El hibisco como pintura

Capítulo 16

Chen Shuai stopped and looked in the direction Gao Xiaoyuan had run off to, a wry smile on his face: "That blond guy..."

She actually thought she could fool people like that? What a silly girl! Chen Shuai suddenly looked in a certain direction: "Where do you think that girl ran off to?"

Xu An stepped out of the shadows, looked in the direction Gao Xiaoyuan had gone, and said coldly, "It was Lin Nana."

Chen Shuai shook his head helplessly: "Why do you always hide in dark corners like a mouse?"

Xu An sneered: "I think you're more like a dog, you're quite clingy."

Chen Shuai laughed: "You mean to say that I'm meddling in other people's business?"

Xu An replied coldly, "Are you serious, or are you just playing around?"

Chen Shuai: "Are you referring to the matter of Class 0 in the first year of high school, or something else?"

"You know what I mean."

"So," Chen Shuai glanced at Xu An, "are you serious or just playing around?"

"I don't want her to get hurt!" Xu An looked at Chen Shuai.

“Me too!” Chen Shuai stared at Xu An as well.

Gao Xiaoyuan stood blankly behind the building, but couldn't see Lin Nana anywhere. However, she was certain that she wasn't seeing things; the girl must be Lin Nana, and she must have something to say to appear there. Gao Xiaoyuan also had many questions she wanted to ask her.

"Xiaoyuan!"

Gao Xiaoyuan turned around abruptly and saw Lin Nana standing not far behind her. She turned and ran quickly over, but stopped abruptly just as she was about to reach her.

Lin Nana looked haggard, and her eyes were red and swollen behind her thick glasses, clearly from crying not long ago.

Gao Xiaoyuan didn't speak immediately, but instead took out a candy wrapper from her pocket.

Lin Nana stared blankly at the candy wrapper, then suddenly burst into tears: "Xiaoyuan, I didn't do it!"

Hearing this, Gao Xiaoyuan was a little confused.

Lin Nana suddenly rushed up, grabbed Gao Xiaoyuan's arm, and cried, "Xiaoyuan, it really wasn't me!"

Gao Xiaoyuan stared blankly at Lin Nana, completely unaware of what those words meant.

"I didn't kill Wang Qin!" Lin Nana shouted.

Gao Xiaoyuan finally understood what Lin Nana meant: "I believe you."

Lin Nana suddenly froze, staring blankly at Gao Xiaoyuan: "You really believe me?"

Gao Xiaoyuan nodded affirmatively, then held up the candy wrapper, smiled, and said, "This is for a friend. We're friends now."

Lin Nana looked at the candy wrapper in Gao Xiaoyuan's hand and asked, "What's this?"

Gao Xiaoyuan was stunned and said, "Didn't you leave this for me?"

"I've never kept this!" Lin Nana said, blinking her red and swollen eyes.

"Didn't you come looking for me? Sitting on the swing." Gao Xiaoyuan suddenly felt that things were getting more and more complicated.

"I haven't contacted you."

Hearing this, Gao Xiaoyuan was stunned. She clearly saw Lin Nana, but she said she hadn't looked for her. So who was the girl she saw?

Who did the seventh thing?

Gao Xiaoyuan stared blankly at Lin Nana. She couldn't believe that the candy wrapper with the words "For a friend" written on it wasn't left to her by Lin Nana. So, it wasn't Lin Nana who told her that there were people in Class 0 of the first year of high school. What was going on?

"Lin Nana, can you tell me what happened? You're a student in Class 0 of the first year of high school, right?" Gao Xiaoyuan asked impatiently.

Lin Nana nodded and said, "Yes, that's right."

"What happened that night? Why did everyone think that the students in Class 0 of Grade 11 had disappeared? And how did you reappear? What exactly happened?"

"I also want to know what happened." Lin Nana cried sadly, "I still don't know what happened."

Gao Xiaoyuan was even more confused: "How could you not know?"

