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墨書 Inktalez
"This filial cloth is nothing more than a tool for someone like you, a coward, to escape reality and cover up your disloyalty and unfilial behavior."
"You... you..." Meng Fei could no longer hold back and stepped forward, ready to confront Zhu Hui, but fortunately, Yang Qianfan intervened just in time.
"You coward! You lost the one who allowed you to be spoiled, and now you can't find your way, can you? You're afraid of the storms outside because of that, aren't you? Answer me!" Zhu Hui shouted, raising his fist as if to hit him, but Dong Xiwen stopped him.
"Class leader, how can you say such things to Meng Fei?"
"Am I wrong?" Zhu Hui pushed Yang Qianfan aside and rushed in front of Meng Fei, rolling up his sleeve to reveal an arm covered in bruises. "Do you know where these injuries came from?"
Seeing Zhu Hui's battered arm before him made Meng Fei tremble involuntarily.
"I'll tell you. These wounds on my arm are from fighting for your justice against Liu Xi."
"So what? I've already paid the price."
Before his words could settle, Zhu Hui slapped him hard across the face.
"You fool! Every time you encounter difficulties, you think money can solve your problems. Has Liu Xi ever treated you any better when you paid him off?"
Hearing the mention of money, Yang Qianfan quickly interjected to clarify himself. "Let me tell you, I have never taken a single cent from you. That money was taken by that fat guy He Feng."
At that moment, both Zhu Hui and Meng Fei were too angry to pay any attention to Yang Qianfan's unnecessary explanation.
"Can money buy back true feelings? Did your grandmother die because of money?"
"Shut up—I don't want to hear any more." Meng Fei covered his ears with his hands and began to sob uncontrollably.
"I'm so angry because you don't cherish all the people who love you around you. It's because you don't understand the value of what you have that I have these injuries on my arm and that there’s a gravestone for your grandmother on Yushan Mountain." Zhu Hui lowered his head, choked up for a moment before continuing, "Do you really think your grandmother would want you to hide behind her gravestone wearing this symbolic cloth of filial piety, endlessly repenting in darkness? You are truly disappointing."
"You... you will never understand the pain of being denied by others." Meng Fei lowered his head, trembling. "Ever since my parents divorced, I've been living a life devoid of light." At this point, Meng Fei could no longer hold on; he collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, softly saying, "How could you possibly understand the pain of being abandoned by your own parents in order to build a new family? You will never comprehend the sorrow of being a burden. You will never understand." His voice grew louder, as if he wanted to attribute all his faults to others' inability to understand his suffering.
"Yes, I don't understand, and I may never have the chance to. But I do understand one thing: a coward who wallows in self-pity will forever miss the most brilliant sunlight behind them."
"The most brilliant sunlight?" Upon hearing her words, Meng Fei couldn't help but scoff in despair. "For someone standing at the edge of a cliff, there is nothing before them but an abyss that leads to ruin."
"You are wrong. At the edge of a cliff, besides the deep abyss, there is also a more beautiful sunrise."
Meng Fei was taken aback by her response. He lifted his head and gazed deeply at her, as if he could see a landscape he had never noticed before reflected in her eyes.
"I am also someone standing at the edge of a cliff, but the only difference between you and me is that I know how to lift my head and look forward, daring to face an uncertain future. Therefore, what appears before me is always the vibrant red sun, while you can only lower your head in self-pity and fearfully retreat. What you see is always the unfathomable abyss."
Hearing her words struck Meng Fei like a thunderbolt; it felt as if he had awakened from a dream. He no longer argued.
Seeing him silent, Zhu Hui raised her hand and looked at the white mourning cloth she held. "When you truly understand what 'filial piety' means, come back and ask for this cloth," she said before turning to leave.
"Zhu Hui—." Meng Fei couldn't help but shout after her as tears streamed down his face. "Answer me, why are you so confident in everything you do?"
"Because I have no other choice. Who taught me that I was denied by my own parents from the moment I was born?" Zhu Hui replied with her back turned, letting out a bitter laugh. "Hey, let me give you a piece of advice: 'Those who suffer have no right to be pessimistic.'" With that, she floated away.
Yang Qianfan watched her leave and felt an urge to follow her immediately. However, seeing Meng Fei's pitiful state made him want to give him a good beating instead. He yanked Meng Fei up from the ground and roared, "What does your parents' divorce even mean? Zhu Hui doesn't even know who her parents are! If we’re talking about suffering, she’s a hundred times worse off than you." After shouting this, he threw Meng Fei aside and ran after Zhu Hui.
After leaving Meng Fei's house, Zhu Hui remained silent. She walked ahead of Yang Qianfan and Dong Xiwen with a dejected posture. Noticing her silence, Yang Qianfan felt compelled to comfort her. "Zhu Hui..."
"Don't worry, I'm fine," Zhu Hui interrupted him with a gentle smile over her shoulder.
"Are... are you really okay?"
"Tch—do you think I'm going to burst into tears or something?" Zhu Hui retorted playfully with a teasing wrinkle of her nose.
"That's good to hear."
Zhu Hui smiled at his concern, lifted her head, and gazed at the clear sky, sighing, "If this were made into a TV drama, I believe the scene would be set with raging storms to enhance the storyline, but now it’s just a perfectly clear sky."
