Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Are you looking for Xu Wenmo?" A roommate of Xu Wenmo's peeked out from inside the dormitory and asked me. "I've seen you before. During the start of the semester, while everyone else brought their parents, you were busy helping her out. We, the only children, were quite envious." She was both bold and adorable.
"Did she say I'm her sister?"
"Isn't that so?" The girl looked puzzled for a moment. "She said you were family. We saw you helping her with this and that, and making decisions for her, so we thought... you were her sister?"
I felt a bit flustered and strangely didn't deny it. "I guess so. Is she in the dorm?"
"Oh, no. She went out this morning with a senior from her club to get sponsorships. She should be back soon. Why don't you come in and wait?"
"She's already joined a club?"
"Yeah, didn't she tell you?"
"Volunteer Service Team?"
"I think so. I’m not sure. Xu Wenmo rarely talks to us. During military training, there was a senior who kept coming to find her, and we all thought he was her boyfriend. Later, that student set up a recruitment board with other seniors in front of our formation, and that's when we realized he was from the club. But one thing is certain: that senior is pursuing her." The girl winked at me, her expression filled with excitement.
"Xiao Ye."
I turned to see Xu Wenmo standing in the hallway, her cheeks flushed, leaning against the wall, seemingly a bit out of breath.
I quickly nodded to the girl and walked over to Xu Wenmo. "Are you feeling unwell?"
She smiled and shook her head. "It's just really hot outside. We’ve been running around Jinnan Street all day and ended up like this. Do I look ridiculous?"
"You went... to get sponsorships?"
Getting sponsorships basically means asking businesses for money; hanging banners and distributing flyers on campus doesn't really do much for their reputation.
I couldn't believe Xu Wenmo would do something like this.
She's a smart person; my expression couldn't hide anything from her. "I was just following along to gain some experience; I contributed nothing."
As she spoke, there was a subtle lift in her brows and eyes, and a smile lingered at the corners of her mouth. In just over a month apart, it seemed like her personality had undergone a subtle change.
"Have you gotten a boyfriend?" I asked, staring into her eyes.
"Oh? No, I don't have any intentions in that area for now." Her eyes sparkled.
"For now," a phrase that hinted at something more to come in the near future.
"Is it that guy we met before?"
"Yes," Xu Wenmo emphasized again, "he encouraged me to join the club."
"How did he find you?"
"Well—I didn't ask, maybe he happened to see me during military training."
I pouted, "I wouldn't believe you even if you told me."
She shrugged, showing her helplessness. To be honest, her little movements made her seem lively and playful.
"Forget it, I'll let you off this time. I came all the way here, aren't you going to treat me to a meal?"
"Of course! What do you want to eat?"
How would you feel if a clingy and obedient pet suddenly became independent and no longer relied on you?
All the previous annoyance and disdain turned into a sense of loss that lingered in my heart.
That's how I felt, as if I had lost something. This feeling gradually faded only when I returned to school and got busy with my studies.
Everyone has to grow up; leaving the greenhouse cage is when one's wings begin to spread and self-fulfillment occurs.
I felt this way, and so did Xu Wenmo.
But three months later, when I received a text from Xu Wenmo again, I was still utterly shocked.
"I have a boyfriend; when do you have time to meet him?"
I hesitated for a long time before replying with a simple "Okay."
Xu Wenmo has a boyfriend? I deeply doubted whether I had read it wrong; it was more surprising than suddenly discovering I was into girls—oh, don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not into girls.
But she could hardly engage in normal conversations with others, let alone talk about love?
Just imagine her communicating with her boyfriend.
Boy: "You look really beautiful today."
Xu Wenmo: "Thank you."
Boy: "Shall we go watch a movie? I've already bought the tickets for 'King Kong 3'."
Xu Wenmo: "Sure."
Boy: "What do you want to eat today?"
Xu Wenmo: "Anything."
Boy: "Do you even care about me?"
Xu Wenmo:······
This way of interacting feels dull and tedious just to think about.
It's like a baby who can barely crawl, let alone run.
······ Fine, I admit it’s because of that speculation.
If the speculation is true, how could she have the nerve to interact with men?
For example, if a married woman is raped, she cannot be denied as an absolute victim who deserves sympathy from all sides. The perpetrator should face legal punishment and moral condemnation. But afterward?
The perpetrator goes to prison, yet the victim will not receive fair treatment; her husband, in-laws, and even her own family will unconsciously feel ashamed, as if this were a crime committed by the woman. Although the outside world may sympathize, they subconsciously regard her as a degraded person who can be trampled upon and scorned by anyone.
Do you dare deny this? When hearing news of a woman being raped, don’t you feel a mix of pity and disdain deep down?
Ha, this is not only a remnant of historical flaws but also the ugliness inherent in human nature.
Since everyone feels this way, and ugliness is widespread, it ceases to be ugly; I need not hide it. If Xu Wenmo was indeed molested at the age of twelve, as a fellow woman, I would naturally sympathize with her. But at the same time, I would also think she is dirty, inferior to me, tainted.
Don’t look at me like that; at least I dare to speak out boldly while you silently despise her while pretending to be saints.
At this point, I suddenly recall a question—don’t find me tedious; just this one question.
Tell me, which is dirtier: a woman addicted to one-night stands or a woman who remains chaste for her husband but is raped after marriage?
Can you answer that?
Ha, back to the point.
I doubt whether Xu Wenmo has told her boyfriend about her unknown past.
If she has, how could her boyfriend possibly tolerate it?
If she hasn’t, well then, she isn’t being honest enough.
I had no classes on Thursday afternoon and went downtown as agreed to meet Xu Wenmo’s boyfriend.
The meeting place was a café on the third floor of a commercial building. To be honest, I had never been in a café before; I rarely drink instant coffee and had only tried two-dollar coffee chocolate milk tea from a drink shop outside my high school gate.
“Xiao Ye—” Xu Wenmo softly called out to me from a corner booth.
I walked past the clean tables and chairs, straightened my back in response to the gentle music, and slowly made my way toward Xu Wenmo.
Comment 0 Comment Count