QT: Against My Will

Chapter 26: 2.12 – Finals – Mr. and Mrs. Jelly

+— Author’s note —-+

Proofreaded by P.D Webb.

+—————–+

After a few days of studying, Bing Shi passed math and physics.

‘~See? Studying paid off. Four more to go.’

“How did it go? Did you pass?” Xuan Mu voiced out, waiting for Bing Shi to check her results on the internet.

“Yes!” Bing Shi raised her hands cheerfully, spinning around on her chair, she asked for his answer in anticipation, “And you?”

.....

“I finished mine already, and it only took me two days to learn everything. High School is so easy.”

“That’s so cool! I’m so proud of you, now rent me your brain for a while, haha!” Bing Shi asked for his brain shamelessly and went back to study robotically.

‘~You have to eat.’

‘No, I feel sick when I eat...’

‘~You are hurting yourself.’

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‘I’m not. It’s just hunger. I feel no pain...’

· · ———- · ???· ———- · ·

During the finals, students could stay at home. Bing Shi always stayed at home and studied in her bedroom from morning till night. At first, she cooked for herself; then, she switched to bread to save time, then she forgot about food altogether. The heavy pressure and the thick mind of stress overshadowed how much hunger was running through her.

‘~Your nose is bleeding.’

There were red droplets of blood dripping onto the white sheet of paper, staining it red. Bing Shi quickly went to her bathroom to clean her face. While she was putting paper tissues into her nose, she started to sob silently.

‘What’s happening?’

‘Why is my nose bleeding so much these days?’

‘My hair...’

‘~ When was the last time you ate?’

‘I don’t know...’

‘~ You have to eat.’

Bing Shi walked to the kitchen, forcing herself to eat an apple; she started to gag. Her sobs turned into plenty of crying, tears streaming down her cheeks.

‘~Useless. Stop crying. Will crying help you pass the exams?’

· · ———- · ???· ———- · ·

When Bing Shi logged into the school’s website to see the results of her exam, a mountain of pressure ripped open her already sick stomach. The disappointment she felt led her heart to the depth of infinite darkness. A broken sob pierced the air as she stared at the failing mark in descriptive geometry.

‘I failed.’

‘They will laugh at me for being stupid.’

‘They will be disappointed again.’

‘~They have called you thrice since you started; they are not worthy. They only give you money.’

‘~Only Xuan Mu cares about you; he is the only one who is with you when you need it. You have to study, so you can have a better future with him.’

‘~Because except for studying, you know nothing.’

‘~ You still have a chance, just try harder.’

‘What if I fail again?’

Bing Shi studied nonstop, reading and taking notes, even after her hand started to hurt from the feel of her pen digging into her hand and rubbing against her finger. All the pain of little time was too much for her. She felt physically and mentally exhausted, so much that she fainted right atop her desk.

She just missed Xuan Mu’s call, who was checking on her regularly.

Xuan Mu was worried to death. She didn’t pick up. She’d always pick up. He noticed that she was still online. She should be at home right now. Was she ignoring him? What if something terrible happened? He started to spam her with calls and messages without stopping, for the whole night.

While Bing Shi fainted from too much tiredness, Xuan Mu was awake the entire night, feeling powerless.

· · ———- · ???· ———- · ·

Bing Shi, who had her head on her desk, woke up from a ringtone and looked at her phone in a daze.

‘Oh, no Xuan Mu!’

“I want to choke you to death! Where were you?!” The worry and anger mixed in Xuan Mu’s voice was heard through Bing Shi’s phone.

“I’m sorry, I fell asleep,” Bing Shi apologized. Hearing his anger, her tears started to well up once again.

“I thought something bad happened!” Xuan Mu had no idea how to let out his worry and anger and continued to yell at her, “You had one job! Could you be any more irresponsible?! I was about to call the police!”

“Something bad did happen; I think I might disappoint you,” Bing Shi broke down and cried out, “I’m sorry.”

“Bing Shi, I was just worried” Xuan Mu’s fury disappeared the exact moment he heard her relentless sobbing, becoming more soft again, “I’m sorry for shouting at you. What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

“I failed my exam...” Bing Shi whispered, ashamed of herself, afraid of his reaction.

‘He likes smart girls, not stupid ones. He is going to be disappointed, for sure.’

“But I became prettier...” she whimpered.

‘He likes pretty girls, doesn’t he?’

“I’ll never be disappointed with you. You still have a second chance, don’t you? And if you feel pressured, then stop studying. We will find a way out together,” Xuan Mu started feeling a bit uneasy, “No! Don’t be more pretty. You are pretty enough,” he pleaded. He’d rather prefer her to be more ugly, so only he could see her true inner beauty.

“But, I did become prettier,” Bing Shi insisted.

“Let me see...turn on the camera on your laptop,” Xuan Mu’s guts told him that something was wrong.

They were used only to voice chat. Also, Bing Shi had her cameras on her laptop and phones...taped. Whenever she wanted to take a picture, she’d use her vlog camera.

“No,” Bing Shi refused flatly.

“Bing Shi, please,” Xuan Mu begged, his tone desperate.

“Fine...” Bing Shi removed the tape and turned on the camera.

On Break