Mrs. Qiao’s face twisted with rage as she rushed forward, cursing venomously. “I’ll show you what real insult and humiliation look like! Listen well — you’ll return every cent of that medical bill to the Qiao family tonight. If you’re even one coin short, I’ll ruin your reputation on the spot! Staying in Shanghai for university? Keep dreaming! Tomorrow morning, your whole family gets out of Shanghai!”

Wen Tingli’s face turned ashen. In truth, from the very moment Mrs. Qiao had first come to make trouble for her, she’d known this woman would try to weasel out and go back on her word. Now that Bai Liyun was pregnant, whatever self-protective leverage she’d once held over Mrs. Qiao had lost all its deterrent power. Mrs. Qiao had probably been waiting all along for this chance to vent her anger — and it was, after all, no small sum. Wen Tingli found herself momentarily at a loss.

Mistaking this for fear, Mrs. Qiao, believing Wen Tingli had been cowed by her words, swung her arm back viciously, aiming for Wen Tingli’s cheek. “Oh, so now you’re scared? You should have known, the moment you dared go after Xingchu, that the Qiao family has more than enough ways to torment you. Take a good look in the mirror — a little tramp like you only deserves that good-for-nothing Qiu boy!”

Wen Tingli shoved back at Mrs. Qiao, but Mrs. Qiao was charging forward with her full weight, so instead of pushing her off, Wen Tingli only slammed her own shoulder into the wall. Seizing the opening, Mrs. Qiao’s palm came at her face. Knowing there was no dodging it now, Wen Tingli closed her eyes and laughed coldly. “You’ve lived this long and this is all the wisdom you’ve got — well, you’re bound to be disappointed. I’ll make my own way and stand firm in Shanghai, on my own merit!”

“You? By yourself?” Mrs. Qiao’s laugh was shrill. She was putting her full strength into this slap; once it landed, it would surely draw blood.

With nowhere to escape, Wen Tingli gritted her teeth and told herself: never forget the sting of this slap.

Later, whenever people looked down on her, or whenever she wanted to give up in the face of hardship, she’d dig up this exact memory to warn herself: keep going forward, fight for your own dignity!

And yet — she braced herself, stiff-faced, for a good long while, and the slap never landed.

She opened her eyes and saw Mrs. Qiao’s arm firmly held aloft, restrained.

Mrs. Qiao, too, wore an expression of utter shock — because the person restraining her arm was Lu Shicheng.

The door in the passage reserved for distinguished guests had opened at some point without either of them noticing. Lu Shicheng, frowning at Mrs. Qiao, looked as though he had merely happened to pass by, and had only restrained her arm because she was blocking his way. Beside him stood Kuang Zhilin and Boss Zhu of Ciro’s, both wearing equally stunned expressions.

“Mr. Lu?” After a moment of shock, Mrs. Qiao said furiously, “You’ve come at just the right time. This Wen Tingli — she’s a student of yours at Wushi, isn’t she? She’s a swindler! She once tricked our Qiao family out of a sum of money, and when I reminded her to pay it back, she went and struck me like some common ruffian. I’m about to have her hauled off to the police station — please, be my witnesses.”

As she spoke, she tried to wrench her captured arm free while stretching out her other hand to grab at Wen Tingli’s hair.

Wen Tingli, still not entirely recovered from the shock, was caught by this grab, gasping in pain — and immediately retaliated fiercely, grabbing a fistful of Mrs. Qiao’s hair while pinning her shoulders with both hands, refusing to give an inch.

Lu Shicheng closed his eyes again for a moment; Kuang Zhilin and Boss Zhu, too, stood frozen — this pretty young girl fought fiercely when it came down to it.

Mrs. Qiao, never expecting Wen Tingli to actually fight back in front of so many people, yanked frantically at her own arm — but no matter how many times she pulled, it wouldn’t budge an inch.

“Mr. Lu?!” Mrs. Qiao looked back at Lu Shicheng in disbelief. “What exactly do you mean by this?”

Lu Shicheng looked at her with an expressionless face. Kuang Zhilin spoke up quickly. “Mr. Lu is a civilized man — he doesn’t believe in resolving matters through violence.”

Mrs. Qiao was both shocked and furious. “Didn’t Mr. Lu see it was Wen Tingli who struck first? If it’s violence you’re talking about, she started it too — I’m calling the police right now. This little tramp must pay for what she’s done.”

