"I'm really sorry about what happened before." Lin Weixia looked up at him with a sincere tone.
Ban Sheng was stunned for a moment. This was the first time he saw this girl being so polite in front of him, and looking like she was willing to be manipulated. He chuckled and said casually:
"I'm so easy to deal with, Lin Weixia."
Ban Sheng raised his hand and pressed his thumb against his neck, then said in a leisurely tone, "You owe me a wish as a token of your sincerity in apologizing."
Lin Weixia nodded and agreed.
At that time, she didn't know how Ban Sheng had quietly and step by step trapped her into a trap. And whether this thing called a trap trapped her or Ban Sheng himself, no one knew.
Since that rainy night when Ban Sheng said he would pursue her, he has kept his word. He would send Lin Weixia home almost every day.
Even if there is something, Lin Weixia will push it aside and not move.
A prominent figure, the one who is the center of attention, refuses to take the luxury car that will pick him up every day, and insists on taking the bus with Lin Weixia every day.
But this is one-sided on Ban Sheng's part.
Lin Weixia never waited for him. She would just do her own thing and go home.
Ban Sheng didn't mind, he pursued her. Every day, Ban Sheng would wait for her in the alley a distance away from the school, and he tried his best not to cause trouble to her with his pursuit.
If Lin Weixia didn't come out so soon, he would leisurely play a game of billiard in the store next door, or hide in the Internet cafe to play games.
Although Ban Sheng was very low-key, rumors still spread.
The rumors that came out were only fragments, and they did not dare to spread them out widely, mostly because they were afraid of Ban Sheng. It would not be a good thing to be remembered by him.
"Lin Weixia is quite capable. She can make Ban Sheng willingly send her home." A group of people gathered together to chat.
Liu Sijia heard their discussion from a distance, crossed her arms and coldly drove the girls away:
"It's not appropriate to gossip about someone behind their back."
"Yesterday after school, I saw Ban Sheng walking towards the Internet cafe. What a waste."
Liu Sijia was still proud and beautiful. She leaned against the railing, bent her fingers and knocked on the railing, making a "knock knock" sound, signaling them to stop.
One girl immediately took Liu Sijia's arm and said, "That's right. Since entering high school, they said Ban Sheng must have 100 girlfriends. But he's so cool that he doesn't have any girlfriends."
Liu Sijia's tense expression relaxed a little, but she was not happy in her heart, and even to the point of being uneasy. True or false, rumors only needed a little bit of groundless speculation. She was even more unwilling to bow her head and verify the facts of the parties involved.
Ban Sheng's pursuit is just the right amount of thoughtfulness. He remembers when Lin Weixia has her period, and he will prepare a heating pad and brown sugar cubes for her.
Usually Lin Weixia would not take it, and then he would find a way to pass it to her through someone else's hand. She would accept it belatedly, and when she turned her head afterwards, she would bump into a triumphant face with a faint smile on the corner of his lips.
The two of them became close on their way home from school on Friday. That evening, Lin Weixia went to the office to help mark the papers, and it was already a little late when she returned.
Shuiwei Lane is scattered in the urban area, but because the personnel relationships here are complicated, with some returnees and migrant workers, the residents here usually let their children go home early and not hang around outside.
There was still some distance to home, and a group of hooligans gathered on the slope not far away. They were smoking and making dirty jokes. One of the hooligans glanced at Lin Weixia casually, stared at her, and immediately whistled meaningfully.
Huangtou put out his cigarette, exchanged glances with the henchmen behind him, and immediately stepped forward. The white light bulb hung at the road sign, illuminating the scar on Huangtou's face clearly, and his malicious expression made him look very creepy.
Lin Weixia was startled and subconsciously took a step back while grabbing the strap of her schoolbag. Her heart began to beat fast and fear crawled all over her back like ants.
Just as she was about to turn around and run, she suddenly heard a familiar voice. The casual and undisciplined voice that Lin Weixia usually disliked sounded at this moment, with the unique coldness and steadiness of a teenager, which made people feel at ease:
"Keep going."
