The teaching buildings and dormitories after the semester are really worthy of the term "people go to empty buildings". Although there will be a parent-teacher conference tomorrow, because there is no need for students to be present, everyone almost invariably throws up their school bags and runs home after school. It's almost certain that we won't be able to see them again until next year. It's good, as long as you know that you can still see it, it won't be so sad to part. At least I wasn't sad at all when Ye Ruiyang said goodbye to me, I wanted to see him, just take out my mobile phone at night and make an appointment to play a game. In the end, the times have progressed.

"Keco, Miller, I'm home too. See you next semester. Tao Tao put away his things, left the bare bed board and walked to the door, "Thank you very much." I've improved a lot. ”

He squinted and smiled. The two of us got up and went to him and wished the family a great time at Gorge Lake. When you feel that you have truly helped someone, that sense of joy will envelop you from the inside out, making you feel that everything is worth it, and you have an eternal urge to make the world a little better.

"Goodbye, we'll see you next year." Miller smiled happily as well. This surprised me a little, probably because he still didn't do well in his final exams, and he didn't smile much after the results. This time, he ranked 101st in the school, and fell outside the 100th, which was 70 places higher than the midterm "regression" - in fact, there is no "regression", there are already many good students in the first middle school, and the difference of one point will greatly fluctuate in the ranking. Looking at the ranking difference, in fact, the score difference is not too big. But after all, Mi Le did so well in the midterm exam, and he couldn't help but want to be in the top ten for a while, and this result definitely gave him a little blow. Although the face is not gloomy, it is also a little helpless and low. I saw it all in my eyes, but I didn't know how to comfort him. I haven't been very good at comforting people, which is difficult, once I don't say it well, I will reveal other people's scars again. So, just don't say anything and just stay with him.

Today is no exception. If I want to go home, I can go back tonight, but it's not bad for half a day, just stay with him, whether it's homework, playing games or watching movies, it doesn't matter, I listen to him. Anyway, we won't see each other for nearly a month, so let's stay together for a while when we can.

Tao Tao left. It was just me and Miller in the dormitory, but this time the other three beds were empty, and it was completely our "world of two". I have a deep impression of this word, I watched "Family with Children" before, once Xia Yu took advantage of the family to go out, called a little girl to the house to play, and said, "This is our two-person world". The little girl said, "If my dad hears you, he will tell your dad to spank you." Seeing this, Xianxian laughed and kicked his legs on the sofa, but I didn't react. At night, my mother went into the room to mop the floor, and Xianxian learned the words on TV and said to her, Mom, don't you come to disturb the world of my brother and me. Mom was amused by him, but she still reluctantly got serious, saying that children should not use the word "two-person world" indiscriminately. I'm snickering.

"What are you smirking at?" Miller tilted his head to look at me and pouted, "It's weird." ”

"It's winter vacation." I immediately made an excuse.

"What's so good about winter break?" He very naturally lay down on my bed, as if he had collapsed on his own bed, "I have to go back to my hometown to see those relatives, and it is not interesting at all." ”

I restrained my smile, sat down on the edge of the bed, tapped his knee very calmly, and looked at his leg and swung it twice out of thin air.

"Hmph, it's all my dad's fault. After the last midterm exam, I had to send my report card to someone's family, but now it's okay, this time people ask me how I did in the exam, and see how he gets off the stage. Miller's eyes looked unconcerned, but I guess he was worried about his father. I patted his skinny thigh again, but he didn't look at me, fiddling with his fingers, still hiding his anxiety.

"Those people don't know anything else, they will ask two things as soon as the New Year comes, how are the grades, and whether the object is found. It seems that there is nothing more important in the world. By the way, there is another one, which is to take the civil service exam. He sneered and told me that in their place, even if you graduate from Harvard and Yale, as soon as you go home, someone will tell you that you might as well take the civil service exam.

"Then tell them you've found a partner." I quipped.

"Where is it, I ask my brothers and sisters who are in college." He frowned, his mouth crooked, and suddenly he couldn't help laughing again, "Besides, how can I have a partner?" I can't make up one, so I can't say that I'm looking at you. ”

I pretended to be angry and shoved him, and then told him with a hippie smile that you would take out two chess elephants from your pocket when the time came, wouldn't that be your "object"? We were both happy.

