Chapter 5: Meeting My Wife: Day 5

During lunch break, Jiang Wan carried her dance shoes and headed lightly toward the rooftop of the teaching building.

She had already changed into her practice clothes.

Yesterday, she had asked Guanguan, and No. 13 Middle School didn’t have a dedicated dance studio. There was a Dance Society, but the school kept a tight grip on venue access.

Jiang Wan had no intention of joining the Dance Society just yet. She preferred dancing freely without the constraints of rules. Guanguan had said she would scout for suitable practice spots over the next few days.

Even without a fixed venue, basic exercises could be done anywhere, anytime.

Having just transferred in, Jiang Wan didn’t want to draw too much attention. The rooftop was spacious with few obstacles, and hardly anyone came up here—perfect for honing fundamentals.

After a few warm-up stretches, she pulled out her phone and played a piece of soothing light music.

It was a little habit of hers when practicing dance: shutting out the rest of the world and letting the music’s rhythm guide her into her own private sanctuary.

The melodious tune drifted through the air.

It roused someone slumbering in the corner of the rooftop.

A faint ache still throbbed in the palm of her right hand, the burning pain occasionally dragging her thoughts back to the night before.

Her defiance had infuriated Yun Manzhu.

Of course it had. A tool she’d controlled since childhood had suddenly slipped from her grasp—it was only natural that it would be unbearable.

The moment the woman returned, she flew into a hysterical rage, roaring and smashing things, forcing her to call that so-called father and apologize.

Apologize?

Not a chance.

She merely curled her lip, bent down, and picked up a shard of broken glass from the floor.

She gripped it tightly.

The glass sliced into her palm with searing agony, but her heart had long since gone numb.

“Make me apologize? Get real—you’re dreaming.” Her lips twisted in a reckless sneer, her eyes brimming with cold mockery.

Crimson blood trickled along her palm lines, drop by drop, staining the cream-colored carpet.

“You lunatic!” Whether from fear or fury, the woman’s lips trembled as she finally forced out the words.

Then she stormed out, slamming the door behind her, leaving Bei Huai alone in the darkness without a shred of concern for her wound.

Lunatic—that was Yun Manzhu’s verdict on her.

Oh, and she’d forgotten to mention: Yun Manzhu was her mother.

Biological, at that.

Tong Baifeng and the others had invited her to hit up KTV that afternoon, but after thinking it over, she’d turned them down.

She was a bundle of contradictions. Sometimes she hated being alone and craved the buzz of a crowd around her, even if she wasn’t part of the fun. Other times, she just wanted to be by herself, quiet and still.

Doing nothing, just existing in silence.

There wasn’t much point hanging around school—teachers occasionally chewed her out if they spotted her—but the rooftop of the teaching building was decent.

From up there, she could overlook the most beautiful view of No. 13 Middle School.

Only in those moments did her mind find a sliver of peace.

Students used to come up occasionally, but they’d bolt the second they saw her.

After that, hardly anyone showed.

Bei Huai found it amusing sometimes. She’d even mentioned it to Cen Jin: she wasn’t some people-eating monster, and she hadn’t claimed the whole rooftop for herself. Was there really any need to fear her that much, running off at the sight of her?

Cen Jin had just laughed and clapped her on the shoulder. “Don’t you have any idea what you’ve done?”

Bei Huai had mulled it over for ages but still couldn’t see where she’d gone wrong. No one coming around was fine by her, though—it meant more peace and quiet.

She’d been suffering from insomnia these past few nights and had hoped to catch a nap here.

But barely a few minutes after closing her eyes, she heard faint rustling sounds—like the light, delicate footsteps of a girl.

She ignored it at first, as long as it didn’t bother her.

Then, moments later, the music started.

That snapped Bei Huai wide awake. She wasn’t the type who needed music to sleep; what she craved was total silence.

She stood up, a slight frown creasing her brow as she fought back her irritation and peered out.

On the open rooftop stood a girl with her hair tied up in a neat bun, stray wisps tucked behind her ear. Afternoon sunlight bathed her face, making her skin gleam like flawless porcelain.

Her form-fitting clothes accentuated her graceful figure. She tilted her head back, exposing a slender, creamy neck, her expression one of utter focus.

Backbends, leg stretches, deep squats.

Every movement precise and meticulous.

That seemingly supple waist hid tremendous power.

Bei Huai stayed silent, her furrowed brow gradually relaxing.

Without realizing it, she took a few steps forward—only for her toe to accidentally kick an empty soda can.

The sudden clatter made Jiang Wan freeze mid-motion.

“Who’s there?” She turned, her gaze unexpectedly meeting the other girl’s deep, intense eyes.

A flicker of surprise crossed her own, but she curved her lips into a genuine smile. “Classmate Bei Huai, what a coincidence—we meet again.”

The girl’s eyes were clear and bright, free of any shadow. Her smile was sweet, revealing even a hint of little tiger teeth. She had this infectious charm about her—no matter how angry you were, one look at her face and the irritation melted away.

