Classroom 407

Chapter 9

As Blind Liu's figure was about to disappear at the end of the corridor, I instinctively swung my arm. The heavy little bag in my hand drew an arc and landed accurately on his back. A crisp sound of shattering glass rang out, and Blind Liu staggered, almost falling to the ground, but quickly regained his balance and disappeared from my sight.

I rushed over, bent down, and picked up the diary bag. Looking towards the stairwell, I saw the iron doors of the dilapidated elevator just closing. I lunged at the elevator, frantically pounding on the cold metal walls, but all I heard was the hum of the machinery. The LCD screen next to me showed that the elevator was ascending. Without thinking, I began frantically climbing the stairs beside me.

As I panted and climbed to the top floor of the main building—the ninth floor—I heard the muffled thud of the elevator arriving, a sound that seemed particularly heavy in the empty rooftop. I wiped the sweat from my brow and rushed to the elevator doors, only to find that the old iron doors wouldn't open. Blind Liu's heavy breathing escaped from inside the elevator with a sharp creaking sound. After a long pause, he also began frantically pressing the buttons, pounding on the iron doors, even kicking and shoving them, but the two steel walls showed no sign of separating. I tried everything from outside, but to no avail. The huge iron box hung there in the air, like a suspended coffin, creaking gloomily, but completely still.

I heard the sound of Blind Liu collapsing to the ground. I think he probably understood by now: the elevator was broken, and he couldn't escape. But the source of that heart-wrenching creaking sound... I looked down and thought for a moment, and suddenly all the blood in my body seemed to freeze: it was the sound of the steel cables suspending the elevator.

bid farewell

The creaking sound was like a demonic symphony, echoing in the empty main building. Cold sweat seeped into the wound on my palm, stinging painfully. I heard the sound of Blind Liu struggling to stand up, and the muffled thud of the elevator swaying and colliding with the walls in mid-air; the ominous sounds sent chills down my spine.

With a sharp "bang," followed by a piercing metallic scraping sound, it was clear from the sound that the elevator had just plunged suddenly. My heart was in my throat, feeling like it might jump out at any moment. Like a sack of rice that had lost its balance, the sound of the elevator falling to the ground was incredibly heavy.

Silence, a silence that held everything firmly in place, only the waltz of death still creaking on. I pressed my head against the wall, as if boiling oil were searing my insides: whatever he had done, whatever kind of person he was, at least in my heart, Blind Liu Yong was still that taciturn, sharp-tongued yet trustworthy and admirable fellow; after all, we had spent three happy years together. Although his actions just now proved everything, I still couldn't believe it was truly true. Besides… besides, he didn't deserve to die; perhaps he had already suffered enough torment. And now, I was watching helplessly as his life was slowly squeezed into the palm of death, so close yet so powerless.

Weak, feeble footsteps echoed in the elevator again; perhaps Blind Liu was struggling to get up. I yelled desperately, "Don't move! You're in danger! I'll find a way to save you right now, don't move again!"

Silence, an all-encompassing silence, with only the sound of my heartbeat clearly audible. After a long while, Blind Liu's voice seemed to come from tens of millions of light-years away: "Ah K, don't waste your energy, I deserve what I got."

"What nonsense are you talking about..." My tears were already streaming down my face uncontrollably. "You're talking nonsense, this has nothing to do with you... You're my brother who lives in the same house as me... I know what kind of person you are..."

“Ah K, I’m telling the truth.” Blind Liu sighed. “Maybe this is fate’s arrangement. I was the last person to hurt her, and also the one who hurt her the most. The child in her womb was my fault, and I shouldn’t have let her think that I had lost interest in her like everyone else. Although I only rubbed salt into her wounds, I never thought that it would be enough to push her down a path of no return.”

"What are you saying..." My brain was boiling over, and my whole body was trembling uncontrollably. "You wouldn't do this... You're not that kind of person... I'm the one who drove you to this end..."

Hearing my sobs, Blind Liu's voice remained calm as always: "Don't cry, K. I've said it before, this is what you deserve. Although a dying man's words are often kind, I don't want to say too much about the past. I think you might find the answers in your diary and the tapes. What I did to the fruit flies today, I'm truly sorry, I didn't mean to do it. But I was so scared, so scared. I wanted to escape the pursuit of fate, only to find that I still couldn't escape the judgment of my soul. Anyway, I'm sorry."

I frantically pressed the open button on the wall, but the elevator doors remained as unmoved as a rock, seemingly erected since the dawn of time, indestructible. I took a few steps back, frantically looking around, and spotted an unlocked fire extinguisher cabinet not far away. Like seeing a savior, I lunged at it, yanked open the cabinet door, grabbed the long-handled axe inside, and rushed back. "Blind Liu, you're saved! We can settle your score later, but I can't let you die like this!"

But I forgot the saying, "Fate plays tricks on people." I swung the axe at the elevator door with all my might, and as I struggled to pull it back, the axe head and handle separated with a "crack." I was thrown a long way, the axe handle flew out of my hand, and the back of my head hit the ground with a piercing pain. The rusty axe head was firmly embedded in the gap of the elevator door, as if mocking my incompetence.

