Collège Tiannan

Chapitre 3

The entire table fell silent. No one spoke, as if they had inadvertently opened Pandora's box. I slumped back in my chair, tossed back a glass of wine, wiped my lips, and felt my stomach churning violently. Perhaps everyone knew Zheng Tuo was dead, I thought. Just then, the eldest brother cautiously spoke up: "K, do you know what caused Zheng Tuo's death?"

"Yes, it should be traumatic brain injury plus internal organ failure. I remember it like that." Although I had said a bit too much, I still kept the truth to myself: if they knew that Zheng Tuo's real cause of death was muscle failure leading to alveolar rupture, everyone would go crazy.

Even so, a few people lowered their heads and coughed softly. A sudden pang of sorrow welled up in my heart: a vibrant person I'd spent every day with had vanished from this world. Even if he had done some wrong things in the past, his sudden turning to ashes always left a heavy feeling in my heart. What joy is there in life, what sorrow in death?

I placed my right hand on the table, glanced at the bandage on my wrist, and said hoarsely, "Also, Zheng Tuo's mother passed away yesterday from a heart attack, just over ten minutes after Zheng Tuo died."

The air in the room was so stuffy it felt like it was about to explode. Suddenly, Tian Momo grabbed the bottle in front of him, filled his glass to the brim, and gulped it down. We stared at him in astonishment, and just as he was about to continue drinking, Xia Liu grabbed his arm: "Momo, what are you doing?"

Perhaps it was the alcohol, but Tian Momo's eyes were bloodshot. He forcefully flung his hand away: "Let go, let me drink!" He gulped down another glass, oblivious to everyone else, and slammed the glass down on the table. "Zheng Tuo is indeed a bad person, but his mother has had a tough life! We're from the same hometown, I know his family background: his father died early, and his mother raised him single-parently. A child from a single-parent family, suffering bullying from a young age, naturally had to learn to be wary of others. For over ten years, he finally managed to get into university, and although his reputation was bad and he wasn't well-liked, it was still a consolation to his family: his mother had suffered half her life, it was time for her to enjoy life. And then… and this is what happened. What are we living for?" He put down the bottle, his blank gaze falling on me, then on the table, and finally at his feet.

Everyone remained silent.

Later, I vaguely remember starting to drink like crazy, as if trying to dig these seemingly coincidental yet mysterious and dangerous things out of my mind, out of my memory, out of my life. Some people tried to persuade me, others drank with me. I threw up, but picked up a new bottle and kept chugging. By the time I got back to the dorm, my legs were completely numb. Someone was pulling my arm, someone was holding my head, dragging me like a dead dog. As I crawled, tears streaming down my face, I repeated hundreds of famous curses from all over the country, with only one thought in my mind: I want to live well, I want to know the truth, and I want to live a healthy and strong life after knowing the truth!

The next afternoon, when I got out of bed, I found a shockingly large hole in our dorm room door. The eldest brother said that when we got to the dorm, everyone's hands were shaking so badly they couldn't open the door, so I, completely drunk, created the hole with a spinning kick. Another problem was that they had to get my leg out of the hole first before reaching in to open the door. Needless to say, this incident would become a "legend." However, I think the fact that I didn't die is itself a legend.

midnight

Following Lu Xiaojia's death, Zheng Tuo's death didn't cause much of a stir. This is understandable; Lu's wealthy father had already turned the entire school upside down, so in that sense, the death of one or two made little difference. Not mentioning the incident had become an unwritten rule at school, making my investigation into the relationship between Zheng Tuo and Chen Wenwen extremely difficult.

The fruit fly had virtually disappeared, as before; no phone calls came, and no one knew what she was doing. Although the previous rumors naturally faded away after the car accident, our relationship didn't progress any further. Besides, I wasn't particularly interested in it—I subscribed to a naturalistic philosophy of letting things unfold naturally. The four exemptions made the second half of the semester quite pleasant; I spent most of my free time in the library and martial arts gym, and occasionally I'd sit in the classroom, observing the people around me with a malicious smile.