Lu Shicheng pointed at Wen Tingli, then at himself, his stance quite firm.

Kuang Zhilin looked a little startled, then said to Mrs. Qiao, “Since this Miss Wen is a student at Wushi, it’s not for anyone else to discipline her. Whether Mrs. Qiao wishes to call the police, or find someone to help you, that’s entirely up to you. As for Miss Wen, Mr. Lu will be taking her with him.”

Only once Kuang Zhilin finished speaking did Lu Shicheng release Mrs. Qiao’s arm, then pull Wen Tingli’s hands off Mrs. Qiao’s shoulders, drawing her behind himself. He positioned himself squarely between the two women, keeping a safe distance between them.

Wen Tingli was still busy fighting back with her nails against Mrs. Qiao, and when she felt Lu Shicheng pull her away, she tried to lunge forward again — only for his arm to block her path. Panting, she looked up and met his gaze. He looked down at her, and there wasn’t a trace of reproach or contempt in his eyes — quite the opposite, as though he were gently reminding her: keep fighting and this won’t end well.

Wen Tingli withdrew her hands and let Lu Shicheng pull her aside without a word.

Only then did Lu Shicheng turn to give Mrs. Qiao a nod, as though he’d said everything that needed saying, then, paying no mind to anyone else, led Wen Tingli off toward the exit. The whole scene, oddly, looked rather like a parent coming to fetch home a child who’d caused trouble.

Mrs. Qiao stood rooted in place, then narrowed her eyes and said sharply, “Mr. Lu isn’t taken in by her too, is he? Don’t be fooled by how young this Wen girl looks — she’s always been full of tricks. A while ago she was chasing after my own son, and once my son stopped paying her any attention, she went right after Qiguang. A woman like this, you—”

Lu Shicheng spun around and shot Mrs. Qiao a look.

Mrs. Qiao felt a chill run through her at that gaze, and fell silent.

Kuang Zhilin snapped, “Mrs. Qiao, mind your words! Mr. Lu doesn’t care to hear this.”

But Mrs. Qiao wasn’t about to swallow her anger, so instead she directed her mocking laugh at Wen Tingli’s retreating back. “So this is why you’re so full of yourself tonight — you’ve found yourself a big backer, have you! Well let me tell you, the bill’s in black and white — not even the King of Heaven himself could talk his way out of it! Tomorrow it’ll be in all the papers, and we’ll see which university dares to admit you then. Don’t you play deaf and dumb — are you planning to have Mr. Lu pay it off for you? So this is what you call ‘making it on your own merit’ — turns out you’re just like your mother, relying on men after all!”

“Shut your mouth!”

Wen Tingli, in a fury, pulled something out of her book bag. “Open your eyes and look properly — I’ve already consulted a lawyer, and whatever medical costs the Qiao family paid, I can pay back every single cent, with the lawyer providing notarized documentation, so you can’t go making up stories later. You know full well that if you hadn’t put Qiu Dapeng up to bringing his son to propose that night, my father wouldn’t have been beaten so badly — so this medical bill is exactly what your Qiao family owes. I’m paying it back now, not because I’m in the wrong, but because I don’t want to be pestered any further by a shameless creature like you — and another thing—”

She proudly shook the check in her hand.

“This is the Yuying Scholarship — historically only awarded to students who’ve won first place in a major external competition. Excellence is rare, and it just so happens I am one.” She raised her eyebrows with a smile. “See that clearly! Every last coin of this money, I earned through my own ability.”

The words landed with force. Lu Shicheng’s gaze rippled, and he looked deeply at her for a moment. Boss Zhu, too, looked Wen Tingli up and down with newfound respect.

Mrs. Qiao’s features twisted with fury, but for the moment she couldn’t find any words to rebut her. She glared resentfully at Lu Shicheng — a moment ago he’d been the one holding her back, and now that Wen Tingli was baring her claws at her like this, he wasn’t stepping in to stop her either. His bias couldn’t have been more obvious!

Wen Tingli put the check back into her book bag. “I’ll return your filthy money at the latest by tomorrow morning. You can wait for your lawyer’s call.”

Just as she turned to go, two people came walking toward her.

“Brother, you’ve come to fetch your sister-in-law, so why are you rushing off already?” Qiao Baoxin said, tugging Qiao Xingchu along. “Let’s go find Mother, and have her explain.”

