Monday morning.
In the exquisite princess room, sunlight streamed through the curtains and onto the canopy spread beside the bed.
Pei Xi gripped the corner of the blanket tightly, his brow furrowed, and his tightly closed eyelashes trembled uneasily.
Blood, lots of blood.
The boy was very thin and looked only seven or eight years old. He was being torn and dragged by the woman like a rag doll. His head was injured somewhere, and his face was covered in blood.
He seemed to have gotten used to it; he didn't utter a sound, his dark eyes filled with indifference and stubbornness.
The house was dimly lit, filled with the stench of alcohol and leftover food, along with the hysterical roars of a woman.
"If I had known you were a worthless piece of trash that nobody wanted, I shouldn't have given birth to you!"
The woman's expression was contorted, her beautiful features completely distorted, as she frantically whipped the boy on the ground like a madwoman.
She was so drunk that her eyes were bloodshot, and all her strength seemed to be concentrated in the iron ruler in her hand, each strike using all her might.
It was as if the person on the ground was not a living person, but a dead object used to vent anger.
The boy's clothes were torn, revealing deep red bloodstains, but the woman still seemed unsatisfied, roaring with each blow, "Do you know why I named you that?"
"I'm telling you, I'll make you experience all the suffering in this world!"
You don't deserve to grow up comfortably!
"waste!"
...
Pei Xi gripped the bedsheet tighter and tighter; she realized for the first time that even the smells in her dreams could be so realistic.
Her nasal cavity seemed to be filled with the smell of blood, which made it difficult for her to breathe and made her want to vomit.
The dream was like sleep paralysis; she tried to open her eyes, but seemed to have no control over her body and was forced to stay in that suffocating bungalow.
Beyond the crimson blood, she saw the boy's dark eyes looking at her.
Pei Xi's breathing quickened, and he suddenly felt his heart contract sharply.
A loud banging came from the door, and her whole body twitched. She opened her eyes abruptly.
"Pei Xi, Pei Xi, get up and go to school!"
"Pei Xi! Wake up!"
"Pei Xi!"
A familiar voice came through the door. Pei Xi sat up in bed and took deep breaths.
"Pei Xi, did you stay up all night reading novels last night? You were sleeping so soundly?!" Pei Zhi's banging on the door grew louder and louder, as if he was about to knock the door down.
Pei Xi regained his senses slightly, wiped the thin layer of sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, and quickly got out of bed to open the door.
"Pei Xi, have you forgotten that today is Monday..." As soon as the door opened, Pei Zhi saw her expression and suddenly stopped midway through his sentence.
He raised his hand and gently placed the back of his fingers on her forehead, a look of worry on his face. He hesitated and asked, "...Did you have another nightmare?"
Pei Xi nodded.
Is it a nightmare, or the kind that feels incredibly immersive?
Pei Xi couldn't understand why he would have such a dream for no reason. The woman in the dream was hysterical and devilish, which really sent chills down his spine.
The boy's dark pupils flashed through her mind again.
She felt like she had seen that expression somewhere before, but she couldn't quite place it.
"Is it because of too much academic pressure? Why have I been having nightmares lately?" Pei Zhi murmured, interrupting her thoughts. "Should I ask you for a day off?"
Pei Xi shook his head. "No need, it was just a nightmare, it's normal."
Pei Zhi nodded. Pei Xi had never been the type to be delicate. He stroked her hair and said softly, "Hurry up and wash up, then come down for breakfast, or you'll be late."
Pei Xi nodded, offering a smile. "Mm."
---
The teachers at No. 1 Middle School are extremely efficient. They finished grading all the exam papers for the opening exam in one weekend and even published the results.
Pei Zhi looked at the report card that was handed to him, frowned, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the trash can.
A voice that seemed to enjoy watching the drama unfold came from behind: "I say, Pei Zhi, as expected, you're still number two."
Pei Zhi turned around and saw Shi Chen rocking his chair, holding up his report card, looking at him with a casual smile, looking as irritating as could be.
He glared at him fiercely and mimicked his sarcastic tone, saying, "Even second place is better than our young master Shi's second to last place."
Shi Chen glanced at him, his smile unwavering, appearing completely indifferent, embodying the spirit of cynicism to the fullest extent.
Pei Zhi didn't bother to look at him. He always felt that he and Shi Chen had incompatible values, and he couldn't let Shi Chen's playboy ways disturb his Daoist heart.
He bent down, pulled a workbook from the table, and slammed it down on the table.
He refused to believe it; he was determined to work on the problems until he was completely exhausted!
Let's see if he can surpass Jiang Cheng!
Just as he picked up his pen to open the book, Shi Chen's voice came from beside him again. He had gotten up and was standing next to his desk without him noticing. "This book wasn't issued by the school, was it? You even bought equipment?"
“Pei Xi bought it for me, saying it was recommended by a top student.” Pei Zhi lifted his eyelids and glanced at Shi Chen. “Only an expert like me can make this; someone like you can’t.”
Shi Chen ignored his sarcasm, frowned and said calmly, "...This cover looks so familiar to me. I feel like I've seen it somewhere before."
Pei Zhi scoffed, showing disdain for his memory. "You must have misread it. Not many people should have bought this book. It's all competition-level material; not many people can do it."
Shi Chen paused, then suddenly seemed to remember something. After a few seconds, he asked with a half-smile, "Does the 'few people' you mentioned include Jiang Cheng?"
Pei Zhi frowned. "What do you mean?"
Shi Chen pursed his lips and looked at a table across the aisle. The tabletop was neat and tidy, without a single mess. A workbook with the same cover was placed on the table.
"The money you asked me to put in this morning, I just slipped it into that book," Shi Chen said, suppressing a laugh.
Pei Zhi craned his neck to take a look, then looked up and exchanged glances with Shi Chen.
Shi Chen scratched his eyebrow with his finger, a teasing look on his face. "Do you think this academic star Pei Xi was talking about could be him? I think I heard he actually worked at a bookstore..."
Before he could finish speaking, Pei Zhi vanished without a trace, grabbing the book and storming out, leaving behind only a gust of wind.
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