Chapter 54 Number 54 Don't touch her!
Xu Wu breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't see Lin Huiqing three days before New Year's Eve. She asked Fang Rumei, who said he had something to do and was staying at a friend's house. Xu Wu was relieved; as long as she didn't see him, she wouldn't mind if he slept under a bridge.
The house cleaning was rushed and finished the day before New Year's Eve. Xu Wu threw away all the things Lin Huiqing had left in her room without changing her expression. Fang Rumei saw this and subtly reminded her, but she ignored it all.
They thought this would last until at least the beginning of the year, but unexpectedly, Lin Huiqing returned on the morning of New Year's Eve. He ran to the kitchen to help Fang Rumei, making her laugh out loud.
Xu Wu leaned against the threshold of the room and glanced around a few times, but did not react.
Lin Huiqing was the first to see her and greeted her warmly, "Xiaowu, you're awake! Come and eat!"
Fang Rumei turned around upon hearing this and saw Xu Wu's lazy posture with his arms crossed. She frowned, wanting to scold him, but the words almost slipped out. However, she forcibly held back for some reason and simply said, "Come and eat if you're hungry. We'll have hot pot tonight."
"Mm," Xu Wu replied.
She's not stupid; there's free food to be had.
She had just walked to the dining table, pulled out a chair, and sat down when Fang Rumei brought up a bowl of porridge and placed it in front of her.
Xu Wu glanced at the few remaining and unappetizing side dishes on the table but didn't say anything. Just as she picked up her spoon, someone sat down opposite her.
"Xiao Wu, about what happened last time..."
Lin Huiqing's hesitant voice rang out.
Out of the corner of Xu Wu's eye, she could still see his hands, fingers interlaced, on the table. His right thumb nervously rubbed the knuckles of his left thumb. Without even thinking, she could imagine that something bad was brewing on his face.
"Shut up." She said calmly, her eyes fixed on the porridge in her bowl. She clicked her tongue, stirred the porridge a couple of times with her spoon in annoyance, and said impatiently, "I'll smash your head every time you mention it."
Her tone was fierce, and she wouldn't even look up.
Lin Huiqing knew that angering someone would lead to trouble, so he obediently shut his mouth and said no more. But when he heard her words, the cut on his forehead, which was covered by his hair, seemed to still ache faintly, and the sourness made his teeth hurt a little. After cautiously glancing at her a few times to make sure that Xu Wu didn't react, he finally felt comfortable and boldly shifted his gaze to her.
The girl had slender, long limbs, and the exposed skin on her wrists was white, so beautiful that even the veins on the inside were clearly visible.
When she lowered her head to eat, her eyes were downcast, and her long, black eyelashes would tremble involuntarily, like a tickle on her heart. The bridge of her nose was high, making her features deep and three-dimensional. Further down, her thin lips were moistened by the porridge, and her soft tongue peeked out slightly to support the bottom of the spoon as it was inserted.
Lin Huiqing cursed under his breath, feeling parched and restless. He unconsciously adjusted his posture and glanced hastily at Xu Wu.
However, after not seeing her for a while, this cousin of his had become even more alluring, like the apple of Eden, every move she made tempting him to do something.
But with Fang Rumei still present, his reaction wasn't as obvious. However, the surging heat rising from deep within his body made his breathing heavy, and the image of Xu Wu crying beneath him echoed in his mind.
Sizzle—
The piercing, sharp noise of chair legs tearing at the ground pulled Lin Huiqing back to reality.
He subconsciously looked up and met Xu Wu's gaze as she stood up with her bowl. Xu Wu's indifferent and mocking eyes were looking down at him for a few moments before finally settling on a spot on the table that was obscured by his gaze, without saying a word.
Lin Huiqing awkwardly put her legs together, and when she looked again, the other person was already walking towards the kitchen with a look of disgust on their face.
"Have you finished eating?" Fang Rumei asked, seeing her put the bowl in the sink.
“Yes, I’ll go back tomorrow,” Xu Wu said.
Fang Rumei frowned. "Tomorrow is the first day of the Lunar New Year. We're going to visit relatives, haven't we?"
Xu Wu feigned confusion when she said "relatives," and chuckled, though the smile didn't reach her eyes; at most, the corners of her mouth lifted a few degrees: "Don't joke around, I have no relatives in Lijiang."
"Xu Wu!" Fang Rumei exclaimed angrily.
“I’m not going,” she said, her expression unchanged. “Tomorrow is the anniversary of his death, and I don’t want to go and cause trouble.”
