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墨書 Inktalez
Lin Xu let out a long sigh, her fingertips gently gliding over her phone screen as she quietly deleted the message from the Peking University Admissions Office. She thought it best not to tell anyone about this matter for the time being. Like a stone thrown into the center of a lake, it would inevitably create ripples, and right now, she just wanted to maintain the calm surface of the water.
Just as she was about to put her phone back in her pocket, the stern voice of the head teacher suddenly echoed through the campus broadcast system, reverberating across the empty grounds. Each word struck the students like a small hammer, pounding on their hearts: “Attention all classes, the college entrance examination physical fitness test is about to begin. Please ensure that all class teachers organize their students and make adequate preparations…”
“Oh no! This is it!” Ji Jiumei burst into the classroom like a whirlwind, her face pale as if she had just woken from a nightmare. “Teacher Zhu is going to check homework, and I… I didn’t finish my homework yesterday!” Her voice trembled with urgency, sounding like a cornered animal—helpless and desperate.
Lin Xu was taken aback, looking at Ji Jiumei’s anxious face in confusion. “Wasn’t that assignment given two days ago? How come you…”
“Last night my brother suddenly had a high fever; he was burning up and his little face was so red it scared me. My mom happened to be on night shift, and I was home alone, so I had to take care of him!” Ji Jiumei stomped her feet in distress, her usually neat ponytail now disheveled in several places, making her look even more flustered. “What am I supposed to do now? If Teacher Zhu finds out I didn’t do my homework, I’m definitely doomed!”
At that moment, Luo Yichuan walked in at a leisurely pace, his demeanor calm as if nothing could shake him. Ji Jiumei’s eyes lit up as if she had grasped a lifeline. She hurried over to him. “Luo Yichuan! Um… can I borrow your homework to copy?”
Luo Yichuan frowned slightly, seeming somewhat resistant to the idea of “copying homework.” “Copying homework… that doesn’t seem right…”
“Just this once! Really, just this once!” Ji Jiumei clasped her hands together and bowed repeatedly, her tone filled with pleading. “I promise I won’t do it again next time! I swear!”
However, before her earnest promise could finish, Teacher Zhu’s tall figure appeared at the classroom door like a mountain blocking out all light. In a panic, Ji Jiumei grabbed Luo Yichuan’s homework notebook without thinking and began hastily copying down answers with her pen. The scratching sound of the pen on paper echoed sharply in the quiet classroom.
“Ji Jiumei!” Teacher Zhu’s voice boomed like thunder in the classroom, making everyone’s eardrums buzz. “What are you doing?”
The classroom fell silent instantly; even breathing could be heard clearly. Ji Jiumei’s hand trembled as her pen fell to the floor with a crisp sound that seemed to resonate in everyone’s hearts. Lin Xu felt her heart leap into her throat as she glanced at Ji Jiumei, who looked pale and trembling lips but couldn’t utter a word.
“Report to the teacher,” unexpectedly, Luo Yichuan stood up suddenly. His voice was not loud but clearly reached every corner of the classroom. “It’s my homework.”
Teacher Zhu’s sharp eyes locked onto Luo Yichuan like two knives. “What did you say?”
“This is my homework notebook.” Luo Yichuan’s tone remained calm as if he were stating something completely ordinary. “I… I had something come up yesterday and didn’t have time to finish it, so I just wanted to refer to Ji Jiumei’s.”
Lin Xu stole a glance at Ji Jiumei and saw her eyes wide open and mouth agape in disbelief as if she had heard an unbelievable tale.
“Well! This is quite something!” Teacher Zhu laughed in anger, sarcasm dripping from his voice. “Luo Yichuan, you’ve only been at our school for a few days and already picked up these bad habits? Leading others to break rules? Get out! Go stand in the hallway and reflect on yourself!”
Without saying another word or showing any hesitation, Luo Yichuan turned around and walked out. His back was straight and his steps steady as if he were not being punished but rather someone entirely unrelated. Ji Jiumei opened her mouth as if wanting to say something but was pulled back by Lin Xu.
“What is he doing…” Ji Jiumei whispered lowly, trembling with confusion.
“Don’t say anything yet,” Lin Xu quietly reminded her. “Let’s talk after class; there’s no point in saying anything now.”
As soon as class ended, Ji Jiumei rushed out of the classroom like a bird released from its cage, eager to fly somewhere. Lin Xu followed closely behind, watching her dash into the hallway where Luo Yichuan stood alone with his back turned toward them, gazing out the window lost in thought.
“I’m sorry!” Ji Jiumei ran up to Luo Yichuan and bowed deeply before him, her voice filled with regret. “I shouldn’t have dragged you into this! I’m really sorry!”
Luo Yichuan slowly turned around and looked at Ji Jiumei with calm eyes that revealed no hint of emotional fluctuation: “It’s okay.” His tone was flat; there was no reproach or comfort in it.
"Why... why are you helping me?" Ji Jiumei looked up, her eyes shimmering with confusion and gratitude. "We... we don't seem to know each other that well, do we?"
