Chapter 9: Alone

After the results of the last monthly exam finally came out, Wen Eryu and Lin Cheng were kept back as expected.

There are only about ten people in the classroom. After the teacher finishes explaining the monthly exam paper, there is half an hour of self-study time.

Wen Eryu sat in the last row by the window. She put down the black pen and picked up a red pen from the side and started to work on her wrong answer book.

How could Lin Cheng possibly bear it? Her heart had already flown away.

"Damn teacher, give me back my after-school time, woooo." Lin Cheng lay on the table and complained while drawing a turtle on the test paper with Yao Weimin's name written on it.

Before Wen Eryu could finish tidying up, the person next to him poked his arm.

Lin Cheng asked, "There are still ten minutes left. Why don't we go first? I don't think the teacher is in the office."

Wen Eryu couldn't sit still any longer. She nodded, packed up her things and prepared to slip away through the back door with Lin Cheng.

But as soon as they walked past the office door, they met Yao Weimin who had just come back from making tea.

Lin Cheng whispered, "It's over."

At the same time, Yao Weimin also happened to see the two of them. He pointed his finger in their direction and shouted, "What are you two doing with your school bags on your backs?"

Wen Eryu and Lin Cheng turned their backs to Yao Weimin, exchanged glances, and started running after counting down to three seconds.

"Stop right there!" Yao Weimin put the cup on the windowsill outside the classroom and chased after him.

Wen Eryu separated from Lin Cheng when going downstairs. There happened to be an empty equipment room on the second floor, so she ran to the door and stopped.

There was an open lock on the door of the equipment room. Wen Eryu pushed it and it actually opened. As Yao Weimin's footsteps got closer, she gritted her teeth and hid inside, closing the door as she went.

Not long after, Yao Weimin came over, sweating profusely. He looked around and said, "That's strange. I clearly saw someone here."

"Hey, how did the lock open?" Yao Weimin locked it without thinking.

Few people come to the equipment room on the second floor. It is filled with scrapped equipment that the school has never dealt with. In addition, the lock has been aging for many years and is often loose, so Yao Weimin did not think too much about it.

He turned around and looked down from the second floor and found Lin Cheng wandering under the tree.

"Lin Cheng, stop right there!" Yao Weimin shouted from upstairs.

Lin Cheng, who was originally waiting for Wen Eryu, ran away as soon as he heard the voice: "I'm sorry, Eryu, saving your life is more important."

Only after everyone had completely left did Wen Eryu dare to stand up. She stood on tiptoe and looked outside through the rusty iron window.

The next second, the sound of a deflated basketball falling to the ground was heard from the equipment room.

Wen Eryu was so frightened that she couldn't stand up. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.

Not many people usually come to this equipment room. Could the sound just now have been made by a ghost?

Wen Eryu tried to calm herself down, but it was no use. Her legs were shaking uncontrollably.

"Who, who's there?" she shouted with courage.

But all she got in response was silence, except for the laughter of students in the playground coming from outside a small window.

Wen Eryu opened her eyes and wanted to open the door and run away, but when she pulled the door, she found that it would not open no matter how hard she tried.

It’s over, I’m really finished now, I’m trapped in the equipment room!

Just when she was in despair, she suddenly heard a very light sound of footsteps behind her, getting closer and closer. After a few seconds, it stopped behind Wen Eryu.

Wen Eryu was so scared that her sweat wet her bangs.

"Why are you here?" A male voice suddenly sounded.

Wen Eryu screamed repeatedly, and turned around and treated him to a set of colorful sunshine radio gymnastics.

"God damn it, why is it still a male ghost? Someone come and save me——"

"Stop hitting me... Stop it... It's me."

"Whoever you are!"

"...Open your eyes and take a look."

"Don't open it, don't open it, don't open it."

Shen Jize really had no way to deal with her, so he grabbed her hands that were struggling and held them against his chest.

The distance between the two people narrowed instantly, and Wen Eryu opened her eyes and found that it was Chen Jize.

A person scarier than a ghost...

Wen Eryu calmed down, but her face was still red.

In the scorching heat of midsummer, the equipment room was filled with heat, and her body was almost pressed against Shen Jize's.

The boy's warm breath gently fell on her head, and his chest rose and fell. Wen Eryu felt like she was about to suffocate. They were this close to each other in their previous life.

After Wen Eryu realized something was wrong, she broke free from his hand and took a few steps back.

Shen Jize's school uniform was messy, and one of the buttons on his chest had just been pulled off by Wen Eryu during his struggle. Upon closer inspection, there were a few faint scratches on his neck.

Wen Eryu looked at him like this and lowered her head in shame.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

Shen Jize straightened his clothes and said lightly, "It's okay."

Then he walked to the door and frowned slightly. It seemed that they were really trapped here.

"Did you bring your cell phone?" Shen Jize asked.

Wen Eryu nodded, she took off her schoolbag, unzipped it and started searching. After a while, she raised her head with a pale face and looked at Chen Jize guiltily.

"..." Shen Jize seemed to have guessed it, "Didn't bring it?"

Wen Eryu nodded again and smiled awkwardly, "I was in such a hurry to leave this morning that I forgot about it in the bed."

The equipment room was very small, and the shelves were covered with dust because no one had cleaned them for years. When Wen Eryu passed by, the dust flew in the amber sunlight. She covered her nose and tried to find some tools in there to pry open the lock outside.

While looking for something, Wen Eryu asked, "Why are you in the equipment room?"

