Never before had she hated herself as much as she did at this moment.

“Zoe,” Charlotte Lee lowered her head, her voice trembling a little, “no one knows how hard my life really is.”

At the end-of-term exams, Ray Cindy was first place again. She knew that sometimes rankings recognize their owners—once you stick to a rank, barring accidents, continuity will protect you.

Public opinion made her happy, but after that happiness came an even greater emptiness. Other people’s pain and jealousy—even if that jealousy was something she herself created through rumors—made her feel her existence was more meaningful, more successful.

But Zoe Young and Charlotte Lee ignored her more and more.

Zoe Young hadn’t gone home with her for a long time. Sometimes, Ray Cindy would stand alone at the bus stop and recall the times when the two of them would space out side by side, but when she snapped back to reality, she couldn’t remember why they had stopped going home together.

She had thought about texting her, asking if she wanted to walk home together—but there was a place deep in her heart that made her afraid to face her.

Ray Cindy had never told anyone that she was afraid of Zoe Young. Besides Grace Howard, Zoe Young was the only one in Brightstar High School who knew her real name was Michelle Cindy, Zoe Young knew she stole, Zoe Young knew her family ran a grocery store, her mom chased her dad all over the place, Zoe Young knew she once stood up in class and couldn’t speak, was yanked by Ethan Xavier by the collar, living on obsession, bullied by everyone...

If Zoe Young ever spoke out, she’d be doomed forever.

Zoe Young was the only old friend in this new world.

When Ryan Johnson told her everything, she didn’t even try to verify it—she believed it instantly.

Even though Ryan Johnson was small, hunched, and shook his leg—she believed he was telling the truth.

Or rather, she hoped he was telling the truth.

She hoped that behind Zoe Young’s back, things were just as ugly as her own, that the sweet-smiling little princess wasn’t so pure-blooded. Even though she had once saved and protected her—even those past rescues, Ray Cindy always told herself, weren’t thanks to Zoe Young, but because she herself was strong and brave enough, not relying on anyone else.

Even though Zoe Young had never hurt her.

The biggest mistake of princesses is that they are princesses.

Ray Cindy looked up at the back of Charlotte Lee ahead and to the side.

Then she smiled.

Charlotte Lee felt deeply humiliated.

At the dinner table, her mom actually asked nervously, “Do you want to start practicing piano again, get back to your level ten from first year as soon as possible, and then apply as an arts specialty student?”

“Why?” She put down her bowl.

“It can get you extra points.” Her mom smiled oddly, “Dozens of extra points, it can’t hurt to be prepared.”

Charlotte Lee heard faint voices from the room. Ever since her mom made a scene over the other woman, her dad had been staying home more and more, moving all the conversations he used to have at dinner parties into the house.

But she knew this was just a way to appease her. Her instincts told her that her dad’s annoyance with her mom had reached the point where he’d rather put on a show to fool her.

“Why do I need extra points?” Charlotte Lee’s voice trembled a little. She had just performed badly this time, ranked eleventh in the grade, blanked out on two big math problems—it was just a slip, just a slip.

Who was it that really slipped up, her or her mom?

She stood up to go back to her room, but her mom grabbed her arm.

“You think I don’t know what’s going on with you at school? Your teachers have all said it, about you and that boy...

If you can’t make something of yourself, we have to think of a way for you. This is one way, at least it’s a safety net.”

Charlotte Lee sneered. Lucas Walter had already talked to her about it. She didn’t know who had tattled to the teachers.

She refused to admit anything was going on between her and Thomas Chase. She believed that even if Thomas Chase was asked, he wouldn’t say a word.

But she was wrong. When Lucas Walter mentioned, “Someone saw you two together a lot,” Thomas Chase casually said, “We’re just classmates who get along, but whether she has other thoughts, I don’t know. I’m already keeping my distance from her, after all, it’s a critical time, you know, teacher, I know how to prioritize.”