Lin Weixia calmed down a bit, and stopped turning her toes. She caught a glimpse of the shadow behind her, following her at a leisurely pace. Ban Sheng was wearing all black today, with the silver zipper of his jacket pulled to his collarbone, making him look tall and strong. He had one hand in his pocket, dragging a baseball bat from nowhere.
Ban Sheng was chewing gum intermittently behind her. Every time Lin Weixia took a step forward, he dragged the baseball bat on the ground, making a sharp sound.
It was particularly loud in the quiet night.
When Ban Sheng and Lin Weixia were passing by the gang of thugs, he blew a bubble with his thin lips. There was a "da" sound, and the gang of thugs were startled and Huangtou jumped away reflexively.
The tip of his tongue popped the bubble and rolled it back between his lips and teeth. Ban Sheng chewed the gum slowly, looked at the opposite side with a stern face, and sneered.
The group was extremely embarrassed. Huang Tou only glanced at Ban Sheng and knew from his eyes that he could not afford to offend this man. Huang Tou had no choice but to avoid him, coughed violently, and waved to the people behind him to pretend to make an excuse to make a phone call and disperse.
Ban Sheng finally sent the person home safely. Lin Weixia stood at the door and hesitated for a while, then turned to look at him: "Today - thank you."
Ban Sheng lowered his head and smiled to himself. He raised his hand and pulled out her black hair that was pressed on the shoulder strap of her schoolbag. He put his sleeves against her arms at the wrists, entangled her hair with his fingertips, and spoke slowly:
"All day long, I'm either apologizing or thanking you. When will I ever get the words I want—"
"I like me." Ban Sheng looked at her and said word by word.
Lin Weixia was stunned, not knowing how to respond, and her fingers clenched the corner of her clothes. Suddenly, the neighbor's dog barked, breaking the ambiguous moment.
"Go in, I can wait." Ban Sheng took out a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth. He turned around without looking back, lowered his head slightly and reached out to light the cigarette. He remembered something and waved behind him.
The trees in Nanjiang are evergreen in winter, glowing under the embrace of street lamps. A wisp of white smoke floats over along the smooth lines of the forearm, and the light lengthens the boy's tall and lonely shadow.
Ban Sheng's pursuit was well-balanced and never annoying. He would not say a word when sending her home, but would just follow her silently.
Then I took a taxi home.
There was always a figure guarding Lin Weixia on her way home.
Since that day, Lin Weixia's attitude towards Ban Sheng was no longer as cold as before. The two of them would occasionally exchange a few words on the road. When Ban Sheng was being naughty, he would occasionally tease her, causing Lin Weixia to break her usual calmness and look angry.
Ban Sheng stretched out his long arm and easily hooked the strap of Lin Weixia's schoolbag, pulling her back. As the two pushed and pulled, with a "click", something that looked like a flyer fell out of the unzipped schoolbag.
A look of panic flashed across Lin Weixia's face. Ban Sheng bent down slightly, reached out to take the flyer, and looked at it carefully while holding the paper between his fingers.
It was a cello performance event co-organized by a certain brand. At the bottom it said that by scanning the QR code, you could have a chance to win tickets to watch the game live.
"Do you like cello?" Benson asked her.
His question was very precise. Most people who saw the flyer would answer the question "Do you want to watch this game?" based on the information on it.
Ban Sheng is not like that. He sees further and knows the essence of the matter—he wants to go because he likes it.
Lin Weixia didn't answer and wanted to snatch the flyer back, but Ban Sheng raised it higher, looking calm and relaxed, as if he was waiting for her to take action.
After failing to get the flyer back, Lin Weixia gave up and said calmly, "If you want it, I'll give it to you."
Ban Sheng's expression changed again and again, but he didn't say anything.
