A Glimmer of Hope Amidst Despair

Qin Haiyue leaned against the stairwell railing, her gaze fixed on the retreating figure of the girl. Beneath the stark, monochrome winter sky, the girl appeared like a wretched little rabbit, silently enduring humiliation, swallowing her grievances. Tears, like small pearls, streamed down her face as she silently pleaded for her tormentor to cease.

‘Such a sight… it’s truly exhilarating…’

Perhaps Qin Haiyue herself was unaware of the unhinged expression that now marred her face. An unnatural flush crept across her pale cheeks, her lips stretched into a grin that almost reached her ears, and her sea-blue eyes gleamed with an obsessive delight.

She had noticed Ye Xingmian long ago, initially seeing her as nothing more than a decent target for bullying. Money was no object to her; in fact, with her prominent family background, she was wealthier than 99% of the students in this school. This had garnered her countless admirers and sycophants, yet she held no interest in such fawning individuals.

Her true fascination lay in tormenting these overlooked, pathetic souls. She reveled in slowly stripping away what they held dear, all while savoring their helpless, pitiable expressions.

Ye Xingmian’s innate qualities had exceeded her expectations, especially after discovering today that she had transformed into a girl.

Still, it was time for her to leave. To eat and change her clothes.

She tore her gaze from the girl, who had vanished from sight, and was just about to depart—

“Qin Haiyue.”

A voice from beside her called out, stopping her. It belonged to a young girl, yet it was remarkably distant and cold, devoid of the vivacity typically found in girls her age, almost like a meticulously programmed machine.

Qin Haiyue hadn’t heard her approach, but she recognized the voice. Her brows immediately furrowed in a tight knot. Her expression shifted; the smile vanished, replaced by an icy indifference as her jade-green eyes narrowed slightly.

She turned her sharp gaze to her side.

“Well, well, isn’t it our esteemed Miss Luo Xi~ What brings you to me?”

Her tone was laced with impatience. Or perhaps, this was her true, everyday demeanor?

Luo Xi was a girl slightly shorter than her, with a single ponytail, a neat school uniform visible beneath her black jacket, and a roster clutched in her hand.

“Are you bullying students again?”

Though the girl’s demeanor was equally cold, it differed from Qin Haiyue’s. They were like two extremes: one, a wild spirit unbound by rules, the other, a steadfast adherent and defender of them.

“Bullying students? Oh, no~ I was just spacing out here. Speaking of which, Miss Luo Xi, shouldn’t you hurry and eat before returning to study? Be careful, or your top-of-the-class position might not be so secure anymore, you know?”

“Please don’t call me ‘Miss’.” The girl frowned, clearly disliking the condescending address.

“Alright, alright~ President of the Student Council.”

“…”

“I’m warning you, stop bullying other students. If I catch you again, you can expect to be suspended.”

“Heh.”

Qin Haiyue merely scoffed, offering no further reply, and the two parted ways.

Luo Xi remained rooted to the spot, watching Qin Haiyue’s retreating back with a furrowed brow.

“Why are your pant legs wet?”

“Just splashed myself accidentally while washing my hands~”

Waving a dismissive hand, Qin Haiyue offered a casual excuse. She then quickly disappeared down the stairwell.

In silence, a trace of helplessness flickered in Luo Xi’s eyes. She knew Qin Haiyue consistently bullied other students, yet she had never managed to catch her in the act. Even her own father had warned her not to deliberately provoke Qin Haiyue.

This left her questioning whether what she was doing was right or wrong.

****

Enduring the strange glances of others, the biting wind, and the squelching sound of her soaked shoes with every step, Ye Xingmian finally dragged her weakened body to the door of her ‘home’.

‘Hah… so cold.’

Her whole body trembled uncontrollably. Unsure if she carried any unpleasant smell, she longed for a hot shower, and something warm to eat to thaw her chilled bones.

As she reached the threshold, a glimmer of hope began to shine in the girl’s eyes.

‘Excellent, I’m home, so it should be quick now…’

Her heart seemed to skip a beat. The door was ajar, and faint voices drifted from within. Her numb, frozen mind quickly registered that her aunt and uncle had returned.

