Volume One (Prequel): The Seventh Reader - Chapter 12: Do Not Poison People

Unknowingly, the end of the year was approaching.

The number of people wandering around the campus every day was decreasing. On one hand, it was because of the cold weather, and on the other hand, the final exams were approaching. For most people in this school, nothing was more important than the final exams, and for the students of the Law School, an even more brutal competition was about to begin.

Hardly any students from the foundation class could be seen in the dormitory building. As soon as they opened the dormitory door each day, they rushed to the library to grab a seat, and then they stayed there all day, even skipping meals. It wasn't until the last few minutes before curfew that they returned to the dormitory, exhausted. After quietly washing up, they each lay on their own beds to study. After the lights were turned off, they would gather in the corridor in groups of two or three, reading by the dim light.

The leader of Dorm 352 had participated in the entrance exam for the foundation class, and he had bravely attended two self-study sessions in the foundation class's dedicated classroom, only to be driven away by their silent glances each time. This was a great blow to the leader, and he swore in the dormitory that he would definitely get into the foundation class. So, every day, he joined the crowd, following the foundation class students to the library, to meals, and to the corridor for evening study sessions. His dorm mates were annoyed with him and encouraged him to move to Wang Jian's old dormitory, where the study environment was better and there happened to be an empty bed. Surprisingly, the leader actually went there, but returned dejectedly, saying that someone had already taken the spot.

The activities of the SUO group also became almost nonexistent. The long period of calm made most people start to believe that the borrowing of library cards was just a coincidence. There were fewer and fewer people who came to the table in the B cafeteria in the evenings, and almost no one reported the movements of others to Fang Mu. Fang Mu also didn't bother to listen; coming here to eat had become a habit for him.

Perhaps because he could see Chen Xi.

Since the day they went to the supermarket together, they hadn't been alone together. However, Fang Mu found himself looking forward more and more to their regular gatherings in the B cafeteria in the evenings.

She always arrived a little later.

She always scanned the crowd for the other team members. Every time her eyes met Fang Mu's, she would smile, her white teeth gleaming.

She liked her food a little spicy.

She liked to use "Heart-to-Heart" brand tissues.

One weekend evening, only three people arrived at the table: Fang Mu, Chen Xi, and Wang Jian.

Fang Mu noticed that Chen Xi didn't have her usual backpack and water bottle with her, but was carrying a small travel bag, as if she was about to leave. He wanted to ask, but felt it would be abrupt.

It was Chen Xi who spoke first. "Tonight, I'm going to my aunt's house. She lives in the city, and I'm staying with her for the weekend. Team Leader," she said, tilting her head to look at Fang Mu, "is it okay?"

Fang Mu waved his hand in a fluster, agreeing.

Chen Xi giggled. Her laughter was infectious, even causing Wang Jian, who was eating with his head down, to look up and grin.

After dinner, Wang Jian hurried off as usual, carrying his backpack. Fang Mu and Chen Xi sat at the table, remaining silent.

Chen Xi slowly wiped the spoon with a tissue until it gleamed on both sides. Fang Mu watched her in silence.

"I have to go now," Chen Xi said without looking up.

"Mm."

"I'll be taking the bus at the school gate."

Fang Mu responded with another "Mm," and then suddenly realized. "Let me walk you there."

"Okay!" Chen Xi's face lit up with a smile.

The two walked side by side on the campus. It had just snowed, and everything around them was covered in a thick layer of white, creating a serene and textured atmosphere. There were few people on the campus, and their footsteps on the snow made a crisp sound. They chatted about trivial things. The bus stop was getting closer.

"Which bus are you taking?" Fang Mu glanced at a slowly approaching bus in the distance.

"The 25 bus." Chen Xi's face was turning red from the cold, and she occasionally stamped her feet, blowing on her hands.

The bus that had been getting closer in the dark of the night had now arrived.

"This is the one."

Chen Xi took a look. "No, it's too crowded. I'll wait for the next one."

Fang Mu didn't say anything, watching as the bus approached.

There were only the two of them at the bus stop, each silent like strangers. The passing cars cast their shadows on the road, elongating and shortening them, gradually bringing one shadow closer to another.

