“Yanran, say something!” Sun Yunjuan stared at her so-called best friend with desperation glinting in her eyes, her voice sharp with urgency and expectation.
But under everyone’s gaze, Chen Yanran’s expression turned stiff and uneasy. Her fingers trembled slightly as she pretended to focus on folding a quilt, desperate to appear indifferent.
“I… I can’t really speak for this,” she murmured, not meeting anyone’s eyes. “In the end… it depends on who Xu Shengcai likes, doesn’t it?”
Sun Yunjuan’s face instantly contorted with anger. That wasn’t the answer she wanted. “Yanran!” she snapped, her voice rising with frustration.
The other educated youth girls, sensing a good show unfolding, didn’t bother intervening. Instead, they slipped out of the house with grins on their faces, eager to let the drama play out.
“Why won’t you speak for me?” Sun Yunjuan rounded on her. “Do you think I’m not good enough for Xu Shengcai? Is that it?” Her chest rose and fell with rising fury.
Chen Yanran, already in a foul mood, felt something inside her snap. Her voice was sharp as she bit back, “Think what you want! Say what you like!”
That was all it took to light the fuse.
“You—!” Sun Yunjuan was like a powder keg set ablaze. Her body trembled with rage as she lunged forward. “Chen Yanran, I’ve always treated you like a sister! Whenever someone bullied you, I was the one who stood up for you! And now you’re joining others to gang up on me?! I’ll make you regret it!”
With that, she grabbed at Chen Yanran’s face, her nails nearly clawing at her skin.
Chen Yanran screamed, her eyes wide with panic as she ducked and twisted to avoid her.
“You fake! You hypocrite!” Sun Yunjuan screeched. “You stuff your face with food from Xu Ying, and then you badmouth her behind her back. Aren’t you scared your rotten mouth will catch fire?! And what’s this, huh?”
As the two wrestled and tugged at each other, Sun Yunjuan suddenly caught a glimpse of something—and her eyes lit up with twisted excitement.
“Sun Yunjuan, stop talking nonsense!” Chen Yanran’s face turned ashen. She clamped her hand over Sun Yunjuan’s mouth, panic overtaking her entirely.
But Sun Yunjuan was just getting started. Seeing her reaction only made her bolder. She yanked Chen Yanran’s hand away and shouted loudly, “I was wondering why you were dressed so strangely last night. Turns out you were trying to hide something! You were with your little lover, weren’t you? Those scars on your body… must’ve been quite the night!”
Chen Yanran’s face turned deathly pale. She looked at Sun Yunjuan with desperate, pleading eyes, her voice trembling: “Please… don’t shout. I’ll do whatever you want.”
Sun Yunjuan, who hadn’t intended to take things too far, was suddenly elated by the shift in power. Her voice grew saccharine, but her eyes gleamed coldly. “Oh Yanran, what could I possibly want from you? I’ve always treated you like a sister. Haven’t I?”
Chen Yanran gritted her teeth, forcing out, “Of course. You’ve always been like a sister to me.”
“Then,” Sun Yunjuan smirked, arms crossed, “tell me: don’t you think Xu Shengcai and I make a perfect couple?”
Chen Yanran nodded quickly, biting down her bitterness. “Perfect. You’re beautiful and educated. Xu Shengcai’s just a country boy. It’d be his blessing to have you.”
Those words delighted Sun Yunjuan to no end. She broke into a wide grin, practically beaming. Spotting the mirror on Chen Yanran’s bedside, she grabbed it and admired her reflection shamelessly.
“By the way, I’ve always liked that dress of yours. The sky-blue one. Can I borrow it?”
Chen Yanran didn’t dare refuse. With clenched fists and a strained smile, she nodded.
But Sun Yunjuan didn’t wait for permission. She strutted over to the cabinet like she owned the place, opened it without a second thought, and pulled out the blue dress.
Holding it against herself, she twirled slightly, admiring how the fabric shimmered.
“Thank you, Yanran! If I marry Xu Shengcai and live a good life, I won’t forget your kindness,” she chirped.
Then, without a backward glance, she slipped into the dress and walked out in high spirits.
