On Monday, Sang Sang overslept.
She didn’t tell her mother about what had happened the day before—mainly because she felt those people weren’t someone they could afford to provoke, and she didn’t want to stir up more trouble.
When her mother asked about her face, she brushed it off with a few casual words.
But she spent the whole night plagued by nightmares, dreaming that the bastard had turned into a vengeful ghost coming after her.
That kick… it probably didn’t kill him, right?
After all, Sang Sang was still just a young girl—she didn’t have the nerve to kill anyone.
But when she thought about what she had gone through, she felt that even if he had died, he would’ve deserved it. Who told him to threaten her—and squeeze her face so painfully?
…
That morning, Sang Sang didn’t walk to school with Bai Zhixin like usual.
Worried about being late and ruining her “model student” image, she acted spoiled and asked Madam Qin to ride her to school on a bicycle.
As for Bai Zhixin, who had waited at home for over an hour just so he could go to school with her, this was what Sang Sang told him:
“Gege, our teacher is really strict. If I’m late, I’ll be punished and made to stand—it’d be so embarrassing. I’m scared… so I want Mom to take me by bike. You won’t mind, right?”
As a straightforward boy who had grown up in the 1960s, Bai Zhixin naturally couldn’t detect the subtle manipulative tone in her words. He immediately said it was fine—whether he was late or not didn’t matter anyway, since he often got into trouble at school.
And so, mother and daughter rode off on the bicycle without a second thought…
Sang Sang stepped into the classroom at the very last second before the bell rang.
She smiled a little apologetically at the teacher already standing at the podium, then quietly found her seat and sat down.
“Alright, focus. Class begins,” the slightly balding middle-aged teacher said sternly.
Only then did the students shift their attention away from Sang Sang.
From the moment she entered, everyone in the class had turned to look at her.
Sang Sang maintained a calm, composed expression, though inwardly she felt a bit helpless. She was someone who struggled to get out of bed, and almost every morning she ended up being the last to enter the classroom.
In the 1960s, both adults and children were hardworking and diligent. Compared to them, Sang Sang stood out—and not always in a good way. It was one of the things people criticized her for.
Ever since the first day of school, Sang Sang had already become something of a celebrity in the class.
She was beautiful, had a pleasant voice, and excellent grades. She could answer every question the teacher asked. Aside from arriving late in the mornings, she was practically perfect.
Of course, it had only been a few days since school started, and her classmates still didn’t really know her personality…
But even this “perfect” Sang Sang hadn’t made any close friends in class.
The boys were too shy to talk to her, while some of the girls felt she was out of reach—or were simply jealous.
In short, there was a certain distance between Sang Sang and her adolescent classmates.
As for Sang Sang herself, she didn’t care. She believed she wasn’t at school to make friends—she just needed to study well and eventually get into a university in the capital.
She wasn’t going to stay in Harbin forever, so there was no need to get close to anyone.
Her attention had been on the blackboard—she was determined to get into a good university. When she grew up, if she was both beautiful and had a respectable job, wouldn’t she be unstoppable?
But now, her thoughts were interrupted by her round-faced deskmate…
Her deskmate was a slightly chubby girl with a round face, and her name suited her perfectly—Yuan Yuan.
As for her personality, Sang Sang thought she was a bit slow…
Yuan Yuan, sitting beside her, once again tried her usual trick—stealing a glance at her beautiful deskmate, then quickly turning away as if nothing had happened.
But…
Sang Sang couldn’t take it anymore. The girl beside her was being way too obvious, okay?
Turning to look at her again and again—did she think Sang Sang was blind?
So Sang Sang turned her head as well.
And the two girls met each other’s eyes.
Yuan Yuan couldn’t withstand such a close-up “beauty attack.” Her plump cheeks flushed slightly, and her gaze darted away nervously.
To Sang Sang, she looked like a startled little pig—one that even tried to hide behind a book.
Sang Sang: “…”
“Classmate, your textbook is upside down.”
Yuan Yuan: “…”
She wished she could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.
…
The class passed quickly. As soon as the bell rang, the classroom burst into life—some students gathered in small groups chatting, others went to the restroom together, and some took out snacks to eat…
Yuan Yuan’s cheeks were puffed out as she ate happily, holding biscuits in one hand and dried meat in the other.
“Hey, are you a pig or something? All you do is eat.”
“Haha, exactly—a fat pig. Isn’t she always eating every break?”
Faced with the teasing from her longtime classmates, Yuan Yuan lowered her head out of habit. But she couldn’t help worrying—now that her beautiful deskmate had heard it, would she also start to dislike her?
At that thought, her eyes reddened instantly.
“Why are you making noise in front of my seat? It’s break time—I want to rest. Move along,” Sang Sang said coldly, glancing at the two girls in front of her.
Liu Kexin, suddenly snapped at, felt indignant and was about to retort, but Wang Jiajia beside her grabbed her arm. The two exchanged a look, understanding each other instantly.
Someone they couldn’t afford to provoke.
Liu Kexin snorted and went back to her seat with Wang Jiajia.
The two of them had been classmates with Yuan Yuan since middle school. Teasing her whenever she ate had become a habit over the years.