Shen Jize didn't answer her but took out a tape from the iron cabinet: "Finally found it."

Wen Eryu took a closer look and saw that it was just an ordinary Walkman, but judging from the style, it was a model from the 2000s.

"What are you looking for this for?" she asked.

Shen Ji Ze fiddled with it for a few times, then skillfully put the tape into the Walkman and pressed the button.

"It was taken in by the teacher before."

Wen Eryu said: "Nowadays, everyone uses smartphones to listen to music. Who still uses a Walkman?"

Shen Jize glanced at her, was silent for a moment, and said, "It's very important to me."

The next second, a gentle female voice came from the Walkman - Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you...

Wen Eryu seemed to understand why this walkman was so important to Shen Jize.

This was the voice of Shen Jize's mother. Shen Jize was still very young at that time and didn't understand what divorce was. He only knew that his mother left him this Walkman and went to a very far place. She didn't come back to see him for a long time.

Back then, Hu Nao felt that he was a burden, so he left him at the train station. In the end, Shen Jize's aunt couldn't bear it anymore and took him to her home to give him food.

The song stopped abruptly halfway through, as if the tape had jammed.

Wen Eryu saw Shen Jize's empty eyes and patted him: "The tape is stuck."

Shen Jize finally came back to his senses: "Yeah."

The setting sun squeezed into the narrow window, casting a dark outline on the wall. Gradually, his figure became shorter and shorter, and the sky darkened.

They have been trapped in the equipment room for an hour. If this continues, the school will be closed and they will have to spend the night in there.

Wen Eryu sat on the sit-up mat, crossed her legs, and called his name: "Chen Jize."

"Hmm?" Shen Jize replied while sitting opposite her.

"Do you have someone you like?"

Shen Jize: "..."

His heart suddenly panicked, and then he pretended to be calm and asked, "Why do you ask?"

Wen Eryu said: "Nothing, just curious. I see that you and An Xinqing have a pretty good relationship. You guys——"

Before Wen Eryu finished speaking, Shen Jize immediately retorted: "No, I don't have anyone I like, and I don't like her."

"...Oh." Wen Eryu nodded, "It seems that those gossips are not true."

Shen Jize: "...Don't believe them."

He stood up and leaned against the iron frame, closing his eyes slightly. After a long moment, he rolled his Adam's apple and asked, "What about you?"

Shen Jize's voice was very low, and Wen Eryu moved closer to him: "What did you just say?"

"Nothing." He touched the tip of his nose.

Wen Eryu smiled and said, "Me neither."

Shen Jize's body paused, and his whole body felt like it was electrocuted. The numbness spread to his heart, and it was as if he had received a positive answer. The stone in his heart finally fell to the ground.

It turns out she doesn't have anyone she likes, that's good.

But, she doesn't have anyone she likes, so does that mean he has no chance?

"Very good." Shen Jize said hoarsely.

Suddenly, he remembered something and asked, "Why did you delete me?"

"Huh?" Wen Eryu raised his head in confusion, "What did you delete?"

Shen Jize: "□□ good friend."

Wen Eryu just remembered this matter. She didn't expect that Shen Jize would find out: "So that's what happened."

She laughed awkwardly, "My account was stolen a while ago. When I got it back, I found that only the □□ team was left in it. Could you please add me again?"

It was a very forced reason, but Wen Eryu really couldn't think of a better excuse right now.

Shen Jize nodded: "Yeah, it's okay."

There was a long silence, and no one spoke. Wen Eryu secretly looked at his back, playing with her shoelaces, and said, "Actually, before we--"

At this moment, hurried footsteps were heard outside the equipment room.

Lin Cheng ran all over the teaching building but couldn't find anyone. Now the only room left was the equipment room.

She leaned over the door and knocked a few times, calling out, "Eryu, are you here?"

Lin Cheng's sudden appearance interrupted Wen Eryu's words.

When she heard the familiar voice, she immediately replied, "Lin Cheng, I'm here!"

"Great, I finally found you." Lin Cheng said excitedly.

Wen Eryu: "I'm locked in. Can you see if there's any way to pry the lock open?"

Lin Cheng looked down at the lock and said, "Okay, wait for me."

Then she ran downstairs and found a stone from the flower bed.

Lin Cheng exerted force suddenly and smashed the stone in his hand against the lock. After repeating this several times, the lock was finally broken open.

The moment the door was opened, Wen Eryu felt like she was alive again, hugging Lin Cheng and crying.

But Lin Cheng's attention was completely attracted by Shen Jize behind her.

Wen Eryu: "Chengcheng, I knew you would come to find me."

Lin Cheng: "So handsome."

Wen Eryu: "Chengcheng, how did you know I was here?"

Lin Cheng: "He's so handsome that it's stunning."

Wen Eryu said: "Go away." She let go of Lin Cheng and pretended to push her.

Lin Cheng quickly retracted her infatuated gaze and apologized to Wen Eryu: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

Wen Eryu: “…”

Shen Jize stood behind them and reminded them coldly: "The school gate is about to close."

Wen Eryu and Lin Cheng then remembered the important matter.

When the three of them came out of the school, it was already completely dark and the street lights were on.

Wen Eryu turned around and found that Shen Jize was no longer there.

"The person left a long time ago, but I'm still thinking about him." Lin Cheng joked.

Wen Eryu asked, "Do you feel that Shen Ji Ze is weird?"

Lin Cheng thought for a moment: "Well, I think so."

Wen Eryu asked, "How do you say that?"

Lin Cheng said: "He is angry."