"I don't want it. In the future, if they really ask me if I have a partner, I will say that it is you. They want to know that I'm a boy, and they think I have a brain problem, and they won't ask me all this nonsense again. He laughed and grimaced at me, "Okay, just kidding, don't take it seriously." In other words, you did well in the final exam this time, it's the best ever, and you have to treat yourself if you do well! ”

I did a good job this time, 191. It's amazing to say, my best test is much worse than Miller's worst, and he still wants me to have a treat? But it makes sense, after all, everyone is completely different. This ranking was quite surprising to me, although the old class kept telling me that I was in the top 200 in the whole school, but I never thought so. As far as Tao Tao is concerned, he looks at my grades just like I look at my sister's grades. My sister is in the top 20 again this time, she is always so stable, and it is not easy for Miller to get almost the same as her in the exam once. There are so many differences between people, so it would be a bit unfair to use one standard all the time. Moreover, people may only focus on this standard itself, and a lot of the things behind it will be forgotten. Just like Miller, although he didn't do so well in the exam this time, he has always been very serious. There is only a 10-point difference between 101 and 71, but for the troubled people in Miller's family, they can't see Miller's diligence, nor can they see the short 10-point gap, all they see is that Miller is no longer 31, nor 71, but 101, and he is not in the top 100 in the school.

Come on, those who don't understand anything and judge how far they go.

It was a little late, and we didn't go to Qinhan Square, so we ate a bunch of junk food at the school gate. Unhealthy is unhealthy, and happiness is true happiness. It's so blissful to be able to irresponsibly stuff things into your stomach. Wiping a mouthful of oil—maybe gutter oil—we headed back to our dorm room. There is no evening self-study tonight. The two of us sat at the desk and did our homework. Maybe my grades have improved because I'm studying at the same table with Miller every weekend? In the past, I was not so interested in learning, but I was not so resistant, the homework would not be delayed for too long but it would not be completed immediately, and I would do it if the teacher assigned additional homework after class, but if I did not assign it, I would no longer sort out the mistakes or practice on my own. After all, No. 1 Middle School is a very competitive school, and if you don't advance against the current, you will retreat, and according to my previous learning methods, it may not be long before I get worse and worse in the exams. But I'm still making a little bit of progress now. Mom and Dad must be happy. I can't say I'm excited, but I think it's pretty good. Who doesn't want to get a good grade?

"Ke Ke, the more you write, the better you write." I was writing my language homework when he suddenly said to me. I was startled, and subconsciously looked at what I had written, and inadvertently I had written several pages, densely packed with small black letters. Am I so patient when it comes to homework?

"You know, your previous words were very strange, especially your composition." "You always write very big at first, and you're about to fill up the frame," he said, deftly turning the pen around. Later, the more I wrote, the smaller it became, like a deflated ball, slowly shrinking. You know, I also doubted that you are schizophrenic, and the Ke Ke who writes the beginning and the Ke Ke who writes the end are not the same person. But your current words are very unified, and they won't be big and small. It seems that the problem has been cured. ”

I stuck out my tongue. I don't know why my words are suddenly less "divided", probably because of Miller. Every word he writes is well-behaved and square. Maybe he slowly influenced me. I have a friend who writes very well, and I am always embarrassed to write my homework crookedly.

One person's influence on another person is so great that something as big as it is can make a difference. However, it is not surprising. Haven't I changed someone's life in a big way? Millet has changed me as well, but I'm getting better and better, very willing, very hungry for that change. Perhaps, I can really get better? But...... What's the use of me getting better? A lot of things can't be changed.

"Ke Ke, you say, will I become a bad person?"

After lying down on the bed together, he asked softly in my ear.

"How is that possible?" My first reaction.

"But sometimes I feel like I have bad intentions." His voice was calm, and the breath that accompanied the words came warmly on my face, making me a little nervous.

"What do you mean?"

"Have you heard that weird rumor......"

He said this slowly, and as soon as he said it, the hairs on my body stood up at least half. During military training, Ye Ruiyang once told ghost stories in the dormitory competition with Brother Chuan, and I was once so scared that I didn't dare to go out to the toilet at night. I've never liked to hear "school legends". I don't know what Miller is going to say, I just know that there are few "living people" on this floor of the dormitory, and if there are really ghosts, isn't the empty dormitory building just where they will haunt?

