Chapter 3. The feeling of being watched has returned...
Chapter 3
Wen Yining's face turned pale, and without thinking, she reflexively turned around and ran into the door.
She dared not look back or stop, as if a ghost was chasing her through the back door, and ran to the back door in one breath.
The moment she saw the flow of people at the back door, she felt for the first time how friendly those unfamiliar colleagues were.
She didn't have time to think about how he knew she was at the side door.
She glanced at a car, turned around, and left, her fingers gripping the handlebars so cold they were numb, yet she dared not let go.
The air in the early spring night still carried a lingering chill. The streets were deserted in the early morning, with streetlights casting dim yellow circles of light. Only the sound of her bicycle chain and the distorted horn blaring in the distance echoed.
Late at night, the city sheds its daytime hustle and bustle and becomes silent and quiet. In the distance, the buildings of varying heights are still brightly lit, and one can vaguely imagine the prosperity and glitz within.
Neon lights and the night blend together, creating this dazzling and decadent northern city.
But none of this concerns her.
Wen Yining rode for a long time before she dared to stop and catch her breath.
She belatedly realized it was him; it turned out that the person she had bumped into was him.
After riding through another intersection, a screeching sound of brakes suddenly rang out on the empty road. Wen Yining stopped her bike, braced herself with one foot on the ground, took out the bag of snacks she had carefully stored from her pocket, and forcefully threw it into the trash can.
It was almost 1 a.m. when I got back to school. Their school is very lenient; there is no curfew on weekends, and you can just swipe your campus card to enter.
Wen Yining was covered in sweat, but her cheeks and ears were freezing cold. She parked the car and breathed on her ears to warm them.
The manager sent several more messages, but she didn't open them and turned off her phone.
When she quietly pushed open the door, none of her roommates were asleep yet.
After washing up and lying in bed, her legs felt even more sore, so Wen Yining reached out and gently massaged them under the covers.
Returning to the familiar and warm environment, lying on my own little bed, my anxious heart finally felt a long-lost sense of security.
She thought she would have trouble sleeping, but she fell asleep soon after.
*
It felt like I had just closed my eyes when the alarm clock went off as usual.
Wen Yining woke up immediately. After sleeping all night, her legs were even more sore, and she could barely lift them.
I picked up my phone and glanced at the time: 7 a.m.
Springtime has only just begun.
After a frightening and exhausting night, having slept for less than six hours, Wen Yining lay wearily in her warm little bed, not wanting to get up.
Let me sleep a little longer...
Then we'll go to the library after the party...
She hesitated for only a moment, then took a breath, gritted her teeth, and got out of bed despite the pain.
When Wen Yining first saw this word, she felt that it was describing herself.
Although the word carries a negative connotation online, she will always remember those late nights when she was so sleepy that she pinched herself to stay awake, cried because she couldn't keep going, and had to memorize vocabulary words while wiping away her tears.
Her mother, who was laid off and in poor health, her father, who worked a fixed-salary job, her grandmother, who suddenly fell ill and was hospitalized, her parents' expectations, and the gaze of others—these were all sources of motivation for her efforts.
It was through this daily perseverance and hard work that she was able to gain admission to S University, one of the top universities in the country, from her remote and underdeveloped hometown, with the highest score in the city.
Wen Yining always knew that studying was not the only way out in life, but it was the best way out for her.
Wen Yining stood in front of the bathroom mirror to wash up. The mirror reflected her cool and delicate face, and her slender wrists that looked as if they would break at the slightest touch.
Wen Yining's skin is very white, a flawless white, but today her face is a little pale, her eyes are slightly red, and she looks somewhat fragile and haggard.
While the others in the dormitory were still asleep, she quickly washed up without disturbing her roommates and hurriedly left the dormitory.
Today is a bright and sunny day, the breath of spring is even stronger, warm and bright, the air in the wind is peaceful, as if the events of last night were just a nightmare.
After eating in the cafeteria, Wen Yining's tired mind regained some energy, and she finally had the strength to open the WeChat messages she hadn't read yesterday.
