It seems that the villain is targeting me.

But even if she imagined that someone would stand by Xiao Niao and consider himself her partner in the future, Chen Xiaoya couldn't help but feel irritated.

What kind of person does the teacher like?

Mature, excellent, gentle...

Chen Xiaoya couldn't help but think of the woman who always appeared next to Xiao Niao...the doctor with the same surname as himself.

She still remembered the look the other person gave Xiao Niao.

Perhaps, unknown to himself, Xiao Niao had indeed established a deeper intimate relationship with someone: they could hug, hold hands, and even approach and ask for a kiss openly.

Chen Xiaoya recalled the various clues he had noticed in his daily life, and his already chaotic thoughts became even more confused.

...Is this really the case?

The young woman heard her heartbeat rumbling between her ribs, and the vague idea gradually took shape in her mind and became clearer and clearer.

Teacher, does she... like girls?

The admiration for the elderly slowly fermented in her heart, growing wildly in corners unnoticed by others, and influencing her subtly.

Chen Xiaoya didn't know what words to use to describe this feeling.

She only knew that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't hide it, and even if she closed her mouth, it would still flow out of her eyes.

------

-

Chen Xiaoya spent a wasted morning self-study session in a daze, reciting 'Abandon' over and over again for seventy times - it was foreseeable that she would bravely get a 'C' in today's word dictation.

However, dictation scores and the like don’t seem to be that important to the kid at this moment.

She barely managed to concentrate on the morning classes, feeling as heavy-hearted as if she were visiting a grave.

Even her deskmate noticed that she was absent-minded and had to cover for her several times to avoid being punished by standing in the corner.

under

During class, Chen Xiaoya shared half of the orange with his deskmate.

"Why are you so distracted today?" my deskmate mumbled, chewing on an orange slice. "This is the first time I've seen you daydreaming in history class."

Today their history class was not taught by Xiao Niao, but by another teacher - after working for a long time, teachers of the same subject always owe each other a few classes, and if there is something going on at home, other colleagues will help to cover the class.

Chen Xiaoya actually has little interest in liberal arts subjects, and his scores in politics and geography were just barely passable. Only history was reviewed particularly well.

But she actually doesn't like history.

Chen Xiaoya looked out the window with some sadness. In the distant sky, dark clouds were moving towards the school, and lightning could be vaguely seen flashing between the clouds.

Although it was not yet night, it was already getting dark.

It must be about to rain.

Cumulonimbus clouds moved over the school just as the bell rang.

According to the practice of the No. 1 Middle School in the city, there is no evening self-study on the two days of the weekend, and there are only two classes in the afternoon before the class is over, which is considered a half-day holiday in disguise.

Dormitory students can take this opportunity to go shopping outside the school, or they can invite classmates to have a good meal - in short, they can completely control their time.

However, Chen Xiaoya didn't seem to care about this rare vacation.

She had no interest in going out to play: firstly, it was raining, and secondly, the birds were not around.

Although they had only been apart for a few hours, Chen Xiaoya felt lonely.

Because she was not in a hurry to leave the school, she slowly fell behind. When she looked up again, there were only a few people left in the classroom.

My deskmate didn't seem to be planning to leave the school either. She suggested to Chen Xiaoya, "Let's go back to the dormitory together. I want to take this opportunity to catch up on some sleep."

By the way, my deskmate stayed here because she forgot to bring an umbrella, and she planned to borrow Xiaoya’s umbrella to go back to the dormitory.

Chen Xiaoya thought about it and found that he had nowhere to go, so he agreed.

She grabbed the umbrella hanging on the edge of the table and left the classroom with her deskmate.

The dark clouds hanging over the teaching building blocked out the sunlight, and the light in the corridor was dim and looked a little creepy.

Chen Xiaoya tilted his head and identified the sound of rain outside the building: this sudden rain seemed to be getting heavier, and the sound of raindrops was like beans being sprinkled on the ground.

The doors of many classrooms were locked and the lights in the teachers' offices were off.

The two men walked down the stairs.

Perhaps because he felt the surrounding environment was a little eerie, his deskmate unconsciously leaned towards the little boy.

"Why has everyone left?" she complained softly.

Suddenly, a sharp cat cry was heard in the distance, which scared my already timid classmate.

Then there was another hoarse cry.

Is it a wild cat? Chen Xiaoya thought.

There seem to be quite a few stray cats roaming around the school, and they run into the campus from time to time.

Maybe he came here to avoid the rain.

She had a vague feeling of unease in her heart. The stairwell that she was so familiar with seemed to have suddenly turned into a bloody mouth that could devour people. Anyone who accidentally walked into it would be devoured mercilessly.

The classmate next to me has stopped talking - this girl is timid, the type who would be too scared to get up at night after watching a horror movie.

Chen Xiaoya could feel the fear coming from her.

From time to time, the shrill cry of a cat could be heard, making the already dim environment even more eerie.

Chen Xiaoya had no choice but to move forward.

Fortunately, they walk up and down these floors several times every day, so they won't miss a step even in the dark.

Soon they were approaching the first floor.

The classmate's breath of relief was almost over when she saw the sign for the first floor - she couldn't help but quicken her pace, wanting to leave the corridor as quickly as possible.

But Chen Xiaoya beside her suddenly reached out and grabbed her.

The classmate was stunned for a moment, and just as he was about to speak, he found that the boy was making a hushing gesture at him.

She subconsciously looked down the corridor.

