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墨書 Inktalez
"I met Lu Zhang in Beijing, you probably don't know that."
As soon as they met, Nanfeng blurted this out.
"Uh—"
"I even went to his house for dinner!"
"Uh~"
"Can you believe it? He bought a house in Beijing at such a young age, and he paid in full!"
"Wow—"
"It was about a year ago when I went to Beijing to discuss publishing matters. Because of my reasons, you harassed him for five whole years, and I felt really guilty. So I got his contact information through an old classmate and wanted to invite him to dinner to apologize. But he has a cleanliness obsession, especially regarding food, so we went to his house instead. I was supposed to treat him, but in the end, he ended up cooking a whole table of dishes, which made me feel really embarrassed."
Ke Li teased Nanfeng with a sidelong glance, "Are you smitten? Are you two together?"
Nanfeng shook his head, "We haven't seen each other since that time."
"Cough, I thought there would be some gossip!"
Nanfeng seemed determined to talk about Lu Zhang, "You know what? His home decor style is very unique; you'd definitely like it. The whole place is done in black glossy tiles, with a row of ceiling lights overhead. All the curtains are electric, and there’s even our middle school graduation photo on the display cabinet! Oh, right, there’s also a string of metal wind chimes on the balcony! Silver-white and really beautiful!"
"I also really like the decor style of the house I'm living in now. Nanfeng, what's wrong with you? If you're still thinking about him, when we go back to Beijing, I'll go with you to find him."
Nanfeng shook his head with a bitter smile, "I've tried looking for him; I can't find him anymore."
Ke Li listened in confusion.
Nanfeng suddenly brightened up with a smile, "The truth! Aren't we supposed to talk about the truth? Let me tell you!"
At 14 years old is a watershed moment. At 11:59 PM on the night before their 14th birthday, children are naive and innocent, mischievous and playful. The moment the clock strikes midnight on their birthday, evil and desire, reason and wisdom, impulse and prejudice will invade their minds in an instant. In just one day, they can grow from simple children into complex adults.
Therefore, children should not be held responsible for their actions; adults should live within boundaries.
The information about those beasts who killed Luo Muye was severely leaked; their high-definition photos were everywhere online. No matter which school they transferred to, they could not escape isolation and targeting from everyone.
Their growth process would be under constant surveillance; even as adults entering society or growing old, they would face condemnation and scorn.
They killed someone; they cannot live happily ever after.
But those who make them pay the price will be punished as well. The police could easily obtain detailed information about the person who posted the video; they contacted the school, and the homeroom teacher brought them into the classroom to find someone. At that time, Ke Li had gone to the restroom. Nanfeng remembered that she had just turned fourteen and might get caught or even imprisoned. Instinctively, she took Ke Li's phone from her desk pocket and put it into her own pocket before coming in front of the homeroom teacher and the police.
"Teacher, Ke Li went to the restroom."
A corner of the phone peeked out from her pocket, and the homeroom teacher keenly seized the opportunity. She "had no choice" but to skillfully unlock the screen and enter the video app to check the posting records.
She was very scared, stuttering as she spoke, "It was me, it was me who posted it. On Saturday, when I went to Ke Li's house to find her, she lent me her dad's old phone to play with, and I... secretly brought it to school..."
Her 13th birthday was approaching, and she felt like she was carrying a huge golden ticket that exempted her from punishment. The homeroom teacher asked her to call her parents, and she summoned her mother. The two stood side by side in the office, heads bowed as they listened to the police lecture them verbally.
After learning what had happened, her mother didn't scold her much; she just told her to be careful in everything. She was careful, but that day Ke Li's dad came to take Ke Li out for KFC. He originally intended to take her along, but her mother said it was raining today and that she would come to pick her up. So she said goodbye to Uncle Ke and Ke Li, holding an umbrella alone in the rain.
As the school rush hour passed, fewer people were at the school gate. The pattering rain gradually softened into a gentle drizzle that tapped on the umbrella fabric, and the surroundings grew increasingly quiet. When a groaning sound reached her ears, it was particularly clear. Worried that someone might be sick or injured, she followed the sound into an alley and turned a corner, where she saw them.
Those murderers!
They were beating up a frail boy. The boy curled up in a ball, protecting his head while blood streamed down from it, mixing with the rainwater. Nanfeng's first instinct was fear; her feet felt rooted to the ground, unable to move.
Someone recognized Nanfeng: "Damn! It's her! It's this little bitch who posted our video!"
They quickly surged toward Nanfeng. She turned and ran; being small with short legs and carrying a mountain of homework made it difficult for her to escape. As she instinctively gripped the umbrella in her hand, various factors caused her to barely take two steps before someone grabbed the back of her collar tightly and yanked her back. Her backpack flew away as she was slammed onto the ground, hitting the back of her head hard. She was conscious but unable to move.
She became like a fish on a chopping board, watching helplessly as those murderers pulled out their usual utility knives. She feared for her life—what would happen to her mother alone? Would she lose hope? That big silly girl Ke Li would risk everything to avenge her; she didn’t want to die, especially not wanting her mother or Ke Li to die.
Tears streamed down from her forehead into her hair.
Nanfeng didn't know what kind of malicious mindset they had; they dragged the boy over, and when she saw his face, she realized it was Lu Zhang, the top student from Class 3 next door. Lu Zhang looked down at her in panic as they shoved a utility knife into his hands while pressing another knife's tip against his abdomen.
"Stab her once; if you don't stab her, I'll stab you."
Tears fell from Lu Zhang onto her face as he gripped the knife handle tightly, trembling all over. Under these bastards' threats, he raised his arm high and gasped for breath before suddenly stabbing downward. Nanfeng nearly fainted from fright but didn’t expect that halfway through, he abruptly turned the knife toward those bastards. Shouting loudly while wildly swinging it around caused several of them to hurriedly back away. Seizing this opportunity, Lu Zhang fled in panic, forgetting to drop the knife still clutched in his hand.
After that, only Nanfeng remained to endure torture.
She couldn't move but could feel hot blood gushing out from her abdomen as the rain intensified again. Lying in a pool of blood and water made her cold enough for her soul to shiver.
She knew she was going to die and kept repeating in her heart: Mom mustn't be too sad; she must live happily—Ke Li, you silly girl, don’t take risks! Stay safe and happy; live well!
She bid farewell to the world when suddenly her mother pulled her back.
"You know me best; you should understand how much I wanted to die when I learned I'd have to live with a catheter for life. I can't even bear to recall that chaotic time; I hated my mom for saving me. I cursed her for being selfish and hypocritical—she would rather let me suffer through life than experience the pain of loss..." Nanfeng shook her head and turned away to wipe away tears. "In short, during that year or so, I continuously broke down and went crazy; I couldn't accept reality at all and didn't dare contact you. I was afraid of going out, afraid of seeing people, afraid of their gazes brushing past me, afraid that the smell of urine would waft far away. I even had to avoid cute little pet dogs because their noses are sensitive enough to smell me from hundreds of meters away."
Ke Li cried so hard she could hardly breathe as she rushed over from behind and hugged Nanfeng. "I'm sorry; it's all my fault! I shouldn't have been so willful; I've caused you so much suffering... I'm sorry..."
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