Lin Weixia and Ban Sheng were seen arguing on the street, and the news quickly spread to the school. It was not like the previous time when only one person saw it, which would be considered as hearsay. This time, several people saw it together, and the rumor spread more and more widely. In the eyes of classmates, it was a foregone conclusion that Lin Weixia had hooked up with Ban Sheng.
A group of girls sat on the steps, eating ice cream in a group, laughing from time to time. There was a natural sense of superiority in their tone when they discussed others. In their mouths, Lin Weixia became a seductive bitch.
"That's enough." A hint of reprimand appeared on Liu Sijia's beautiful face.
Li Shengran propped up his chin and said thoughtfully: "But I heard from my brother that Ban Sheng seems to be pursuing a girl."
Only Li Shengran dared to say this at this time. Regardless of the fact that she came to this family halfway and had always been at odds with her half-brother Li Yiran, what she said was indeed somewhat credible. After all, Li Yiran was Ban Sheng's buddy, the kind that was considered one of their own.
The atmosphere began to crack into ice like a calm lake. Liu Sijia was in a daze, and the ice cream in her hand melted and fell on her school skirt with a "pop".
Li Shengran let out a scream and immediately took out a tissue to help wipe it clean. The other girls also came over to help. Liu Sijia still didn't react and stared at the ice cream on the hem of her skirt in a daze.
During evening self-study, the classroom of Class 1, Grade 2 was noisy. Some students not only talked casually, but also walked around in their seats at will, taking advantage of the fact that their head teacher Liu Xiping was away on business.
Discipline is terrible.
Liu Xiping appeared at the window with a sullen face. No one knew who noticed him first. The classroom, which was originally as noisy as a vegetable market, suddenly became quiet.
Zheng Zhaoxing, with his back to the podium and a spicy noodle in his mouth, threw the poker in his hand with a "snap" and shouted, "Pair of Kings!"
There was an immediate burst of laughter in the class. The more serious the situation was, the harder it was to hold back the laughter. Qiu Minghua's shoulders were shaking from trying so hard to hold back his laughter.
Not only that, there were even two students who skipped classes.
"Still laughing! The whole class will be punished to run fifteen laps!" Liu Xiping, who was always gentle, showed anger on his face. He hit the podium several times with a ruler, and the veins on his forehead bulged.
The group was draggingly driven to the playground by the class teacher, causing students from other classes to lean against the windows and stare at them sideways along the way.
The lights on the playground were as bright as day, and the tall trees blocked out the sun, leaving shadows that moved with the wind at night. The sports committee member organized the team and led everyone to run.
Liu Xiping stood in front of the team with his hands behind his back and a serious face. He blew a whistle: "Lin Weixia, step out."
Ban Sheng subconsciously looked at Lin Weixia who walked out of the square formation. She had a puzzled look in her eyes, and the other students' eyes were even more puzzled.
"You rest, and the others start running!"
Lin Weixia understood the teacher's intention in an instant. When she was about to say that she could run, a sharp voice interrupted:
"Teacher, didn't we agree that the whole class would be punished together? Why should she be treated specially?"
"That's right, or maybe her family donated more buildings or lab equipment to the school. Who isn't a treasure in the eyes of their parents?"
"That's right, doesn't he find it ridiculous? I'm going to go back and tell my mom." An A student interrupted and talked directly about the head teacher.
There were more and more small and unhappy voices, and Old Liu looked embarrassed. Liu Sijia tied her hair neatly and glanced at them domineeringly. Everyone kept silent and looked at Liu Xiping expressionlessly: "Are you still going to run away?"
Liu Xiping secretly breathed a sigh of relief, blew the whistle and shouted slogans, and the team finally started running slowly. Round and round, they ran breathlessly and looked embarrassed. Liu Xiping stood at the edge of the playground to supervise them until they finished running, and the team was disbanded.
After the punishment, the students were still anxious and frightened. When they woke up the next day, they had various running side effects. They either had lower abdominal pain or their calves were as stiff as an old lady walking down the stairs when they walked.
