32. Xu Wenqiang decided to take a gamble
Ever since the note linking her to Akagi Haruko appeared on her desk that day, Xu Wenqiang would find several of them every day when she arrived in the classroom. At first, she stuffed them into the desk hole, but after thinking it over, she decided to sort them out and put them away in a file bag. She figured that when Chen Yang asked her to play basketball again, she would take one of them to the court as a talisman.
When packing up the notes, Xu Wenqiang thought of Lin Tong's note and decided to try her luck.
At dinner time, she said to Lin Tong, "Would you like to have dinner together?"
I thought Lin Tong would hesitate for a while, but I didn't expect her to be surprised and then eagerly agreed: "Let's go."
Xu Wenqiang hesitated. She said, "You can think about it carefully again. After all..."
But Lin Tong said: "I have been thinking about it for several days, but I just haven't made up my mind."
Xu Wenqiang suddenly realized: "It turns out that I am late."
Lin Tong lowered his head and said, "I'm just too thin-skinned."
Xu Wenqiang patted Lin Tong: "It's okay, I'm thick-skinned, I'll come find you later."
Xu Wenqiang originally thought that having a meal with Lin Tong occasionally would be enough. However, she didn't expect that after that, Lin Tong would ask her every day, "Xu Wenqiang, do you want to eat?"
"Eat!" Xu Wenqiang would certainly not refuse.
In addition to Lin Tong, Gao Zhe unexpectedly became close to Xu Wenqiang.
Gao Zhe always pushed the things on Xu Wenqiang's desk aside, then sat down on it and said, "Xu Wenqiang, do you want to play ball?"
Whether Xu Wenqiang agreed depended on whether Xiao Cheng was following Gao Zhe. She admitted that whenever Xiao Cheng was near her, she would be easily distracted, either thinking about his pretty hair or his pleasant smell, and constantly thinking about random things. Playing basketball, however, meant squeezing together and jostling for position, and she couldn't always avoid Xiao Cheng, so whenever he was around, she simply wouldn't go.
Xiao Chengxian discovered this pattern. As long as he was there, Xu Wenqiang would not show up, so he began to miss Gao Zhe's basketball games.
Gao Zhe also discovered this pattern and was very depressed about it.
He and Xiao Cheng had played basketball together for many years. Xiao Cheng was like his shadow on the court. Shadows weren't a big deal, but occasionally, when you thought about them and realized they weren't there, it was quite creepy. But he also really liked Xu Wenqiang's style of play. While her defensive abilities weren't great, she had a high shooting percentage and played with her brain, not relying on brute force. This was very similar to Xiao Cheng's approach.
Unfortunately, these two people don’t know what’s wrong with each other and are unwilling to play with each other.
As for the rumors about the "stink," none of them mentioned them, but Xu Wenqiang knew it wasn't over yet. Especially when she was the math class representative assigning or collecting homework, she would always hear some innuendo.
"Do you smell anything?"
"Who didn't take a shower last night? Or didn't wash their socks?"
…
But Xu Wenqiang still felt that life was bearable. As long as there was no fighting, it was a good life for her.
But some people can't bear to see her having a good life.
"Xu Wenqiang, you've been so proud of yourself lately!"
After evening self-study, Xu Wenqiang was stopped by Chen Yang as soon as she walked out of the school gate. Chen Yang reeked of alcohol and cigarettes, with Yu Yong, whom she hadn't seen in a while, standing beside him.
"Xu Wenqiang, long time no see!" Yu Yong said as he blew out a smoke ring.
After graduating from high school, Yu Yong went to Qingshi Vocational High School. Compared to Qingshi Vocational High School, the fights at Qingshi Junior High School were child's play.
Xu Wenqiang knew she couldn't escape today. She looked at the students coming and going around her, then at the teaching building behind her and said, "You guys stink too much of cigarettes and alcohol. Let's go somewhere else so the school doesn't get ruined by the smoke."
"Okay, I'll listen to you and follow us."
Chen Yang and Yu Yong got on their bikes, but rode in the opposite direction of their home.
Xu Wenqiang rummaged through her schoolbag. Besides textbooks, exercises, and a few pens, she found something better than nothing. She put the pens in her trouser pockets and followed.
Seeing Chen Yang and Yu Yong riding into an abandoned bus station, Xu Wenqiang stopped.
