That night, Su Qing slept restlessly.
She hadn't had this dream in a long, long time.
In her dream, invisible hands grasped her neck and pulled her out of the water, soaking wet.
"Qing Qing, just listen to Daddy!"
"Qing Qing, I'll treat you well."
"Su Qing, do you want to go to jail?"
Voices, one after another, swirled around in Su Qing's dream, their voices like those of evil spirits, threatening to devour her.
"Ah, go to hell!"
She saw herself, her scarlet eyes filled with madness. The face she was so familiar with was completely unfamiliar.
That wasn't her...
Her face was the horrifying color of a demon, her lips pale, and in her hand she held a bloody knife, waving it wildly.
In the end...
She couldn't see clearly.
This nightmare alone had put Su Qing in a bad mood for the rest of the day.
Luckily, the boy behind her didn't show up, otherwise she would have had to deal with him.
His school uniform was still in his drawer; she'd seen it this morning when she was taking out the trash.
How could she have thought of Jiang Sui? She bit her lip and shook her head.
The surrounding noise made her feel a little drowsy, her mind groggy. The glaring sunlight streamed in through the window. Su Qing, her brows knitted together, wrote word for word on the test paper.
The complex formulas seemed to suppress the slight irritation lingering within her. She felt like venting herself on each test paper, seemingly unaware of fatigue.
It was lunchtime when she put down her pen and headed to the pantry for a cup of hot water. She wasn't in the best of spirits, so she didn't hear her deskmate, Liu Ranran, gently calling her.
She didn't even notice Liu Ranran's chubby face, the glasses behind it, winking at her.
It was too hot at noon, and the corridors and playground were deserted.
Most classrooms were quiet, with students resting or doing homework.
Only a few boys, those who loved playing basketball, were secretly running around on the playground.
Their senior year classrooms were in a single building, with three floors. Students occupied the second and third floors, and the teachers' offices were on the first, so the only place with access to water was on that floor.
It was only at the corner of the fourth-floor staircase that Su Qing regained consciousness for a quarter of an hour.
"Brother Sui, do you have any feelings for the transfer student..."
It was Hu Yifan's voice, Su Qing remembered.
She auto tighten her grip on the water cup, leaning against the corner of the stairs, daring not to move, not even to breathe.
"No way, Brother Sui, you like that, that transfer student!"
"When did you get involved in that?"
The teasing was the gossipy sound of boys.
Su Qing's eyes were clear, clearly aware that she was the heroine in this conversation. Her back was pressed tightly against the wall, the scorching heat making her feel a slight burn, but Su Qing pressed herself firmly against it, not daring to make a sound.
That male protagonist is...
Jiang Sui narrowed his eyes, puffing on his cigarette with a hint of annoyance. His defiant gaze drifted towards the stairwell.
The shadow dodged quickly.
"Stop the nonsense! One by one, no play ball go already." The boy's voice, hoarse and low, with a slight voice change, held a commanding power that belied his age.
For a long, long time.
So long that Su Qing's entire back was soaked, her fingers numb, and an inexplicable emotion wore on her face as she began to leave.
But before she could even turn,
A fierce hand grabbed her.
"What are you eavesdropping on?"
"Do you like Jiang Sui, too?"
Clearly, she wasn't the only one who had overheard that conversation.
She had seen the girl who was speaking before. She was very beautiful, tall, with long hair flowing down her shoulders, and her lips were painted with pink lipstick.
It was the girl who had confessed to Jiang Sui on the playground, the girl who excelled in both art and academics, Xu Miaoran.
Su Qing's eyes flickered, and she pursed her lips softly. "No, I just coincide to be passing by and was going to get some water."
She looked timid. She was naturally thin, and now she stood there obediently. At first glance, she looked pretty, but as bland as clear water.
It seems like girls, when faced with a crush on someone of the opposite sex, tend to make that person their imaginary enemy.
However, Xu Miaoran clearly didn't recognize Su Qing.
Xu Miaoran glanced at her, then at the cup in her hand. She let go of her, but her eyes still betrayed deep dissatisfaction, even a hint of disgust.