Lin Weixia's voice was muffled as she said, "I didn't want to pay her back, I just wanted to piss her off."
This is the ring Ban Sheng gave her, how could she give it to someone else casually
Ban Sheng let out a low laugh. This was Lin Weixia. Although she looked quiet and easy to bully, she actually had her own ideas. She would fight back at the critical moment and make the opponent suffer.
Lin Weixia pushed away the head buried on her shoulder and said, "Okay, go to bed."
Ban Sheng responded and lay down again. He opened his eyes and saw that Lin Weixia had not left yet, so he asked, "Aren't you going back?"
"Well, I'll sleep in the next guest room. You should get some rest." Lin Weixia took out a tissue and tried to wipe the water off the table.
The drug was working, Ban Sheng felt dizzy and fell asleep soon after he lay down. Lin Weixia lied to him when she said she was going to sleep in the guest room next door.
But she didn't actually leave.
Lin Weixia sat on a chair and covered herself with a thin blanket, intending to stay here until his fever subsided before leaving.
She propped up her chin and opened her eyes to look at the boy lying on the bed. His breathing was even and his long eyelashes were draped under his eyelids. The sleeping Ban Sheng looked less unapproachable and cold. He looked much more easy-going, but his brows were still furrowed.
Lin Weixia couldn't help but stretch out her hand. When her finger was three centimeters away from the dark brow, she hesitated for a moment, but still let it go and slowly smoothed the boy's frown.
Bansheng, what are you thinking about
Lin Weixia was standing by and gradually couldn't hold on any longer. She felt sleepy and her eyelids kept falling. She finally fell asleep sitting on the chair. In the middle of the night, Lin Weixia was awakened by a noise. She was a light sleeper and opened her eyes quickly.
Ban Sheng lay there with a layer of sweat on his forehead. He kept mumbling in his sleep, tossing and turning, and no one knew what he was whispering.
His expression was painful, as if he was struggling with something, and his whole body exuded a dark aura. It was as if a huge dream-eating beast had caught Ban Sheng in a net, wanting to devour him bit by bit.
Lin Weixia immediately stood up, held his hand, and called him patiently and gently:
"Ban Sheng, wake up."
"It's okay. It's okay."
Ban Sheng continued to fight in his bloody dream. Just when he felt that he was about to fall into the abyss, someone suddenly grasped his hand tightly, and a gentle but firm voice continued to ring out -
Ban Sheng, it's okay, it's just a dream.
I'm here.
Ban Sheng opened his eyes suddenly, and his vision was dark, with a pitch-black ceiling. He moved his gaze and saw a dim night light left on beside the bed, illuminating a soft and reassuring face. It was Lin Weixia.
I broke out in a cold sweat.
She stood by and Ban Sheng held Lin Weixia's hand until it turned red and painful because of the nightmare, but she never struggled to break free.
Lin Weixia handed him a glass of water and said softly, "You had a nightmare."
Ban Sheng took the cup, tilted his head back and drank the water in big gulps. When he opened his mouth, his voice was extremely hoarse:
"Thanks."
"It's okay, I'll sleep next door. You can call me if you need anything." Lin Weixia said.
Before leaving, Lin Weixia poured Ban Sheng another glass of warm water. She remembered that he needed to leave a light on when he slept, so she didn't turn off the light. Finally, she closed the door gently.
Ban Sheng sat up, took out a Marlboro from the cigarette box on the table, put it to his lips, flicked open the lighter, lit it, inhaled the smoke into his lungs, exhaled a puff of smoke, and under the light, his face was extremely pale.
The next day, when it was bright, Lin Weixia got up and cooked a pot of millet porridge for Ban Sheng as usual. Then she took Ban Sheng's temperature and found that the fever had finally subsided.
Ban Sheng was sitting at the dining table, drinking porridge slowly. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with nothing underneath.
"Don't wear so little, the fever has just subsided." Lin Weixia couldn't help but say.
"Hmm." Ban Sheng stuffed a mouthful of porridge into his mouth.
Lin Weixia glanced at the wall clock and saw that Ban Sheng was almost done, so she lowered her head and began to pack her things, stuffing some makeup removal wipes and a small mirror into her bag, zipping it up. She straightened up and raised her feet to leave, but before leaving, she still reminded him: "Remember to go to the mall and buy a thicker down jacket and a scarf."
Ban Sheng sat there, his neck hunched slightly, his dark eyelashes drooping. He did not speak nor respond to her.
Lin Weixia sighed softly, unsure of Ban Sheng's mood. Just as she was about to leave, a hand grabbed her wrist, tightening it, and she felt a scorching heat coming from it.