“That night, we were rehearsing in the concert hall when the power suddenly went out. We lit candles, but unexpectedly, they went out too. Then I was knocked unconscious. When I woke up, I found myself hiding in a room. The room was very dirty, and I was terrified. I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, but I couldn't open the door no matter what I did. I also noticed that the window in that room had been bricked up, so I couldn't see outside at all. I was so scared. I screamed and shouted as I could, and I kicked the door with all my might, but I still couldn't open it.” Lin Nana said, crouching down on the ground. “It was so terrifying, so incredibly terrifying!”

Gao Xiaoyuan stared at Lin Nana in disbelief, reaching out to gently pat her shoulder, intending to comfort her, but found her body trembling violently: "Nana..."

"Xiaoyuan, do you know how long I stayed in that room?"

Gao Xiaoyuan shook her head.

"I don't even know how long I stayed there. It was a very, very long time. I was trapped inside every day, living like a prisoner. I ate, drank, and relieved myself in that room. No one talked to me, no one paid any attention to me. I was really going crazy!"

"How do you eat?" Gao Xiaoyuan found this too unbelievable and simply couldn't believe it.

“There’s a small window under the door for delivering food. That person always brings the food in through that window.” Lin Nana’s eyes flashed with fear.

"Did you see what the person delivering the food looked like? And you should be able to see some of the outside from that small window, right?" Gao Xiaoyuan didn't know whether she should believe Lin Nana; what she said was too unbelievable.

"I can't see anything, I can't see anything at all. For the past year, I've tried every day to see, but it's pitch black outside the small window, I can't see anything."

"A year? You mean you were locked up for a year?" Gao Xiaoyuan looked at Lin Nana in surprise.

Lin Nana nodded tremblingly: "Yes, I don't know what happened, I really don't know. I was only released a few days ago. I'm so scared, so very scared. I don't know where to go or who to trust after I got out. I've realized that I don't belong here anymore."

How did you get out?

"I don't know. When I woke up, I was in the classroom of Class 0, Grade 11. I was terrified, really terrified."

Gao Xiaoyuan looked at the terrified Lin Nana, but didn't know how to comfort her, or whether she should believe her: "So where are you living now?"

“I…” Lin Nana suddenly looked behind Gao Xiaoyuan.

Gao Xiaoyuan quickly turned around, but there was no one behind her. When she turned back, she found that Lin Nana was gone. Gao Xiaoyuan stood there blankly, as if everything Lin Nana had just said had happened in a dream.

Is what Lin Nana said true? Also, does Lin Nana like candy? The thought of candy immediately brought to Gao Xiaoyuan's mind the deceased Wang Qin, whose tragic death still lingered in her mind. And then there was Lu Yao, who was still alive—what exactly happened between her, Wang Qin, and Lin Nana? Suddenly, a thought struck Gao Xiaoyuan: if she couldn't find Lin Nana, she could look for Lu Yao!

Ba Luyao's words

The moonlight shone on the narrow street.

Gao Xiaoyuan held up a piece of paper, looking at it as she searched.

"Hey, can't you walk a little slower?" Chen Shuai called out as he chased after him.

Gao Xiaoyuan didn't even glance at Chen Shuai and continued walking forward.

Chen Shuai quickened his pace to catch up, turned around and walked backwards while looking at Gao Xiaoyuan, saying, "I found Lu Yao's address for you, how come you didn't even say thank you?"

Gao Xiaoyuan ignored Chen Shuai and continued her search.

Chen Shuai shook his head helplessly: "Sigh, I like cats and dogs, but I can't like girls."

Gao Xiaoyuan suddenly stopped and glared fiercely at Chen Shuai: "Who told you to like me? Was it me? Did I force you? All you do is joke around all day long, you have no sense of seriousness at all. I don't know how long Principal Chen's meeting will last, she should really let her keep an eye on you!" After saying this, Gao Xiaoyuan turned around and continued walking forward, but after taking a few steps, she realized that Chen Shuai had not followed, so she stopped and turned around again.

