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墨書 Inktalez
When Zhu Hui arrived at Red Square, the moon was rising and the sun was setting. Yang Qianfan had been drinking in the cold wind for nearly two hours. Despite the chill, he appeared quite heated, his eyes blazing, nostrils flaring with smoke, and veins bulging on his forehead. From across the street, Zhu Hui could see his furious expression and knew that approaching him would likely earn her a severe scolding, or worse, he might lash out at her. After pondering for a moment from a distance, she had a sudden idea and ran over with a bright smile, saying, “Yang Qianfan, you look so handsome today! How can you be this handsome? I’ve been standing across the street too afraid to come closer, worried that those girls who secretly admire you might see me and gang up on me!”
Yang Qianfan let out a cold snort in response, crossing his arms over his chest with an air of indifference. He squinted at her, tilting his head slightly as he listened to her ramble on, seemingly waiting for the right moment to strike.
“What… what’s wrong? You don’t believe me? I… I really have been standing across the street,” Zhu Hui stammered.
“Do you think I’m an idiot? Why would I believe you?” Yang Qianfan shrugged with a mischievous grin, advancing towards her with a lewd glint in his eyes, resembling those spoiled rich kids from television dramas who harass respectable women on the streets.
“What do you want?”
“And what about you?” Yang Qianfan replied suggestively, throwing her a flirtatious glance. “Today, I not only want to kiss every inch of your body but also touch every part of it.”
“Don’t come near me, or I’ll scream for help!” Zhu Hui said, pretending to be frightened as she covered her chest with her hands and took several steps back.
“Go ahead and scream! It’s so late; who do you think will come to save you?” Yang Qianfan laughed lewdly, rubbing his chin with delight.
As Zhu Hui noticed him getting closer, she couldn’t help but burst into laughter and turned to run. Seeing her attempt to escape, Yang Qianfan lunged forward and grabbed her, pinning her against a nearby crumbling wall where she couldn’t move.
“Don’t mess around! Or I’ll call it harassment!” Zhu Hui said through her laughter as she threatened him.
“Go ahead! Even if you scream your lungs out, it won’t matter,” Yang Qianfan taunted in a strange tone as he leaned down to kiss her.
Just then, Song Yu rode by on his bicycle and heard Zhu Hui calling out about harassment while Yang Qianfan was making advances toward her. Alarmed, he shouted, “What’s going on here?” He jumped off his bike without hesitation and rushed to rescue Zhu Hui.
Without considering the consequences, he charged forward and threw several punches at Yang Qianfan. Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Yang Qianfan was knocked to the ground in a disheveled heap.
“What are you doing? How dare you commit such indecent acts in broad daylight… no wait, in the streets… no, it should be called a public place! You actually have the audacity to do something like this!” Song Yu exclaimed as he pointed at the dark surroundings and then glanced at the dense trees nearby. It finally dawned on him that it was nighttime and they were in a public area like Red Square.
“What are you doing? Why did you hit him?” Zhu Hui asked in surprise as Song Yu suddenly appeared. Seeing Yang Qianfan on the ground, she hurried over to help him up.
"Did you just call it inappropriate?" Song Yu looked puzzled as he saw her running to support Yang Qianfan.
"I... I was just joking with him," Zhu Hui replied, turning back with a pout.
"Joking?" Hearing this, Song Yu's face turned green with anger. He pulled Zhu Hui away from Yang Qianfan and said seriously, "I like you, and I'm not joking about it. So I don't want to see you with other boys. Do you understand?"
"What do you mean 'understand'? You're so annoying!" Zhu Hui frowned, impatiently shaking off his hand and running back to Yang Qianfan's side.
Seeing this, Song Yu understood a good portion of the situation, but he still felt unwilling to accept it. He pointed at Yang Qianfan and said, "You really are annoying. Why are you always clinging to her?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Yang Qianfan was furious at his accusations.
"I won't allow the girl I like to be with another guy. If you're a real man, then let's settle this one-on-one. If I lose, I'll give Zhu Hui to you. But if I win, you have to stop bothering her from now on."
"What? Are you challenging me?" Yang Qianfan's teeth clenched in anger.
"Exactly. You wouldn't even have the courage to accept the challenge, would you?" Song Yu intentionally provoked him.
"You..." Yang Qianfan was furious at his arrogance and stepped forward, ready to fight.
"Yang Qianfan, don't agree to him! Did you hear that?" Zhu Hui stepped in front of Yang Qianfan, fearing he would be foolish enough to accept the challenge.
"What if I do? Are you afraid I can't beat him?" Yang Qianfan pushed Zhu Hui aside angrily.
"Of course you can't beat him," Zhu Hui said anxiously as she saw his agitation. She rushed forward and held onto him tightly, explaining urgently, "He started practicing Taekwondo when he was three years old. It would be strange if you could beat him."
"What? You actually think so little of me?" Yang Qianfan felt even more furious as Zhu Hui sided with that jerk against him. "I refuse to believe I would lose to some punk who hasn't even matured yet." With that, he pushed Zhu Hui away and turned seriously to Song Yu. "Where do you want to have this duel?"
“Indeed, it sounds exhilarating! Let’s settle this tomorrow at the school gym!” Song Yu flashed him a mischievous grin, as if reveling in a successful scheme, brimming with arrogance.
“Alright, it’s a deal. We’ll meet at the school gym tomorrow without fail.”