He wouldn't let her go.
The girl's eyelashes twitched, and then she heard him say:
"You go with me."
So after Ban Sheng finished drinking the porridge and taking the medicine, Lin Weixia accompanied Ban Sheng to a nearby shopping mall to buy clothes. When they walked into a brand store, a staff member in black uniforms came up to them enthusiastically and asked what they needed.
"It's a thick coat and a scarf. You can recommend them to him." Lin Weixia pointed at the boy next to her.
She was just about to sit on the sofa and wait for the staff to take Ban Sheng to pick out clothes he liked.
The staff member was about to speak, but Ban Sheng interrupted him, lowered his neck, and looked at Lin Weixia:
"You choose."
Lin Weixia had no choice but to help him pick out clothes, but Ban Sheng’s clothes were easy to choose. His dressing style had always been simple and cool, black and gray, and he seemed to only wear these two colors.
Lin Weixia looked over quickly and picked out a thick windbreaker for Ban Sheng. After Ban Sheng tried it on, he found it surprisingly fit him.
He was a natural clothes hanger with broad shoulders. The crisp cut of the fabric made his neck look straight, his figure was tall and slender, and he looked much more energetic.
"This customer's fitting was very good. She has a good figure, is tall, and has the temperament of a celebrity." The staff kept exclaiming.
"This one." Ban Sheng said.
Lin Weixia scanned the merchandise on display in the store, and her sight stopped at the black and white plaid scarf worn by the mannequin. She pointed at it and said, "Would you like to try that scarf?"
Ban Sheng was too lazy to try it on, so he turned to the staff and said, "I want that scarf too."
The staff member couldn't stop smiling. It was rare to see such a straightforward customer. She picked up the pager and asked her colleagues to go to the warehouse to get new goods.
At the cashier counter, the staff used a machine to scan the icons on the clothes. When they found the black and white scarf, they glanced at the total price on the computer and said with a smile:
"Hello, the total amount of goods is 48,000. If you spend more than 50,000 in our store, you can get a 20% discount. And the scarf you picked is a couple's style. You can buy one for your girlfriend."
Lin Weixia, who was standing aside, was stunned. She took her hand out of her pocket and waved it, looking at Ban Sheng:
"No, it's too expensive, and..."
Ban Sheng took out a card from his wallet and handed it over, saying in a low voice:
"Pack them together."
"Okay, I'll get you the latest item."
Lin Weixia was standing at the door of the store waiting for someone. She looked down at her toes and watched the reflection of the light reflected on the marble.
A hand with reddish joints appeared in sight, holding a paper bag. Lin Weixia hesitated:
"I-"
"Thank you." Ban Sheng said slowly.
Finally, succumbing to the pressure from Ban Sheng's eyes, Lin Weixia finally accepted it.
When Men Zi found out about this, she was shocked: "What, you two are wearing couple scarves?! Your relationship is progressing very fast!"
Lin Weixia poured herself a glass of water, thought about it, and said, "Not really. It seems like he bought it at a discount to make up for the loss."
"Bah, why didn't he just pool together to get a discount? But he bought you a couple's scarf. He is so thoughtful." Men Zi said incisively.
"And what is your relationship now? I think you two are getting closer and closer. The whole college is talking about whether you two are boyfriend and girlfriend." Men Zi said.
What Men Zi said was true. Ever since Ban Sheng fell ill, the atmosphere between the two of them became more and more harmonious, and their relationship was getting better. Lin Weixia would often send messages to Ban Sheng, and he would reply when he saw them. The two of them would also go to the school cafeteria from time to time to eat together.
The two of them were seen together by many people in the school. It was previously rumored that the goddess of the psychology department, Lin Weixia, was pursuing Ban Sheng.
Now the rumors have turned into a sure thing that the two are together.
"I'll find a chance to confirm it." Lin Weixia said.
The relationship between the two is indeed very good now. Lin Weixia can basically find someone else, and his attitude is not so ambiguous anymore.
But there are times when Ban Sheng doesn’t answer the phone. During these times, he is usually either in a bar or hanging out in a nightclub, and no one can find him.
Unless he shows up on his own initiative.
On Thursday night, Lin Weixia came out of the library and took out her cell phone to send a message to Ban Sheng.
Xia: [You are in school, right? Do you want to have dinner together? ]
After sending the message, no one responded. Lin Weixia put her phone back in her pocket and went directly to the engineering compound with her books. She knew that Ban Sheng and his department had to attend evening self-study twice a week, so he should be in the classroom today.
Lin Weixia went all the way to the fourth floor, to the third classroom, where students were studying. She stood on tiptoes and looked around the classroom and found that Ban Sheng was not there.
