Silence stretched around them, taut as a plucked string. The girl finally released Li Miao, a smile tinged with playful confusion replacing the possessive hug.

 

"My, Maomao, you don't remember?"  Her head tilted, loose auburn curls catching the sunlight. "That bump on your head...I was so worried! But amnesia? That’s…well, that's certainly unexpected." Her musical laugh held a hint of nervous energy.

 

Li Miao’s mind whirred. This genuine warmth, the sisterly concern — there was no malice, but who… ? A flash of something familiar tugged at her memory, an echo of...kindness? Could she be like Ying Lian, unknown to Li Miao yet rooted in the novel's unseen corners?

 

Just as Li Miao's brain threatened to short-circuit from confusion, a ghostly face popped out of nowhere like a jump scare in a bad horror movie. The spectral Li Miao rubbed her eyes with dramatic flair.

 

“Ugh, it’s so noisy… Oh… it’s Sister Wei Lin…” A drowsy smile curved her lips.

 

Who!? Hey, Li Miao, please be a little bit more specific! 

 

"You'll figure it out," the old Li Miao yawned, a teasing glint in her eyes. “Back to sleep for me..." And with that, she winked out of existence.

 

T-this whimsical ghost. Give me back all the time I spent feeling guilty about you! 

 

Her mind scrambled, clinging to the clue: Sister Wei Lin. It felt warm, familiar, like the scent of jasmine tea that sometimes drifted from the kitchen.

 

"U-um… hi Sister Wei Lin…" she offered tentatively, a nervous tremor in her voice.

 

Wei Lin's eyes softened, crinkling at the corners. "Hello, my sweet Maomao~"  Genuine joy radiated from her as she swept Li Miao into a gentle embrace.

 

"I don’t remember much… after the... accident, things are hazy." The word 'accident' sat like a stone in her throat.  Li Miao fumbled for an excuse, something to explain the gaps.

 

"Oh jeez, don't worry about that, Maomao." Wei Lin said, her voice soft as a summer breeze. "What matters are the memories we'll make from now on."  Her gaze moved to Xu Yue, who still had her head awkwardly on Li Miao’s lap. 

 

“Hello there, my name is Wei Lin. And you must be?” There was a lilt to her voice, like the first note of a lullaby.

 

"Xu Yue." The reply was clipped, sharp as frost on a windowpane.

 

Jealousy prickled at Xu Yue, twisting sweet concern into something sour. Why do these buzzing flies always flock to the little cat? She straightened, studying Wei Lin with the cool appraisal of a strategist. The woman radiated warmth, an undeniable motherly ease, yet… something about that smile seemed too perfect. 

 

Wei Lin sensed the shift, but her smile only widened. She observed the two, and for a second, a shadow crossed her eyes, a fleeting concern that might have been a trick of the light. 

 

Yet, the warmth of her next words remained genuine, a touch of mischief adding a playful note.  "My, Maomao, when did you nab yourself such a beautiful girlfriend?" A deliberate twinkle lit her eyes.

 

Heat flooded Li Miao's face. Her frantic head shake could have been mistaken for an earthquake. "We're just friends!" she stammered. "N-not like that..." She shrank back, suddenly self-conscious, hating herself for putting Xu Yue in this awful position.

 

This isn’t fair to Xu Yue… I need to firmly reject her before this continues. She gripped her aching heart as she thought of Xu Yue's pained face from that night. 

 

Xu Yue, meanwhile, felt an unexpected flicker of warmth twist through the chill of her usual reserve. 'Girlfriend'… It had a nice ring to it. A fleeting smile threatened to tug at her lips.

 

“Really? You two were so intimate I wouldn’t have been able to tell.” Wei Lin smiled before patting Li Miao’s head softly. “It’s okay, big sister will support you no matter what you do.” 

 

Li Miao gaped like a landed fish, completely overwhelmed. Before she or Xu Yue could form a protest, Wei Lin delivered another blow with breezy nonchalance. "Oh, before I forget, let's meet with Zhang Wei later! It's been ages since we’ve all been together."

 

With a final wave – "Bye bye, Maomao and Miss Xu~" – she vanished, leaving a whirlwind of confusion in her wake.

 

Xu Yue thought about how the way Wei Lin acted seemed familiar…

 

Miles away, Cheng Yuehua waited for the director to call her up before she let out an earth-shattering sneeze. Her manager fussed, "Are you coming down with something? I told you to rest!"

 

Cheng Yuehua waved a dismissive hand, a sly grin spreading across her face. "Nonsense! It must be one of my fans, thinking of me fondly."

 

---

 

Wei Lin navigated the crowded hallway with quiet grace, a ripple of whispers following her wake. She greeted an awestruck student council junior with a smile that could melt ice. 

 

“President Wei, what are you doing here?” 

 

"I’m Looking for Zhang Wei. Has he graced this classroom with his presence today?"

 

Her gaze swept the room, landing on its most boisterous corner. Zhang Wei, a beam of pure sunshine amidst his clamoring teammates, stilled at the sight of her.

 

The classroom wasn't just quiet – it was breathless.  The whispers of moments ago now hung like unspoken questions: what brought the legendary student president to the realm of mere first-years?

 

Ignoring the hushed awe, Wei Lin approached with a glint in her eyes. "Hello, little Zhang~  Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?"

 

"Sister Wei!"  Zhang Wei's surprise was genuine, a warmth matching her own. "You're back!"

 

"Yep! I'm back!" A mischievous grin broke across her face, startlingly contrasting her usual composed demeanor. It was like a playful breeze disrupting the surface of a still lake.

 

"I thought you were overseas! What brings you back so soon?" Zhang Wei's brows furrowed in genuine surprise. "Wasn't the American project supposed to stretch into the summer?"

 

Wei Lin's smile faded, replaced by a flicker of genuine concern.  "I heard about Maomao's accident... I rushed back the moment I could, but..." Regret painted her words, a soft sigh catching in her throat.

 

"...And those rumors of her… bullying that Xu Yue girl… but they seemed really close…” She trailed off, a frown deepening between her brows. It clashed with the usual warmth, a dissonance that Zhang Wei felt as keenly as his unease.

 

"It's over now. Li Miao isn't like that anymore." He spoke hurriedly, as much to reassure himself as her.

 

Wei Lin's gaze sharpened, though her voice remained gentle. "That's such a relief. But…" A hesitant pause. "...Why? Our sweet Maomao, of all people..."

 

Zhang Wei heard this and thought to himself as well. 

 

Yeah… she isn’t. That’s why it was so confusing. 

 

The memory hit Zhang Wei with the force of a rogue wave – the hallway, and Xu Yue crumpled on the stairs, that look of utter desolation on Li Miao's face.  His own voice, harsh with accusation, echoed in his ears.

 

“Why did you push her, Li Miao?”

 

"I-It wasn't me…" Her voice had trembled, barely a whisper.

 

"Then who? Stop lying! Everyone saw you harassing her… I didn't think you were capable of this."

 

“N-no… I-” 

 

"I don't know who you are anymore! This has gone too far!" With a brusque movement that belied a surprising gentleness, he lifted Xu Yue, cradling her as if she might break.  A flicker of concern for her injuries passed over his face before it hardened into a mask of fury as he left Li Miao behind.

 

His condemnation had painted a mask of despair across Li Miao's face. Her final words, a breathless plea, cut as deep now as they did then: "So… even you…"