Miller was halfway through his words, looking at me in the dark, presumably waiting for my answer. But I was scared to death, and I wanted to say that I had heard but I didn't dare. I'm really scared of ghosts, and what's worse now is that I'm not alone. Although he wasn't before, although Xianxian was also smaller than me, he was stronger than me after all, and he was more courageous than me, as long as it wasn't a small thing that could fly, he could do it for me, and I didn't have to be afraid of anything. I think Miller must have the same guts as me, and his body is still much thinner than mine. What should I do if something terrible does come to my door? Before, of course, I could have run away with peace of mind, or be protected by Xianxian (he had protected others), but not anymore. I'll want to run away, I'll want to run away as hard as I can. But Miller was by my side, and I couldn't escape on my own. But what can I do? Nothing had happened yet, and I was so scared......

"It's just a senior in high school, and he studies very well, but all his test scores are fake." Seeing that I was slow to react, he continued.

Breathe a sigh of relief. I'm kind of tempted to punch Miller.

"I haven't heard of it. Why is it weird? ”

"It is said that he has a gunman, and he can help him with questions in exams and competitions. He is in the top ten in every subject, has won a bunch of awards in various science competitions, mathematics, physics and chemistry, and is now in his third year of high school, and it is said that as long as he gets a line, he can go to Tsinghua University. However, I heard that he took the 'small college entrance examination' last year and almost failed chemistry. Isn't it weird, you say? A person who can win a prize in a national competition almost fails a simple test. ”

"But I've also seen students who won essay competitions who didn't do well in the Chinese exam. Sometimes exams and competitions are different, and the simple ones are more difficult than the esoteric ones. ”

"But it's still very unreasonable, he doesn't even understand the basics, how can he figure it out more difficult?"

"Isn't it bad for us to talk about people behind our backs? Besides, we don't study chemistry until the third year of junior high school. ”

"I understand. But if he really cheats, isn't it unfair to everyone? Don't let people say a word yet? ”

"That's right, but if you think there's something wrong with him, go find evidence. And, what does that have to do with whether or not you're going to be a bad guy? I thought for a moment, "Do you think it's bad to report someone?" ”

"Sort of. If someone reports him, I feel like his life is over. Millet's voice was a little timid.

"No, if he does something bad, he will be punished, and it is not right to let him go unpunished. Didn't you just say that cheating is unfair to everyone? Why are you soft-hearted now? His retreat stimulated me a little, and he wanted me to occupy a high point of "absolute justice", "You think, the number of winners in the competition is limited, and the number of places in Tsinghua University is also limited, if he occupies a place by cheating, then another person will be squeezed out by him, and that person's fate will be changed, just like the previous news report said that impersonating someone else to go to college." Is this kind of person not evil? ”

"I understand, I don't need you to tell me." In the dark, his words were a little dull, and I seemed to be a little too excited. Silence enveloped the empty room and the small bed underneath.

"I feel like everyone only gets one chance." A low voice rang out again a moment later, "A chance to be trusted." If everyone knew that he was cheating and a liar, they would definitely never pay attention to him again. That's probably what 'social death' means. So, it's hard to expose even a bad guy. You will completely change the person's life. He may get worse because everyone will see him as a bad person, and it will be hard for him to be believed. I don't think I'm responsible for this outcome......"

"You don't need to be responsible for this outcome. It was his own choice, and it was his own way to be the bad guy. Since we have decided not to be a bad person, we cannot indulge him, otherwise what is the difference between us and a bad person? ”

I almost blurted it out. To this day, I doubt more and more my firmness at the time – in fact, I was doubting it shortly after that night. Maybe it's not what Millet thinks, but if, I mean, that guy really cheats, and we expose him, maybe he's not necessarily going to be alienated, but he's going to get a lot of sympathy. It may be us who are alienated, after all, we all don't like people who make small reports, even though everyone has been taught from a young age that cheating is not right.

"You're right, you're right. So, let me ask you something. ”

I nodded, and he leaned his head close to my ear, and I leaned it towards him.