Qiao Xingchu was about to say something to his sister, but the moment he saw Wen Tingli, his whole body froze. Wen Tingli walked coldly past him. Her face seemed to have been injured; he couldn’t help turning back a couple of steps, and noticed Wen Tingli was walking alongside Lu Shicheng.

He was faintly startled, and by the time he came to his senses, found Lu Shicheng was also looking him over calmly.

Full of confusion, Qiao Xingchu could only stop and nod a greeting to Lu Shicheng, when suddenly he heard his mother wailing behind him, “Why did you two only just get here… I’m about to die!”

“What happened?” Qiao Baoxin and Qiao Xingchu hurried over.

“Call Inspector Lin at the police station, quickly.” As she spoke, Mrs. Qiao grabbed hold of her son’s shirt collar. “Xingchu, look what you found for yourself — after all your talk about how good she was, look what she’s done, beaten your own mother like this.”

Qiao Xingchu couldn’t help but interrupt his mother. “What are you even talking about — what happened, exactly?”

“Please, both of you, no need to be alarmed.” Kuang Zhilin stepped over to Qiao Xingchu and Qiao Baoxin. “Miss Wen has already gone to find her lawyer. When the dispute broke out between the two of them, Mr. Zhu, Mr. Kuang, and Mr. Lu all happened to be present. If any testimony is needed, none of us will refuse.”

Mrs. Qiao’s eyes flickered nervously. Just then a crowd of students ran up. “What happened here?”

Since they’d stayed for the Truth Orchestra’s performance, the guests had all remained in the hall listening to the music. Only once the music stopped did they notice the commotion further back, and came over as a group — only to spot Lu Shicheng there, and grow rather startled. “Mr., Mr. Lu?”

Lu Shicheng and Wen Tingli walked through the crowd toward the exit.

They’d walked quite some distance before Wen Tingli remembered she’d forgotten to thank Lu Shicheng.

She glanced up at his back. If that whole incident happened over again ten thousand times, she’d still have gotten into it with Mrs. Qiao all the same — but now that things had calmed down, she felt a bit embarrassed. This was, after all, the first time she’d ever gotten into a physical fight in front of someone she knew — and of all people, it had to be Lu Shicheng.

“Mr. Lu, thank you for earlier,” she cleared her throat.

Lu Shicheng stopped and turned back, his gaze fixing on her face for a moment. He pointed at her cheek with a gesture, then withdrew his gaze and turned to go down the stairs.

Wen Tingli was startled, and quickly pulled out a small mirror from her bag — only then did she realize there were several scratches across her cheek and neck. Fortunately, they weren’t deep, but they’d still need treating soon.

Her heart warmed. Lu Shicheng’s attitude toward her was the same as it had been from the start — no contempt for what she’d done, no mockery, and certainly no self-righteous advice or demands. There was only, throughout, an unwavering kindness.

Zhao Qingluo and Yan Zhenzhen, having heard what happened, came rushing over in a panic, and seeing the wounds on Wen Tingli’s neck, both gasped. “Mrs. Qiao did that? That old witch really went that far!”

Wen Tingli buried her head against their shoulders, saying dully, “That fight wore me out. I don’t have the energy to explain right now — I’ll tell you both later.”

Zhao Qingluo helped hold her up, concerned. “Then let’s help you back to our seats to rest a moment, there’s a pharmacy nearby, Zhenzhen and I will go buy medicine for you.”

“Go back to the dance floor for what?” Yan Zhenzhen said crossly. “So that old witch can keep tormenting Wen Tingli? Of the thirty-six strategies, running is best — let’s call a car and get her home right away.”

Hearing Yan Zhenzhen calling Mrs. Qiao “that old witch” over and over, Wen Tingli couldn’t help laughing. “I’m not running. There’s no point running anyway. Don’t worry, you two — things have pretty much been settled. Wait here for me a moment, I’ll go make a phone call first.”

After the call, she quickly treated her wounds and went back up to the second floor of Ciro’s.

Because of the incident, the performance onstage had already been stopped, and under the guidance of Boss Zhu and the others, the students were filing out in an orderly fashion.

