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墨書 Inktalez
"Alright, alright, I won't say anything more," the man said impatiently.
"By the way, there's something I need to remind you about. You should ask Xiao Ran if anything bad has happened recently, especially regarding anything sexual."
"What do you mean?" The man's tone became serious, and I felt as if I had been struck by a hidden arrow; my back bristled and my heart raced.
"Liu Junliang, our school principal, has been spending a lot of time with Xiao Ran lately. I'm worried he might have ulterior motives and could be inappropriate with her. You might not know this, but he doesn't have any children of his own, and over time, that can lead to psychological issues."
Sweat was already beading on my forehead.
"That's quite normal," the man dismissed it. "I've met him and exchanged greetings; it's not surprising that he takes extra care of Xiao Ran. You're overreacting."
The room fell into a brief silence before the woman said, "Don't you think you're being irresponsible?"
"Let's not talk about that; it's depressing. Put on your clothes and go wash up."
Then there were sounds of rustling clothing.
Almost simultaneously, Xiao Ran and I hurried outside. Once we reached the front door, Xiao Ran gently pulled the security door shut, leaving a small gap. I stood behind her, unable to meet her gaze as she turned to look at me.
"Is Xiao Ran asleep? Why do I feel like no one is in her room?" The woman turned on the light and peered into Xiao Ran's bedroom.
"Don't go in there; if you wake her up, you'll have to explain why you're here. It's troublesome; just go take a shower."
"Oh," she replied.
The woman shuffled into the bathroom in her slippers.
I was at a loss for what to do next when Xiao Ran took my hand and walked straight toward the elevator.
"Uncle Liu, can I switch shifts?" Xiao Ran asked, squatting in the corner of the elevator in her puffy dress-style pajamas, hugging her knees. "That way, Teacher Li won't come to disturb my life with Dad."
I suppressed my unease. "How long has this been going on?"
"Not long after I transferred to Lin City, Teacher Li started sneaking over to our house at night; they think I don't know," Xiao Ran said, tears spilling from her eyes again. "Dad sent me to live in the school dormitory so he could be with her. On weekends, he refuses to come home to spend time with me, but whenever Teacher Li comes over, he always comes back home. Uncle Liu, do you think Dad hates me?"
Xiao Ran's tearful eyes tugged at my heartstrings. I squatted down opposite her and gently said, "How could that be? If Dad didn't like you, he wouldn't have brought you to Lin City."
Xiao Ran shook her head. "Mom said she was busy with work and didn't have time to take care of me; she insisted Dad bring me here. They had a big fight about it in their room—I heard everything."
"What about your grandparents?"
"I've never met my grandparents; they passed away long ago. My grandmother doesn't like me, and my grandfather... people say he's a bad man who got caught by the police and went to prison."
Xiao Ran's family situation was quite complicated, but this complexity had nothing to do with her; she shouldn't have to bear the consequences. What a pitiful child to have such irresponsible parents.
I moved beside her and gently pulled her into my arms. At that moment of sadness, she obediently leaned against my shoulder, sobbing softly, her small body trembling like a docile cat. Her delicate breath brushed against my neck, sending tingles through me, making me lose my senses.
Unconsciously, I began to caress her shoulder and back through the fabric of her clothes—young, smooth, and fragrant. My goodness, I could hardly contain myself.
Xiao Ran shifted uncomfortably in my embrace. I hugged her tightly for a moment before letting go. Just then, the elevator reached the ground floor. I took her hand and led her to the hallway, propping up the bicycle and placing her on the back seat. “Uncle Liu will find you a place to stay first. I'll come back tomorrow morning to have a good talk with your father.”
“Mm,” Xiao Ran seemed much calmer now as she clutched the fabric around my waist. I pedaled without hesitation toward the exit of the community.
Turning into a dim alley I knew well, I kept an eye on the windows of the dilapidated old buildings six or seven stories high, looking for any signs that read "Inn." Such private inns usually didn't require identity registration and were good places for affairs, prostitution, or handling various illegal matters.
I had stayed at these kinds of inns two or three times before, bringing along new girls from karaoke rooms. It was like a disposable cup; once the membrane inside a woman was broken, it was gone. There were only so many sticks to break membranes, but they could be reused. Dozens of membranes could be broken by the same stick, while other sticks would have no membranes left to break, leading to an imbalance in supply and demand.
Oh, don't get me wrong; Little Angel is worth far more than just one layer of membrane to me. Her black hair, her eyes, her skin—everything about her is so precious and pure. Even if she lost that layer tonight, I would still cherish and protect her, helping her weather any storm.
“Xiao Ran, don’t you like Teacher Li?” Although Xiao Ran didn’t show any signs on her face, I still felt uneasy.
“I don’t like her!” Xiao Ran said defiantly.
“Then do you believe what Teacher Li said?” I asked cautiously. “For example, just now she said Uncle Liu is a bad person who means harm to Xiao Ran. Do you believe that?”
“I don’t believe it!” Xiao Ran shook her head vigorously, causing the handlebars to wobble slightly. Just as I sighed in relief and felt fortunate, she suddenly asked, “Uncle Liu, what does 'lewd' mean?”
My legs went weak; my foot slipped off the pedal almost causing me to fall. “It means threatening—like when she said Uncle Liu forced Xiao Ran to do things she doesn’t like.”
“Uncle Liu didn’t!” Her small hand tightened around my waist as if she were earnestly defending me.
“I don’t care what others say about Uncle Liu. As long as Xiao Ran believes in me,” I reassured her.
“Mm, I believe you.”
Finally finding an operating inn, I parked the bike and carried Xiao Ran down from the back seat. While adjusting her skirt gently, I whispered, “Have you stayed in an inn before?”
Xiao Ran shook her head.
I continued, “Do you want to go home tonight?”
She shook her head again.
I couldn’t help but smile. “The inn has rules; only fathers and daughters can check in…”
“Uncle Liu, do you want me to call you ‘Dad’?”
I patted her head. “Very clever.”
“Mm—” She pondered for a moment. “Alright.”
"Is anyone there?"
I held Xiao Ran's hand as we stood at the reception desk, which was located in a narrow hallway. The half-moon shaped table was stained and worn, and a dim yellow incandescent light hung deep in the corridor, its meager glow barely illuminating half of the hallway. Xiao Ran and I were almost swallowed by the darkness.
"Coming—" A worn door creaked open, and a disheveled middle-aged woman in shabby pajamas stumbled to the desk. Without even looking at me or Xiao Ran, she tossed a key from the drawer below. "Twenty for a night."
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