Of course, I still sat properly in the front rows for my data statistics class, listening to my own CD with a smile, occasionally sending a provocative glance at Wang Ergui. Ever since Ergui got those slaps from Lu's father, he seemed to have toned down his arrogance, never making direct eye contact with me, and the sound of the door closing at the end of class was weak and listless. Classroom 407 was just like any other classroom when it was bustling with noise, but sometimes I would still feel a sudden chill and pressure.

I've been back at school for a week now, and midterms are just around the corner, so students are cramming for exams. I spend my days wandering around among the students studying, which I find quite enjoyable. One afternoon, I was sitting in the library reading a book called *Criminal Psychology* when my phone suddenly started buzzing in my pocket. I was engrossed in the book and, without checking who it was, I casually pressed the read button.

"Zheng Tuo may just be the beginning."

A cold sweat broke out on my back, as if a pair of icy eyes were staring at me from a secluded corner. I looked around; everyone was busy with their own things, nothing seemed amiss. I looked more closely at the sender's number—it was an unfamiliar number. I hurriedly closed my book, ran outside the library, and dialed the number: "Beep...beep...sorry, the number you dialed is busy, please try again later..."

I dialed twice more, with the same result. Clearly, the other party didn't want to talk to me. I quickly sent a text message back: "Why do you say that? What do you want?"

"See you at midnight, 407."

After that, I never received a reply, whether I texted or called. I stood there blankly in front of the building, clutching my phone, a chill running from my tailbone to my forehead.

The online search results showed the phone number belonged to Lian Tong in this city, but that wasn't the end of the trail. I sat on my bed, clutching my head, staring intently at the flickering monitor: Damn it! Is someone playing a prank on me? This is practically pushing me into a fire pit! I'd rather sit on the graves behind the school every night listening to Current 93 than go back to that eerie classroom at night, because it's a completely different feeling…

But what if this person could provide me with a clue? What if this person could unravel the mystery in my heart? I already swore to Chen Wenwen in room 407 that I would get to the bottom of this matter. If she's really watching over me from heaven, she shouldn't do anything to me... Besides, a man of his word is a man of his word, and I have to be true to my conscience...

I practiced like crazy at the martial arts gym until closing time before reluctantly leaving. The punching bag and kicking pads became my targets; I kicked and punched them frantically, trying to vent my nameless anger on something. If this was a war, then I was fighting an invisible and intangible enemy, completely on the defensive, which was incredibly frustrating. Sitting at the entrance of the martial arts gym, I drank a whole bottle of water, wiped my mouth, and made up my mind.

It was a quarter to midnight. Accompanied by the powerful strains of Metallica, I climbed to the fourth floor of the main building. A few dim, narrow light bulbs flickered listlessly in the dimly lit corridor, making one feel as if shadows might rise from beneath one's feet and strangle them at any moment. I didn't tell Fruit Fly about this: her mental rehabilitation hadn't been going on for long, and if she were to get scared again, I wouldn't be able to face her parents.

"Whether I'm being fair to other people's parents or not is none of your business..." I cursed myself inwardly as I walked towards 407. The roaring drumbeats echoed in my ears, and I couldn't hear any other sounds; this was also a way for me to bolster my courage. But I soon realized I was wrong: I felt something following me closely behind, making my spine tighten in waves.

My hands, tucked into my pockets, were drenched in sweat, and my steps began to falter. I struggled to calm myself, suppressing the terrifying urge to look back, and gritted my teeth as I trudged towards my destination. The muscles in my back began to contract and throb incessantly, and my shoulder blades ached visibly. The seemingly endless corridor swayed before my eyes, the swaying growing stronger and stronger… My teeth were probably bleeding, my heart was pounding wildly, and I desperately told myself: Hold on, don't break down, don't break down…

Suddenly, classroom 407, which had been completely dark, lit up with a "whoosh," illuminating the adjacent corridor. I then realized I had unknowingly walked to the door of 407. Without hesitation, I took a deep breath, then slammed the door open and rushed inside. After a loud bang, I stood frozen in the doorway: the room was empty!