Upon hearing this, Fang Rumei immediately fell silent. Her eyes flickered, and the slight anger she had shown earlier vanished. She opened her mouth, looking at Xu Wu as if she wanted to say something, but after a few seconds of silence, she quietly closed her mouth and said nothing more.
Taking advantage of his height, Xu Wu clearly saw the fleeting guilt on her face. Her heart, which had been overwhelmed by emotions over this matter in the past, was now completely calm, and a faint sarcasm flashed in her eyes.
Having witnessed Fang Rumei's behavior in this matter many times, Xu Wu didn't say anything, and went back to his room after telling her to pack his things.
The moment she closed the door, she wearily pinched the bridge of her nose.
Two seconds later, Xu Wu sighed, opened his eyes, and glanced around briefly.
The room wasn't big; it could even be said to be the smallest in the house, but Xu Wu had no right to say anything.
After all, Fang Rumei got custody of her when she was divorcing her biological father, so it's already a good thing she wasn't abandoned on the street to fend for herself.
After she moved out, there were hardly any things left in the room.
The only quilt that Fang Rumei had given to Lin Huiqing last time made her very uncomfortable, so she threw it away without saying a word and went to find a thin quilt that she didn't need to make do with for a few days.
It's described as a thin quilt, but it's actually just a thin quilt cover.
She's been so cold at night these past two days, and her nose is so stuffy that she's already sneezed two or three times since she woke up this morning.
Xu Wu didn't pay much attention, thinking that the beatings would stop by nightfall, but unexpectedly, they became even more aggressive.
It was only six o'clock after we finished eating hot pot, and the sky outside was gradually getting dark. Because of the fireworks regulations, we didn't set off fireworks as ostentatiously as we had in previous years, but there were still some fireworks.
At 11:30 p.m., Xu Wu, covered with a quilt and a thick coat, sat on the edge of the bed looking at the photos sent by Fu Xi.
Fu Xi: I just received these photos from the New Year's Day performance. The teacher said they'll print out a few copies when we get back to school. See which ones you want to keep, and I'll get them for you then.
Fu Xi: Oh, by the way, our program was selected by the publicity department. The prize money will be paid out in a couple of days. I'll let you know then~
Xu Wu carefully flipped through the photos sent by the other party, including nearly twenty photos taken by Jie Ying during rehearsals.
The publicity department will select a few more from these twenty-odd photos to display on the bulletin board in the school history room, while the rest will be kept for future reference.
She glanced at them briefly, selected a few to show Fu Xi, who readily agreed that it was no problem and that he would bring them to her when he returned to school.
Fu Xi: Everyone's celebrating New Year's Eve at Sanliangjiang tonight, do you want to come too? It's quite lively.
Five: Who did you go with?
Fu Xi: That troublesome guy
Five: Chu Lian, then I won't go. I'm going to sleep later.
Whether it was a perfunctory excuse or not, Fu Xi saw through it easily. The other party sent a few more messages of complaint, and then there was no more response.
Xu Wu checked the time and decided to turn off the lights and lie down for a while when it was 11:30. The soundproofing of this house wasn't very good. The cheerful laughter of Fang Rumei's family of three watching the Spring Festival Gala in the living room kept coming in, along with the banging of fireworks outside, which made Xu Wu frown.
But the noisy environment actually created a hypnotic illusion. Xu Wu turned over, curled up, pulled the clothes covering her up, buried her face in them, and closed her eyes in a daze.
These noises disappeared completely once she fell into a deep sleep.
When she regained consciousness in a daze, she was caught off guard by the faint sound of a key being inserted into the lock.
The surrounding environment was completely dark, amplifying all senses countless times.
Xu Wu felt dizzy and her body ached so much that she couldn't muster any strength. She covered her forehead with the back of her hand and felt a burning sensation.
Immediately afterwards, the doorknob was gently turned from the outside.
Xu Wu struggled to sit up, squinting as he tried to make out what was happening, his voice hoarse as he uttered, "...Mom."
The other party did not reply.
Her tonsils hurt so badly they felt like they were swollen, and with every breath she exhaled, she felt dizzier.
Soon, the soft click of the door closing echoed, and the dark figure strolled to her bedside.
Xu Wu suddenly smelled a strong smell of alcohol on the other person, which jolted her awake. Just as she was about to get up after lifting the blanket, her wrist was suddenly grabbed forcefully.