"If I cheat, you know, will you report me?"

"No, it won't. But I don't want you to cheat. ”

"If I don't listen to you, or continue to cheat, will you sue the teacher?"

"No, it won't."

"If one day someone tells the teacher and says to the teacher that you always knew about it, just don't say it. The teacher grabbed you and said to you, Ke Peiwei, I know everything, I'll give you a chance now, if you tell me all about Mi Le, I'll let you go, will you say? ”

"No, it won't."

"If you don't say it, you are his accomplice, and you will be punished with him."

"Punish it."

"I don't care which of you two cheats, the punishment is exactly the same, very heavy."

"Punish it."

"Not afraid?"

"Don't be afraid."

"Then what are you crying about?"

"I didn't cry. I'm just sleepy yawning. ”

"You're a double standard."

"I don't have a double standard. If you do something wrong, you should be punished, and I didn't say a word. ”

"Then listen up." He turned my head around, and I saw him blinking those bright eyes, looking at me in the dark. I wiped the corners of my eyes, opened my mouth, and let out a yawn that didn't look like it.

"I've never cheated before, and I never will. Because I hate this kind of person very much, and because I know that if people do bad things, countless people will be implicated. Not just the victims, but also the people who matter most to you. I don't want to disappoint them, and I don't want them to be bad for me. So, I decided to be a good person. I've already decided, and no one wants to change me. ”

Looking at his face, which looked as serious as a schoolboy who had just put on a red scarf, I was sincerely happy.

"And what if I do something bad?"

"Come on, what bad things can you do with your guts? They bullied and bullied me. ”

"Really?"

"Okay, I know I bullied you. You're so good-tempered. ”

As he spoke, he reached out and pinched my face. I let him fiddle with it. It wasn't the same thing that the two of us were thinking just now. Miller thought I was talking about who bullied whom, and I wasn't thinking about that. I'm cowardly, but that doesn't mean I can't do bad things. I've done it, and no one can change it.

"Keko? Why don't you speak? Sleepy? ”

"Well, sleepy." I yawned again, but it still didn't look like it.

"Then let's sleep. Although I still want to talk to you. ”

"You say. Anyway, you don't have to wake up early tomorrow. ”

"It's my bad intentions. Actually, I don't just hate that guy because he might be cheating. After all, there is no evidence for anyone. Maybe I'm a little envious of him or jealous of him, so I subconsciously feel that there is something wrong with him. ”

"It's normal to be jealous of someone. You didn't hurt him. ”

"But I have this kind of thought, isn't it bad?"

Actually, I think I have that in mind, too. I've also envied or envied someone, very, very jealous. But he is the most important person to me, and I have hurt him many times, sometimes with malice. But I never wanted to hurt him, to make him disappear forever. That thought was terrible, and it really flashed through my mind. My bad intentions are much worse than Millet's.

"Nope. Miller has always been good. I love Millet. ”

"Huh?" He seemed a little surprised, and turned his head. After a while, he told me that he liked Kopeway too. After saying that, he turned his face away.

"But I seem to have discovered my own thoughts...... Well, I was hesitant to talk to you about whether or not to report it. You say, if he didn't cheat, and I, out of jealousy, went to pick his thorns, pull his pigtails, and look righteous and jealous, would I really destroy him? ”

"I don't know. It's kind of scary. ”

"That's right, so you must be able to live up to your conscience. If everyone deliberately reports others under the guise of selfish interests, there will be no trust at all. I'm afraid I'll end up hiding under the covers and whispering to you – just like today, I can't say anything to anyone else at any other time. ”

It was a bit scary that everyone was reporting each other, making small reports, and thinking they were righteous, and it was like the end of the world for me at the time. Perhaps, I also hide my secrets and bad intentions, and I don't want to be seen. But I was quite happy to hear Millet's words, probably because he already trusted me, even in that environment. I'll trust him too. However, neither of us experienced that kind of environment. I don't know if there is such an imaginary situation, will we still trust each other or will we betray each other. At least on the last night before the winter break, when we both wrapped ourselves in the quilt and talking softly, I believe that the two of us will never betray each other. I don't say it, but I think we've made a pact to be good people together – if I can be good people.