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墨書 Inktalez
As the teacher finished collecting the exam papers and stepped out of the classroom, chaos erupted within. The white sheets of paper fluttered like snowflakes as students excitedly discussed their answers, voices rising and falling in a cacophony. However, Lin Xu sat frozen in her seat, staring blankly at the glaring score on her paper. The bright red number felt like a sharp knife stabbing into her heart. Her score on the math mock exam was a full twenty points lower than usual, and this sudden blow left her mind blank, as if the whole world had abandoned her.
"The questions this time were indeed tougher than in previous years, with a lot more calculations," Lu Ming's voice came from behind her, gentle and calm like a spring breeze, trying to dispel the gloom hanging over her. "Don't take this loss too seriously; after all, it's just a mock exam."
Lin Xu instinctively bit her lip, her teeth sinking deep into the soft flesh, yet she felt no pain. She murmured to herself, filled with self-reproach and regret, "I think I approached the last big question incorrectly; I misread it and went off track. I had practiced similar problems before and done many targeted exercises, but during the exam... how could I have been so foolish?"
"Was it question twelve?" Lu Ming adjusted his glasses and asked with concern. "Let me see your thought process; perhaps I can help you analyze where things went wrong."
Lin Xu handed over her exam paper but found her gaze drifting outside the window. The snow had long stopped falling, but the sky remained overcast, with leaden clouds hanging low like a massive curtain shrouding the city, creating an oppressive atmosphere that made it hard to breathe. It seemed to foreshadow something ominous about to happen. Her heart suddenly raced; an inexplicable unease surged within her—Ye Feng hadn’t come to class today. Where could he be? Surely nothing bad had happened to him?
"Your approach is actually fine; your overall direction is correct," Lu Ming analyzed the paper seriously, his fingers swiftly moving across the scratch paper. "It's just that at this step, you used the wrong formula, which led to..."
Suddenly, a flurry of hurried footsteps interrupted their conversation like a gust of wind sweeping through. The classroom door burst open with a loud bang, and Luo Yichuan appeared at the entrance, his expression grave and brows furrowed, eyes filled with anxiety and worry. "This is bad! Ye Feng is in trouble!"
Lin Xu's heart tightened painfully as if gripped by an invisible hand that nearly stopped it from beating. She sprang to her feet, swaying slightly from the momentum, and urgently asked, "What happened to him? Is he okay?"
"He got into a fight with some thugs over by New Street near the Blues bar," Luo Yichuan said quickly, breathless from running. "Xia Mo is there too; it's very dangerous!"
"Xia Mo is there too?" Those last four words hit Lin Xu like a heavy hammer, making her dizzy and nearly unsteady on her feet. She shot up abruptly; her chair screeched against the floor in a jarring sound that stood out amid the noisy classroom.
"Don't go! It's dangerous over there; you won't be able to help as a girl," Luo Yichuan said as he grabbed Lin Xu's arm to stop her reckless behavior.
Lin Xu forcefully shook off his hand with surprising strength. "But Ye Feng... he’s in danger! I can't just sit here and do nothing!" Her voice trembled with emotion, tinged with tears yet filled with determination.
"I've already called the police; they'll be here soon. If you go now, you'll only create more chaos and might get hurt yourself," Luo Yichuan insisted earnestly.
Lin Xu stood frozen in place, her heart racing as if it would leap out of her chest. In her mind's eye flashed images of Ye Feng throwing snowballs at her in the snow—his smile so bright and warm like a ray of sunshine illuminating her world. But now he might be suffering unimaginable pain in some dark corner...
"I'm sorry; I have to go," she whispered before turning and running away like an arrow released from its bow, disappearing down the hallway.
Behind her came Luo Yichuan's and Lu Ming's shouts, but she paid them no mind; it was as if the entire world had quieted down, leaving only the sound of her heartbeat and footsteps echoing in her ears. The cold wind whipped across her face like knives cutting into her skin with its biting chill, yet she felt no coldness at all. She ran fiercely forward, heart pounding like war drums urging her on—she had to reach him; she had to save him!
Turning around a corner, dim neon lights flickered before her eyes, casting an ambiguous glow that tinted everything around with an unsettling hue. A crowd had gathered outside Blues bar—shouts of anger mixed with cries for mercy created a chaotic atmosphere that was overwhelming. Lin Xu pushed through the crowd with all her might; what she saw made her heart nearly stop—
Ye Feng was half-kneeling on the ground, one hand bracing himself while the other clutched his abdomen, blood seeping from his mouth under the dim light—a shocking sight that made Lin Xu's breath hitch. His hair was disheveled; his clothes were wrinkled and covered in dust and grime—he looked utterly defeated. Xia Mo huddled behind him like a frightened kitten, pale-faced and trembling with fear.
Surrounding them were five or six thugs with brightly dyed hair who looked menacingly fierce as they brandished sticks and bottles; one held a glinting fruit knife that sparkled ominously under the light.
"Who dares meddle in my business? You must be tired of living!" one thug shouted viciously as he kicked Ye Feng hard in the abdomen. "Today I'll show you what happens when you stick your nose where it doesn't belong!"
"Stop! Don't hurt him!" Lin Xu screamed as she charged forward; her voice sliced through the air like a sharp sword filled with desperation.
