Contrast
After Li Qingmiao and the others left, the dormitory suddenly became quiet.
Wen Sheng sat alone on her own bed, the lower bunk by the balcony. She hugged her blanket and stared blankly for a while before getting up to clean her bed.
The bed frame was made of old wood, and it creaked when stepped on with even a little force. Wen Sheng squatted down and ran her fingers along the edge of the bed, which was covered in years of dust. She sighed softly, then took out an old towel from her bag and wiped the bed clean from head to foot. She then smoothed out the sheets she had brought with her, tucking the corners neatly, and finally used a clothes hanger to smooth out the wrinkles.
The dormitory has eight beds in total, with metal cabinets in the middle. The cabinet doors have residue of torn stickers and scratches left by time, indicating that they are not the first batch of students to move in.
The things pasted on the wall had long been torn off, leaving only patches of yellowish residue; there were black mold spots on the ceiling, and a piece of plaster was hanging in the corner; a green old-fashioned fan hung from the ceiling, its blades covered with a thick layer of dust, and it would slowly rotate when the switch was turned on.
After wiping the bed, Wen Sheng stood up, clapped her hands, and looked around.
Although it's not a particularly good environment, this is at least a new starting point for her.
The cabinet was made of sheet metal. She opened her own compartment, and it was completely empty. She bent down and blew a breath of air, which sent dust flying up and made her cough twice. She had no choice but to wring out the towel again and wipe the cabinet inside and out.
After wiping it clean, she placed the fruit and white fungus soup that Su Yu had brought inside, putting the apples against the wall and the white fungus soup in the far corner, using a clean handkerchief as a mat, intending to save them for lunch.
After everything was settled, the other people in the dormitory had not yet arrived. Wen Sheng sat for a while, but felt that staying any longer would just be a waste of time, so she got up and decided to go out and explore the new campus.
She walked slowly in the direction of the teaching building and unknowingly ended up in front of the school's bulletin board.
Unlike when I sneaked in during summer vacation, the bulletin board back then was made of wooden boards with curled edges and faded lettering. Now it has an aluminum alloy frame, the glass is polished, and inside are posted class assignments and school-level awards.
Next to their names is a motto, mostly inspirational phrases like "Never stop striving," "Diligence can make up for lack of talent," and "Learning has no end."
Wen Sheng read up line by line, and paused when she saw the name "Xu Jianing".
May my journey be smooth.
It's not a passionate slogan like "Strive Forward" or "Live Up to Your Youth," nor is it a label like "Self-Discipline" or "Hard Work." Xu Jianing's motto is surprisingly eye-catching, even carrying a maturity beyond his years.
It looks like a wish, or perhaps a heartfelt statement uttered while facing the fate of the times alone.
So this is him.
Wen Sheng stared at the words for a long time until sunlight reflected through the glass into her eyes. She then came to her senses and realized that there was no point in looking at it any longer. So she left the bulletin board and walked towards the teaching building.
Locust trees line both sides of the school path, their branches and leaves lush and verdant. A gentle breeze rustles the leaves, and sunlight filters through the branches, casting dappled shadows. A few locust petals lie on the ground, soft to the touch, and the air is filled with the fragrance of flowers and the scent of earth.
Wen Sheng was familiar with this road; she had walked it before when she sneaked in, but she didn't dare to linger then and couldn't properly explore the campus.
But this time was different. She was a legitimate student with a student ID, a bed, and a dormitory key, and could walk on this road with confidence.
Wen Sheng walked slower and slower, arms crossed, and stopped when she turned a corner by a locust tree.
A person was standing under the old locust tree not far away.
He leaned against a tree, supporting himself with one hand on an open book, his other hand hanging naturally at his side, his sleeve rolled up to his elbow, revealing a slender and strong arm, as he read intently.
Just as Wen Sheng was wondering whether she should go over and say hello, Xu Jianing suddenly looked up.
Their eyes met.
A breeze blew by, and the leaves rustled.
Xu Jianing spoke first: "Are you feeling better after getting carsick?"
Wen Sheng was surprised that he remembered this, and replied, "Yes, I'm much better."
After saying that, she pointed to the locust tree branch above his head and asked, "Aren't you afraid of bugs? This kind of tree attracts the most bugs in the summer."
Xu Jianing followed her gesture and glanced at the branches above, saying calmly, "I'm afraid."
"Then why are you still standing here?"
"It's cool here."
A gentle breeze blew, the branches swayed softly, and a few locust blossoms drifted down, silently landing at his feet and on her shoulder.
Wen Sheng lowered her head and brushed the petals off her shoulder, saying, "You really love reading, no wonder you got first place in Chinese."
Xu Jianing cooperated by turning the book in her hand over to show her, with the cover facing her.
Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.
Wen Sheng had expected it to be a classic like "Dream of the Red Chamber," but she was surprised to find it was this book. She asked in astonishment, "Is this the secret to getting high scores?"
“Classical Chinese.” He nodded thoughtfully. “It is indeed a high-scoring technique.”
After a while, Xu Jianing looked at her and suddenly asked, "Do you know why I came here to read books?"
“Didn’t you say it would be quiet?” Wen Sheng replied.
"Yes, it's quiet."
"However, because something happened here, it's a good place to read Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio."