Zhu Hui watched as he naively jumped into the trap set by Song Yu, shaking her head in frustration and sighing. She silently prayed for a miracle, hoping Yang Qianfan would emerge victorious.
That evening.
The wind howled, waves crashed, and the mountains stood tall as the lone yellow crane soared above. The sound of a ship's whistle echoed across the vast expanse. Whenever Yang Qianfan felt down, he would come here to watch the passing ships on the river, seeking solace from his troubles.
“What’s wrong? Feeling gloomy again?” Zhu Hui suddenly appeared before him and sat down beside him.
“How did you know I was here?” Yang Qianfan asked, puzzled.
“Every time you’re feeling low, you come here to watch the ships, just like a three-year-old child. How could I not know?” Zhu Hui teased, wrinkling her nose and smiling.
“Are you here to mock me?” Yang Qianfan couldn’t help but smile bitterly at her demeanor.
“If that’s how you want to interpret it, I won’t object.”
“It seems I’m really failing at life!”
“A person who loves to gamble is bound to fail.”
Hearing this, Yang Qianfan lowered his head in dejection and sighed softly, “Zhu Hui, are you really upset that I accepted that challenge?”
“Indeed, I am really angry,” Zhu Hui affirmed.
“Don’t worry, I won’t bother you anymore,” Yang Qianfan said, turning her head to the side, unable to look at her.
“Does that mean we’re breaking up now?” Zhu Hui suddenly asked.
Yang Qianfan pondered for a moment but remained silent, a vague pain swelling in her heart that she couldn’t quite name.
“Since we’re breaking up, do you have anything else you want to say to me?” Zhu Hui asked again.
“What do you want to hear?”
“For example—if you had known the outcome of this confrontation beforehand, would you still have accepted Song Yu’s challenge?”
“I swear I wouldn’t,” Yang Qianfan replied passionately, turning her head back as if each word was a life-or-death guarantee.
“Do you regret it now?” Zhu Hui asked once more.
Hearing her question, Yang Qianfan felt a tightening in her chest. She paused for a moment and forced a bitter smile, saying, “What is there to regret now?”
“Regret means there’s still hope for you. Not regretting means you’re completely finished. You might as well just wait to be a lifelong failure.”
“What on earth are you thinking?” Yang Qianfan found herself puzzled by her strange words.
As the saying goes, ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ The long road of love is no different. But here you are, unable to tolerate a bothersome stone at the starting line. You want to kick it away barefoot, but in the end, your foot gets hurt while the stone remains there, enjoying itself.”
“What does it matter?”
“Don’t you think you’re being foolish? It’s just a stone. A larger stone can be easily bypassed, and a smaller one can be gracefully stepped over as if you didn’t see it. Yet here you are, foolishly trying to kick this stone with your own foot. Do you realize how many large and oddly shaped stones you will encounter in your life? If you kick every single one, do you really think you’ll ever reach a happy ending?”
“Then… what should I do now?”
“Repent. Swear that you will never again be the fool who cannot tolerate stones.”
“Zhu Hui…” Yang Qianfan looked at her, his heart racing, unable to find his words for a moment.
“Alright, extend your hand,” Zhu Hui said, frowning at him.
“What for?” Yang Qianfan asked, confused but still stretched out his hand toward her.
Seeing him extend his hand, Zhu Hui smiled slightly and placed her hand into his sturdy palm.
“This is the most precious gift of my life. I’m giving it to you now. Will you cherish it well?”
“Yes, I swear I will cherish it,” Yang Qianfan replied without hesitation.
“Simply cherishing it isn’t enough; you must swear that you will never use it as a gamble again.”
“I swear from now on I will never gamble again, nor will I use you as a stake,” Yang Qianfan said firmly, gripping her hand tightly as if he never wanted to let go.
Hearing this, Zhu Hui happily leaned her head against his shoulder, blissfully watching the boats pass by on the river with him.
Despite Zhu Hui praying all night for Yang Qianfan to win, unfortunately, the second miracle did not occur. In this match, Yang Qianfan lost to Song Yu by just one round.
“Hey, to be honest, you’re stronger than I imagined,” Song Yu sneered at him with disdain.
Yang Qianfan merely snorted in response to his mockery, offering no direct reply.
“Don’t forget your promise!”
Still ignoring him, Yang Qianfan picked up his jacket from the ground and prepared to leave the gym. Just as he was about to step out, he suddenly noticed Zhu Hui standing at the entrance, staring at him. Looking into Zhu Hui's hollow eyes, his heart trembled, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him from a great height. After a moment of hesitation, he took a big step forward and silently brushed past her.
Zhu Hui watched him walk by like a stranger, his figure elongated in her mind like a slow-motion scene. Tears unexpectedly welled up in her eyes.
Seeing Zhu Hui standing outside, Song Yu initially wanted to run over and share the outcome of the duel with her. However, upon seeing her tear-filled eyes, he froze in shock. At that moment, he truly realized who the real winner of this confrontation was.
“If you want to chase after him, I won’t stop you,” Song Yu said as he turned away from Zhu Hui, tidying up his belongings left in the gym. He sighed helplessly and added, “Although I’m reluctant to admit it, I did lose, didn’t I?”
“Song Yu, true love cannot be won back with a bet or a duel. I hope you understand that,” Zhu Hui replied before turning away and leaving the gym without looking back.
Hearing her footsteps fade into the distance, Song Yu paused for a moment, then let out a faint smile that masked his deep sense of loss.
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