I ripped off my headphones and looked around the classroom in terror. Yes, there was no one there; I could only hear my own heavy breathing echoing in my ears. My heart pounded, the sound deafening. "Fuck you!" I screamed internally, frantically searching for anything that was moving, but to no avail. But soon my attention shifted to the center of the classroom: several desks and chairs weren't where they were supposed to be; one desk was overturned on the floor, its surface broken.

My feet moved towards her uncontrollably, and soon I saw a girl in a red dress lying face down beside the broken table. Her ponytail hung limply over her shoulders, and her arms were outstretched on the ground. The broken table obscured her face. I held my breath and slowly walked forward, suddenly noticing a glaring red glow surrounding her head—the familiar stench of blood filled my nostrils again. Without thinking, I rushed forward, dragged the table aside, and slowly turned my eyes to her face…

It was a pale face, eerily stained with blood. A deep wound ran across her forehead, the surrounding blood already congealing. I instinctively let out a long breath—thankfully, it was Lei Ling, the girl who shared a dorm room with Tang Dou. Wiping the sweat from my face, I was just beginning to feel relieved when I immediately realized something was wrong: How long had she been injured? Why was she injured here? Was she really the one who texted me? I bent down to check her pulse, to see how serious her injury was.

Just then, Lei Ling's fingers twitched. Through her slightly open eyelids, all that could be seen was bloodshot white, and a strange, shrill sound escaped her throat: "I... Zheng Tuo... Chen Wenwen... you all..."

midnight

Following Lu Xiaojia's death, Zheng Tuo's death didn't cause much of a stir. This is understandable; Lu's wealthy father had already turned the entire school upside down, so in that sense, the death of one or two made little difference. Not mentioning the incident had become an unwritten rule at school, making my investigation into the relationship between Zheng Tuo and Chen Wenwen extremely difficult.

The fruit fly had virtually disappeared, as before; no phone calls came, and no one knew what she was doing. Although the previous rumors naturally faded away after the car accident, our relationship didn't progress any further. Besides, I wasn't particularly interested in it—I subscribed to a naturalistic philosophy of letting things unfold naturally. The four exemptions made the second half of the semester quite pleasant; I spent most of my free time in the library and martial arts gym, and occasionally I'd sit in the classroom, observing the people around me with a malicious smile.

Of course, I still sat properly in the front rows for my data statistics class, listening to my own CD with a smile, occasionally sending a provocative glance at Wang Ergui. Ever since Ergui got those slaps from Lu's father, he seemed to have toned down his arrogance, never making direct eye contact with me, and the sound of the door closing at the end of class was weak and listless. Classroom 407 was just like any other classroom when it was bustling with noise, but sometimes I would still feel a sudden chill and pressure.

I've been back at school for a week now, and midterms are just around the corner, so students are cramming for exams. I spend my days wandering around among the students studying, which I find quite enjoyable. One afternoon, I was sitting in the library reading a book called *Criminal Psychology* when my phone suddenly started buzzing in my pocket. I was engrossed in the book and, without checking who it was, I casually pressed the read button.

"Zheng Tuo may just be the beginning."

A cold sweat broke out on my back, as if a pair of icy eyes were staring at me from a secluded corner. I looked around; everyone was busy with their own things, nothing seemed amiss. I looked more closely at the sender's number—it was an unfamiliar number. I hurriedly closed my book, ran outside the library, and dialed the number: "Beep...beep...sorry, the number you dialed is busy, please try again later..."

I dialed twice more, with the same result. Clearly, the other party didn't want to talk to me. I quickly sent a text message back: "Why do you say that? What do you want?"

"See you at midnight, 407."

After that, I never received a reply, whether I texted or called. I stood there blankly in front of the building, clutching my phone, a chill running from my tailbone to my forehead.

The online search results showed the phone number belonged to Lian Tong in this city, but that wasn't the end of the trail. I sat on my bed, clutching my head, staring intently at the flickering monitor: Damn it! Is someone playing a prank on me? This is practically pushing me into a fire pit! I'd rather sit on the graves behind the school every night listening to Current 93 than go back to that eerie classroom at night, because it's a completely different feeling…

But what if this person could provide me with a clue? What if this person could unravel the mystery in my heart? I already swore to Chen Wenwen in room 407 that I would get to the bottom of this matter. If she's really watching over me from heaven, she shouldn't do anything to me... Besides, a man of his word is a man of his word, and I have to be true to my conscience...

