Xiang Wan's first reaction was that he was sick!
When he left that year, she was only ten years old. Was he still treating her like a child?
Watching his figure disappear around the corner of the stairs, Xiang Wan was angry but had nowhere to vent.
She felt like a defeated little beast now, guarding this inch of territory unwilling to leave, powerless against the invader, and not even knowing when he might take a whim to clamp down on her throat...
Half past seven.
After the car carrying Xiang Wan left, Zuo Xingyun, dressed in formal attire, also arrived at the gate.
He looked at the receding car with a slight frown, as if pondering something.
The driver, Achen, respectfully opened the rear door for him, "Brother Yun, weren't we supposed to stay in today? Where are we going?"
Zuo Xingyun didn't answer immediately. After settling into the car, he rubbed his eyebrows and asked, "Has the Aes Institute recently had any projects that need fundraising?"
"The Aes Institute?" Achen looked puzzled. "You're not that philanthropic, so what's the sudden interest in contributing to the nation's education? Wait... isn't that where the young lady is studying?"
Before he could finish speaking, he was silenced by Zuo Xingyun's cold stare, drawing a sharp breath, "Sss... Um... Yes! I heard there's a major renovation at the Aes Institute coming up that's pretty expensive. The small donations were already made since it's a prestigious school and none of the students' families are short of money. But the amount is so large that it's still..."
"Contact the principal, I'm going now," Zuo Xingyun interrupted Achen's endless chatter. "And, having followed me for so many years, you should know that I don't pay you by the word."
Achen: "...Yes, brother Yun, I'll try to keep it short in the future!"
...
On the way to school, Xiang Wan's mood remained heavy.
The Xiang family's affairs were well-known in Haicheng; she needed enough courage to face others's criticism and to accept those looks of schadenfreude or sympathy.
To avoid drawing attention, she had the driver drop her off two hundred meters from the school entrance.
However, when she went to the personal belongings area to store her items, it was the busiest time in the morning. Even though she deliberately kept her head down, she still felt the naked stares burning her like flames.
She didn't dare meet those gazes nor confirm whether they contained sympathy or mockery - neither would make her feel better.
She hurriedly placed her items in her locker and fled to the classroom.
As she entered, the classroom, which had been filled with laughter and chatter, fell silent. Most faces bore a look of pleasure as though they were anticipating a spectacle.
Soon, Xiang Wan realized something was amiss; her desk and chair were nowhere to be found.
Before long, the bell rang for class to begin. Everyone else sat down, leaving Xiang Wan awkwardly standing alone.
The first two periods were English, and the English teacher was famously hot-tempered and intimidating. Behind her back, students nicknamed her 'Merciless Master', and it was not hard to guess Xiang Wan's impending fate.
As expected, as soon as the English teacher entered the classroom, she noticed Xiang Wan standing out conspicuously and her naturally severe face grew even harsher, "Xiang Wan, what are you doing? Everyone is seated, and you just have to be different, right? You love attracting attention that much? Afraid that no one knows your dad died and your mom jumped off a building? Don't worry, everyone at school knows about your family. If you like standing so much, roll out to the hallway!"