Su Yun calmly placed the stocking to her left as if nothing had happened, pretending she wasn’t affected.
She picked up her black pen and began solving a leftover problem in her textbook.
The ink was dark and bold…
Su Yun stared seriously at the question, her pen gliding along.
Very quickly, a crude fishnet stocking appeared on the page.
“Ah?!”
Su Yun stared dumbfounded at her “solution” to the calculus problem.
She had gotten distracted.
This…
She tried to refocus, but her thoughts kept drifting to a certain long, silky item.
“Seriously, Sister Xue…” Su Yun gave up trying altogether and turned her head to see just what Qin Xue was doing.
“It’s so tight… Eh? Xiaoyun, you’re done studying?”
There, by the wardrobe, stood a slender girl tugging at her clothes.
But even with all that effort, large areas of snowy white skin were still exposed, and her enticing belly button peeked out before Su Yun’s very eyes.
That white fabric… was it a school uniform? Middle school’s?
Su Yun stared without blinking at the enticing scene.
Now she understood why Qin Xue couldn’t fit into the outfit anymore.
Not only had she grown older—that place had grown too.
The buttons at the collar wouldn’t even close.
“Sister Xue, let me help you with the buttons,” Su Yun blurted out without thinking, her head going hot.
“Xiaoyun? Hmm?”
Qin Xue hadn’t expected that. Her hands, which had been tugging at the buttons, dropped immediately.
“Then I’ll let you help me~”
She bent down slightly, pushing the soft swell of her chest right up to Su Yun’s face.
“Ugh, I…”
Only then did Su Yun snap back to reality.
Her hands hovered hesitantly near her thighs, reluctant to rise.
“This outfit is so tight… If I help her button it, won’t I definitely touch…?”
She cautiously glanced at Qin Xue’s strained collar.
From this angle, she could even see the deep pink valley underneath.
“Sister Xue… this outfit’s too small. You should change into something else.”
“That’s fine too. Then help me take it off, okay? I’m out of energy. The fabric got stuck earlier, I had to squeeze myself in, little by little. I’m exhausted.”
“Eh…”
Squeeze… what…
Su Yun’s cheeks flushed red.
……
……
At midday, in an empty train compartment.
The air was full of tranquility and peace.
Chen Tingting leaned against the window, watching the passing scenery flow by, savoring this rare quiet.
There was a kind of desolate beauty here.
Sometimes, she just wanted to escape the noisy world and come to a remote, unfamiliar place to breathe.
To put it simply, she had gotten into a fight with her roommate yesterday and didn’t want to go back.
Once she’d had enough of the view, Chen Tingting lowered her head and pulled out her phone from inside her clothes.
Every time she turned it on, there was always a small flicker of hope.
[Credit Reminder] As of January 5, your balance is -17.2 yuan. Please recharge promptly…
“Ah?” The message on the screen made her instantly double over.
She couldn’t believe it. She had just run out of phone credit?
And she was still on the train—how was she supposed to get back to school later?
She anxiously tapped her screen, trying to recharge via the service app, only to discover her data had been cut.
Should she find someone to borrow internet and top up?
“Find someone…”
Chen Tingting’s fingers clutched tightly at her skirt, and the pressure inside her swelled once more.
She stared blankly at her phone for a moment, then stuffed it back in her pocket.
There was no one around anyway. What difference did it make whether her phone had service or not?
She’d called in sick to miss the morning class meeting and left campus at dawn.
From then until now, no one had messaged her.
No one… cared.
Whether she lived or died—
Chen Tingting frowned, staring out the window with hollow eyes.
Time passed. Her expression didn’t change. Just… emptiness.
Life… was so boring.
Gradually, the empty dusty plains outside gave way to towering buildings and sprawling cityscape.
It was a magnificent view—but all it brought her now was dread.
“Terminal station, Summer End Plaza. Passengers, please prepare to disembark…”
A mechanical female voice echoed through the compartment.
Chen Tingting knew she had to get off. She didn’t have money for another trip.
She slowly got up and stepped down from the train.
The moment she landed, she was greeted by a packed station full of people.
She barely squeezed her way out and could only see even more crowds beyond the plaza.
And now, she was completely alone.
Chen Tingting wandered along the sidewalk surrounding the plaza, aimlessly.
Maybe she’d walk home… if “home” even existed.
No, it didn’t. That place belonged to her younger sister.
If one day, both she and her sister were diagnosed with a terminal illness, she believed without a doubt that their parents would toss her into a dumpster just to save their precious daughter.
“Darling, feed me~ Ahh~” Just then, a couple in matching outfits passed by beside her.
“You’re so lazy.” The boy playfully poked the girl’s nose and gently fed her a crispy sausage.
“How nice…” Chen Tingting paused, watching the girl with a hint of envy.
Soon, the boy noticed her too and glanced over.
“I’m sorry…”
Chen Tingting lowered her head and quickly walked away. Only when she was far enough did she finally stop.
“Phew…” Out of breath, her face flushed from exhaustion.
“Ow!” As she braced herself on her knees, she accidentally touched her wound and cried out in pain.
The sound attracted some attention.
Startled, Chen Tingting looked up—and saw a boy approaching her.
“Miss, are you hurt? Do you need help?” The guy looked to be about 180 cm tall, clean-cut and handsome. Probably a college student.
“I don’t need help! Stay away from me!”
Her frail voice immediately drew the crowd’s attention—and their gazes toward the boy turned hostile.
“Wait—no!”
The guy hadn’t expected this at all. He was just trying to help.
But there was no chance to explain—Chen Tingting had already run off.
……
She ran for a long time.
Only when she reached an empty part of the park did she finally stop.
“Huff… huff…”
Weak, she sank down onto a wooden bench, unable to catch her breath.
……
“It’s so quiet here.”
Chen Tingting looked around.
Aside from some plants and a distant fountain, there was nothing else.
It felt like a hidden garden.
She was amazed. She’d been to Summer End Plaza so many times, yet never noticed this place.
She stared in awe, lost in the serene scenery.
Who knew how much time passed.
The sun had already dipped halfway below the horizon when she heard faint sounds of children playing in the distance.
“Mmph, I don’t want candy!”
“It’s okay, everyone eats candy. I even saw your sister have some the other day!”
“Really?”
“So noisy…”
The voices grew closer.
Chen Tingting lowered her head, not wanting to be seen.
“Hehe, strawberry flavor is definitely the best!”
“Hmm? There’s a girl sleeping here?”
“Wait! Don’t run so fast, you’ll fall!”
A flurry of light footsteps came closer—then stopped in front of her.
“It’s cold here. If you want to sleep, you should go home.” A childish voice spoke above her.
……
Chen Tingting didn’t respond.
“Wait… no reaction? Don’t tell me—!”
The air went still. A moment later, Chen Tingting saw a pair of wide eyes peering under her lowered head.
Their gazes met.
“Waaah?! A ghost!!”
The girl screamed and jumped back.
“Ugh.”
“You little brat—I’m not a ghost.” Chen Tingting raised her head, irritated.
Unbelievable. This kid.
“Whose annoying kid is this? Go away. Stop bothering me.”
She pulled out her credit-less phone and pretended to scroll.
“Ohh, so you’re not a ghost! You scared me!”
(rustling sounds from pocket)
“Here, big sister, have a candy. Don’t be mad.”
“?”
(End of Chapter)