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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Beyond
After class, Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue went to the cafeteria for breakfast. As soon as they exited the teaching building, the fresh morning air hit them, instantly waking them up. Even Zhang Qiu's stomach began to rumble, prompting him to quicken his pace.
Walking along the path, Zhang Qiu contemplated his plans. It was difficult to gather his own forces in a short time, and at such a critical moment, it was even harder. Therefore, when it came to choosing people, the only ones Zhang Qiu could consider were those whose grades fluctuated little and who weren't particularly motivated to study. However, how to win these people over was another major issue. Zhang Qiu sighed with a bitter smile; building his own influence was not that easy.
Noticing Zhang Qiu frowning in silence, Jiang Xue gently poked him and asked, "What are you thinking about? You look troubled."
"There's been a lot going on lately; I want to establish my own organization..." Before Zhang Qiu could finish, Jiang Xue interrupted, "Are you trying to get involved in the underworld?"
Zhang Qiu looked at Jiang Xue, whose eyes were wide with surprise, and shook his head helplessly. He sighed and said, "I'm not trying to get involved in anything like that; studying is the proper path. I just don't want to be bullied. If there's a thug out there, they'll definitely come looking for trouble. As for me alone, I'm too weak."
"But you have me," Jiang Xue said, striking a big sister pose with one hand on her hip and the other ruffling Zhang Qiu's hair.
Seeing Jiang Xue's demeanor made Zhang Qiu chuckle softly. "You're still the best."
"Of course," Jiang Xue replied with a smile.
As they talked, they arrived at the cafeteria. Thanks to Jiang Xue's encouragement, some of the gloom in Zhang Qiu's heart lifted. They headed straight up to the second floor; there was no need to consider the first floor, where the crowd looked intimidating—like tumultuous waves that would swallow anyone who dared enter.
On the second floor, every food counter was crowded as well, forming a semicircle around each window. Zhang Qiu squeezed in and got two servings of fried rice and two boiled eggs. Meanwhile, Jiang Xue approached with two bowls of seaweed soup. They found a spot to sit down—though it wasn't easy—and Zhang Qiu helped Jiang Xue peel her eggs into her bowl before they started eating.
"Do you like Huang Jiaju too?" Suddenly, a voice rang out beside Zhang Qiu, followed by a food tray being placed in front of him. He looked up to see Gao Zhi—the person he had previously stopped from fighting—sitting across from him.
"Yeah," Zhang Qiu replied with confusion. "How did you know?"
"Your clothes," Gao Zhi said with a grin as he settled onto the bench beside him. Zhang Qiu realized that his outerwear featured the logo of the band Beyond.
Zhang Qiu glanced at Gao Zhi sitting next to him; their meal time was only half an hour long, including travel time—there was no room for idle chatter. Moreover, he wanted to talk more with Jiang Xue. Gao Zhi's sudden appearance felt rather intrusive. Although he and Jiang Xue were not romantically involved, this unexpected interruption felt just as annoying as having a third wheel.
Gao Zhi seemed unhurried and continued with interest: "I also enjoy listening to songs by Beyond, especially 'Beyond.'" Zhang Qiu nodded with a smile; although he didn't want Gao Zhi interrupting them, out of politeness he couldn't refuse.
From their earlier conversation, Zhang Qiu sensed that Gao Zhi didn't know much about Beyond. Besides "Beyond," there were countless other songs worth discussing from the band; however, due to its popularity, this particular song wasn't often mentioned among seasoned fans.
"What songs do you like to listen to from them?" Although Gao Zhi had started eating, he did not stop his mouth.
"I've been listening to the album 'Sund' recently, and also the one by Apaul called 'Paul Ng Llein.' I really like the song 'An E Dn'; I always request it whenever I go to KV." When it came to Beynd, Zhang Qiu had a lot to say. He even learned guitar specifically because of them.
"I haven't heard of them; I'll check it out later," Gao Zhi said as he took a bite of rice.
With Gao Zhi present, Zhang Qiu intended to stop talking about Jiang Xue, merely eating in silence and occasionally exchanging a few words. Jiang Xue also sensed the awkward atmosphere, quickly finished her meal, and greeted Zhang Qiu and Gao Zhi before heading back to the classroom together.
Walking along the road, Zhang Qiu remarked, "That meal was really awkward; I wanted to ask you something but couldn't."
Jiang Xue nodded vigorously in agreement. "Yeah, I wanted to hear your recent stories too. With others around, I had to hold back."
Zhang Qiu smiled and patted Jiang Xue's head. "It's not too late for me to tell you now."
"Sure, sure."
Just as Zhang Qiu was about to speak, someone suddenly rushed up from behind and tapped him on the shoulder. "I'm done eating too; let's head back to the classroom together." The person walked alongside Zhang Qiu.
Zhang Qiu looked at Jiang Xue and noticed she was giving him a strange look, which made him laugh.
Gao Zhi asked, "What are you laughing about?"
Now it was Jiang Xue's turn to laugh. Zhang Qiu quickly said, "It's nothing; I just suddenly felt like laughing."
Gao Zhi didn't think much of it and continued, "Are you okay now?"
"What do you mean?" Zhang Qiu didn't understand what Gao Zhi was asking.
"The post issue," Gao Zhi reminded him.
"Oh, that matter? It's resolved. It wasn't really my problem anyway; we still have to believe in justice."
"Gao Zhi" gave a thumbs up to "Zhang Qiu," saying, "You handled that beautifully. Many people in our grade admire you." He genuinely felt that "Zhang Qiu" had done a great job. Moreover, "Gao Zhi" found "Zhang Qiu" to be an interesting person; in some ways, "Zhang Qiu" was quite different from other classmates, which is why he approached him to chat.
"Thank you, it's just about protecting my rights," "Zhang Qiu" replied lightly. He didn't want to discuss the matter with "Gao Zhi." Firstly, because of "Director Zhao's" advice, and secondly, he and "Gao Zhi" weren't close enough for such discussions. Before this, "Zhang Qiu" and "Gao Zhi" had hardly spoken. There was only one person he could discuss certain matters with deeply—"Chen Kun."
"That's true, but there are too few people who understand how to protect their rights," "Gao Zhi" suddenly remarked.
"Zhang Qiu" was taken aback; he hadn't expected such a comment from "Gao Zhi." It was clear that he was someone who could think critically. So, "Zhang Qiu" took the initiative to ask, "Do you like reading?"
"I do, but not much," "Gao Zhi" answered straightforwardly.
"Oh!" "Zhang Qiu" nodded thoughtfully.
"It's the weekend soon; let's go karaoke," "Gao Zhi" suggested.
"Hmm?" After thinking for a moment, "Zhang Qiu" replied, "Sure."
The three of them walked back to the classroom together, where morning reading was in progress. "Zhang Qiu" returned to his seat and stood up, reading English words along with the others. The classroom echoed with the sound of reading as everyone prepared for the most important exam of their lives in June.
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