“Sister, I’m begging you. There are so many people down there. You wouldn’t want me to become a laughingstock at school, would you?”
When Meng Ting regained consciousness, someone was pushing her forward.
Hearing this familiar voice, her heart trembled. She instinctively turned and gripped the girl’s hand tightly.
Shu Lan almost screamed, “Sister, it hurts! Let go of me!”
Only then did Meng Ting realize something was amiss.
Her vision was dim as if the world had been covered by a veil.
Meng Ting dazedly touched her face. She was wearing sunglasses on her nose bridge, and her eyes felt sore. The Shu Lan before her looked about sixteen or seventeen, with a more childish voice. Shu Lan glanced at her warily, “You promised me. You won’t go back on your word, right?”
Go back on her word?
Meng Ting looked around with her aching eyes. They were in a dark place, with faint music from the front desk reaching them as muffled rhythms. Meng Ting looked down at her hands. Her slender, fair hands appeared beautiful and delicate in the dim light, without any of the horrific burn scars from before. She was lost in thought.
Seeing her oddness, Shu Lan’s heart skipped a beat. Fearing Meng Ting had noticed something, she lowered her voice, “Sister, this is a crucial assessment. If we don’t pass it, and Dad finds out and has an episode…”
Meng Ting turned to look at her. She wanted to ask Shu Lan: why did you let go of that rope, leaving me to die in the landslide?
She knew she had died. Yet after that terrifying sensation of weightlessness, when she opened her eyes again, she had returned to five years ago. The Shu Lan before her was young, and the scene was familiar. Meng Ting remembered this incident. It was her sophomore year of high school, and Shu Lan had begged her to help with an arts assessment.
Shu Lan said if she didn’t pass, she’d be looked down upon at school. Shu Lan had only studied piano for two years and had little talent—she was mediocre at best. Meng Ting had been worn down after much pestering and, considering Shu Dad’s health finally agreed to help her sister this once.
Perhaps because it was her first time doing something wrong, her life took a terrible turn from that point on.
After being exposed to the deception, her classmates looked at her strangely.
Two months later, when her eyes healed, Meng Ting became the beauty of Qi Zhong High School. Her eyes hadn’t seen daylight for three years, and everyone had treated her as a blind person. But when such beauty suddenly blossomed that year, many boys at school couldn’t even walk straight when they saw her.
However, Meng Ting ended up disfigured by burns while saving Shu Lan. Then Shu’s Dad met with misfortune, she was ostracized by relatives and finally died tragically in a landslide.
At this moment, Shu Lan whispered, “Sister, I promise this is just a routine assessment, not a ranked scoring one. It won’t affect other students. You don’t want me to be looked down upon for three years of high school, right? Our family is already poor, and because of your eyes…” She abruptly stopped, looking anxiously at Meng Ting.
Meng Ting’s heart quivered, understanding Shu Lan’s implication in an instant—our family is so tight on money now because of treating your eyes.
But ironically, Shu Lan’s tuition at this school was exorbitantly high.
Moreover, living this life again, Meng Ting knew Shu Lan was deceiving her.
This was no arts assessment; it was all for Jiang Ren down below. That year, Jiang Ren had made a mistake and was sent by the Jiang family to study at Li Cai Vocational High School. All the girls in their grade were preparing to curry favor with him.
At the start-of-term talent show, Shu Lan had signed up out of vanity, only to realize at the last minute that her talents weren’t up to par. So she begged Meng Ting to take her place.
In H City, everyone knew of the Jiang family.
The Jiang family was a century-old clan that owned over half the real estate in this coastal city. The newly opened seaside villas were also a Jiang family development. No one knew what mistake Jiang Ren had made, but even if it were murder or arson, for such a wealthy person, one might only encounter someone like him once in a lifetime. As the sole heir to the Jiang family, everyone knew Jiang Ren wasn’t a good person, yet they still tried their hardest to get close to him.
Shu Lan was no exception.
Somehow, Shu Lan had learned about Old Mr. Jiang’s feelings for his late wife. Jiang Ren’s mother had been a true noble lady, talented and proud as snow. Even though she had been dead for many years, Old Mr. Jiang had never remarried.
So Shu Lan planned to use her talents to please Jiang Ren.
