Unworthy

Nan Wan's face flushed a deep crimson. "Don't talk nonsense!" she snapped.

Lin Lan grinned mischievously, leaning in closer. "Let me inspect you carefully. What were you up to last night?"

Nan Wan pushed her friend's playful face away. "There are only ten minutes until class starts. Are you sure this is the time for inspections?"

"Ah!" Lin Lan let out an exaggerated wail before grabbing Nan Wan's hand and bolting towards the classroom. There was no time left for idle chatter.

The professor for their upcoming lecture was known for his strict attendance policies—no one dared risk being late to his class.

When they arrived, there were just three minutes to spare. The elderly professor stood at the podium, meticulously arranging his teaching materials. Below the platform, students murmured in hushed tones, using the remaining minutes before class to exchange hurried words.

Lin Lan, undeterred, reopened the topic. "So, what were you doing last night, really?"

Nan Wan hesitated, unsure of how best to respond. Lin Lan was one of the few who knew about her complicated relationship with Huo Xunzhou.

Back then, when Nan Wan and Huo Xunzhou were together, she had told no one but Lin Lan. She was acutely aware of the vast disparity in their social standings and wished to avoid gossip and judgment.

But now, Nan Wan felt a headache coming on. She couldn't even begin to untangle how she had ended up living in the Huo family home this time around.

After a brief pause, she leaned closer to Lin Lan and lowered her voice. "Don't bring him up again. We're about to break up."

Lin Lan's expression shifted immediately, her eyes narrowing in disbelief. Then, as if a sudden thought struck her, she gritted her teeth. "Did he do something to hurt you?"

Nan Wan fell silent, then gave a slight nod.

Did Huo Xunzhou do things that hurt her? Far too many to count.

Lin Lan's fists clenched. "Forget him. You deserve someone a thousand times better!"

Nan Wan's face turned slightly red, caught off guard by her friend's righteous indignation.

Just then, the bell rang, signaling the start of class. They fell silent as the professor began taking attendance.

As Nan Wan listened to the familiar cadence of his voice, memories of her previous life came rushing back—how her relationship with Huo Xunzhou had been exposed by someone with ill intent, leaving her reputation in tatters.

She had become a pariah, ridiculed and shunned. Though her instinct had been to retreat, she couldn't abandon her education, no matter how unbearable things became.

Lin Lan, though timid by nature, had stood by her side, fiercely defending her at every turn. But their combined strength wasn't enough. Eventually, even the faculty intervened.

Her personal information had been leaked. She was bombarded daily with hateful messages, her phone a conduit for endless vitriol. To make matters worse, her father was hospitalized, desperately needing funds for treatment.

Huo Xunzhou had reappeared in her life during that time, offering salvation wrapped in cold detachment.

"Stay with me," he had said. "Six months will suffice. By then, I'll be sick of you."

She had no other options.

Even then, she hadn't hated Huo Xunzhou. Their arrangement was simple—a transactional relationship born of mutual consent.

It wasn't until later, when he used her father's life as leverage and ultimately caused Liang Qinghe's death, that her feelings curdled into something far darker.

Now, as she sat in the lecture hall, diligently taking notes, she reminded herself: none of those tragedies had occurred yet.

This time, she would change everything. All she needed to do was sever ties with Huo Xunzhou and chart her own course.

Her father's illness weighed heavily on her mind. Their family's financial situation had always been precarious, and with his health deteriorating, she needed to be prepared for the worst.

She resolved to find a part-time job, though she hadn't yet decided what kind of work to pursue.

At lunch, Lin Lan dragged her to the cafeteria. Ever the matchmaker, Lin Lan wasn't about to let her best friend remain single for long.

While Nan Wan went to grab chopsticks, Lin Lan swiftly placed their tray next to a male student's.

When Nan Wan returned, she found Lin Lan chatting animatedly with the boy. He sat with his back to her, his posture upright and composed, exuding a quiet elegance.

Lin Lan waved her over, her grin radiant. "What a coincidence! I ran into Senior Liang Qinghe here!"

This was the first time Nan Wan had seen Liang Qinghe since her rebirth.

The young man before her was just as she remembered—a figure of warmth and integrity, his demeanor as pure as freshly fallen snow. He had always been a paragon of virtue, admired by countless girls.

Nan Wan's heart stirred, but she quickly suppressed the feeling. She greeted him with the politeness of a mere acquaintance, keeping her emotions carefully in check.

She knew better than to draw too close. Huo Xunzhou was a man without reason, and his jealousy knew no bounds.

Lin Lan worked hard to inject energy into the conversation, but both Nan Wan and Liang Qinghe remained reserved, exchanging only a few brief words.

After finishing her meal, Lin Lan sighed dramatically. Playing matchmaker was proving far more challenging than she had anticipated.

Before they left, Liang Qinghe nodded politely, his refined manners unchanging. Yet as he watched them walk away, his gaze flickered, and the food on his plate seemed to lose its flavor.

Once outside the cafeteria, Lin Lan finally exhaled, her earlier tension melting away. She turned to Nan Wan, frustrated. "Why didn't you put in a little effort? You and Senior Liang would make such a perfect couple!"

Nan Wan replied with calm indifference, "We're not a good match."

Liang Qinghe deserved someone extraordinary—someone who wouldn't bring disaster into his life.

She didn't say it aloud, but once, long ago, she had harbored feelings for him.

"Who says you're not a good match? You're perfect together—beauty and brains!" Lin Lan insisted.

Nan Wan remained silent, her heart heavy with unspoken truths.

Title: Beneath the Surface

"Are you heading back to the dorm tonight?" Lin Lan asked.