She happened to meet a girl who was coming back from the corridor after getting hot water, and asked, "Classmate, is Ban Sheng here?"
"Ban Sheng? He basically never went to evening self-study classes. He was always absent. You might still find him in the bar," the girl thought it was funny. She tightened the lid and sighed. "He gives our teachers a headache, but his grades and credits are the highest. Geniuses are more arrogant and do whatever they want."
"Okay, thank you." Lin Weixia said.
After finishing speaking, Lin Weixia turned and walked towards the stairs. As she walked downstairs, she called Ban Sheng. The receiver kept beeping coldly, and soon a standard female voice automatically cut in:
"Sorry, the number you dialed is currently unavailable."
I called again, but still no one answered.
Lin Weixia stood in the open space in front of the empty teaching building. The lights on the roadside emitted a cold light and the biting wind blew, making her face hurt.
Lin Weixia changed her number and called Qiu Minghua directly. The call was connected after a while and she asked in a calm voice:
"Where is he?"
After hanging up the phone, Lin Weixia put away her phone, went to the school gate, hailed a taxi, opened the door, got in, and whispered an address.
The car window blocked out the sound of the wind outside. She held her cell phone and continued to send messages to Ban Sheng.
Xia: [I'm coming to see you now.]
Still no one replied.
The driver drove for about 35 minutes and arrived at the Visit Bar. Lin Weixia whispered something and walked towards the shop name sign with a skull pattern printed next to the English letters after getting off the car.
When I opened the door, the deafening electronic music and DJ sounds came directly at me, making my ears hurt.
Lin Weixia held her ears and whispered a box number to the waiter. The waiter in a red uniform led her to the elevator.
With a "ding" sound, the elevator door opened, and Lin Weixia came to a door carved with retro patterns with her hands in her pockets.
As soon as she opened the door, a choking smell of smoke hit her in the face, and the mist was so thick that she couldn't see anyone's face clearly.
Boys and girls were sitting around a long sofa, playing games and drinking at the same time. The table and the floor were filled with wine glasses. There were also couples in the corner, showing affection to each other.
The whole environment was dark, filled with an ambiguous and chaotic atmosphere. Everyone's eyes were full of excitement, and their spirits were high. As soon as someone drank, they would shout and make a fuss.
A group of people gathered together, and one of the boys was pouring beer into two rows of empty glasses. The white hops spit out and quickly filled the empty glass glasses.
A girl excitedly pressed the arm of the boy who was pouring the wine, and said, "This round is for Ban Sheng to drink. He has such a good alcohol tolerance, can't he drink a thousand cups without getting drunk? I can't make him drunk!"
"Wow! That really needs more pouring."
The center of their topic, Ban Sheng, was sitting on the sofa with his black coat casually open, revealing a sharp larynx and a swallowtail butterfly tattoo crawling between his clavicles. He was holding a glass in his hand and smiling nonchalantly.
Ban Sheng's face, reflected in the glass, was cold and stern, with boredom in the corners of his eyes, as if he was wearing a mask. He was a fallen man with only a good appearance.
Lin Weixia didn't know how long she had been standing there. Soon someone noticed her and said to Ban Sheng:
"Master Ban, another woman is here to see you."
Ban Sheng looked back lazily, and the moment his eyes met Lin Weixia, the smile on the corner of his lips disappeared and his expression changed again and again.
Ban Sheng has a lot of friends now, and his friends come one after another. These people don’t know what’s going on, have never seen Lin Weixia, and don’t know the relationship between the two.
He kept filling up all the empty wine glasses on the table, whistling and screaming, urging Ban Sheng to finish his drink quickly.
Ban Shengji laughed angrily, picked up a glass of wine, and was about to drink it when a shadow came over and a hint of sweet peach scent filled his nose. The girl stood in front of a group of people and said in a calm voice:
"Can I drink it for him?"
Ban Sheng's jawline tightened and he didn't say anything. The light stayed on his face for two seconds and there was no expression on his face.
When everyone saw that it was a beauty, someone immediately responded: "Okay, but Mr. Ben lost the game, so he has to abide by the rules. Since it's a beauty who took his place, how about drinking half?"
"I think it's OK!"
"Drink it."
Compared to forcing the boys to drink, everyone preferred to watch the unruly beauty drinking beautifully and coolly. They kept making noises, not noticing that Ban Sheng's face had changed, his expression was heavy, and his aura was extremely low.
Lin Weixia picked up a glass of wine and was about to drink it, but was stopped by a slender and broad hand. Ban Sheng suddenly stood up, grabbed her arm, and took her away from the box in full view of everyone.