Under the dim streetlights, Chen Shuai, who was always all smiles, now had a faint sadness on his face.

Gao Xiaoyuan froze, realizing she had misspoke: "You and Principal Chen..."

"I haven't asked her yet."

"Huh?" Gao Xiaoyuan stared blankly at Chen Shuai.

“She knows nothing, and I haven’t called to ask her.”

"You mean... you don't know that Principal Chen knows you're her biological son?"

Chen Shuai nodded slightly.

Gao Xiaoyuan stared intently at Chen Shuai. She suddenly felt that Chen Shuai seemed to become a different person when he mentioned his mother. Perhaps beneath his lively and cheerful exterior lay a sensitive and fragile heart. Gao Xiaoyuan slowly walked up to Chen Shuai, gently placed her hand on his shoulder, and said with a worried expression, "Principal Chen will be back in a few days. Then you can ask him all the questions."

Chen Shuai kept his head down and remained silent.

“I know you must have many questions in your mind, and I also know that you can’t accept this reality right now. If you are really sad, you can tell me, and I will help you,” Gao Xiaoyuan said sincerely.

Chen Shuai suddenly shrank back and rested his head on Gao Xiaoyuan's shoulder: "You said you would help me, so now help me and be my girlfriend!"

Gao Xiaoyuan stared at Chen Shuai with her mouth agape.

Chen Shuai, however, was secretly laughing.

Gao Xiaoyuan realized she had been tricked by him again. Enraged, she pushed Chen Shuai's head away and shouted, "Go to hell!" Then she turned and strode away.

Chen Shuai laughed and muttered to himself, "Cute blondie, I'm definitely going to make you my girlfriend!"

When Gao Xiaoyuan pushed open the worn courtyard gate, she saw Lu Yao sitting inside, staring blankly at the night sky. Seeing this, Gao Xiaoyuan hesitated, wondering whether to go and disturb Lu Yao; she believed Lu Yao must have suffered a great blow. Just as Gao Xiaoyuan hesitated, Chen Shuai rushed in at an inopportune moment.

"Yellow Hair, what are you standing there for?"

Gao Xiaoyuan had no choice but to glare at Chen Shuai again.

Who are you?

Gao Xiaoyuan and Chen Shuai looked over at the same time, and Lu Yao was staring at them with a wary look.

“I…” Gao Xiaoyuan was still hesitating about how to phrase it.

"We want to know why Wang Qin died!" As soon as Chen Shuai said this, Lu Yao looked up and reacted strongly upon seeing him. She stood up abruptly, rushed to Gao Xiaoyuan, and forcefully pushed the two of them out the door. Before they could react, she slammed the gate shut.

"Lu Yao, I just want to know about your relationship with Lin Nana, Lu Yao! Lu Yao!" No matter how much Gao Xiaoyuan pounded on the courtyard gate, Lu Yao wouldn't open it. Gao Xiaoyuan was so angry that she turned around and hit Chen Shuai hard.

"Why did you hit me?" Chen Shuai feigned innocence.

"You're supposed to be from Class 0 of Grade 11, yet you don't even know what's going on in your own class. I had to come here and ask someone else."

"You're blaming me. I couldn't help it. We had only been in school for a short time then, and we weren't very familiar with each other. Besides, I also want to know what exactly happened that night." Chen Shuai's gaze suddenly turned to the distance, and his face returned to calm.

Gao Xiaoyuan looked at Chen Shuai. Although this boy loved to joke and tease her, she could sense the sadness and sorrow hidden deep in his heart.

The courtyard gate suddenly opened, and Lu Yao poked her head out: "You... are you Deng Zhuofan?" As Lu Yao said this, she looked Chen Shuai up and down.

“I look a lot like him,” Chen Shuai answered the question cleverly.

Lu Yao squeezed half her body out from the crack in the door, looked Chen Shuai up and down again, and said, "You look so much like Deng Zhuofan!"

“They’re all equally handsome, right?” Chen Shuai laughed.

Gao Xiaoyuan glared at Chen Shuai.