Chapter 34: Wanting Her to Speak
Time passed quickly, in the blink of an eye. Lu Zhiyin couldn’t remember what classes she had today. She sat in her seat, not moving all day.
It wasn’t until the bell rang for dismissal and students left one after another that Lu Zhiyin moved her body.
Outside the window, golden sunlight streamed onto the desk, illuminating the girl’s white hair.
The spring sunlight should have been vibrant, but it couldn’t change the desolate aura surrounding the girl.
Her body was still young, but her soul was already old and weary.
A life with no end in sight was enough to crush a person’s spirit.
Beside Lu Zhiyin, Ouyang Qing boredly played with a small turtle doll.
The doll, silent by her side all day, made Ouyang Qing feel a little uncomfortable.
She couldn’t quite articulate why she felt uncomfortable, even though it was just a broken toy…
Ouyang Qing began to wonder if she should throw away this broken toy. Did a broken toy have any meaning? It would either be discarded or simply broken apart, its shell thrown into a furnace and burned to ashes.
Ouyang Qing couldn’t bring herself to decide.
Despite this, nothing particularly interesting had happened during her time with Lu Zhiyin.
The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt, and Ouyang Qing threw the turtle doll in her hand at Lu Zhiyin.
The doll hit the girl’s forehead. The soft fabric and cotton had no weight, so it didn’t hurt at all.
Lu Zhiyin remained motionless, and the doll rolled to the ground.
“Pick it up for me.”
Ouyang Qing gave the order.
“…”
Lu Zhiyin remained silent. She obediently picked up the doll and returned it to Ouyang Qing.
She didn’t speak, but she responded to commands.
She thought, since she couldn’t control the direction of her life, she might as well stop caring. Whatever these people wanted her to do, she would do it. Wasn’t that what they wanted?
Her already dim eyes could grow no darker. Lu Zhiyin turned her head and glanced at Long Qinxin, who was leisurely packing her bag at the back of the classroom.
Waiting quietly, a few more minutes passed, and Long Qinxin slowly approached.
The approaching footsteps were exceptionally noticeable in the empty classroom.
If it were the Lu Zhiyin of the past, she might have panicked at the sound of footsteps, but not anymore.
“Let’s go, go resign from your job.”
Saying this, Long Qinxin gripped the girl’s slender shoulder.
“…”
Without answering, Lu Zhiyin simply stood up stiffly.
She followed Long Qinxin out of the classroom. At the classroom door, she paused briefly.
She looked back at Ouyang Qing.
“…”
Ouyang Qing remained silent, clutching the turtle doll that Lu Zhiyin had picked up from the ground.
Though the red eyes were clearly hollow, Ouyang Qing seemed to perceive a plea for help in them.
Ouyang Qing still chose to remain indifferent.
She thought, was her relationship with Lu Zhiyin that good? There was no need for her to step in, was there?
Long after Lu Zhiyin had left with Long Qinxin, Ouyang Qing finally left the classroom.
She returned to the dormitory, preparing to sleep soundly.
As a deity, she likely had an abundance of time. All worries and unhappiness would eventually be worn away by time.
Therefore, she had no reason to worry.
…
On the sports ground, Long Qinxin walked in front of Lu Zhiyin.
Listening to the faint but continuous footsteps behind her, Long Qinxin felt a surge of joy.
She thought that soon, very soon, she would be able to take the replacement home. After that, she wouldn’t have to hide herself in front of others. She could twist the girl’s personality and body at will, making her completely merge with the lover in her memory.
“…”
Lu Zhiyin walked in silence.
The aftereffects of the beating she received last night had not yet subsided. While sitting in the classroom, it was not obvious, but when walking, she could clearly feel the sharp pain in her abdomen.
Lu Zhiyin didn’t want to reveal her difficulties. After all, no one would care, would they?
The light that Zhu Qing had brought her was quickly extinguished.
Before long, Long Qinxin led Lu Zhiyin to the outside of a restaurant and stopped.
“Go ahead.”
Long Qinxin pointed to the restaurant with its door wide open.