"Class monitor, are you still angry with Meng Fei?" Dong Xiwen asked nervously from behind her.
"There’s an old saying: 'The greatest tragedy in life is self-abandonment, and the greatest bankruptcy is despair.' He embodies both; someone like him, who has nothing, is not enough to ignite my anger."
"Is that really how you feel?"
"Of course it is. When have I ever lied to you?" Zhu Hui laughed heartily at Dong Xiwen.
"Zhu Hui, I've never seen you laugh so unattractively." Yang Qianfan felt uncomfortable seeing her forced smile.
"What? Do you want to see me break down and cry in front of you to feel better?" Zhu Hui's expression darkened as she clenched her fists and shouted at him, "No one in this world is qualified to witness my tears."
"Zhu Hui..." Yang Qianfan looked at her, paused for a moment, then suddenly grinned and said, "Dwarf Winter Melon, how about I take you out for Brazilian barbecue?"
Zhu Hui looked at him with tear-filled eyes, but the tears never fell.
"Who wants your Brazilian barbecue? No one in this world is qualified to pity me." After shouting at him, Zhu Hui lowered her head and ran away.
"Zhu Hui..." Yang Qianfan instinctively took a step to chase after her.
"Yang... Yang Qianfan," Dong Xiwen suddenly called out from behind him.
"What is it?"
"Please don’t look into the deepest wounds of the class monitor's heart, okay?" Dong Xiwen sighed empathetically and added, "The reason she can live so confidently is that her deepest wound has never been seen by anyone."
Yang Qianfan felt a jolt in his heart upon hearing her words. He stopped pursuing Zhu Hui and instead watched her figure gradually disappear from his sight.
The next day dawned bright and clear. Zhu Hui, after getting out of bed, instinctively opened the window to welcome the first embrace of the morning sun, marking a fresh start.
She took a deep breath, inhaling the crisp air outside, then exhaled with all her might as if expelling all the negativity from within her. After organizing her emotions as usual, she slung her backpack over her shoulder and cheerfully set off for school. However, due to traffic congestion, being late was inevitable. Upon arriving at school, she felt a wave of anxiety wash over her. As she pushed open the classroom door, her gaze instinctively darted to Meng Fei's seat, which was predictably empty. Seeing this made her heart sink; she felt a chill inside.
“Zhu Hui, don’t you think you should explain why you’re late?” Yu Hong asked, putting down her textbook and looking at Zhu Hui standing outside the classroom.
“I have no reason,” Zhu Hui replied quietly, lowering her head.
Yu Hong was taken aback by this unexpected answer, a look of surprise crossing her face.
“While I appreciate your honesty, according to class rules, you must stand at the back of the classroom for one period as punishment.”
Zhu Hui accepted the punishment willingly and moved to the back of the classroom to listen to Yu Hong's lecture. After a significant portion of the class had passed, someone suddenly shouted “Report!” from outside the classroom, interrupting Yu Hong's lesson. Instantly, all the students turned their attention to the door, where Meng Fei stood panting with his backpack slung over his shoulder.
Seeing him there, Yu Hong was taken aback and set down her textbook once more. She teased him with a smile: “Shouldn’t you explain why you’re late? Please don’t tell me you’re like Zhu Hui and have no reason.”
“No, I have a reason for being late today,” Meng Fei replied emphatically.
“Oh! It’s rare to see you so confident. Depending on your reason for being late, I might even make an exception and not punish you.”
“The reason I’m late today is that I went to watch the sunrise.”
“The sunrise? How interesting.” Although Yu Hong didn’t fully understand, she couldn’t help but smile at his confidence and asked, “Where did you watch it?”
“On my family’s terrace. While it wasn’t as spectacular as watching it from a cliff’s edge, I believe that sunrises are beautiful no matter where you see them. From now on, I won’t overlook their beauty again.”
“Although I didn't quite understand what you said, seeing you so excited seems rather interesting,” Yu Hong said, half in thought, and with a slight smile, waved his hand. “Let’s go back to our seats and get on with the class!”
“No—” Meng Fei resolutely rejected him.
“Why not?” Yu Hong was momentarily taken aback by his refusal.
“Being late is being late; the shadows behind the sunlight should be treated correctly.”
“Hmm! That makes sense. Since you understand so well, do as you please!” Yu Hong chuckled and shook his head, as if he grasped a bit of the meaning behind Meng Fei's words.
As Meng Fei entered the classroom, he noticed Zhu Hui standing at the back, being punished. He paused in surprise. Zhu Hui met his gaze, and at that moment, tears finally broke free. The entire class watched in silence as the two of them exchanged looks, with no one except Dong Xiwen understanding what had transpired between them.
Meng Fei smiled gently at her and walked over to stand beside her. Taking out his textbook, he listened to Yu Hong’s lecture with an unprecedented seriousness. Zhu Hui turned to look at this refreshed Meng Fei, and a brilliant smile blossomed once again on her face. She lifted her book to hide her face behind it and whispered to Meng Fei, “Well done!”
Meng Fei gave her a thumbs-up and smiled sincerely.
“Class monitor, thank you!”
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