The man's palm was frighteningly hot, and the unpleasant smell mixed with the pungent odor of alcohol washed over Xu Wu, making her even more dizzy and causing her stomach to churn. The urge to vomit instantly rose to her throat.
Her legs felt weak, and she tried her best to shake off the disgusting hand and the smell clinging to her body, but the other person saw through her intention and angrily and forcefully pushed her onto the bed.
It's this scene again.
Xu Wu's eyes were filled with terror, her heart was clenched tightly, and her hands unconsciously gripped the blanket tightly.
Memories that were never buried were unearthed and replayed.
It hurts so much, it hurts everywhere.
She was so terrified that she almost forgot how to breathe. She was breathing less and less air, and the lack of oxygen to her brain was almost causing her to suffocate and faint.
The dark figure was impatiently taking off its clothes.
“…Mom.” Xu Wu’s lips trembled, her eyes wide open, oblivious to the tears of fear streaming down her cheeks. She called out instinctively, but her voice was too soft.
I feel nauseous, so nauseous, I'm going to throw up.
Seeing the man about to pounce, Xu Wu gritted her teeth, raised her leg, and kicked him hard in the lower body in a panic, while screaming loudly, "Mom!! Mom!!"
She didn't know where she kicked him, but he grunted and then grabbed her leg, gritting his teeth and warning in a low voice, "Don't go too far. The soundproofing in this house isn't that great. Do you really think your mother didn't hear you?"
It was completely silent; there was no response from outside.
This default setting begins to breed despair.
Don't touch her, don't touch her!
Xu Wu trembled like a leaf. In extreme fear, he suddenly grabbed the quilt cover and, taking advantage of Lin Huiqing's inattention, shoved it over his head. Then, he kicked Lin Huiqing hard in the groin.
Lin Huiqing cried out in pain, bent over, and squatted down, clutching the two ounces of flesh that had been kicked to pieces, cold sweat pouring down his face.
But before he could utter a curse, a heavy object slammed into his head. Before he could react, he felt warm liquid sliding down his face, and then he lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.
At the same time, the door was pushed open and the light switch was turned on.
Xu Wu's breathing hadn't caught up yet; her chest was still heaving and she was panting heavily. She was completely shaken and could barely stand by holding onto the wall. Tears streamed down her face, making her look extremely disheveled.
She glanced back at the couple standing at the door. Fang Rumei's face was full of astonishment. Her gaze fell on the blood-stained photo frame and phone in her hand, and then on Lin Huiqing, who was lying unconscious on the ground, naked, and bleeding from the head. Her lips trembled, and she couldn't utter a word for a long time.
The man quickly realized what was happening, and his expression turned grim. He hurriedly pulled out his phone to call an ambulance, glared at Xu Wu, and then went outside.
Xu Wu slumped against the wall, feeling utterly weak. The photo frame and her phone crashed to the ground with a thud. She felt completely drained, her eyes lifeless.
Her body was filthy, her breath was contaminated, and her legs were so weak that she couldn't lift them. Her hormones were surging so high that her heart was about to explode and couldn't stay in her chest properly.
Besides the unconscious Lin Huiqing, only she and Fang Rumei, who remained silent at the door, were left in the room.
After a long while, she slowly spoke in a hoarse voice: "...You heard me calling you."
She spoke with certainty, without looking at Fang Rumei's face.
“I… the soundproofing in this house was a while ago…” Fang Rumei stammered.
"You're not coming." Xu Wu interrupted her, her voice choked with sobs. Her nose stung, and her airway felt congested. She murmured to herself, "Why aren't you coming? Didn't you... didn't you hear me call you 'Mom'?"
"I shouted at you so loudly..."
"You didn't come when I was twelve, and you didn't come tonight either."
Xu Wu curled up, hugging her knees and burying her head in them. Muffled sobs echoed in the narrow room. The pain was giving her a terrible headache and her stomach was tearing at her. She felt like she was about to die.
“I…” Fang Rumei said awkwardly.
"You hate me that much? He tried to rape me when I was twelve, but you made me let it go and let me endure it."
"And tonight? The attempted rape failed; do you wish I were dead?"
The next second, Xu Wu slowly raised her head, her tear-streaked face staring intently at Fang Rumei's tense face, her eyes filled with a deathly calmness and an uncontrollable madness, so sharp it almost pierced through people.
“Fine,” she said with a laugh, “I’ll go die.”
Author's Note: The next chapter of the school arc is coming to an end!
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