Seeing they couldn’t push their way in, the three of them simply followed the crowd out of the building. Just as they stepped out, they heard Mrs. Qiao’s sharp voice. “I know you always stand up for your students, but you can’t just take Mr. Kuang’s word for it. My wounds have already been examined by Inspector Lin — the evidence is right here in front of everyone. Wen Tingli owing money can be confirmed with one call to Cixin Hospital’s accounts office. If you don’t give me an answer tonight, I’ll file charges of fraud and assault against her immediately, and it won’t just be this student who’s finished — your school’s reputation will be dragged through the mud too. Are you sure you want to fight the Qiao family in court over one student of poor character?”

Michelle caught sight of Wen Tingli and walked over. “This matter has serious consequences. The only way to resolve it now is to apologize to Mrs. Qiao on the spot. If you can win her forgiveness, there might still be room to negotiate. Come with me now and apologize to Mrs. Qiao.”

Zhao Qingluo and Yan Zhenzhen exchanged anxious glances at Wen Tingli — they both knew Michelle was Mrs. Qiao’s close friend, and if Mrs. Qiao lost out, Michelle would surely side with her. This suggestion sounded reasonable enough, but it hid a trap: once Wen Tingli apologized in front of so many people, whatever right she had on her side would be gone — and this was a critical moment for university admissions; a misstep here could ruin her future.

“I won’t apologize,” Wen Tingli said, unbowed.

“You—”

“Did you hear that, Principal Zou?” Mrs. Qiao raised her voice. “This criminal cheated me out of money and assaulted me, and she doesn’t feel a shred of remorse. Are you really going to sign a graduation certificate for a student of such low character?”

Principal Zou spoke sternly. “First of all, both Boss Zhu and Mr. Kuang can testify that the conflict between you and Wen Tingli arose because you refused to allow her to apply to Shanghai universities. You publicly insulted her parents and demanded her whole family leave Shanghai overnight. She endured this repeatedly at first, and it was only your continued provocation that led to the violent confrontation. Second, whatever agreement the Qiao family made with Wen Tingli in the past, I don’t know the details — but you have never once accused Wen Tingli of fraud before tonight. And after tonight’s events, she’s decided to repay in full the medical expenses the Qiao family had previously advanced. Only if she fails to repay it within the agreed time frame could there be any suggestion of stalling or fraud. You keep accusing her of fraud, yet you can’t produce a single IOU signed by Wen Tingli — this simply isn’t convincing, and frankly, borders on slander.”

Mrs. Qiao was momentarily at a loss for words. Qiao Xingchu and Qiao Baoxin couldn’t stand to watch any longer, and each took an arm to lead their mother toward their car. “You should go home and rest. Leave this matter to us.”

Mrs. Qiao’s cheek was still red and swollen, her eyes still burning with resentment. In all her years, she’d never suffered such humiliation, and she wasn’t about to let it go so easily. She glanced at a quiet black car parked by the roadside, and forced herself to a stop. Everyone followed her gaze — it was Lu Shicheng’s car; he had apparently been sitting in it ever since coming downstairs, evidently waiting for Principal Zou.

Wen Tingli assumed Mrs. Qiao was about to make more trouble, but perhaps out of fear of offending the Lu family too badly, Mrs. Qiao swallowed the rest of what she was going to say and instead sneered coldly, “Since we’ve come this far, I’ll just wait for Wen Tingli to bring her lawyer round. I’ve already had the hospital bill brought — eight hundred and forty silver dollars in total, written down in black and white. Remember: she must repay it by midnight tonight, or the Qiao family reserves the right to sue her!”

Hearing this, Principal Zou couldn’t help but look worried — ordinary people usually needed several days at least to hire a lawyer, and it was already this late — where could a student possibly find one?

But Wen Tingli said coolly, “Mrs. Qiao can just go ahead and wait, then.”

Mrs. Qiao laughed mockingly. “Listen to her — a student with nothing to her name, casually summoning a famous lawyer to handle her debts. Wen Tingli, I had no idea you had such connections. Principal Zou, Wushi’s school motto is ‘seek truth, strive for self-improvement, be prudent in solitude, fear nothing’ — and Wen Tingli is out there using such disreputable means to find people to back her up, and you turn a blind eye? Don’t you find it ironic that your school’s good name might one day be ruined because of her?”

“What exactly do you mean by that?” Principal Zou’s voice rose involuntarily.