Xu Jianing patted the tree trunk behind him. "Several years ago, a student used to study here every night before the final exam. He even came back the night before the exam, but he never came back to school. Someone said that his body was found here."
Wen Sheng shuddered upon hearing this, instinctively taking half a step back. He glanced warily at the locust tree; the wind blew, causing the shadows to sway and the leaves to rustle. If it weren't for the intense midday sun, the place would have been quite eerie.
“Later, very few people came here,” Xu Jianing said with a slight smile, then changed the subject: “It’s quiet and perfect for reading Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.”
"Stop, stop, stop!" Wen Sheng immediately waved her hand to interrupt him. "Don't say anymore. I don't listen to these kinds of stories, especially ghost stories told in broad daylight."
"And what about at night?"
"You don't listen to me at night either?"
Wen Sheng glared at him fiercely: "Are you trying to keep me awake at night?"
Xu Jianing glanced at her lazily, neither denying nor admitting it, and turned the page of her book: "That's not necessarily true. Some people fall asleep very soundly after listening to it."
"Are you serious?" Wen Sheng was still a little scared, hugging her arms and asking softly, "Then... is it really possible for ghosts to come to this place?"
Xu Jianing glanced at her, then closed the book: "There won't be any ghosts."
He added slowly and deliberately, "After all, what I just said was made up."
Wen Sheng had just breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Xu Jianing say, "But the head of the teaching department will be here."
"I just took a walk around there, and they even asked me a question. I told them I was just getting some fresh air." He gestured with his chin toward the back of the teaching building. "But if we get caught together, it'll be hard to explain."
Before Wen Sheng could even process what was happening, her legs moved first, and she took off running, shouting, "You should have said so earlier!"
"It's not too late to say now." Xu Jianing chuckled softly and caught up with him in a few steps. "You're running so fast, it seems you really don't get carsick anymore."
As Wen Sheng ran, she turned back and glared at him: "If you make me get my name written down on the first day of school, I'll never forgive you!"
Xu Jianing followed easily beside her, saying innocently, "I didn't do anything, you ran away on your own."
"It's all because you made up ghost stories to scare me!"
"Yes." Xu Jianing nodded seriously. "I was wrong."
He readily admitted his mistake, which immediately put Wen Sheng at a loss for words. Suddenly, she slipped and stumbled, but Xu Jianing caught her quickly.
“Slow down,” he said. “Nobody’s chasing you.”
Her face flushed slightly, whether from running too fast or from his sudden movement making her heart race, she wasn't sure. She retorted defiantly, "Didn't you say the head of student affairs was behind us...?"
"I didn't say—" Xu Jianing hadn't finished speaking when he heard someone calling his name from afar.
Wen Sheng heard it too, and was about to speak to remind him that someone was calling him, when Xu Jianing suddenly pulled her wrist and whispered, "Run!"
Before she could even ask "what happened," he grabbed her and dragged her into the alley behind the teaching building. Wen Sheng leaned against the wall, panting heavily: "Didn't you say no one was pursuing you?!"
“That’s my math teacher.” Xu Jianing was a little out of breath, but still calmly explained to her.
Wen Sheng was stunned: "...Then why did you run away?"
“He’s probably here to ask me to come up with some questions for the opening exam.” Xu Jianing shrugged. “He knows I usually study over there, and I don’t want him to catch me now.”
Wen Sheng: "......"
"Will he see me?" she asked.
"No, because I'm blocking your way."
On the other side, Xue Pingsheng stood under the locust tree, holding a bag of apples, looking around.
I just saw Xu Jianing standing under the tree reading a book, how come she disappeared in the blink of an eye?
Xue Pingsheng squinted and looked around, confirming that there was no one around the tree. He sighed heavily and muttered to himself:
"That brat... he's bullying me because I can't outrun him."
Xue Pingsheng looked up at the sky again as he spoke, "It's just a few questions, and I even brought apples. It makes me feel like a debt collector."
"If you don't want to come, then don't come. Let's see where you run to during evening self-study tonight."
——
After circling around, Wen Sheng returned to her dormitory from the other end of the teaching building, and it was almost lunchtime.
What a terrible adjustment period! She was scared twice in one day: first by a ghost story, then by the headmaster, and finally by Xu Jianing dragging her around half the campus under the scorching sun. She's even starting to wonder if that person did it on purpose.
When she pushed open the dormitory door, the room was no longer the empty space it had been before she left.
Luggage and daily necessities were placed on the bed, and there were also some scattered items on the table, but the person was nowhere to be seen.
Li Qingmiao was sitting on her bed, tying her hair in front of the mirror. When she saw Wen Sheng return, she waved her hand and said, "Wen Sheng, you're finally back! A teacher just came by and said we have to go to some kind of welcome party. We all have to go."
She bit her hair tie and mumbled, "But you weren't here. I said I'd go with you when you got back."
Wen Sheng was just about to sit down when she heard about the "welcome party" and immediately jumped up, "Aren't we going to be late?"
"No, they'll make it in time. There's still half an hour. They just took the opportunity to stroll around the campus together."
"Huh? Why is your face so red?" Li Qingmiao turned around and looked at Wen Sheng after braiding her hair, asking the question.
Wen Sheng subconsciously touched her face and said calmly, "It's too sunny outside."
Li Qingmiao believed her and didn't ask any further questions. "Shall we get ready to go out?"
"Okay, sure."
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