I practiced like crazy at the martial arts gym until closing time before reluctantly leaving. The punching bag and kicking pads became my targets; I kicked and punched them frantically, trying to vent my nameless anger on something. If this was a war, then I was fighting an invisible and intangible enemy, completely on the defensive, which was incredibly frustrating. Sitting at the entrance of the martial arts gym, I drank a whole bottle of water, wiped my mouth, and made up my mind.

It was a quarter to midnight. Accompanied by the powerful strains of Metallica, I climbed to the fourth floor of the main building. A few dim, narrow light bulbs flickered listlessly in the dimly lit corridor, making one feel as if shadows might rise from beneath one's feet and strangle them at any moment. I didn't tell Fruit Fly about this: her mental rehabilitation hadn't been going on for long, and if she were to get scared again, I wouldn't be able to face her parents.

"Whether I'm being fair to other people's parents or not is none of your business..." I cursed myself inwardly as I walked towards 407. The roaring drumbeats echoed in my ears, and I couldn't hear any other sounds; this was also a way for me to bolster my courage. But I soon realized I was wrong: I felt something following me closely behind, making my spine tighten in waves.

My hands, tucked into my pockets, were drenched in sweat, and my steps began to falter. I struggled to calm myself, suppressing the terrifying urge to look back, and gritted my teeth as I trudged towards my destination. The muscles in my back began to contract and throb incessantly, and my shoulder blades ached visibly. The seemingly endless corridor swayed before my eyes, the swaying growing stronger and stronger… My teeth were probably bleeding, my heart was pounding wildly, and I desperately told myself: Hold on, don't break down, don't break down…

Suddenly, classroom 407, which had been completely dark, lit up with a "whoosh," illuminating the adjacent corridor. I then realized I had unknowingly walked to the door of 407. Without hesitation, I took a deep breath, then slammed the door open and rushed inside. After a loud bang, I stood frozen in the doorway: the room was empty!

I ripped off my headphones and looked around the classroom in terror. Yes, there was no one there; I could only hear my own heavy breathing echoing in my ears. My heart pounded, the sound deafening. "Fuck you!" I screamed internally, frantically searching for anything that was moving, but to no avail. But soon my attention shifted to the center of the classroom: several desks and chairs weren't where they were supposed to be; one desk was overturned on the floor, its surface broken.

My feet moved towards her uncontrollably, and soon I saw a girl in a red dress lying face down beside the broken table. Her ponytail hung limply over her shoulders, and her arms were outstretched on the ground. The broken table obscured her face. I held my breath and slowly walked forward, suddenly noticing a glaring red glow surrounding her head—the familiar stench of blood filled my nostrils again. Without thinking, I rushed forward, dragged the table aside, and slowly turned my eyes to her face…

It was a pale face, eerily stained with blood. A deep wound ran across her forehead, the surrounding blood already congealing. I instinctively let out a long breath—thankfully, it was Lei Ling, the girl who shared a dorm room with Tang Dou. Wiping the sweat from my face, I was just beginning to feel relieved when I immediately realized something was wrong: How long had she been injured? Why was she injured here? Was she really the one who texted me? I bent down to check her pulse, to see how serious her injury was.

Just then, Lei Ling's fingers twitched. Through her slightly open eyelids, all that could be seen was bloodshot white, and a strange, shrill sound escaped her throat: "I... Zheng Tuo... Chen Wenwen... you all..."

Old grudges

Lei Ling's voice made my hair stand on end. My hand, which had been reaching for her wrist, changed direction mid-stride, grabbing her philtrum and twisting it forcefully. She let out a hoarse cry, grabbing the back of my hand with her left, her long nails digging deep into her flesh. I endured the pain and continued to pull, until her eyes finally opened fully. Lei Ling looked at me groggily, murmuring as if in a dream, "K...let go...help me...my head hurts so much..."