"I heard you telling Lin Xu that you took care of your sick brother last night," Luo Yichuan replied in a calm tone, as if stating a fact. "That's why you didn't do your homework. Besides, in this situation, being punished by standing in the corridor isn't such a big deal."
Ji Jiumei was taken aback. She stared at Luo Yichuan, her eyes suddenly reddening. "Thank you," she said, her voice choked with emotion, filled with appreciation and warmth.
At that moment, Ye Feng appeared at the top of the stairs, hands in his pockets, strolling leisurely down. He glanced at the three people in the corridor, a thoughtful smile playing on his lips, as if hiding some unknown secret. Lin Xu noticed that Ji Jiumei's gaze lingered on Luo Yichuan for a few extra seconds, and in her eyes, there seemed to flicker some unspoken feelings.
In the following days, Ji Jiumei began to undergo subtle changes. Her skirts gradually became shorter, seemingly wanting to showcase a more beautiful side of herself. Her hair was meticulously styled, each strand exuding a faint fragrance. She even carefully selected a lipstick that matched Ye Xiao's and applied it delicately to her lips, making her appear even more radiant.
"What’s going on with you?" Lin Xu observed Ji Jiumei's transformation but hesitated to speak. She didn't know how to express her concerns without hurting Ji Jiumei's self-esteem.
"I want to change a bit," Ji Jiumei said as she examined herself in the mirror, a faint smile appearing on her lips. "Don't you think Ye Xiao is amazing? She's beautiful, has great poise, and excels Academic Affairs Office ally—she's practically the embodiment of a perfect goddess."
Lin Xu frowned; she disliked Ji Jiumei belittling herself while elevating others. "But you're not Ye Xiao. You're Ji Jiumei—one of a kind."
"I know," Ji Jiumei smiled again, but this time it carried a hint of bitterness and helplessness. "I just want to be... a little better, a little more outstanding. Maybe then..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but Lin Xu understood the unspoken words.
That day after school, Lin Xu saw Ji Jiumei muster her courage to approach Luo Yichuan's father—the well-known math teacher at their school, renowned for his rigorous teaching style and profound Academic Affairs Office knowledge. " teacher Luo, may I ask you a math question?" Ji Jiumei's voice trembled slightly with nervousness and anticipation as she held out an exercise book titled "Selected Difficult Problems for College Entrance Examination."
Luo Yichuan happened to come out of the classroom and witnessed this scene; his expression turned somewhat peculiar. He walked over with an amused look at Ji Jiumei and teased lightly, "So you're interested in my dad's teaching methods? Or do you think my skills aren't enough to teach you?"
Ji Jiumei's face flushed instantly. She hurriedly waved her hands in explanation. "I... I didn't mean it like that! I just... wanted to ask about this problem..."
"Then why not just ask me directly?" Luo Yichuan raised an eyebrow, pressing on. "Do you think I would eat you?"
"I..." Ji Jiumei stammered, unsure how to respond. She stole a glance at Luo Yichuan only to find him looking at her with an amused expression that seemed to see right through her.
Suddenly, a workbook fell from above and landed squarely on the back of Luo Yichuan's head with a thud. He winced and turned around to see Lin Xu standing not far away, holding another workbook with an angry glare.
"What's wrong with you?" Lin Xu raised her voice unusually high, filled with reproach. "Jiumei wants to learn and seeks help from the teacher—what’s wrong with that? Why do you have to speak so sarcastically?"
"Exactly!" Another workbook flew out of nowhere and hit Luo Yichuan squarely on the shoulder. Everyone looked around but couldn't find its owner; it seemed to have appeared out of thin air.
Luo Yichuan rubbed his head helplessly and touched his shoulder with a wry smile. "I... I never said she couldn't ask! I was just joking; do you really need to get so worked up about it?"
Ji Jiumei watched this dramatic scene unfold and suddenly burst into laughter. Seeing Luo Yichuan’s aggrieved expression made her feel both amused and exasperated. However, as she laughed, tears began to flow uncontrollably down her cheeks—each droplet glistening as it fell onto the ground like shattered glass petals.
"How can I stop liking someone?" she murmured softly, her voice barely audible yet striking Lin Xu’s heart like a heavy blow.
This statement rippled through Lin Xu’s mind like a stone thrown into calm water. Her heart trembled as she watched her friend cry; she suddenly felt dazed. Memories of Ye Feng flooded back—her own hidden feelings that she dared not voice—those sweet yet bittersweet secrets.
Luo Yichuan opened his mouth as if wanting to say something but ultimately remained silent, standing there quietly watching Ji Jiumei with complex emotions swirling in his eyes.
The corridor fell silent except for Ji Jiumei’s soft sobs echoing through the emptiness—a poignant sound that felt especially desolate in the vast space. In the distance, the school broadcast announced reminders for physical exams for college entrance examinations; its mechanical voice floated like an ethereal dream—so disconnected from reality yet undeniably present.
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