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墨書 Inktalez
"I want money," I extended my hand.
"Money?" My father suddenly exploded in rage, his bloodshot eyes glaring at me fiercely, the flared nostrils of his alcohol-stained nose flaring violently. He jumped up abruptly and slapped my face hard. "How dare you ask me for money? I've raised you for seventeen years and supported your education. Now that you're working and earning money, you still have the nerve to ask me for more! You ungrateful wretch!"
I was stunned by the slap, standing there with my hands covering my face.
I hated that alcohol hadn't completely destroyed his shell, leaving him so energetic and strong enough to hit me. He picked up the stool beneath him and smashed it down on me like a storm. Instinctively, I hugged my arms tightly around myself, bracing my back against the sudden, unjust pain.
"What are you doing!" Suddenly, a clear and youthful female voice pierced through my ears.
My father stopped his assault, giving me a moment to breathe. I peeked through the gap between my arms and saw Xu Wenmo standing in the doorway, wearing a black shirt and fitted jeans, holding a fruit basket. Her beautiful eyes were filled with anger and surprise.
"Where did this girl come from?" My father threw down the stool and glared at Xu Wenmo.
"I'm Lin Ye's classmate," Xu Wenmo replied firmly. "What you're doing is domestic violence, and it's against the law! If you continue this way, I'll call the police!"
My father was illiterate but knew well that common people shouldn't fight against authority. He slumped back down in defeat. "Damn girl, mind your own business." Then he pointed at me. "Get back to what you were doing and stop standing there in my way."
Without saying another word, I quickly walked over to Xu Wenmo's side and pulled her out of the yard. We didn't stop until we reached an empty alley.
Once we stood still, she pulled her hand away from mine, her furrowed brow indicating her disdain for my touch. I had initially felt grateful towards her, but seeing her reaction made me feel much colder.
"What are you doing here?"
She handed me the fruit basket. "Thank you for saving me that night."
"It's nothing," I waved my hand dismissively, trying to act nonchalant while feeling extremely nervous inside. I didn't even know why I was nervous. "I just happened to be there and lent a hand; you don't need to be polite."
Her eyes lowered as she shyly smiled for a moment. It was the first time I had seen her smile, and it was indeed captivating. Not only men but even I—a girl who wasn't bad-looking—felt my heart race without a hint of jealousy because at that moment, her beauty was an unattainable height for me.
"This is a small token of appreciation; please accept it." She held up her arm as if she wouldn't put it down until I took it.
"Then I won't be polite." I accepted the fruit basket, thinking to myself that surely her gesture couldn't just be this little.
"Earlier..."
"It's fine; I'm used to it."
"Does your dad do this often?"
I shrugged. "Uh-huh."
"Why don't you call the police?"
"Call the police?" I had never considered that question before. "We're family; how could a daughter report her father? If people heard about it, they'd laugh their heads off."
She shook her head, the tension in her lips revealing a stubbornness. "This is domestic violence. If the situation is serious, it will involve the Criminal Law. Don't take it lightly."
"Heh," I chuckled dismissively.
"Alright, maybe I'm overreacting," she took a small step forward, getting closer to me, and leaned in to check the injury on my back. "It looks like it's bleeding. You need to go to the hospital for a bandage."
"It's just a small injury," I feigned indifference.
"Hey—" she sighed almost inaudibly and stepped back to her previous position. "Why aren't you going to school anymore?"
"I don't have money; my dad drank it all away."
She opened her mouth as if to say something but then didn't. "Is there a pharmacy nearby? Even if you don't go to the hospital, you should at least get some medicine."
"No need..."
"I brought money; you don't have to worry."
What could I say? She was being so proactive. "Alright then."
On the way to the pharmacy, she helped me carry the fruit basket, our shoulders separated by an arm's length.
"What are you doing now?" she asked.
"I'm working as an internet cafe manager at that Daily Internet Cafe near our school. If you want to go online, just go there; I'll help you log in for free, no ID needed."
She shook her head. "No thanks."
"Oh right, your family probably has a computer."
She awkwardly pulled up the corners of her mouth. "What do you plan to do in the future?"
"Be an internet cafe manager."
"Are you going to do this forever?"
"Are you asking about a more distant future?"
"Yeah."
"I haven't thought about it; why think so much?"
"Don't you have anything you enjoy doing?"
"Enjoy? No."
"Then you might as well consider what you really like."
"Does it matter?" I felt that my thoughts and Xu Wenmo's were on completely different levels.
She nodded vigorously, "It matters a lot. Everyone's lifespan is different; you could die tomorrow. If, before you die, you look back on your life and find it a blank slate, realizing that the things you liked were just fantasies that you never acted upon, wouldn't that be a pity?"
This was the first time she had spoken so much, leaving me somewhat stunned.
"What do you think?"
I was captivated by her dark eyes and momentarily lost my train of thought, replying somewhat dazedly, "Yeah, yeah."
Perhaps she sensed her own awkwardness, as she fell silent for the rest of the journey.
"Why do you think you might die tomorrow?" I regained my composure and spoke to her.
"That's normal."
"Not at all! How old are you? Only elderly people fear death."
"I'm not afraid; I'm just preparing in advance."
I had to admit that conversing with her was difficult; I couldn't understand her way of thinking. Perhaps I was just an ordinary person.
"What does your dad do? He seems quite wealthy." I found another topic, which interested me the most.
"He runs a real estate company."
"Wow, that's impressive."
"Is it impressive?" She responded flatly, "He just wanted to do something back then, so he did it. He wasn't knocked down by the challenges along the way and persisted until now. Anyone can do that."
"..." I forced a dry laugh, "So doesn't that mean everyone is a boss?"
"No, there will be industry saturation."
"..." Uh-oh, see? Communicating with her is this difficult! "Were you okay that day? Several people present were thugs from society; they scared me half to death."
Her gaze flickered for a moment, her lips turning pale as if recalling something unsettling, "I was fine."
Seeing that she didn't want to discuss it further, I chose not to press on.
That day, she helped me buy medicine, bandages, and cotton swabs and took me to my doorstep. After handing me a fruit basket, we parted ways.
In the days that followed, I remained in excitement; it seemed that if I got closer to her, I could become someone like her.
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