1,
One night when she was seventeen, Shi Ran discovered a secret.
The secret was absurd, but not all that unusual. After all, children being switched at birth has been happening since time immemorial.
For the next month, every night she stood barefoot outside a door on the first floor.
She listened as the woman inside went from sobbing in despair and disbelief to asking, her voice choked with sorrow, "That child, she... is she doing well?"
Shi Ran understood that the ending she had been waiting for was coming.
The next day at the dinner table, she was told she had a new younger sister, an illegitimate half-sister who shared her father.
Listening to a story full of holes, Shi Ran thought nonchalantly: The ending she had prepared would be better.
2,
Shi Ran first met Xie Zhi on the night she left everything behind and arrived in Rui City.
The young man reeked of alcohol, his eyes dark and intense. When he fought, he was vicious and showed no mercy.
The second time Shi Ran saw Xie Zhi was on the honor board at Rui City Middle School.
In the photo, the young man wore a neat school uniform, the top button of his white shirt fastened properly. His expression was composed, his gaze focused.
Shi Ran couldn't help looking twice.
Later, when they met for the third time, he became her deskmate.
From that one glance, Shi Ran was sure that Xie Zhi liked her.
[Blurb screenshotted on March 21, 2024]
Theme: Nothing moves the heart like sincerity