To be honest, she dared not enter. Not only did she not want them to see her current wretched state, but she was also terribly afraid.

She feared her adoptive parents more than her teachers, and even more than Qin Haiyue, who had just tormented her.

Hesitating at the entrance, unwilling to go in, the conversation beyond the door quickly caught her attention.

‘They’re on the phone…?’

“Hello, Zhiyun? It’s Lin Cheng. I’m calling today to tell you something.”

That was her uncle’s voice. As for the ‘Zhiyun’ he spoke of? Ye Xingmian numbly realized that her mother’s name was Ye Zhiyun.

She froze, holding her breath, hoping to catch every word of his conversation with her mother.

Fortunately, he had put it on speakerphone. Though the sound was faint, by listening intently, the girl managed to catch a whisper of her mother’s weary, gentle voice.

As if all strength had suddenly drained from her, the girl’s small frame slid gently down the wall, and two lines of hot tears traced paths down her cold, wet face.

‘Mom… Mother?’

She had no way to contact her mother; she had no phone, and her aunt and uncle never gave her the number. It had been so long since she had heard her mother’s voice.

Inside the room, shielded from the outdoor chill, the speakerphone carried a distant voice.

“Mm… it’s me… Is something wrong?”

The voice was hesitant, tinged with worry, as if she had just finished her morning shift and was still laden with the fatigue of work.

“It’s like this: the child needs to pay a textbook fee this week, a total of two hundred yuan. Is it convenient for you to send it to me soon?”

‘Lies… the teacher never mentioned anything about this…’

“Another payment?” Her voice was laced with confusion.

“Yes, the notice just came out today.”

Her hands quietly clenched into fists. The girl yearned to burst in and tell her mother he was lying.

But she quickly realized she couldn’t. She couldn’t snatch the phone from an adult man, nor could she make her mother recognize her current self just by her voice, and she certainly couldn’t add to her mother’s anxiety.

She could only remain there, utterly helpless…

“…Alright, I’ll transfer it to you after I eat.”

“Mm, please do it as soon as possible.” The cheerful male voice then hung up.

‘Mother… because of me… they tricked her out of 200 yuan…’

How much was 200 yuan? It was her lunch money for four weeks, or her sister Lin Ziyan’s allowance for half a month.

She felt terrible, deeply self-reproachful. Why couldn’t she expose them directly to her mother? Why? For the first time, she so fiercely hated her own powerlessness.

Slumped against the wall, the cold, soaked girl clutched her chest. Unseen by anyone, a sweet curve graced her lips.

Beyond her helplessness, she also realized—

‘In this world, there is still someone striving with all their might for me… My mother… I will definitely come to see you… No matter what I become, please wait for me. I’m waiting, always waiting.’

“Why are you back?”

As if hearing the sound at the door, a female voice—her adoptive mother, Xu Ming, a somewhat stout middle-aged woman—walked up to her, frowning as she looked down.

****

“You’re back, Zhiyun?”

At the entrance of a small snack stall, a female worker, holding a lunchbox, looked up at the person before her. It was a woman with unique cherry-pink eyes, though a haze seemed to cloud them, and her gaunt face was etched with exhaustion. She glanced at the female worker sitting on the curb, then hesitated, as if to speak but thought better of it.

“What is it?”

Sitting beside the female worker, Ye Zhiyun lowered her head, clutching her knees.

“Could I borrow another 200 yuan?”

The female worker frowned.

“Is it for your son’s tuition again?”

“Mm…”

After a long silence, the female worker picked up her phone, her tone much colder when she spoke again.

“Just remember to pay me back next month.”

“Thank you…”

The female worker left, and Ye Zhiyun stared blankly at her retreating back. She had started work early today and hadn’t eaten a single meal yet.

Lowering her head, she noticed her sleeve was damp.

‘Just a little longer, endure it. After the New Year, once Xiaomian finishes his college entrance exams, I’ll go pick him up. By then, mother and son can finally reunite.’

She thought this to herself.