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墨書 Inktalez
"Little sister, what are you busy with?" The boss's greasy voice sent chills down my spine. "Oh, browsing the forum, what's this post?" He leaned down, his chin nearly touching Xu Wenmo's head. "Discussing the commonalities between Eastern and Western religious cultures, what is this?"
From the gap between the boss's elbow and ribcage, I saw Xu Wenmo shift to the side, trying her best to avoid physical contact with him. She coldly closed the forum page, leaving a game wallpaper on the screen, featuring an anime character smiling gently at the boss's stiff mouth.
"Boss, she has a cleanliness obsession, so don’t mind her. Isn’t the shop busy? You don’t need to take care of us," I tried to smooth things over.
"Hehe, it is quite busy. You two have fun; I'm heading up front."
Seeing the opportunity, I quickly moved my chair forward to give the boss enough space to leave. He awkwardly walked away, and I leaned down towards Xu Wenmo, sticking out my tongue and chuckling lightly.
Perhaps influenced by me, she also revealed a relaxed smile.
Next, I played a few rounds of DJ Max, achieving dismal scores. Frustrated, I slammed down the keyboard and packed up my snacks and books. "Let’s go; this is really boring. I’m done with this lousy game!"
"Okay," Xu Wenmo nodded obediently, shutting down her device, shouldering her bag, and standing up. "Let’s go."
By the time we reached the cashier, the boss was nowhere to be seen; only the internet café attendant was leaning back in his chair, lost in his phone.
I placed two playing cards on the counter and exchanged a glance with Xu Wenmo as we walked out of the café one after another.
In the midday heat, the street was deserted and stifling. Dusty sidewalk trees stood silently by the road, even cicadas refused to make an appearance.
"We graduated, Xu Wenmo; don’t you have any thoughts about it?"
"None."
"Hey, that’s too heartless," I nudged her shoulder, and she didn’t even flinch. "We’ve been classmates for two years, eating and living together. Who knows when we’ll meet again? Don’t you have anything to say?" I didn’t know what was going on today; I would never admit there was friendship between us, but thinking about parting made me feel a bit reluctant—just a little bit; I’m not lying.
"Aren't you going to college?" Xu Wenmo asked.
"Where would I get the money? With my grades, I could only get into a third-tier school at most. Third-tier schools are expensive; even if I worked non-stop, I couldn’t afford tuition."
"I told you before; I'll help you."
"Huh? You already helped me finish high school; now you want to support me through college? Are you joking? This isn’t a small matter; have you asked Mr. Xu about it?" I had to admit I was somewhat hopeful; after enduring three years of high school torture, who wouldn’t long for the bright freedom of college? For a high school student, that was like paradise.
"He will agree." There was something in Xu Wenmo's eyes that I couldn’t understand—perhaps resentment or bitterness—that made her so certain.
"Then my future is in your hands." Excitedly, I hugged her shoulders. She stiffened for a moment but then complied. This was the first time I had been so close to her. Looking at her obedient demeanor sparked an impulse within me—I wanted to shout out loud that Xu Wenmo would be my friend Lin Ye from now on!
But falsehood lay ahead; sincerity could only be hidden in darkness.
"Now that we’ve finally graduated, shall we go relax a bit?" I raised an eyebrow and grinned mischievously at her.
She took a deep breath. "Alright!"
"Alright, Sister, let's drink! Drink as much as you want, let's drown all the frustrations, annoyances, and worries!"
"Yeah, let's drown them all!" she echoed my words.
We found a small restaurant, ordered a few dishes, and two cases of beer, drinking freely among the group of men.
"Hey, Xu Wenmo, since we're having such a good time today, let's be straightforward with each other, okay?" I said, feeling a bit tipsy as I pulled a chair closer to Xu Wenmo.
"Okay!" she replied, also a bit tipsy.
"You said it. Let me ask you, did your dad tear down my house?"
"Yes!" she nodded vigorously.
"My dad went to prison because of you, right?"
She paused for a moment and nodded again, "It's my fault."
"Did your dad deliberately keep my dad in prison and then find my mom to persuade her to accept the compensation money, which caused me to lose my home?"
"Yes, it's all my fault!" She took a big gulp of her drink.
"You helped me because you feel guilty about what happened to me, right?"
"Right," she said as she became more addicted to drinking, taking one sip after another.
"Do you think what you've done is enough?"
She shook her head desperately, "Not enough."
"Good that you know. Remember this: my parents are gone, my home is gone; I'm an orphan because of you! Keep that in mind!"
"Okay, I will remember it. I will definitely remember."
"Mm—" I said contentedly as I picked up some food.
"Um... I have a question for you too," she mumbled.
"Go ahead."
"Are we friends?"
"You really consider me a friend?" I looked at her in disbelief. She wasn't stupid; in fact, she was exceptionally clever. How could she not see through my thoughts? Yet she still insisted on treating me as a friend—wasn't that foolish?
"I truly do. Since childhood, you've been my only friend. Just you. I'll do anything you ask of me. Even if... even if I don't owe you anything, I'm still willing to help you with anything..." She swayed and leaned on the table.
"Are you willing to give your house to me?" I coldly laughed at the back of her head.
After settling the bill, I helped Xu Wenmo into a taxi by the roadside and returned to the villa, throwing her onto her bed before stumbling back to my own room.
I really had too much to drink; I needed to rest.
I don't know how long I slept, but I was awakened by the sound of arguing downstairs. My body was still exhausted, but my mind was very clear. With my eyes closed, I let the sounds of the argument slip into my ears.
Due to the door's barrier, I could only catch bits and pieces.
"You owe her; you should repay..." that was Xu Wenmo's voice.
"...I've paid it off; her dad is about to be released, and her mom leaving was her own choice... I supported her for two years; isn't that enough? Xiao Mo, I feel guilty towards you, but you need to be content... I'm not a philanthropist..."
"You touched her body!"
There was a period of silence. "This has nothing to do with you; don't meddle."
"...Let's get a divorce; what's the point..."
I couldn't hear what Mr. Xu said clearly.
"Hmph, for me... so grandiose... it's really nauseating!"
"Slap!" The sound of a slap echoed.
"Xu Wenmo! Do you understand respect for your parents? After supporting you through so many years of school, what have you learned? You have no right to mock my issues with your mother! Without us, there would be no you!"
"Heh, I'd rather be dead."
I heard footsteps stomping up the stairs, and Xu Wenmo's room door slammed shut with a heavy thud.
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