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墨書 Inktalez
Qinglan snorted, "You dare to deal with him!" She shot a dissatisfied glance at Liu Jiawei and turned to leave, ignoring him.
Not long after the start of the new semester in early autumn.
One night, the moonlight was bright, and there wasn't a single star in the sky. A cool breeze occasionally swept through the back mountain of the campus.
On her way back to the dormitory after evening study, Qinglan stopped by the restroom, and when she came out, her classmates and roommates had already returned to their rooms.
Qinglan walked alone on a dark tree-lined path.
Suddenly, a shadow jumped out from beneath a flowerbed nearby.
Qinglan was startled and took a few steps back. "Who is it?"
The shadow did not move or make a sound.
In the dim light, Qinglan focused her gaze and realized that the person standing in front of her was the tall and thin An Shaojie.
"Brother Shaojie." Seeing An Shaojie, Qinglan instinctively stepped forward a few paces and called out cheerfully.
An Shaojie was holding several books in his arms, his expression still indifferent as his eyes fixed intently on Qinglan.
"What's wrong, Brother Shaojie?" Seeing his expression, Qinglan felt a bit scared. She knew him too well; whenever he wore that expression and stared at her like that, something was bound to happen.
Qinglan quickly searched her mind for recent events to see if anything related to him had occurred.
Nothing! After thinking for a long time, Qinglan's expression shifted from fear to contemplation, then confusion, and back to fear again.
An Shaojie continued to stare at her intently.
Calmness often precedes a storm.
Qinglan felt a bit flustered under An Shaojie's gaze. "Brother Shaojie, do you need something?" Qinglan's voice trembled as she licked her lips.
Suddenly, An Shaojie raised his hand, and Qinglan thought he was going to hit her again. She hurriedly blocked her face with her hands and lowered her head.
To her surprise, it was just some paper-like objects scattered over her head and face.
Qinglan lowered her hands and looked at An Shaojie in confusion.
"What is this, Brother Shaojie?" She was puzzled by the papers strewn all over the ground.
"Keep your junk to yourself. These things won't win my heart; I won't like you. And I warn you, in the girls' dormitory, you'd better not spread rumors about me. I don't even know you. If I hear anyone say that you're talking nonsense about me in the dormitory again, I won't be polite." An Shaojie's voice was low but cold, making Qinglan feel as if she were standing in a freezing winter night. She couldn't help but shiver.
That night, the stars filled the sky, and the early September night in the southern town was still a bit warm, yet Qinglan felt as if she were standing in a polar ice world.
Qinglan hugged herself and slowly squatted down to pick up the meal tickets scattered on the ground one by one.
An Shaojie looked down at Qinglan from above, as if she were the one who had once been given charity.
"And don't call me Brother Shaojie anymore; your brother is that Liu Jiawei who couldn't get into high school." After saying this, An Shaojie disappeared into the darkness.
Qinglan picked up the meal tickets from the ground and tucked them into her book before standing up. Suddenly, a tear flowed down from the corner of her eye.
Holding her book close, with its thin dark blue cover and white embroidered short skirt fluttering in the breeze, Qinglan's skirt swayed with shiny metallic flakes hanging from its hem, producing a delicate sound in the wind.
When she returned to the dormitory, it was noisy and bustling. Qinglan walked to her bed and sat down.
"What's wrong, Qinglan?" Her roommate on the upper bunk leaned over the edge of her bed. Noticing something was off with Qinglan's mood as she prepared to climb into bed, she asked in surprise.
Qinglan shook her head.
Seeing that Qinglan remained silent, her roommate sensed something was wrong and abandoned her plan to get into bed. She bent down and peeked into Qinglan's bunk.
"Oh no, something's wrong. Our Pistachio seems to have cried, there are tear stains on her face," she suddenly exclaimed.
This roommate, like Qinglan, was quite the chatterbox. Whenever she started talking, it could go on endlessly, and she could chat for hours just like Qinglan.
However, tonight Qinglan was unwilling to talk.
She hurriedly pushed her away, got up, and took a basin to wash her face.
Seeing that Qinglan was not interested in chatting, the roommate also lost interest and went to bed.
At this moment, Xiang Yuanqiu, who had been quietly observing from the side, let out a soft snort.
Monday morning arrived again. When Qing Shusheng handed the exchanged meal tickets to Qinglan, Qinglan did not pull out a few tickets to give to Qing Shusheng.