She didn't reply to the group messages yesterday, and the manager sent her several private WeChat messages, probably thinking she wouldn't refuse the job transfer, and explained the process to her at length. Then, out of the blue, he asked...
[Xiao Wen, I remember you're 18 this year, right?]
[A very promising future indeed.]
Wen Yining got goosebumps all over her body.
Her unconventional transfer was obviously orchestrated by someone, and the manager knew everything.
Suppressing her disgust, she carefully chose her words and brought up the matter of resigning. Although she had no hope, she still cautiously asked if she could still receive her salary.
After all, that money was not a small amount for her.
After waiting a while and the manager didn't reply, she turned off the screen and stopped looking.
When she arrived at the library, there were already quite a few people there. Wen Yining found a seat and sat down. The soft morning sunlight shone through the glass onto her face, making her delicate profile look quiet and focused.
She didn't turn on her phone until she left the library. The manager had replied to many messages, and there was also a missed video call from her mother, Liu Jingzhen, from ten minutes earlier.
Wen Yining looked around, found a bench by a flower bed, sat down, turned on the camera to check her complexion, and only after confirming that no one would notice anything unusual did she call her mother back.
The video call connected quickly, and the screen showed the mother's somewhat haggard face as she often took care of her grandmother in the hospital, and in the background, their old but cozy home.
Wen Yining felt a pang of pain in her heart and frowned.
Liu Jingzhen hurriedly asked, "Yining, have you eaten?"
"I've already eaten, have you?"
“I’ve already eaten. Your dad is off today, so he went to the hospital for me. Grandma Luo downstairs brought me the food.”
They were all long-time neighbors who had lived together for decades. The Wen couple were honest and kind-hearted, and they were well-liked in the community. In addition, Wen Yining used to tutor the children in the community for free, so the neighbors would help each other out whenever needed.
Liu Jingzhen is honest and simple, not good with words, and can only chat with her daughter about trivial things.
“Grandma Luo downstairs’s grandson keeps saying he wants to be the top student in the city like you. When I came back the day before yesterday, someone from the neighboring community even pulled me aside and asked me how I educated you.” Liu Jingzhen spoke of these things with undisguised pride in her eyes.
Wen Yining was well-behaved and good at studying since she was a child. After she got the top score in the city, she became famous in the area. Everyone knew that her family had a top scorer in the city, and even the mayor went to visit her.
Upon hearing this, Wen Yining couldn't help but smile bitterly to herself.
The pride of her small town realized how insignificant she was after arriving in the northern city. She was lost in thought for a moment, remembering the restaurant where she worked part-time and was called "the palace," the extraordinary man from yesterday, and the manager's information that she hadn't yet opened.
There is a strong sense of disconnect.
The mother and daughter chatted for a long time. Liu Jingzhen carefully told her to take care of her health and focus on her studies, and not to worry about things at home.
After hanging up the phone, she sat quietly for a while before opening her manager's WeChat. It was full of earnest pleas to stay, including several video calls, but the manager never mentioned her salary.
Wen Yining sighed. She didn't reply. After hesitating for a moment, clinging to a sliver of unrealistic hope of getting paid, she still didn't dare delete the manager's WeChat and those work groups.
She hadn't expected it, but a few days later, Wen Yining received the full salary in her account, down to the last penny, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
Nothing has happened since that day.
Wen Yining would occasionally drift off during class, and the image of the shadow she saw when she looked up would suddenly pop into her mind, along with the fleeting glance she made when she made eye contact with that person, and the row of identical black cars parked on the side of the road.
That day's events almost left her traumatized; sometimes, seeing a bright black car at school would make her heart race.
Many days passed, and the familiar and peaceful life at school gradually put her mind at ease. She forgot about the part-time job and what happened that night, and returned to a peaceful and fulfilling life.
Anyway, once she left that place, she would never encounter those powerful and wealthy people again in her life.
—
Wen Yining attends S University, a school with a long history and equally long-established facilities, and often hears complaints from her classmates.
During the class meeting on Friday, a piece of news was suddenly announced.
