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墨書 Inktalez
The night was deep, and the noisy party had come to an end. Nezha stumbled back to the dormitory, fumbling for his keys. After a struggle, he finally managed to unlock the door. The room was pitch black, and Ao Bing was clearly not back yet.
Nezha turned on the light and collapsed onto his bed with a thud, feeling dizzy. He had drunk too much beer, and now the whole world seemed to spin around him. "Damn it..." he mumbled, slowly closing his eyes in an attempt to feel better.
After an unknown amount of time, Nezha was startled awake by a faint sound. He opened his eyes to see Ao Bing tiptoeing into the dormitory.
"You’re back," Nezha said, his voice slightly slurred from the alcohol.
Ao Bing jumped in surprise; he hadn’t expected Nezha to still be awake. "Yeah," he replied briefly, then walked toward his own bed.
Nezha sat up, his head pounding. "What time is it?"
"Two in the morning," Ao Bing answered succinctly as he began preparing for bed.
"It’s so late; you were still out? You weren’t at the library, were you?" Nezha tried to make a joke to lighten the mood.
Ao Bing didn’t respond; he silently changed into his pajamas and started tidying up his bed.
Silence enveloped the dormitory once more. Nezha cleared his throat awkwardly. "Um, about this afternoon..."
"No need to explain," Ao Bing interrupted him. "Tomorrow I’ll apply for a room change. If there are no available beds, I’ll stay with a friend until your dorm is repaired."
Nezha was taken aback; he hadn’t expected Ao Bing to be serious. "Hey, don’t do that," he tried to salvage the situation. "We agreed we would live together for a week, didn’t we?"
"We agreed to follow each other's rules," Ao Bing said calmly, "but you haven't done that."
Nezha was at a loss for words; the alcohol had dulled his thoughts, leaving him unable to find a suitable rebuttal.
"I'm sorry..." he finally murmured, his voice barely audible.
Ao Bing paused, seemingly surprised by Nezha's apology. He turned to face Nezha. "What did you say?"
"I said I'm sorry," Nezha raised his voice slightly, feeling awkward as he scratched his head. "I shouldn't have lost my temper like that, and I shouldn't have violated our agreement."
Ao Bing was silent for a moment before nodding. "I accept your apology. But that doesn't mean we can coexist peacefully. Our lifestyles are too different; forcing ourselves to live together will only cause us pain."
"That's because we're both sticking to our own ways," Nezha suddenly said, the alcohol making him more direct. "You insist on holding me to your standards, and I insist on challenging you with mine. But if we both take a step back..."
Ao Bing looked at Nezha, a hint of contemplation in his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," Nezha organized his thoughts, "you could allow me to have my own way of living, and I would respect your need for quiet and cleanliness. We could find a... middle ground."
Ao Bing thought for a moment and then sat down on the edge of the bed. "Like what?"
"For example," Nezha suggested, "I can promise not to play loud music while you're studying, but you have to let me chat quietly with friends in the dorm occasionally; I will keep my area reasonably tidy, but you shouldn't nitpick my things; you can wake up early, but try not to disturb me; I'll try not to stay up late, but weekends can have exceptions..."
Ao Bing listened attentively, nodding from time to time. Nezha's proposals were not without merit; they represented a more flexible way of coexisting rather than simple rule enforcement.
"Sounds good," Ao Bing finally said, "maybe we can try again."
Nezha let out a sigh of relief and smiled, "That's great! I promise I'll keep my word this time."
Ao Bing smiled slightly as well and nodded, "So, shall we start over?"
"Let's start over." Nezha extended his hand, and after a moment of hesitation, Ao Bing took it.
Their hands clasped in the air once more, and this time, they both seemed to feel a more resolute commitment. Perhaps it wasn't just for each other, but for the peace they hoped to maintain over the coming week.
However, fate seemed to have other plans for these "water and fire" roommates. Unbeknownst to them, in the days ahead, they would face a series of unimaginable events that would intertwine their lives in ways they could not foresee. This was just the beginning.
Ao Bing withdrew his hand and stood up. "It's getting late; we should rest."
Nezha nodded, lay back down on the bed, and closed his eyes. The alcohol and fatigue quickly lulled him into a deep sleep. Ao Bing watched the sleeping Nezha, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes before he gently turned off the light and lay down to rest.
In the darkness, two hearts that once followed different paths seemed to draw closer in this moment.
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