I slowly released my grip, and Lei Ling's hand fell limply to her side, her eyes closing again. I grabbed her arm and forcefully dragged her body up from the ground. Just then, the classroom suddenly plunged back into boundless darkness, and I suddenly felt utterly alone and helpless, like a knight battling a windmill. This enormous, dark room...

Lei Ling's breathing was extremely weak, as if it might stop at any moment. I couldn't care less about anything else; I dragged her out of room 407 in the dark, bent down, and lifted her up with all my might. The way downstairs seemed even longer than the way up. The physical exertion from the long evening training had left me incredibly exhausted; my shirt was completely soaked, and sweat dripped from my hair. I stumbled and carried Lei Ling with me until we finally reached the lobby on the first floor, only to find the main entrance locked tight.

"Damn it!" I yelled desperately, kicking the door with all my might. The old door slammed shut, but showed no sign of opening; my kicks were futile. I stood there in despair, my legs going weak. A terrible sense of oppression surged up from behind me again; I felt like I was about to be crushed into a pulp by the thick, stagnant darkness.

Lei Ling, nestled in my arms, whispered weakly, "Ah K... go... go through the side door..." "That's right, I was so stupid!" I exclaimed, suddenly realizing my mistake, and ran towards the side door. The rusty hinges creaked and groaned as I pushed them open, like a long, malicious laugh. Finally, I managed to pry the door open a crack. I hugged Lei Ling tighter and struggled to squeeze through the gap. The cool night air filled my lungs, and I felt like I had returned from hell to the human world.

Descending the steps in front of the building, all my strength seemed to drain away at once, and I collapsed to the ground, slumped to the floor. After catching my breath for a moment, I pulled out my phone and dialed 120. After finishing the call, I simply lay completely on the ground, letting the cold earth cool my feverish body. Lei Ling lay quietly on top of me, occasionally breathing heavily. I relaxed my neck completely and unconsciously looked back, only to see the flowerbed once splattered with the girl's blood casting a huge shadow beside me under the streetlight. The shadow twisted and danced; I saw the thick, menacing blood flowing freely, and Chen Wenwen's lifeless eyes.

The next morning, the fruit fly slapped me again in the infusion room of the district hospital. I was on an IV drip at the time, so I had to grit my teeth and endure it. Although she had already heard my account of the events, I couldn't see her anger lessen in the slightest: "Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

I closed my eyes, savoring the stinging pain on my face, too lazy to answer her question. I simply said, "Stop making noise, be quiet. This is a hospital."

"I'm going to argue! You bastard, idiot, moron..." "Enough!" I reached out my right hand, grabbed her collar, and dragged her face in front of me, saying to her word by word, "What do you think I was doing there in the middle of the night? Having an affair? What I was doing there is none of your business!"

The fruit fly suddenly stiffened. Her face turned deathly pale, her body trembled like a withered leaf in the wind, and her eyes slowly reddened. She slapped my hand away, slowly stood up, and walked out of the infusion room, her steps so heavy they seemed to leave craters in the ground. I barely suppressed the urge to pull out the needle and chase after her: Damn it, that insensible brat…

The doctor said my dizziness was just due to excessive physical exertion, and that I would be fine after replenishing my fluids and energy. At noon, I wolfed down two bowls of beef noodles at a small restaurant outside the hospital, feeling like my life had been revived. When I returned to the hospital, good news arrived: Lei Ling had fully regained consciousness. I rushed to her ward without hesitation.

Lei Ling's head was wrapped in thick bandages, and she lay blankly on the bed, showing no reaction to my arrival. I casually pulled up a chair and sat down on the edge of the bed, then picked up her phone from the bedside table and dialed my own number. The caller ID displayed "Mysterious Person." I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Lei Ling was the one who had texted me, and looked at her: "How did you get injured yesterday?"

Lei Ling seemed lost in thought, and it took her a while to turn her gaze to me. She pursed her lips and finally spoke: "Last night at 11:30, I had just arrived at 407 to wait for you when suddenly all the lights went out. I was quite scared, and I wanted to run out of the classroom, but I think I tripped over something, then I felt my head hit something, and then I knew nothing more..."

