Chapter 53
Rumors spread incredibly fast, like monsters with legs.
For almost a whole morning, the word "mental illness" filled the air among the second-year high school students.
The noise continued until lunch break.
In the corridor of Class 1, a group of busybodies darted back and forth, occasionally peeking into the classroom, acting like "spectators."
Even worse, some students, relying on their connections with classmates, would brazenly enter under the guise of looking for someone, then deliberately pass by Guan Nan's desk, giving her a knowing look as if they were watching a joke unfold.
Although she knew that teenagers always enjoyed watching the excitement, the secrets spread like wildfire, and no secret could escape the rule of six people. Even Guan Nan, who had seen this kind of thing since childhood, couldn't help but tremble involuntarily.
Having finally escaped the fears of her childhood, Guan Nan was once again tightly enveloped by this familiar yet unfamiliar anxiety.
She had clearly tried very hard to minimize her presence.
I tried so hard not to be seen, tried so hard to hide in a deserted corner, tried so hard to be someone who wouldn't get in the way. But why does it all seem like a waste of time?
Why is it that something so dull and lacking in presence is still so easily wounded by those unseen and unguarded words?
Later, unable to hold back any longer, Guan Nan stood up and asked, "You're in your final year of high school, are you all very free?"
"I heard you're sick?" Guan Nan remembered that the boy who spoke was the one who shoved Jiang Li at last year's school sports meet. His tone was clearly malicious, and his trembling voice made his laughter even more wicked.
Guan Nan frowned, her dark eyes fixed on him, her expression unreadable: "Whether it's there or not, what does it have to do with you?"
The boy laughed and asked the classmate next to him who had his arm around his shoulder, "Is mental illness contagious? Isn't our Fuling High School like that—"
"Do you have my genes in your body?" The classmate didn't expect the boy to say that. Hearing his classmate say that to her, the girl's expression wasn't very pleasant, but that didn't stop Guan Nan from being annoyed with the boy.
“However, you don’t need to worry too much,” Guan Nan said calmly, looking at him. “The disease is controllable and will not be transmitted between generations.”
The implication is that you are my grandson, not my son, and I cannot infect you with my disease.
Jiang Li, who was at the table, was woken up. Looking at Guan Nan, who was displaying an aggressive attitude, he propped himself up on his elbows and didn't join in.
But Guan Nan's classmates were also surprised by her tough fighting spirit.
"Seriously? I was just kidding," the boy's face darkened slightly. "A top student like you can't even take a joke?"
Guan Nan didn't play along: "Did I agree to you joking with me?"
"Is it really necessary? I was just saying a few words to you, why are you being so petty?" The boy was somewhat disdainful and a little sullen. "I've joked with people and I've never seen anyone get angry."
Guan Nan's thinking was clear, and she didn't let him get away with it so easily: "Why should I care? What does it matter to me who you joke with, or whether the other person is angry or not? What matters to me is that I disagree with your joke, and your joke offended me, so I'm angry. That's what matters to me. I demand that you apologize to me."
Speaking of apologizing, the boy recalled the humiliating apology incident on Wong Kiu Road last year, and his face flushed red. He blurted out, "Apologize to your mother! Are you kidding me? Just say it! You're a mentally ill person who wants me to apologize. Aren't you afraid of shortening your lifespan if you make me apologize?"
"Let me correct you, it's mental illness, not dead mental illness. Also, the one who can't take a joke isn't me, it's you. See, you're getting angry, aren't you? It's just a joke, is it really that big of a deal? Why are you being so petty?" Guan Nan wasn't angered by him at all, and instead returned his words verbatim, "I don't think there's anything I can't accept about your apology. At least I've never heard of any strange saying that a junior apologizing to an elder will shorten the elder's lifespan."
The boy never expected that this person, who always seemed so quiet, could be so infuriating when she spoke, and yet she remained calm and collected, as if she wasn't affected by her emotions at all.
Everyone thought Guan Nan had a good mental fortitude, but Guan Nan was just used to it and was really fed up with it.
But the other party was no gentleman; he got so angry he wanted to hit her, yelling, "Say one more word, and don't think I won't hit a woman!"
