14
If there was a time machine in this world, Zhuang Xiaodie would definitely be the first to rush in and go back to before she met Shentu Hai.
This was a very cowardly thought. Especially when Nian Jinsi was sitting on the sofa browsing her phone, and Shentu Hai was standing behind her, pointing at Nian Jinsi and then at himself.
Zhuang Xiaodie considered running away. She could have easily escaped now. She had a job, and the old man had given her the key to the shop where she could rest. It was a small cubicle, barely bigger than a squat toilet, but a lean camel is bigger than a horse. Besides, running away would be incredibly easy: first, she'd have to throw away her so-called dignity, and then, her sense of morality. She could just turn around and run, disappearing into the vast sea of people, and no one would ever find her.
However, Zhuang Xiaodie didn't run. The living room light was on, but the illumination was dim, only illuminating the area from the TV to the sofa. It was time to change the bulb. Shentu Hai stood at the junction of the living room and dining room, between light and darkness, and pointed at the door.
Zhuang Xiaodie remained motionless, and finally said, "Go ahead, I don't care."
Shen Tu Hai glared at her and even made a gesture as if he was about to tell her the truth. Zhuang Xiaodie watched coldly. Anyway, the matter of the dumpling shop had been known, and it was just another lie that was exposed. She was curious about Nian Jinsi's reaction.
Nian Jinsi heard them talking and turned around: "What are you talking about?"
There was no better, more wonderful moment than this one. Zhuang Xiaodie stood still, took a deep breath, and waited calmly, ready.
Unexpectedly, Shentu Hai suddenly put down her waving arms. She looked calm and stubborn, with her eyes shining. Without saying a word, she ran away.
"Hey!" Nian Jinsi quickly stood up. Zhuang Xiaodie stopped her and said, "Let her go."
"What's wrong? Didn't do well on the test?"
"Do you think she cares about her grades?" Zhuang Xiaodie said with a wry smile. She looked at the open door and sighed.
Nian Jinsi sat back down, turning her attention back to her phone. She said, "It's natural for children to be upset. Is she going to go home after the exam? Let's call her parents."
Zhuang Xiaodie had almost forgotten about this and said, "That's right, I'll go get her." She took two steps outside, but the voice-activated light didn't turn on, leaving the corridor dark. So she turned back and picked up the fruit knife from the dining table. No matter what, she had to have something to defend herself against.
She didn't run into any neighbors in the elevator, and when she got downstairs, Shentu Hai was nowhere to be seen. A small group of people were square dancing in a small open space, the music blaring, making Zhuang Xiaodie's heart race. She quickly walked around them, exited the complex, and looking around, quickly locked onto a figure sprinting with anger—it was Shentu Hai.
Zhuang Xiaodie trotted to close the gap, trailing a few paces behind. She had intended to continue on her way, waiting for the right moment to persuade the man to return. However, the streetlight cast her shadow at Shentu Hai's feet, and the girl took a few steps before suddenly turning around. Fortunately, Zhuang Xiaodie, keeping a close eye on her movements, stopped immediately.
A hint of surprise flashed across Shentu Hai's face, but he immediately put on a serious face and said, "Aren't you not leaving?"
"I'm curious why you didn't say anything."
Shentu Hai said nothing and continued walking. Zhuang Xiaodie stood beside her, feeling amused but more worried.
"It's the same whether you say it or not." Shentu Hai said, paused, and added, "--it's even more boring if you say it."
She's clearly a thoughtful and sincere girl. Zhuang Xiaodie sighed heavily. Shentu Hai glanced at her quickly and said nothing.
"I've been driving for someone lately," said Zhuang Xiaodie.
"oh."
“Sometimes it’s once a day, sometimes it’s several times a day.”
"--so what?"
Hearing the impatience in the other party's tone, Zhuang Xiaodie smiled slightly: "What I want to say is that you always have other ways to solve this problem."
"What does this have to do with what you said before?" Shentu Hai said.
"To be frank, I don't want you to die," Zhuang Xiaodie said. "I think you're a good kid."
Shentu Hai remained silent for a while, but his steps continued. They walked in silence, stopping at the gate of an old residential complex. It was pitch black inside, the streetlights broken, and the plants in the flower beds overgrown like lurking beasts. They were treading on the only patch of light.
"Wei Yuling and I had agreed to apply to a university in the same city and rent a house together during the summer vacation," Shentu Hai suddenly said, "She doesn't want to go home, and she doesn't want to die."
Then she walked in.
Along the way, Zhuang Xiaodie was reflecting on her indecisive behavior. If she had knocked Shen Tu Hai unconscious at home, nothing would have happened now. If she had knocked Shen Tu Hai unconscious on the road, or grabbed her and pulled her back. If she had grabbed her before Shen Tu Hai stepped in, or tripped her and made her fall hard, Shen Tu Hai might not have planned to go in.
But she did nothing and just watched the girl walk in. She couldn't let a child like this go to a strange man's house alone. What if Shen Tu Hai died because of this?
Insects chirped in the grass without interruption, and there was no other sound. It was as if they had stepped into a piece of sealed amber, with only the insects still tirelessly making their presence known.
Shentu Hai was familiar with the place. He led Zhuang Xiaodie to a building, looked up and said, "The lights are off and there is no one there." This scene seemed familiar. Zhuang Xiaodie remembered that not long ago, she was also led to a building by this girl and told to go in from now on.
At that time, she was extremely reckless and did not think about the consequences, let alone expecting this situation.
The old apartment building was a bit old, its walls creaking and rusting. The streetlights cast only a dim, shimmering glow, illuminating nothing. The walls were covered in dust, streaked with black marks like a laparotomy. The stair railings were covered in cobwebs. After a few steps, everything was dark, with only the sound of shoes scraping against the steps. Zhuang Xiaodie followed Shentu Hai's footsteps, lifting her foot higher than usual to avoid tripping, landing softly as if she were actually a thief.
They reached the third floor and paused. The building was small and narrow, with one apartment per floor, so the house couldn't have been much bigger. An old-fashioned, hollow iron gate blocked their path. Shentu Hai didn't even need a flashlight, simply reaching through the railings and around to the back. After fiddling with it, he heard the lock click softly, and the iron gate slid open with a creak.
Zhuang Xiaodie took a step back, her heart pounding. She grabbed Shentu Hai's shoulders and gently pulled her back: "He's not home, let's go."
"What I want is that he is not at home." Shentu Hai replied.
There was a slight sound of keys colliding in the dark. Zhuang Xiaodie subconsciously grabbed the fruit knife in her pocket, and then she found that it was the girl in front of her who took out the key chain. The girl picked out a key familiarly and inserted it into the keyhole.
"you--"
"I did it secretly," Shentu Hai whispered, "because I was afraid she would be beaten to death one day."
Zhuang Xiaodie was speechless for a moment.
The key turned a few times in the lock and opened. Shentu Hai pushed open the door.
The smell of rotten noodles hit her face. By the time Zhuang Xiaodie realized what was happening, the girl had already walked in and turned back to urge her. Zhuang Xiaodie subconsciously took a step forward, but Shen Tuhai stepped past her, closed both doors, and locked them from the inside.
Now they were definitely here.
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