“As far as I know, Wen Tingli has been through countless boyfriends. I have nothing but contempt for the sort who knows only how to bewitch men. You just keep shielding her without even knowing her true nature — aren’t you afraid that one day your school’s good name will be ruined because of her?”

Lu Shicheng, sitting in the car, frowned deeper and deeper. Kuang Zhilin, seeing this, resolutely pushed open the door and got out. “Mrs. Qiao.”

“Mother!” This time it was Bai Liyun’s voice that called out to stop Mrs. Qiao, gripping her hand tightly, her eyes full of warning.

Just then, two people pushed through the crowd. One of them cut in on Mrs. Qiao’s tirade: “Men? What men?”

Everyone froze; it was the well-known director Huang Yuanshan. Beside her was Liu Yaqiao, the trusted assistant of Bao Yaming, the lawyer at Shuguang Law Firm. She had also graduated from Wushi, and quite a few students present recognized her.

As she spoke, Huang Yuanshan’s eyes immediately found Wen Tingli in the crowd, and she hissed, “Ah, didn’t I tell you to protect your face! How am I supposed to start filming with you looking like this!”

Coming closer for a look, she then patted her own chest in relief. “Good, just surface scrapes. Eat light for a few days and you’ll be fine.”

Turning, she spotted Mrs. Qiao. “Auntie Jiang?!”

“What are you doing here?” Mrs. Qiao asked, her face darkening.

“Wen Tingli called me here.” Huang Yuanshan blinked in surprise. “Wait — don’t tell me it was you who got into a fight with Wen Tingli just now?”

Mrs. Qiao squeezed the words out through gritted teeth. “She’s the one who told you to bring a lawyer?”

“That’s right.” She pulled Liu Yaqiao over beside her. “This is Lawyer Liu, Lawyer Bao’s most prized student.”

“And you just came because she asked?”

Huang Yuanshan blinked, startled. “She’s the lead in my next film, and she ran into trouble out here — who else would she turn to but me?”

Then, with a chiding tone, “And you, really — if you had something to say, why not just talk it out properly instead of resorting to physical fighting? Miss Liu, I don’t understand the legal side of things — you talk to Auntie Jiang.”

Liu Yaqiao bowed to Mrs. Qiao. “My surname is Liu. I’m Lawyer Bao’s assistant, sent by Miss Huang to help resolve the financial dispute between Miss Wen and Mrs. Qiao.”

Wen Tingli spoke up coldly. “I did indeed bring in a lawyer, using some of my social connections — but the force behind that, Mrs. Qiao, wasn’t the ‘men’ you spoke of, it was my friend, Miss Huang Yuanshan. And the money — I have it ready too, not borrowed, and certainly not begged from anyone, but the Yuying Scholarship I won fair and square through my own ability. Now that Lawyer Liu is here, we can settle this at once. Furthermore, regarding your slander against my character, I reserve the right to pursue a countersuit through legal means.”

The words landed hard, and the female students standing around, already stirred with excitement, broke into spontaneous applause at this point, wave after wave of it. Mrs. Qiao clutched her chest and closed her eyes, gasping for breath, while the younger Qiao relatives hurried the trembling, furious woman into the car. Before getting in, Qiao Xingchu, holding the car door, glanced back once at Wen Tingli, his eyes full of both guilt and regret. After that single glance, he boarded the car with a look of shame. Wen Tingli coldly looked away.

Bai Liyun, on the other hand, came over graciously and apologized to Principal Zou. “My mother-in-law has been unwell for some time, and had a bit too much to drink just now, saying some foolish things. Please don’t take it to heart — she’s always admired you a great deal.”

She also bowed slightly to Wen Tingli before getting into the car.

Kuang Zhilin, too, returned to the car, though his face still carried a look of astonishment, and he said to Lu Shicheng, “Never expected Miss Wen to handle things so well. I’d assumed she’d simply cling to Principal Zou to speak up for her, or perhaps even come asking Young Master for help — after all, anyone facing someone like Mrs. Qiao would find it difficult. Never thought she’d have already worked out her own countermeasure ahead of time. Such a young age, and already so bold, and so willing to take responsibility.”

He shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh. “My mistake — ‘judging someone through a crack in the door,’ I underestimated her.”

Lu Shicheng opened a document, and though his face showed no ripple of emotion, his eyes stayed fixed on the page for a long while without moving.

