Volume One (Prequel): The Seventh Reader - Chapter 16: Song of Midnight
The day after Chen Xi's death, the school party committee held an emergency meeting.
Within just one semester, five students were killed, and on New Year's Eve, over a hundred students who escaped from the club were either trampled or injured by broken glass.
No one could focus on studying anymore, as almost all the students from the city went back home, and the out-of-town students remaining on campus were restless, fearing they might be the next targets. The principal's mailbox was filled with report letters like snowflakes, and overnight, it seemed like everyone in the school was a suspect. Teachers faced half-empty classrooms every day, and some even stopped coming to class altogether.
The final decision of the meeting was to close the school.
However, this decision was vetoed by the Provincial Education Committee. The deputy governor in charge of education harshly criticized the principal and cited examples from the resistance war period, such as Zhejiang University enduring the bombardment by the Japanese army to continue its education.
The principal could only smile bitterly. He didn't mention his promise to jump off the building if there were more deaths.
Of course, the building would not be jumped off. The school would continue to operate for the rest of the semester.
Thankfully, it was less than a month until the break.
God willing, there would be no more deaths.
The news that final exams were still required actually calmed the students at the Normal University. For most people at this school, the threat of failing the final exams was much more real than the risk of being targeted by the serial killer. The self-study rooms were once again crowded, and the teaching order at the school slowly began to recover. Just like every other semester's end, everyone shuttled back and forth between classrooms and dormitories, murmuring to themselves.
No one paid attention to the five empty seats anymore.
Except for one person.
Every day, Fang Mu, like everyone else, brought his water cup and book bag to the classroom, had lunch at 11:30, dinner at 5:00, and returned to bed at 10:00. Even though his mother repeatedly asked him to come home, he stayed at the school under the pretext of studying for exams. (En*Jing*Book*Room www_EnJing_com_)
He often stared at a person for a long time until that person noticed, and then, when the person expressed fear or anger with their eyes and words, he would lower his head back to his book. Then, he would cast his gaze onto the next person.
He shuttled between the self-study rooms, the library reading room, and the cafeteria, tirelessly staring at everyone within his line of sight, speculating on their personalities, identities, lifestyles, and hobbies.
When he felt tired, he would go to the 24th floor of the administration building or the sports field, and at night, he would squat in the first stall of the third floor west side of the dormitory's bathroom without any convenience. However, he never went to the club again.
Who are you, exactly?
Fang Mu often stared at the bunk above him with wide-open eyes at night, and just like his answer to that question, sleep never came.
Everything in the darkness seemed to be endowed with a life unnoticed during the day. While everyone murmured in their dreams, they whispered to each other.
The dry, crackling sound of the wind blowing through the branches.
The sound of snowflakes falling to the ground.
The lonely whistle of a night wanderer.
The sound of rats gnawing on food in the water room.
The clattering of slippers in the corridor.
If you see it, tell me, who is he?
Wang Jian came to find Fang Mu.
Unexpectedly, Wang Jian was not studying hard in the classroom, so when he hesitantly appeared at the door, Fang Mu thought he was seeing things.
"Hey," Wang Jian greeted awkwardly.
Fang Mu sat expressionless at his desk and nodded.
There was no one else in the dorm. During dinner, Fang Mu was beaten by a student from the Physical Education Department because he had been staring at him for a full 20 minutes (he had strong upper arms). As Fang Mu wiped the blood from the corners of his mouth, covered in rice and soup, he didn't even speak. He just cleaned his glasses, sat back down at the table in front of everyone, and finished his meal.
Impulsive, rude, simple-minded, and in a romantic relationship.
It wasn't him.
The student from the Physical Education Department was baffled by Fang Mu's indifference and stood dumbfounded for a long time before leaving with his Hello Kitty lunch tray.
Fang Mu waited until everyone in the dormitory had gone to study before returning to the dormitory. He didn't want them to see him with a bruised and swollen face, not because he was embarrassed, but because he wasn't used to their pitying looks and righteous words.
Wang Jian carefully looked at Fang Mu's still swollen mouth and pretended to pick up a few books from Fang Mu's bed, flipping through them casually.
Seeing Fang Mu's silence, he sat at the desk, took out a pack of cigarettes, lit one for himself, and offered one to Fang Mu.
Fang Mu hesitated for a moment before taking it, and Wang Jian quickly lit it for him.
The two of them sat silently at the desk, blowing out smoke. After finishing a cigarette, Wang Jian coughed awkwardly.
"Fang Mu, are you... are you okay?" he asked hesitantly.
Fang Mu looked up at him with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Wang Jian blushed. He took another cigarette from the pack and lit it quickly.
"I know you're not feeling well. As a... as a friend, I hope you can be happier and stop thinking about these unhappy things all the time," Wang Jian said haltingly.
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"Thank you," Fang Mu said, staring into Wang Jian's eyes.
Wang Jian's expression relaxed slightly, and he took a drag of his cigarette, gazing at the rising smoke.
"During this time, being with you guys, seeing how you care for each other, honestly, this is probably the happiest time I've had in the past three years. In my heart..." his voice lowered, "I consider you, all of you, as friends."
