Entanglement
The world is a giant claw machine, and through the glass window, all I want is you. --- Ding Yichen
The empty school building was nearly deserted, and most classrooms were dark. Xia Tong felt a chill, but the faint light from her phone couldn't illuminate the pitch-black corridor. She walked by memory to the classroom where she usually had evening study sessions. Suddenly, the classroom door opened, and she stared in terror, only to be abruptly dragged inside by a dark figure. Before Xia Tong could even scream, her mouth was covered, leaving only the silent sighs of the corridor.
When she realized, trembling, that it was Fu Jia holding her, she was almost bursting with rage: "Let go!" Xia Tong was furious. She reached back and pinched Fu Jia, who was clinging tightly to her. Her short, brittle nails dug into his flesh, and with another hard scratch, several bloody marks appeared on his neck. But he remained oblivious, clinging tightly to her back. Perhaps this was fate; she couldn't shake off his embrace no matter what she did.
"I ran away from home secretly. I missed you so much." Fu Jia held her struggling waist tightly, his voice filled with suppressed emotion.
Xia Tong immediately quieted down and stopped struggling, letting him hold her upright: "I heard your dad sent you to military school?"
“Well, I originally planned to go to the same city as you for university.” Fu Jia’s voice was full of exhaustion and helplessness.
"That's a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. It's really good to have power in your family. Even if you did that kind of thing, you can still go to military school unscathed. Ha, you should be in jail, not in college!" The bad emotions and memories were like demons, dragging her back into the abyss of pain.
"I'm sorry, I was really possessed back then, I--." He hesitated for a moment, then, as if he had made up his mind, solemnly said, "I love you."
Love? Xia Tong sneered in the darkness: Is love the forceful possession that disregards everything? Is love the relentless entanglement that uses any means necessary? Is love an excuse for murder, a pardon for evil?
"Then you'll never hear me say 'it's okay' in your life. And—do you even understand love?"
"I don't understand, can you teach me?" He buried his head deeply in her neck, pleading in a tone he had never used before.
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It was already past 10 p.m. when Xia Tong pushed open the door and went straight into the bathroom without looking at anyone. The other three girls in the dorm exchanged glances, communicated with gestures, and finally reached a consensus: keep quiet for now.
After Xia Tong finished washing up, she jumped into bed and buried herself under the covers without saying a word. Unlike their usual late-night chatter, they remained silent after the lights were turned off. Finally, the third sister couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Hey, Xiao Si, did you find my book in the study room?"
These words were like a lit fuse, igniting Xia Tong's anger. She abruptly threw off the covers and sat up in bed, her usually gentle and polite demeanor replaced by an accusing tone: "Can't you all just leave my business with Fu Jia alone?!"
The eldest member of the dorm came to the rescue: "We didn't mean anything by it, we just think he's really great, and we'd all feel it's a shame if you missed out. Besides, he came all this way to see you, so it's only right that you meet him, isn't it?"
"Please stop trying to match us up. There is absolutely no possibility between me and Fu Jia."
"Don't you think you're sometimes too stubborn?" Bian Jingyun, who hadn't spoken until now, chimed in. "You're unwilling to listen to other people's opinions, nor are you willing to see what others have done for you. Once you've made up your mind, you'll go all the way down that path."
"What benefits did Fu Jia give you that make you so devoted to him?"
This remark really angered the other three girls, and it was their first argument since the start of their freshman year, even though they had previously been as close as sisters.
"Benefits? Xia Tong! Is that all you think of us? We're your roommates, your friends! If it weren't for seeing you acting like a ghost because of that mess with Tan Zhihao, who would care about Fu Jia or Fu Jian?"
"You really disappoint us. We just wanted to see a guy who is so outstanding in every way to help you out of your sadness, but you make such assumptions about us."
Hearing Tan Zhihao's name only fueled Xia Tong's anger: "Outstanding? You only know him now, all these years later. In your hearts, he's good-looking, from a wealthy family, and seems nice to me. But do you know how long I've known him? Twelve years! Do you know how annoying he was when he bullied people? Do you know how I felt being ostracized by all the girls in my class for three years in junior high because of his little tricks? Do you know how much I hated him when he beat the boy you liked until his nose bled and he looked pathetic? Do you know what he's done to me? Do you know that he contributed half the reason I broke up with Tan Zhihao? I don't want to say how much I hate him, but I keep asking myself why I'm so unlucky to have met someone like him. Do you think he's really a charming, affectionate, and wealthy young man? He's just a selfish bastard you can't shake off, a criminal who gets away with his family's power, an unbearable madman!"