Bei Huai pinched her fingers together, turned her head aside to avoid Jiang Wan’s gaze, and let out a cold snort. “Who said I wanted to see you? You woke me up.”

“Oh? In that case, I’m truly sorry.” Jiang Wan blinked, switched off the music on her phone, and spoke with genuine sincerity.

“But seriously, can anyone actually sleep up here?” Her curiosity was real. She stepped closer to Bei Huai and glanced around. There wasn’t a single sleeping mat or even a chair in sight.

So…?

Jiang Wan shot Bei Huai a puzzled look.

That’s when she noticed the girl standing there with her arms crossed, her expression icy and disdainful as she jerked her chin toward the spot beside her.

Jiang Wan followed her gaze. There was nothing but the wall.

Wait—the wall.

“You don’t mean you’re sleeping on top of the wall, do you?” Jiang Wan’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“What a fuss,” Bei Huai replied flatly.

Never mind how she’d managed to climb up there in the first place. The mere fact that she could sit so casually on the edge, leaning back against the wall for a nap, marked her as one tough customer.

“It’s so high up. Aren’t you afraid of falling?” Jiang Wan glanced at her and muttered under her breath.

Her voice was soft, but the rooftop was silent. Bei Huai heard every word.

She shot Jiang Wan a sidelong glare, thinking to herself that her leniency must have gone to this little brat’s head, emboldening her to complain right to her face.

“Hmph. You’re pretty bold yourself. Don’t you know this is my turf? Nobody comes up here without my say-so.”

“You had the nerve to barge in and ruin my sleep. Break the rules like that, and you know what happens, right?”

With no one else around to contradict her, Bei Huai had no qualms about intimidating the girl. It felt entirely justified.

Jiang Wan blinked in surprise. She’d found the place on her own and hadn’t even asked Guanguan about it, so for all she knew, Bei Huai might be telling the truth.

She opened her mouth to respond, but at that moment, the iron door at the rooftop entrance slammed open with a harsh screech.

A girl was shoved inside, stumbling backward a few steps. Two more girls sauntered in after her.

The trio had appeared right where Jiang Wan had been practicing her basics earlier—they couldn’t see her and Bei Huai from there.

Jiang Wan silently signaled Bei Huai with her eyes.

Huh? Your turf? And now three intruders?

Talk about a quick turnaround.

Bei Huai’s expression darkened. It was her first time trying to act tough, and she’d failed spectacularly.

She glared at the three girls outside, her eyes full of malice.

Before Bei Huai could make a move, the drama unfolded on its own.

“Xu the Ugly Freak, getting some backbone, huh? Starting to play both sides now? What’s the world coming to?” The girl speaking wore a black leather skirt. Her long, manicured nails jabbed repeatedly at the forehead of the girl in front of her.

Her attitude was pure arrogance, as if she were disciplining a disobedient pet dog.

“No, I didn’t,” the girl stammered, her eyes darting fearfully. Her face had gone deathly pale, and she shook her head frantically.

Jiang Wan started when she saw the girl’s face.

Wasn’t this the same girl who’d bumped into her yesterday? She’d seemed off then, her mental state all wrong. So this was why—campus bullying.

“No?” Another girl echoed with a smile, then cracked her across the face with a sharp slap.

She was still smiling as she spoke. “If you didn’t, then who the hell were you signaling back there? Hoping that guy would come to your rescue?”

“Xu Xiaozhi, oh Xu Xiaozhi.” Her eyes filled with mock pity. “An ugly freak like you should know her place. Why can’t you get that through your head?”

“Tch. Looks like she needs another lesson.” The leather-skirt girl let out a coquettish laugh.

“No, no, Sister Shan! I was wrong—I really was! Please, just forgive me this once. I swear I won’t do it again. I… I’ll do whatever you say from now on, anything at all!”

At the words, Xu Xiaozhi seemed to recall something horrifying. She dropped to her knees, heedless of her swelling cheek, and clutched at Sister Shan’s legs, sobbing and pleading desperately.

It was a heartbreaking, pitiful sight.

On impulse, Jiang Wan glanced at Bei Huai to gauge her reaction.

It was unexpected, yet somehow not. The girl had one hand tucked in her pocket, her back against the wall, her eyelids half-lowered in utter indifference—as if scenes like this were routine.

Catching the look from beside her, Bei Huai lifted her gaze slightly and said flatly, “Feel like playing hero?”

Before Jiang Wan could answer, she added, “I’d advise against it.” No sense stirring up trouble for yourself.

Sometimes, what you see as righteous intervention just looks like a joke to everyone else.

For her part, Jiang Wan didn’t find Bei Huai’s detached attitude out of place at all.

Everyone has their own choices. She wouldn’t force anyone to change their minds; she just needed to stick to her principles.

Knowing the little girl hadn’t listened to a word she’d said, Bei Huai let out a cold sneer and fell silent.

“Stop it!”

Just as Xu Xiaozhi was taking punches and kicks, Jiang Wan stepped forward.

“This is a school. Do you think this is appropriate?”

The sudden interruption irritated the Leather Skirt Girl, who glared at her impatiently. “Who the hell are you? Mind your own business, unless you want us to drag you into this too.”

