It was impossible to see clearly in the darkness, and all the other senses of a person seemed to be magnified infinitely.
She heard a series of footsteps coming from outside the door. Reactively, she hugged herself tightly and buried her face in her knees.
There was a window on the door for peeping. A figure, like a ghost, flashed past it.
The footsteps gradually died away. She slowly raised her head and looked towards a place where light was streaming in. It was an abandoned ventilation fan that had been out of use for a long time.
She didn't know how much time had passed. She fell asleep in a daze. In her dream, she went back half a month ago.
On Friday evening, the sky was filled with fiery clouds. The crimson skylight seemed to carry a scorching heat and spilled on everyone's face.
Accompanied by the music, the electronic gate of Qide High School slowly opened.
On the podium, the head teacher put away the books, looked around the class, and finally said, "Tang Yi, please come to my office after school."
Tang Yi raised her head among the curious glances of her classmates.
The classroom was bright and spacious. The teacher's expression was vague. After throwing down this sentence, his gaze fell on her neither too heavy nor too light.
Tang Yi immediately put down the pen in her hand and followed him.
Along the way, the teacher was serious and said nothing. Tang Yi's palms sweated slightly, and she was very nervous at the bottom of her heart.
From childhood to adulthood, her grades were average. She had average grades in all subjects, no bias, but also no advantages. Every time in the exams, she ranked in the middle level... She was the kind of student who was not likely to be noticed by the teacher.
But today... While thinking randomly, they arrived at the office.
The teacher sat down at his own desk and lifted his chin, "The chair is over there. Go and move it over. The teacher has something to talk to you about."
Tang Yi, upon hearing this, moved a chair over.
The two looked at each other. The teacher's gaze behind the glasses was very sharp. He looked straight at her and said sternly, "You know that early love is not allowed in the school, right?"
Tang Yi was stunned and nodded.
The teacher said expressionlessly, "Where did you go during the lunch break on Tuesday? Why weren't you in the classroom?"
Tuesday. Tang Yi thought for a moment, and the scene of that day flashed through her mind.
She looked into the teacher's eyes and said, "Tang Xiaotian from Class Four came to find me. We were in the gymnasium."
"Tang Xiaotian said that you found him." As if anticipating her following words, the teacher lifted the corner of his mouth, and there was a sense of sarcasm in his scrutinizing gaze.
Not giving her a chance to defend herself, the teacher said, "I have also watched the surveillance of you two in the gymnasium that day. Pulling and dragging!"
He frowned at her and scolded, "What a disgrace! How old are you and already want to be in love? You don't focus on improving your grades all day long, but only do these unnecessary things!"
Early love was strictly prohibited in Qide High School. If any trace was found, the head teacher of that class would be called to the academic affairs office for a lecture. No wonder the teacher was so angry. In his view, she touched this obvious red line, which was simply causing trouble for him.
This was why he vented his anger on her now.
After the teacher finished speaking, seeing Tang Yi lower her head and remain silent, he instead became kind and gentle, "It's good that you have thought it through. I have also talked to that kid. Let this matter stop here..." He pondered for a moment and added, "Well, according to the rules, I still have to inform your parents."
Hearing this, she suddenly raised her head, and there was a buzzing sound in her head. Her face lost all color. She watched the teacher open the class contact list and dial with his mobile phone. Standing there, she opened her mouth but couldn't make a sound.
After a long beeping sound, it seemed that no one answered on the other end of the phone. The teacher hung up and waved her to go home. Tang Yi's heart finally returned to its place, and she left here as if granted amnesty.
Back home, Tang Yi's mother was busy in the kitchen. Seeing her daughter in a low mood, she asked, "What's wrong? Did you fail the monthly exam?"
Tang Yi shook her head and dragged her steps into the room.
She did her homework for a while, looked at the time, and just then, there was a knock on the door. It was her mother's gentle voice, "It's time to eat."
She walked into the dining room and saw her father answering the phone. Not long after, the phone call ended, and her mother served the meals on the table.
Tang Yi just sat down when Tang's father's face turned sullen. He suddenly slapped the table and stared at her, "You really have become more capable as you grow up, haven't you?"
Tang Yi's mother intended to defend her daughter and hurriedly persuaded at the side, "Alright, alright. If there's anything, let's talk about it properly. Don't shout at the child."
Tang's father pointed at her and turned to question his wife, "Do you know what she did at school? The teacher has called!"
Tang Yi's mother looked at Tang Yi blankly. Her husband was fuming with anger, "Early love! Look! Look at your good daughter!"
