novelraw Chapter 29: Sea of Darkness - (29)
Chapter 29: Sea of Darkness - (29)
As Kui Xin stepped into Teacher Wang’s home, she was greeted by the rich aroma of cooking food.
“Xiao Xin, you’re here. Please sit down.” Teacher Wang was picking vegetables on the balcony. “I’ve stewed some spare rib soup, and later I’ll make braised pork with garlic-steamed greens.”
“Let me help with the vegetables, Teacher.” Kui Xin pulled up a chair. “Is nobody else at home?”
“My husband is away on a business trip from his workplace, and my son decided to stay on campus to study during this summer break,” Teacher Wang said. “Once you go off to university, I’ll have my son pick you up.”
“No need; I can manage myself,” Kui Xin quickly declined. “The university is in the same province, quite close to our city. It’s just a half-day train ride, and there’s a direct bus from the train station to the school.”
“That won’t do. For a child’s first long journey, they must be accompanied. Wait until you’re familiar with the route before going alone,” Teacher Wang insisted. “Don’t always worry about causing me trouble; it doesn’t bother me. My son and I have already discussed it, and he readily agreed without hesitation.”
“… Alright.” Kui Xin swallowed her refusal and focused on cleaning the vegetables with her head bowed.
Teacher Wang asked, “Do you have any specific goals you want to achieve in university?”
“For now, my only goal is to focus on studying.” Kui Xin hesitated before responding. “The rest can be taken step by step—obtain the necessary certifications, strive for guaranteed admission to graduate school, and pursue a promising career in artificial intelligence.”
“You’re quite intelligent; have you considered trying for a civil service examination?” Teacher Wang suggested.“I don’t think that’s possible… Didn’t my dad run off overseas after his investment failure, absconding with funds?” Kui Xin replied. “If you search on the official website listing wanted fugitives, there might still be information about him being at large.”
Taken aback, Mr. Wang sighed and muttered, “What a disgrace.”
Kui Xin also felt that her father’s existence was indeed a disgrace.
But what could she do? Her dad was simply that kind of trash parent. Although this trash dad had seamlessly disappeared from Kui Xin’s life, he continued to have negative effects on her. In this lifetime, she could forget about securing a stable government job.
During Kui Xin’s childhood, she lived quite comfortably. Her family owned a large villa, and when visiting relatives back in their rural hometown, they would drive an impressive sedan. The villagers often spoke of how Kuix Xin Village had produced a prominent businessman who was also a respected figure in the city.
However, Kui Xin’s father became arrogant and divorced his wife to pursue another woman. In the following years, he gathered a group of dubious friends to seek investments. Eventually, the investments failed, leaving them unable to recover their losses. Seeing no other way out, Kui Xin’s father decided to abscond with the funds, fleeing abroad without any regard for his parents, relatives, or even the multiple mistresses he maintained.
When Trash Dad fled with the money, Kui Xin was still in elementary school.
Later, the villa was auctioned off, followed by the commercial properties and the sedan, yet it still wasn’t enough to settle the debts. Unable to bear the burden, Kui Xin’s mother left her in the care of her grandparents and disappeared herself.
Fortunately, the house belonging to Kui Xin’s grandparents was registered solely under their names, preventing it from being sold to repay debts.
Both Kui Xin’s grandfather and grandmother have passed away consecutively in the past two years. No relative was willing to take on the hot potato, which was Kui Xin. Without financial support, she relied on a distant uncle working in the same city to indirectly contact her mother, who resided elsewhere. As a result, Kui Xin’s mother began sending her a monthly allowance of 800 yuan for living expenses.
Kui Xin had no idea whether her mother had remarried if she was doing well, which city she lived in, or how she looked now.
The monthly bank transfer records were the only connection between Kui Xin and her mother.
Reflecting on her childhood memories, Kui Xin realized that she had almost completely forgotten those past experiences—whether they were sad or happy, all recollections had faded away. Upon careful introspection, what remained was merely numbness and indifference.
To her, both “father” and “mother” had become mere symbolic labels, devoid of meaningful emotional resonance.
This might be due to the body’s protective mechanisms at work. Kui Xin recalled that when her family first faced adversity, she felt immense fear and injustice, crying incessantly every day. However, crying proved futile; there was no one to comfort her, and excessive tears would even result in beatings from her grandparents. Eventually, she stopped crying altogether.
