Nan Wan froze.
Huo Xunzhou's gaze darkened. "Did you forget?"
She instinctively shook her head, fingers entwining—an unmistakable sign of lying.
He saw through her instantly and let out a cold laugh.
Nan Wan tensed, swallowing hard as she clenched her small fists to bolster her courage. "I was planning to buy it today, but you didn't give me the time."
She pushed the blame onto him with a delicate accusation.
Huo Xunzhou half-narrowed his eyes, noting with amusement that just two days away from home had emboldened her.
His stare made her squirm.
Maybe she should just apologize and be done with it?
But she was still bitter about him calling her back early. The thought of bowing her head felt impossible.
She feared him, but even the humblest clay figure had its share of defiance.
In the end, it was Huo Xunzhou who let her go.
"This time, I'll let it slide."
His indifferent tone made Nan Wan look up in disbelief.
He was still wearing his gold-rimmed glasses, fresh from work—composed and elegant. But she knew better. He was the very embodiment of a wolf in sheep's clothing.
"Weren't you preparing a birthday gift for me?" His voice was smooth, almost lazy. "You can make up for this by including it in my birthday present."
He leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. His voice dropped into a low, seductive whisper.
"Wanwan, I'm looking forward to it."
Nan Wan shivered.
"I expect a grand gift."
Those last two words carried unmistakable meaning.
She knew exactly what he was implying.
In their world, offering oneself as a birthday present wasn't uncommon.
Both parties welcomed such an exchange.
She bit her lip and refused to answer, her silence her only resistance.
Huo Xunzhou didn't press further, but the lingering heat in his gaze made it clear—he wasn't joking.
He was angry that she had forgotten her promise.
Yet, instead of unleashing his fury, he held it back, calculating as always. This man never acted without ensuring the greatest benefit to himself.
So, just like that, he shifted the blame onto her. Since she was the one who had slipped up first, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and accept it.
Huo Xunzhou left for his company, arranging for someone to send Nan Wan back to the Huo residence.
The moment she stepped inside, Song Ma greeted her with enthusiasm.
"Miss, you're finally home! The Master has been missing you these past few days."
Song Ma never tired of fanning the flames, tirelessly reminding Nan Wan of all the things Huo Xunzhou did for her—hoping she would reciprocate in kind.
Nan Wan lowered her gaze.
In her past life, Song Ma hadn't always been this way.
At first, she had tried to play matchmaker, but after witnessing Huo Xunzhou's cruelty, she had eventually abandoned the idea.
That was why, when Nan Wan had tried to escape later on, Song Ma had quietly looked the other way.
But now, things were different.
To outsiders, Huo Xunzhou treated her almost too well.
They had no idea what she had been through.
She knew his true nature.
At his core, Huo Xunzhou was nothing short of wicked.
He toyed with her like a cat with a mouse—never dealing a fatal blow, just inflicting wound after wound, watching as she teetered on the brink.
And when the game lost its thrill, he would devour her whole.
Unmoved by Song Ma's words, Nan Wan remained silent.
Song Ma sighed.
Young people these days… so hard to understand.
That night, Huo Xunzhou didn't trouble her.
The next morning, Zhang Shu was the one to drive her to school.
As soon as she stepped out of the car, a loud voice called out from behind.
"Nan Wan!"
Lin Lan came running over, slinging an arm around her shoulder with a grin.
"Who dropped you off? Did you take a cab?"
Nan Wan stiffened.
Lin Lan didn't notice and kept chattering.
"Do you live far from school?"
Before Nan Wan could come up with an excuse, Lin Lan had already filled in the blanks herself.
Nan Wan quietly exhaled in relief and nodded. "Not too far."
"Why are you out so early today?" She changed the subject.
Lin Lan took a bite of her bun, grumbling, "The school's out of power again! The cafeteria only had plain steamed buns this morning. Absolutely awful."
"I swear, the construction crew is always cutting through something—wires, pipes… How many times have we lost power and water this month?"
Here's the refined translation:
"So frustrating!"
Nan Wan had no response to that.
"You're lucky—you don't have to deal with dorm life."
"We should hurry to class. It's about to start." Nan Wan quickly cut Lin Lan off, afraid the next thing she'd ask was where she was staying.
Lin Lan, realizing the time, grabbed Nan Wan's hand and took off toward the teaching building.
"Come on, hurry! We can't be late!"
By the time they arrived, Nan Wan was out of breath.
The classroom was already filling up. The two of them found seats toward the front, and just as Nan Wan pulled out her books, she overheard a conversation behind her.
"Is Nan Wan ever coming back to the dorm? I really don't want to keep lying to the dorm manager." A girl sighed in complaint.
"We're all classmates. It's just a small favor, no big deal," another girl replied, her tone full of apparent kindness.
But their voices weren't exactly quiet—they clearly wanted Nan Wan to hear.
Nan Wan pressed her lips together, staying silent.
Before she could react, Lin Lan turned around abruptly.
"You don't need to cover for her. Next time the dorm manager asks, just say she's staying with me."
The two girls' faces darkened.
Yu Xin scoffed. "We wouldn't dare lie to the dorm manager."
"Oh? Then remind me—who was it that got locked out for coming back too late the other night? The dorm manager was about to take names, and whose name ended up on the list instead?" Lin Lan turned to Nan Wan, deliberately raising her voice. "Was it you?"
Yu Xin's face flushed red. "Lin Lan, don't take it too far!"