The light on the bottom floor is broken, and all the students in this building know this.

At first glance, the entrance seemed empty.

Due to errors in construction planning, the space here that can be exposed to natural light is very limited. After the lights broke, many dark blind spots were created.

When there are few people around, just looking at that place makes people feel creepy.

My deskmate was muttering to himself when suddenly there was a rumbling thunder outside and the dazzling lightning instantly split the chaotic darkness.

Her face suddenly turned pale: in the instant the lightning flashed, a dark shadow was cast at the entrance of the stairwell.

It was a human shadow, the shadow of an adult male.

Shadow clutched the knife.

There was a man holding a knife, standing at the entrance of the stairwell, quietly waiting for the people upstairs to come down.

------

-

Chen Zhengkang was panting heavily, his eyes bulging and red.

He wasn't on drugs, his hand was just hurting so much.

Chen Zhengkang's right hand was completely wrapped in bandages - the bandaging technique was very rough, and it was obvious that it was done by a small clinic - even if the injury was not exposed, you would still

You can see what strange shapes his palms have become.

The wound drove him mad.

His hand was broken by a debt collector - after he owed a huge gambling debt, the debt collector simply picked up a brick.

Even though Chen Zhengkang begged in every possible way, the other party remained unmoved and just took away the "hand" that was used as collateral.

After being hit, almost all the larger bones in his hand were broken. He collapsed on the side of the road with his wrists clutched like a dead dog. He was not seen until he was seen by his coworkers who took him to a small clinic.

Chen Zhengkang, who had no savings and had never bought any insurance, naturally could not afford to go to a regular hospital.

He could only go to a small roadside clinic without a business license and ask the doctor to bandage him and prescribe some painkillers.

This kind of serious injury should have been treated with proper rest, but Chen Zhengkang could not afford to waste any more time. He jumped on a train to He County and hurried back.

From the moment the loan became overdue, he felt like he had a counting egg in his pocket, and he was anxious wherever he went.

As a gambler with extensive experience in defaulting on debts, Chen Zhengkang was all too familiar with the methods used by debt collectors - he had witnessed many cruel scenes, and he definitely did not have the courage to try all those lynchings one by one.

I must get the money as quickly as possible to pay off my debts.

With this thought in mind, he returned to his hometown after a year away and quietly returned to the tube-shaped building.

But after entering the house, Chen Zhengkang found that the house was already empty.

This statement may not be accurate: there are actually not many things missing in the house. The pots, pans, and more valuable furniture are all there as they were, and no one has touched them at all.

But it was true that no one had lived here for a long time. There was a thick layer of dust on the floor and stove, and the electricity and water meters had been turned off for a long time.

When he flipped through the household registration book again, he found that Chen Xiaoya's page had been taken out. He was the only orphan left in the entire household registration book.

Yes, even his mother doesn't want him anymore.

Chen Zhengkang tried to contact his mother and brother to borrow some more money.

As a result, the former hung up the phone very decisively without giving him a chance to speak.

The latter seized the opportunity and passionately expressed his anger in the minute before he hung up the phone, cursing the neighbors next door so much that they came over and banged on the door.

Such a wonderful family relationship is undoubtedly the result of his unremitting efforts in his youth.

Chen Zhengkang had no choice but to hang up the phone and continue searching the house for valuables - he even sold the broken TV and got only fifty dollars in return, which was a drop in the bucket.

It’s not enough, it’s not enough at all. If we continue to drag it on like this, the repayment deadline will be coming again.

Chen Zhengkang began to tremble again.

He had no doubt about those people's ability to collect debts across regions. Unless he hid in the mountains and forests for the rest of his life, he would be found by those people sooner or later.

In despair, he once again turned his attention to Chen Xiaoya.

Since they no longer live in the tube-shaped building, the girl must have money on her - when the time comes, whether by robbing, cheating, or simply selling her to the creditor as collateral, the money will always be paid back.

In the face of the survival crisis, Chen Zhengkang showed amazing execution ability.

It took him a week to find Chen Xiaoya's whereabouts: the girl did not go to work in the factory, but went to school.

During the search, Chen Zhengkang's hand bone dislocation became more and more serious, to the point where even painkillers were of no effect.

The approaching repayment deadline made his temper more and more irritable, and the worsening of his injury was like a catalyst, exacerbating this situation again.

At this point, Chen Zhengkang was indeed at his wit's end.

He made up his mind and went straight to the middle school where Chen Xiaoya was studying with a knife.

It was also a coincidence that many parents came to the school to visit their children that day. Chen Zhengkang mixed in with the group of parents and successfully passed the gatekeeper and security guard.

Not long after he entered the school, it started to rain.

The heavy rain made the people around hurried. No one noticed that he, an outsider, had sneaked into the campus, and no one noticed the knife hidden in his pocket.

Even God is helping me, Chen Zhengkang shouted wildly in his heart.

He quickly selected the ambush location and waited in the blind spot of the stairwell like a hunter waiting for his prey.

--------

-

Chen Xiaoya stared at the shadow at the entrance of the stairwell.

Cold sweat broke out on her forehead - her intuition was screaming and warning her not to just go down like that.

The girl sitting at the same table was so scared that her legs were weak, but she managed to control herself and not scream.

She covered her mouth and gave Chen Xiaoya a look with difficulty, as if asking him to confirm: Is this some kind of bad prank?

Chen Xiaoya shook his head at her solemnly.