It wasn’t because she learned to endure and suppress her emotions; rather, she ceased feeling anything at all, becoming utterly numb.
Regardless, she knew she would somehow find a way to survive. At worst, she could go to a welfare home, and once she reached adulthood, she could figure out a means to work and rent a basement dwelling. In modern society, starvation is not inevitable.
This was the worst-case scenario Kui Xin envisioned as she began to understand her circumstances better.
The actual circumstances turned out to be far better than her worst-case scenario. She had inherited the old family house from her grandparents, and after completing compulsory education, she excelled academically and was admitted to a prestigious high school. With the support of scholarships and the care of her teachers, she endured through three years of high school. Finally, her perseverance paid off as she got accepted into a highly reputable university.
Kui Xin firmly believed that effort yields rewards, and hardships are temporary.
With unreliable parents, she relied on herself.
“Your teacher has never asked before, but how is your father doing now?” Teacher Wang’s tone was gentle.
“We haven’t been in contact for almost a decade. He might have fallen seriously ill abroad and passed away,” Kui Xin speculated solemnly. “After embezzling funds and fleeing, he didn’t have a proper passport, no green card, no social security, and was unfamiliar with foreign lands… I vaguely recall that his English wasn’t good either. There’s even a possibility he could have been tricked and trafficked into mining work. In countries where firearms aren’t restricted, the chances of encountering accidents are much higher compared to here. He may already have died in some unknown corner… In short, I personally believe my father is no longer alive.”
“…?”
This child genuinely wishes for her dad’s death. Although given what a scumbag he was, anyone would likely feel the same way.
With affection, Teacher Wang placed a serving of braised pork on Kui Xin’s plate and poured her a bowl of fragrant spare rib soup, saying, “Eat more, Xiao Xin; look how thin you’ve become.”
After finishing lunch at the teacher’s home, Kui Xin chatted with her for a while. At around 2 PM, she proceeded to tutor the young girl as per the teacher’s address.
In reality, the girl wasn’t much younger than Kui Xin; she had taken a year off from school due to illness during her first year of high school and struggled to catch up ever since returning.
At the peak of her rebellious teenage phase, she wouldn’t listen to her parents. When they hired tutors, she resisted learning and even argued with them. Her parents, running out of options, decided to find someone close to her age with excellent academic achievements, hoping it would make her less resistant to studying.
In those days, the average hourly rate for university student tutors in the city where Kui Xin lived ranged from fifty to one hundred yuan. Kui Xin’s wage was eighty yuan per hour, which was certainly not low.
Kui Xin arrived at the young girl’s house promptly at the scheduled time.
She rang the doorbell and patiently waited for it to open.
With her exceptional hearing, Kui Xin detected faint footsteps behind the door. The peephole was blocked, indicating that someone was observing her through it.
“Is anyone there? I’m Kui Xin, referred to by Teacher Wang Yange, here to tutor Su Rong.” She clarified her purpose.
Several seconds passed, but the door remained closed. Puzzled, Kui Xin stared at the obstructed peephole and knocked again.
“Rongrong, why aren’t you opening the door for them?” asked the woman inside the house.
“I wanted to confirm who it was first,” muttered the girl behind the door.
With a creak, the door opened.
A lovely girl stood at the entrance, examining Kui Xin closely. “Hello there! I’m Su Rong. I didn’t open earlier because I couldn’t clearly see who you were.”
“Hi, I’m Kui Xin.” Kui Xin nodded politely.
Su Rong’s mother, carrying a tray of sliced fruits, warmly welcomed Kui Xin into their home. “Kui Xin, right? Please come in and take a seat. Your teacher Wang is an old friend of mine.”
“Auntie, hello,” Kui Xin said courteously. “My teacher mentioned that Su Rong primarily needs help with mathematics. My math grades are quite good, so I’ll do my best to strengthen her foundation, making it less challenging for her during her senior year.”
“No rush; let’s relax first. It’s hot outside; have some fruit to cool down.” Su Rong’s mother gestured for Kui Xin to sit on the sofa. “Our Rongrong hasn’t done well in math. Despite trying several tutors, her grades haven’t improved much—it worries me greatly.”
Unable to resist, Su Rong exclaimed, “Mom!”
Although Su Rong and Kui Xin were around the same age, if they stood side by side, anyone would perceive Kui Xin as the older one because of her mature demeanor and aura.
