When class ended, the students who usually liked to gather near the back door of the classroom moved to other places, leaving the back area suddenly cold and quiet.
“Are a lot of people taking leave today?” Lin Xi turned and asked.
“Maybe it’s the season for hand-foot-and-mouth disease,” Zhong Xiu replied casually, looking at the empty seats.
Hand-foot-and-mouth disease? Isn’t that mostly for children?
Zhong Xiu, who had just finished composing a reply on the forum, saw a new update pop up at the top of the screen one second before clicking the “Post” button.
It was truly “unlucky.” Young Master Lin Yucheng himself, who had been in close contact with Lin Xi last week, accidentally fell while playing basketball and fractured his right patella.
This news came very timely, interrupting what Zhong Xiu was about to say. She was about to ask why Lin Yucheng, who was in close contact with Lin Xi, was fine.
The forum even uploaded the X-ray film of his fracture, clearly showing the fracture line. This almost dispelled the doubts of other students who suspected Lin Yucheng was deliberately framing Lin Xi, and it further escalated Lin Xi’s perceived danger. There was a flood of sympathy for Lin Yucheng in the comments.
Lin Xi probably noticed something too. The Alpha, already a woman of few words, spoke even less. Zhong Xiu felt anxious inwardly.
During lunch in the cafeteria, as the two of them lined up to get food, the number of students ahead of them dwindled rapidly. Of course, it wasn’t because they had finished eating.
As they walked toward other lines, they looked at Lin Xi with a gaze that clearly sought to avoid her.
“Why is this so unlucky? Should have known not to queue here.”
“Jinxed. When it’s our turn, there probably won’t be any food left. Are we really starting to be unlucky?” To switch lines, they would have to start queuing again at the very end. They complained bitterly.
In the end, only Zhong Xiu and Lin Xi were left in the entire line, standing alone.
“What is going on? Is no one queuing?” The cafeteria auntie peered out of the window, utterly confused.
“Zhong Xiu, you, um, do you want to come over here?” It was Zhai Yong speaking. He was in another line and waved at Zhong Xiu, having reserved a spot for her.
“No.” Zhong Xiu pulled Lin Xi forward. If no one wanted to queue, then so be it. It just saved them time. “We’ll get an extra serving.”
Throughout the entire process, Lin Xi only lowered her head and ate, without saying another word. When Zhong Xiu spoke, she only nodded or shook her head.
—No way. Do people actually believe this kind of thing?
—Yeah.
Hugging her tablet, Zhong Xiu lay slumped on her bed, more disheartened by this than by the Physics teacher’s criticism.
The forum thread was gaining more and more traction. Everyone seemed to be using it as a trash can for their frustrations. Even if they sprained their ankle while walking, they blamed it on having seen Lin Xi that day.
The study genius became a disaster star. In less than a week, content related to Lin Xi on the confession wall had been secretly deleted, as if she had never existed.
How could they do that?
—You said they publicly released the imaging data online, right? Can you send me a copy? Let my mommy take a look; she’s a doctor.
—Can you?
—Of course. But my mommy is very busy, so I might only be able to get you the results tomorrow or the day after.
—Okay, thank you.
Zhong Xiu didn’t hold much hope. She was very worried that these injuries were real. If Lin Yucheng was determined to frame Lin Xi, it wasn’t impossible for him to hire people to injure those students.
Should I not have dragged her to the cafeteria that day? If she had stayed home to rest for a few more days, would this not have happened?
After a while, she shook her head. No, I can’t think that way.
Lin Yucheng was deliberately trying to sabotage Lin Xi. Even if Lin Xi hadn’t come to school so early, these things might still have happened later.
What made Zhong Xiu the saddest was the attitude of her classmates.
During the class meeting on Friday afternoon, Old Tang, as usual, first summarized the monthly exam situation, going from grade-wide analysis to class-level and then to individuals. Zhong Xiu inevitably got singled out for criticism.
Nine points in Physics. She had never scored this low, even on her worst exams. A classmate sent her a message.
—Zhong Xiu, you should stay away from Lin Xi. The Physics teacher almost ate you alive that day.
—Run, Zhong Xiu! You’ll be switching seats soon.
The message “Are you sick?” remained in Zhong Xiu’s text editor for two minutes before she ultimately didn’t send it. It wasn’t that she was afraid of offending others, but that saying anything now would also be blamed on Lin Xi.
A deep sense of powerlessness welled up in Zhong Xiu’s heart. If she, an observer, felt this terrible, how must Lin Xi herself feel? She secretly looked at the person next to her.
The sunset was still gentle, and the girl still looked like the figure in a dream. Lin Xi was earnestly reading a book, seemingly completely oblivious to the opinions of others.
If only she truly couldn’t feel it.
After the class meeting ended, Old Tang surprisingly didn’t mention changing seats and simply announced dismissal.
“No way. Why aren’t we changing seats? We’ve been sitting here for a month.” The student in the row in front of them crumpled his test paper into a ball and threw it on the floor, kicking his chair impatiently.
The sudden, harsh sound of metal scraping against the cement floor made Zhong Xiu’s body tremble slightly. Lin Xi also looked up.
“Old Tang is so young, yet he has Alzheimer’s. Haha.”
Zhong Xiu could feel their bad mood; it was all directed at Lin Xi.
The few students who were supposed to rotate into the row in front of them gloated as they quickly packed up and went home, afraid that staying an extra second would mean having to switch seats.
“Lin Xi…”
She hadn’t spoken much for several days. Zhong Xiu didn’t know how to comfort her; any words felt pale.
“I’m going to the hospital.”
The implication was that she wouldn’t be walking with Zhong Xiu.
As the night gradually darkened, Lin Xi stood outside the door of the ICU ward, still lacking the courage to go in.
The evening glow in the distance was beautiful, but it would eventually be swallowed by the darkness. She felt her own world was the same.
Perhaps if I hadn’t presented, and hadn’t celebrated my birthday, they wouldn’t have gotten into a car accident.
Everyone around her was moving away.
The maid and the driver could be blamed on Lin Keqin taking them away. The schoolmates’ actions were inseparable from Lin Yucheng. But her parents… who could she blame?
No matter how Lin Xi thought about it, she couldn’t find a reason, what reason was there besides herself?
No one noticed the Alpha girl in a school uniform and backpack standing outside the ICU door. The masked doctors and nurses passing her were rushing through their work, occasionally telling her to step aside so as not to block the way.
On the way home, Lin Xi felt that everyone on the road was avoiding her, like she was some terrifying flood or beast. She didn’t know if it was just her imagination.
At the door of her own house, only boundless darkness and solitude surrounded her. The summer night was not cold, yet she felt like she had fallen into an ice cave.
What should I do? Lin Xi looked up at the star-filled sky. It was as if she had been abandoned by the world.
As she fumbled for her keys in her backpack, her finger accidentally touched something warm. Lin Xi paused, then slowly pulled open the zipper of the inner pocket of her backpack.
Lying quietly inside was a bottle of milk.