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墨書 Inktalez
"I have already made my stance clear, yet so many people still want to challenge the limits. Don't think that just because you have good grades, you can slack off and ignore what the teacher says. Open your eyes and see this world; there are many people who are more capable and work harder than you. If you are satisfied with temporary achievements and become complacent, your future life will not amount to much!"
The sharpness of this rebuke was evident, leaving the entire classroom in shock.
"What are you still standing there for? Get out!"
Jiang Wen walked through the astonished gazes without a hint of emotion.
"You all stay in the classroom and study," teacher Tie said as she stepped down from the podium.
As soon as teacher Tie exited the classroom, murmurs erupted.
" teacher Tie is really angry this time..."
"That was harsh."
"Wow, this is going to be interesting."
Zhao Binlin witnessed Jiang Wen casually tossing his paper backward just two seconds before the teacher arrived.
He was so shocked that he didn't even know how to react. With limited eloquence, he managed to blurt out, " teacher Tie's heart is truly iron, and Jiang Wen's head is really hard."
Jiang Wen being punished to run laps on the playground was definitely a sight to behold on campus.
—At least among his peers, almost everyone knew Jiang Wen.
Considering factors like family background and appearance, Jiang Wen was frequently mentioned in various gossip about handsome boys during breaks. He had been the student council president in junior high school, consistently ranked at the top academically, and had a cool demeanor, never glancing at girls who tried to flirt with him.
The colder he was, the more mysterious he seemed to high school girls, akin to Stockholm syndrome; they were drawn to him even while feeling rejected.
In truth, no one was genuinely focused on the lesson; only the class monitor and the English representative were trying to maintain order.
Amidst the whispers, Feng Ning rested her chin on her hand, staring blankly out the window.
Through the glass, a small corner of the playground can be seen in the distance. In a few minutes, Jiang Wen's figure will flash by.
The sun is scorching, and around the playground, small groups of students are gathered for physical education class. Some pretend to pass by, while others feign admiration for the scenery, but their eyes are secretly drawn to someone.
The boys who are being punished with laps don’t feel embarrassed; on the contrary, they are quite pleased. They realize that running alongside Jiang Wen also allows them to be watched by girls, which is quite nice.
Soon, there are posts on the BBS, and the title of one post is particularly catchy: "What’s going on? Does the prince break the law like commoners?"
Responses come in quickly:
User 1: Who is the prince? What law did he break? Please enlighten me!
User 2: In response to the above, the prince is Jiang Wen, running over there on the playground.
User 3: The prince breaking the law and being treated like a commoner? That’s hilarious!
User 4: What happened? What’s wrong with Jiang Wen??
User 5: I heard he was punished for not doing his homework.
The original poster shares a blurry photo, showing only a side profile, clearly taken hastily with a phone. Despite its blurriness, it cannot hide his good looks.
As a result, enthusiasm in the replies grows even more:
User A: Wuhoooooo~ Can anyone tell me what grade he’s in and which class!!! Is he taken??
User B: Wow!!!! He’s kind of handsome!!! His skin looks great!!!!!
User C: So... you guys really don’t know Jiang Wen? He was already famous before... If you don’t believe me, check out the highlights on BBS; there’s a post about Campus Heartthrobs that includes him. I guarantee he looks ten thousand times better in real life~~~~~
P.S.: Not only is he handsome, but his grades are also outstanding. However, he’s quite aloof—not just cold but as cold as the Arctic. He can walk past someone confessing to him without batting an eye and doesn’t even accept love letters from others. Ladies, please think carefully before making your move.
A few people walked in, looking like wilted eggplants freshly pulled from the water, and all the students in the classroom turned their attention to them.
Jiang Wen made his way to his seat, dragged out the chair, and quietly sat down.
"Finally, you're back!" Xi Gaoyuan called out from several rows away, feigning concern as he shouted, "You’re not exhausted or sunburned, are you?"
Meanwhile, Zhao Binlin began reciting poetry with deep emotion: "I long for someone like that, to spare me from shock, to spare me from suffering, to spare me from wandering aimlessly, to spare me from having no branches to lean on. I long for someone like that, who will stand in front of me without hesitation when I haven't done my homework, to spare me—"
"From getting hit?"
After receiving a cold glare from Jiang Wen, Zhao Binlin swallowed the rest of his words.
He had just finished vigorous exercise; his back was damp, and the school uniform clung to him, sweat revealing much of his physique.
"Hey." Feng Ning patted him.
Jiang Wen turned his head slightly, beads of sweat trickling down. He hadn’t caught his breath yet and was breathing lightly.
"Finished copying it. Thanks, study genius. Thank you, thank you, thank you."
Jiang Wen took the paper and glanced at it. The name section had been filled in by someone else; the handwriting was sharp, with the last stroke of the question mark drawn downwards and hooked.
After looking at it for about a minute, he put the paper away in the drawer.
Zhao Binlin was scrolling through BBS on his phone to catch up on Jiang Wen's latest news. As a half-informed insider, he suddenly shyly hummed a tune: "It's hard to turn back after a lifetime of love; I hide my pain deep inside~"
Jiang Wen paused in his motion of picking up a book and stared at him for a few seconds before shifting his gaze away.
Zhao Binlin leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and immersed himself tirelessly: "Do you know the feeling of heartache? It's always me who experiences it~"
Seeing his bear-like appearance, the girl at the front desk turned her head with a half-smile, "What's wrong? Has Young Master Zhao suffered a heartbreak?"
