That Morning
An Ran pressed the iron carefully against her uniform, her small hands moving with precision. She had washed it the night before, scrubbing until her fingers hurt, just to be sure it looked clean. The white long-sleeved blouse came out sharp and spotless, the black plaid skirt neat, not a wrinkle in sight.
She held it up against herself in the mirror, brushing a stray strand of hair from her pale face. Her reflection was delicate, almost fragile, a petite girl with a porcelain-white complexion and wide, earnest eyes hidden behind her glasses. Pretty, though she never dared think of herself that way. Pretty only meant trouble here.
Because for every bit of beauty she carried, Lin Ruoyi hated her more.
An Ran still remembered her first day. She had walked into the classroom, heart racing, hoping at least one person would smile. But nobody did. Every seat filled around her, laughter in the air, land yet, not one person acknowledged her existence. At first, she thought it was because she was new. Later, she realized it was Lin Ruoyi's command.
On her second day, Huang Ling had leaned against her desk, dark hair spilling over her broad shoulders, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
"Call her Big Sister Lin," she'd said.
An Ran had hesitated. That single pause was enough. Laughter exploded around her, and she felt herself sink lower than she ever thought possible.
If only she had known, that humiliation was just the beginning.
But today… today was picture day. Their final year photos, a snapshot of youth before graduation. Everyone wanted to look their best. An Ran wanted nothing more than to look neat and presentable, for herself, if not for anyone else.
She prayed, as she slipped into her uniform and adjusted her glasses, that she wouldn't cross paths with Lin Ruoyi and her gang.
---
In Class
By the time she reached class, the air was buzzing. Students chattered and joked, girls fixed their hair in little mirrors, boys playfully shoved each other around. Excitement clung to the room.
An Ran slipped quietly to her usual seat at the very back. Her books lay open before her, but she barely read a word. She kept her head down, her neat uniform stiff against her skin, praying she could remain invisible.
The teacher began calling names, one by one, to go outside and take their photos.
"Next, Jiang Chéng," the teacher called.
The room stilled as the boy rose. Jiang Chéng moved with the kind of confidence that demanded silence. He was tall, his shirt straining slightly over muscles that seemed sculpted for admiration. His face, sharp, symmetrical, and cold, made him look untouchable, like a prince in a storybook. Every movement seemed exaggerated in its perfection.
He was the star of the school. The kind of boy everyone adored, and the kind nobody dared to challenge. Everyone also knew one unspoken rule, he belonged to Lin Ruoyi.
Still, An Ran couldn't help it. Her eyes followed him as he strode to the door, her heart tightening in her chest. She admired the way light grazed his jawline, the way he didn't even have to try to look perfect.
It was only a moment. A glance too long.
And then she felt it.
A sharp, searing glare from the side.
Her stomach dropped as she turned her head slightly. Huang Ling's dark eyes locked onto hers, gleaming with cruel delight. Beside her, Lin Ruoyi sat like a queen on her throne, blonde hair glinting under the light. Her pretty face, so admired by the class, was now twisted with icy disdain.
An Ran snapped her gaze back to her book, her fingers shaking as she adjusted her glasses. Her throat burned with tears she refused to let fall.
She knew it. She had been caught. Caught staring. Caught fawning.
She was dead.
---
Later
The bell rang, scattering the class. Groups gathered in noisy clusters, laughing as they admired their pictures on each other's phones. But An Ran barely moved. Her instincts screamed at her to go home, to slip away before the shadows could catch her.
She didn't make it.
A hand gripped her wrist. Another pushed her shoulder. Before she could protest, she was dragged down the quiet corridor, away from the noise and light of the classrooms. The air grew cooler, dustier, until she found herself shoved into the abandoned, incomplete storeroom at the edge of the school building.
The door creaked shut behind them.
An Ran stumbled into the corner, dust rising as she hit the ground. Her body curled in on itself, her breath shaky, her pretty white face already streaked with tears.
Sob.
Sob.
Smack!
"Are you going to change or not?" Li Ruoyi's voice was calm, but it carried the weight of command.
She stood tall, her dyed blonde hair framing her gorgeous face, her long legs crossed with casual elegance. She looked every bit the queen of their class, stoic, untouchable, terrifying in her composure.
"I, I will," An Ran yelped, her voice breaking as Li Ruoyi's hand fisted in her hair.
"Go on," Huang Ling ordered, stepping closer. Her long black hair swayed against her broad shoulders as her lips curled into a sarcastic smile. Aggressive, impatient, yet always a step behind Li Ruoyi, her leader.
From the side, Xiao Yuxi tossed a skimpy, wrinkled dress at An Ran's face. Her brown skin glistened in the dim light, her eyes sharp with mockery. Unlike the others, she didn't strike, but her words could slice deeper than any slap.
"Don't tear it, princess," Xiao Yuxi mocked, her tone lilting. "It's the only crown you'll ever wear."
An Ran's fingers shook violently as she reached for the buttons of her blouse. Her chest felt hollow, her mind screaming at her to run, but her legs wouldn't move. Shame coiled around her like chains.
Before she could even finish, Huang Ling's foot slammed against the side of her head, forcing her against the cold concrete floor.
"Faster, bitch," Huang Ling snarled. "We don't have all day."
The dust bit into An Ran's throat. Her lip split against the floor, metallic blood mixing with her tears. Above her, Li Ruoyi watched in silence, her eyes unreadable, like a queen measuring how far her subject could be broken before she no longer had use.
And in that dim, abandoned storeroom, An Ran realized with chilling clarity, this was only the beginning.