Kui Xin’s gaze and demeanor were remarkably mature; she already carried herself with some of the traits typical of a grown adult. In contrast, Su Rong, living in a happy family and not yet immersed in society, exuded a wholly youthful appearance from head to toe, her face bearing a hint of innocent naivety, making it difficult for her to conceal her emotions.
“In a moment, I’ll discuss Su Rong’s academic progress with her,” Kui Xin thought briefly before suggesting. “Why don’t we start with a trial session today? It will help us both adjust to each other’s teaching and learning styles.”
Su Rong’s mother readily agreed.
Kui Xin genuinely struggled with interacting with elders, having very limited experience in such situations. After enduring ten awkward minutes of small talk, Su Rong couldn’t take it anymore. She stood up and said, “Sister Xinxin and I are going to our room to study now, Mom. Didn’t you mention how valuable time is?”
Calling Kui Xin “teacher” felt uncomfortable to her, as there wasn’t much age difference between them. However, using anything else seemed disrespectful. Cleverly finding a middle ground, Su Rong opted to address her as “Sister Xinxin.”
The sight of her daughter taking the initiative to study delighted Su Rong’s mother beyond expectation. She promptly responded, “Alright, go ahead. Turn on the air conditioning and bring the fruit platter inside to enjoy while studying.”
Feeling as if she had been granted a reprieve, Kui Xin hastily followed Su Rong out of the living room.
“Why do adults always have so much to say?” Su Rong closed her bedroom door. “Forget it; let’s not dwell on that now. Let’s focus on studying. To be honest, I scored only thirty points on my math final, and twenty of those were guesses.”
“I heard from Teacher Wang that you don’t like math?” Kui Xin indirectly asked.
Teacher Wang’s exact words weren’t phrased like that; he originally said, “Su Rong seems somewhat disinterested in academics.” Of course, Kui Xin couldn’t directly mention this in front of Su Rong, so she rephrased her question.
Su Rong blushed. “Yes, I’m not fond of it…”
Kui Xin took Su Rong’s mathematics textbook, which was as pristine as a blank sheet of paper—no notes written, no incorrect problems marked. She said, “With just one year left before the high school exam, aiming for a score above 100 in your math is unrealistic, but with effort, achieving sixty or seventy points is still possible.”
Most people in the world are not geniuses; individuals with average IQs form the majority. Su Rong wasn’t a prodigy either, with her high school mathematics foundation effectively at zero. Improving her grades posed a genuine headache for Kui Xin.
“Are you an arts student?” Kui Xin asked. “How much time do you spend each day studying your art form? This will help me plan your study schedule for academics.”
“I’m learning acting,” Su Rong hesitated before saying, “but I don’t want to pursue it as an arts student anymore; instead, I’d like to take the regular high school exam route.”
“Have you discussed this with your parents?” Kui Xin was puzzled and questioned.
“N-no, not yet,” Su Rong replied. “Before, I wanted to become a celebrity… Now, I feel that being a celebrity might not be so great after all… Ah, in short, if given the choice, I would prefer having an ordinary job.”
Kui Xin could only say, “With your current grades, taking the regular high school exam path may be quite challenging.”
Su Rong, feeling dejected, responded, “I know… But I’ll try my best to learn, Sister Xinxin. There’s still one year left, and unless I give it my all, I’ll never discover my true limits.”
This genuine display of determination… Kui Xin couldn’t detect any signs of Su Rong’s supposed aversion to studying. Teacher Wang wouldn’t have lied about her disinterest, so has Su Rong changed her heart on her own?
Kui Xin felt inexplicably that Su Rong looked somewhat familiar as if she had seen her somewhere, but upon careful reflection, she couldn’t recall where.
Su Rong possessed exceptional physical attributes, and with proper makeup and styling, she could easily rival the beauty of celebrities.
A celebrity?! A sudden realization struck Kui Xin’s mind as she recalled where she had seen Su Rong’s face before—it was on the projection screens advertising in the Second World.
She had once observed the street-side billboards with curiosity and noted countless faces, both real and virtual. Among them, Su Rong’s visage stood out; she bore a striking resemblance to a celebrity featured in one of the Second World’s advertisements!
No wonder Su Rong peered suspiciously through the door viewer when Kui Xin visited her home, and no wonder a disinterested student suddenly changed overnight, becoming ambitious and eager to study. It seemed she had experienced the merciless baptism of the Second World.
Kui Xin surmised that Su Rong was likely a player herself!