Chapter 23
“I didn’t expect this from you ,” Master Huang points at FengLei with his hand fan, his face raging in anger.
Slamming his hands on the table he gets up from his seat and walks towards us who are kneeling down a little farther from the table, crossing his arms over his chest he walks to and fro in front of us making our eyeballs move in a slow oscillatory motion following his footsteps.
Growling internally I curl up my toes rubbing the feet against each other trying to get rid of the numb feeling, moving my gaze from master I look down at the floor, my eyes falls out of it’s sockets when a weary sigh leaves my lips without my realisation taking me off guard. I close my mouth in a flash my eyeball slides to the left to see HenYu and ChengLi looking at me the words Are-you-serious written on their face and then I turn to my right to see FengLei watching me wearing his rigid expression, I argue with my inner voice whether to look up or not but finally I did out of curiosity to see Master Huang staring down at me in a grim expression showing no good.
“Are you tired?,” He asks grimly his voice coming out in a way of being sarcastic and enraged.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
Removing my hand from my mouth “No,” I answer ruefully, pressing my lips against each other flatly I gulp down my saliva.
“Stay still,” he steps back eyeing each one of us dangerously “I’ll be back,” he yells and leaves the place.
The surrounding captures silence after Master left the room, I keep my eyes fixed to the wall in front of me, a few seconds later the sound of footsteps and grunting fills in the room. HenYu walks to the entrance and peeps out to watch whether Master is coming while I stretch my legs forward cursing under my breath.
“My legs are cursed today,” I hiss in a low voice looking around while giving pressure to my feet, my vision moves to FengLei who is staying in the same position his head lowered with his eyes fixed to the ground.
“Hey,” I call tapping on his shoulder bringing him out of his thoughts ” Sorry for dragging you with us.”
The fact that FengLei disagreed to stay at the beginning made me feel guilty. And the worst part right now is not the punishment which we are going to receive , I’m worried about the reduction in points as the exam is following up.
“It’s not your fault,” he answers dryly, moving his gaze from my face he stops at my legs making me feel awkward, pulling my legs up I sit up crossing them as I look at him smiling crookedly ” Are you alright?,” He questions knitting his brows.
“Yes, I…..,” I stop when I hear HenYu screaming lowly saying that the monster is here, he rushes towards us and kneels down next to me.
“All of you are going to stay in the library and write this whole paragraph hundred times,” he throws a folded piece of paper to us, picking up the paper from the floor I unfold it my eyes widens to see the size of the paragraph. I think we should stay all night to ink this self reflection paragraph down.
I look up to face Master Huang “It’s too long,” my voice comes out in a way of pity trying to make him feel empathy.
“We ran all the way here to be on time but couldn’t because we…..,” My brain begins to bring up sentences.
“We helped an old lady who was carrying some heavy things,” HenYu continues it for me.
Turning to my right I pass him a look of well done which makes the side of his lips to form to a hidden smile.
“Isn’t one person enough to carry it,” Master Huang looks down making his eyes small doubtfully.
“That’s what we thought too,” ChengLi speaks while master passes glares at me and HenYu suspiciously “To see she had four more baskets behind her waiting for a rickshaw,” Cheng Li stops when YuYu continues “But no one stopped by so we helped her to get home.”
“Hmm,” Master stands straight watching four of us at once “You all do have a reason,” he stares down at us while I try to hide my smile which is going to erupt our eyes lighting up expecting him to reduce the number of times.
“Even though you should not be late,” he yells aloud making us flinch as it is unexpected, stomping to the doorway he stops by as our are fixed on him except for FengLei who just gazed low all this while.
“Write it ninety nine times,” he announces and walks out in quickly.
“All in vain,” ChengLi sighs
“Yeah,” HenYu utters lowly standing up he relaxes his hands and legs.
“Urghhh,” I lay down throwing the paper on the floor “It doesn’t make any difference,” I grunt under my breath.
“It’s one less,” comes the voice of Feng Lei after a long time, I ignore him as the thought about writing it down is taunting me as the sun is going to set very soon I’m sure that we should be awake all night.
I prefer getting hit rather than sacrificing sleep and especially dinner.
The rustling of leaves outside and the blowing wind can be clearly heard in the library in addition to the sound of our paint brushes getting into the ink and the flipping of the papers is filled in the room with our breaths as the environment is in pin drop silent because the living beings in here are too busy. Placing the brush on the side of the paper I stretch my hands up and lean back resting my palm over the cold wooden carpeted floor leaning over my arm, I stare at the high wooden roof closing my eyes I take a deep breath in letting the darkness relax me.
“Are you done?,” lifting my eyelids slowly I look down at the inked paper and then I move my gaze to the left to see FengLei.
“Thirty nine more,” I answer wearily “What about you?.”
“Twenty more,” he leans over to his right getting closer to me, furrowing my eyebrows I eye at him curiously.
“Do you mind if I ask something personal?”
“You have a sister right,” he questions his facing showing no clue of what he is thinking in that huge brain of his.
He didn’t wait till I answer his previous question and why is he asking all this all of a sudden.
Did he find something fishy about me?
Looking away I pick up the brush “Yes, But she is no more,” I answer casually dipping the brush into the ink I begin to write again.
He remains silent observing me while I write, I could tell that he is hesitant on what he asked as it can be clearly seen on his face “I’m sorry,” he says softly after a long moment of silence.
“I… I just ..,”
“I don’t mind,” I cut off dryly and focus on my thoughts working in my mind which is trying to find his motive of bringing this question up all of sudden out of nowhere.
“You know,” he garbs my attention when I hear the sound of a paper being unfolded, I turn to my left to face him my mouth parts and my eyes widens as my throat goes dry when I see the unfolded paper he placed on the table in my view.
“Is this you?”, He asks pointing at the portrait on the poster where my face is half covered, removing his gaze from the paper he looks up at me while my eyes are glued on him.
“Why do you look pale?,” He questions in a low voice leaning closer to me our face a few inches away from each other.
“What?,” I snap looking away rubbing the back of my neck nervously, holding the brush I continue my work to avoid making eye contact with him.
“These eyes are definitely yours,” placing his index finger on the portrait eyes he looks at it deeply and then at me.
“It doesn’t,” I turn to pass a glance at him , my heart beat stops pumping and my body freeze when our nose caressed each others, his face is so close to mine that I could feel his breath on my upper lip making my heart skip a beat.
He looks deep into my eyes examining me, moving his hand up he touches my eyebrows with his index finger and then runs it down like trying to capture my features “It’s definitely you,” he utters in a low voice bringing my mind back to reality which has been lost a few minutes ago.
“Let me finish my work,” I stand up immediately making him move back “Why are you interested in my topics when I’m boring,” I scoff walking out to inhale some fresh air.
That was close, it was really close and I’m crazy to drown in that spot.