“Yo, Xu Xiaozhi, when did you get so lucky? Seems like there’s always someone around to play hero for you.” The two-faced girl with the fake smile glanced at Jiang Wan before pinching Xu Xiaozhi’s cheek. Her face wore a grin, but her eyes were ice-cold.

“No… no, I don’t know her! I really don’t know her!” Xu Xiaozhi struggled as she protested.

“I don’t know her either,” Jiang Wan said evenly, meeting their stares without flinching. “I just happened to come across this and couldn’t stand by and watch.”

“I’m not going to waste my breath lecturing you on right and wrong—you clearly wouldn’t listen anyway. But I’ve already recorded everything you just did.”

She waved her phone with a slight smile.

At those words, the two girls finally showed some panic.

But what puzzled Jiang Wan was that the bullied girl didn’t seem relieved at all. If anything, she looked even more tense and frightened.

Even under their predatory glares, Jiang Wan kept her composure. “Don’t even think about grabbing the phone. One tap, and this video goes straight online. Lucky for me, I make videos for a living with a few hundred thousand followers, so it’ll spread like wildfire.”

“I’m guessing that since you picked a school to bully a classmate, you wouldn’t want teachers, fellow students, or your families seeing your ugly mugs like this.”

She had guessed right. While the pair usually bossed Xu Xiaozhi around, they had never been so brazen as to throw punches in the open—they still cared about saving face.

Chen Keshan’s face twitched. The fake smile vanished as she shot Jiang Wan a venomous glare.

“Fine. You’ve made an impression. I’ll remember you.”

She ran with Brother Qin, and anyone with half a brain knew better than to cross her. People turned a blind eye to her bullying. But today, she’d run into someone who didn’t know fear.

“Xu Xiaozhi, you know how I am. If I see anything online that I shouldn’t…”

“Then I won’t go easy on you next time.”

Chen Keshan patted the girl’s face with a skin-deep smile.

“Let’s go.” She turned on her heel and left.

The Leather Skirt Girl shot Jiang Wan a few more vicious glares before stalking off after her.

Once they were gone, Jiang Wan finally let out a breath of relief.

The bit about making videos and having hundreds of thousands of fans? Total bluff. It wouldn’t hold up to any real scrutiny.

She couldn’t fight worth a damn, let alone take on two of them. And she hadn’t even considered the possibility of Bei Huai stepping in to help.

“You okay?” She stepped forward, crouched down, and offered a hand to the girl still sitting dazed on the ground.

A few seconds later, Xu Xiaozhi shoved her hand away and hauled herself to her feet. There was no gratitude, no sense of relief—just raw, misplaced anger aimed straight at Jiang Wan.

“Who asked you to stick your nose in? Great, now they hate me even more. This is all your fault!”

Jiang Wan hadn’t seen that coming. She stood there stunned for a moment, swallowing her irritation before patiently replying, “Giving in and putting up with it won’t make bullies back off. It’ll just make them bolder.”

“What do you know? You don’t know a damn thing! No one needs your fake sympathy. Someone like you, with your cushy life, could never understand what I’m going through!”

“Stay out of my business from now on. And delete that video.”

The girl wiped away her tears and fixed Jiang Wan with a resolute stare.

“You sure?” Jiang Wan pressed her lips together and asked again.

The girl’s attitude left her with a bitter sense of having done a good deed that backfired, though she still couldn’t pinpoint exactly what she’d done wrong.

“Please.” The girl begged through fresh tears.

This time, Jiang Wan felt no sympathy. She simply nodded coolly and deleted the video right in front of her.

Xu Xiaozhi clutched her swollen, reddened face and shuffled slowly away from the rooftop.

By the time Bei Huai stepped out, she found Jiang Wan standing there alone, head bowed, lost in thought.

“Did… did I really mess up?” Jiang Wan gripped her phone tightly, her voice laced with uncertainty.

Bei Huai shot her a sidelong glance. “What, you slapped a warm cheek against a cold ass and now the rejection stings?”

Jiang Wan didn’t respond. She couldn’t deny the sting of ungratefulness or the flicker of annoyance. But what weighed on her more was worry.

She feared she’d truly made a mistake—that her impulsive intervention had only brought the girl more trouble.

Seeing the little girl still fretting to herself, Bei Huai let out a cold snort.

“They’re not as simple as you think. They’re all holding dirt on one another, while you just charge right in like an idiot.” Only someone who had lived a carefree, joyful life since childhood could be that naive.

“This time, they’ve probably already marked you with their grudge. Be more vigilant going forward—don’t let yourself get schemed against without even realizing it.”

“Are you worried about me?” Jiang Wan paused, tilting her head to look at the girl. Flecks of starlight sparkled in her eyes.

“Don’t flatter yourself. I just took pity on how pathetic and clueless you looked, so I gave you a heads-up.” Bei Huai fiddled with her ear stud, looking everywhere but at Jiang Wan.

“Got it.”

Jiang Wan smiled, her earlier gloom vanishing in an instant.