The next day, my recent consistent schedule woke me up on time to greet the first ray of sun streaming through my window.
Opening my eyes and looking at the sunshine on my duvet, I found myself growing more and more attached to this feeling.
I got up, went downstairs, bought breakfast, and ate with Snowy. Then, I started on the homework the teachers had assigned for the week. Although I'd decided to change, I habitually left this assignment for last. I simply had to; my foundation was so poor that every problem took a long time to figure out.
While I worked, Snowy lay quietly and obediently beside me, occasionally wagging her tail and lightly tapping my foot.
Today was Monday, but the school had given us an extra day off due to a last-minute issue, so we weren't due to return until Monday afternoon. This wasn't without cost, though. Our school is notoriously strict. The trade-off was that we'd have to attend an extra day this week to make up for it, meaning our break wouldn't start until Saturday.
But the high school students were still thrilled, cheering as if this early withdrawal of future free time were some great bargain.
In reality, I pretty much copied the assignment. After all, I'd only been studying seriously for a few days; trying to fully grasp all the knowledge I'd missed earlier would be a pipe dream.
After finishing the homework, I started memorizing English vocabulary.
"abandon... abandon..."
I have always been interested in English. The stirring lines in movies and anime always thrilled me.
For instance, when Iron Man shouts, "I'm Iron Man!" I feel incredibly excited. Of course, I wouldn't be willing to die for a cool line; I'm very afraid of death.
I know that simply memorizing words is useless. It's not that memorizing words doesn't work; it's just that the efficiency is extremely low. Doing reading comprehension is better than copying words, which is better than just reading words. I've known this for a long time. I used to be a good student, so I know how to study and the methods to use.
I wrote the words in my notebook while trying to memorize them, but I didn't get greedy. I only focused on about twenty words and didn't spend too much time on them, just reading them a few times.
If you want to remember something for a long time, you need to repeat it, repeat it, repeat it until neural synapses are formed in your brain. Therefore, endless hours of memorizing English words are not very effective. The key is to repeatedly review them: once in the morning, once at noon, and once in the evening. That's usually enough to remember them.
At noon, I ate the food I cooked, rested for a bit until my meal had digested enough not to interfere with exercise, and then went downstairs to the gym.
I had something I needed to do in the evening, and it was a bit uncertain, so I didn't want to skip my precious workout time.
I arrived at the gym; there was a moderate crowd. After about an hour of exercise, I greeted Chen Shi and left. Her tutoring center is only open on weekends; it's closed Monday through Friday because most of her students are still in school then.
A Dilemma and a Decision
After returning home, taking a shower, and changing clothes, I looked at Snowy rolling around on my sofa and fell into deep thought.
I planned to go back to school this afternoon to apply for off-campus residency. I was going alone, and honestly, using the video I had, I felt uncertain about doing this for the first time. Therefore, I had to ensure the dog was properly taken care of.
After thinking for a while, I realized I genuinely didn't know anyone I could ask. I knew Chen Ge and Chen Shi, but not well enough. Taking Snowy to them now would be too much of an imposition. I wasn't so shameless as to overstep my bounds like that.
I sat on the stool, unable to think of a perfect solution. Snowy tilted her head, watching me, as if wondering what her owner was thinking.
"Sigh, Snowy, Snowy. I didn't realize adopting you would be this complicated. What am I going to do with you?" I sighed, stroking Snowy's head, unsure what step to take next.
Snowy, of course, couldn't answer. She just wagged her tail and rubbed against my leg in a flattering way.
"Forget it. No matter what, for my own sake and for Snowy's, I have to get that off-campus residency approved." After a long moment, I grit my teeth and made up my mind. I couldn't allow myself a retreat. It was wrong to contemplate failure before even starting.
I got up and went to the kitchen. I added a lot of water to Snowy's bowl and some chicken breast I had bought at the market. Then, I stroked her head, wished myself good luck, and left for school with my backpack.
I went downstairs, took the bus, and soon arrived at the school. The city's key high school displayed its dominance right at the entrance. The words "Flower City First High School" were carved into the marble in a bold, sweeping script. Several security guards manned the gate, and everyone entering was required to swipe their access card; those without one were not allowed in.
"Sigh, back to the cage."
I couldn't help but recall the recluse Tao Yuanming's poem: "Long in the cage, I return to nature."
I quickly rephrased it: "Long in the cage, I cannot return to nature!"
But despite my complaints and sighs, I still had to go to school. There's a right thing to do at every age. In fact, I think the saying is spot-on: many people in this world regret things they have done, but no one ever regrets getting more education.
I returned to school early today, mainly to review the knowledge I had recently acquired. Learning is a process of constant, massive repetition. You might feel like you understand something at the moment, but you won't necessarily be able to do it later.
