She smiled faintly, with a roguish, arrogant edge to it.
In the sunlight, Jiang Wan noticed the silver earring glinting on the girl’s left ear.
Just like the girl herself—dazzling.
Jiang Wan instinctively held her breath and slowly lowered her eyelashes.
“I…” She stammered, unable to string together a coherent sentence for the longest time.
What else was she supposed to say? “Looking at you”?
Who would have thought—she, Jiang Wan—
would one day find herself captivated by a girl… and a seemingly rebellious truant at that!
“Hey, Sister Huai asked you a question. What are you spacing out for?”
The girl who had teased Jiang Wan earlier crossed her arms and strode forward, her expression sour as she looked Jiang Wan up and down like she was sizing up a piece of merchandise.
A buzz-cut boy nearby jumped in. “Tong Baifeng, can’t you talk nicely? You’ve scared the little sister half to death.” He turned to Jiang Wan with a sleazy grin, radiating that inexplicable confidence that he clearly thought made him look dashing.
“Little sister, don’t be afraid. She just doesn’t know how to talk to people. Wanna come hang out with us?”
Jiang Wan’s looks weren’t the jaw-dropping kind that turned heads on first sight; at best, she was pretty. Pretty girls were a dime a dozen, so she didn’t really stand out.
But she had a special quality about her.
Pure and sweet, like a mint candy on a summer day or a cup of hot tea in winter. Just looking at her felt refreshing, like a gentle spring breeze—irresistibly appealing.
Especially those big, dark eyes of hers. When they focused on someone, their soft, tender gaze felt like it could peer straight into your soul.
A petite, soft, sweet girl like that was just the type to ignite a boy’s protective instincts.
Jiang Wan had been hit on countless times growing up, evolving from flustered awkwardness to smooth deflection. She was well past the age where a few flirty lines could make her blush.
But the way these two were eyeing her made her skin crawl.
It wasn’t outright malicious—just that superior, looking-down-your-nose vibe that grated on her nerves.
She pressed her lips together and stayed quiet. If she could help it, she had no interest in picking a fight with them.
Sometimes, a bit of strategic weakness was the smart play…
Okay, fine—she admitted it. They outnumbered her, and she was feeling a little chicken.
Head bowed, hands clenched tightly in her skirt hem, her long lashes quivering faintly. That utterly timid, spineless look instantly killed Tong Baifeng’s urge to tease. She waved a hand dismissively, bored.
The boy lingered reluctantly until Tong Baifeng yanked him back.
“Have a little dignity, will you? Never seen a girl before or what? Look at you, all pathetic!”
“Fuck, Tong Baifeng, you’re just jealous she’s hot. Think I can’t see through your petty bullshit? Tch, crazy bitch!”
“The hell, Qu Tao—say that again if you’ve got the guts!”
“Aaah, save me, Sister Huai! Crazy Tong’s losing it again!”
“You’ve got some nerve calling me Sister Huai—I’ll make you scream it!”
The two scuffled and bantered, yelling Bei Huai’s name but keeping their antics safely to the sidelines.
As if they’d dare act up right in front of her—not unless they had a death wish.
Bei Huai said nothing. She didn’t glance at Jiang Wan again. She simply stood there, gazing at the greenery along the wall. Her expression remained impassive, completely tuning out the rowdy pair beside her—not even sparing them a sidelong look.
She was right there, yet she might as well have been in another world entirely.
No one could breach her domain.
Relieved that their attention had shifted away, Jiang Wan let out a quiet breath and gave herself a mental thumbs-up for her acting skills. She turned to slip away when a thunderous bellow exploded right behind her.
The voice boomed like a gong, detonating in her ear.
For a split second, Jiang Wan’s mind went blank.
A man charged out from behind her—around forty, a bit paunchy but surprisingly spry on his feet.
He stormed forward, eyes bulging with rage, snapping breathlessly, “Bei Huai, Qu Tao, Tong Baifeng—get your asses back here! Skipping class again and hopping the damn wall!”
Jiang Wan, who had been about to make her getaway, froze in place.
Bei… Huai.
That name… why did it sound so familiar?
“Fuck, Qin Shura’s on us way too quick this time!”
“Leg it, leg it!”
“…”
The group of teens bolted at the sight of the man like he was some rampaging monster, scattering in every direction.