Behind her, Chen Yanran’s eyes followed with a smoldering, venomous glint.
Xu Ying. Sun Yunjuan. The Dong brothers… none of you will escape.
Outside, Xu Ying rode past on her bicycle.
“Xu Ying! Going to work?” Sun Yunjuan called out sweetly, waving.
Xu Ying gave her a sidelong glance—like she was looking at a clown—and sped past without a word.
This woman is clearly delusional.
But Sun Yunjuan, oblivious to the dismissal, skipped toward Xu Ying’s house like a lovesick girl.
Xu Shengcai left for the commune half an hour after Xu Ying, since his workplace was closer. The moment he stepped out, Sun Yunjuan intercepted him, her face adorned with what she imagined was a charming smile.
“Shengcai, going to work?” she asked, trying to make her voice sound soft and feminine.
Xu Shengcai stared at her, confused and a little put off. “Yeah. Do you need something?”
She batted her lashes. “Oh, nothing! I just wanted to see you.”
He raised an eyebrow, mentally recoiling. What is wrong with this girl?
Without another word, he hopped on his bike and rode off.
Sun Yunjuan didn’t take it to heart. In fact, she was convinced he was shy and secretly flattered. A sense of triumph surged in her chest.
See? With a little effort, I’ll have him wrapped around my finger in no time.
Meanwhile, at the school, Xu Shengcai ran into Lu Daya. After the awkward encounter the night before, things had become… strained.
Lu Daya gave him a polite nod, clutching her books, and rushed into the classroom without a word.
Xu Shengcai scratched his nose awkwardly before heading into his own class.
Behind him, Lu Daya felt a pang in her chest. Her heart ached, and her eyes stung.
The entire class passed in a daze.
“Lu Caocao, be careful!”
A shout jerked her back to reality just as her foot slipped off the stairs. She pitched forward with a gasp.
Luckily, a man dashed forward and caught her just in time, one hand steadying her waist.
“Teacher Sun!” Lu Daya gasped, blushing furiously as she straightened herself.
Sun Yiliang, calm and composed, adjusted his glasses with a smile. “It’s nothing. You should be more careful next time—you were totally distracted.”
Mortified, Lu Daya bowed her head. “Thank you… thank you, Teacher Sun.”
With cheeks burning, she ran off.
Sun Yiliang watched her retreating figure and sighed. He was new to the school and still unfamiliar with many things. Originally, he had hoped to ask Lu Daya for guidance.
Who would’ve thought this girl looked so calm on the surface but was so unreliable when flustered?
Shaking his head, he went to look for Xu Shengcai instead. The other teachers all looked stern and hard to approach—Xu seemed the easiest.
“Teacher Xu,” he called out gently. “I have a few questions, if you don’t mind.”
Sun Yiliang was the very picture of a refined gentleman: elegant, bookish, with fair skin and a calm demeanor. He was courteous, articulate, and carried himself with quiet confidence. It was no wonder both students and teachers had quickly grown fond of him.
That evening, when Xu Ying returned from work, she found her second brother gushing about the new teacher.
“Second Brother,” she asked cautiously, “what’s the name of that new teacher at your school?”
“Sun Yiliang,” Xu Shengcai replied with a smile. “He mentioned his sister’s an educated youth in our village too. Funny, huh? I forgot to ask her name though.”
Sun… Yiliang.
Xu Ying felt a buzzing in her ears. Of course. It had finally started.
In their past life, her family had been utterly destroyed—and the one who played a loyal lapdog for Chen Yanran had been none other than Sun Yiliang.
The sister worshipped Chen Yanran blindly. The other stood behind her like a loyal backdrop.
Truly the most pathetic supporting roles.
“Second Brother… is this Teacher Sun really that great?” she asked softly.
Xu Shengcai nodded. “Very diligent and polite.”
Xu Ying let out a long, tired sigh.
“What is it, little sister?” Xu Shengcai asked, puzzled. “You don’t like Teacher Sun?”
Xu Ying smiled faintly, eyes cold. Like him? Let’s just say… I know exactly who he is.