Tit for Tat

"Do you hate me? Can I know why?" Liang Shang stopped her and asked directly, his handsome and sunny face looking sincere.

His voice overlapped with the one from her previous life, and for a moment, Gu Chuyin felt dazed.

It was as if she was seeing the Liang Shang from back then again.

That day, she had just come out of the restroom in a restaurant when Liang Shang, who smelled faintly of alcohol, bumped into her.

She frowned, showing her displeasure, but before she could say anything, he pressed her against the wall and looked down at her.

"You seem to hate me. Can you tell me why?"

At that time, Liang Shang's gentle eyes looked so clear and clean.

When he stared at someone like that, it made them feel weak inside.

Even after ten years, Gu Chuyin still remembered that look.

She remembered how, in that moment, her anger had faded.

She had taken a step back and replied calmly, "I don't hate you. Don't overthink it."

That had been their first meeting.

Unexpectedly, now, when she thought back to it, it was in another life.

Lost in thought, facing the same gentle gaze again, Gu Chuyin simply sneered.

"Why do I hate you? Don't you already know? You look like a decent person, but in reality, you have a lot of hidden motives. Who do you think you're fooling?"

After speaking, she gave him a cold glance, then turned around and walked away.

How long does it take to see through someone?

A moment?

Or ten years?

Gu Chuyin didn't know, and she didn't want to think about it.

Maybe, at the moment of death, she would finally understand.

The Next Day

Gu Chuyin woke up early, put on an old, oversized tracksuit, and ran to school.

She didn't hear Fang Wenxiang's endless nagging, nor did she see Liang Shang's annoying face.

That alone made her feel much better.

Near the school gate, there were many food stalls.

Gu Chuyin randomly bought a fried dough stick and some soy milk to fill her stomach.

There were only two exams in the morning.

They were easy, with no real difficulty.

After finishing the last exam, Gu Chuyin, who had rarely been this awake in class, looked around the room.

The classroom had been around for a long time.

The motivational slogans on the walls were faded, the paint was peeling, and the wooden desks and chairs were covered in scratches and scribbles.

The invigilator's sharp voice suddenly echoed in the room.

"Some people don't pay attention in class, don't study properly, and now want to take shortcuts during exams. What's the point? If you cheat, don't blame me for giving you a zero!"

Gu Chuyin turned her head and met the invigilator's gaze.

Seeing the balding man, she instantly remembered who he was.

Not wanting to deal with him, she stood up and walked out of the classroom.

This was the last exam. There wouldn't be another one.

There was no point in staying here any longer.

"I asked you a question! Where in your books have you read up to? You don't even have basic manners! Is this how your parents raised you? You're a disgrace to Jiang City High School!" The teacher's furious scolding echoed through the classroom, but Gu Chuyin, already outside, didn't even look back.

She walked along the street, heading toward the other end of Jiang City.

When her legs began to ache from exhaustion, the familiar sights before her overlapped with her memories, the small shops, the steamed bun stall on the corner, the tailor's shop at the end of the alley.

This place was rundown, messy, and dirty.

But when she had nowhere else to go, this had been the only place she could call home.

Stopping in front of a shopping mall, she looked up at the familiar sign.

Suppressing the emotions welling up in her chest, she quickly walked toward the entrance.

However, just as she was about to go in, someone blocked her way.

It was a middle-aged woman, a salesperson from one of the second-floor clothing stores.

She was thin and not very tall, with sharp eyes full of scrutiny.

"What are you doing here?" the woman asked, looking her up and down.

Gu Chuyin didn't care about her tone and simply replied, "I'm here to find someone."

"This is a shopping mall. If you're not here to buy clothes, leave," the saleswoman said impatiently.

"I'm looking for Gu Chuyin. She works here as a fitting model. I just need to see her, then I'll go," Gu Chuyin explained.

"Gu Chuyin? There's no one here by that name. You're in the wrong place," the woman said dismissively.

"No one?"

Gu Chuyin was stunned. She stepped back and looked up at the sign again.

Xiuyang Mall.

In this era, this was the largest clothing mall in Jiang City.

She had worked here for three years.

How could they not have her on record?

While she was lost in thought, the saleswoman waved her away impatiently.

"You should go. You're blocking the entrance. And seriously, why are you so fat? No one will ever want you."

Gu Chuyin glanced at the wide space around her, there was more than enough room for three people to pass side by side.

But at that moment, many people were staring at her, whispering.

She was used to being looked at in her previous life, but back then, it had been different.

Before, people looked at her with envy, admiration, jealousy, or even love.

But now, they looked at her as if she were an animal in a zoo, making cruel comments without hesitation.

"How is she so fat? Did she eat pig feed?"

"Maybe she has some disease, and the medicine made her gain weight."

"At this size, no one will ever like her. She should eat less."

Whispers from all directions filled her ears.

Gu Chuyin's expression darkened.

She scanned the people around her and said coldly, "Do you live by the sea? Why do you care so much? Or did you eat shit? Is that why your mouths stink so bad?"

The chatter died down instantly.

Ignoring the stunned saleswoman, Gu Chuyin walked past her and entered the mall.

She headed straight for the area where she had worked as a model in her past life.

But suddenly, she stopped.

On the platform, a young man was showcasing the latest clothing.

She clearly remembered, there had been no male models working here when she was employed.

"Can I help you?"

A supervisor nearby noticed her hesitation and pointed toward another section.

"This is our staff area. The clothing displays are outside."

"I was wondering… do you have a female model named Gu Chuyin?" she asked.

"No, we only have male models here," the supervisor replied.

Gu Chuyin froze as if she had lost her soul.

Then, behind her, a deep and magnetic voice spoke.

"Are you sure you're looking for Gu Chuyin?"