The midday sun was like molten lead, making the cement floor of the dormitory hot.
Qin Ying lay on her back on the creaking iron bed, staring at the shadows of the locust tree leaves swaying on the ceiling, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the violin beside her pillow.
The strings shone with a cold luster in the sunlight, forming a strange contrast with the incessant snoring of the girls in the same room - their peaceful sleep was like an invisible wall, isolating her on an island of anxiety.
I had wanted to take advantage of the lunch break to practice the repertoire for the military district performance, but on the fifth day of waiting for news from Fu Hanzhou, every minute and every second felt like sandpaper grinding against my heart.
The military district parade will be held tomorrow.
Since Coach Li said that if she wanted to prove herself, she should perform better in this performance, then she would do her best.
Maybe when Fu Hanzhou comes back, no one will mention this matter.
She didn't have to worry so much when explaining herself.
When she grabbed the piano case, the clinking of the metal buckles woke the girl in the next bed, who then let out a dissatisfied grumble.
Qin Ying lowered her eyes and apologized, her hair sliding down to hide the panic in her eyes.
The radio at the end of the corridor was playing "The East is Red", mixed with the slogans coming from the distant playground, which made her temples throb.
The playground was covered with faded dead leaves, and the parallel bars shone coldly and hard under the gray-blue sky.
Qin Ying had just opened the violin case when a swirling wind suddenly blew up the horsehair on the bow.
There were hurried footsteps behind me, and the dead leaves were rustling under my feet.
When she turned around, Wei Zhuolan's white shirt was soaked with sweat, and the top two buttons were unbuttoned, revealing a sexy collarbone. His chest was heaving violently, as if he had just run the entire playground.
"You've been reported!"
He held the parallel bars with one hand, trapping her in the shadows, his breath mixed with mint and sweat spraying on her face.
Qin Ying's fingers gripping the bow suddenly tightened, and the strings emitted a harsh vibrato.
She stared at his red eyes and noticed that there was half a dead leaf on his sleeve - the mark left by rushing through the bushes.
"Because of this?"
She raised the violin, and the sunlight reflected from the violin made Wei Zhuolan squint.
He suddenly slammed his hand hard on the parallel bars. The vibration of the metal startled the sparrows in the distant trees.
"Being so outstanding that people are jealous!"
Qin Ying lowered her eyes, her eyelashes casting fine shadows under her eyes.
There was no one else but her----Gu Ping'an's face appeared in his mind.
The face that always wore a fake smile was now twisted into a hideous appearance.
The supporting documents had been submitted long ago, but some people insisted on dragging her into the quagmire.
She sighed in her heart and said silently:
"Whatever."
Rest the bow lightly on the strings and continue playing:
“If you are upright, you fear no crooked shadow.”
Before she could finish her words, her chin was suddenly pinched. Wei Zhuolan's fingertips were covered with calluses and were almost digging into her flesh.
His pupils contracted violently, and emotions that she couldn't understand surged in his eyes:
"Do you think the Security Department is just a plaything? If you go in there and can't get any answers, your future is over!"
Qin Ying leaned back suddenly, and the back of her head hit the piano case with a dull sound.
She stared at Wei Zhuolan's flushed face and suddenly noticed the dark circles under his eyes, as if he had not slept for several nights.
"What else?"
Her voice trembled:
"I didn't do anything, do you want me to plead guilty?"
Wei Zhuolan's hands froze in mid-air, his Adam's apple twitching twice. Suddenly, he laughed, his laughter filled with suppressed madness:
"Confess? Do you know what the worst punishment is? Jail! And it will implicate the people you care about!"
Qin Ying was silent. Of course she knew!
She stood up silently, holding the bow tightly, feeling that the violin in her hand was like a knife on her neck.
She wanted to throw it away, but it was too late.
It’s okay to be investigated or imprisoned, but you cannot implicate others.
Seeing that she had been silent, Wei Zhuolan's tone became impatient:
"The accusation letter was sent directly to the Propaganda Department! Even if Fu Hanzhou is here, you will still be subject to investigation."
Propaganda Department?
No wonder!
Gu Ping'an actually reported the matter to a higher level!
It must be because Coach Li refused to investigate and pursue the matter that she became desperate and took extreme measures.
"Then... I will accept the investigation! I... I don't believe they can just accuse me."
Seeing that she was still unmoved and had no sense of crisis at all, Wei Zhuolan smiled dejectedly:
"Qin Ying, do you think that becoming the top scorer in the college entrance examination can silence the gossips? In their eyes, you will always be that wild girl from Chao County."
So everything is unreasonable, and being illiterate is normal.
Qin Ying looked at him with a stubborn look:
"I am the daughter of the martyr Qin Gang, not some unidentified person!"
Wei Zhuolan sneered, his eyes filled with suppressed cruelty, and his words were like a knife slicing her:
"Qin Ying, it's useless for you to say this to me. Someone has reported me. My mother has asked the Security Department to open a case. Now the entire Propaganda Department is saying that you are a hidden spy."
"Your mother?"
Chen Shuyun?
Qin Ying was stunned. Why did she suddenly feel that this matter had become a personal vendetta?
Could it be that Chen Shuyun felt that she had lost face because of the last incident, so she took advantage of the situation to add insult to injury?
But in a flash, I thought of something... a place to study abroad!
She recalled the first time Chen Shuyun came to the publishing house.
A fabricated rumor could make her pack up and leave immediately. Now that she knows about the overseas study quota, I'm afraid she will make a big fuss.
The well-maintained minister's wife once stood condescendingly before her and warned her to know her place.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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