Everyone froze momentarily—including Ye Feng—who widened his eyes in disbelief as he looked at Lin Xu. "Lin Xu? What are you... why are you here?"
"Looks like another fool has come to die! I'll take care of you both today!" The thug sneered coldly as he turned his knife towards Lin Xu, eyes filled with mockery and cruelty.
"Don't touch her! If you have any grievances, come at me!" Ye Feng struggled to rise but was kicked down again by another thug who stomped heavily on his back.
Lin Xu felt as if her heart were shattering. She had never seen Ye Feng in such a disheveled state; the boy who had laughed so brightly in the snow, the confident prodigy, now resembled a wounded beast cornered with no way out.
“Today, I’ll show you how I deal with this meddlesome brat!” The thug sneered, raising a fruit knife and lunging at Ye Feng. In that instant, Lin Xu's mind went blank. She didn’t have time to think; her body reacted instinctively. Like a moth drawn to a flame, she threw herself forward without hesitation.
“Bang!”
A dull thud echoed as Lin Xu felt as if she had been struck by a speeding car. Agonizing pain shot through her back, spreading throughout her body and causing her vision to darken. She was kicked to the ground, landing in a heap. Yet she fiercely shielded Ye Feng, positioning herself like a wall between him and the danger.
“Lin Xu! Are you crazy? Get out of here! It’s dangerous!” Ye Feng’s voice was filled with an unprecedented panic and fear. He struggled desperately, trying to push Lin Xu away, but the thug held him down firmly, rendering him immobile.
“I won’t leave… I can’t… I can’t watch you… watch you get hurt…” She gritted her teeth, exerting all her strength to speak, her voice shaky and tinged with tears.
Before she could finish, another kick landed hard on her waist. The pain was nearly blinding, curling her body into a ball like a boiled shrimp, yet she refused to let go. She could feel Ye Feng trembling beside her—was it anger or fear? She could no longer tell.
In the distance, sirens wailed, growing louder and clearer like a death knell. The thugs cursed as they retreated, kicking Ye Feng and Lin Xu one last time before scattering into the night.
Rain began to fall softly, like beads from a broken string, drenching Lin Xu completely. Lying on the cold ground, she let the rain soak her through while sharp pains radiated from her back as if countless ants were gnawing at her bones; yet compared to the ache in her heart, these pains felt trivial.
“Why did you do this… do you know how dangerous it is… you fool…” Ye Feng’s voice was choked with emotion, laced with reproach and concern.
Lin Xu didn’t answer. She watched Xia Mo throw herself into Ye Feng’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably. She listened to Xia Mo's intermittent cries and observed the chaos as the police arrived and medical personnel rushed about. Everything felt distant and hazy, as if happening behind a veil of frosted glass—blurred and far away, as if it belonged to another world.
Time passed without her noticing as she walked home alone, each step heavy and slow. The rain poured down harder, drenching her like a drowned rat. Soaked to the skin, she felt no chill; it was as if her soul had been drained away, leaving only an empty shell moving mechanically forward.
“Lin Xu.” A familiar voice called from behind her like a warm light dispelling the darkness surrounding her.
She turned to see Lu Ming standing there with a black umbrella, quietly watching her with eyes filled with unshakeable concern and tenderness—a deep pool of emotions that seemed bottomless.
“I’m sorry for worrying you.” She forced a smile that was more painful than tears. “I’m fine…”
Before she could finish speaking, tears spilled over uncontrollably like a flood breaking through its dam—rushing forth without any way to stop them.
Lu Ming stepped closer and offered her the umbrella. Unable to contain herself any longer, Lin Xu threw herself into his arms and cried out loud like a child who had suffered great injustice. All her grievances, frustrations, heartaches, and pains erupted at that moment into hot tears that soaked Lu Ming's clothes.
“I’m so foolish… I really am foolish… Am I… am I just an utter fool…” she sobbed incoherently between breaths. “I know he likes Xia Mo; I know we can’t be together… Why did I have to… why did I have to rush in like an idiot…”
Lu Ming gently patted her back as if soothing a child, offering comfort without words—just his presence providing a shoulder for her to lean on.
“But… but when I saw him get hurt, I couldn’t control myself… I just can’t stand seeing him hurt even a little…” Lin Xu’s voice was filled with despair and pain like an injured animal whimpering. “I hate this side of me; I hate being so foolish… I hate myself for being so useless…”
“Loving someone is inherently foolish; it makes one lose their reason and act recklessly—it’s not your fault,” Lu Ming said softly yet firmly. “Don’t blame yourself; you haven’t done anything wrong.”
Lin Xu looked up at him through tear-filled eyes filled with confusion and helplessness: “Lu Ming, can you promise me something?”
“What is it? Just say it; if it’s within my power, I will definitely promise you.” Lu Ming gazed at her with eyes as gentle as spring water.
"About today... please promise me you will never tell Ye Feng, never let him know." Her voice was soft, like a feather gently falling to the ground, yet it carried an undeniable firmness. "Just consider it for... for my last bit of dignity, okay?"
The sound of the rain gradually diminished, and in the distance, the siren of an ambulance echoed through the silent night sky. Lu Ming's gaze flickered, as if some emotion was stirring within him. Finally, he nodded gently. "Alright, I promise you, I will never tell him."
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