Then, he took a deep drag of his cigarette.
"Chen Xi's death has made me very sad. She was such a lively, kind girl. And..."
He stood up, with his hands in his pockets, and walked to the window, speaking softly as he looked out, "I also liked her a lot."
Fang Mu quietly gripped the lighter on the table in his hand.
Wang Jian turned around, "Would you be upset if I said this?"
Fang Mu smiled and shook his head.
"But I feel even more upset seeing you like this," Wang Jian said earnestly.
"Oh?"
"Tonight, I saw that kid hit you. Normally, you would definitely fight back. I know that you don't care about anything else in order to find the killer. But don't do this, buddy," Wang Jian took a drag of his cigarette, and there was only a short stub left in his hand, "take care of yourself so that you can seek revenge for Chen Xi and the others."
He flicked the cigarette butt out the window and turned to look at Fang Mu, squinting his eyes.
"If I die, I'll count on you to avenge me too," he said, chuckling to himself.
Fang Mu didn't laugh.
Wang Jian also restrained his smile, took out another cigarette from his pocket, and fumbled for a lighter.
Fang Mu suddenly threw the lighter at him.
Wang Jian reached out to catch it, and in that instant, Fang Mu saw clearly.
Wang Jian was reaching out with his left hand.
He took the lighter and lit his cigarette, took a deep drag, and saw Fang Mu still staring at him.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing," Fang Mu came to his senses, "Are you, are you left-handed?"
"Oh? Yes, I am. I've been left-handed since I was young," Wang Jian said, holding the cigarette and examining his left hand, "I play table tennis, basketball, all with my left hand, and I kick with my left foot."
Fang Mu's heart relaxed. When he realized the deep-seated hatred in the killer's heart, the first person he thought of was Wang Jian. Although it didn't make much sense because all the victims were not from the base class, let alone from the Economics Department like Chen Xi, Jia Feifei, and Song Bo. However, he wanted to find an opportunity to verify Wang Jian's habitual hand. When Wang Jian caught the lighter with his left hand, Fang Mu even felt relieved. After all, he didn't believe, or rather, he didn't want to believe that Wang Jian was the killer. But what came with it was a deeper sense of desolation: who was he after all?
Wang Jian's expression suddenly changed from sincere to doubtful.
"Are you suspecting me?" Wang Jian frowned, "Did the killer use their right hand, didn't they?"
He looked hurt. His eyes also became as cold and mocking as they used to be.
He strode to the desk, grabbed his bag, and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Fang Mu hurriedly stood up.
"What's up?" Wang Jian asked coldly, holding onto the door frame.
Fang Mu stared at him for a few seconds and smiled, "Hey, buddy, I want to go out for a drink. Want to come?"
Wang Jian's face still showed hostility, but Fang Mu smiled at him, watching the ice and snow in his eyes gradually melt, and Wang Jian's mouth slowly curved into a faint smile.
"Okay!"
When Fang Mu and Wang Jian returned to the second dormitory, supporting each other, it was already 1:30 in the morning. Fortunately, they greeted Wu Han, who was on duty, so they were able to return to their dormitory.
Wang Jian vomited heavily in the bathroom and then fell asleep in the dormitory like a dead dog. Although Fang Mu had also drunk a lot, his mind was surprisingly clear. He looked at the clock, nearly two in the morning, hesitating in front of room 352 for a moment. Just as he was about to go to Wang Jian's dormitory to spend the night, the door opened by itself, and Zhu Laosi poked his head out, holding a mop handle in his hand.
"You rascal, I knew it was you, come in."
Fang Mu staggered into the dormitory but was taken aback. The room was lit by candles about to burn out, and the other four people in the dormitory: Lao Da, Lao Er, Lao Wu, and Zhu Laosi, were still awake, but everyone looked very tired.
"What are you all doing?" Fang Mu asked puzzledly.
"Damn, you didn't come back, and we couldn't sleep. Who knows if that kid..." Lao Da nodded towards the opposite door.
Fang Mu grinned but didn't say anything.
"Go to sleep, Lao Liu, rest early, and stop thinking nonsense," Lao Wu said.
Fang Mu sat on the edge of the bed, hanging his head.
Everyone fell into silence for a while.
After a while, Lao Da said slowly, "Lao Liu, hang in there."
Lao Wu took off his earphones and the music playing on them suddenly echoed throughout the dormitory.
Chasing in the wind and rain, unable to discern the shadow in the fog, you and I in the vast sky, will it change...
Fang Mu looked up at Lao Wu. Suddenly, he started singing loudly: "In a moment of confusion, a feeling of loss, unknowingly fading away, in my heart, love—everyone joined in and sang in unison: Who understands me—At 2 am, five boys sang loudly and hoarsely in the quiet and dilapidated male dormitory: Forgive me for living a wild and free life, but also fearing that one day I'll fall, abandoned my ideals, anyone can do it, but fearing that one day, only you and I will share it."
Fang Mu didn't need to turn around to know that behind him were Lao Da, his face flushed; Lao Er, with bulging veins on his neck; Zhu Laosi; and Lao Wu, bouncing around on the bed in just his underwear.