Chapter 1692
At that moment, the TV show ended, and the Harmony County evening news began. A stunning female anchor spoke clearly, "Recently, under the leadership of the county government, our police department launched a special operation. This operation dismantled several criminal gangs that endangered the public, arrested 64 suspects, detained 47, and, with the prosecutor's approval, formally arrested 32. They solved 122 criminal cases, seized a batch of tools involved in the crimes, and froze over $3 million in related funds. This has significantly curbed the arrogance of the criminals and strongly supported our country's administrative upgrade efforts, earning the approval and support of the public."
Watching the criminals being escorted into police cars on the screen, Audrey couldn't feel happy. She had thought that after such a grand anti-crime campaign, Harmony County would be free of bad people. But who would have thought she would be harassed by a group of thugs at a restaurant, almost assaulted, and the perpetrators even claimed to have relatives working in the police department.
If she hadn't experienced it herself, Audrey would have thought it was a ridiculous plot straight out of a TV drama. Who could imagine these people being so brazen, committing crimes despite the crackdown? If they had connections in the police department, the truth would be even more terrifying. Taking down the criminals was one thing, but if the corrupt elements within the police force weren't removed, new criminals would keep emerging.
But she was just an ordinary teacher and felt utterly powerless. Audrey felt a wave of sadness. Her beauty, instead of being a blessing, seemed like a curse, bringing her constant trouble and making her feel unsafe wherever she went.
Thinking about those men's leering faces, Audrey felt a chill run down her spine, her body trembling slightly. She wished Kevin were there, so she could find comfort in his warm, strong embrace. But Kevin wasn't there; only Abel was.
"Ms. Johnson, are you okay?" Abel asked with concern, noticing Audrey's sudden pallor and trembling. "Are you feeling sick?"
"Oh, I'm fine. Maybe it's just cold in the house tonight." Audrey got up and draped a blanket over herself, but it didn't stop the chill inside her. To distract herself, she started chatting with Abel. She desperately needed to talk to someone to forget those terrifying memories.
They soon started discussing the novel "Love in White City." Abel was deeply familiar with the book, able to recall almost every detail, which delighted Audrey. After all, "Love in White City" was her labor of love, but she rarely had the chance to discuss it with anyone. Having a devoted fan to talk to was a rare treat.
"Ms. Johnson, I have a question, but I'm not sure if I should ask," Abel said hesitantly.
"Go ahead, it's fine," Audrey replied, feeling much more relaxed. She smiled and said, "Right now, we're not in a teacher-student relationship. We're equals, just two friends talking. You can ask me anything."
"Because the book feels so real, I was wondering if it's entirely fictional or based on real-life events?" Abel asked, a bit nervously.
He had been drawn to the novel because it felt so authentic, like a piece of documentary literature. The life scenes seemed like they could only be written by someone who had truly experienced them. The subtle emotions between the female teacher and the male student were so well depicted that it felt like being there. He often wondered what the beautiful female teacher was really like.
When Abel discovered that Audrey was the author of "Love in White City," the image of the female teacher in his mind naturally merged with Audrey. He believed Audrey was the protagonist, but he didn't know who the male student was.
"Oh, it's entirely fictional. How could it be based on real events?" Audrey blushed and quickly explained, "I wrote this story to serve as a cautionary tale, to remind people not to act impulsively. Some feelings are inherently wrong."
"Oh, I see," Abel said, a bit disappointed. "I thought it was based on a true story. Ms. Johnson, you're amazing to come up with such a touching story."
"Well, it's not entirely fictional," Audrey felt a bit guilty seeing Abel's admiration. She didn't want to deceive this innocent boy, and her explanation seemed unconvincing. She added, "It's based on the experiences of a friend I knew. I found her story interesting and adapted it into the novel."
"That's still impressive," Abel said sincerely. "Ms. Johnson, I think your writing is not only skillful but also very emotional. When the main characters broke up, I was moved to tears. By the way, several girls in our class are also fans of your book. If they knew you wrote it, they'd be thrilled."
"Please don't tell them," Audrey was startled. She had written the book in her spare time, and if others found out, they might accuse her of neglecting her duties. Moreover, the book was about a teacher-student romance, which made it even more sensitive.
"Okay," Abel agreed, not understanding Audrey's concerns. He thought it was nice to have a shared secret with her.
"Alright, it's getting late. You should get some rest," Audrey said, standing up with a smile. "Abel, you can sleep in my cousin Kevin's room. He's not home tonight."
"Ms. Johnson, Kevin is your cousin?" Abel was surprised.
"Yes, didn't you know?" Audrey blinked. "Oh, I forgot you're a senior. You probably don't know the juniors."
Abel felt a bit embarrassed. He usually kept to himself and didn't interact much with others, let alone students from other grades. He knew Kevin because of the commotion caused by Kevin kissing the school beauty, Laura. He never imagined Kevin was Audrey's cousin. He quickly said, "No, it's fine. I'll just sleep on the couch."
"That won't do. The couch is uncomfortable," Audrey insisted, knowing Abel was shy. "Don't worry about it. Kevin is just staying here temporarily. I make the rules."
Abel stood up but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen, doubling over and clutching his stomach in pain.
"Abel, what's wrong? Where does it hurt?" Audrey asked, rushing over.
"Ms. Johnson, it's my stomach," Abel said, though the pain was lower, near his groin, but he was too embarrassed to say.
Audrey frowned. "The doctor at the clinic said you were fine. What's going on? Let me take a look."
Abel hesitated, blushing. He didn't want to expose himself in front of Audrey. "Ms. Johnson, it's okay. I'll just endure it."
"That's not acceptable. What if something's wrong? How would I explain it to your family?" Audrey said seriously. She had seen the bearded man kick Abel in the lower abdomen. Although the doctor had checked him, who knew if there was a hidden issue? "This is no joke."
Blushing, Abel reluctantly lifted his shirt, revealing his flat, toned stomach. Audrey examined it but saw nothing unusual. She gently pressed on it. "Is it here?"
"No," Abel said. "Lower."
Audrey's fingers moved lower. "Here?"
"Lower."
Audrey's fingers were now at the lowest part of Abel's abdomen, but his pants were in the way. She hesitated. "You should take off your pants."
"What? No way," Abel instinctively grabbed his waistband, embarrassed. "Ms. Johnson, it's fine."
"Don't be shy. It's no big deal," Audrey said with a smile. "If you went to the hospital and had a female doctor, would you refuse to let her examine you? Just think of me as a doctor. Hurry up, or we'll go to the hospital for a CT scan."
Hearing that Audrey might take him to the hospital, Abel reluctantly unbuckled his pants and slowly pulled them down, along with his underwear. He blushed and said, "I think it's here."
Audrey gently pressed on the area below Abel's abdomen, observing closely. She saw a faint bruise on his dark skin and felt relieved that it didn't seem serious.
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