Renowned entrepreneur Chen Yu, who is also an alumnus of their alma mater many years ago, will be returning to his alma mater next Monday to donate money. The school plans to select several current students to accompany him and hopes everyone will sign up.
Wen Yining glanced at Chen Yu's photo and introduction on the screen.
Should a student accompany them? Or are they a freshman?
Wen Yining was puzzled for only a moment before she put the feeling out of her mind.
The school takes this matter very seriously and has been discussing it in class meetings.
Wen Yining's roommate, Jiang Fengqing, excitedly asked, "Yining, are you going to sign up? You're such a good student and have such a good appearance, you'll definitely be selected and you can get extra credits!"
Wen Yining looked up from her computer and shook her head. "These kinds of candidates will definitely be drawn from the student council first. I definitely won't be selected."
She doesn't like being in the spotlight, and she doesn't have high hopes for this kind of thing, nor does she really want to participate, because there's a high probability that she'll just be memorizing lines and then following the leader around like a tool to create atmosphere. She'd rather spend that time doing more advanced math problems.
Saturday.
Jiang Fengqing tossed a list over, "You, Wen Yining, have gone astray, secretly signing up without telling us."
Among the six students on the list, Wen Yining's name was prominently featured.
Wen Yining stared blankly at her own name.
But she didn't sign up...
She immediately went to ask the counselor if there was a mistake.
Wen Yining could only accept it helplessly.
The school took this event very seriously. The selected students were not allowed to leave the school on weekends, and each student was assigned a task, with even rehearsals.
Monday arrived quickly.
After gathering early in the morning, everyone's mobile phones were confiscated.
Wen Yining was surprised for a moment, but didn't say anything. She first checked if there were any messages, then handed the phone to the teacher.
Two classmates next to me were muttering complaints under their breath.
"Why do we have to hand in our phones?"
"Yeah, is it wrong to take a picture? It's not like it's a secret project. There are tons of photos and videos of Chen Yu online. What's wrong with us taking a few?"
The other students didn't say anything, but their expressions clearly revealed their true feelings.
Each student was responsible for a different project. Wen Yining and another male student surnamed Lin were in charge of serving tea.
The tea leaves were prepared in advance according to the weight, and the water was also boiled and kept at a suitable temperature. After the people arrived, the two carefully followed the rehearsed steps and then Lin pushed the food cart out, with Wen Yining following beside her. The two went out together.
The first thing Wen Yining saw when she went outside was that there were no fewer than six bodyguards standing there.
Lin, a classmate, also saw it and muttered softly, "Chen Yu really has a big entourage, bringing so many bodyguards to school."
Wen Yining didn't respond to that, but subtly glanced at the person in the main seat. He was a middle-aged man in his early fifties. Wen Yining and her classmates had looked at his profile over the past few days and recognized him as Chen Yu, the successful senior from their school. He didn't look quite like his photos online, but he clearly had a successful career and exuded a strong aura.
The floor was covered with a thick carpet, making it difficult to push. She went up to help the boy push it. After taking only a few steps, a man in a suit and tie suddenly leaned over to her side, took Wen Yining's place, and offered to help her push the bike.
The person who helped her looked to be in his 30s and wore glasses.
That was the young man who had crossed the road outside the restaurant looking for her that day.
Wen Yining's mind went blank for a moment, the rest of her words stuck in her throat, and she stood there dumbfounded, staring wide-eyed at the young man's face in disbelief.
The radar was issuing alarms frantically, and the feeling of being watched returned. Wen Yining turned her head sharply.
Among a group of elderly school leaders sat a man who looked somewhat familiar, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Despite his young age, he did not appear weak at all; he sat there calmly and composedly, his aura even overshadowing theirs.
The man wore gold-rimmed glasses and looked refined and aloof.
His temperament appears low-key and clear, yet he possesses a profound and unfathomable quality.
Amidst the clamor of voices and the watchful eyes of the crowd, he stared at her with a half-smile, making no attempt to conceal his gaze.
It was intriguing and exuded a strong sense of aggression.
Just like that day.
A note from the author:
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