With a "bang", there was a deafening sound of a door closing. The group of people in the box were startled and looked at each other.
"What the hell is going on? I saw that no matter how much the girls Ban Sheng met drank, he never even batted an eyelid."
"This girl might be Ban Sheng's favorite."
A girl retorted dissatisfiedly: "You have read too many novels. That woman is at best one of his many love affairs."
In a narrow alley next to the bar, a group of young men and women were smoking. They were not surprised to see Ban Sheng bringing a woman over. A smoking boy with tattoos on his arms greeted him:
"Hello, Mr. Ben, come down and have a smoke."
"Mr. Ban, how much did you drink today? Hahahaha, do you want me to go up and help you top up the number?" someone joked.
Ban Sheng raised his thin eyelids, which were like sharp blades, and said nothing, but his eyes were clear and direct. If you want to make trouble for me, just go ahead. The group of people immediately stopped talking, not daring to breathe, and went back to smoking their cigarettes and talking to their companions.
It started raining outside again. The two stood in the narrow aisle on the side of the bar. The draft blew over, and the boy's clothes swayed.
The dense raindrops hit the blue iron plate above my head with a crackling sound.
The rain came down at an angle, and water droplets got on Lin Weixia's black clothes. A few drops of rain also hit her fair cheeks.
Ban Sheng frowned silently and brought Lin Weixia, who was standing outside, in.
He was holding a box of red and white Marlboro cigarettes in his hand. He took out a cigarette, put it to his lips, and took out a silver lighter from his jacket pocket.
With a "crack", orange-red fire jumped out from the tiger's mouth. He lowered his head to ignite it, and gray-white smoke exhaled from his thin lips, blown by the wind and hit Lin Weixia's neck.
It was like his breath, densely wrapping around people.
"What kind of wine are you drinking?" Ban Sheng asked in a deep voice, staring at her.
"Because I don't want you to stay in a place like this all the time. Could you please stop smoking and drinking so much?" A pair of clear and distinct eyes looked at him.
The expectation in the girl's eyes made Ban Sheng completely silent. He didn't respond, and he didn't know how to respond. He smoked one cigarette after another, and the artery on the side of his neck was faintly pulsating.
He smelled heavily of alcohol and cigarettes, and dark circles appeared under Ban Sheng's eyelids. Ban Sheng looked exhausted, as if he was lazy and unmotivated in doing anything.
Lin Weixia doesn't like Ban Sheng's current state at all. She likes him as he was before.
The former class leader spoke calmly in front of all the teachers and students in the school. The future seemed to be in front of him and everything belonged to him.
She missed the time when he ran so hard on the sports field that the sun ran after him, won the cheers of the whole audience, and finally won the first place, and said to her, "I am not good at anything."
It was that proud and arrogant young man.
Not like it is now.
"A Sheng, I don't like you now." Lin Weixia looked at him and said. She tried hard to open her eyes, but her eyes still turned red unconsciously.
Ban Sheng's hand holding the cigarette shook uncontrollably. He didn't respond, and spoke after a while:
"Leave me alone."
Then the two of them fell into a dead silence, with only the rapid crackling of rain hitting the iron sheet. This might be the end.
Suddenly, Lin Weixia reached out her hand from her pocket and snatched the lit cigarette from Ban Sheng's hand in front of him.
Lin Weixia took the wet cigarette and put it into her moist mouth without thinking and began to smoke. She smoked awkwardly and hard. It was her first time and she had no experience. She took a big gulp of the smoke into her lungs and found it so strong.
She also didn't know that, in fact, when smoking, one doesn't have to inhale the smoke into the lungs.
White mist came out of her cherry-red lips. Lin Weixia didn't know how to smoke, but she still insisted on smoking, choking herself and causing her to cough continuously.
Ban Sheng's dark pupils shrank violently, and he immediately tried to snatch the cigarette from her hand. Lin Weixia turned her head away to prevent him from snatching it.
He was so angry that his temples were throbbing and his face was gloomy:
"Are you fucking crazy?"
Lin Weixia hid the cigarette behind her and took two steps back. The rain curtain behind her and the flashing neon lights in the distance automatically blurred into the background.
She looked up at Ban Sheng, her cold eyes revealing stubbornness and moisture, and the words she said did not sound like a joke at all:
"I fell with you, you want to go to hell—
"I'll go too."
Ban Sheng's gaze stayed on Lin Weixia's face for three minutes. The car lights in the distance flashed past his face, and his cheeks twitched. He pressed the fire and seemed to extinguish it. He stuffed all the cigarettes and lighters in her hands and finally compromised:
"I'm really... scared of you."