The ones he’d named scaled the wall in seconds and vaulted over, gone in a flash.
“You little punks are out of control! What do you think this school is? A bunch of damn brats—don’t you dare run! Stop right there! I’ll find out your classes and make you regret it!”
The Discipline Director was so furious that he lost his mind. He couldn’t catch the one who had run away, so he could only vent his rage on Bei Huai, who hadn’t fled: “All day long, you keep causing trouble for me. And that hair of yours—I’ve told you so many times already. This time, you must dye it back when you get home! Look at yourself; do you even look like a student? One of these days, I’ll expel you!”
The girl stood ramrod straight in front of the man, even a bit taller than him.
She gazed down at him almost condescendingly, her presence so overwhelming that she didn’t seem like a teenage girl at all.
“Fine. If you can really get me expelled, I’ll be grateful to you in no time.”
She tugged indifferently at the corner of her mouth, her voice flat and emotionless, yet unable to conceal the defiant edge in her words.
“Come with me to the office.” The Discipline Director trembled with anger, his lips quivering as it took him ages to force out the words. His face was ghastly, and his tone sank to a terrifying low.
“And you—which grade are you in?” He turned back, his glare locking onto Jiang Wan.
“You look like such a fine young lady, yet you’re hanging around with Bei Huai and picking up her bad habits. Your parents shelled out all that money to send you to school so you could make something of yourself—not so you could follow Bei Huai, turn into some punk delinquent, and become a disgrace to society!”
Used as a negative example, Bei Huai didn’t get upset at all. Instead, she watched Jiang Wan leisurely, a playful gleam in her eyes.
Old Qin never held back when dressing someone down—he didn’t care if you were a boy or a girl; everyone got the same treatment.
She wondered if this seemingly sweet and delicate little girl would end up getting scolded to tears.
But to her surprise, the “timid” little girl stayed perfectly calm and composed, her expression steady as she spoke clearly and firmly: “Hello, teacher. I’m a new transfer student. I just got lost a moment ago. Could you tell me how to get to the Discipline Office?”
At those words, the Discipline Director’s expression eased a touch.
There really was a transfer student coming today—from No. 6 Middle School, with excellent grades. He vaguely remembered her.
“You’re that transfer student named Jiang Wan, right? Head straight to the Teacher’s Office on the third floor of the Moral Education Building and find Teacher Yang. She’ll handle your paperwork.”
“Go straight from here, turn right, and after a short walk, you’ll see the Moral Education Building.”
“Thank you, teacher. I understand.” Jiang Wan smiled in thanks.
When she smiled, faint dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth—playful and utterly adorable.
Bei Huai glanced at her several more times, rubbing her fingers absently as her gaze deepened.
The Discipline Director nodded curtly, his face still stern as he herded Bei Huai away.
Jiang Wan watched their retreating backs from where she stood. The more she watched, the more amusing she found it.
The girl was clearly headed to the office for a scolding, yet she strolled along like she was off for afternoon tea. Dressed in high-waisted pants that accentuated her slim, long legs, she moved with leisurely nonchalance. It made the Discipline Director trudging beside her look like some kind of tour guide.
After her laugh faded, Jiang Wan left as well, her heart utterly unmoved.
To her, it was just a minor blip—and besides, she wouldn’t cross paths with people like that again anyway.
~~~
By the time Jiang Wan finished her enrollment procedures, the third period of the morning had already begun.
She was assigned to Class 6, Grade 2 High School, and this class was math.
Teacher Yang was a brisk, no-nonsense homeroom teacher. She escorted Jiang Wan to Class 6, gave the math teacher a few quick instructions, and then left.
“Let’s give a warm welcome to our new classmate.” The math teacher had an honest, kindly face, though his hair was a bit thin on top.
Jiang Wan gave a simple self-introduction and took her seat in the empty spot in the second-to-last row amid enthusiastic applause.
Her desk mate was a shy-looking girl who murmured a quiet welcome.
She smiled and extended her hand. “Hi, I’m Jiang Wan. Nice to meet you—please take care of me from now on.”
Her poised, gracious manner instantly won her desk mate over.
“I-I’m Mi Shuyun.” Her desk mate shook Jiang Wan’s hand, her cheeks flushing pink as she spoke softly.