"Give it a try." Jiang Li stood up, expressionless, and walked straight over here.
The boy turned his head, saw it was him again, and glared at him: "What's it to you?"
The dozens of students in the class seemed quite curious as well.
Jiang Li was lazy and always spoke arrogantly, "It's none of your business."
"Jiang Li, why are you so biased towards her? Is she really that good?" Chen Aimei said dissatisfiedly after calling Jiang Li in the morning without receiving a response.
Trying to get someone's attention at this moment is really annoying, but since the other person is a girl, you can't say anything harsh. Jiang Li replied politely, "Yes, I have a crush on her. Is there a problem with that?"
"You, you..." Chen Aimei was so shocked that she stammered for a long time and couldn't say anything.
Suddenly, the whole class opened their eyes wide and focused their gazes on them, their faces filled with disbelief and incredulity.
“Since there are so many people here, please help pass on this message,” Jiang Lili said, standing next to Guan Nan’s desk and opening her morning milk with one hand. He spoke politely, “If Guan Nan has any trouble in the future, just come to me. I’ll take care of everything, so please don’t bother her, a girl, anymore.”
Anyone with eyes can see that Jiang Li, who has been classmates with me for a year, is not a talkative person, nor is he a busybody, especially when it comes to trivial matters.
So when he said that, anyone who knew him even slightly knew that he was angry.
Some of them were singled out, and their facial expressions weren't very pleasant.
After Jiang Li finished speaking, he didn't care about their expressions and lowered his eyes, "And you too, if something like this happens again, just tell him that if he wants to fight, he should just say so and call Jiang Li."
Those present immediately understood the meaning behind his words; it was clearly a warning shot.
"Aren't you afraid of telling the teacher?" Chen Aimei was speechless for a long time.
Jiang Li smiled lazily, nonchalantly saying, "If you're happy, you can sue the Women's Federation all you want."
“She’s a top student, she doesn’t have that much free time, but Jiang Li does.” Jiang Li ignored her and continued politely, “As long as you want, Jiang Li is available anytime, anywhere. Thank you all for listening to my rambling, and thank you all for your help in telling those who want to cause trouble to come directly to Jiang Li. Don’t be shy.”
Aside from Fu and a few other people who knew the truth about the teacher-beating incident, only Guan Nan knew the inside story. Therefore, everyone had a sense of fear towards Jiang Li, thinking, "If he dares to beat a teacher, beating a classmate is nothing."
The boy who was looking for trouble just a second ago was grabbed by the clothes by his male classmate, who then pushed him away, preventing the situation from becoming ugly.
Immediately afterwards, some students who had gone to other classes to see what was going on also slowly returned to their classrooms.
Perhaps it was because Jiang Li's words had been spread, or perhaps because the little "mental illness" hadn't garnered much attention, but the strange looks continued, though no one would say anything to her face.
But Guan Nan believes that as long as the other party doesn't say anything, she will pretend she doesn't know anything.
Even if you speak up, she will pretend not to hear you.
In middle school, people understood that a good temper meant being easy to bully; those who bully the weak and fear the strong always picked on these easy targets.
This unsurprisingly befell Guan Nan.
After the first evening self-study session ended, Chen Aimei, who had been holding back all afternoon, couldn't contain herself any longer and called out Guan Nan's name during the ten-minute break, still with that sweet and friendly demeanor.
They acted as if there were no barriers between them when they first met.
Guan Nan wasn't really keen on going, but seeing how happy she was, she couldn't resist wavering for a moment and followed her out.
Several female classmates were standing at the corner of the stairs, chatting and laughing.
Chen Aimei took her arm and said, "Guan Nan, I have a secret to tell you."
Hearing this, Guan Nan paused for two seconds, "A secret?"
Seemingly oblivious to her reaction, Chen Aimei continued smiling, a sweet and coquettish smile, "Yes, it's a secret."
"..." Guan Nan hesitated for a moment, then followed her upstairs. She glanced back at the motion-sensor light that had been turned off and frowned. "Let's talk here."
The two stood on the half-step leading to the sixth floor. It was pitch black all around them. Above them were classrooms filled with statues, and since there were no lights, it looked rather eerie.