Meng Ting felt dazed and confused. Living again, she felt both grateful and bewildered. Setting everything else aside, faced with this ungrateful sister, Meng Ting didn’t know how to treat her.
And what about Jiang Ren?
She remembered the boy from her past life who had climbed over the wall to see her, who had chased a bus for three kilometers just to make her turn and look at him.
Everyone knew Jiang Ren had an explosive temper that he couldn’t control. But Meng Ting also knew his feelings were almost pathologically obsessive. In this life, she mustn’t have any connection with him. In her memory, he had killed someone a few years later.
Such a person was not to be trifled with, but surely she could avoid him?
“Next up, from Class 8, Grade 2, Shu Lan.”
The host’s crisp voice came through. Shu Lan gritted her teeth and quickly put a white lace flower hat on Meng Ting. She then took away Meng Ting’s sunglasses.
In the dim light, Shu Lan met those bright, ethereal eyes and was momentarily stunned.
Who would have thought that behind those dark glasses for the blind was a pair of eyes more beautiful than the starry sky? Shu Lan felt both hatred and glee. For three years, everyone had thought Meng Ting was a blind, imperfect person.
A blind person—almost no one associated her with beauty. Her loveliness had been concealed, unseen by others.
Shu Lan snapped back to reality. Knowing her sister was gentle and good-natured, she said softly, “Sister, I told my friend in advance to use warm, dim lights. If your eyes hurt, just close them. You remember the piano keys, right? It should be fine. Please, I’m counting on you.”
Thinking of Shu’s Dad, whose health was deteriorating day by day.
Meng Ting hesitated, her thoughts sluggish. Before she knew it, Shu Lan had pushed her onto the stage. The lights suddenly shone on her.
Shu Lan hadn’t lied to her. The stage lights were dim and warm, considerate of her eyes that couldn’t handle strong light. That year, Meng Ting had just had corneal surgery, having worn sunglasses for over three years and always using a white cane to walk. She had the surgery a month ago, and originally wouldn’t have been able to remove the glasses for another two months.
The audience fell silent as soon as she appeared on stage.
The white lace flower hat covered half her face, vaguely revealing beautiful features and a small, fair chin. She wore a white silk long dress with a red sash at the waist, her waist-length hair cascading down. On her feet were a pair of black leather shoes.
She looked like a moon goddess who had stepped out of a fairy tale.
Meng Ting lowered her eyes, knowing Jiang Ren was at the very back of the auditorium.
She told herself not to panic. He didn’t even know her yet. Right now, she was taking Shu Lan’s place.
Not far away, under the lights, stood a grand piano. Its black and white keys gleamed with a unique elegance.
Meng Ting looked at it, feeling a moment of tenderness in her heart.
She sat down on the bench, placed her hands on the keys, and as the distant memory warmed her, the first notes made her body tremble slightly. She finally felt the reality of living this life again.
The audience below fell completely silent.
This was a vocational high school. Most people would perform spicy dances or play guitar, but very few chose to play the piano.
After a while, someone below whispered, “That’s someone from Class 8? She’s so beautiful.” Although her features were indistinct, there was an inexplicable loveliness about her.
“What’s she playing?”
Someone knowledgeable about piano said, “Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor.”
“Damn, what’s with that long-ass name?”
“…It’s also called the Moonlight Sonata.”
“What’s her name?”
“The host said Shu Lan from Class 8.”
Shu Lan peeked out from behind the curtain, feeling both happy and resentful. She knew how amazing Meng Ting was; she had known since childhood. If it weren’t for the eye injury that had tempered Meng Ting’s beauty, she would have been famous throughout the school years ago.
But she was happy because, after this performance, the famous one would be her.
No matter how amazing Meng Ting was, all the glory would belong to Shu Lan.
Moreover, Shu Lan glanced towards the back of the hall.
At the very back, a silver-haired boy tossed down his last pair of kings just as the piano began to play. He looked up towards the stage.
Her heart raced. Jiang Ren.
That year, Jiang Ren’s hair was a brilliant silver. He wore a black shirt and jacket, the jacket open, giving him an unruly air. Instead of sitting properly in a chair, he perched on the higher armrest, his leg bent casually, foot resting on the soft seat next to him where another student sat.
That student, whose seat was being dirtied, didn’t dare make a sound and could only sit stiffly.
He Junming stared at the stage, mouth agape. After a while, he came to his senses: “She’s from our school?” He muttered to himself, it doesn’t seem like it.
