Vol 2 Chapter 1: Hello, My Name is Li Wanran

For Li Wanran.

When she climbed onto the rooftop that day, nothing in this world held any meaning for her anymore.

It had been the same the night before.

As if possessed, she stared at the sleeping pills she had placed on her nightstand. After blankly gazing at them for a long time, she slowly picked them up, opened the cap, and poured the pills into her palm.

She knew this wasn't her usual dosage.

Perhaps from that moment on, she had already decided she didn't want to keep living like this.

Li Wanran used to strongly dislike her son.

Because facially, the child resembled his father Liu Changqing too much. Since she had never felt much love for Liu Changqing, she ended up disliking the child by association.

Yet she never imagined that after everything ended, the one who truly remembered her would still be this child...

Had her son not appeared, she might have died four years earlier.

During those brief moments with her child, Li Wanran experienced for the first time the thought that perhaps living like this wasn't so bad.

Though at the time, due to academic pressures, her son couldn't visit her often.

Still, those visits brought faint glimmers of light into her otherwise dark existence.

As time passed, Li Wanran continued numbly through her days, paying in full measure for the mistakes of her past.

Of course, she had kept tabs on An Yuanyao.

Though they hadn't spoken in years, during her rare meetings with her son, Li Wanran would always find herself subtly probing for news about her former best friend's family.

From her son, she learned that An Yuanyao and Liu Changqing now had children.

Twins and another boy.

She also learned that while their daughter still struggled academically, her dance talent far surpassed ordinary children.

How wonderful...

For the first time, she felt the sting of envy.

Li Wanran would never forget the expression on her son's face when talking about his family.

A happiness she had never personally known.

Later, Li Wanran found work.

Teaching dance at a small studio for children.

The pay barely covered living expenses.

The stark contrast to her former life was painful, but she endured it all.

When exactly had the thoughts of suicide begun?

If she really thought about it, probably that day.

The day she accidentally saw An Yuanyao picking up three children from kindergarten - those lively, adorable children who resembled their mother, laughing and playing around her.

Li Wanran couldn't bear it.

Just seeing their happy family scene made her chest constrict until she could barely breathe.

That should have been her life.

But she had destroyed it with her own hands.

From that moment on, Li Wanran found nothing worth living for.

Even if her son still visited, even if she could still hear about Liu Changqing's life through him...

What did any of that have to do with her?

After taking the sleeping pills, she had an incredibly vivid dream.

A dream that seemed to show the world she had always wanted.

So vivid that upon waking and seeing Liu Changqing in her hospital room, she momentarily couldn't distinguish reality from illusion.

That's why she called him "husband."

But this Liu Changqing before her wasn't the one who had loved her...

When she heard the indifference in his voice, saw the coldness in his expression,

Only then did she wake from her dream, realizing clearly that all the happiness had been just an illusion.

Truthfully, from that moment on, Li Wanran stopped really listening to Liu Changqing's words.

She understood what he meant.

For her to leave this place where everything had happened and start a new life.

But...she was who she was. She was Li Wanran.

Rather than living alone in such a world, it would be better to end it all.

That's why she struggled to leave the hospital room and quietly made her way to the rooftop.

When she stood at the edge,

The distant scenery filled her vision.

As she fell,

She suddenly realized what a profoundly selfish person she was.

Even in death, she hadn't thought to see her daughter one last time.

Hadn't thought to say goodbye to Zhiyue.

Hadn't expressed her true feelings to Liu Changqing.

Hadn't even spoken to An Yuanyao...

It was all too late now.

If only...she had acted sooner...

As her body made contact with the ground,

Li Wanran lost consciousness.

The world turned completely black.

Li Wanran didn't know how much time had passed.

When sensation slowly returned to her body, when sounds reached her ears...

When her eyes opened.

She awoke.

Sitting up abruptly from where she'd been slumped over a desk.

This sudden movement made the teacher at the front of the classroom stop mid-lecture. Not just the teacher - all her classmates turned to stare.

Her eyes widened.

Everything felt unreal. Only after a long daze did she slowly look down.

At the desk before her.

At the open textbook.

At...

This...

"Li Wanran, are you feeling unwell?"

The teacher's voice reached her. Even in this older era, teachers showed more kindness to top students like her.

The words also snapped Li Wanran back to reality.

She looked up from her hands to the teacher.

Then, as if unable to believe it, she scanned her classmates - including An Yuanyao sitting not far away, giving her a curious look.

A young An Yuanyao, face full of confusion.

Her fingers tightened, wrinkling the pages of her book.

Suddenly, Li Wanran stood and left her seat.

In full view of teachers and students, she strode straight out of the classroom.

It happened so fast.

The teacher didn't even have time to react, just stared dumbly as his star student Li Wanran openly skipped class.

Being new to teaching, he began doubting himself.

Was his teaching really so bad students couldn't stand to listen?

Maybe he should just quit...

Meanwhile, Li Wanran had no idea about the teacher's thoughts.

She only wanted to confirm one thing.

Was this Liu Changqing the one she had loved?

The Liu Changqing who had been with An Yuanyao...

With this question, she went to Liu Changqing's classroom, walking straight in to scan the students.

Seeing his seat empty, she turned and left without hesitation.

Giving the teacher no chance to question her.

Like a sudden gust of wind - here and gone.

She searched everywhere he might be.

Finally, at the edge of campus under a large tree, she found Liu Changqing.

His dark complexion, his shaved head like a hard-boiled egg.

For some reason, he looked utterly defeated, leaning against the tree while muttering to himself.

Spotting this after her long search, Li Wanran caught her breath.

Calming herself.

After a moment's hesitation, she approached quietly.

Until she could hear his words.

Some nonsense about...

"This is so damn ridiculous, how could this happen..."

What happened?

Puzzled, Li Wanran thought hard but couldn't imagine what he meant.

Giving up, she took a few more steps.

Until she stood beside Liu Changqing.

Her footsteps must have alerted him, because he suddenly turned to look at her.

Staring strangely at this girl who'd appeared before him.

His expression clearly annoyed as he demanded:

"What are you looking at?"

"......"

Li Wanran froze.

Then felt joy surge in her heart.

That tone confirmed it - this was indeed the Liu Changqing she had loved.

Overcome with emotion, her usually cold expression softened, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.

After gathering herself, she extended her hand.

And said:

"Hello, my name is Li Wanran."