“Oh, how befitting our esteemed class monitor! Your words are always so sharp.”
“I heard your father killed someone years ago and served time in prison. After his release, he resorted to unscrupulous means to amass wealth.”
“I wonder if the murderer’s daughter will follow in her father’s footsteps!” Chenxi’s sarcastic voice rang out once more, clearly a provocation that brazenly exposed another’s private past.
“Ah!”
“Killed someone!”
“Chenxi, is that true?”
“Class monitor, your… your father was in prison?”
“A… a gangster?”
The girls’ voices trembled, utterly lacking conviction, clearly terrified.
After all, children sheltered in their ivory towers had never encountered murderers. Such figures only existed in news reports; they had never materialized in real life.
To suddenly learn of a classmate’s background, involving a killer, instilled genuine fear. The girls in the class held both admiration and apprehension towards Shahu Wu. Her aura, in particular, kept them from truly engaging with her.
What was happening outside piqued my curiosity, yet I dared not look. If I were exposed, the situation would escalate far beyond a mere fight between two girls.
“Class monitor, please don’t be angry. Chenxi didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Yes, yes! She’s just a bit blunt, not malicious.”
“We’re all classmates. Please don’t fight!”
“So what if she’s the class monitor? It’s nothing special. You might be scared of her, but I’m not.” Chenxi’s disdainful voice drifted over again.
“Chenxi, you… you shouldn’t say such things,” one girl pleaded.
The girls in the class all knew the class monitor’s temper, a fact this new student clearly hadn’t grasped. They held their breath for Chenxi, convinced she might be beaten to death at any second.
“Everyone, move aside!” The class monitor’s arrogant voice resounded once more, accompanied by the shuffling retreat of several pairs of feet.
“Class monitor, don’t be impulsive!”
“We’re all classmates. Let’s talk things over peacefully.”
The girls offered weak pleas, but none dared to step forward.
*Yelp!*
I heard Chenxi’s delicate cry. Peeking through the door crack, I saw Chenxi launching the first attack. She charged forward, fists swinging, while Shahu Wu remained unmoving, like an immovable deity.
I knew Chenxi would surely get hurt. The surrounding girls huddled fearfully in a corner. Unwilling to witness my classmates turn on each other, I instinctively rushed forward.
“Don’t…”
I saw Shahu Wu raise her long leg. With only an arm’s length separating them, I dashed between the two.
*Smack!*
*Thud!*
A heavy punch landed on the back of my head, my ears ringing violently. A pair of fair, slender, long legs suddenly kicked at me from the front.
I threw up my hands to block, but the leg moved too swiftly. Just as I attempted to react, a searing, heartbreaking pain shot through my lower body. I felt myself flying, as the ceiling, the walls, Shahu Wu, and all my classmates spun counter-clockwise.
I lost consciousness upon colliding with something soft.
****
During my unconsciousness, I sensed many people approaching, but I couldn’t open my eyes to see who they were. I didn’t know how long I had lain in bed, but upon waking again, the room was empty.
The background before me was predominantly white, permeated by a strong scent of disinfectant. I tilted my head slightly, noticing an IV drip hanging near the bedside table.
“A hospital? Why am I in a hospital? Am I sick?” Suddenly, my mind was assailed by thousands of biting ants. I cried out in pain, pounding my forehead with my hand. It was a while before the agony subsided.
I couldn’t recall what had happened before, nor why I was in the hospital. As I pondered this, the rhythmic *clack-clack-clack* of high heels echoed in the corridor.
I looked toward the hallway. A beautiful young woman with flowing long hair, dressed in a white dress, pushed open the door and entered, carrying a bouquet of flowers and some fruit.
Her skin was remarkably fair, her slender, arched brows framed a pair of expressive eyes. A high nose bridge and soft, rosy lips completed a picture of exquisite beauty.
“So beautiful,” I tried to say, but no sound emerged. She didn’t speak, yet her eyes seemed to convey: ‘Your elder sister has come to see you!’
I watched her face in silence as she walked to my side and sat on the edge of the bed. Her face exuded a comforting warmth, and beyond that, an inexplicable sense of security.
I couldn’t remember who she was, but I vaguely felt a connection to her. Yet, who was this elder sister?
And so, we gazed into each other’s eyes, neither of us speaking. I saw a gentle curve form at the corner of her lips, a hint of a smile. She still didn’t speak, but I could feel her happiness. Was it because she saw me? Because I had awakened? Was she my sister or my mother? She must be my sister, right?
This elder sister in the white dress opened a plastic bag, pulled out a fruit knife, and began to peel a fruit.
“Chirp, elder sister will feed you!”
“Open your mouth!”
Xia Yinuo sliced a small piece, speared it with the knife, and brought it to Chirp’s lips.
‘Elder sister?’ So she was my elder sister. ‘Chirp!’ It clicked. My name was Chirp. My mind held only my name, my school, and my home; I truly couldn’t recall anyone else.
“I… I’m sorry, elder sister. I don’t remember. I don’t remember anything from the past, including your name.”
Upon hearing Chirp’s words, Xia Yinuo’s smile froze on her face. She stared blankly at his innocent, guileless expression. From Chirp’s face, it was clear he was telling the truth. The doctor had been right; Chirp’s cranial injury was severe and could potentially lead to adverse reactions, though the doctor hadn’t known the specifics.
‘Amnesia, he has amnesia?’ A moment later, Xia Yinuo felt a surge of secret delight. Wouldn’t forgetting be even better? Chirp’s mind was a blank slate. The current him didn’t know that his parents had long passed away, nor whether she was his biological sister.
If she were to fabricate a family for him now, he would believe it to be true. This way, she could see Chirp every day, and spend all her time with him.
‘Mother would surely have loved Chirp.’
Xia Yinuo’s eyes darted about, contemplating how to tell Chirp. After a brief moment of deliberation, Xia Yinuo offered a captivating smile. “Don’t worry, I’m your elder sister, Xia Yinuo. You had a bit of an unpleasant incident with some classmates and sustained some minor injuries, but it seems you’re fine now. I’ll go handle your discharge paperwork right away.”
“Mm!” I nodded. I hadn’t realized I was in the hospital because I’d fought with classmates. Did that mean I was the one who got beaten? But why did we fight? By the time I regained my thoughts, my elder sister had already left. I slowly sat up, trying to move around. My wrists and neck seemed unaffected.
Soon after, my elder sister returned, accompanied by a male doctor in a white coat and mask.
The doctor pulled open my eyelids, checked them, then palpated my arms, waist, calves, and buttocks, nodding solemnly. He then discussed post-discharge precautions with my elder sister.
My elder sister led me out of the hospital, holding my hand.
Xia Yinuo snapped her fingers, pointing to a battered, ancient ‘two-eight’ bicycle in the corner of the parking lot. “Get in!”
My gaze swept across the multitude of vehicles; all I saw were cars. This lone bicycle stood out, utterly out of place. “Elder sister, are we very poor?”
Xia Yinuo extended a slender finger, playfully flicking Chirp’s nose. “Extremely poor! We can barely even eat our fill. Are you looking down on us?”