No. 33 As If the Last Heartstring Was About to Snap
As the entire class was still shrouded in grief over Lan Zhuoyue’s passing, the monthly exams quietly approached.
I had prepared meticulously for these exams, memorizing every relevant detail from the textbooks and practicing countless exercises.
Exams, like work, had no shortcuts. If you diligently practiced and reviewed, accumulating experience, you could always find similarities between the exam questions and the problems you had already solved.
The difference between high achievers and low achievers was simply experience.
Even after graduating and entering the workforce, you couldn’t guarantee that everything you encountered would align perfectly with what you had learned in school. In most cases, you had to learn on the job, and some bosses even threw you into completely unfamiliar territory.
Chinese, math, English, physics, chemistry, biology, politics, history, geography—we had nine subjects to conquer in three days.
To prevent cheating, our seating arrangements were randomized for each exam, and we had to clear our desks the day before.
I was supposed to clear Lan Zhuoyue’s desk, but after Tan Lijiang’s persistent pleas, I reluctantly allowed him to help.
“Don’t blame yourself too much. He wouldn’t have cared.”
I tried to comfort him, but he burst into tears. I sighed, realizing words were futile.
Some people, after realizing their mistakes, would rather be scolded than seek forgiveness. It was similar to the dynamic between Hua She and his gang: if you had a problem with someone, you fought them. After the fight, you drank together, laughed together, and moved on. It was better than stewing in resentment and awkward silence.
The exams began.
Thanks to my thorough preparation and my past life’s experience, I sailed through the first eight subjects, writing furiously.
On Friday afternoon, the history exam commenced.
After two and a half days of exams, everyone was exhausted. The March weather in Upper Capital City, located in southern China, wasn’t particularly hot, but perhaps due to the stress, some students requested the ceiling fans be turned on.
History wasn’t my strongest subject, but it was one of the easiest to score high in, as long as you memorized the material.
However, just ten minutes into the exam, a familiar ringtone pierced the silence from the designated bag storage area outside the classroom.
“A rusty heart, in a silent world, what is it gazing at…”
It was “And I’m Home,” the character song of Sayaka Miki and Kyoko Sakura from the anime “Puella Magi Madoka Magica.”
I had specifically set this ringtone for Huang Yingdie.
I had reminded her that we had monthly exams from Wednesday to Friday and that she shouldn’t call me unless it was an emergency.
During exams, all students were required to turn off their phones and leave all non-exam-related items outside the classroom.
I had initially planned to turn off my phone, but remembering Huang Yingdie’s mention of the karaoke plan with Huang Qinghao, I had left it on, just in case. It seemed my intuition was right.
“Whose phone is that?”
The invigilator was about to investigate, but I rushed out of the classroom before she could.
“Hey! You’ll be penalized for cheating!”
Ignoring her warning, I grabbed my bag and pulled out my phone. “Hello?”
My actions infuriated her. “You even dare to answer the call?!”
“Yi Yao… help… New City Hotel, room B441…”
Huang Yingdie’s weak voice sent a chill down my spine. “What happened? Hello? Hello?”
“Beep…”
The call ended abruptly.
“What’s your name?! You’re going too far! I’m reporting you to your homeroom teacher! You’ll be expelled!”
The invigilator stormed towards me, but I just said, “Consider it cheating,” and ran towards the stairs.
“Wait! Where are you going?”
Ignoring the teachers’ shouts, I dashed out of the classroom and, after a quick glance around, sprinted towards the school gate.
“Hey, aren’t you supposed to be taking an exam?”
The security guard saw me approaching and reached for his notebook, but I didn’t slow down. I jumped over the fence.
“What are you doing?! Come back here!”
He scrambled to grab his baton and unlocked the gate, but by the time he emerged from the school grounds, I had already hailed a taxi.
“New City Hotel.”
The driver, a middle-aged man in his forties, looked at me in surprise. “Little girl, that’s not a good place. It’s dangerous.”