Lu Zhiyin didn’t speak. She silently entered the restaurant and went to the back kitchen.
Within a few minutes, she returned.
“Finished?”
Unexpectedly, Long Qinxin looked at Lu Zhiyin’s empty hands.
“…”
Lu Zhiyin remained silent, standing quietly behind Long Qinxin.
Her job didn’t require any contract, so resigning was naturally quick.
Her wages were paid daily, so there was no need to calculate her earnings. All she had to do was inform the restaurant owner that she was leaving.
“…Speak, or at least nod or shake your head. Are you deliberately acting this way to express your dissatisfaction with me?”
Long Qinxin couldn’t stand Lu Zhiyin’s silence.
She frowned, turned around, and stared intently into Lu Zhiyin’s eyes.
The empty, lifeless red eyes held a deadness that momentarily startled Long Qinxin and made her step back.
She quickly regained her composure, and a thread of anger welled up in her heart.
Looking around at the bustling street, Long Qinxin suppressed her urge to unleash her anger.
She grabbed Lu Zhiyin’s hand and pulled her towards a nearby apartment building.
She walked very fast, making it difficult for Lu Zhiyin to keep up. However, since her residence was not far, Lu Zhiyin didn’t make herself look too awkward.
“…”
Walking down the familiar yet alien hallway, Lu Zhiyin closed her eyes slightly.
Memories of living there in the past surfaced in her mind.
That period of memory was not a pleasant one.
Emptying her mind, Lu Zhiyin tried her best not to think about anything.
Not considering herself human was the only way to slightly alleviate the despair she felt.
She was just a toy.
Long Qinxin was unaware of Lu Zhiyin’s thoughts. Upon returning to the quiet hallway, Long Qinxin lost the patience to pretend to be friendly.
Reaching her floor, she took out her house key, opened the door, and pushed Lu Zhiyin inside.
“Ugh…”
The force from behind made Lu Zhiyin stumble a few steps, and she fell to the ground.
The sharp pain in her abdomen caused her to groan.
With difficulty, she sat up, lifted the hem of her school uniform, and revealed bruised skin on her abdomen that was a horrifying sight.
This was the first time she had examined her own injuries.
Putting down her school uniform, Lu Zhiyin shakily stood up.
“…”
Hearing the girl’s muffled groan and watching her slowly stand up, it was now Long Qinxin’s turn to be silent.
The person before her made Long Qinxin feel like she was looking at a stranger. Even though it was the same person, why was there such a significant difference?
Would a normal person, after being pushed down, simply get up without a sound? Let alone others, even the “Lu Shiyu” from a few days ago wouldn’t have been so calm.
Long Qinxin began to feel a sense of unease, but she quickly suppressed this emotion.
“From today on, I am your master.”
Sitting on the newly replaced sofa, Long Qinxin stroked the soft surface of the sofa.
After her lover’s death, Long Qinxin had replaced all the furniture in the living room.
As she stroked the sofa, she recalled the best memories of her lover.
Her lover was gentle, would protect her, would care for her, would gently stroke her head, and would smile at her with crinkled eyes.
However, Long Qinxin couldn’t recall more details.
“Lu Shiyu, come here.”
Long Qinxin patted the sofa next to her.
Lu Zhiyin obediently came to the side of the sofa and sat down cautiously.
“…Are you mute? Why don’t you speak?”
Even though Lu Zhiyin had obeyed her command, Long Qinxin couldn’t feel happy at all.
She wanted the person beside her to speak. She wanted to hear the voice of her departed lover, wanted to hear her lover, who hated her so much, say that she loved her.
Long Qinxin grabbed Lu Zhiyin’s shoulder.
“Say you love me.”
She looked into Lu Zhiyin’s eyes.
Whether it was an illusion or not, Long Qinxin saw a subtle trace of mockery in those dim eyes.
Enraged, Long Qinxin pushed Lu Zhiyin under the sofa.
She raised her leg and stepped on the girl’s shoulder, expressing her displeasure with such an insult.
Unfortunately, she was still met with silence.