At around fifteen, it wasn’t that they were truly malicious—it was more jealousy. After all, Yuan Yuan always had snacks.
In those days, most families weren’t well-off. Someone like Yuan Yuan, who brought snacks to school every day, was the only one in the class.
And since she had a soft temperament and never talked back, she became an easy target.
They simply picked on those they thought they could.
Like Sang Sang—they didn’t dare.
In just half a month since school started, everyone in the school already knew Qin Sang from Class One of Grade Ten.
There was no special reason—simply because she was so stunningly beautiful that she outshone all the girls around her.
She even attracted upperclassmen boys who would sneak over to peek at her from the classroom door.
But no one dared to approach her, because Bai Zhixin from the second year walked to and from school with her every day.
Bai Zhixin was notorious for fighting, and none of these girls dared to provoke him. So even if some disliked Sang Sang, they wouldn’t say it to her face.
The surroundings quieted down again. Sang Sang rested her head on the desk and closed her eyes.
“Q-Qin Sang… this chocolate… my dad bought it for me on a business trip. It’s for you,” Yuan Yuan stammered, speaking to her beautiful deskmate for the first time.
At first, Sang Sang was annoyed at being disturbed again. It was just chocolate—what was so special about it? Back in Shanghai, she used to eat imported chocolates all the time.
But then she remembered those expensive snacks had all been bought with her father’s allowances—and she suddenly felt a pang of sadness.
She missed her father.
“Thank you.”
She took the chocolate, unwrapped it slowly, and tasted it.
Not as good as the ones her father used to buy from the Friendship Store.
Her father, Han Xiaosheng, had gone abroad to study when he was young. He was very open-minded and didn’t hold outdated beliefs about favoring sons over daughters. He loved his only daughter dearly.
He was a good father—when Sang Sang was little, he would tell her foreign fairy tales, teach her English, and cook Western food for her.
Though Sang Sang was selfish, her heart wasn’t made of stone. She did love her father.
It was just that… she loved herself even more.
“Is your dad good to you?” she asked absentmindedly.
Yuan Yuan blinked in confusion before quickly answering, “My dad is very good to me! He always buys me delicious things. No matter how busy he is, he still thinks of me.”
Sang Sang murmured softly, “My dad was good to me too.”
Then she fell silent, staring out the window in a daze.
Beside her, Yuan Yuan was overjoyed. Not only had her beautiful deskmate chased away those who bullied her, she had even taken the initiative to talk to her!
She wanted to say more, but seeing Sang Sang’s listless expression, she didn’t dare speak again. After all, she knew Sang Sang didn’t seem to have the best temper…
Still, she secretly decided that in the future, she would save a portion of any tasty food for Qin Sang. She wanted to become her friend.
…
Sang Sang paid no attention to what her deskmate was thinking. Her mood remained low all the way until lunchtime.
There was no cafeteria at school, so both students and teachers had to bring their own meals.
This was Yuan Yuan’s favorite part of the day.
She carefully opened her lunchbox. Inside was a mix of two kinds of rice, topped with four small meatballs and stewed cabbage with vermicelli.
Glancing at her beautiful deskmate, who hadn’t opened her lunch yet, Yuan Yuan asked softly, “Qin Sang, do you want some fried meatballs? They’re really fragrant—I can give you some.”
Sang Sang had no appetite. She slowly opened her own lunchbox and refused without hesitation, “No.”
Yuan Yuan felt a moment of disappointment, but it quickly passed. After taking a bite of her meatball, all her worries disappeared.
So delicious!
This made Liu Kexin and Wang Jiajia in the front row even more envious, adding another tally against Yuan Yuan in their minds.
They had been classmates with her for years—why didn’t she ever offer them any? Those were meatballs! Something they might only eat a few times a year.
And that Qin Sang—what was she pretending for, refusing meatballs?
“Do you want some fatty pork?” Sang Sang asked, staring at the fatty pieces in her lunchbox with disgust.
That morning, Bai Anrong had enthusiastically packed her lunch. As her newly appointed “cheap” father, he didn’t yet understand her preferences. Fatty meat was considered a delicacy these days, so he had deliberately given her the best portions.
Not wanting to waste food, Sang Sang turned to her deskmate.
What she didn’t know was that this casual gesture moved Yuan Yuan deeply.
It hadn’t been many years since the Three Years of Hardship, and most people were still struggling to get by. If someone was willing to give you meat, it meant your relationship with them was truly close.
Yuan Yuan swallowed, then said, “Th-thank you, Qin Sang… but you should eat it. You’re so thin—you should have more fatty meat to build yourself up.”
Sang Sang couldn’t be bothered to argue. Using a clean pair of chopsticks, she directly picked up the fatty pieces from her lunchbox and placed them into Yuan Yuan’s.
“I don’t like fatty meat. You eat it.”
Yuan Yuan’s eyes reddened, deeply moved.
She thought, Qin Sang really is as kind as she is beautiful. From now on, I’ll treat her even better.
Meanwhile, Sang Sang—who simply disliked fatty meat—remained completely unaware…