"What's wrong?" Qing Shusheng asked in confusion.
"An Shaojie. He," Qinglan said with her head down, her toes rubbing against the floor, "he returned all those meal tickets to me."
"How did he know?" Qing Shusheng was even more puzzled.
"I don't know. Maybe a classmate told him," Qinglan replied, her gaze flickering.
"A classmate? How would they know about this?" Qing Shusheng asked, staring into Qinglan's eyes.
Feeling a bit guilty, Qinglan pouted her lips and spoke in a voice as small as a mosquito's buzz, "Once, I accidentally let it slip in the dormitory."
"Oh." Qing Shusheng poked Qinglan with her finger and shook her head. "You know, as a girl, you should learn more from An Shaojie's mother. Look at her; she never spreads other people's business in the village. Don't be like your Mother, who shouts about everything and makes sure everyone knows. Whatever she hears goes straight out into the open."
Qing Shusheng went on for quite a while.
"Alright! I got it!" Qinglan, feeling impatient, linked arms with Qing Shusheng and playfully interrupted her.
"You, unable to keep your thoughts to yourself, impatient, stubborn, and single-minded. With your personality, I'm worried you'll suffer in the future." Qing Shusheng helplessly tapped Qinglan's forehead.
From that moment on, Qinglan never left meal tickets for An Shaojie again.
She didn't know who had leaked her words from the dormitory to An Shaojie.
She couldn't blame anyone else; she could only regret her careless speech.
Since speaking one sentence could easily lead to trouble, from then on, Qinglan spoke less in both the classroom and the dormitory.
Since you are focused on studying hard, I will also bury myself in my studies from now on! If I can no longer help you in life, then let me accompany you in learning!
From then on, during evening study sessions, the last person to leave the classroom was no longer An Shaojie, but Qinglan.
Oh no, it wasn't just Qinglan; it was Qinglan and Xiang Yuanqiu.
Xiang Yuanqiu had always regarded Qinglan as her academic rival and had been studying hard. Now that she saw Qinglan putting in effort too, she worked even harder than before.
Moreover, she was also her romantic rival!
Studying together not only allowed her to keep an eye on Qinglan's academic and emotional developments but also to be with the person she secretly liked! Why not?
So when there were only the three of them left in the classroom, Xiang Yuanqiu would occasionally walk over to Qinglan's seat. It seemed like a casual chat or a break, but in reality, she was observing what materials Qinglan was studying or reviewing.
Every night, when An Shaojie began packing up to return to the dormitory, Xiang Yuanqiu would also start gathering her things. Sometimes she would wait for Qinglan to go back together; other times she wouldn't. She was an emotionally unstable girl whose feelings were hard for others to detect. Thus, when interacting with Xiang Yuanqiu, Qinglan often felt a sense of oppression, tension, and unease. Therefore, throughout their interactions, Qinglan never took the initiative; she always passively accepted Xiang Yuanqiu's sudden closeness and abrupt distance.
However, to outsiders, it seemed that Qinglan and she were good friends and sisters. Regarding this perception from others, Qinglan neither denied nor confirmed it.
But every time Xiang Yuanqiu would smile and respond, "Yes, Qinglan and I are good friends and sisters!"
It was early May in the second semester of the eighth grade.
In the campus, several Pomegranate Flowers were blooming vibrantly, bright red.
As the final exams approached, students were studying in the classroom during evening self-study.
Around ten-thirty, students gradually returned to their dormitories. Only Qinglan, An Shaojie, and Xiang Yuanqiu remained in the classroom.
Just past eleven, An Shaojie stood up from his seat, stretched his back, and began to pack up to head back to the dormitory.
Hearing some noise behind her, Xiang Yuanqiu knew it was An Shaojie packing his things to leave, but she still habitually glanced back.
An Shaojie kept his head down and didn’t look at her as he picked up his belongings and walked out of the classroom.
Xiang Yuanqiu quickly finished packing her things and ran out after him.
Today she hadn’t called Qinglan to walk with her.
When Qinglan suddenly realized the classroom was quiet, she looked up and saw that both An Shaojie and Xiang Yuanqiu had left.
She hurriedly packed her things and exited the classroom.
Outside, the moonlight was bright, and the campus was quiet, with only a warm glow coming from the distant dormitory area, accompanied by faint laughter and various sounds of bumping and falling.