Fang Mu felt Chen Xi's shoulder pressing against his own, her body shivering slightly.

She's quite tall, probably around 5'6".

Fang Mu remained still, not daring to move. After a while, he finally asked, "Are you cold?"

Chen Xi nodded.

Fang Mu looked at Chen Xi's slender shoulders and suddenly felt the urge to hold her.

At that moment, a No. 25 bus arrived as if it had descended from the heavens.

"I'm sorry, the bus is here." Fang Mu blurted out, immediately regretting it.

Chen Xi glanced at Fang Mu and silently boarded the bus.

The bus quickly departed, and Fang Mu felt as though there were eyes watching him from the bus the entire time. He continued to stare in the direction the bus had disappeared until it vanished completely into the night.

On his way back to the dormitory, Fang Mu passed by the sports field. The vast circular structure stood in the night, and he hesitated by the small gate where Song Bo had been killed before entering.

The snow-covered playground seemed deserted. Fang Mu breathed carefully as he walked along the deserted track in the darkness. The snow crunched beneath his feet, the sound ringing out clearly in the night. Fang Mu occasionally stopped, listening for any sounds around him before sighing and continuing forward.

In the distance, an endless expanse of darkness hid a massive secret.

That was our destiny, Fang Mu told himself.

He drew closer to the flagpole, his heart beating faster, his breath quickening.

He seemed eager to see something, yet afraid to see it.

The flagpole stood there alone, with no mournful ghost wailing beside it.

It stood there, as plain and unremarkable as ever.

Approaching it, Fang Mu ran his hand over the cold, smooth surface of the flagpole.

It wouldn't remember that it had recorded a girl's declining body temperature.

It wouldn't remember that the girl had struggled with all her might in a brief moment of consciousness before her death, trying to break free from its cold restraint.

It wouldn't remember anything at all.

But he remembered everything. He remembered it all.

You should be sneering in the darkness, reveling in playing us in the palm of your hand, effortlessly selecting your next victim.

Fang Mu looked up at the pitch-black sky. Who are you, really?

In the darkness, Fang Mu felt a rush of adventurous impulse within him, as if his entire body was filled with an impending surge of power, ready to strike the killer at any moment, alert and prepared.

Excitedly, he looked around in the darkness, his hand trembling slightly. No, he didn't need any weapons. His hands alone were enough, seizing the killer's throat just as he seized fate.

After a while, Fang Mu left the sports field, feeling somewhat exhausted.

He knew that his impulse had been fueled by the girl who had left on the bus.

He felt a bit ashamed of his own immaturity.

In the dormitory, only Zhu Laosi and Wu Han were present, and to everyone's surprise, Wang Jian was there too.

"Where are the others?" Fang Mu tossed his backpack onto the bed and reached under the bed to retrieve a basin.

"Second and fifth brothers are staying overnight at an internet café," Zhu Laosi replied.

"And the eldest brother?"

"Hehe, the eldest brother went to the opposite dormitory, saying he wanted to move in and study seriously with Wang Jian," Wang Jian snorted.

"But Wang Jian thinks it's better to live with us than with him," Wu Han chuckled.

"This traitor," Fang Mu also laughed. He winked at Wang Jian. "Welcome to join us." Then, he grabbed the basin and headed to the water room.

While brushing his teeth, Fang Mu heard a commotion in the corridor. He rushed out to see two people fighting (Fang Mu recognized them as students from the foundation class who had been in the same dormitory as Wang Jian). They were swearing at each other, seemingly because one had been caught looking at the other's study materials, and the other was very unhappy, scolding him harshly, accusing him of staying in the foundation class by bribing the teacher. Many people rushed out to watch, and Fang Mu saw Wang Jian grinning mischievously among the crowd. The foundation class students looked on indifferently, neither trying to stop the fight nor getting involved. Finally, a few students from the regular class couldn't stand it and stepped in to separate them.

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Returning to the dormitory, Fang Mu tidied up his bed and was about to lie down when he saw Wang Jian taking out several packets of peanuts, ham sausages, and salted eggs, laying them out on the table.