"The school only cares about appearances. That lousy main building is a mess—it's all show and no substance. The wiring inside is so old and dilapidated, and they haven't even bothered to fix it." I said casually, fiddling with her phone. "Okay, let's get down to business. What exactly do you want to tell me? Why do you want to tell me?"

“I know you’ve been following Chen Wenwen’s situation. Ever since… ever since the news about you and Guo Yingying spread, I knew you wanted to find out the truth. Maybe it’s intuition, I’m not sure, but I believe my feeling is right. I don’t want to tell anyone… they’ll think I’m crazy, and I’m afraid of scaring Guo Yingying if I tell her. Besides, given her personality… Anyway, I trust you.” After saying this, Lei Ling fell silent again. She lowered her eyelids, as if making a decision, and after a long while, she said, “It was Lu Xiaojia who snatched Zheng Tuo away from Chen Wenwen. She always looked down on Chen Wenwen, saying she was just a silly girl who knew how to flaunt her words and didn’t understand anything about life and society. She liked Zheng Tuo and finally used all her tricks to win him over. Chen Wenwen was heartbroken for a long time because of this.”

"Hmm..." I wanted to say that money might be the more crucial factor, but I swallowed the words back—too many strange things have been happening lately, and I didn't want to be disrespectful to the dead. "So what was the meaning behind the text message you sent me?"

"After her breakup, Chen Wenwen seemed like a different person. She no longer just liked writing her own things like before. She started going around to various places at school and worked very hard. Actually, this doesn't suit her. I still think she was better the way she was before. But when I tried to persuade her, she only agreed superficially and didn't take it to heart. I know very well that she's not the kind of person who can please everyone, and this won't do her any good. But because she was so hurt, she probably thinks that only by desperately trying to improve her relationships can she trample those who hurt her underfoot."

As I listened, I recalled past events: Chen Wenwen had indeed changed during her sophomore year. After successfully becoming the president of the literary society in the second semester of her sophomore year, she organized many activities, causing a stir on campus. Several articles from the literary society were published in the local newspaper, and Chen Wenwen was even interviewed as a representative of campus writers. At the time, I even jokingly said that we were about to have another beautiful female writer, but she wrote less and less, and by her junior year, I had hardly seen any decent writing. "Who were Chen Wenwen's closest associates?"

"As far as I know, there's Li Zhengliang from the school's Youth League Committee, Xu Beijie from the Student Union Office, and an editor from the local evening newspaper. Oh, and Ding Hongliang from your dorm seems to like her too."

My mind went completely blank. Could Ding Pao be involved in this too?

Heartbreak

“Chen Wenwen told me herself.” Lei Ling, oblivious to my strange expression, picked up her cup, took a sip of water, and continued, “She was cold to everyone back then. When Ding Hongliang was mentioned, she simply said, ‘He’s a decent person, but I’ll never like him. No matter how much he pursues me, it’s useless.’”

My heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, eased somewhat. Then I inwardly berated myself for being such a fool, only knowing how to listen to music, read books, and practice, completely oblivious to the person right next to me: "What else did she say?"

“I don’t really know… She kept her mouth shut, and after her breakup, she disappeared without a trace. I wasn’t in their dorm, so I don’t really know who she was with or what she was doing. Her… her death was very sudden…” Lei Ling’s voice trailed off. She lowered her head again and fell silent.

"Nothing else to say?" As I stretched my legs and prepared to stand up, Lei Ling reached out a hand to stop me. My gaze caught something, and I grabbed her wrist to examine it closely. There, I saw a slit in her wrist. She looked at it intently, her eyes wide with shock.

"Why?" I sat up straight again and asked her. A gray tinge appeared on Lei Ling's pale cheekbones, her thin eyebrows furrowed more and more, and tears rolled down her cheeks. "It's...it's because of Zheng Tuo. I also secretly pursued him, and I even...I know I'm sorry to Chen Wenwen, but...but who knew he was this kind of person...When I questioned him, he actually had the nerve to say, 'You came to me yourself, what does it have to do with me?' I...I..." Lei Ling finally hugged the blanket tightly and burst into tears, like an abandoned kitten.

