12:00 at night.
High school seniors also need to ensure they get enough sleep. At this moment, the dormitory was silent, as if everyone had fallen into a deep slumber.
Chu River opened her eyes quietly.
Above her bunk, the girl who always followed Zhao Yue sat up quietly.
Not just her, three other girls in the dormitory quietly climbed down in the darkness.
One made a bit of noise, and the stainless steel bed frame creaked, causing the girl in the lower bunk to turn over and become still a moment later, allowing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.
Chu River sensed everything, yet her heart remained calm.
Like a volcano buried for many years.
The four of them with disheveled hair, yet their clothing was intact, showing they were well-prepared.
In the dormitory, with only a hint of moonlight streaming in, it appeared particularly eerie and terrifying.
Without Zhao Yue saying a word, the girls silently left the dormitory one after another—
Whether it was secretly unlocking the dormitory door or carefully watching by the wall, it all required manpower.
Seniors feared nothing. Even if they unexpectedly encountered a teacher on the way, one phrase "under a lot of pressure" could solve anything.
They were quite experienced with that.
Meanwhile, Zhao Yue, left alone in the dormitory, nudged Chu River, lighting up her phone screen in front of her:
[You were quite arrogant during the day. If you have the guts, follow us out tonight.]
She knew Chu River would definitely go out.
...
Indeed, Chu River silently got out of bed, her clothes also neatly arranged.
The two of them left the dormitory quietly, one following the other.
The remaining three girls in the dormitory knew nothing, deep in their adolescent sleep, untouched by the unfolding storm.
...
The dormitory's main door downstairs was already open.
As the class monitor of the special class, Zhao Yue occasionally had a few privileges.
For example, she had a key for the dormitory's main door—the dorm attendant trusted young students, believing that anyone who studied so well must have legitimate reasons, even if sneaking back into the dormitory, and certainly wouldn't be lazing around.
So borrowing it for half a day would raise no questions.
Keys were available at the school gate for 10 yuan for two copies.
Chu Beibei, Zhao Yue's little sidekick, was on lookout at the gate. By this arrangement, the three of them were quite clever.
But, the students in the special class, their intelligence was unquestionable.
They might not be exceptional, but they surely had advantages.
Yet Chu Beibei wasn't as mature as Zhao Yue. Seeing Chu River silently follow them, her eyes showed too obvious a hint of watching a spectacle.
Chu River's expression remained unchanged.
…
With all the world in silence, the school was eerily quiet, as usual without surveillance cameras.
Leaving the girls' dormitory, there was a long flight of stairs, and bypassing it led to the large playground.
In the southwest corner of the playground was the section of the fence adjoining the riverbank.
A crescent moon hung in the sky, the night sky was tranquil and profound, vastly different from what could be seen from the Third Guard Satellite.
But the nature of good and evil in humans remained unchanged throughout the ages.
She diverted her gaze, and another girl, Ren Ting, impatiently pushed her:
"Go on, aren't you supposed to be capable?"
Her suddenly raised voice was jarring in the still and empty playground, so she quickly lowered it again, looking around cautiously.
Zhao Yue was impatient: "Hurry up, there's a math exam tomorrow."
The four of them continued forward in silence, and by the fence, the lookout girl Shen Cui, seeing them arrive, agilely climbed over the low wall.
Chu River understood why they were so confident she would follow.
Because in Zhao Yue's hands—or, to be precise, in her financially influential father's hands—was her poverty subsidy and allowance.
It's all so simple.
No matter how tough one might be, everyone needs to eat, right?
While the school would indeed provide it, if delayed for ten days or half a month, with someone finding an excuse to go on a business trip or take leave, she'd be helpless.
Stubborn children usually have to suffer more.
The original Chu River never thought of seeking help from classmates or teachers, feeling this was a way to preserve her dignity.
Initially enduring Zhao Yue's minor actions, she thought that soon she'd sit the college entrance exams, and once in college, she could apply for a student loan to distance herself from all this.
Endure it for now.
Just like her mother advised:
[Endure it for now.]
But no matter how mature she became, she still didn't realize that everyone harbors a beast within; some control it, some let it run wild.
If no constraints are imposed on the wild, it becomes even more unbridled.
Last night, Zhao Yue invited her to the river, saying that with exams approaching, she was too lazy for any more trouble, and as long as Chu River threw her study notes into the river, Zhao Yue swore she wouldn't bother her again.
Study notes were important, but for the always diligent and focused Chu River, buying peace before the exams was worth it.
Naively, she thought, with only a month until exams, Zhao Yue would have to concentrate too.
So she came as agreed—the good student doing something wrong for the first time, climbing over the wall for the first time, not treasuring books for the first time.
Standing by the broken section of the moat, she painfully threw all her notes for the year into the river.
Then she realized—
To some people, a casual statement could be a commitment.
But to others, even swearing by heaven was just a joke.
The last book sank with a "plop", and a sharp pain shot through her knee before she could react, kicked down directly!
Next moment, someone twisted her arms, another grabbed her hair, and in a few tussles, they forced her into the water.
Zhao Yue laughed happily nearby:
"Ask her, there're exam god's notes soaking in this river, who in the experimental class wouldn't want that—Chu River, how does knowledge taste?"
Muddy water engulfed her, even the sound seemed muffled.
The moment she was pulled out, she was seized by a violent coughing fit.
But Zhao Yue furrowed her brows impatiently:
"Push her back in."
"Avoid any sounds, or the teacher might come."
Back and forth, waiting for her to admit defeat.
Until Shen Cui's arm, pressing down on her head, tired and weakened, Zhao Yue looked at Chu River's face—
Moonlight quietly streamed down, even with her haggard appearance, one could still see her delicate features.
A stab of jealousy in her heart, Zhao Yue frowned and took a step forward, pressing her knee against Chu River's neck.
"I don't believe you'll remain unyielding!"
The water's surface gave a weak sound, minutes passed, the croaks of frogs and cicadas grew louder, a cool evening breeze swept through.
Ren Ting shivered and cautiously asked:
"Why isn't she moving at all?"
...
Under the same moonlight.
Zhao Yue turned her head, surveying the familiar people at the familiar riverbank:
"Chu River, you're quite lucky!"
"I even asked Shen Cui to lay in your bed so you could join class late—didn't expect you have quite the endurance."
Yet at this same angle, Chu River no longer showed the resentment, unwillingness, and patience from yesterday; her face softened into what could almost be called a gentle smile—
"I'm not sure about my luck, but your luck, tonight I really want to test it."