She took a bite of the chicken drumstick and said to Ning Wei, "I really envy you for having a friend like that."
Ning Wei understood the implication in her words. She felt that as long as she had a strong male friend, she wouldn't be bullied by that group of people.
"Only one's own strength is true strength," Ning Wei managed to say after a long pause.
The girl's hand paused slightly, but she said nothing in the end.
The two quickly finished their meal and returned to the dormitory together.
On the way, Ning Wei finally asked why they were targeted by that group, and especially why her friend chose such a violent way to leave this world.
The girl did not talk about her own affairs, but only told Ning Wei about her friend's.
However, Ning Wei guessed that they were probably in similar situations.
Shu Chang was sweet-looking, so she received letters from different boys. She was personally focused on her studies and ignored them, never accepting any kindness from those boys.
Because she was diligent and eager to learn, she often went to the office to see Teacher Wang, the physics teacher.
Although Teacher Wang was quite old, he looked dashing and ageless, and some of the younger girls secretly liked him.
They were all just young girls, so it was possible to admire someone a little, especially since they could only go home once a month.
Shu Chang was diligent and her grades improved rapidly. Even Teacher Wang praised her, often boasting in the office that she was a promising talent.
Teachers naturally liked students like her.
Unfortunately, there was an exception. A female teacher in the same office, whose surname was Lu, the homeroom teacher of Class 2 of Grade 1, particularly disliked Shu Chang. Therefore, she instructed the group of bullying girls to target Shu Chang.
Ning Wei was slightly taken aback when she heard this. Wasn't she in that class?
The female student continued, "From tripping her on the road at first, it escalated to cornering her in the restroom, beating and scolding her. The worst part was that they only hit her in places covered by her clothes, leaving Shu Chang with no way to complain."
Hearing this, Ning Wei felt her worldview had been refreshed.
She had a clear impression of this Teacher Lu. She looked no older than thirty, so based on her age, she couldn't possibly have any relationship with the physics teacher.
If they weren't married, why would she do something so excessively jealous?
Ning Wei couldn't understand. The female student continued, "You're new here and don't know the situation. This teacher isn't married, but her reputation is very bad. She has no morals. From the vice-principal down to anyone in the office, if she takes a liking to someone, she'll... "
Ning Wei was truly astonished. It was the first time she had heard of someone like that, especially in this place.
Her expression was somewhat speechless. "Where did you hear that? Is the information accurate?"
The female student nodded and then presented her evidence: "This is Shu Chang's recording pen. They don't allow mobile phones here, so she secretly bought a recording pen to keep evidence. She really wanted to escape her current situation, but this pen was crushed by high heels a long time ago. However, after Shu Chang died, it suddenly appeared in my pocket this morning. I was scared, so I boldly came to see the body."
Ning Wei took the pen. It looked ordinary, but it was slightly heavier than a regular pen.
She turned on the recording. Fragmented sounds emerged. At first, it sounded like an old TV getting stuck.
Gradually, the sound became clearer. A sharp voice was speaking: "You slut, I'll teach you to seduce people! Do you think you're so good-looking? Walking in front of him all day in a skirt, your little butt sticking out. Are you afraid others don't know you're a slut?"
The words were vile. Ning Wei recognized the owner of the voice as the one who had tried to attack her that morning but was subdued by her.
After that came the sounds of slaps and tearing clothes. Judging by the commotion, there was more than one person around.
Shu Chang went from silence to pleading. The more she cried, the more excited these people became. In the end, they even used scissors to cut off her beautiful hair!
Shu Chang became enraged and tried to resist, but she was held down by a group of people. Then came the brutal kicking and beating.
Shu Chang was pinned to the ground, unable to move, and could only endure in silence. Her tears fell onto the floor, accumulating into large droplets.
These were the scenes Ning Wei heard and imagined through the recording pen. Although her expression remained indifferent, the anger in her eyes betrayed her.
If this recording pen weren't crucial evidence, she would have broken it right then and there to vent her current rage.
The girl told Ning Wei everything she knew. She didn't want the recording pen and didn't want to be involved in these matters anymore.
Her parents had already agreed to let her leave. She only had to persevere for another week, and after the paperwork was completed, she could escape this place and start a new life elsewhere.
She would try her best to forget everything here, forget the faces of those people, and forget Shu Chang, who died with unfinished business.
After hearing the girl's story, Ning Wei remained silent for a long time.
She didn't know what to say and could only let things take their course.
Since it was her decision, Ning Wei could only choose to respect it.
She just hoped that after leaving here, the girl could truly forget everything and start anew.
This outcome was not necessarily a bad thing for her.
"Are you sure you don't need me to do anything?" Ning Wei asked again before they parted ways.
The girl shook her head. She hadn't even told Ning Wei her name, because she didn't want any further connection with anything here.
"Time passes quickly, and I'll be able to leave here soon," the female student said with a blank expression, but a hint of hope in her eyes.
"I don't know how to deal with this recording pen. Can you help me?"
Ning Wei nodded, "I'll help you get rid of it, so no one will suspect you."
Ning Wei's words were well-chosen, suggesting she had other plans for the recording pen.
The female student didn't care what Ning Wei would do with the pen; she just wanted to leave.
The two returned to their respective dormitories. This brief encounter would not weigh on either of their minds.
This was the girl's last plea, and Ning Wei would naturally fulfill it.
Holding the recording pen, Ning Wei, unwilling to keep it in the dormitory, buried it under a tree, instantly allowing other passengers to hear it.
Shu Chang's incident caused a stir here, with everyone speculating about the cause of her death.
Her parents rushed there as quickly as possible. Her mother fainted the moment she saw her daughter's body.