But whether she has other thoughts, I don’t know.

But whether she has other thoughts, I don’t know.

When Lucas Walter relayed this, Charlotte Lee instantly broke into a dazzling yet tragic smile.

“I really don’t have any other thoughts!”

From now on.

“I’m not applying as an arts specialty student, I don’t have any problems, Mom, just protect your own face, stop overthinking, leave me alone.”

She couldn’t hear what her mom was saying behind her. She went back to her room, locked the door, put on her MP3, and turned the volume up to the max.

Some symphony by Handel. Some symphony.

Charlotte Lee had never liked classical music. Even though she learned piano, she only practiced each exam piece until she was proficient, and to this day, she didn’t even know who Mendelssohn was.

It was just because of Thomas Chase, just because of Thomas Chase, that she started listening to Debussy’s “From the New World,” started pondering which season in “The Four Seasons” was more expressive—just for the sake of a topic that could continue.

Living on obsession, for the sake of the masses—they didn’t live elegantly at all, so why listen to elegant music?

Andrew Lane sat in the shaded part of the corridor windowsill, staring at the patch of sunlight at his side.

Michael patted his shoulder: “She just went out to have some fun, why do you look like you’ve been dumped? I bet she’s just in a bad mood, it’s normal to want to clear her head.”

Andrew Lane smiled: “When she’s in a bad mood, she never tells me.”

“She’s afraid you’ll get distracted, you’re in training camp, that’s important, it’s about your future. You know Zoe Young, she’s not the type to lose sight of priorities or be inconsiderate, is she? She’s doing this for your own good, it’s how she shows she cares.”

Andrew Lane turned to look at her: “Do you even believe what you’re saying?”

Michael coughed twice: “Nope.”

“The rumors are about her family background?”

“Some people say she was traumatized, her personality changed, she’s mentally unstable, at least depressed.”

“That’s complete bullshit!”

Michael clapped excitedly: “Wow, who knew such a tough guy heart was hiding under that good-boy exterior! That was a great curse!”

Andrew Lane turned away and said nothing.

Michael patted him: “Don’t take it so hard, she doesn’t even care, so why are you so worked up? People in love are just dramatic—if she’s sad, you worry, if she’s not, you feel lost, what’s the point?”

Andrew Lane tilted his head: “Michael, why are you helping me?”

Michael was stunned for a moment, then grinned: “Nothing better to do, matchmaking is a good deed. Gotta rack up some karma.”

“Really?”

Michael was about to answer when suddenly she couldn’t catch her breath, coughed violently, her whole body curling up as if she was desperately trying to vomit something out, her face flushed, tears streaming down.

Andrew Lane jumped off the windowsill in a panic. Michael’s voice faded, and when she collapsed into his arms, she was as light as a feather.

She was so thin, her shoulder blades digging painfully into Andrew Lane’s chest, so quiet she seemed already dead.

------------

10. Descending to the Mortal World

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When Andrew Lane returned to school for extra classes, Zoe Young skipped all her classes and got on a plane to Shanghai. Her uncle and aunt were naturally against it, but who knows what Alan Carter said to them—in the end, her uncle just sighed and said to Zoe Young, “Go have some fun, it’s fine.”

Her uncle handed her the household registration book and took her to get a passport. Alan Carter handled both their visas in one go—according to him, a friend of his had gone to work at the Thai embassy after graduation, so it was easy.

And all of Zoe Young’s expenses were covered by him.

Whenever she thought of Alan Carter, Zoe Young realized how much she wanted to grow up quickly. She really wanted to know if she could become a “celestial being” like him.

Her aunt packed way too much for her, as if afraid she’d run into any trouble, wanting to stuff the whole house into her suitcase. When she was about to go through security, her aunt actually started crying.

Zoe Young was stunned: “I’m only going for five days, why are you crying?”

Her aunt muttered softly, “I just always feel like planes aren’t safe. What if it falls out of the sky…”