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墨書 Inktalez
Everyone around turned to look, each trying to suppress their expressions, wanting to laugh but not daring to be too exuberant.
After all, Jiang Wen was still just a young boy, both emotionally and physically inexperienced. The impact of those words was overwhelming, severely stimulating his fragile adolescent heart.
He felt embarrassed, his small face quickly turning from pale to flushed as he lowly exclaimed, "Are you a pervert?"
A boy nearby also turned around and teased her, "Hey, hey, hey, Feng Ning, what's wrong with you? Why are you always trying to get the class heartthrob's attention?"
Under everyone's gaze, Feng Ning leisurely retorted, "What else? Am I supposed to go after you?"
The boy had merely been joking around but was left speechless by her comeback. Coming back to his senses, he huffed, "Come on, just give it up. Don't think a toad can eat swan meat."
Unexpectedly, Feng Ning rolled up her book and lightly tapped Jiang Wen's wrist, her eyes curving into a smile. "Handsome, what kind of toad do you like?"
At this point, the other boys completely lost it and burst into laughter, pounding the table. The commotion was so loud that it drew attention from all corners of the classroom.
Jiang Wen's expression changed several times; he couldn't find the space to think and awkwardly turned his head away.
He had been confessed to publicly before; nothing was as outrageous or exaggerated as this moment. Yet this time felt different—he was caught between reacting and not reacting. Mixed with an inexplicable tension and helplessness, he actually felt quite embarrassed but couldn't pinpoint why.
The incident of Jiang Wen being teased by a girl spread quickly.
That evening during dinner, someone from another class who knew him rushed over with a sly grin and tugged at his clothes, saying, "Tsk tsk, let me see where that sexy mole on the headliner is!"
Jiang Wen cursed under his breath and sidestepped to shake off the hand.
They were laughing and joking when a girl nearby hesitated for a moment, glancing around. After being nudged by her friends, she finally mustered the courage to slowly approach their table and cautiously asked, "Um, can I add you on WeChat?"
Jiang Wen turned his head only after someone nudged his shoulder. He looked her up and down for two or three seconds. Lazily lowering his dark lashes, he casually replied, "Sorry, I don't have a phone."
The attitude was somewhat lacking in sincerity; it wasn't exactly arrogance, just a habitual nonchalance.
"Oh... okay." The girl couldn't hide her disappointment and quickly walked away.
The group at the table, used to such scenes, began to chatter, "Why has Jiang Wen become so heartless towards girls? Look at him, he's practically unrecognizable!"
Zhao Binlin snorted, "As a handsome guy, we maintain our composure even with pretty girls. Only the ugly ones are shameless."
Xi Gaoyuan patted Jiang Wen on the head and asked seriously, "Hey buddy, why is your head giving off steam?"
"Get lost." Jiang Wen brushed his hair back lazily and shot him a glance. "What steam?"
"You're just so cool!"
Laughter erupted around the table.
*
Tong Erdie poked at the rice in front of her, making a hole and not stopping there. It wasn't until someone called her name that she snapped out of it. Her eyes wandered to the side. After a moment, she pulled out a piece of paper and stood up. "I'm going to the restroom."
As she passed by that table, she deliberately slowed her pace. Amidst the laughter of that group, Jiang Wen seemed to lift his head slightly and glance at her.
Step by step, Tong Erdie walked closer, distractedly wondering if he had looked at her for more than just a moment. Her heart raced with anxiety; she wanted to turn around to confirm but couldn't bring herself to do it.
If she turned around so boldly, how would that be any different from the girls who usually chased after him?
Sudden joy gave way to an empty sense of longing. She bit her lip as her heart pounded fiercely, recalling the day they first met.
That day, it rained heavily and fog rolled in, making visibility on the road very low. Tong Erdie had just stepped out of her dormitory building when she slipped around a corner and bumped into someone. She winced in pain and looked at the person she had collided with.
