Si Bolin and Dong Xi lived in the same direction. After that day, Dong Xi left with Si Bolin.
The next morning at school.
The morning self-study bell rang twice and was still echoing when Yu Jingli walked out of her classroom heading toward the restroom.
The women’s restroom was empty. Yu Jingli’s front foot had just entered when Long Qi followed on her heels. As Yu Jingli entered the third stall, Long Qi had already reached the second stall, then with a slap blocked the door that hadn’t yet closed just as Yu Jingli was becoming aware. The moment Yu Jingli, who was about to use the toilet, saw her, her eyes nearly popped out. Long Qi immediately stepped into her stall, one hand swiftly grabbing her throat and slamming her against the wall, the other hand efficiently latching the door.
In the cramped, confined space, Yu Jingli made whimpering throat sounds, staring at her in terror. Long Qi asked: “Does it hurt?”
“Cough… cough!”
Long Qi continued asking: “Are you afraid?”
“Cough! Long… cough…”
Her left hand applied another vicious force. Yu Jingli nearly rolled her eyes back. Long Qi pulled an eyebrow razor from her pocket and pressed it against the base of her ear: “I don’t offend others unless they offend me first. But if someone actively offends me, I’ll first cut off her ears, gouge out her eyes, sever her tongue. I have an explosive temper and low standards—I mean what I say and do what I say. Do you understand what I’m saying now?”
The eyebrow razor was about to scrape Yu Jingli’s ear. Yu Jingli nodded frantically in panic. Long Qi continued: “You’re not the only one in this school who wants to get me. You’re not the only one who wants to see me come to a bad end. Now I want you to be my little errand runner and tell those people that whether it’s jealousy or hatred, you’d better suppress all your emotions completely, because before I graduate, I will do everything I can to step over all of you—grades, popularity, the people standing beside me—every single aspect will make you feel inferior beyond measure, make you discover that besides face and body, those other pathetic advantages you barely had left are about to be trampled out by me! If you don’t dare to find people to deal with me like you did, then quietly be an honest, proper bitch. Think whatever you want, resent however you want, but don’t let me see it on your face, because one day when I’m successful and prosperous, I will spit in the face of each and every one of you people!”
Yu Jingli tightly closed her eyes, breathing through her nose, her face bright red. Long Qi slammed her against the wall again: “And you!”
“Your dark history, your outside-school boyfriend’s dark history, your fair-weather friends’ dark history—they’re all gripped as tightly in my hand as your neck is. If you dare distort half a word of what I’ve said, or attempt to make any small report to the office, I can immediately get you expelled from high school and guarantee that not a single high school in this city will be willing to take you in. Do you understand the stakes involved here? My senior?”
Yu Jingli trembled as she nodded. Only then did Long Qi release her hand. Yu Jingli collapsed beside the toilet, uncontrollably retching toward the floor. Long Qi put the eyebrow razor back in her pocket, opened the stall door, and walked out.
By the sink stood an underclassman who had arrived at some unknown time. She’d probably heard what Long Qi had said in the stall and was also frightened pale. Long Qi didn’t even glance at her sideways, yet her legs had already gone weak and she didn’t dare make a sound.
Long Qi left.
From then on, Yu Jingli avoided her whenever they crossed paths. Although posts about her on the forum didn’t decrease significantly, all kinds of comments were much cleaner than before. Those arrogant ones hiding behind computer screens, who thought they’d never be held accountable—those teenagers and young girls—finally seemed to realize she was a person, a person who would do ruthless things if provoked. So for a time they all fell silent, as docile as newborn babies.
If only they’d been like this earlier—they deserved the lesson.
And Jin Yiken was now becoming increasingly unreachable. The matter of Long Qi’s counter-revenge on Yu Jingli spread with great momentum in ordinary student circles, but in the top student circles no one cared. What everyone cared more about was Jin Yiken comprehensively crushing Zhuo Qing in all fields. Rumor had it that even the sole guaranteed admission spot to a certain first-tier university might slip from Zhuo Qing’s hands into his.
This spot wasn’t important to Jin Yiken—his target university wasn’t that one, and he could be hauled off to study abroad by his old man at any time (of course, Bai Aiting would follow). But Long Qi knew Zhuo Qing really wanted to go there, so now it depended on whether Jin Yiken would be decent enough to show mercy, otherwise it would truly be too ruthless.
But even if Jin Yiken took the spot, it wasn’t her business. The discord between him and Zhuo Qing was their affair. She hadn’t interfered when she was involved before, and now that she’d severed ties, she certainly wouldn’t foolishly meddle.
