The crowd still buzzed with restless whispers after Song Mei's sharp words. Her cold gaze swept across the corridor once more, daring anyone to speak against her. No one did. Not even the teachers.
Then, without another word, she turned and walked out.
Her back was straight, her steps steady—an image that struck the onlookers harder than any argument could.
Song Lei's nails dug into his palms as he watched her retreat. His chest heaved with anger, his pride roaring in protest.
"How dare she…" he muttered through clenched teeth. "That cowardly girl, that useless one—since when could she look us in the eye like that? Since when did she learn to fight back?"
The resentment twisted his face, and he spat the words like venom:
"She's changing. If she keeps this up, she'll bring nothing but trouble to our peaceful family."
He stormed toward the corridor, shoving the gawking students aside. Song Feng followed quickly, his brow furrowed, his tone calm but edged with unease.
"Lei, enough. This isn't the place."
But Song Lei wasn't listening. He grabbed Ningning's arm, pulling her close as though to shield her. She was still trembling, her eyes swollen from crying, her lips whispering faint apologies that no one seemed to hear anymore.
"Come," Song Lei growled. "We don't need to waste time with her anymore."
And just like that, Song Lei, Song Feng, and Song Ning left the office, leaving the air heavy with tension.
Inside, only Hao Ran, Muchen, and a few stunned teachers remained.
The silence stretched until Hao Ran finally broke it. His eyes, sharp and unyielding, turned to Muchen.
"Muchen," he said coldly, "if you know what's good for you, transfer schools. Otherwise, your father's company…" He leaned forward, his voice low, each word pressed like a blade, "won't be able to survive what comes next."
The threat was clear. And deadly.
Muchen's face darkened, fury blazing in his eyes. His fists clenched at his side, his pride burning as the humiliation sank in. He wanted to hit Hao Ran again, to scream, but he bit down the urge.
Instead, his lips twisted into a smirk.
"So that's it, huh? You're threatening me for her sake." His gaze narrowed. "Tell me honestly, Hao Ran… Do you like Song Mei?"
The question sliced through the room, sharp and merciless. The teachers stiffened. The students at the windows held their breath, straining to hear. Even the air seemed to wait.
For a moment, Hao Ran said nothing. His jaw tightened. Then he lifted his head, his voice firm and steady, carrying enough weight to reach everyone outside.
"Listen well," he declared. "I will always love Ningning. She is the love of my life, the only one I will ever love."
Gasps rippled through the corridor. Ningning, who had barely stepped out of sight, froze mid-step, her breath hitching.
"But," Hao Ran continued, his tone sharp, commanding silence once more, "Song Mei is innocent. And for Ningning's sake, I cannot—will not—let an innocent girl's reputation be destroyed."
The words dropped like stones into still water, sending ripples of shock through every listener.
The teachers exchanged uneasy glances.
The students outside the windows looked at one another, embarrassed, ashamed. They had all laughed, mocked, and whispered about Song Mei. Yet here was Hao Ran—Song Ning's beloved—openly defending her in front of everyone.
Even if his declaration of love for Song Ning was clear, his defense of Song Mei forced them all to confront an uncomfortable truth: perhaps they had gone too far.
Inside the room, Muchen's face twisted with rage. He ground his teeth, his nails digging into his palms until they drew blood.
Humiliation. Fury. Hatred.
All of it boiled inside him.
"You'll regret this, Hao Ran," he hissed. "Both you… and that twin of hers."
But Hao Ran didn't waver. His gaze held steady, like a blade pressed against an enemy's throat.
Outside, the corridor was filled with awkward silence. For the first time, Song Mei wasn't just the outcast, the scapegoat.
She had forced them all to see her differently.
And though they wouldn't admit it aloud, many felt a sting of shame.
Song Mei walked away from the crowd with measured steps, her expression calm, almost indifferent. Yet beneath that mask, her heart was a storm.
Hao Ran's words rang in her ears:
"I will always love Ningning… But Song Mei is innocent."
Her lips curved into a cold smile. Innocent? That was all he saw her as? An innocent girl to be defended because it might hurt Ningning if she was destroyed?
"To him," she muttered under her breath, "I am just a shadow. A tool to protect his precious Ningning."
The bitterness pricked her chest, but she quickly buried it. She could not afford to let such emotions linger. Hao Ran's defense might have shifted the tide of opinion for now, but it wasn't for her. It was for Song Ning.
She would never forget how he was one of the culprit who destroyed her in her past life
Meanwhile, the school corridors erupted in whispers and hurried conversations the moment the crowd dispersed.
"Did you hear that? Hao Ran actually defended Song Mei…"
"Yeah, but he also said he'll always love Song Ning. So… what does that even mean?"
"I think it means Song Mei is innocent. We really might have been wrong about her all along…"
"Tch, don't be naïve. Maybe she manipulated him somehow! Why else would he stand up for her like that?"
The gossip swirled endlessly, half of the school insisting Song Mei must have something hidden up her sleeve, the other half murmuring uneasily that maybe they had gone too far in bullying her.
A group of juniors whispered near the stairwell:
"If Hao Ran—who loves Song Ning—still chose to defend Song Mei, then doesn't that mean… she might not be as bad as everyone says?"
"But if she isn't bad, then… we're the ones who—" The girl cut herself off, guilt flickering in her eyes.
Rumors spread fast, and by lunch break, Song Mei's name was once again on every lip. This time, however, the mockery was mixed with something far more dangerous—curiosity and doubt.
In the teachers' office, Hao Ran sat stiffly, his fists still bruised from the fight with Muchen. His gaze was fixed on the floor, but his mind was a battlefield.
He had spoken the truth, but in front of everyone, it felt as though he had betrayed both sides.
He had reaffirmed his love for Ningning, yes—but he had also drawn a line of protection around Song Mei, a line he knew he would not let anyone cross.
And that, in itself, unsettled him.
Across the room, Muchen sat with his arms crossed, his lip still bleeding from their earlier scuffle. His eyes burned with hatred as he stared daggers at Hao Ran.
"You're a fool," Muchen sneered, his voice low, venom dripping from every word. "Do you think you can protect both sisters at once? You'll end up destroying yourself."
Hao Ran finally lifted his head, his sharp eyes locking onto Muchen's.
"I don't need you to understand," he said coldly. "But listen carefully—if you ever try to hurt Song Mei again, in any way, I won't hold back next time."
Muchen's laugh was bitter, almost hysterical.
"Hurt her? You think I need to? Just wait. You'll see. She doesn't belong here. She'll never belong here. And when she falls, I'll be the one watching her crawl."
The teachers intervened quickly, silencing them before another fight broke out, but the hatred between them was now a live wire—thin, sharp, ready to snap at any moment.
Later that evening, Song Mei returned to the Sun City villa.
The servants greeted her respectfully, but she merely nodded, heading straight to her room. Once the door shut behind her, she collapsed onto her desk chair, staring blankly at the sketch papers scattered across the table.
Her hands trembled slightly as she picked up her pencil. Instead of drawing, she scribbled the same words over and over in the corner of the page:
Trust no one. Not even him.
She remembered the jeers of her classmates, the bruises on Hao Ran's knuckles, the raw hatred in Muchen's eyes, and Song Ning's tear-streaked face.
Every piece of it came together to remind her of one truth—
this world would always see her as the shadow twin, the one meant to carry blame.
But she would not allow it anymore.
Her eyes darkened as a new thought formed.
"Since Hao Ran wants to protect Ningning so much… fine. Let him. But I'll protect myself. And I'll find the one pulling the strings behind all this. Muchen isn't the only snake in this nest."