The ride home was silent except for her mother's clipped voice on the phone, negotiating something she didn't bother to explain. When they finally reached their gated home, An Ran slipped out of her shoes in the foyer and walked straight to her room.
She sat in front of her vanity, pulling the pins out of her styled ponytail one by one. The strands fell loose and heavy, as though they were glad to be free. For a moment she studied her own reflection: the light makeup smudged at the edges, her eyes slightly red from fatigue.
Her mother's voice cut through the air from the doorway.
"You smiled too stiffly tonight. You must learn to look natural, Ranran. A frozen smile kills deals."
An Ran gave a small nod. No argument, no reply. She had learned long ago that silence pleased her mother more than excuses.
When she was finally alone, she lay down and stared at the ceiling. The chandelier's shadow stretched across the room like a cage.
And then she remembered it again, the boy in the black suit. His eyes hadn't held anger, nor sadness, nor boredom. Just… nothing. A void.
An Ran shut her eyes quickly, as if to erase the image. But in the darkness behind her lids, he was still there.
***
The sports field shimmered in late afternoon light, the track lines glowing faintly under the sun. Students spilled across it in their colour-coded sports kits, bold blues, sharp reds, cool greens.
An Ran walked quietly to the edge, her pink top and shorts almost too soft among the vivid tones. She smoothed the hem nervously, the pale skin of her arms catching the sun as she tucked a strand of hair back.
From a distance, Lin Ruoyi's eyes narrowed. Her gaze followed the curve of An Ran's shoulders, the way the colour clung delicately against her slim frame. Cute. Pretty in a way that was infuriating. And worst of all, visible, even when she tried so hard to be invisible.
Huang ling and Xiao yuxi's eyes narrowed. From afar they see An ran's lone figure walking towards the field, pink against the sea of blue, red and green. The way her pale leg moves lightly, the curve of her shoulders, the way the sun caught her skin, it was almost pretty..... Too pretty.
Jealousy flickered on lin ruoyi's chest like a spark ready to burn.
"She thinks she's delicate," Ruoyi muttered, lips curling. "Let's see how delicate she looks dripping wet."
Her smirk widened as Huang Ling passed her a half-full box of plum juice.
students gathered in groups, stretching, laughing, waiting for the instructor. An Ran stayed apart, clutching her arms, trying to be invisible.
When the splash came, it was sudden and merciless. She froze, gasping. Plum juice trickled down her top, sticky and wet, the light pink fabric now clinging tightly to her skin, outlining the fragile curves she always tried to hide. Laughter rippled instantly.
"Ew, it's see-through."
"Does she even own a bra?"
"Poor thing…" a girl whispered, though her tone held more curiosity than pity.
"Serves her right. Always acting like she's better just because she's quiet."
A few boys looked away awkwardly, others leaned in, entertained. One girl muttered, "Someone give her a towel…" but no one moved.
An Ran's face burned. Her arms instinctively wrapped around her front as she stumbled back, forcing her legs to carry her to the changing room. The laughter chased her like a storm.
Her locker door slammed open, empty. Her uniform was gone. She stood frozen, the sharp scent of plum juice clinging, the cold stickiness pressing against her skin. And then something inside her cracked.
She slid down the metal, knees pulled up, arms around herself. Her sobs came ragged, unstoppable.
The memory surged.
She was younger, voice trembling as she told her mother about the girls who pushed her, the notes left on her desk.
Her mother's face, usually calm, had twisted with fury, not at the bullies, but at her.
"An Ran, do you want to ruin us with your whining?!" Mrs An's hand had slammed against the table, rattling the bowls. For a moment, An Ran thought that hand would strike her.
"If you can't survive school, then go back to your useless father!"
The words burned louder than the near-violence, echoing long after.
That was the last time she ever complained.
Back in the present, her sobs shook her shoulders. She buried her head, too ashamed, too tired.
Her shoulders shook as she slid to the ground. The plum juice had soaked deeper, her pink top plastered tightly against her skin, humiliating, shameful. She curled into herself, burying her face in her knees, muffling her sobs.
The laughter outside echoed in her skull.
She wanted to disappear.
Then... warmth.
A heavy fabric fell across her shoulders. The sudden weight startled her. She lifted her head, eyes red and swollen, lashes wet.
Standing above her was Jiang Cheng.
His face was expressionless, his dark eyes unreadable. His jacket, expensive, perfectly cut, now draped around her like a shield.
For a heartbeat, she just stared, trembling.
He looked down, voice flat, reluctant.
"Don't sit here."
Then he turned, walking away without another glance.
An Ran clutched the jacket tightly, her tears still falling. But now, beneath the shame, her heart beat faster.
And she didn't know why.