Blind Liu's voice didn't change because of my failed efforts: "Alright, A-K. I have a feeling, it's all preordained. I know she's right beside me, she's here to take me away. Don't waste your energy anymore, you can save others, but you can't save me, because my sins are beyond repayment with my life."

As if to comment on his words, I was about to get up and use the axe handle to pry open the door again when I heard another "bang." The elevator shook even more violently, so much so that I could feel the vibrations. My body stiffened instantly, unable to move an inch.

Silence, and more silence, a silence that swallowed everything and turned it into nothingness. Blind Liu's faint laughter shattered the space, sounding so cold and terrifying to my ears: "Heh, heh heh... Take me away. I know you've always resented my cowardice and incompetence. But have you ever considered that, from beginning to end, the only one who truly loved you was me? I don't want to defend myself, nor do I want to absolve myself of my sins, it's just—it's just that you should understand the unspeakable pain I feel."

I knelt on the ground, every nerve in my body constricting, my stomach convulsing uncontrollably, and suddenly I vomited a large amount of bile. Blind Liu seemed to sense my distress and laughed again: "Heh, K, death isn't as terrible as you think. This building's elevator seems to have three steel cables suspending it—maybe I'll die in a few seconds. I just hope you won't tell my parents the real cause of my death. You know my family's circumstances; I don't want to add another layer of grief to their already heavy hearts. Also, please tell the fruit fly I'm sorry. You and she must live well together."

I stood up trembling, my blank mind filled with only one thought: save him, save him, save him! I began to move my numb legs toward the stairs, my pace quickening, my steps growing larger. At the top of the stairs, I vaguely heard Blind Liu muttering: "...It's easy to go from life to death, but difficult to go from death to life. To live towards death is what I desire; to die because of life is what I grieve for..." He suddenly became agitated, his voice rising sharply, piercing the air to reach my ears as they receded into the distance: "K, do you know, I saw her, I saw her! She's right beside me, standing right beside me! She hasn't changed, she's still the same as before, still so lovely...K, she forgave me, she forgave me, I know she forgave me!"

The dark, spiraling path, like a gaping maw, greeted me. I can't remember how I leaped down the stairs, step by step; I only felt all my strength concentrated in my legs, making me feel like I was flying through the clouds. I only wished I could run faster and faster, that time could slow down and slow down, until I could break through that sighing wall and bring Blind Liu inside to safety. Human sins can be washed away, can be redeemed. He wasn't a bad person; he just took one wrong step.

But the instant I leaped into the lobby, I heard the sound of the last steel cable snapping. Everything vanished in an instant; time and space disappeared. I stared blankly upwards, feeling the shock of the elevator plummeting through that narrow, vertical space, like a coffin being lowered into a deep grave. I heard nothing, saw nothing. I knew it was truly over. Utterly over.

After a deafening roar that could destroy the world, the elevator doors beside me were twisted into a bizarre shape, like someone reaching out to grasp an unattainable target. I stood there, dumbfounded, watching a black, viscous liquid with a sweet, metallic smell slowly crawl out from under the broken doors, unfolding around me until it completely engulfed my feet.

The curtain fell low. After this tragic finale, the performance finally came to an end.

"A student dies mysteriously due to an aging elevator malfunction at a school." I lit a cigarette, looked at the large headline in the evening paper, smiled sadly, tore it into pieces, and threw them into the air. Taking a deep drag, watching the sunset drift across the sky, I suddenly felt that it was all a dream, a black, incredibly sad dream, and I was immersed in it, never to wake up.

Blind Liu's parents received a large sum of compensation, but it could never make up for the immense pain of losing their beloved son. The two elderly people wept uncontrollably, and all his classmates were moved to tears—Blind Liu's family was extremely poor; his parents scrimped and saved to send him to school, hoping he would have a bright future, never imagining that he would perish in the very school where he had once placed his dreams and hopes. The tragedy of parents burying their children is one of the deepest sorrows in the world.

Of course, I didn't say anything from beginning to end, but Li Zhengliang and I understood each other perfectly. After hearing the loud noise, he and Guoying rushed downstairs and found me standing frozen in front of the elevator. It took them a lot of effort to pull me out of the main building. After dialing 120, we looked at each other in dismay until Guoying took out his record player and played the fatal tape.

It was a blank cassette tape; there was no sound on it.

Last words

The trees are lush and green, the grass is verdant. Summer makes everything seem vibrant and full of life, as if all vitality is bursting forth in this season. But the shattering of life is like a discordant note leaping in this symphony, appearing suddenly and disappearing just as quickly.

But the shock it brought to others is self-evident and can never be undone.

I sat under a tree in the woods, a small package in my hand, unconsciously smacking my lips, until I saw a fruit fly appear on the forest path. She hurried up to me, looked at my blank expression, and we remained silent. This was the first time we had met since that incident; I had invited her here to uncover the final mystery.

Fruit Fly pulled the backpack off his back, took out the "Traveler" sword, and handed it to me. I took it with my bandaged left hand, casually pulled open the blade, and held it towards Chen Wenwen's diary bag. Fruit Fly squatted down and silently watched as I skillfully cut the braided rope, tore off the outer newspaper, and an old, blue-covered diary appeared before us.