In early November, the cool autumn air led everyone to add one or two cardigans over their uniforms, creating a warm and cozy visual. Long Qi received a new shooting assignment from the magazine company for their autumn special. While on the phone with the magazine editor, she was paying at the counter of a coffee shop near school when she happened to run into three or four otaku fans who’d been waiting for her. She bought two cappuccinos; the male fans intentionally or unintentionally followed suit and bought cappuccinos, then obediently stood behind her watching her. She was busy refusing the shooting schedule with the editor, too lazy to bother with them. She took the two finished drinks and left.
Next to the coffee shop was a small art gallery. Dong Xi was waiting at that gallery’s display window. As Long Qi handed her the coffee, she looked in the direction Dong Xi was gazing and asked casually: “A deer?”
The painting showed a small fawn in winter snowfall, in oil painting texture. Although it depicted an ice and snow crystalline world, one felt more a sense of peaceful and serene warmth, especially that newborn deer that was particularly endearing.
She didn’t understand art appreciation, so besides thinking it looked quite comfortable, she couldn’t think of other descriptive words. Dong Xi actually volunteered: “This painting is by an unknown female painter, of her daughter.”
“Her daughter is a deer?”
Dong Xi smiled, took the coffee, glanced at Long Qi, and continued looking at the painting.
“Since I can remember from childhood, this painting has always hung here, so I think her daughter should be about the same age as us now.”
“I think this painting would be more suitable for your room.”
Dong Xi shook her head: “It’s more suitable in the display window, for every person passing by to see.”
After these words fell, the window just happened to reflect a group of top class students walking out from the school gate—they’d just finished class. Dong Xi’s gaze withdrew and looked toward the school gate. That group of friends she was close with reached out from the crowd to wave at her. Long Qi said: “Then I’ll go first.”
“Don’t leave yet.”
……
Dong Xi stopped her because she had arranged another small meeting for Long Qi.
Several people gathered in the coffee shop. Dong Xi and Long Qi sat side by side in one seat, while Dong Xi’s three top student friends sat in the opposite seat. Those three were all students ranked in the top twenty of the grade, but each had serious problems with weak subjects. Dong Xi often helped them make up for their weak subjects, and this time, Dong Xi hoped they could use the subjects they excelled at to help Long Qi with tutoring.
“It’s not impossible,” after talking for about a quarter of an hour, one of the girls finally stammered out her thoughts, “but we’re all senior year students, the top class pace is very rushed… Dong Xi, you know this. I’m afraid in the end I won’t be able to take care of both sides well. Why don’t you guys find a professional tutoring teacher instead.”
Meaning Long Qi was rotten wood that couldn’t be carved—who would be willing to spend that precious time on her.
“How it turns out in the end actually doesn’t matter. I’m suggesting that in the future everyone can study together, so that if there’s anything we don’t understand, we can help each other solve it at any time, and I can continue to help you all make up other subjects.” Dong Xi replied.
The girl sitting in the middle said: “Aren’t we already often studying together?” She said, looking at Long Qi, “Just, adding one more—her.”
Long Qi didn’t like the tone of this remark, but since she’d held back until now without saying a word, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to waste her efforts at this moment, so she said nothing and lowered her head to take a sip of her drink.
“Actually… I suggest,” the girl who first spoke continued, “Dong Xi, it might be better if you found some male classmates from our class. They’re smarter and more willing to help Long Qi than we are… like Zhuo Qing, for example.”
“Mm… like Jin Yiken, for example.”
Of all the unlucky timing, they chose to mention this name that simultaneously occupied a dedicated blacklist area in both Dong Xi and Long Qi’s hearts. Dong Xi remained composed, Long Qi showed no emotion, but those three girls had opened the floodgates and continued: “He’s completely different from before now, practically a god of learning. Currently he’s the strongest comprehensive student in our school, and if you ask him, Dong Xi, it would also be convenient.”
These three words “also be convenient” carried another layer of meaning.
Dong Xi wasn’t responding much anymore. Long Qi watched her get up to go to the restroom. Those three girls chatted among themselves. Long Qi had been a good girl for a quarter of an hour, and now slowly placed her cup forward, leaned back against the sofa, put both hands in her pockets, and after comfortably adjusting her sitting posture, spoke: “Do people with high IQs have particularly low EQs?”
The three girls froze and looked up at her.
“You and Dong Xi are good friends, right?”