Li Cai Vocational High was a paradise for rich kids. A bunch of students with terrible grades but experts in eating, drinking, and having fun. There weren’t girls like this.
How to put it… She was so purely clean that it was unreal, making them all look like little hooligans in comparison.
Fang Tan also clicked his tongue in wonder, unable to resist glancing at Jiang Ren.
Jiang Ren lit a cigarette but didn’t smoke it, just holding it between his fingers. Noticing Fang Tan’s gaze, he put the cigarette to his lips: “What are you looking at me for? Don’t tell me you believe those rumors?”
Fang Tan, afraid of angering him, said, “Of course not.”
They knew that Jiang Ren hated this type of girl the most.
Because Ren’s mother despised his father’s vulgar ways and nouveau riche attitude. She always looked at Ren and his father as if they were dirty things.
This kind of woman always had her head in the clouds. As if they didn’t realize that without money, they couldn’t afford their carefree lifestyle and refined tastes.
Jiang Ren was too far away to see her features. But she did play the piano well. He took the cigarette from his lips with two fingers, his gaze still fixed on her.
Meng Ting lowered her long lashes. She was most sensitive to Jiang Ren’s gaze. This time, she wasn’t going to be foolish. Her fingers pressed down, deliberately moving one key to the right, playing a wrong note. Meng Ting missed several black keys, and the audience below finally lost that sense of amazement. They began to chatter and return to their amusements.
Shu Lan was stunned in disbelief.
How could Meng Ting have played it wrong?
Jiang Ren sneered. Someone like this dares to come out and embarrass herself? He shifted his gaze away, telling He Junming to shuffle the cards again.
Meng Ting didn’t want to disappoint Shu’s Dad, but she also wouldn’t help Shu Lan again. In her past life, it was because she had been too eye-catching today that Shu Lan became famous at school. When the truth about the substitution came out, the impact had been huge.
She finished playing and gave a bow, then retreated backstage, supporting herself with her sore eyes. Shu Lan quickly pulled her to the dressing room: “How did you play it wrong…”
Meng Ting fumbled to put on her sunglasses, the reduced light finally giving her some relief. She didn’t answer Shu Lan’s question. Shu Lan was more concerned about other matters and didn’t pursue it: “Let’s quickly change back into our clothes.”
The two sisters changed, with Shu Lan enduring the tight feeling around her waist. She instructed Meng Ting, “Remember to leave through the back door.”
Meng Ting suddenly grabbed her arm: “Shu Lan, do you hate me?”
Shu Lan’s expression froze for a moment before she smiled, “Sister, what are you thinking? You’re so good, how could I hate you? Shu Yang might not like you, but I’ve always loved you.”
Meng Ting released her hand, closing her eyes wearily. Lies.
Living again, she finally understood. The dragon-phoenix twin siblings, Shu Lan, and Shu Yang—one pretended to like her but wished her dead, while the other seemed cold but was willing to raise money to treat her burns. People’s hearts are unfathomable, and it takes too high a price to understand.
It’s only a pity that in her past life, she died before she could grow up.
But it won’t be like that this time.
Returning to her sophomore year, everything could start anew.
Meng Ting watched as Shu Lan hurriedly walked away, holding up her skirt. She knew Shu Lan was going to find Jiang Ren. In her past life, just because Jiang Ren had carelessly said “not bad,” Shu Lan had been overjoyed. What about this time? Would Jiang Ren still be interested in the fake Shu Lan?
She picked up her white cane and pushed open the back door. Suddenly, the golden autumn of October came into view, though everything appeared gray to her. Birds chirped crisply, with a hint of autumn’s chill in the air. Flowers bloomed along both sides of the path, giving off a faint, elegant fragrance after the rain.
The sun had come out. Meng Ting closed her eyes and slowly walked forward. The surgery had been very successful. In just two months, she would be able to see the sky and sunlight again. In this life, everything was still possible.
“Ren, look over there,” He Junming said, his face full of unspoken words.
Looking down from the window of the rest area, the sky was a clear, washed blue. A girl wearing the Qi Zhong High School uniform was walking towards the school gate, supported by a white cane.
Jiang Ren rested his hand on the windowsill, his gaze following He Junming’s pointing finger to land on Meng Ting’s slender figure.