"Nonono, I'm not the one who's down in love," Zhao Binlin replied with an enigmatic expression. "When you're young and don't listen to Jacky Cheung, you only understand when you're already heartbroken."
The morning class was still ongoing, and during the break, several girls had heard about Jiang Wen's seat and came to the ninth-grade corridor under the pretense of going to the restroom to take a look. There were even some unfamiliar voices calling out his name. Some students in the class were whispering among themselves, glancing over.
Jiang Wen was confused and had no idea what was happening.
But he soon discovered the source of all this—his half-naked old photo had been dug up.
Due to that post on the BBS, curious individuals directly searched for Jiang Wen's name and stumbled upon his old pictures.
This half-naked photo had been shared by a friend of Xi Gaoyuan from their social circle and contributed to a thread in the neighboring campus heartthrob discussion.
It was summer, and there were no girls around. They had just finished playing basketball and were so hot that they took off their shirts.
Even if Jiang Wen wasn't standing in the middle of the group, he was still the most eye-catching one.
At noon, when the sunlight was at its strongest, he tilted his head back to drink water, wearing only a pair of loose-fitting sports shorts. His damp hair and the lines of his abdomen and waist were fully exposed to the camera—innocent yet alluring.
Many girls suppressed their embarrassment while saving this half-naked photo onto their phones.
Zhao Binlin stood nearby teasingly holding his phone. "Oh no, oh no! My top model's scandalous photo has been dug up again. Now everyone can see my pure body."
Jiang Wen remained seated, engrossed in his book, ignoring him.
"What’s going on? What’s going on?" Feng Ning, an unabashed flirt with a strong gossiping instinct, asked eagerly. "What scandalous photo! I want to see!"
"Jiang Wen's scandalous photo. Do you want to see it?"
Feng Ning gasped and waved her hand excitedly. "Really? I want to see it! Let me appreciate it!"
Zhao Binlin leaned over and pretended to ask, "So, should I show it to her?"
Jiang Wen remained silent.
"Tsk, if you don't want me to, then I won't," Zhao Binlin said.
"Whatever," he replied, his tone neutral.
Zhao Binlin let out a couple of "ohs," still teasing him, "Give me a clear answer, what does 'whatever' mean...?"
Jiang Wen fell silent again, and after a moment, he said, "Don't show it."
Zhao Binlin sensed his contradictory attitude and clicked his tongue, handing the phone to Feng Ning.
Monday mornings were always particularly tough. When noon finally arrived, Zhao Binlin jumped up from his seat, cheering as if he had been liberated, "Let's go eat!"
Amidst the noise, Jiang Wen said, "You go ahead."
"Why? Aren't you eating?"
"Mm."
His face had turned an abnormal pale. He supported his forehead with his hand, rubbing it while closing his eyes.
Outside, the school dismissal music played. People walked around, bumping into desks and chairs, with conversations and laughter rising and falling. He maintained this position for quite a while until the buzzing noise around him gradually faded.
—Knock knock
Someone tapped on the desk twice.
Jiang Wen opened his eyes; his vision was still a bit blurry when Feng Ning's face suddenly loomed large in front of him.
The two of them were too close, and he uncontrollably leaned back a bit.
Their eyes met, and what flashed through Jiang Wen's mind was the dream from that night. She had been at such a close distance, making him almost lose his mind in the dream.
Feng Ning tilted her head slightly, calmly observing his expression, and after a moment straightened up. "Get up."
Jiang Wen didn't respond immediately and looked up at her.
"You have heatstroke. I'll take you to the infirmary."
*
At this hour, there was only one female doctor on duty in the infirmary. She put down the book she had been reading halfway through. "What happened to you two?"
Feng Ning briefly explained the situation. The female doctor responded with an "Oh," and asked, "Are you feeling dizzy? Do you feel like vomiting? How long have you been feeling unwell?"
Jiang Wen answered each question.
The female doctor extended her hand. "Give me your student ID; I'll set you up with an IV."
After setting up the IV, the doctor instructed him to lie down on the narrow bed.
Feng Ning stood by, adjusting the drip speed for him. "Thanks for that test today; I didn't expect you to be so loyal to your friends."
Her words sounded like a formulaic expression of gratitude, casually creating distance between them.
There is a saying:
When the result is laid out, does it matter what the facts are? Not really; everyone will only choose the answer they want.
So Feng Ning didn't ask about his motives but instead chose a way to explain his actions, masking any underlying tension.
Jiang Wen felt her distance, lowering his eyes and starting to annoy himself.
He didn't know if he was deceiving himself or hypnotizing himself, "If you drink to the point of hospitalization, I would do the same for anyone."
After a pause, he said, "You should go eat. I'll be fine alone."
Feng Ning readily agreed, "Okay, I'm leaving then. If you're not feeling well, go find the teacher to ask for leave and take a nap in the dorm this afternoon. Remember to call someone when the IV is done."
Jiang Wen responded with a grunt and simply turned his head away.
Footsteps faded away, and the door was gently closed with a soft sound.
The white curtain hanging in front of him swayed lightly in the breeze, with sunlight jumping through the shadows created by the window frame.
Jiang Wen stared at it for a long time, still wearing that expression.
The bothersome wind gradually died down, and after a while, the white curtain stopped moving. He forcefully pulled out the IV.
Veins on the back of his hand bulged as blood beads continuously oozed out; he felt much better in an instant.
He got up to prepare to leave the bed but turned his head to one side and froze.
Feng Ning was leaning nearby, looking at him with a half-smile as if nothing had happened. "Little Jiang, why are you throwing a tantrum?"
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