"Come on up," Chen Aimei said coquettishly, linking her arm with hers.
At that moment, Guan Nan heard the sound of people coming up the stairs. From the chaotic footsteps, she could tell that there were quite a few people.
Seeing that Chen Aimei insisted, Guan Nan hesitated for a second before agreeing.
“Guan Nan,” Chen Aimei called her, speaking slowly, “Do you remember? I told you about it.”
Guan Nan was completely confused by the nonsensical words: "What?"
“I’ve said it before,” Chen Aimei’s voice suddenly softened, “I like Jiang Li.”
Guan Nan paused for a moment, then replied, "Yes."
"But why do you still do this?" Chen Aimei's tone was somewhat downcast. "What's so good about you? You like to play the victim, asking for poverty relief funds, or are you mentally ill?"
Guan Nan frowned and remained silent.
Chen Aimei said, "I never disliked you before, you know that?"
"······"
I want to be your friend.
"······"
“But,” Chen Aimei suddenly smiled, saying with relief, “Guan Nan, you don’t deserve it.”
In the darkness, the two spoke like close friends, one calmly and the other quietly listening, as if there had never been any distance between them.
Countless words I wanted to say lingered on my lips.
In the end, Guan Nan only said one thing: "I'm sorry."
The chaotic footsteps grew closer, and then Guan Nan heard Chen Aimei's voice soften as she spoke, "Does the promise you made to me, the one you kept, still stand?"
Guan Nan remembered, and nodded subconsciously, "I remember."
"I want you to promise me."
Guan Nan remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
"What are you doing?" The footsteps grew closer, and several girls, chatting and laughing, came up. The one in the lead pushed open the iron gate and said in a nonchalant tone, "Isn't it ready yet?"
Chen Aimei acted as if she hadn't heard, saying, "You can't like Jiang Li."
Guan Nan's words of agreement caught in her throat; she could neither nod nor utter a sound.
Although she knew she shouldn't do this, she seemed unable to answer. Just then, several girls squeezed in.
"You promised me." Chen Aimei pinched her with one hand, so hard that her fingers turned white.
Those people exuded an aura of "once you've come, you're bound to leave."
Guan Nan endured the pain in her arm, disregarding what she had said and her displeasure, and instinctively grabbed her hand, wanting to leave first.
But Chen Aimei held her hand tightly, saying, "You haven't agreed to my request yet."
She applied more force, and Guan Nan, enduring the pain, whispered, "Let's go back to the classroom first."
Chen Aimei didn't respond, she just kept pulling on her.
The situation remained deadlocked.
"Guan Nan!" Chen Aimei called out to her, her tone heavy and urgent, "You promised me!"
—Click
The lock on the abandoned classroom containing the statue was pried open.
Before Guan Nan could react, she felt dizzy and was shoved several times. Several people pushed her towards a certain place with several hands.
The extreme darkness makes one feel completely insecure.
Guan Nan gritted his teeth and stretched out his hand to touch the person, trying to find a foothold.
Just as she opened her mouth to call Chen Aimei, she heard a rustling sound coming from the classroom door, followed by a girl complaining, "Why are you touching her like that? You made us wait so long."
Chen Aimei said with a smile, "Don't be upset, I'll treat you to a late-night snack later."
"You need our help even for just one person stuck in traffic?"
"I thought I'd at least get a beating."
"They didn't even let me slap them."
"That's so boring."
The sound gradually faded.
Clearly, they were in cahoots, and Chen Aimei had brought them over.
Realizing this, Guan Nan took two steps forward, but her foot bumped into something, and the inertia almost made her fall.
She patted her pockets; she had rushed out and forgotten her phone.
The door was locked, and the bell rang.
Guan Nan curled up against the wall, burying her head in her knees in unease.
Perhaps because she had been under too much tension, being locked in the abandoned classroom now, she suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of relief. It was as if, as long as she hid here, those harsh words could no longer attack her, and those chaotic secrets could be buried.
While feeling fearful, I also felt a sense of relief, like a petty person.
In that state, Jiang Li's face inexplicably appeared in her mind—arrogant, cool, impatient, and indifferent—before suddenly turning into a smiling face.