Suddenly, someone turned on the light. Under the bright white fluorescent light, Xia Tong was seen with her hair disheveled and her face streaked with tears. Her hands were tightly gripping the sheets, as if only this could give her a sliver of strength. She was always gentle, smiling, and even a little introverted. She would always do anything asked of her, just like tonight when her roommate asked her to retrieve a book she had left in the study room so late, and she didn't refuse. That's why everyone liked her and took care of her. No one had ever seen her so broken down. Even when she had just broken up with Tan Zhihao, she had only cried silently in bed all night.
Everyone at the reunion knew what had happened. Although they tried to keep it a secret, nothing stays hidden forever. When Tan Zhihao first subtly inquired about what happened after he left that night, and later directly questioned her about whether it had actually happened, she vehemently denied it. But how could Tan Zhihao not sense it? He could only comfort her, but this only created more tension. No guy would be indifferent to this kind of thing; remaining silent doesn't mean not caring, especially in the same circle where rumors were rampant.
The other three girls then realized that when it comes to matters of the heart, sometimes it's really not up to others to interfere.
Whether from nervousness or anger, Xia Tong tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, and her stomach began to ache. She pressed her hand against her stomach under the covers, hoping it would get better soon, but sometimes the more you focus on it, the worse it gets. Xia Tong couldn't bear it any longer. Her other roommates were already asleep. She quietly got out of bed, rummaged through the drawer, and was dismayed to find that all the stomach medicine she had bought from the pharmacy last time was gone.
She poured a large cup of hot water from the water bottle. Not daring to turn on the light and wake others, she quietly went outside to the lighted stairwell with the cup in hand and her phone for light.
The school is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the mountain mists and fog on rainy days can be quite a sight. But right now, looking out the window, all you see is darkness, not even a single star in sight. Xia Tong couldn't find any way to distract herself from the darkness, so she scrolled through her phone's photo album again. There were photos of class dinners at the beginning of freshman year, various funny pictures of her roommates, and photos of hiking trips organized by her department. These happy moments comforted someone who was alone and aching in this cold, dark night. Finally, she found the last photo, a blurry and old picture taken from a photo booth. Under the cute frame were two youthful but sweet smiling faces; although a little silly, it didn't diminish their joy.
She hesitated for a moment, pressed the hot cup to her stomach, and then picked up her phone to dial the number she knew by heart.
"Is that Tongtong?" The voice on the other end was still warm and gentle. In high school, I had listened to this voice countless times and fallen asleep peacefully in bed.
"Tan Zhihao, my stomach hurts..." She spoke to him with a natural air of grievance.
"Have you seen a doctor? Go take your medicine."
"The downstairs doors are all locked, so there's no way to see a doctor. But it's okay, I've already taken my medicine."
"Okay, that's good." The voice on the other end paused for a few seconds, then continued, "She also had a stomachache a few days ago, around two or three in the morning. I went to her dorm and carried her to the infirmary. You girls shouldn't diet, okay? Eat properly, okay?"
Xia Tong was stunned for a moment, then moved the cup that was covering her stomach to her chest. Now, or perhaps in the future, she would only be able to keep warm with the temperature of hot water.
"Hello? Hello? Is Tongtong still there?" Tan Zhihao asked, puzzled after not receiving a response for a long time.
"Yeah, still there."
Why aren't you saying anything?
"Tan Zhihao, you're really something!" Xia Tong said coolly before hanging up the phone.
She stared blankly at her phone for a few minutes, and sure enough, no more calls came in. She pulled herself up from the steps, looked out at the starless night sky, took a sip of the now-cold water, and suddenly felt that her stomach didn't hurt as much as before.
Indeed, greater suffering can lessen lesser suffering; Shakespeare was truly a wise and farsighted man.
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Last Friday I clearly saved two chapters, but JJ deleted one of them... I should have known better than to write until 2 or 3 in the morning... What a waste of my time ╮(╯▽╰)╭ PS: Why did JJ even delete this chapter?! Give it back to me!!!
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