I sat there, stunned, letting the thunderclap unleash its torment. Only then did I realize what a terrifying creature a woman can be, and why some say men and women are God's mortal enemies. They think they've gained everything in an instant, but when they finally want it all, they discover it was all a beautiful illusion they created themselves. So they are unwilling to accept it; they give their all to please men, only to find themselves utterly powerless before their desires. They feel lost, they go berserk, they destroy themselves, and they destroy others.

Lei Ling cried for a long time before she calmed down a little. She coughed a few times, wiped her face, and turned to me: "Guo Yingying seems to like you a lot. Her roommates said that besides Chen Wenwen, you are the second person she mentions in her sleep. Recently, she has been talking about you in the dorm, intentionally or unintentionally, and she is trying to learn how to play that... that KOF, and she always chooses a character named K."

I almost fell off my chair: comparing me to Chen Wenwen? This...this girl's psychological issues are probably more complex than I imagined. But... "Ahem. Don't mention it, it was just a coincidence." I chuckled awkwardly, trying to change the subject. "How could someone like me, a loner and simple-minded person, possibly be liked? I'm lucky if I'm not disliked. She even slapped me across the face just now; if she liked me, would she have done that?"

Lei Ling didn't answer my question directly. She sighed softly, gazing at the white ceiling. "You're actually a very smart person. People who don't know you might think you're a fool, but you understand things better than anyone else." She turned her gaze back to me. "Don't hurt her anymore. I'll try my best to explain what happened last night to her. I don't want to be the one to hinder your relationship. Actually, I think you two are quite well-matched..." She wiped her eyes again, ignoring my embarrassment, and continued, "I've thought it over. I plan to drop out of school."

"What?" I stood up immediately. "Are you knocked unconscious? There's only one year left, why do you have to drop out now?"

Lei Ling's eyes were eerily calm at that moment, her hands gripping the blanket tightly. "I'm already under enough psychological pressure here. If anything else happens, I'm afraid I'll go crazy. Chen Wenwen is dead, Lu Xiaojia and Zheng Tuo are dead too. I'm a believer in fate, this is an ominous place, and I don't want to stay here for another minute. The moment the power went out last night, I felt like I fell into the gates of hell. I heard many floating sounds that seemed ready to pierce my head at any moment. You can't understand that kind of fear... Anyway, I've made my decision, so please don't try to persuade me anymore." She looked up at me and smiled slightly. "I still want to live well. I like the sunshine, I don't like the darkness."

I was speechless, feeling utterly inadequate in my words. "Then, rest well. Call me if anything happens. I don't want you to... I'm leaving now. Take care," I said finally.

"Okay, goodbye. Don't miss your chance, I hope you'll be happy," Lei Ling said behind me. She seemed to suddenly remember something: "Oh, right, there's another rumor I don't know if you've heard. Chen Wenwen wasn't the first person to die in 407."

I turned around abruptly: "What?!"

"So what's going on between you and Chen Wenwen?"

Mentioning Chen Wenwen's name in front of Ding Pao was undoubtedly a mistake. The moment I asked him the question, Ding Pao's face turned ashen. He clenched his fists tightly, glaring at me as if he wanted to devour me. I glared back defiantly, and sparks flew as our eyes met.

Thirty seconds later, Ding Pao's gaze shifted away. He bent down, grabbed the basketball from the floor, and bumped me hard on the shoulder as he passed by: "Don't ask me anymore. I don't want to remember." He slammed the door shut, leaving me standing alone in the middle of the dormitory, feeling dejected. Xia Liu slowly pushed open the door and walked in: "Ding Pao seems really unhappy. What did you say to him?"

“Chen Wenwen.” I plopped down on the bed, pulled out a cigarette and lit it. “It seems Chen Wenwen’s death has had a significant impact on him. The reason he’s not going to class isn’t that simple.”