"It's the weekend, let's take a break from studying and have a drink!" Wang Jian casually invited everyone.

Zhu Laosi immediately volunteered to go buy the alcohol. Fang Mu hesitated for a moment, but perhaps the recent tension had been too much, and he also felt the need to relax, so he gladly accepted the invitation. Seeing everyone, Wu Han suddenly pulled out an envelope from under his pillow and handed a hundred yuan bill to Zhu Laosi, saying, "Today, it's on me. Laosi, buy some good food."

Fang Mu and Zhu Laosi recognized the envelope as the donation Wu Han had received from a businessman at a scholarship ceremony the day before. They declined, but Wu Han insisted, so he and Zhu Laosi went to buy the items.

Fang Mu watched Wang Jian, jokingly saying, "Why are you in such a good mood today?"

Wang Jian lit a cigarette. "Hehe, nothing, just felt like having a drink."

He smoked, looking around the dormitory with interest, and even took down Wang Jian's guitar to strum a few chords.

"Your dormitory is pretty good; this is what a boys' dormitory should look like."

"Hehe, not bad? Our dormitory is probably the messiest in the second dormitory building," Fang Mu said, looking at the scattered shoes and socks.

"Better than my old dormitory, which was as clean as a hospital," Wang Jian said, taking a drag of his cigarette. "You saw it just now. Those idiots have no human touch."

Fang Mu suddenly understood why Wang Jian had moved out. Being a loser and still living among the former collective was indeed hard, especially when the collective lacked friendship and was filled with competitive hostility.

A few minutes later, the eldest brother peeked into the room. Zhu Laosi offered him a drink, but he shook his head. He paced back and forth in the room, glancing at Fang Mu and the others from time to time, as if struggling to speak. Fang Mu asked him what he was up to, and after hesitating for a while, the eldest brother stammered that he didn't dare to sleep alone in the opposite dormitory and wanted to return to his own dormitory. Wang Jian chuckled as he moved his stuff off the eldest brother's bed. "How about it? I told you that you wouldn't be cut out for it."

The others teased the eldest brother a few times, and he grumpily crawled into bed, muttering that they should be quiet and go to sleep.

A few minutes later, the lights went out, and Wu Han lit the candles. The entire dormitory was filled with the dim flicker of candlelight, and each person's face seemed to change expressions in the swaying light.

Of the four, Wang Jian had drunk the most, yet his face was as white as paper. As he squinted, trying to toss peanuts into his mouth, he rambled incoherently, "You think getting into the foundation class is easy? It takes not only hard work but also perseverance!"

Fang Mu nudged him with his foot, hinting that the eldest brother might not be asleep yet. But Wang Jian continued speaking, "Those idiots...they all act like good students, but they're just a bunch of hypocrites, all calling out the class flower's name and jerking off every night."

He suddenly turned wide-eyed, gesturing toward the elder brother and the sleeping Wang Jian, but then faltered, struggling to choose the most fitting word to describe himself. After a few seconds of hesitation, he weakly uttered a generic word, "Talented!"

Wang Jian burst into silly laughter, pointing at the elder brother who was asleep on the bed, opening his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Only tears rolled down his cheeks. Then, he reclined on the bed and fell silent.

The three of them reassembled around the table, and no one spoke, each lost in thought by the candlelight. After a while, Zhu Laosi sighed, "This guy, drank too much."

Wu Han shook his head. "Is it worth it to pursue a fancy reputation? These people really don't think things through."

Zhu Laosi seemed to remember something and, looking at the sleeping Wang Jian and the covered-up elder brother, asked in a low voice, "Third brother, are you still taking the exam this year?"

"I'm not taking it," Wu Han said calmly. "I'll take the postgraduate entrance exam in my fourth year directly. I don't believe I won't get in."

Fang Mu remembered that last semester, Wu Han had participated in the entrance exam for the foundation class, and his grades were enough, but when the classes were rearranged this semester, he had inexplicably been rejected. The incident had greatly affected him, and he had been melancholic for a long time. Fang Mu winked at Zhu Laosi, signaling him not to bring up such a demoralizing topic.

