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墨書 Inktalez
Opposite Xu Wenmo, as expected, was that boy from before. He stood up and politely nodded at me, saying, "Hello."
I was taken aback. "You don't remember me? We met at the girls' dormitory."
"Oh..." He glanced at Xu Wenmo and then said to me, "Sorry, there were so many people that day..."
"You only remember Xiao Mo, right?" I joked as I leaned over to sit next to Xu Wenmo.
Xu Wenmo pushed a cup of coffee in front of me. "Cappuccino, it's sweet; you should like it."
I nodded and set my bag down. Xu Wenmo continued, "I'm really sorry; I should have come to find you instead of bothering you to come over."
"Who are we kidding?" I smiled at her. When I looked up, the boy was still standing there awkwardly. "Sit down; why are you so tense? By the way, without your glasses, I almost didn't recognize you." The boy without glasses looked quite handsome upon closer inspection, and standing over six feet tall, he was indeed quite eye-catching in a crowd.
"Oh," he chuckled awkwardly and sat down. "That day I was wearing frames to look more mature. I'm not nearsighted; I just don’t usually wear glasses."
"I see," I glanced at Xu Wenmo and teased, "So how did you manage to win over our Xiao Mo? Back in high school, she was the school beauty and received dozens of love letters every day without even glancing at them. How did you manage to catch her attention so soon after starting college?"
I couldn't tell if the boy was just shy or genuinely innocent; he lowered his head slightly, looking bashful. "I just had no choice but to be thick-skinned and persistent."
I nudged Xu Wenmo's shoulder. She seemed quite indifferent, as if listening to someone else's love story. After I bumped her lightly, she smiled and said, "Don't make it hard for him; we're all not good with words and can't compete with you."
"Oh, so you're defending him now."
She chuckled again and pulled out a clothing bag from the side of the booth. "This is something he sent over a couple of days ago; take it back with you."
"Huh?" I paused for a moment before realizing that "he" referred to Uncle Xu. After all this time, Xu Wenmo still wouldn't easily call him "Dad." "Mr. Xu came to Qingdao?"
"Yeah, he's been here for a while."
My heart sank a little. Recently Mr. Xu hadn't contacted me to ask about Xu Wenmo's situation. I had been feeling relieved until now when I realized he was in Qingdao and could check on things in person.
"He didn't tell me."
"Probably busy with work."
Busy with work? If he was busy, how could he find time to visit her but not me?
"Heh, that must be it. How long is he staying in Qingdao?"
"I didn't ask, but it seems like the company here is expanding or something; he should be staying in Qingdao for a while." She said this lightly and then turned to look at me again, adding, "If you need anything, you can call him."
I avoided her gaze and picked up the coffee cup, taking a sip. "What could I possibly need?"
"By the way, your father has been released from prison. It seems he is asking around in our hometown about your whereabouts. Do you want to meet him?"
I trembled slightly, nearly spilling my coffee, and instinctively blurted out, "No!"
"Alright, I respect your decision."
I clutched the delicate spoon, keeping my head down as I slowly stirred my drink. I noticed the boy sitting across from me curiously observing me, then glancing at Xu Wenmo. They exchanged silent looks, and I couldn't tell what they communicated, which only made me feel more awkward. I felt like a colorful clown whose facade had been pierced by Xu Wenmo's words.
She did it on purpose! She wanted to embarrass me in front of her boyfriend. Afraid I would expose her secrets, she struck first, using my family background to relentlessly push me back into the dust.
She is truly a despicable person!
After that, we pretended to be close and chatted for a while longer. I made an excuse about school and fled back like a lost dog.
Before leaving, the boy asked for my WeChat, and I learned his name: Xu Wenxuan.
On the way back, I sat in the taxi with cold sweat running down my back, my mind in a haze. I thought about how hard Xu Wenxuan had worked to win over Xu Wenmo and how difficult their relationship must be. Then I thought about what my father's release meant for me; he was like a dark cloud gradually approaching me. If he found me, I would forever struggle in darkness. The glamorous facade I maintained in front of my classmates would vanish, and I would lose their admiration and envy. That would mean losing everything.
If it weren't for Xu Wenmo, I would be back in my hometown right now, working odd jobs to support myself while living a sweet couple's life with Xiao Shan. Although it was tough, it was real and grounded. Xu Wenmo pulled me out of that environment, granted me a future, and brought me into a bright and luxurious world. All the lies and exhaustion I experienced were because of her. Now she stripped away her hypocritical kindness and laid the harsh reality before me, threatening and forcing me to understand that she could easily push me back to my original state.
That cruel bitch!
Ding—WeChat notification sound.
I stopped my chaotic thoughts and took out my phone; it was a message from Xu Wenxuan. Before I could even look at it, Mr. Xu's call came through.
I immediately panicked and took a deep breath before answering.
"Hello, Mr. Xu."
"Have you arrived at school?" After weeks of not hearing Mr. Xu's voice, hearing it suddenly brought a faint warmth and sense of reliance to my heart.
"Uh?"
"Xiao Mo said you just parted ways."
"Oh, yes, I'm almost there."
"Did Xiao Mo tell you about your father?"
My heart tightened suddenly. "She did."
"He came here looking for me. Before consulting you, I didn't tell him your whereabouts."
I instantly felt relieved. "Thank you, Mr. Xu."
"He is your father after all. You can't hide from him forever; you will have to meet him eventually."
"Mr. Xu, I..." This was a critical moment, and I racked my brain to find a reasonable response that would show I cared about my father while also expressing my helplessness about meeting him.
But before I could come up with something, Mr. Xu said, "Your mother is missing, he just got out of prison, and he can't find a job to support himself. The only person he can rely on now is you."
"But I'm still in school!" I blurted out in desperation.
"So, you don't want to see him?"
"I..."
"Honestly, you don't have to hide anything from me."
"Yes, I don't want to see him, never want to!" I was extremely angry, and the words slipped out in a moment of impulse.
Mr. Xu was silent for a while. "You don't want to return to your original family?"
"Yes!" I simply gave up and admitted it.
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