Chapter 7
The first video the platform pushed to Jiang Ci was a scene of Xie Qingyan and Li Ming confronting each other at the library entrance that afternoon! The video's title was extremely eye-catching: "A Scholarly Genius Appears in the Ancient City! Vegetable Farmer's Son Quotes Classical Allusions to Angrily Retort to Ridicule, Showing Off Both Good Looks and Talent!"
The video clearly records how Xie Qingyan, with composure and humility, utterly refuted Li Ming's mockery using classical Chinese. His handsome profile, upright posture, and clear voice seemed to radiate light under the camera's lens. The comment section is already buzzing:
[I need all the information about this senior in three minutes!]
Is this aura real? It's like someone stepped out of an ancient painting!
[That cold-faced guy next to me who looks like he's about to start a fight is so handsome, but he looks really fierce...]
Does anyone know which school this is from? Could you please provide the coordinates?
The cold-faced guy next to him who seemed ready to make a move.
Jiang Ci's pupils contracted sharply, a wave of immense fear washing over him like ice water. Even though the camera only panned to him, and the comments weren't focused on him, he still felt a dizzying sensation, as if he had been stripped bare and exposed to the sunlight. He could almost see the mocking looks from those people at Experimental High School, hear their vile whispers, and hear that pool of bright red blood that could never be washed away.
He abruptly put away his phone, his nails digging deep into his palms, barely managing to suppress the trembling in his body.
As soon as the bus arrived at the station, he practically sprinted off, running all the way back to that cold, empty so-called home. Ignoring the questions coming from the living room, he barged into his room and locked the door.
He slid down to the floor, leaning against the cold door, breathing heavily. Darkness and a suffocating feeling washed over him like a tide. His hands trembled as he rummaged through the depths of the bedside table for a medicine bottle. Not caring about the quantity, he haphazardly poured out a few white pills and swallowed them with water. The bitter taste spread in his mouth, but he seemed oblivious, simply curling up in the corner, waiting for the drugs to temporarily numb the sharp panic and despair.
——
On Monday, Xie Qingyan habitually got up early to memorize her lessons.
Yesterday he read books all day long, forgetting to eat or sleep, and finally felt that his mind was not empty anymore.
This long-lost sense of fulfillment made him feel as if he had returned to the days when he studied diligently in the academy, which brought him immense peace of mind.
I carefully divided the breakfast my mother had prepared into a portion and packed it in a clean lunchbox. This was the breakfast I was bringing for Jiang Ci.
Last night he wrote down many questions in his question book, intending to ask Jiang Ci for advice today.
After carefully arranging everything, Xie Qingyan slung her schoolbag over her shoulder, grabbed her lunchbox, and headed out to school.
However, as soon as he stepped into the school gate, he sensed something was amiss. Many unfamiliar eyes were fixed on him, accompanied by whispers and pointing fingers.
Among those gazes were curiosity, inquiry, and undisguised jealousy. He frowned slightly, puzzled, but adhering to the principle of a gentleman's integrity, he didn't dwell on it, simply straightening his back and walking towards the classroom.
The atmosphere in the classroom became even more eerie. As soon as he entered, the previous noise instantly fell silent, and everyone's eyes were fixed on him, a complex and indistinct mix of emotions.
Li Ming suddenly stood up from his seat, his face ashen, and pointed at Xie Qingyan angrily, saying, "Xie Qingyan! Are you satisfied now? Do you know that I've been cyberbullied because of you!"
"Li, I don't understand what you're saying."
Xie Qingyan was extremely annoyed by Li Ming. In Xie Qingyan's eyes, this kind of person was no different from a street ruffian.
"Xie Qingyan, your video with Li Ming is already trending on social media, didn't you know?" The speaker was Liang Ying, the English class representative and the girl sitting next to Li Ming.
"Video? I don't know anything about it." The original owner didn't even have a cell phone, and Xie Qingyan knew nothing about it either.
Liang Ying immediately showed the video to Xie Qingyan: "Look, because of your looks, everyone is asking which school you go to. Li Ming has been severely criticized because of this."
"What does this have to do with me?" Xie Qingyan stared directly at Li Ming.
"How can it not concern you? This video infringes on my portrait rights!" Li Ming was so angry that he spoke recklessly, blaming everything on Xie Qingyan.
If Xie Qingyan weren't so good-looking, this video wouldn't have gotten such a huge number of views. It's all Xie Qingyan's fault!
"If you want to find fault, you can always find a reason!" Xie Qingyan sneered. "Student Li, if you hadn't spoken rudely first, why would this have happened? The Analects says, 'A gentleman seeks the truth within himself; a petty person seeks it in others.' If you feel embarrassed, you should reflect on your own actions instead of blaming others."
His response, still carrying that scholarly air, was like a silent slap, leaving Li Ming speechless, his face turning red and white in turns.
"Xie Qingyan is right. He didn't upload the video. Li Ming has the wrong target, hasn't he?"
"Who knows? Li Ming just doesn't like Xie Qingyan."
The students in the class who were watching the commotion were talking amongst themselves. Their voices were not loud, but they were just loud enough for Li Ming to hear.
Li Ming was furious and could only vent his anger on Xie Qingyan: "Xie Qingyan, if you don't find a way to take the video down, I'm not done with you!"
The school bell rang, and Li Ming turned around after uttering some harsh words.
Xie Qingyan completely disregarded Li Ming's words.
