Chapter 90: Surrender

"Are you going to hit me?"
"If you're worried I'll hit you, you should keep your distance!"
"Actually, I'm here to surrender. Yes, unconditional surrender!" Dina really raised her hands, looking pitiful and vulnerable. "I used to bully you with them, and I'm sorry. If you still feel angry, you can bully me back."

Even with Xiaocheng's intelligence of over 300, he was at a loss for how to respond, because he had no clear goal in his heart. If he chose to take revenge on Dina, there were a hundred ways to go about it; if he chose to reconcile with the Ding family, that was an entirely different matter, with dozens of possible approaches. But the problem was, he didn't even know what he wanted. There was even a vague desire stirring within him, perhaps to do something more...

A girl like Dina—it's better to make her hate you than for her to ignore you.

"Don't you hate me?" Xiaocheng asked.
"I do! But what difference does it make?" Dina sighed. "I'm just a girl, I can't beat you. Even if I could find someone to beat you up, you'd only hurt for a few days and you wouldn't care, right? After all, I don't dare to kill you, so what's the point?"

Xiaocheng couldn't help but laugh silently. This girl really understood things.

"So, you've just resigned yourself?"

Dina smiled sweetly and invited Xiaocheng to sit beside her on the flower bed next to the garage. From here, you could see a small patch of the playground. It was noon, and occasionally a student would kick a soccer ball over. When they came to fetch it, they'd see the two of them sitting side by side, and their eyes would widen in surprise.

Now, there was no one at school who didn't know Wen Xiaocheng and Dina.

Girls rarely cared about being stared at. Dina deliberately leaned closer to Xiaocheng and said, "People have to accept their fate. I lost my mother when I was little. No matter how hard I try, she'll never come back. My father drags a lame leg, his spirit broken. What can I change, really? Actually, none of this has anything to do with you, but I need someone to hate. If there's no one to hate, how can I survive?"

Suddenly she turned: "So, I had to hate you."

Her words left Xiaocheng with a lump in his throat. The Ding family were victims too, even if Ding the Lame brought it on himself, but this girl was innocent...

"I hate you, but I think being your enemy is pointless. So, I surrender, to you and to life. No matter how strong-willed I am, I can't change anything. I might as well accept my fate."

Such words shouldn't come from the mouth of a fifteen-year-old girl.

"I've surrendered. How do you plan to treat your prisoner?"

Xiaocheng couldn't help but smile. "I never intended to do anything to you. I wouldn't hurt a girl."

"I'm your prisoner. Aren't you going to drag me home and make me your captive bride?"

Her words, paired with that inviting expression, nearly made Xiaocheng fall off the flower bed. He turned, eyes wide, staring at Dina, as if to say: Are you out of your mind?

"Isn't that the ultimate form of revenge? The feud started in the last generation, and now you're so powerful, you can take whatever you want from me. Isn't that what you desire?" The girl half-teased him.

Wen Xiaocheng was in shock, mouth agape.

Girl, have you read too many abusive romance novels? Or are you a natural masochist?

Dina continued, "I remember reading that to entangle yourself with someone for life, marry him! I thought it was a good idea. That way, all the money you earn goes to me, and you'll have to take care of my father until the end. That way, revenge is complete!"

Xiaocheng was speechless. Girl, you know you'll have to sleep with him too, right? Marriage isn't just about getting his bank card after registering. You have duties at night, and you'll be ravaged in every way. Are you prepared for that?

"If you accept me, I'll stick with you for life. Even if you don't, I'll never leave you. I'll cling to you every day, so you'll never find anyone better than me. Even if you do, you'll already be spoiled by me—like tasting the sweetest candy first, and afterward nothing else will satisfy you. That way, you'll never be happy, and I'll feel vindicated, since we're enemies!"

Girl, that's up to your skills—Xiaocheng stared wide-eyed in shock, as a shameless little Wen appeared in his mind to rant.

You do realize we're enemies, right? Marrying your enemy—how did you come up with that? I think there's someone in history who did that... Tang Monk's mother.

"At first, I was frightened by my own idea, but once it came up, I couldn't suppress it!" Dina muttered, as if talking to herself, looking up at the sky and voicing her thoughts: "If it's possible, let love resolve hatred. If not, let love be mutual destruction. Two hearts pressed tightly together, and when they separate, it's soul-shattering, bloody, and heartbreaking. That would finally relieve the hatred in my heart! Either way, I don't lose!"

"Is that so?" Wen Xiaocheng's face grew serious, and he placed his hand on the girl's knee. The thin stockings could not block the transfer of warmth, and he felt her body tense. Looking up at her face, he saw it was burning red.

"Are you thinking too simply? Aren't you afraid you'll lose out?"

The girl was a little nervous and gently pushed Xiaocheng's hand away. "You have to promise to be my boyfriend for me to let you touch."

"You hate me, but do you think I don't hate you?" After being refused, Xiaocheng said in a low voice, "Five years ago, your father led others into my house. He kicked my dad, and only then was his knee slashed. Who's to blame? My dad went to prison. Who should I hate? Your mother died, and it has nothing to do with me, but my mother ran away because of you! I became a child without parents—who should I hate?"

"When we started middle school, you were the queen bee, respected even in seventh grade, everyone called you Sister Na. And me? What kind of days have I had these past two years? Always anxious, living in fear, and still being cornered and beaten every few days—by you, a girl! Do you know how that feels?"

"What you did to me before, I can let go, but it doesn't mean I'll forgive you! Be my girlfriend? Do you think I'm too naive?"

Dina wasn't angry at all; instead, she smiled. "In the end, you're just scared, aren't you?" The implication: So what if you're not naive?

Xiaocheng knew it was a provocation, but still felt a flicker of anger.

"You're smart. You should understand what I mean. I hate you, you hate me, but neither of us can really stab the other. So what do we do? Let's fall in love! Only by loving can we truly hurt each other. Do you dare? Even if it's just an act, even if we know it's all fake!"

Xiaocheng narrowed his eyes, his gaze brazenly fixed on the girl's chest. She didn't back down; instead, she defiantly straightened her posture.

———
Let us love, for the sake of hatred! Don't stop me, I'm headed straight for Shakespeare!