"How am I taking it too far? I'm just stating facts." Lin Lan was utterly unfazed.
Xu Meng tugged at Yu Xin's sleeve, trying to play mediator. "Drop it, class is starting."
But their brief exchange had already drawn some attention. Most classmates chose to feign ignorance, pretending not to hear.
Lin Lan smirked and turned back. "See that? Yu Xin only picks on people she thinks won't fight back."
"Thank you, Lin Lan," Nan Wan whispered. She suddenly felt like she was reliving her past life.
Some would call her personality gentle and kind; others, too soft.
Lin Lan had always been the one standing up for her, pushing back against Yu Xin's bullying.
"You need to be fiercer. People like that back off when you push back!" Lin Lan earnestly tried to teach Nan Wan the art of intimidation.
Nan Wan took the lesson seriously, widening her eyes and furrowing her brows in an attempt to look tough.
Pfft—
Lin Lan nearly choked on laughter.
The same expression on her own face might have been intimidating, but on Nan Wan, it was just… adorably fierce.
A little puffed-up kitten trying to act like a tiger.
The bell rang, cutting their conversation short.
Nan Wan genuinely enjoyed attending class, as if making up for everything she had missed in her previous life.
Near the end of the lecture, the professor made an announcement.
"There's an upcoming nationwide essay competition for university students. This is the first edition, officially organized, with substantial prize money. If you're interested, you can register online. The deadline is next week."
Nan Wan's heart stirred.
As a Chinese literature major, she was no stranger to writing competitions.
This was right up her alley—and it even came with prize money.
Later, the professor posted the contest details in the class group chat.
Grand Prize (1 winner): ¥50,000
First Prize (5 winners): ¥10,000 each
…
Nan Wan forwarded the registration link to Lin Lan, but Lin Lan barely glanced at it. "Not my thing."
Nan Wan didn't push and signed up on her own.
After registering, Nan Wan hesitated for a moment before saying, "Lin Lan, I'm going back to the dorm at noon."
She couldn't keep running away forever. She had been given a second chance—this time, she wouldn't waste it.
Lin Lan fully supported her decision and declared boldly, "Good! I'll go with you. Let's see if Yu Xin dares to say another word!"
Nan Wan gave her a grateful smile.
She had no idea how to repay Lin Lan for everything she had done—both in this life and the last.
But this time, she would be the one protecting Lin Lan. She wouldn't let Huo Xunzhou use the people around her to threaten her again.
Nan Wan had already found her dorm key. As the two girls reached the door, they overheard voices inside—Yu Xin and Xu Meng, speaking freely, clearly emboldened by Nan Wan's absence.
"Where is Nan Wan even staying these days?"
"Who knows? She's probably being kept by some old man."
With a sharp click, the door swung open.
The two inside turned instinctively, their faces momentarily frozen in shock.
Nan Wan walked in, still holding Lin Lan's hand. She stopped right in front of Yu Xin, her expression unusually serious.
"Yu Xin, you should have proof before you speak. Otherwise, I can sue you for defamation."
Yu Xin flinched.
She was startled—Nan Wan had actually frightened her.
And that was humiliating.
Back when Nan Wan still lived in the dorm, she had always ignored their words, never retaliating.
She had never threatened her like this before.
Yu Xin clenched her teeth and blurted out, "Go ahead and sue, then! Need me to lend you some money? Wouldn't want you struggling to afford a lawyer."
After being roommates for so long, she had a rough idea of Nan Wan's financial situation.
Xu Meng quickly tugged at Yu Xin's sleeve, trying to smooth things over.
"Nan Wan, we're all classmates. Xin Xin was just joking. Don't take it seriously."
Before Nan Wan could respond, Lin Lan had already lost her temper.
"Oh, so now we're all classmates? Funny how that didn't stop you from slandering her. Xu Meng, you're the worst of the lot!"
Xu Meng barely managed to suppress her anger. "I won't argue with you."
Lin Lan sneered. "Wow, what a textbook green tea act. So mature, so magnanimous—of course you wouldn't argue with me, right?"
Nan Wan couldn't hold back a laugh.
She had been a little tense at first, but now she felt nothing but ease.
Then, she pulled out her phone and tapped on the voice recorder.
In the heavy silence, the recorded conversation played back clearly—
"Where is Nan Wan even staying these days?"
"Who knows? She's probably being kept by some old man."
The dorm fell deathly quiet.
Yu Xin panicked, clutching onto Xu Meng's arm in alarm.
Nan Wan turned off the recording and spoke calmly, her voice steady and unwavering.
"I don't appreciate jokes like that. Yu Xin, if you continue spreading falsehoods, I will take legal action against you."
Her words sent a chill through the air.
Lin Lan shot her a thumbs-up, barely containing her excitement. Nan Wan was killing it!
Yu Xin's fists tightened, her face flushing red.
She had never imagined that Nan Wan, who had always been silent, would strike back so hard.
She felt humiliated—furious, even.
And when she saw Lin Lan looking smug, she finally snapped.
"Nan Wan, don't act so innocent! You think we don't know what you've been up to? Who was that man driving you to school? You haven't stayed in the dorm for two weeks! Do you really think I didn't hear your phone call the other night? You should be thanking me and Xu Meng for keeping your secret! Otherwise, the whole school would know that you're being kept by some old man!"
"And now you have the nerve to talk about suing me? You should look at yourself first!"