Because it was Friday, the last day before the break, I had brought my phone out, but I hadn't played on it; I just kept it hidden under my books in the desk drawer.
When Mistress Extinction was deliberately lingering around my area, I didn't realize the gravity of the situation. I just kept reading, wondering what the old witch was up to. I had studied so diligently this week; surely I hadn't offended her? It wasn't until Liu Xiaoyu poked me that I became alert.
I turned to him in confusion, but at that moment, Mistress Extinction suddenly approached and stopped directly in front of my desk drawer without a word.
I instantly froze. I hadn't done anything, but the moment she reached her hand into my drawer, I knew something bad was happening, though I was too terrified to stop her.
I looked helplessly at Liu Xiaoyu. He shook his head, giving me a look of powerlessness, a hint of pity in his azure eyes. He sighed softly, then covered his eyes, as if unable to watch the disaster that was about to unfold.
After rummaging for a bit, Mistress Extinction, in my look of despair, pulled out the phone that was hidden under several layers of textbooks.
"What is this?" Mistress Extinction said coldly, holding the phone up for the entire class to see.
"I..." I was frightened by the collective gaze and the old witch's scolding. My mind was full of "whys." How did this old witch know I had a phone? I didn't tell anyone, did I? Except for Liu Xiaoyu, but he would never sell me out.
The collective stare of the class made my face burn. The immense feeling of shame overwhelmed me in front of so many people. But the evidence was right there, my phone held high in the old witch's hand. I moved my lips but couldn't utter a single word; I didn't dare refute her.
"It's over..." I knew the consequences would be dire. I had already envisioned this scenario, but I never expected it to actually happen to me.
"No need to speak. Come to my office after class. Get ready to call your parents to come and collect you," Mistress Extinction coldly stated, then turned and walked away.
Hearing that sentence, my brain felt like it exploded with a loud boom. After that, I couldn't hear anything else. The only thing echoing in my mind was that phrase: "call your parents."
I didn't care how much I was humiliated; I'd been humiliated before. But she wanted to call my mother—that was unacceptable. That meant my mother would be humiliated. I could be indifferent to my own feelings, but I couldn't be indifferent to my mother's. I've always been afraid of her. Especially now, when she was already extremely disappointed in me, I couldn't imagine what would happen after this.
My mind raced, and I panicked, frozen in place, utterly lost.
All around me were looks of schadenfreude, barely concealed discussions, and laughter. Perhaps the laughter held no malice, just amusement, but in my ears, it all turned into mockery, making me feel ashamed, embarrassed, and completely out of place. The shame spread from my heart, and my face turned crimson. Facing the mockery and discussion, I could only bury my head, wishing I could dig a hole and crawl into it like a timid turtle.
My head was down, but my hearing became sharper. The undisguised, mocking words around me became clearer and more incessant, surrounding me like a layer of cold wind, or like sharp knife points, making my already riddled heart shatter even more.
Just as I was completely bewildered and utterly ashamed, I felt a gentle poke on my shoulder.
I looked over and met a pair of azure, wet eyes.
"Are you okay?" The voice was low and gentle, surprisingly unlike a man's, and his eyes showed genuine concern.
In an instant, a warm current surged from the bottom of my heart, and I felt close to tears. I was touched that someone in this world cared enough to console me, as I had been lonely since my mother and sister left. Liu Xiaoyu's concerned words gave me the feeling that "I am not facing the world alone," and the accumulated emotions naturally threatened to burst out.
Seeing my reaction, Liu Xiaoyu seemed startled, staring at me blankly. He poked my shoulder again. "You're not going to cry, are you?"
Damn it, why is this guy so clueless? Doesn't he know this is the worst time to comfort someone?
"Leave me alone!"
The fierce tone I intended came out trembling and choked, filled with an unbearable sense of grievance. That was it; the tightly suppressed emotion broke through my tear ducts. Seeing the imminent breakdown, I leaned forward and buried my head in my arms on the desk, hoping to conceal the fact that I was crying, as I didn't want anyone to see my weakness.