He was holding an umbrella, tall and slender, with wrists that resembled bamboo branches. She raised her gaze further up. He wore a low-neck black t-shirt that accentuated his collarbone, and on his chest was a pattern of a wilting red rose that slightly swayed with his breathing.
His short hair was jet black, his face pale, and he had light eyelashes. There was a small brown mole beside his brow, and the corners of his eyes were slightly upturned, exuding an extreme indifference.
Tong Erdie instinctively took a step back, momentarily forgetting to breathe as she blinked twice. She had never seen anyone so strikingly handsome.
It was remarkably similar to scenes from a comic. The people around them blurred into the background, becoming indistinct. He slowly tilted his head, lowering his eyelashes as he looked at her. His delicate brows and long eyes seemed to tower over her.
On her way to class, a female companion told her that the boy she had just encountered was named Jiang Wen, and many girls at school were interested in him; he was quite popular. Tong Erdie's mind was already a muddled mess, but she firmly remembered this name.
The second time she saw him was one night. In the dim light, she sat in the classroom, gazing out at the corridor through the window.
A girl with tearful eyes stood in front of Jiang Wen, gripping his wrist as she spoke while crying. How could she still cry knowing so many people were watching her?
Yet he remained frowning throughout, his expression unchanged.
Behind them, others chattered excitedly, discussing her lack of composure in hushed tones. "Oh my, how embarrassing."
"Yeah, yeah, she must have collapsed after finding out Jiang Wen is with someone from Class Six."
"What? Are you sure? Who from Class Six? Is that true?"
"I don't know the details; I just heard someone saw Jiang Wen having dinner with her or something. It should be pretty accurate."
"They're from two different worlds anyway; why bother?"
Tong Erdie perked up her ears, her mind wandering. When she came to her senses, she found that the ink on her notebook had smudged into a circle.
She couldn't write another word, a strong fear rising within her—she might end up like the girl outside the classroom, trapped and unable to escape, becoming the subject of others' ridicule.
That night, back in the dormitory, in the darkness and silence, Tong Erdie lay in bed and cried quietly. She didn't dare to cry too loudly for fear of being heard by her roommate.
But it wasn't a big deal.
Jiang Wen was someone she shouldn't even think about.
*
Before dark, Meng Hanmo brought some fruit to see Feng Ning, who called her to meet him at the school gate.
He was smoking. Feng Ning squatted beside him on the flowerbed, talking with him while nibbling on a piece of candy.
The old security guard in the booth hesitated, glancing over for a long time.
"Bro, you smoke so heavily. Do you want some water? I can go buy you a bottle."
Meng Hanmo stubbed out the remaining half of his cigarette, a carefree smile on his lips. "No need, I'm leaving soon; I have something else to do."
"Are you still watching over Brother Ma's place?"
"No, I just help out occasionally. How about you? How does high school feel?"
“Nothing special, really. I’m not used to living in a group; it feels a bit restrictive. But I did meet a pretty nice little girl. You wouldn’t believe how charming I am; now this kid is a fan of mine. By the way, could you check on my mom when you have time? I’m worried she might get bored at home.”
Meng Hanmo ruffled her hair and said, “Got it.”
Feng Ning peeled an orange, tearing off half and handing it to him with a smile. “Come on, let’s have a contest, same as always. Whoever finishes it in one breath wins. The loser pays ten bucks.”
Across the street, Jiang Wen took in the scene. It was around six or seven in the summer evening, with the orange sun slowly setting and people coming and going. He quietly watched them until a truck passed by, blocking his view before speeding away.
A group of boys had just finished eating and were chatting in small clusters when someone called out, “Jiang Young Master, watch out for cars when crossing the street.”
The noise around him rose and fell, pulling Jiang Wen back to reality as he managed to respond with a grunt.
Later that night, back in the dormitory, Zhao Binlin emerged from the shower. He sat on the edge of his bed, flipping through a newly bought basketball magazine, exclaiming that James was just too cool.
He rambled on for quite a while without anyone responding.
