Futile Devices Scans

The girl who suddenly appeared before Ke Bu and Su You Yan was Dora. She had the delicate features of a porcelain doll. Upon seeing Ke Bu, she clasped her hands behind her back and lightly skipped over to him. Her eyes curved into crescents above a smiling mouth, revealing pointed canine teeth. “Well, if it isn’t Ke Bu. So you go to this school too?” Ke Bu didn’t know what expression to use in response to Dora’s smile. Behind that smile lay his fear. He stood frozen in place, not even noticing his fingers trembling. Ke Bu could never forget Dora. Even though he had tried, her existence remained deeply engraved in both his and Zhi Li’s memories, becoming an unspoken topic that they both instinctively avoided. She was different from Lan Yin’s malice and different from You Yan’s coldness. Dora was darkness itself. Beneath her cute, petite exterior hid a heart so deep that no one could see the bottom.

The wound on his leg began to ache faintly again. Su You Yan noticed the obvious change in Ke Bu’s demeanor. Dora, however, seemed unconcerned by his reaction and continued, “I heard Brother Zhi Li has a lover now. I wonder if it’s true. I really want to meet them. Do you know who it is, Ke Bu?” Tilting her head, Dora looked at him with large, innocent-looking eyes. If Ke Bu didn’t know Dora, he would have fallen for it. She was the perfect actress—flawless. Ke Bu clenched his fingers. Dora turned toward Su You Yan. “Could it be you?”

“What if I said it was?” Su You Yan stared back expressionlessly. Ke Bu was about to speak, but a stern glance from Su You Yan stopped him. How humiliating. Was his fear really that obvious? You Yan, was it not too kind of you to tell such a reckless lie?

“Hello, my name is Dora. What’s yours?”

“Su You Yan.”

“That’s such a lovely name. I’ll remember it. Please take care of me in the future.”

The door to the clubroom opened. Zhi Li stood within the soft light, having changed into clean clothes. A fresh scent accompanied his still-damp hair. Dora turned her head, and something flickered in her eyes—happiness, excitement, the shy delight of a young girl. This was real. Ke Bu could never truly understand Dora, but he was absolutely certain of one thing: her feelings for Zhi Li were obsessive, twisted, and even somewhat ugly.

Zhi Li paused. “Dora?”

“Brother Zhi Li, I finally get to see you. Aren’t you surprised?” Dora stepped forward and affectionately wrapped herself around his arm.

“When did you get back?”

“I came to find you the moment I got off the plane. It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other, after all. Brother Zhi Li, take me around the school. Sorry, You Yan, can I borrow Brother Zhi Li for a little while?” Without waiting for an answer, she pulled Zhi Li away.

“Is that really alright?” Su You Yan asked.

Ke Bu shook his head. “She has the right to do that. Zhi Li can’t refuse her.”

“Who exactly is she?”

“You could say she’s Zhi Li’s younger sister. She’s the adopted daughter of Zhi Li’s uncle and grew up in Zhi Li’s home. Calling them childhood sweethearts wouldn’t be an exaggeration.”

“I see.” Su You Yan picked up her things, preparing to leave. Ke Bu stopped her. “You Yan, why did you lie?”

“I just said it casually. If she chooses to believe it, that’s her problem.”

“Don’t let Dora get close to you. She’s dangerous. I won’t allow you to do this. I’m going to talk to Dora and make things clear.”

“It’s alright, Ke Bu. Let me meet this Dora for myself.” There was a determination in Su You Yan’s eyes that left no room for argument. Ke Bu watched her leave before collapsing weakly into a chair. It would not be alright. Pressing a hand against his leg, he remembered that Dora’s possessiveness toward Zhi Li had long ago reached a frightening level. Though she attended school elsewhere, she would occasionally visit Zhi Li’s high school. Anyone who was close to Zhi Li would suffer for it to some extent, and Ke Bu was no exception. Dora could not tolerate the existence of anyone who stood closer to Zhi Li than she did. At first, Ke Bu had brushed off her arrival and the petty pranks that accompanied it. Then one day, Dora found him in a stairwell. Wearing that same innocent smile, she said, “Ke Bu, what exactly do you want from Brother Zhi Li? It disgusts me just looking at you. You don’t deserve to stay by Brother Zhi Li’s side. You’re not even qualified to be his dog.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ke Bu tried to leave, but Dora stepped into his path. Staring at her, he asked, “What do you want?”

“What do I want?” The smile vanished from Dora’s face. In its place appeared something terrifying, as if darkness itself were about to burst from her eyes. Leaning close to Ke Bu’s ear, she enunciated each word slowly. “I. Want. You. Dead.” Ke Bu could not believe what he was hearing. He stared into Dora’s eyes. She was serious. She wasn’t joking. It was the first time he had ever seen such a terrifying gaze. Dora placed both hands on his shoulders and shoved him hard. His center of gravity tipped backward. His heart seemed to leap into his throat. He didn’t even have the strength to cry out before tumbling down the stairwell. Pain exploded from his knee. Cold sweat poured from his forehead as he clutched his leg and let out a low, pained groan. “Ugh…”

Dora clasped her hands behind her back and lightly skipped down the stairs. Lowering her head, she asked, “What’s wrong? Does it hurt?” Then she smiled. “You can go tell Brother Zhi Li if you want. Tell him that his dearest little sister did something this awful. Who do you think he’ll believe—me, the obedient little girl who’s always behaved herself in front of him since childhood, or you?” Ke Bu clenched his teeth and glared at Dora. The pain was so intense that he couldn’t even speak.