"Probably not," Nan Wan replied, her tone hesitant. How could she make such decisions without informing Huo Xunzhou first? That man was capable of keeping someone under house arrest without a second thought—she didn't dare cross him.

"Good," Lin Lan huffed. "That way, you won't have to deal with Xu Meng and her gang. They're insufferable!"

Nan Wan's memories of Xu Meng were anything but pleasant. Her dormmate had always seen her as a rival. Back then, when her relationship with Huo Xunzhou was exposed, Xu Meng had played a significant role in the fallout.

Later, Nan Wan had heard about Xu Meng's own misfortunes, a grim reminder that karma had its way of catching up with everyone.

"Where are you staying now?" Lin Lan pressed.

"Just at a hotel," Nan Wan said vaguely, unwilling to share the truth.

"Hotels are expensive. You really need to find a better living arrangement soon," Lin Lan said apologetically. "I'm sorry I didn't notice when you moved out of the dorm. Work's been crazy lately."

Lin Lan had been juggling a part-time job over the past two months, dedicating all her spare time to it. She hadn't even realized that Nan Wan was no longer in the dorm, assuming everything was fine when she occasionally saw her around campus.

"I feel like such a lousy friend," Lin Lan lamented. "Promise me, if anything comes up, you'll tell me from now on."

"I will," Nan Wan replied with a soft smile, her eyes curving like crescent moons, radiant and calm.

The truth was, Nan Wan herself didn't know exactly when she had moved out of the dorm. There were no clues in the diary left behind by her younger self, leaving her puzzled.

As they strolled leisurely, the question lingered in her mind: why had she ended up in the Huo family villa, and when? She couldn't ask the Huo family directly, so she'd have to rely on her strained relationship with her dormmates for answers.

That afternoon, with no classes scheduled, Nan Wan decided to seize the opportunity to search for a part-time job.

Her beauty made things easier than expected. Within hours, she was offered a gig as a car model—500 yuan for half a day's work. The pay was tempting, but hesitation gnawed at her.

Before she left, the agent slipped her a business card, urging her to reconsider. "You're a rare gem," he said, his regret palpable.

On the bus ride back to the Huo family villa, Nan Wan sat by the window, her thoughts in turmoil. The offer seemed too good to be true. She was well aware of the murky waters in the modeling world and doubted her luck in stumbling upon such an ideal job so easily.

The glow of streetlights painted the pavement in soft amber hues. The closer the bus got to the Huo villa, the heavier her heart felt.

At a stop ten minutes from the villa, Nan Wan alighted. She hadn't walked far when a car pulled up beside her.

The back window rolled down slowly, revealing Huo Xunzhou. His piercing gaze locked onto hers.

"Get in," he ordered.

Startled, Nan Wan froze briefly before resigning herself to her fate. She climbed into the car, keeping as much distance as possible between them.

Seated by the window, she felt trapped in the confined space. The chauffeur, Uncle Zhang, remained silent as always, leaving only the tension between her and Huo Xunzhou to fill the void.

"How was school today?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Good," she replied stiffly.

Their exchange ended there.

The rhythmic tapping of his fingers on a file echoed through the car, the sound dull yet oppressive. It set her nerves on edge.

Her eyes darted towards the file in his hands multiple times, curiosity burning within her, but she dared not let him catch her looking.

Thankfully, the car soon came to a stop. Uncle Zhang opened the door for them.

Nan Wan followed Huo Xunzhou inside, careful to keep her distance without falling too far behind. Her thoughts raced between the part-time job and Huo Xunzhou's inexplicably cold demeanor, leaving her head throbbing.

Huo Xunzhou halted abruptly.

Caught off guard, Nan Wan bumped into his back.

"Ouch." She rubbed her nose, which had taken the brunt of the impact. His back was solid as a wall.

He turned to face her, blocking out the light behind him. His expression was unreadable, but something about him felt off—angrier, colder.

Nervously, she mustered a sweet smile, her voice soft and tentative. "What's wrong?"

Nan Wan knew exactly how to appease him. This tone, this approach—it was her fail-safe strategy whenever she couldn't figure out what had angered him. But even a lifeline shouldn't be overused.

As expected, his lips curved into a faint smile, his mood lightening slightly. He reached out and gently ruffled her hair. "Nothing."

Liar. She didn't believe him for a second.

Still, Huo Xunzhou's thoughts were impossible to decipher. Surviving his mood swings was a matter of evasion, not confrontation.

She had intended to bring up moving out of the villa, but it was clearly not the right time.

Later that evening, Huo Xunzhou reclined on the sofa, his gaze lazily fixed on her. "Go make me some noodles," he ordered casually.

Nan Wan hesitated, unwilling to move. She'd had a long day, too.

There was food on the table prepared by the housekeeper, Song Ma, yet he insisted on making her cook.

His cold, piercing gaze swept over her, leaving no room for argument.

Reluctantly, Nan Wan got up and headed to the kitchen.

From his seat, Huo Xunzhou watched her slim figure as she busied herself washing vegetables. Though her actions were begrudging, she was doing it for him nonetheless.

This strange, twisted satisfaction welled up inside him.

He opened the folder in his lap. Inside were photographs—two women and a man seated together at a meal. Though their faces betrayed no overt emotion, the image itself radiated harmony and youth.

A perfect picture of beauty and talent.

It was utterly infuriating.

With a flick, his lighter ignited, casting an orange glow over the photos. The flame consumed them quickly, releasing a sharp, acrid smell into the air.

Huo Xunzhou watched as the pictures disintegrated into ash, the firelight flickering against his impassive face.