From Huangjue Road to the Gift City, from the Gift City to the Amusement Park, from the Amusement Park to Jialing Park, from Jialing Park to New City Plaza, from New City Plaza to the Ghost Market, from the Ghost Market to Hecangyuan, and from Hecangyuan to the Bell Tower.
It seemed that he was always by her side, as if he was never absent.
These vivid moments were so clear and bright in her otherwise unremarkable mind.
It's as if every frame is etched into my mind.
After an unknown amount of time, the door was suddenly kicked open; this happened after the bell rang for the third period.
Jiang Li waited for Guan Nan for a long time but she didn't come. He deliberately went into the office to find out that she wasn't there. He presumptuously searched her desk and schoolbag and found that the phone that he couldn't reach was still in her schoolbag.
The silent screen displayed more than a dozen missed calls.
"Where is she?" Jiang Li asked Kuang Xiaohui.
Kuang Xiaohui lived at school. After the second evening self-study session, she was still sitting in her seat when she looked up and asked, "Who's there?"
Jiang Li said, "Guan Nan."
"She went to the office, right?" Kuang Xiaohui wasn't surprised that she hadn't seen Guan Nan in the last class either, and subconsciously assumed that Guan Nan had been called away by the teacher, since Guan Nan was a frequent visitor to the teacher's office.
A few seconds later, Jiang Li walked to the podium with a cold face, ignoring Yu Shu and Lin Rui who were waiting in the corridor.
Jiang Li stood on the podium, his aggression, hidden beneath his casual and nonchalant demeanor, bursting forth, yet he still managed to ask politely, "Has anyone seen where Guan Nan went?"
One after another, people said "I don't know" and "I didn't see," leaving no clue as to what was going on. Suddenly, someone said, "It seems like she went out with Chen Aimei."
"When?" Yu Shu stood at the door, staring at the classmate.
“Last class,” the student said, “but Chen Aimei came back last class, it seems like Guan Nan didn’t.”
I don't know how he got to the sixth floor.
Just as the door opened, Guan Nan lifted her veiled face and squinted in the intense light.
She saw Jiang Li, backlit, bowing and bending down towards her.
Jiang Li's attitude changed; his harsh tone betrayed his suppressed anger: "Why didn't you bring your phone?"
“…” Guan Nan lowered her eyes, “I forgot.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Li helped her up and sneered, "Why don't you seem to have forgotten about yourself?"
Guan Nan pursed her lips, unsure how to explain to him, worried that if she spoke up, it would sound like she was tattling.
Another issue is the breakdown of friendships between girls...
After a moment's hesitation, she said softly, though her voice lacked confidence, "I'll bring it next time."
"You want a next time?" Jiang Li laughed in exasperation at her seemingly docile and apprehensive attitude, which was actually unrepentant.
Guan Nan felt guilty.
"Do you even have a brain?" Jiang Li said. "She was like that, and you still went with her when she called you, without saying a word or taking your phone. This time she locked you on the sixth floor, what about next time? Where do you want her to lock you next time?"
Guan Nan lowered her head and obediently accepted the scolding.
"How dare you speak like that!"
“…” Guan Nan said in a muffled voice, “There won’t be a next time.”
Jiang Li looked at her.
“Jiang Li,” Guan Nan raised her head, repeating firmly, “There will be no next time.”
The two went downstairs and walked one after the other out of the school, stopping at the bus stop.
Jiang Li lowered his head, stared at his phone for a long while, and then spoke again: "She attacked you?"
Guan Nan hesitated for a moment, then shook his head after realizing that the "she" he was referring to was Chen Aimei: "No, we just exchanged a few words."
"What did you say?" Jiang Li asked, then looked down at his phone, as if replying to someone's message on the screen.
"It's nothing," Guan Nan mumbled.
After a while, Jiang Li put away his phone, turned his head and asked her, "Do you know what to do next time something like this happens?"
Guan Nan hesitated for a moment before nodding.
“If something like this happens again, call me immediately,” Jiang Li said.
"Oh," Guan Nan thought for a moment, then said, "What if you're not here?"
Jiang Lixiang didn't even think about it: "Find Yu Shu."
"...What if Yu Shu isn't here either?"
"······"
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