"Actually, it's a pity what happened to you that time," Zhu Laosi didn't notice Fang Mu's signal. "I heard that getting into the foundation class not only depends on good grades but also on giving gifts to the supervisors. You probably didn't make it because of that."

"I don't know," Wu Han smiled wryly, shaking his head. "I don't think about it, and besides, even if I had the money, I wouldn't give them any gifts." His tone suddenly became lively. "I'd rather treat you guys to a drink."

Fang Mu and Zhu Laosi both chuckled, and the three of them clinked their beer bottles, the clear sound echoing in the dormitory.

"Don't let you spend all the money, I feel bad," Zhu Laosi wiped the beer foam from the corner of his mouth. "You've earned your money the hard way."

Wu Han looked at his pillow, under which was an envelope containing 2000 yuan. "This kind of money, heh, I don't care."

He turned to Fang Mu and Zhu Laosi. "Do you think he was helping me? No, he was helping himself."

Fang Mu recalled the donation ceremony, where the businessman had tightly hugged Wu Han's shoulders, stuffing the envelope into his hands and refusing to let go, his eyes fixed on the flashing cameras around them. It seemed as if they were fighting over the envelope. Finally, the businessman reluctantly let go, adding with great solemnity, "Young man, use this money to study well." Wu Han kept his eyes down, expressionless, showing neither gratitude nor tears. This displeased the businessman, who was about to say a few more words. Wu Han left the stage with the envelope.

"He just saw me as a prop for his performance, displaying his kindness and generosity," Wu Han stared at the flickering flame on the candle. "I won't give him that opportunity. This isn't a donation; it's the reward I deserve for playing along with the performance." He lowered his head, his voice so low it was almost inaudible. "Nobody can humiliate me, not even the slightest bit."

The atmosphere grew heavy. They couldn't drink anymore.

Zhu Laosi awkwardly pretended to yawn. "Let's go to sleep, it's almost 1 a.m."

Wu Han also regained his usual calm demeanor and, echoing Zhu Laosi, said, "Let's sleep, let's sleep. It's almost 1 a.m."

Fang Mu watched Wang Jian sleeping soundly on his bed and sighed. Then, he climbed up to tidy up the upper bed where the fifth brother usually slept.

After roughly straightening the messy bedding, Fang Mu got a toothbrush and went to the water room.

After brushing his teeth, Fang Mu returned to the now peaceful dormitory. The intermittent sounds of snoring filled the room, and Fang Mu quietly undressed, extinguishing the nearly burnt-out candles. As he climbed onto his upper bunk, the phone rang.

Who could be calling so late?

Fang Mu was puzzled, and quickly jumped off the bed to grab the receiver.

"Hello?"

There was no response.

"Hello?" Fang Mu was starting to get annoyed. Was someone making a prank call?

"Aren't you asleep yet?" came a soft voice from the receiver.

Fang Mu's heart started beating faster.

"Not yet. Why aren't you asleep either?"

"I can't sleep."

There was a long silence, Fang Mu holding the receiver, feeling the rhythm of Chen Xi's breathing on the other end.

"I just watched a horror movie, about a serial killer," she said with a hint of fear in her voice. "Hehe, I'm a little scared now."

"Hehe," Fang Mu's heart warmed at her admission. "Don't scare yourself."

Chen Xi laughed softly. "Yeah, I know. You're not going to sleep yet? What are you doing, solving cases?"

"Not really, just had a drink with a few guys from the dormitory."

"Drank too much?"

"No."

"That's good."

Another silence.

"If," Chen Xi's voice was soft, with a hint of trembling, "if it's my turn next, would you feel sad?"

"Don't talk nonsense," Fang Mu quickly said, "It won't happen, it definitely won't."

"I mean, if. Would you feel sad?"

Fang Mu fell silent for a moment. "Yes," he stammered, "I would. I would, I would..." He started to stutter, "I would protect you."

Chen Xi laughed softly. "I know," she said cheerfully, "I know."

"You don't need to worry."

"Hehe, don't worry, I'm not that easy to get rid of," she said with a carefree tone.

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