“My, how scary. Is the dog about to bite someone?” Dora’s smile vanished. “If you can still make that kind of face, then I guess it doesn’t hurt enough.” She lifted a foot and stomped hard on the injured leg Ke Bu was clutching. Hard. There was no hesitation, no sympathy. Only cruelty, mixed with a trace of pleasure at tormenting him. Ke Bu’s consciousness began to blur. The last thing he saw before closing his eyes was Dora’s terrifying face. Later, when he woke up, he learned that Zhi Li had been the one to take him to the hospital. Looking at Ke Bu’s leg, Zhi Li asked, “How did this happen?”

Ke Bu scratched the back of his head and met his gaze without looking away. “I lost my footing and fell down the stairs.”

“Are you an idiot?”

Zhi Li stayed until Ke Bu’s parents arrived, then left. Ke Bu never mentioned Dora. It wasn’t because of Dora’s warning. A small part of it was the pathetic pride he had as a boy, which made it impossible for him to run to Zhi Li and complain. But the larger reason was that Dora was Zhi Li’s family. They had grown up together; there was no way there were no feelings between them. Zhi Li regarded her as a real younger sister. Ke Bu simply could not bring himself to speak badly about Dora in front of Zhi Li. He didn’t want to force Zhi Li into the uncomfortable position of choosing between them.

But the matter didn’t end there. One day, while Ke Bu was still in the hospital, the white curtain around his bed was suddenly pulled aside. Dora stood there holding a bouquet of flowers, her face full of remorse. Sitting up in bed, Ke Bu instinctively scooted backward a little. Hanging her head like a child who had done something wrong, Dora said, “I’m sorry. I only acted that way because I got upset when I saw you with Brother Zhi Li. I didn’t mean to do it. Brother Zhi Li told me to come apologize to you.”

“Zhi Li knows?” Ke Bu looked at Dora’s guilt-ridden face.

“I told him everything. He scolded me and said that if you didn’t forgive me, he’d never speak to me again. Are you still angry with me? I really didn’t know what I was doing back then, Ke Bu. I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry.” Dora’s eyes were filled with sincerity. Letting out a sigh, Ke Bu said, “It’s alright. Really. My leg will heal soon.” Leaning on his crutches, he stood up. Dora immediately moved to support him by the shoulder. “Are you going to the restroom? I’ll help you.”

“It’s fine. I can manage something this simple.”

“But your leg ended up like this partly because of me. Please let me help you. Otherwise, my conscience won’t let me rest.” Looking at Dora’s profile, Ke Bu reminded himself that she was still a girl three years younger than him. Maybe she really had only acted on impulse. Allowing Dora to support him, he walked with her until they reached the stairwell. For some reason, a feeling of fear rose within him. Then Dora spoke, her voice very soft.

“I lied.”

“What?”

“Brother Zhi Li doesn’t know anything.”

“You—” Ke Bu’s face turned pale. Why? He couldn’t see through this girl at all. Dora took away his crutch. Ke Bu grabbed the handrail for support. Tilting her head, she blinked her large eyes at him. “You’ll die this time, right?” A sharp pain throbbed in Ke Bu’s temples. Just then, a doctor happened to pass by, and Ke Bu immediately shouted to get his attention. When he turned back, Dora was gone. After that, Ke Bu remained in the hospital for a full month. Dora’s face haunted him constantly. The look in her eyes—the look that wished he would disappear from the world—became a recurring nightmare.

Eventually, Dora was caught red-handed by Zhi Li while she was bullying one of the girls in his class. Zhi Li only scolded her lightly, but Dora completely lost control. Unable to bear it, she broke down hysterically. Tears streamed down her face as she cried, “Why are you scolding me? They’re the ones who hate Dora! They’re the ones trying to drive me away from your side! All you saw was me bullying them. You never saw them bullying me! And now you’re scolding me too! It’s all Brother Zhi Li’s fault! It’s all Brother Zhi Li’s fault! If you hate me that much, then I might as well die!” Everyone assumed it was just a little girl throwing a tantrum. But then Dora grabbed a utility knife from a nearby desk and pressed the sharp blade against her wrist. “It’s all Brother Zhi Li’s fault. It’s all Brother Zhi Li’s fault.” She repeated the words over and over. Frowning, Zhi Li stepped toward her. Without a moment’s hesitation, Dora dragged the blade across her wrist. Blood poured from the wound, running down her fingers and dripping onto the floor. Then she collapsed. Zhi Li caught her and pressed a hand over the wound. “Get me a towel. Hurry!” he shouted at the stunned bystanders. The others scrambled to find one. Zhi Li wrapped it around Dora’s wrist, then lifted her small, fragile body into his arms and carried her out of the classroom. “What kind of stupid thing are you doing?!”

“Is Brother Zhi Li still angry with Dora?”

Looking at Dora’s pale, aggrieved face, Zhi Li replied, “I’m not angry anymore. Alright, stop talking.”

“That’s good. That’s so good.” Dora spoke softly.

Later, Ke Bu heard that Dora had suffered a psychological breakdown and had been sent overseas for treatment. From that point onward, Zhi Li carried an extra measure of guilt toward her. And now, Dora was back. She had grown up considerably. But the moment Ke Bu saw her smile again, he knew she had never changed. The look she gave him seemed to say: So you’re still alive. He could see it. Her darkness was already wrapping itself around You Yan.

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