There were many rumors about this abandoned bus station. Xu Wenqiang had heard many of them at the farmers' market. Basically, they were all about murder and robbery, and about hunting for women. Chen Yang and Yu Yong seemed to have come prepared. As soon as she mentioned changing the location, they came directly here.
Xu Wenqiang was thinking of calling it a day, but Yu Yong said with a sinister smile, "Xu Wenqiang, didn't you promise Chen Yang that as long as we're not at school, you'll fight him to the end, even if he hits you or scolds you. So, are you planning on going back on your word?"
"If you regret it, then Chen Yang can also regret it."
"Or you can just meet at school tomorrow!"
Yu Yong was like a noisy crow, yelling non-stop at the top of his lungs. Xu Wenqiang looked at Chen Yang, but his face was hidden in the darkness, so she couldn't see it clearly.
Xu Wenqiang decided to take a gamble, pushing her bicycle into the dark bus station. She bet that Chen Yang would at most fight her and give her a beating, but wouldn't actually do anything to her. As for the stakes, Xu Wenqiang was betting on the friendship they had grown up together.
When Lin Tong walked out of the school gate, he saw Xu Wenqiang standing with two boys. The two boys were smoking and looked at Xu Wenqiang as if they wanted to tear her apart.
Lin Tong didn't dare to go forward, but she was also worried about leaving like this. She watched from a distance, and when she saw Xu Wenqiang leave with the two boys, she panicked for a moment.
She definitely wouldn't follow him, even though she and Xu Wenqiang were eating together every day.
But she still wanted to do something.
Asking the teacher for help was the easiest, but also the most troublesome. The teacher would ask a lot of questions, and she would have to answer the whole story, and she would definitely be involved.
She should find someone who can solve the problem without causing any trouble...
Xiao Cheng!
When Xu Wenqiang was disliked by everyone for being "smelly", Xiao Cheng once warned her to "repay the favor". If it weren't for Xiao Cheng, she wouldn't have gone to dinner with Xu Wenqiang.
Lin Tong thought that at this moment, the only one who could help Xu Wenqiang was Xiao Cheng.
As the class monitor, Xiao Cheng would check the doors and windows, turn off the lights and lock the doors after everyone in the class had left, so he was always the last one to leave the classroom.
Xu Wenqiang was always the first one to leave the classroom. She was like a robot that stayed at a fixed position. When the bell rang for evening study, she would lift her head from the table, pack up her things and leave.
"Xiao Cheng!"
Half of the students in the class were still there. Lin Tong, who had already left, came back and ran back to the classroom in panic.
Lin Tong told Xiao Cheng what he had seen, and he was almost crying after he finished speaking.
"It's okay." Xiao Cheng comforted Lin Tong, "Which direction did they go?"
"They went west." said Lin Tong.
To the west, there is an abandoned bus station, which is the dirtiest place in Qingshi City.
"Lin Tong, go home first. I'll go find Xu Wenqiang."
"Gao Zhe, help me turn off the lights and lock the door. I have something to do and I'll leave first."
After arranging everything, Xiao Cheng strode out of the classroom with a gloomy face.
She thought the bus station was pitch black, but after walking in, Xu Wenqiang discovered that there was a half-lit light inside.
With the help of this first bit of light, Xu Wenqiang could roughly see the legendary bus station.
In the empty yard, there were miscellaneous items scattered all over the place, garbage scattered everywhere, and a wild cat that suddenly jumped up and ran away.
"Xu Wenqiang, do you want to sit down and have a drink?" Chen Yang came over with a bottle of wine and burped. "These past few days, you've been the math class representative and stealing the show on the basketball court. Have you forgotten about us friends from the farmers' market?"
"Chen Yang, have you been drinking and smoking here throughout the evening study session?" Xu Wenqiang said, looking at the wine bottle and cigarette butt behind Chen Yang.
"Yeah, I was a joke in No. 1 Middle School. It's only here that I'm Chen Yang." Chen Yang said, looking up and starting to drink.
"Xu Wenqiang, don't just watch Chen Yang drink, come and drink too!" Yu Yong opened a bottle of wine and handed it to Xu Wenqiang. "Chen Yang complained to me all night long, saying that you got into No. 1 Middle School and have become so successful that you won't look down on us anymore. I said, Xu Wenqiang is not that kind of person. To prove it, how about you drink with us tonight?"
"How much do we need to drink to feel satisfied?" Xu Wenqiang asked, looking at the bottle of wine handed to her.
"Well, at least don't go home until you're drunk." Yu Yong grinned.
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