This math lesson was a review of the placement exam papers.
The papers were passed down row by row, but since Jiang Wan had just arrived, she had to share one with Mi Shuyun.
Mi Shuyun hadn’t done well on the exam, and now she had to go over her mistakes alongside Jiang Wan. Her face turned even redder, her voice so faint that Jiang Wan could barely make it out.
“I’m… not great at math…”
“You’re way better than me. I just got here and might struggle to keep up with the pace. I’ll probably have to ask you for help later—I just hope you won’t mind me being a bother.” Jiang Wan’s eyes curved into a warm smile, her tone easy and natural. In just a few words, she smoothed over her desk mate’s awkwardness.
“Of course not.” Mi Shuyun smiled too, her tension melting away as her fondness for Jiang Wan grew.
Jiang Wan was about to say more when a paper was suddenly passed back from the row ahead.
She paused in surprise, but Mi Shuyun beside her seemed to remember something and quickly explained, “That’s Bei Huai’s paper. She sits right behind you.”
Bei Huai? Behind her?
Jiang Wan unfolded one corner of the paper—who else was written in the name field but Bei Huai?
The exact same name as the one in the diary.
Unlike Jiang Wan’s neat and elegant handwriting, the owner of this test paper was clearly a rebellious soul, the characters carrying a wild, unrestrained flair.
Jiang Wan’s fingertip brushed the ink, and her heart gave a little tremor. She glanced back at the empty desk behind hers, schooled her expression, and asked casually, “Is there anyone else at our school named Bei Huai?”
The teacher had already begun the lesson, and Mi Shuyun answered distractedly while listening. “Nope.”
“Oh, right—Jiang Wan, you just transferred in, so you might not know. Bei Huai’s infamous at No. 13 Middle School. She’s either skipping class or picking fights, and the crew hanging around her aren’t any better—just a bunch of accomplices enabling her. She was supposed to be a senior by now, but last semester she smashed a bottle over some kid’s head. Huge scandal. They forced her to repeat the year.”
The shy seatmate who’d been blushing moments ago now spoke of Bei Huai without a hint of timidity, her eyes brimming with disgust and disdain.
“But you… you don’t need to worry too much. She’s hardly ever in the classroom. Just steer clear of her when you see her.”
Jiang Wan, under this awkward attempt at comfort: “…”
She hadn’t lost her memory. She remembered the diary’s words crystal clear.
Whatever happened to “Bei Huai is a very, very good person”?
This? Seriously, this?
Fights, skips, held back for bad behavior.
Was this the same person the diary described?
Jiang Wan was lost in a whirlwind of thoughts when the classroom door slammed open.
Every head turned in unison.
The girl stood in the doorway, her red hair a bold statement. One hand jammed in her pocket, her gaze cool and detached.
“Report.”
No one else could invest those two words with such utter nonchalance.
The teacher spared her a single glance at first, then ignored her completely and carried on with the lesson.
Bei Huai didn’t seem to care. She sauntered in, and every student she passed ducked their heads low, as if terrified of catching her eye.
Even Mi Shuyun, who’d just trashed her, now stared at her desk, her pen-holding hand trembling faintly.
This wasn’t disgust—it was fear.
Jiang Wan, by contrast, was far bolder than the rest. She stared openly at the newcomer, shock pooling so thick in her eyes it threatened to spill over.
No way it was this coincidental…
The delinquent the Discipline Director had hauled off—that was Bei Huai?
Sure, she’d transferred to No. 13 Middle School with the goal of finding Bei Huai, but not this fast!
That familiar gaze again.
Bei Huai’s brow furrowed faintly. She glanced sideways and spotted the soft, pale little girl sitting ramrod straight at her desk, gaping at her in wide-eyed stupor.
Those eyes were dark and luminous, tinged with panic—like a forest fawn startled by a predator.
Bei Huai wondered: Was she really that frightening? Making the girl panic like this on sight.
Only when Bei Huai’s eyes met hers did Jiang Wan snap out of it, realizing how obvious she was being. She ducked her head in a hurry, pretending to study whatever lay on her desk.
The next instant, a shadow fell over one corner of it.
A hand with prominent knuckles planted on the surface, and a cool voice drifted down from above.
“Transfer student, this… looks like my test paper, doesn’t it?”