Echoes of Violence
When I arrived at the classroom, only a few people were there. I didn't greet them but went straight to my seat.
My deskmate hadn't arrived yet. I looked at the cute, squishy, rubber pig toy sitting on his desk. I couldn't resist reaching out to squeeze it. It was soft and bouncy.
"Heh." I grinned, watching the pig change shape in my hand. That kid always loved strange, quirky things.
Since I didn't have a phone, I had to take cash to the school's reloading station to add money to my card. While queuing, I mentally cursed Mistress Extinction. That old witch, what was she thinking? Why didn't she give my phone back?
Bored, I was standing in line when the two girls in front of me were discussing something on a phone.
"Hey, did you hear? Teacher Li Yue was seriously injured and hospitalized," said a girl with many small braids to her friend next to her.
(Not everyone queuing to reload cards is without a phone; some may just be using cash and don't want to go to the bank. Most people in the line were playing on their phones. Someone like me, with no phone at all, was relatively rare in high school.)
"I did. It's such a huge scandal; I think everyone in the school has heard about it. Apparently, Teacher Li Yue was very badly hurt. If she hadn't been rushed to the hospital so quickly, she might not have made it," the other girl, who had long, flowing hair that smelled nice, replied. She must have just washed it for the return to school.
"Teacher Li Yue taught English and taught our class once. I thought she was so gentle. Who did she offend? Have they found the attacker yet?"
"Yeah, she always seemed so easygoing and treated everyone the same. I just can't understand why someone would attack her." The long-haired girl sighed softly. "No, not yet. Apparently, the school's surveillance system malfunctioned that day, and all the footage disappeared, so they don't know who the attacker is."
"What? What a coincidence?" The braided girl sounded suspicious. "The surveillance is gone right after the incident? That really makes you wonder if it was premeditated murder. Let me think... Sherlock Holmes is on the case."
"Stop speculating. Just leave it to the police; they'll figure it out," the long-haired girl rolled her eyes at her friend. "If you're Sherlock Holmes, I'm Conan."
"Hehehe..."
The two girls sighed for a moment but quickly forgot about the incident and started chatting playfully. At this age, they are at their most innocent and carefree; they don't need to feign maturity because the weight of the world hasn't fallen on them yet.
But I, having overheard their conversation, was shocked, yet also felt a sense of relief. The good news was that Teacher Li Yue was alive, which eased my mind considerably.
My shock wasn't because the event happened—I knew about it entirely and had recorded the video—but because the investigation hadn't yet pointed to Mu Feipeng and Bai Manwen. Mu Feipeng was the lover, and Bai Manwen had made no effort to conceal her presence; cameras had recorded her all the way. Yet, she was still fine.
This detail terrified me. The incident was far more complex than I thought.
Given how advanced technology is today, I found it hard to believe the police couldn't find anything. There must have been blood and hair shed during their struggle, which are definitive pieces of evidence. All they needed to do was run a DNA test to identify those present at the crime scene. Even if she wasn't identified as the attacker, Bai Manwen absolutely couldn't be ruled out.
However, I doubted Bai Manwen had the power to influence the police. She was just a high school teacher, and even with a husband who was the Director of Moral Education, could her reach truly be that long?
Moreover, this was no small matter. It was a case of attempted murder. If Li Yue hadn't received timely treatment, she could have died. To suppress an incident with such a huge impact, what level of authority would be required?
I rubbed my chin, thinking deeply. For a moment, I felt like a great detective, analyzing the situation.
But, obviously, I couldn't figure anything out. The impatient voice of the person behind me startled me, and I realized the two girls in front had moved far ahead. I quickly rushed forward.
"Ding ding ding, did you get it? The teacher's notice?"
The braided girl held up her phone for her friend to see.
"I got it too. It looks like it was sent to every class group," the long-haired girl nodded.
"I glanced at it. The gist is to tell us not to spread rumors or talk about it online, or else..." the braided girl whispered. "Apparently, the Director of Moral Education sent it."
"It's for the school's reputation, I guess. Such a huge incident will definitely hurt the school's image. Of course, they'll try to suppress it immediately rather than deal with it. They just want to shut it down quickly to prevent a major impact," the long-haired girl analyzed, nodding as if her deduction were brilliant.
"Snakes and rats in the same den," I thought, my eyes narrowing as I overheard their conversation.
I should have realized it earlier. Those two were now linked. If either of them was exposed, both their reputations would be instantly ruined. The disappearing surveillance footage was likely the doing of the Director of Moral Education.
"What a pair of adulterous scumbags," I cursed in my mind.
By then, I had reached the front of the line. The two friends finished their transactions, and it was my turn. After topping up my card, I headed toward the classroom.