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墨書 Inktalez
Should I go in or not?
I lingered at the door of the Vice Principal's Office for a good ten minutes, my back damp and sticky, feeling as if my soul had detached from my body and flown inside. Chen Lianqing was sitting in his office chair with his legs crossed, wearing a smug expression on his face. Perhaps he was slowly and methodically wiping the smudges off his glasses, just like he wanted to wipe me out of this school.
I grew increasingly anxious.
Should I really go in? How would I face his harassment once I did? What would he say? Would he use this as leverage to force me to resign?
Just as I was in a state of extreme agitation, the door suddenly swung open with a "thud," and Chen Lianqing appeared before me abruptly.
I was momentarily at a loss, fixing my hair and rubbing my palms together. When I finally spoke, I stuttered, "Old Chen, you... you were looking for me... about what?"
"Oh, that..." He deliberately paused, studying my expression. To my horror, I found myself unable to meet his gaze. "Wasn't there a recent push for students to develop morally, intellectually, physically, and aesthetically? A couple of days ago, I ran into an art teacher and thought we should discuss whether our school should add an Art Class."
"Is that all?" I breathed a temporary sigh of relief. "Have him come over for a trial class when he has time; let's see how it goes. If it works out, we can add the class. Art is beneficial for cultivating students' artistic sensibilities."
"Sure, I'll let him know and arrange a time."
"Where's the art teacher from?"
"He's local; he's my uncle's nephew." He said this so brazenly that it was almost laughable, yet I found myself too intimidated to argue.
"Is that all?" He must have sensed something; I couldn't believe he would let this opportunity to undermine me slip away so easily.
"That's it," he shrugged and then patted my shoulder. "I won't keep you; I need to head back quickly. Your sister-in-law has been causing a fuss since yesterday; if I don't return soon, there will be trouble." With that, he walked past me and down the stairs.
I stood there for quite some time, still unable to believe that he would only exchange one position for such leverage over me.
Back home, I lay across the sofa in the living room, staring at the chandelier on the ceiling. I became more convinced that he was plotting something sinister—definitely!
"I told you," Song Yuegui said as she squeezed onto the sofa beside me with her hefty frame, "the couple is back together! Look at what ridiculous ideas you've come up with; they only backfired."
I was too distracted to respond to her and shifted further into the couch.
"I'm talking to you!" Song Yuegui nudged my ribs.
Already irritated, I snapped back sharply, "So what if they're back together! It's all about reconciliation; who wants them to fight? You're morally bankrupt and lacking in manners—do you understand?"
"Your morals aren't bankrupt; you have manners!" Song Yuegui stomped her foot and wiggled her way into the bedroom.
After a few days of unease, seeing Chen Lianqing and his wife happily together while nothing stirred on my end made me feel like perhaps I was just being overly worried. Chen Lianqing was still treading carefully; why would he bother with my trivial matters? After all, he hadn’t caught any substantial evidence against me that day.
Moreover, he had been caught in an affair with Li Hua in the office when I stumbled upon them; Li Hua must have informed him about me waiting downstairs. The two of them likely wanted nothing more than to avoid me right now—who would dare come up and provoke trouble?
Realizing this made me feel quite pleased with my own cleverness.
That afternoon, around six o'clock, I arrived at the playground. The next day was the weekend, and just thinking about not seeing my Little Angel for two days made me restless, as if there were fire under my feet.
Little Angel had physical education class as her last period. I hoped to catch a glimpse of her before she went home, even if it was just for a moment. These past few days, due to avoiding Chen Lianqing, I missed her terribly but dared not act recklessly. Although she was so close, it felt like she was worlds away, which was a torment in itself.
Standing at the entrance of the playground, I looked at the empty track and lawn and felt a wave of frustration wash over me. It was hard to believe that any student would willingly come to physical education class on a Sunday.
Just as I turned my head, thinking I would have to leave disappointed, I caught sight of a small figure sitting under the shade of a willow tree on my right. She was hugging her knees and staring blankly at the bleachers across from her, looking serene and beautiful like a painting.
I walked over joyfully. "Xiao Ran."
She turned her head and stood up, brushing off the dust from her bottom. "Hello, Uncle Liu."
I noticed her eyes were red, clearly indicating she had been crying, and my heart ached as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. "What’s wrong? Why are you crying?"
She turned her face away, unwilling to admit it. "I didn't cry."
"Alright, alright, you didn't cry," I said with a smile. "Why aren’t you going home? What are you doing sitting here?"
"My dad is busy today; he can only come pick me up tomorrow morning," she said gloomily.
It seemed that this was what made her sad.
In a child's world, everything revolves around teachers, friends, and family. Many things that adults consider trivial are significant matters that can deeply hurt these little spirits.
Xiao Ran was reserved and didn’t want to say much more, so I decided not to press further. "Where are you staying tonight?"
"In the dormitory."
"That won't do; all your classmates have gone home. You'll be all alone in the dormitory; it's not safe," I said, trying to think of a solution for her. "How about you go home with your homeroom teacher, Teacher Li?"
Although Li Hua had questionable morals, as a teacher, I still believed she would treat Xiao Ran well.
To my surprise, Xiao Ran shook her head repeatedly in strong refusal. "No."
"You..." Just as I began to speak, I was interrupted by a shout.
"Xiao Ran! Where have you been? I've been looking for you!" Li Hua came running over, out of breath. When she saw me, her expression froze awkwardly several meters away.
The feeling was mutual; both of us felt somewhat uncomfortable in front of Xiao Ran as we tried our best to appear nonchalant. "Are you here to pick up Xiao Ran?"
Li Hua nodded hesitantly. "Her father called and said there’s an important meeting at the company today and can't come pick her up. He asked me to take her to stay with me for the night."
"Alright then; take her back early," I said as I took Xiao Ran's hand, intending to push her towards Li Hua. Unexpectedly, she suddenly darted behind me and tugged at the back of my suit jacket in a low voice. "Uncle Liu, I don’t want to go with her!" Her resolute attitude shocked me.
“Xiao Ran—” Li Hua hesitated, his expression quite intriguing.
I took a deep breath and said, “Alright, you don’t need to worry about this. I’ll take her home later.”
“No need,” Li Hua firmly rejected, then almost submissively said to Xiao Ran, “Be good and listen. You should go back now; there’s no one at home…”
“None of your business!” Xiao Ran suddenly became unruly, like a young beast showing its claws.
Li Hua was definitely angry, but she suppressed her feelings deep inside, and I could vaguely sense something brewing beneath the surface.
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