A cool breeze swept by, making Qinglan feel much cooler. Holding a few books in her arms, she hummed a little tune and walked lightly toward the Girls' Dormitory. Without Xiang Yuanqiu beside her suddenly interjecting with hot or cold remarks, Qinglan felt relaxed both physically and mentally; the air around her seemed much fresher.
With her eyes slightly closed, she sniffed lightly, taking in a breath of fresh air. On the path leading to the basketball court, two rows of newly grown Camphor Trees had begun to emit a faint fragrance.
In the distance under the Basketball Hoop, two distinct figures stood out; one was short.
The taller figure was instantly recognizable to Qinglan.
An Shaojie! Brother Shaojie! Since childhood, he always stood like that—feet together, upright and proper. He never stood with his legs apart or in a lazy manner, just as serious as his attitude towards studying, life, and work.
The short figure, Qinglan quickly recognized as Xiang Yuanqiu, who had just followed An Shaojie out of the classroom.
What are they doing standing there so late? Qinglan felt a bit puzzled.
Perhaps Xiang Yuanqiu has some questions to ask Brother Shaojie! Qinglan thought again.
Although Xiang Yuanqiu rarely sought help from other classmates in her studies, she was an exception when it came to An Shaojie. In class, she often approached him with math and physics problems for assistance.
Qinglan initially intended to take a detour and leave, as people discussing problems usually focus intently and do not appreciate being disturbed.
"You shouldn't think that just because you told me about the meal tickets last time, I would like you. I only invited you to dinner out of gratitude for telling me about it, but it does not mean I like you. I've had someone I liked since childhood."
Suddenly, Qinglan heard An Shaojie's deep, calm, and cold voice drifting through the cool night air. Although his voice was not loud, the surrounding silence made it very clear to Qinglan.
Qinglan was stunned.
What! The meal ticket issue was told to Brother Shaojie by Xiang Yuanqiu!
Qinglan could hardly believe her ears because she had asked Xiang Yuanqiu if she was the one who told An Shaojie, since on the day she let it slip, Xiang Yuanqiu had been standing right next to her and had jokingly teased Qinglan about whether she liked An Shaojie.
However, at that time, Xiang Yuanqiu immediately denied it and even helped Qinglan recall who else was present and speculated who might have accidentally let it slip.
She never expected it would be her own self!
Instantly, anger swelled in Qinglan's heart. Just as she was about to rush forward to confront Xiang Yuanqiu, she suddenly heard Xiang Yuanqiu loudly ask An Shaojie, "You've liked someone since childhood? Is it Qinglan?"
Qinglan froze again, halting her steps.
This time she leaned in to listen closely.
"This has nothing to do with you," An Shaojie coldly replied before turning and walking away.
"An Shaojie!" Xiang Yuanqiu called out to his back. An Shaojie's straight posture disappeared into the deepening darkness without any response.
After An Shaojie's figure vanished, Qinglan walked towards the basketball court. As she passed by Xiang Yuanqiu, Qinglan acted as if she didn't see her, but couldn't help the anger boiling inside her and bit her lip.
"Qinglan."
Seeing Qinglan suddenly walk past, Xiang Yuanqiu thought she hadn't noticed her and called out.
Qinglan seemed not to hear and continued walking forward.
"Qinglan." Xiang Yuanqiu caught up to her and tugged at her shoulder.
"What's wrong?" Xiang Yuanqiu looked at her, even smiling with narrowed eyes.
If in the past, Qinglan only felt that Xiang Yuanqiu was somewhat strong-willed, which made her arrogant and isolated, causing Qinglan to feel a bit oppressed and tense, at this moment, looking at her fair and beautiful face adorned with a false smile, Qinglan felt that there was too much depth to her character. The smile concealed a hint of darkness that frightened her, reminiscent of the time when An Shaojie glared fiercely and pushed her hard, or when An Shaojie raised his hand high and slapped her hard, or that night when An Shaojie threw the meal ticket harshly at her head and face. At this moment, Xiang Yuanqiu's smile felt terrifying to Qinglan.
Indeed, Qinglan did not know that if An Shaojie had gently inserted a knife into the edge of her heart now, then many years later, Xiang Yuanqiu would be the one to stab that knife deeply into her heart, while An Shaojie would mercilessly pull that knife out from her heart.
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