Jiang Wen remained silent, propping himself up with his arms. His long fingers rested on the desk, clearly ignoring Zhao Binlin’s chatter.
Finally sensing something was off, Zhao Binlin leaned over and asked, “Can I ask who upset you?”
Jiang Wen replied coldly, “Stay away from me; don’t talk to me.”
*
Feng Ning once taught Zhao Weichen how to pursue the school beauty and shared a classic saying:
When chasing someone, the most important thing is to make them accustomed to your presence. Whether they like you or not doesn’t matter; being seen as annoying is irrelevant. The first step is to establish your presence so they get used to you being around; then you’ve already succeeded halfway.
So Feng Ning was also "pursuing" Jiang Wen in this way, taking advantage of her geographical position to casually toss some loose chocolate bars or lollipops onto his desk whenever she felt like it.
Canned sweets were too expensive for her to indulge in.
Jiang Wen had long been accustomed to rejecting others, skillfully mixing the items she gave him with those from others and tossing them all into the trash without a second thought.
But what kind of person was Feng Ning? She was a typical pretty face with a strong inner self, impervious to criticism. She remained completely unaffected, continuing to give her gifts while showing no signs of feeling neglected when he discarded them.
After a few weeks of this, it was actually Jiang Wen who began to feel overwhelmed.
Jiang Wen came from a strict family and usually maintained a polite facade towards everyone. But that was all an act; once his temper flared, he would look down on anyone who approached him.
After the last class on Friday, everyone rushed home while Feng Ning packed her things. As seats around her emptied one by one, she enjoyed the rare quiet moment, took out her notebook, and started writing paid notes for a certain slacker next to her for 50 yuan.
Jiang Wen placed his belongings directly on Feng Ning's desk, towering over her. "Thank you, but you don't need to send me anything anymore."
Feng Ning, who had been focused on writing, paused and looked up at him in confusion, sizing him up calmly. "Why?"
After a moment of silence, Jiang Wen replied, "I don't like it."
Feng Ning made a few sounds of acknowledgment and tapped her pen against the paper seriously. "Then what do you like? I'll write it down."
He felt a surge of frustration and couldn't help but say, "I don't need it."
Feng Ning grinned widely. "But I want to give it to you."
Suddenly angry, he couldn't restrain his voice from rising. "Why are you giving me things?!"
"Still asking such questions?" She tilted her head, dragging out her tone mischievously as she continued to take notes. "You know the answer already."
"Do you just enjoy provoking people?" Jiang Wen forced a smile, though it looked more like a grimace.
She paused for two or three seconds before replying, "Uh, who have I provoked?"
"You know it in your heart."
Jiang Wen hadn't changed out of his school uniform yet; the blue and white short shirt billowed in the wind, the collar white enough to be blinding. The sky was still bright, with crimson sunset hues breaking through the gaps in the clouds. He was young, but his features were so vividly defined they seemed to have been painted with meticulous brushwork, exuding a kind of arrogance born from being spoiled since childhood.
What had she done to anger this young master in front of her? His harsh words sounded like those of a middle-aged man who had caught his wife cheating.
Feng Ning thought carefully but remained silent.
"Heh." Jiang Wen leaned over her desk, resting both hands on it as he lowered himself closer to her. Slowly, he revealed a cruelly mocking smile, his blood-red lips parting and closing. "To attract my attention, you've really put in a lot of effort. But I've seen plenty of girls like you. I advise you not to harbor any unrealistic fantasies about me. Instead of wasting your time on this, you should focus on your studies; maybe then you'll find some way out."
Before she could say another word, he didn't even spare her another glance as he walked away.
After a moment of daze, an expression finally appeared on Feng Ning's blank face. She wasn't angry; she just felt confused and somewhat bewildered.
However... the image of Jiang Wen leaving flashed in her mind—his slightly pointed chin held high, his face radiating noble coldness.
Feng Ning couldn't help but smile.
—He really resembled a Little Peacock.
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