After Kuang Zhilin finished speaking, he mused to himself privately that people who had to rely entirely on themselves probably matured early like this more often than not, and turning to glance at Lu Shicheng, he noticed the young master seemed lost in thought. A faint sense of unease flickered through his mind, and he turned instead to look out the car window, saying with a smile, “Let me go ask Principal Zou roughly when she’ll be ready to leave.”

Meanwhile, Huang Yuanshan was helplessly spreading her hands at Wen Tingli. “Well, that’s that — I’ve offended just about everyone on your account.”

Wen Tingli affectionately looped her arm through Huang Yuanshan’s. “What can we do — looks like I’ll just have to make it up to you by giving a hundred-percent performance in your new film.”

“You all heard that, right? That’s Wen Tingli’s own words. I’m giving her an assignment: this film needs to be either a critical hit or a box-office hit — ideally both. On opening day, everyone remember to go to the cinema and judge Wen Tingli’s performance for yourselves. If she doesn’t act well, feel free to criticize her — and if this one doesn’t turn out well, I’ll cast her in the next one, and keep doing it until everyone’s satisfied.”

Everyone chatted and laughed together for a while, then went to express their thanks to Principal Zou.

Just then, Kuang Zhilin and Principal Zou had just gotten into the car when they heard Wen Tingli’s voice outside the window.

“Principal Zou, thank you for earlier.”

Zou Zheping said, “No need to thank me. Whether as your principal, or simply as a bystander, I believe you did nothing wrong. Remember this: everyone is free and equal, and no one has the right to deny you your education.”

Wen Tingli said, her voice thick, “But I still want to thank you. It’s precisely because I have a principal like you that I’ve had the chance to encounter such ideas — so that in the future, whenever I reach a fork in the road of life, I won’t take the wrong path out of self-contempt.”

Zou Zheping seemed rather moved as well. “No — if tonight hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have known how hard things have been for you. That’s a failing on my part as your principal. Remember, whatever difficulty you face from now on, come find me first. As it happens, I have a few books on philosophy, economics, and socialism here — take them home and read them well.”

“I will study them earnestly,” Wen Tingli said, solemnly accepting them.

Principal Zou laughed again. “Look at me, going on and on and forgetting the two of them are still waiting in the car. If it weren’t for the White Dragon Gang’s little scene tonight, Shicheng wouldn’t have made the special trip out of worry for me.”

Right after, Wen Tingli’s voice sounded outside the window again. “Mr. Lu, Mr. Kuang.”

Kuang Zhilin had long since gotten used to Wen Tingli’s easy, familiar manner, and having crossed paths with her these several times now, he genuinely couldn’t find it in himself to dislike someone this clever. He nodded with a smile. “Good evening, Miss Wen.”

Lu Shicheng, however, didn’t respond, instead personally getting out to open the door for Principal Zou, then walking around to open the front passenger door.

Wen Tingli hurried around behind Lu Shicheng and said softly, “Young Master Lu, thank you for tonight.”

Lu Shicheng was silent for two seconds, then turned his eyes to her. She was beaming, her tone sincere and lively — if not for the scratches still on her neck, one would never have guessed she’d just been in a fight.

He looked at her seriously, pointed at himself, and shook his head at her — he hadn’t really helped with anything, before.

Kuang Zhilin, who had been at Lu Shicheng’s side for many years, naturally understood what the young master meant, but he suspected Miss Wen might not guess correctly, and was about to get out to help translate — only to hear Wen Tingli rattling on cheerfully, “Of course you helped me! Look, you could have just stood by and done nothing, but you and Mr. Kuang stepped forward to testify for me — that alone was an enormous help to me.”

Lu Shicheng listened attentively to her.

Kuang Zhilin and Zou Zheping, watching this scene from the car, couldn’t quite put their finger on what felt off, but found it rather amusing all the same. Most people, hearing a response like that, would have stopped talking — but Wen Tingli’s enthusiasm showed no sign of flagging. “I’ve already treated you to a meal once. Mr. Lu is far too busy for me to keep bothering you, so let’s do this — once my film is released, I’ll send you and Mr. Kuang a few first-class tickets. This film is bound to be a hit — I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

Zou Zheping laughed and said to Kuang Zhilin, “Not bad at all — this is exactly the kind of student Wushi ought to raise: open, confident.”