The more physical pain some of them felt, the more dissatisfied they became with Lin Weixia.
Lin Weixia didn't know when it started, but it seemed like after a physical education class, she began to receive more and more suspicious looks. Sometimes she would see a group of girls from a distance, and when she passed by them, the discussions and ridicule would increase, and she would occasionally burst into laughter, and the boys would look at her with amusement.
"It's true. Ke'er saw it in the dressing room."
"I see. She usually pretends to be so noble, but in the end... her goddess image is shattered. Hahaha."
"I thought so. She usually pretends to be so good-tempered because she is afraid of being targeted. She likes tea."
This situation is usually better only when Liu Sijia is present. When she is with Lin Weixia, the voices of discussion are still there, and they will only shut up after Liu Sijia takes a glance at them.
Fang Mo showed great worry about this matter. Sometimes those pointing eyes were too hurtful, and she couldn't help but want to argue with them. She grabbed her arm with one hand and turned around to meet a pair of calm and clear eyes.
"Weixia, aren't you angry?" Fang Mo asked worriedly.
"I'm angry, but being angry is the most useless thing." Lin Weixia looked distant, but she comforted her softly, "I'm fine. I have my own way to go. They are not within my sight."
The abuser did not condemn her for a reason, but he had disliked her for a long time and was just looking for an excuse to slander her behind her back.
Those who support it join a group and make blind and crude judgments in order to gain a sense of security.
Lin Weixia was not wrong, she did nothing. What was wrong was the hidden malice and jealousy that was rooted in the soil.
Fang Mo seemed to understand, but she felt that although Lin Weixia looked gentle, she was actually a very strong person.
A new week has arrived. It's a cloudy day and the sky is dark, as if it were dipped in ink. The damp and cold air passes by, and even the bright red poinciana flowers on campus become a little dim.
Students in high-heeled uniforms were tidying up their appearance in the classroom. The girls hurriedly borrowed rubber bands to tie their hair and used tissues to wipe off their lipstick, while the boys had it much simpler, they just had to zip up their zippers and button their clothes neatly.
But occasionally one or two fish slip through the net.
When the officer on duty was checking Class 1, Grade 2, he happened to find that Zheng Zhaoxing was not wearing a nameplate. The younger brother next to him asked him to go find Ban Sheng to buy a nameplate, but he sneered.
Ban Sheng had been at odds with him for a long time, so why was he still looking for Ban Sheng? If Ban Sheng was willing to sell the nameplate to him, he would write the character Zheng upside down.
"I won't wear a nameplate today, so what?" Zheng Zhaoxing sat on the table, staring fiercely at the girl on duty.
The girl was a duty officer from another class. She glanced at Zheng Zhaoxing seriously and opened the blue folder to write down his name.
Zheng Zhaoxing's face sank and he kicked the stool in front of him away. Along with the screams of the girl next to him, books piled up and fell to the ground. A pen accidentally hit the duty cadre in the face, and the pain made her subconsciously close her eyes.
"Why? Why can she not tie her hair?" Zheng Zhaoxing stared at the cadre, but his hand pointed directly at Lin Weixia.
The air suddenly became quiet, and most of the eyes in the class were on her. Lin Weixia was standing by her seat, dividing the Chinese test papers into each group in advance. Her slender white fingers were stained with rough ink. She paused and continued to count the test papers.
Li Shengran silently rolled his eyes when talking about the last duty. Zheng Zhaoxing jumped off the table and walked towards Lin Weixia step by step, looking like he was looking for trouble.
"Student Lin, it's not right for you to keep asking for special treatment in Class 1. Why don't you let everyone see what's hidden in your hair?" Zheng Zhao looked at her and spoke. His eyes were smiling, but they revealed cruelty.
The atmosphere was dead silent, and everyone around looked like they were watching a good show. Zheng Zhaoxing looked like he was going to take advantage of Lin Weixia and would not let her go. Fang Mo was so scared that tears welled up in her eyes but she did not dare to cry.
