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墨書 Inktalez
"Xiao Mo, I really just wanted to check on Uncle Xu that night. I didn't expect things to turn out like this," I said with a choked voice, closely following Xu Wenmo on the way to class. "You are my benefactor, and so is Uncle Xu. I've always wanted to repay you both, but now I can't do anything. I can only do some trivial things for you, but I never thought it would end up like this..."
That early morning, Uncle Xu rushed out and said something to Xu Wenmo. She returned with a cold expression, continuing to go to school, attend classes, and eat with me as if nothing had happened. Yet her indifferent attitude constantly reminded me of how despicable and foolish my actions must have seemed to her.
Even after that night, I was sure there would be no more danger of Xu Wenmo kicking me out when she was in a bad mood, but if I wanted to live comfortably, I still needed to please her.
"Lin Ye," she suddenly turned around, and I nearly bumped into her as I stopped abruptly. "Can we be good from now on?" She said something very down-to-earth and then fixed her terrifyingly bright black eyes on me, staring as if waiting for my response.
I recalled the look she had when she was watching Uncle Xu that night; it was the same now—motionless. Back then, I could see the glaring anger and hatred in her eyes, but now, I couldn't read anything at all. Her pupils were like black holes, pulling me in.
I felt cold sweat trickling down my back. What did she mean by that? Was she trying to tell me that she knew everything and wanted me to stop messing around? Or was she warning me not to spread the word about that incident and let it die down?
I didn't dare ask her and nodded awkwardly, "Okay."
For the first time in many days, she smiled, giving off a feeling of melting ice and snow. I let out a sigh of relief.
Perhaps even if I say this, you still cannot imagine what kind of person Xu Wenmo is. Let me put it in a less precise but relatively simple way: when you face her, there’s an unsettling feeling of vulnerability; it seems like she knows everything, yet her ambiguous attitude leaves you uncertain. This puts you in a state of anxiety.
It's like the hidden masters in martial arts novels who stay behind closed doors yet know everything happening in the world; they strategize while remaining indifferent. But once she takes action, disaster is sure to follow.
Ever since Xu Wenmo said "let's be good," we truly have been "good," going to school together and living together while maintaining a distance that was neither too far nor too close.
Uncle Xu began avoiding me, coming home late and leaving early. When we accidentally ran into each other in the living room, he would just nod hurriedly at me without saying a word before escaping back to his room. Sometimes I'd hear the faint click of the lock as he secured himself inside, which made me feel quite awkward.
But there was nothing else I could do.
We shared the same understanding and never mentioned that night again. After all, my goal had already been achieved; there was no need to pursue anything more for now.
Before long, we reached the end of our senior year, facing the significant life changes of college entrance exams, school selection, and graduation.
A week before the exams, our senior class had a break. Xu Wenmo's mother Liu Ya finally reappeared after more than a year.
It was a lazy afternoon with warm sunshine hanging low in the sky. Xu Wenmo and I sat in the study at separate desks; I was desperately working on practice papers, memorizing key points, and analyzing my weaknesses while Xu Wenmo leisurely focused on an English book as if she had no worries about her future at all.
I glanced at her with a bitter smile; this was the difference between top students and underperformers—not just that but also the difference between Xu Wenmo and others.
At that moment, Liu Ya suddenly pushed the door open and walked in, slightly out of breath. She approached the desk, and just as I was about to greet her, she shook her head and quietly walked over to Xu Wenmo. Upon seeing the book in Xu Wenmo's hands, her expression changed dramatically as she snatched the book away from Xu Wenmo. Xu Wenmo was startled and looked at Liu Ya in shock.
This was the first time I witnessed the interaction between Liu Ya and Xu Wenmo.
"What time is it? You still aren't studying for your review. You can look at these books after the exam; I won't care then, but right now, you need to focus on your review!"
Xu Wenmo's demeanor suddenly turned cold. "Give it back to me."
"Didn't you hear what I said? Review!"
This version of Liu Ya was completely different from the one I had seen when Xu Wenmo was hospitalized due to her illness. She was no longer elegant and composed; she had transformed into an impatient mother.
"Give it back to me!" Xu Wenmo repeated.
Liu Ya glared at her for a moment before tossing the book onto my desk. She returned to Xu Wenmo's side, pulled out a Test Paper Collection from under the desk, and slammed it down in front of Xu Wenmo. Then, she took a pen from the pen holder, grabbed Xu Wenmo's hand, and tried to place the pen in her palm.
However, as soon as Liu Ya touched the back of Xu Wenmo's hand, she recoiled as if shocked. Then I saw that cold glare again. "Don't touch me," she said, emphasizing each word.
"You—" Liu Ya looked at her reaction with a complex expression. After pausing for a few seconds, she chose to back down. "Fine, I won't touch you, but you have to do the practice test. The college entrance exam is coming up soon; even if your usual grades are good, unexpected things can happen during the exam." She rolled up her sleeve to check her watch. "I have to go back soon. Xu Wenmo, please understand me. Do you know how much time I've wasted for other students by coming here? They might lose ten points on their college entrance exam because I didn't cover one question today. Do you know what ten points means? Just one point can eliminate thousands of candidates; can you afford that responsibility?"
The more I listened, the more uncomfortable I felt.
"Just leave," Xu Wenmo said indifferently.
"Do whatever you want," Liu Ya said impatiently. "Just let your dad support you for life." With that, she slammed the door behind her.
The air in the room became tense.
"Are you... okay?" I didn't know what else to say.
She reached out her hand toward me. "The book."
With Liu Ya gone, she transformed back into the quiet Xu Wenmo.
Our class was relatively fortunate; we encountered reforms in the college entrance examination system that year. The school selection process changed from selecting schools before taking exams to taking exams first and then choosing schools based on one's scores. This undoubtedly opened up more options for students who struggled with their college entrance exams regarding retaking exams or employment.
Without any surprises, even after cramming for seven days straight, I still performed poorly on the exam, hovering just above the third-tier university cutoff line. In contrast, Xu Wenmo scored over 80 points above the first-tier university cutoff—definitely a candidate for a key university.
I had to face three choices: vocational school, Private University, or employment.
Private University was out of the question; tuition fees were several tens of thousands per year, and I had no illusions that Uncle Xu would help cover that cost.
That night resulted in nothing more than a high school diploma.
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