She turned over and stared at the moonlight coming in through the floor-to-ceiling window, her fingers unconsciously clenching the corner of the quilt.
"You damn girl, you still dare to run?!"
In the dream, her adoptive father's voice was like a blunt knife, harshly cutting her nerves.
She opened her eyes suddenly, and cold sweat had soaked her back.
——It’s this dream again.
She sat up, her breathing a little faster, her fingers unconsciously touching her right shoulder.
There was a scar there, caused by her adoptive father burning her with a red-hot cigarette butt because she secretly hid half a steamed bun to give to the little girl next door who was being abused.
"Eat my food, wear my clothes, and you dare to steal?!"
The sound of the belt hitting my body still seemed to be ringing in my ears.
Ning Xiwan closed her eyes and forced herself to take a deep breath.
——Many years have passed.
——She is no longer the little girl who allowed herself to be beaten and scolded.
She fished out her phone, the cold light of the screen making her squint. It was 3:27 AM, and on the lock screen was a photo of her and Duan Shuce—the boy had a stern face as she forced him to hold her neck for the selfie, but the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
She opened the chat box, hesitated for a moment, and sent a message: [Are you asleep? ]
Almost instantly, the other person replied: [No, I'm doing practice questions. Having a nightmare?]
Ning Xiwan stared at the line of words for two seconds and suddenly laughed.
——This guy has summer tutoring and a competition mock exam tomorrow, but he is still staying up late.
She called directly.
"Hello." Duan Shuce's voice was very low, with a little hoarseness from staying up late.
"Duan Daxueba," she said in a deliberately light tone, "You have an exam tomorrow, aren't you going to sleep tonight?"
The sound of a pen scratching across paper came from the other end of the phone. He seemed to be writing something, and his tone was calm: "I can't sleep."
Ning Xiwan paused: "...Me too."
There was silence on the phone for a few seconds.
"Do you want me to come over?" he asked suddenly.
Ning Xiwan was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing: "Why are you here in the middle of the night? Climbing over the wall?"
"If you need, I can turn the pages now." His tone was serious, and you could even hear the sound of him closing the book.
Ning Xiwan felt warm in her heart, but she said disdainfully, "Come on, you have an exam tomorrow, stop making such a fuss."
Duan Shuce didn't answer, and only the sound of light breathing could be heard on the phone.
After a while, he suddenly asked, "Are they not nice to you?"
Ning Xiwan knew who he was asking about—someone from the Ning family.
"It's okay," she said lightly, "but my two brothers and that fake daughter don't like me very much."
Duan Shuce sneered: "What do you need me to do?"
"No need," Ning Xiwan turned over and said lazily, "It's just a small matter, I can handle it myself."
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a while.
"Wanwan." He suddenly called her name.
"Um?"
"Don't hold it in."
Ning Xiwan's breathing stopped.
——He could always see through her disguise at a glance.
She clenched her phone and suddenly felt her eyes getting a little hot.
"...I know." She whispered, "Go to sleep and don't be late for the exam tomorrow."
After hanging up the phone, Ning Xiwan stared at the ceiling for a while, then stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.
The Ning family's garden seemed particularly quiet under the moonlight, and the sound of the fountain could be faintly heard.
She reached out and touched the scar on her right shoulder, her eyes gradually turning cold.
——She will never forget the past.
——But now she has the ability to make those who hurt her pay the price.
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