Lin Weixia's expression was neither cold nor indifferent. Her long black hair hung down, and her rosy lips were faintly visible. She still had that cold and overly calm beautiful face. She continued to count the test papers with her head down. The only sound in the classroom was the rustling of pages turning.
She didn't even glance at Zheng Zhaoxing, let alone give in out of fear.
Lin Weixia's indifferent attitude angered Zheng Zhaoxing even more. His smiling face turned gloomy. He stared at the girl in front of him with eyes that seemed to want to eat her alive.
Li Shengran was helping Liu Sijia tie her hair, and two or three girls surrounded the queen, talking to her, as if they wanted to prevent her from intervening. Ning Chao was still cleaning the laboratory building and didn't know what was happening here.
As for Ban Sheng, he disappeared when the bell rang and he hasn't come back yet.
Zheng Zhaoxing walked in front of Lin Weixia and pressed the test paper on the table with one hand, forcing her to stop. Without thinking, he reached out his hand in front of everyone.
"Don't touch her." An emotionless voice came. Although the tone was calm, it was inexplicably intimidating.
Everyone looked over and saw Ban Sheng leaning against the door. The dark clouds behind him turned black and melted into his dark eyes. There was a dark sign of impending storm. He was holding a can of ice cola in his hand, with his fingers resting on the silver pull ring, and his muscles and bones were obviously filled with desire.
Also wearing the high school uniform, Ban Sheng did nothing but leaned there and looked at him, with an oppressive aura.
The class could be heard talking, and people were whispering, "It's Ban Sheng."
"I guess he couldn't bear to watch it anymore."
"Zheng Zhaoxing would have to be crazy to mess with Ban Sheng."
Ban Sheng looked at Zheng Zhaoxing without saying anything, but the two had dealt with each other several times before, so he should know what that look meant. If Zheng Zhaoxing could bear the consequences, he, Ban Sheng, would never stop him.
As soon as Ban Sheng opened his mouth, Zheng Zhaoxing's hand subconsciously retracted. Ban Sheng was not someone who was easy to mess with. He seldom took action himself, but always used his brain to find other people's sore spots and vital points. Previously, someone from No. 13 Middle School committed a crime, and he collected a lot of evidence of the other person's crime, and regardless of the power of the other person's family, he sent the person to a juvenile detention center.
Thinking of this, Zheng Zhaoxing hesitated. He was being held here, and the people around him were looking at him with excitement, curiosity and expectation.
He remembered something and subconsciously looked in a certain direction.
The next second, Zheng Zhaoxing didn't hesitate at all, and reached out to pull Lin Weixia's hair as if he was provoked. His movements were so fast and vicious that people had no strength to resist.
Lin Weixia felt a tearing pain on her scalp and was dragged forward, crashing into the table. The books, papers and pens on the table fell to the ground.
The pain from the blow to her abdomen made her hunch over, but Zheng Zhaoxing didn't let her go. He quickly reached out and pulled hard, as if pulling out rotten grass.
Zheng Zhaoxing's sharp nails scratched over like a sharp weapon, and Lin Weixia felt a sharp pain in her ear bone. There was a tinnitus in her right ear, rumbling, as if a car tire ran over her ear, and then it broke into pieces, and then something warm came out.
He didn't know what switch he pressed, and there was a sudden noise. He frowned subconsciously, and his chest was palpitating. She couldn't hear anything clearly, and vaguely saw the mouths of the people around her. They seemed to be laughing, with an expression of "as expected" and mockery, while Liu Sijia looked shocked.
Except Fang Mo was crying.
Zheng Zhaoxing violently pulled something out of Lin Weixia's ear. The hearing aid fell to the ground with a "pop" and rolled not far away.
Dark red blood dripped down along the fingers, strange and bloody, drop by drop, falling to the ground.
With a "boom", a muffled thunder sounded in the sky outside the corridor, and then the long-planned heavy rain finally came down on their heads. There was no need to hold this morning meeting at all.