I took out a lighter and handed it to the fruit fly, then pointed to a pit I had already dug in front of me. She nodded, took the lighter, lit the newspapers, and watched the leaping flames burn out in her hand before tossing the remaining corner into the pit. The black ash shimmered briefly in the pit before disappearing quickly.

I opened the notebook; the beautiful words "Chen Wenwen's Story" danced on the title page. I wondered what she was feeling when she wrote those words? Fruit Fly sat down beside me, and we continued flipping through the pages, heads close together.

[Month] [Day]

University life is something to look forward to. Coming to such a strange place, I wonder what I'll encounter? The world is beautiful, life is beautiful, and I believe everything in the future should be beautiful too. If not, I'll strive to make it happen.

[Month] [Day]

There are many talented people in the literary society. Today, during the president's lecture, I sat next to Zheng Tuo. I realized that he's not only handsome, but also has a very charming smile.

What am I thinking?

[Month] [Day]

He's very good to me. He always thinks of me, no matter what. He said my writing is charming, with a sweet, almost romantic quality, like being in love. I'm so glad he said that. He's a lovely person.

[Month] [Day]

I went to study with him. He was diligently writing an article, and the way he focused on something was truly captivating. Is this love?

[Month] [Day]

I heard the literary society is electing a new president next semester. Although I know many people and have many fans, I have absolutely no interest in this. I believe happiness isn't about commanding others, but about commanding yourself. I feel very happy.

[Month] [Day]

It all happened so suddenly. The classroom was so dark, and he actually did that. He kissed me, and that wasn't enough. I was scared, I was panicked. But his feelings were so intense, I couldn't refuse him. At that moment, I was in so much pain, it felt like my body was being torn apart. He desperately covered my mouth, telling me not to scream. I was almost suffocating, I was in so much pain.

But he was content. He kissed me, he comforted me, and he said he would stay with me forever.

He said he loved me. I loved him too. This was true love; we were one. I was his, and I loved him.

[Month] [Day]

Winter is over. I love spring; it's the season for life to dance. I'm happy with him.

[Month] [Day]

There was something unfathomable in his eyes, as deep as the night. So I helped him, and he got what he wanted. There was something else in his smile that I couldn't decipher; I felt a little strange, and a little scared.

He took me again that night. I just wanted us to be happy together. He said I was the apple of his eye.

[Month] [Day]

They had a fight. He cursed fiercely, like a knife stabbing into someone's heart.

I'm very sad. But I believe he loves me, because I belong to him. Tomorrow, we'll be together as if nothing happened.

[Month] [Day]

I saw him with Lu Xiaojia. He didn't answer my questions.

Oh my god, why did this happen to me?

[Month] [Day]

I can't believe what he's saying. That's fatal.

My sky has fallen.

[Month] [Day]

I'm so sad. I'm so sad. He was with someone else; he didn't see me, or he pretended not to see me. I have no place in his heart at all. He's lying to me, lying to me from beginning to end.

[Month] [Day]

I can't stand this life. Even though no one knows I'm no longer clean, I know what I've utterly lost. A part of my soul and body has been lost forever, never to be retrieved. I see him smiling. I know he's smiling.

[Month] [Day]

School has started again. Many new faces appear on the road, as tender as new willows, as pure as white clouds. I was once like them, but now I'm just a withered leaf in the mud. I want to cry again.

[Month] [Day]

I couldn't help but cry in the literary society today, and Xu Beijie saw me. He said, "So-called love is just mutual torment. Since the process of tormenting each other is over, don't continue to torment yourself."

What he said makes a lot of sense. I should forget all of that.

[Month] [Day]

What is Ding Hongliang planning to do?

He's so stupid. Just as stupid as me.

[Month] [Day]

Xu Beijie is such a strange person. He actually neglected his own work to waste time chatting with me and even tried his best to make me laugh.

I don't think I've laughed much since we broke up. But I laughed today, and I laughed a lot.

[Month] [Day]

Xu Beijie is an idiot. He actually told others that I was his girlfriend. My face felt hot, so I ran back home.

He probably doesn't know that I'm no longer...

[Month] [Day]

I talked to Xu on the phone for a long time; he's really interesting. Much more interesting than him.

But I'm not the same person I used to be. What should I do?

Ding Hongliang was as foolish as ever. His foolishness was amusing, but not in the same way as Xu's. I knew what he was thinking.

[Month] [Day]

Xu said, "You should seize the moment."

Was he implying something to me? I don't understand.

[Month] [Day]

Xu kissed me; he was very gentle. I was a little scared, but then I melted. He's a truly lovely person.

[Month] [Day]

I then realized that it was truly a wonderful thing. Although I saw a hint of disappointment on his face, he didn't say anything.

He brought me happiness. I want to bring him happiness too. I want to forget the past. I want to cherish the present.

[Month] [Day]

It was a wonderful day. We were never apart.

[Month] [Day]

I think I saw Xu getting very close to other girls.

Maybe I'm just overthinking it.