Tang Yi lowered her eyes, "I didn't."
Tang's father sternly said, "Look, still talking back to the adults! Every day, not being worry-free!" He took out a cigarette box, took out a cigarette and lit it, and let out a heavy puff of smoke.
Tang's father ran a small factory in the town of this city. He was a small boss with little education. He only finished high school and had a bad temper. Even a small matter could make him lose his temper. These days, his business was a little bit unfavorable, and he was prone to getting angry at every turn.
This was not her fault. It was the school's high pressure and the teacher's misunderstanding. She couldn't explain clearly, but she had a clear conscience.
So, for the first time, Tang Yi talked back to her father several times.
Tang's father was furious and almost raised his hand to hit her. He was stopped by Tang Yi's mother. She shut up at her mother's pleading gaze and silently returned to her room and silently locked the door.
As if sensing it, as soon as she locked the door, there were sounds of smashing objects loudly outside the door, accompanied by the man's angry scolding and the woman's faint sobbing. After a while, it finally returned to silence.
Tang Yi had already sat in front of the small desk and covered her ears to recite.
The next morning, Tang Yi's mother came to her room and said a few gentle words, asking her not to be stubborn with her father and avoid him recently. Anyway, he was her father, and everything was for her good.
Tang Yi responded sullenly.
But under the same roof, how could they not meet?
That afternoon, Tang Yi went downstairs to throw the kitchen waste. A man came upstairs. She saw who it was, lowered her head and walked forward without making a sound. Before taking a few steps, Tang's father stopped beside her and called her name.
She was silent for a moment and replied, "Dad."
In this still unresolved atmosphere, Tang's father mentioned out of the blue, "One of my friends, Boss Wang. You have met him. He sent his son to a school to study and change bad habits at the same time. The effect was good. I have also signed you up."
Tang Yi was stunned for a moment. In her peripheral vision, her father left after saying that.
That night, when the family of three was having dinner, the father was in a very good mood, humming a tune, having a little drink, and was very carefree.
The mother was also influenced and smiled at her daughter. She was a simple woman, just hoping that the small family would live peacefully.
Tang Yi had to swallow the doubts from the day before.
The night came as expected. She turned off the light and got into the bed to sleep.
When she woke up the next day, it was Sunday.
Tang Yi woke up too early. She looked at the time and thought that her mother had gone to the market to buy groceries at this time. After getting up and wandering around, she found that she was the only one at home. This was very strange. Her father wouldn't go out so early. Just as she was thinking -
Suddenly, the door was opened. Behind Tang's father were two tall men in uniforms. Before she could ask, the two men came up and held her on each side. She shouted. One man covered her mouth tightly from behind.
Tang Yi stared at Tang's father fiercely at first until Tang's father said, "Sending you to this school is for your own good. It can just cure your early love."
Her heart gave a heavy thump. She looked at him in disbelief, as if she had never known this person before. Emotions of shock, unwillingness, sadness, and anger rushed to her heart all at once. In the end, only tears flowed silently.
The two men were afraid that Tang Yi would not be obedient. After getting in the car, they tied her hands and feet tightly and taped her mouth.
Tang Yi was escorted to Chongshan District in the neighboring city.
Chongshan District was named after its terrain. There were countless high mountains. And this school was built on a hidden and sparsely populated small hill.
She was pushed out of the car. Looking up, there was a tall cement wall. There were circles of spiral power grids on the wall. The gate was no different from that of an ordinary school. Behind the gate stood a large stone tablet with big red characters written on it: Qingyun School.
There were already two men waiting at the gate. One wore glasses and the other wore an old-fashioned black thin jacket.
When they saw Tang Yi getting out of the car, they glanced at her expressionlessly. Then the middle-aged man in the black jacket stepped forward. Suddenly, she felt a strong force on her back - she was kicked to the ground by him. There was a burning pain in her lower back. After being firmly held down, they searched her.
After that, she was thrown into a small, dark room.
Tang Yi opened her eyes in the darkness. She was back in this dark room again.
It had been half a month. She had already stayed in this "concentration camp"-like school for half a month.
At this time, there was a series of chaotic footsteps outside the door.
Tang Yi sat in the corner, hugging herself and burying her head in her knees.
The door was opened. To be precise, it was thrown open with a loud bang that made the iron sheet on the door rattle.
She didn't dare to look up. Next, she heard a dull sound. It seemed that something very heavy was being dragged and thrown to the ground.
The next moment, the door slammed shut again.
Tang Yi didn't feel relieved. She slowly raised her head and saw a person lying on an open space not far away.