Lu Shicheng, evidently used to Wen Tingli’s extraordinary self-assurance by now, appeared to consider it seriously for a moment, but didn’t answer right away.

This was, in fact, already a subtle form of refusal. Wen Tingli said, “Is Mr. Lu worried about not being able to settle on a time? Don’t worry, we’ll figure that out later. I won’t keep you from your rest any longer tonight.” She stepped back politely.

Lu Shicheng closed the car door and signaled the driver to go.

Principal Zou called out through the window to Wen Tingli, “Once you’ve settled things with the Qiao family, hurry back home with Miss Liu and Miss Huang. Remember: stay calm, stay composed, and reason things through. Call me the moment anything seems wrong.”

“Don’t worry,” Wen Tingli said outside, nodding.

As the car pulled forward, Principal Zou remained full of feeling. “That child, she really tugs at the heart. With so much trouble at home, and yet she’s stayed so strong and optimistic. And the key thing is, she never once demeans herself — look at her, standing among all these children from well-off families, and yet she seems to genuinely believe, from the bottom of her heart, that she’s the best there. Such a rare kind of spirit. I’d guess Little Wen’s parents must love her very dearly — oh, right, Shicheng, you seem to know her rather well. Have you two met before?”

She turned her head, only to see Lu Shicheng gazing out the window, lost in some thought of his own.

“Shicheng?” Principal Zou called twice more before Lu Shicheng suddenly snapped back to attention, turning to face her. He steadied himself and pointed at the document in his hand. [Was thinking about work matters. What did you just say?]

Once the Lu family’s car had driven off, Huang Yuanshan walked over and put an arm around Wen Tingli’s shoulders, lowering her voice. “Why go through such a roundabout way of sending someone movie tickets? Have you taken a liking to Lu Shicheng? Honestly, not bad taste. What just happened — any other man would’ve made you feel indebted before you even finished thanking him.”

Wen Tingli made a face as though she’d been stung by a wasp. “Thanks, but I don’t want anything to do with men for the rest of my life. This was just me expressing gratitude — besides, in this world, the more friends you have, the more help you get. Someone as upstanding as him — no harm in befriending him. It’s just that Mr. Lu… he really is hard to get close to. You saw it yourself just now — the moment he sees me, his whole body practically screams ‘stay away from me,’ like I’m carrying fire that’ll burn him if he gets too close.”

Huang Yuanshan gave a knowing smile. “You really don’t understand men at all yet. He was… eh, how old are you again, and you’ve already decided you’ll never deal with men for the rest of your life?”

Yan Zhenzhen chimed in, “I’d think the same in your shoes. Other people date for fun — Wen Tingli nearly got her whole family killed over a romance. You all saw it just now — that Qiao Xingchu didn’t say a word the whole time Mrs. Qiao was going on like that. I think he’s even worse than Mrs. Qiao.”

“What could he possibly say? Defend Wen Tingli, and he’d make his new wife suspicious. Defend Mrs. Qiao, and he’d betray Wen Tingli. So he just kept his mouth shut.”

Liu Yaqiao, carrying her briefcase, reminded them with a smile, “We should get going to the Qiao residence. Miss Wen, do you have the money ready?”

“I’ve got it ready,” Wen Tingli said quickly.

Yan Zhenzhen sighed. “Once you pay that out, you’ll be even poorer.”

Huang Yuanshan chimed in, “All the more reason Wen Tingli should make more films. Once she’s famous, this sum will be pocket change to her.”

Wen Tingli said nothing, quietly tucking the books Principal Zou had given her into her book bag. As she did, something fell out from between the pages. She picked it up and found it was five hundred francs.

“Ah, she must have slipped you the money for her own birthday gift.”

“But this is way too much.”

“She was just worried you’re struggling and wanted to help out a little. Hey — what’s wrong, why are you crying all of a sudden?”

Wen Tingli quietly wiped the corner of her eye — she’d simply thought, suddenly, of Deng Yuanzhang, still in the hospital. Two elders, so different in temperament, and yet so alike in the fiber of their character.

They arrived at the Qiao residence at eleven at night.

From the outside, the Qiao house still looked as grand and resplendent as ever with its ornate roof tiles, but perhaps because of the late-night stillness, walking inside brought a wave of desolation. The one receiving Wen Tingli’s group was Qiao Baoxin.