Long Qi asked them with a smile, like the knowing-sister smile from talk shows. While the three girls were in a daze, Long Qi continued asking: “Hmm?”
“Yes.” One of them answered.
“Then you should be able to see some clues about her romantic situation. You’re friends with her on the campus network, and that particularly amazing someone from your class contacted you guys to pursue her back then, right?”
“This…”
“Back then you clearly knew that him pursuing her was detrimental to her, yet you told him all her preferences and information. You must have received quite a few benefits, right? When Dong Xi was attacked by campus public opinion back then, you share responsibility for that.”
“Long Qi, you’re not part of our circle. You don’t understand the situation between Dong Xi and Jin Yiken either, so you’re not qualified to condemn us.” Someone finally realized her meaning and retorted.
“Right, I don’t understand, so I don’t say anything in front of her. But as her good friends, you can’t possibly understand less than I do. Besides, from Dong Xi and that someone’s recent zero interaction, you can guess something. How can you still be so matter-of-fact when mentioning that person? You don’t take her feelings seriously at all, right?”
Having said this, Long Qi folded her arms: “When there are benefits, you accept them with peace of mind, but when you’re asked to contribute, everyone finds it difficult. She treats you well, yet you merely classify your relationship with her as ‘grouping together,’ top students ‘grouping together.’ Why don’t you go hang with Bai Aiting? Oh right, Bai Aiting only likes to group with girls in the top ten. You guys—better than some but worse than others—got eliminated.”
“Long Qi.” Outside the seat, Dong Xi calmly called her.
“That’s why we can’t help her!” One of the girls was talked into having red ears. Seeing Dong Xi return, she immediately packed up her bag and stood up. “She’s just like this—completely impossible to get along with!”
Dong Xi didn’t try to keep them. After this girl left, the other two also exchanged glances as they packed up, still advising Dong Xi when leaving: “Come with us, Dong Xi.”
Long Qi stirred the drink in her cup on her own.
“Dong Xi! Everyone in class is betting you won’t come back, just because you got involved with Long Qi, you know! Don’t forget that you dropped to the regular class in the first place because of her too!” That first girl shouted from where she waited at the door.
With this commotion, diners up and down the coffee shop as well as counter staff all looked this way. Several students from the same school also stared with great interest.
The atmosphere froze for a moment. Dong Xi answered: “I will come back.”
The three girls thought they’d persuaded Dong Xi and were just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Dong Xi continued: “And I’ll bring Long Qi back with me.”
A rustling sound immediately arose in the coffee shop. The one at the door completely gave up, flinging her hand and leaving. The other two helplessly left with: “Take care of yourself. We can’t talk to you now. Just don’t let her drag you down.”
Then they left.
But the atmosphere in the coffee shop couldn’t settle down. Related and unrelated people all seemed to smell the scent of a good show. Some were busy sending text messages, some were busy creating forum posts. Only Dong Xi matter-of-factly cleaned up the things on the table and said: “Let’s go.”
“I’ll go pay.”
Long Qi reached the counter and finally calmed her heart that had been jumping up and down chaotically from being moved. She was in a particularly good mood and almost smiled. At this moment the service staff reminded her that someone had already paid for her table.
“Who?”
The server pointed to the side—it was those three male fans who’d been waiting for her earlier. They were drinking at another table. Seeing her notice them, they excitedly waved.
“I’m not familiar with them. Return the money to them. I’ll pay for my own.”
As Long Qi spoke and was taking out her wallet, something suddenly flashed through her mind. She looked again toward those three male fans.
Their jackets all had embroidered characters for XX College—typical college uniforms from that institution. She’d found them familiar at first glance. Within two seconds, she finally remembered it was the famous university that Zhuo Qing particularly wanted to attend.
“Waiter,” she turned back, “give me three cups of whatever drinks.”
After the bewildered server made three drinks, she carried them and walked toward that table.
The male students could have hearts in their eyes when watching her from afar, but seeing her approach, each one became so nervous their expressions changed. Long Qi arrived in front of them, set the drinks down with a thump on the table, and asked straightforwardly: “From Zhongyu University?”
“Hi… Qiqi…”
“Report your college entrance exam rankings from that year.”
They were slightly stunned, then one responded to the goddess’s call, answering in seconds: “For science scores, provincial third place.”
The second answered: “Liberal arts provincial fifth place.”
The third lifted his glasses, deeply concealing his achievement and fame: “Comprehensive scores, provincial top ten.”
Long Qi’s eyes were quite bright. She then asked: “So do you have any free time to come help me with tutoring?”