The seat next to Xie Qingyan remained empty for the entire class. That emptiness made him feel inexplicably uneasy.
As soon as the first class ended, Xie Qingyan got up and went straight to the teachers' office. He found the homeroom teacher, Ms. Mo, and asked with unusual urgency, "Ms. Mo, Jiang Ci didn't come to school today. Is he feeling unwell? Do you know where he lives?"
The homeroom teacher looked at the boy who had suddenly become the center of attention, yet was now only worried about his deskmate, his expression extremely complicated. It seemed he had never really understood Xie Qingyan; this boy was almost invisible in the class, and his impression of him seemed to be limited to two labels: poor grades and taciturn.
When did Xie Qingyan begin to change? Teacher Mo stopped trying to recall, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Jiang Ci's family situation is rather special..."
The homeroom teacher's words carried an unspoken meaning. Although there were many problem students in Class 32 of the senior year, the transfer student Jiang Ci was the one with the biggest problems.
Regardless, Xie Qingyan was someone he had mentored since the first year of high school. Although his grades were a bit poor, at least he hadn't caused him any trouble over the years. He more or less didn't want Xie Qingyan to have too much interaction with Jiang Ci.
"Teacher, I'd like to visit his home. Do you know his address?" Xie Qingyan could easily see what the homeroom teacher meant, but he pretended not to understand and added, "Jiang Ci helped me with my homework last weekend, and I left his notebook with me. I'd like to bring it to him after school."
Unable to find a reason to refuse, Teacher Mo eventually took out a sticky note, wrote down an address, and handed it to Xie Qingyan.
Xie Qingyan took the light slip of paper, but the address written on it felt incredibly heavy. He knew that Jiang Ci's absence was anything but simple.
He clutched the note tightly in his hand.
He must go find him.
——
After school, Xie Qingyan clutched the slip of paper with the address written on it and, following his memory of modern transportation, finally arrived at his destination after several transfers. When he stood before the imposing and heavily guarded gates of the villa district, he couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.
The afterglow of the setting sun spilled over the ornate wrought iron gate of the residential complex, and gilded bronze lamps cast dappled shadows on the beige exterior wall of the gate. A security guard in a crisp uniform smiled and nodded. On the smooth asphalt road in front of the gate, flower petals were swirling in the breeze, gently brushing past the wheels of slowly approaching vehicles.
This was completely different from the environment he had imagined Jiang Ci might be in. It turned out that his deskmate actually lived in such a place.
He composed himself and walked towards the guard post. The security guard sized him up in his ordinary school uniform, his tone formulaic: "Which household are you looking for? Do you have an appointment?"
Following his prepared explanation, Xie Qingyan spoke sincerely: "Hello, I'm Jiang Ci's classmate. He's absent today, and the teacher asked me to bring him his class notes and homework." He gestured to the notebook he was holding.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing the name Jiang Ci, the security guard's wariness instantly melted away, and a complex expression of pity appeared on his face. He lowered his voice: "Are you Xiao Ci's classmate?"
"Yes, I'm from Class 32 of No. 9 High School..."
"Are you two very familiar with each other?"
Xie Qingyan was taken aback. He wasn't sure how well they knew each other, but they were at least on good terms, right?
"Um...we're deskmates."
The security guard seemed to realize something, sighed, and waved his hand: "Come on, I'll take you there."
Following the security guard to a quiet, lakeside villa, Xie Qingyan's heart sank inexplicably. It was too quiet here, so quiet that there wasn't a trace of human warmth.
He rang the doorbell, and after a long while, a nanny wearing an apron and with a stern face opened the door. The nanny's eyes were filled with scrutiny and impatience.
"Hello, I'm looking for Jiang Ci. I'm his classmate, and I've come to deliver some study materials to him," Xie Qingyan explained her purpose again.
"He's not home, he went out." The nanny's tone was curt, her eyes darting around, and she instinctively tried to close the door.
Xie Qingyan keenly noticed the slight unease in her expression; it was definitely not the truth. A strong intuition told him that Jiang Ci was inside. In his haste, he disregarded etiquette and raised his voice, calling into the villa, "Jiang Ci! Jiang Ci! It's me, Xie Qingyan!"
"What are you doing! Get out of here! I'll call security if you don't leave!" The nanny was immediately enraged and reached out to push him.
Just as the two were arguing and pulling at each other, a door inside the villa clicked open.
Jiang Ci stood in the shadows behind the door.
He was wearing pajamas, his hair was a little messy, and his face was an unhealthy pale.
Jiang Ci's lips were tightly pressed together, and he was enveloped in an aura that was even heavier and colder than when he was at school. He saw Xie Qingyan at the door and the flustered nanny, his eyes empty and devoid of any emotion, like a delicate doll whose soul had been ripped out.
When the nanny saw Jiang Ci, a flash of panic crossed her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by intense disgust. She immediately made an excuse: "I...I'll go cook." and hurriedly retreated to the kitchen, as if Jiang Ci were some kind of plague.
Xie Qingyan looked at Jiang Ci before her, her heart feeling as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand. The boy before her had the same features, yet he felt both familiar and strange. The restrained vitality that still existed in school seemed to have been completely drained away, leaving only a chilling silence.
Jiang Ci has changed, as if he has been destroyed from within; yet Jiang Ci seems unchanged, his loneliness and vulnerability are now fully exposed.
"What are you doing here?" Jiang Ci asked, his voice dry and hoarse, devoid of any inflection.
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