But no one cared how I felt; the schadenfreude only grew louder.
"He's going to cry, isn't he?"
"Haha, he cries over two words? That's too fragile."
"He's all that bulk for nothing."
These voices pierced my ears clearly, making my tears gush out even more fiercely. But the mockery quickly ignited a spark of fire in my heart, which then grew uncontrollably, spreading like wildfire through my mind. This flame brought a fierce surge of indignation—a hatred born of my own weakness, my failure to strive. I clearly understood this, and I wanted to change everything.
I took a few deep breaths, pulled my arms away, and lowered my head until it was level with the desk. Just then, a small hand timely offered a tissue. I quickly took it and wiped my tears, crushing the wet paper ball in my hand. Finally, after taking a moment to calm myself, I lifted my head and looked straight ahead.
Although my eyes were still red and showed traces of crying, the moment I raised my head, I felt the surrounding chatter suddenly quieten down considerably. Though there were still occasional whispers, they gradually subsided.
Speaking ill of people behind their backs, but not to their faces, seems to be an innate human skill. This experience made me understand even more clearly that perpetual deference and weakness won't earn pity or sympathy; instead, it only makes people more aggressive and overbearing. Therefore, I secretly resolved to hold my head high no matter what I faced in the future. This represented my attitude and will. Even if I was wrong, I was right.
"Lin Nan..." I heard the voice and looked over, meeting a pair of sky-blue pupils.
Liu Xiaoyu had never used foul language, nor had he belittled anyone. Even the nickname "Fatty," which I had tacitly accepted and didn't consider an insult, I had never heard him use.
The harshest words I could recall him using were "idiot" or "dummy," which sounded more like terms of endearment and held no sting for me; they just made him seem endearing. To be honest, since starting high school, I had been corrupted by some of the other bottom-ranked students, easily throwing around all kinds of vulgar language. The harsh environment and uneven quality of players in online games further developed this, turning me from a sunny youth into an ill-mannered one. However, the most significant reason was that my mom became extremely busy with work after I started high school and simply didn't have time to manage me, which allowed me to drift aimlessly.
I often felt lonely and wished for my mother's company, especially with the sudden surge in academic pressure in high school, which I had nowhere to vent and couldn't adapt to. Moreover, I met all sorts of people and learned bad habits instead of good ones, which was part of my downfall. Perhaps this was just an excuse for my self-pity, but it was true that the resentment I felt towards my mother's increasing neglect grew stronger after I started high school.
The faint, milky scent of Liu Xiaoyu brought me back to my senses. Looking at my deskmate, who seemed to be secretly checking on me, his gesture truly moved me. I quietly said, "I'm fine."
"That's good," Liu Xiaoyu lightly poked my hand with his pen. "It's just a phone. What's the big deal?"
"Maybe," I said with a bitter smile. The broken-down phone wasn't worth clinging to, but the fact that she was going to call my parents to take me home was what I couldn't endure.
Soon, Mistress Extinction returned, cast a cold glance at me, and continued teaching.
I didn't listen much in this class. Instead, I focused on thinking up a countermeasure. No matter what, my mother absolutely could not be called in by Mistress Extinction, not by any means.
During this class, I thought for a long time, and finally, a thread of an idea emerged. Then everything began to clear up. This might be my only chance.
"Class dismissed!"
After dragging the class on for almost twenty minutes, Mistress Extinction finally spoke those words, but the delay had given me plenty of time to formulate my plan.
"Lin Nan, come to my office." The Old Witch glanced at me, then left immediately in her high heels.
It's happening. My heart leaped. The big moment was here.
"Good luck," Liu Xiaoyu poked me, giving me a pitying look.
"Don't worry. Your big brother will be fine."
I forced a smile.
"If you don't get completely chewed out by the Old Witch this time, don't just ask me to call you 'Bro,' I'll call you—" Liu Xiaoyu suddenly stopped, realizing he was about to say something he shouldn't.
"Call me 'Dad'?"
I grinned widely.
"Get lost!" Liu Xiaoyu pretended to kick me. I quickly scurried out of the classroom.