Yingcai Middle School
Part One: Chapter One – Princess’s Transformation
When Qin Na pushed open the door, she saw Yu Xiaoying eating snacks. Although this wasn’t a big deal, she appeared to be torturing herself. Clearly unkempt, traces of tears or saliva from the night before marked her face, and she was frantically stuffing potato chips into her mouth, crumbs scattering across her clothes. “Heavens!” Qin Na rolled her eyes.
“Hey! Stop pretending to have amnesia! You broke up with Song Chu yesterday because he smashed the crystal doll Ji Ran gave you. You went crazy, hitting and biting him, shouting that you wanted to break up, and then he left!” Qin Na recounted.
Yu Xiaoying looked confused, her messy hair framing her face as she asked, “Really? Did I actually hit him?” “Yes,” Qin Na confirmed. “Very loudly!” She mimicked a slapping motion. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Yu Xiaoying acknowledged that it had been a long time since anyone mentioned Ji Ran or those three unbearable years.
But once that sealed nerve was touched, she lost control and hit Song Chu.
Climbing down from the bed, she pushed Qin Na out the door. “Hey, what are you doing?” “Getting dressed!” “Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Song Chu and Bai Yun are now a couple!” Bang! Qin Na stood at the doorway, touching her nose and muttering, “It’s been so long since she’s acted out. Should we take her to the hospital or consult a counselor…”
Yu Xiaoying’s affair with the handsome Song Ran spread rapidly, and their appearance together triggered unprecedented flame wars on the school forum between their respective fans.
Back to three years ago… Yingcai Middle School was known not for its academic excellence but for gathering talented teenagers and beautiful boys and girls aged 14-18.
Ji Ran, the prince and lead singer of the high school band, was the dream lover of all girls in Yingcai Middle School. He possessed melancholic eyes, a silent demeanor, stylish messy hair, a slender figure, and excellent grades. However, his legendary status was overshadowed by Yu Xiaoying, his inseparable girlfriend since entering Yingcai. She wore white skirts, had straight hair, and mirrored Ji Ran’s silent gaze. Their relationship appeared natural and undeniable, until an outsider appeared.
Pressing her ear against the door, she heard soft murmurs and faint sighs inside. Amused, she thought Ji Ran was merely putting on a show.
When she opened the door, the bright light in the studio was blinding. Inside, Ji Ran was passionately kissing a voluptuous beauty, so engrossed that they likely didn’t hear Yu Xiaoying enter. Backlit, she couldn’t discern Ji Ran’s expression, but she sensed an intensity in his gaze fixed on the woman in his arms, not on her.
Feeling intimidated, Yu Xiaoying forgot to enter with confidence.
Ji Ran looked up at her and, after a brief standoff, finally said, “Get out!” Yu Xiaoyo tried to stand tall, wanting to leave gracefully, but she felt weak and boneless. The short walk from the room to the studio door felt eternal. Once home, she walked to her room under her parents’ concerned gazes and collapsed on the bed, sobbing loudly.
She had always believed she and Ji Ran were the same. From the moment they met, he had influenced her completely. His silence and indifference made her forget who she was, becoming merely Ji Ran’s shadow. While Ji Ran could shine for others, she felt like she was only borrowing light.
On the day grades were released, the incident with Ji Ran had spread throughout the school. Ignoring others’ stares, Yu Xiaoyo waited for Ji Ran on the rooftop, knowing he would find her there. Though they couldn’t connect, they shared an unspoken understanding.
As night fell and a pleasant breeze blew, Ji Ran’s footsteps approached. Yu Xiaoyo wished the distance between them would remain, preventing them from breaking apart. A warm hand touched her shoulder, and Ji Ran’s voice came from above, “Xiaoyo, I never thought…”
“Brother Ji Ran, have you found someone who makes you shine?” Yu Xiaoyo interrupted. At this point, she only wanted the result.
“Xiaoyo, I’ve always liked you.”
“But never loved,” Yu Xiaoyo suddenly turned to Ji Ran. There was depth in his eyes that she once thought was hers.
“We don’t understand love,” Ji Ran realized Xiaoyo was not her usual self. Beneath her calmness was a volcano; her eyes filled with turbulent waves. Perhaps Jun Feng was right; he couldn’t create the Xiaoyo he imagined.
“Congratulations, Brother Ji Ran.”
“What?” Ji Ran tried to suppress his heartache.
“Congratulations on finding your true love. I’ll also try to find mine.”
Ji Ran hated her indifference, preferring if she had blamed him or cried.
“Xiaoyo…”
“Don’t give me reasons,” Yu Xiaoyo stood up, her tear-stained face resolute. Ji Ran saw the determination in her eyes.
And Yu Xiaoyo turned and walked away without giving him a chance.
“Ji Ran, you can kick an opponent’s chin, but you don’t have the courage to tell Xiaoyo you love her.” Moisture appeared in Ji Ran’s eyes. “To win her back now, I don’t know how much effort it will take.”
Yu Xiaoyo disappeared from Yingcai Middle School.
Three years later…
Since leaving Yingcai Middle School, Yu Xiaoyo seemed to have amnesia. Qin Na, who understood her temperament well, could only swallow the shocking gossip, causing her distress. At a critical moment, Song Chu revealed Yu Xiaoyo’s old wound, triggering her wild side and her snack-binging syndrome. Strangely, how did Song Chu know about Ji Ran?
Qin Na closed the door, and Yu Xiaoyo rubbed her painful forehead. This would definitely earn Qin Na a scolding from her brother, giving him some explanation for her behavior. Still, Yu Xiaoyo had truly lost her memory. Everyone was so careful that it made her feel embarrassed, as that incident had happened so long ago.
[Part Two: Chapter Two – Chance Encounter]
Dejected, Qin Na sat on a bench in front of the apartment, lost in thought, but couldn’t make sense of anything. The sun shone on her cheeks, her long eyelashes fluttered nervously, her small mouth pouted in distress – truly a pitiful beauty.
“Beautiful lady, what are you thinking about?” A sexy, lazy voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Huh?” She looked up, and as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight, she widened her almond eyes in disbelief. “Wow, wow… you? Wow!!”
The startled Qin Na jumped up from her chair, hitting Ji Ran’s chin.
“Ah!” Ji Ran rubbed his chin. “It’s been so long, and this is how you welcome me?”
Qin Na was too shocked to feel pain. “You, you, oh!”
“Okay,” Ji Ran held her shoulders. “Calm down. Is seeing a handsome guy really that surprising? Has Jun Feng gotten uglier?”
Finally, Qin Na managed to organize her thoughts. “How did you come back? Weren’t you in W City?”
“Yes,” Ji Ran winked, “I’m here as an exchange student for a year.”
“Does Xiaoying know?”
“Don’t tell her yet. I don’t think she’s ready,” Ji Ran said.
“Oh,” Qin Na responded glumly. Another secret to keep, she thought.
“But I think she’ll find out soon!”
Looking at Ji Ran’s confident eyes, Qin Na timidly asked, “Are you really Ji Ran?”
“Absolutely!” Ji Ran embraced her. “Let me take you back. After so many shocks today, you need time to process.”
…
Meanwhile, Song Chu sat in his apartment, wondering why his mind, capable of writing beautiful programs, went blank whenever he saw Yu Xiaoying. Could there be lingering effects?
