Delinquent High

Chapter 54

Truth to be told, Wei Wuxian expected the day to be harder to get through. As soon as he had made it to the classroom and had been told by the first teacher for the day – he did not even notice who it was – to stand next to the teacher's desk, Wei Wuxian had found a very peculiar darker spot on the otherwise pristine white wall. Since that moment, he had not been paying attention to his own condition or anything going on in the classroom.

He had simply been wondering how come no one had noticed this imperfection, although small. Once he knew about it, it could not be ignored. It was just above the students' heads so him watching it could be easily passed as him looking at his classmates and fully savouring his punishment. That was probably why teachers had not called him out for too many beatings today.

He could have peacefully listened to their lectures and taken mental notes – no writing utensils allowed when he was still supposed to keep hold of his ears – and he could have remembered the mountain of homework the class was being assigned. But why bother when his work had never been good enough? Why even try to do his homework when he would be anyway beaten for its below average quality as Wen Ruohan once called it? The darker white spot on the wall was way more attention-worthy.

Was the initial painter not careful enough? Or had the wall been damaged at some point in the Delinquent High's history and repaired meticulously, albeit traces were still left upon closer inspection? It was almost perfectly round, could it be a gunshot hole? Or blood had been splattered on the wall? Delinquent High was certainly wild enough for such an incident to occur once in a while when teachers were not looking. Or was it simply a stain that a student had tried to wash away with all their might before a teacher came into the classroom and almost succeeded?

So many possibilities. Wei Wuxian marvelled at the stain and was asking himself if his own life was similar. Once important and hard to ignore but now insignificant and forgotten, smashed under the rules of the school and his permanent exhaustion. When was the last time he had actually smiled? When he had last talked to his siblings and told them a story about one of his pranks or ideas? He could no longer remember. He could not remember how he had lived before he started going to the Delinquent High.

The lunch break passed and his classmates came back to the classroom. Wei Wuxian was waiting for them, only barely aware that he was not alone in the room anymore. In his mind, it was still only him and the peculiar stain on the wall.

Afternoon went by even quicker and soon it was time for the classes to end for the day. Wei Wuxian was only disturbed from his dreamy world by Wen Zhuliu reminding him: "999002, chairman is waiting for you in his office."

Wei Wuxian registered the words, but he remained where he was. He did not want to leave, not until he discovered what was the true story behind the stain. It was of paramount importance that he uncovered this mystery. Why would Wen Zhuliu and the chairman want to keep him from his task?

"999002, chairman is waiting for you in his office. Go."

The teacher repeated and it was only now that Wei Wuxian finally understood the meaning behind the words. His body started trembling like a leaf and his breathing hitched before becoming frantic.

Lan Qiren was waiting in his office.

Wei Wuxian was cold. Why was he so cold? He was trembling terribly and there were goosebumps all over his body. How long had he been standing here? He had lost all awareness of time, he could not tell at all. It terrified him.

Lan Qiren wanted to see him.

Naked, Wei Wuxian was completely naked. How could he have forgotten? Had he truly been standing in this spot the whole day without moving and showing all his shame to his classmates? Had they laughed at him? They must have, right? Wen Chao and his lackeys surely had had the time of their lives seeing how their little scheme had worked to perfection.

Lan Qiren had promised Wei Wuxian a special lecture in discipline this afternoon. What would he do this time? Who would he invite to witness Wei Wuxian's suffering?

The stain. Where was the stain which had kept Wei Wuxian company just a moment ago? He did not want to come back to the painful reality.

He looked frantically for the stain, he wanted to escape back into his small peaceful world where there were no Delinquent High, no teachers and no students. And where he had not been standing completely naked in front of so many people for hours.

However, the stain seemed to have disappeared. He could not find it anywhere at all, no matter how much he was looking for it. He lowered his head and let his tears fall. He felt betrayed to the marrow of his bones. Even the stain left him now, his last friend and confidant in the whole world disappeared right when Wei Wuxian needed it the most. The last thing he had had to hold onto.

Why now? He had still not discovered the story behind it. And he had still not finished telling his own story to it. If he did not have anyone – or anything, it did not really matter at this point – on his side, he was afraid that once he would fall down, he would not be able to get back up. He was balancing on the edge of a cliff and there was no salvation or safety rope in sight. His soul was tired and hanging on with the last threads of sanity. He could fall any second.

Why did Lan Qiren insist on seeing him? And what kind of special lesson did he have in mind? Could Wei Wuxian just not go to him and have himself punished by Madame Yu instead of the chairman?

No, that would not work. Before Wei Wuxian realized it, he was being dragged through the hallways by Wen Zhuliu. At least this time, the teacher was holding him by his elbow and not his ear. Then again, it was impossible as the ears were occupied by Wei Wuxian's own hands.

Who knew why, Wei Wuxian suddenly erupted in a series of half sobs half giggles. He found his current circumstances hilarious. Who would not laugh at him? He could as well have some fun too, on his own account.

He flinched when the heavy metal door leading to the hallway in front of the chairman's office closed behind him and Wen Zhuliu. There was no escape here anymore. He could no longer run away from the special lecture. Wei Wuxian started trembling even harder, if due to cold or fear, he was not going to decide. It was better if he himself did not know.

Wen Zhuliu curtly knocked on Lan Qiren's door but opened it without waiting for an invitation. It was rude, Wei Wuxian thought for himself. He had been the only one invited, so why was the teacher butting in? He was not there to be on Wei Wuxian's side anyway, so what did he want? Was he after more entertainment? Had Wei Wuxian ridiculing himself in front of the whole school not been enough?

"Chairman, I brought 999002," Wen Zhuliu announced their arrival. Lan Qiren lifted his head from a pile of documents he had been working on and scowled at Wei Wuxian. The world stopped.