was nine, a boy named Qi Yuan had moved into their courtyard. Though a boy, Qi Yuan was adorably cute and wore little dresses. He’d had a similar strawberry hair clip.
Yu Mu didn’t know why he bought it—just that ever since this mission started, memories of that person kept surfacing, as if something was pushing him to collect certain things.
When he returned to the infirmary, Tian Fang wasn’t there, and Liang Han hadn’t woken up yet.
Yu Mu placed the bread and milk beside the bed. He couldn’t resist stepping closer and gently clipping Liang Han’s fringe back with the strawberry hair clip, revealing the face hidden underneath.
Liang Han’s features were sharp and slender, his pale skin smooth, lashes long and thick, with a high nose bridge and narrow nostrils. His lips were thin. Compared to the average teenage boy with acne and peach fuzz, Liang Han’s face looked clean and delicate.
Yu Mu wondered why he always kept it hidden.
Was he really that afraid of being seen?
Just then, Liang Han woke up.
He blinked drowsily at the white ceiling, the faint smell of disinfectant confirming he was in the familiar school infirmary.
Almost reflexively, he reached into his pants pocket and felt around for three crumpled bills. Once he confirmed they were still there, he sighed in relief.
He’d helped Uncle Li from the grain and oil shop move goods for an hour last night and earned seven yuan. Thankfully, the money hadn’t been lost.
Now that his anxiety settled, he noticed someone sitting next to him.
It was his new homeroom teacher and also his new neighbor—the man named Yu Mu.
After fainting, Liang Han still had a vague impression — it was this person who had carried him to the infirmary.
He figured he should say something.
"Mr. Yu..." Liang Han sat up, paused, then said, "Thank you."
"No need to thank me." Yu Mu planned to fully commit to playing the role of the responsible teacher. He picked up the bread and breakfast milk, pulled Liang Han’s hand over, and placed the items into it, his smile gentle. "Teacher Tian said you're malnourished. You probably don’t eat properly often, right? Looks like the egg from this morning wasn’t enough. Eat this to fill your stomach a bit."
Liang Han looked at the bread in his hands, once again forced to feel the warmth of Yu Mu’s palm.
Unlike his own long-term coldness, this man's hands were always dry and warm.
Just like the feeling that egg gave him this morning.
However, he had thrown that egg away.
Withdrawing his hand, Liang Han put the bread back on the bed. “Teacher, I can’t accept this.”
“Why not?” Yu Mu frowned, pretending to be stern. “You accepted the egg I gave you this morning — why reject the bread now?”
Liang Han hadn’t expected Yu Mu to bring up the egg. He couldn’t exactly say he had tossed it, and that it was lying in a trash cart in the alley.
He didn’t want to get involved with this man, didn’t want to owe him anything — but Yu Mu acted as if he couldn’t read rejection at all, insistent and relentless.
Seeing Liang Han hesitate, Yu Mu tore open the bread packaging and brought it right to his mouth, his long eyes curving with teasing amusement. “Hurry up and eat it before your teacher gets mad.”
It was Yu Mu’s first time pulling the “I’m your teacher” card — and surprisingly, it felt kind of good.
In the end, Liang Han had no choice but to take the bread and bite into it.
As he ate, Yu Mu’s eyes were glued to the five little black hearts hovering above his head.
But no matter how he stared, those five hearts stayed dark, not a hint of red.
Yu Mu felt a bit defeated.
He’d given him an egg in the morning, carried him to the infirmary during break, and even bought bread and milk — and yet the affection meter hadn’t moved at all?
What was this kid thinking?
Liang Han noticed Yu Mu’s intense stare.
Then, suddenly, it hit him. He reached up and touched the hairclip on his head. His eyes widened, and a faint blush spread across his pale face.
Panicking, he yanked the clip off. The pink color made him flush deeper, and he quickly used his bangs to cover his eyes again, lowering his head and continuing to eat in silence.
Yu Mu couldn’t help but laugh — was this kid’s real self those few strands of bangs? Without them, he actually got this shy.
But in the next second, it was Yu Mu’s turn to stare in shock.
One of those five previously dark hearts — the one on the far left — suddenly lit up, a third of it glowing a brilliant red...
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