Blind Liu's expression changed slightly. He remained silent for a while before sitting down next to me: "It happened last year. He really liked Chen Wenwen back then and pursued her for a long time. You were busy with training then and hardly ever stayed in the dormitory, so naturally you didn't know any of this. Ding Pao was very distressed at the time because Chen Wenwen was always lukewarm towards him, and he couldn't find a good way to express his feelings—you know how one-track-minded he is. Later, he finally confessed, but Chen Wenwen rejected him on the spot. Ding Pao was very sad and it took him a long time to recover." Blind Liu looked at my face and, noticing that I was also staring at him, quickly turned his gaze to the ground: "After Chen Wenwen died, he cried very sadly in secret."

"So how did he fall for Chen Wenwen?" I asked, tossing away my cigarette. "How would I know? You'd better ask him yourself—if you still want to ask him."

I stood by the basketball hoop with two bottles of water in my hand, watching Ding Pao's clumsy performance. He usually plays quite well, but today he seemed to have lost his bearings; his footwork was erratic, his shots were weak, his dribbling was off-target, and several times he was even blocked from shooting. Perhaps because of his slump, the game ended quickly. I walked up to him and handed him a bottle of water: "Find a place to sit for a while. I'm sorry about what happened earlier."

Ding Pao glanced at me, hesitated for a moment, then reached for the water and gulped it down. He wiped his mouth and asked in a low voice, "Where shall we sit?"

“I enjoy reading Chen Wenwen’s writing,” Ding Pao told me in the empty training ground of the martial arts club. He rested his forehead on his hands, repeatedly pressing his temples. “At first, I just liked her writing, but then I gradually fell for the girl. She had just broken up with Zheng Tuo not long before, and she was very depressed. I tried my best to help her with whatever I could… I didn’t expect her to like me back; I knew she had high standards…” Ding Pao took a breath, and a vein throbbed on his forehead. I offered him some water, but he shook his head and declined. After gathering his thoughts, he continued, “Later, she became the president of the literature club, and she was incredibly busy. I had fewer and fewer opportunities to see her. But I found myself missing her more and more… I cursed myself for being an idiot, wondering how someone could fall for such a rough guy like me. But, but I missed her… Do you know that kind of pain?”

I silently patted his back, and suddenly thought of the fruit fly: What is she doing now? Is she still angry with me? Will she never see me again? Was what I said this morning too harsh? She really seems very sad…

Ding Pao's voice gradually weakened: "Later, one night I finally found her. I couldn't take it anymore, so I told her directly that I liked her. She stood there for a long time without saying a word, and my heart sank. Later, she said to me: 'Ding, I'm sorry. I know you like me a lot, and I know you've done a lot for me. I know you're a good person, and if it were in the past, I might have said yes. But now, I can only say sorry to you.'" Ding Pao raised his head, covered his face with his hands, and his voice became somewhat unnatural: "She also said: 'I really want to repay you, but—but I'm not worthy anymore, I'm not worthy anymore.' After saying this, she left without looking back. I stood there dumbfounded, my heart aching terribly, more painful than when I broke my leg playing basketball in high school."

"After a while, I stopped thinking about it much. Sometimes when I did, I'd quickly try to forget it. The morning she died, I went for a run. When I got to the main building, I saw a group of people gathered there, and some girls were crying. I immediately felt something was wrong, so I squeezed in and saw her lying there. The people cleaning up the scene hadn't arrived yet, but I saw it clearly: blood was everywhere, staining the flowers around her bright red. Her eyes... her eyes weren't closed, they were wide open, and her eyes... were bloodshot. I knew... I knew she saw me. Maybe she didn't hate me, but... but I hate myself... I hate myself! Why was I so stupid?" Ding Pao broke down in tears. He covered his face with his large hands, hot tears streaming from between his fingers and splashing onto the ground.

I gave up trying to comfort Ding Pao and let him cry his heart out. Men don't easily shed tears; they only cry when they're deeply hurt. Ding Pao sobbed uncontrollably, repeatedly saying, "Why did she say she wasn't good enough? Why did she say that? I don't care about anything... If only she were still alive..."