Mrs. Qiao, presumably worn out from all the earlier commotion, never showed her face the whole time.

With Liu Yaqiao serving as notary, Qiao Baoxin signed for the payment on her mother’s behalf.

Finally, Qiao Baoxin said to Wen Tingli, “I’d like to have a word with you alone.”

The two of them walked to the French windows and gazed together out at the garden beyond. All around, everything was silent, silver moonlight spilled across the ground, and suddenly, with a flutter of wings, a white bird pierced through the pale clouds and flew off into the vast night sky.

Wen Tingli tilted her head, following the bird’s path as it vanished. Months ago, that night, she had walked into this magnificent estate full of dreams, believing that latching onto a gentle, affectionate man would bring her the life she’d dreamed of, never realizing it was all just a terrible illusion — and once the dream shattered, that illusion would turn into a sharp blade, cutting straight through her flesh.

A chill crept over her, and she instinctively touched her own bare arm where it showed at the sleeve of her qipao — there seemed to still be a wound there where the blade had struck, an ache that lingered even now.

Qiao Baoxin spoke wistfully. “My family’s been going through some difficulties lately. My mother’s under enormous pressure, and there’s nothing much I can do — I can only try my best to talk her round. Actually, when I was little, my mother was very gentle and kind. It’s just that these past years, Father’s business has failed again and again, my grandfather has always had absolute say in this house, and my mother’s had to manage the household while also serving my grandfather, all while enduring endless cold remarks from the clan. Bit by bit, she’s turned into a different person. Tingli, I know you might not believe this, but my mother, she—”

Wen Tingli suddenly turned and gripped Qiao Baoxin’s wrist tightly. “If you ever get the chance, you must get out of this place — unless you want to become a second Mrs. Qiao.”

Qiao Baoxin froze.

“I know,” Wen Tingli said, “given my own situation, I’m not really in a position to say this. But Baoxin, please remember — I’ll always be your good friend. In the future, whenever you’re willing to ask for my help, I’ll do everything in my power to help you.”

Qiao Baoxin’s expression slowly shifted from shock to visible emotion. She lowered her head for a moment, then looked up with a smile and a sigh. “I may not have your courage. But… yes! I’ll seize my chance.”

As the group walked out of the Qiao residence, a servant suddenly came running after them.

“Miss Wen, my young lady asked me to give this to you.” Wen Tingli recognized her as Qiao Baoxin’s old wet nurse. After a moment’s hesitation, she accepted the item.

It was a heavy envelope.

She deliberately lagged a few steps behind the others and opened it as she walked — inside was a thick wad of cash, adding up to several thousand at least.

She stared, taken aback — there was no way Qiao Baoxin could have come up with this much money on her own.

Opening the envelope further, she found underneath it a very old movie ticket.

It was for Beauty in Trouble, which had shown at the Grand Theatre earlier that year.

Wen Tingli’s heart gave a stab. That had been the first time Qiao Xingchu had ever taken her out to see a movie. On the back of the ticket were two written characters.

[Sorry.]

No greeting, no signature — but Wen Tingli recognized Qiao Xingchu’s handwriting at a single glance.

She looked at this pile of money and this note with derision. A belated farewell — or just his own self-satisfied idea of compensation?

Her feelings were a tangled mess. She turned back and called out to the wet nurse, “Please take this back.”

But the nurse just lowered her head and ran back through the gate.

Wen Tingli tried to chase after her, but the heavy black doors of the Qiao residence had already swung shut in front of her.

She had no choice but to step back and look up. Beyond the garden wall, she could just make out, on the second-floor terrace of the Qiao residence, the silhouette of a tall figure standing there. Though separated by the wall and the trees, Wen Tingli could sense that person’s gaze fixed on her.

Without the slightest hesitation, she tore the movie ticket into pieces, then flung her hand out. The scraps scattered and fluttered down like fragments of snow.

That figure watched all of it in silence.

“What’s wrong?” Huang Yuanshan and the others gathered around.

Wen Tingli stuffed the wad of cash back into the envelope and handed it to Huang Yuanshan. “Sister Huang, would you mind returning this to Qiao Xingchu for me? Let’s go.”

With that, she trod over the scattered scraps and, pulling the others along, walked away without a backward glance. Behind her, that silhouette on the terrace, along with the desolate mansion, slowly melted into the bleak night.