“I know. I’m in a hurry.”
I tossed him a hundred-yuan bill.
“Alright!”
He pocketed the money, stepped on the gas, and sped towards the hotel.
“Excuse me!”
I rushed into the hotel lobby. “Where’s room B441?”
“Turn left, fourth floor, straight ahead.”
“Thank you.”
I climbed the stairs, frantically dialing Huang Yingdie’s number, but it went straight to voicemail.
“Xiaodie, are you in there?”
I stood outside the door, unsure what to do. I didn’t have a key.
“Yi… Yi Yao…”
To my relief, her weak voice came from inside.
And a man’s heavy breathing.
“Stay still!”
I couldn’t just stand here and do nothing. I’ll just pay for the damages later.
I took a step back and kicked the door.
“Boom!”
Whether it was shoddy construction or my powerful kick, the door burst open.
The scene inside was chaotic.
A large bed, a computer, a table—a simple setup.
Perhaps the only unusual thing was the occupants.
Huang Yingdie, dressed in a thin nightgown, her clothes disheveled, was huddled in a corner, her face stained with tears.
Huang Qinghao, stripped down to his underwear, his body covered in scratches, stood in front of her.
He glared at me. “Yi Yao, are you here to ruin my fun again?”
“Your fun?”
I walked towards Huang Yingdie, and she quickly scrambled behind me, seeking protection.
Her eyes pleaded with me, as if I were her only hope.
“I don’t know what kind of ‘fun’ you’re having, but Xiaodie’s father instructed me to keep her in school during school hours. Sorry, I have to take her back. You can continue your ‘fun’ later.”
“Xiaodie! Haven’t I been good to you? Why won’t you give in to me?!”
His voice was desperate. “Be with me, and I’ll give you happiness, the best life you could ever imagine. Haven’t I said enough in my messages? I love you more than anyone in this world!”
I looked at Huang Yingdie, who was clinging to me, her body trembling. She just shook her head, tears streaming down her face.
To reduce a blue belt Taekwondo student to this state, he must have drugged her.
“Save the sweet talk for later. I’m not interested in being a third wheel.”
I gently pulled her hand. “Can you stand?”
She shook her head.
“I’ll kill you!”
Huang Qinghao lunged at me, his eyes filled with rage.
“Thud!”
I reacted instinctively, delivering a powerful kick to his head, sending him crashing to the floor.
Seriously, these kids never thought about the consequences.
I crouched down to pick up Huang Yingdie, but a sudden surge of adrenaline warned me of danger.
I turned around just in time to see a glinting knife blade inches from my face.
Huang Qinghao, his eyes bloodshot, was holding the knife, his expression crazed.
I could have dodged it, but that would leave Huang Yingdie, who was defenseless, vulnerable to his attack. I had no choice but to twist my body, shielding my vital organs.
The knife plunged into my shoulder.
Pain exploded through me as blood gushed down my back. I rolled away, narrowly avoiding another attack, then scrambled to my feet and kicked him in the head with all my might.
“Boom!”
He collapsed, unconscious, his head hitting the floor with a sickening thud.
I stumbled towards him, clutching my shoulder, and stomped on his right hand, sending the knife flying.
Taekwondo instructors usually warned their students against using full force when kicking someone’s head. It could be fatal.
But I couldn’t afford to hesitate. If I let him continue, I might not be so lucky next time.
“Is he… dead?”
Huang Yingdie’s voice trembled.
“I don’t know.”
I pulled out my phone. “Hello, 120? New City Hotel, room B441. Concussion. Please hurry.”
The pain overwhelmed me, and I sank to my knees.
“Xiaodie… how are you feeling?”
“I…” She looked at me, her eyes wide with fear, her tears flowing again. “I… I drank that… I can’t… move…”
“Okay, I understand.”
I crawled towards her and turned my back to her. “Get on.”
