“What… do you mean?”
The doubtful words slipped out involuntarily, as if An Qing had just heard something utterly impossible.
Her crimson pupils trembled slightly, carrying a hint of disbelief.
“Miss An Yu left early this morning. She didn’t say whether she’d be back. If you have something to discuss, you can call her.”
Wang Man shook her head.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of impatience in her voice; if anything, she spoke even more clearly.
Of course, she didn’t mention that An Yu had been picked up by a friend.
There was no need to tell An Qing that.
An Qing’s eyes widened as she stared blankly at Wang Man.
Confusion filled her gaze, and the gentle smile that usually graced her face gradually faded.
What does that mean…?
She still didn’t understand. She couldn’t comprehend it at all.
Just like how she had been reborn, the events unfolding before her made no sense whatsoever.
An Qing simply couldn’t wrap her head around them.
She knew An Yu well—that girl was a little liar with an incredibly strong possessive streak.
The moment An Qing had entered her world, An Yu had done everything in her power to get rid of her.
That An Yu cared so deeply about everything related to the An family.
She cared so much that she would put on an act of innocence right in front of the person she hated most.
And yet now, you’re telling me that on her own birthday, that same An Yu chose to leave the house?
She doesn’t care about the An family anymore?
That’s impossible!
In her previous life, An Yu had looked forward to her birthday banquet so much.
In her previous life, she had schemed in every possible way to ruin An Qing.
But now, on this day, she just… left?
Why? What on earth is An Yu thinking?!
An Qing couldn’t understand it.
It went beyond anything she could comprehend.
In her mind, there were many things An Yu cared about throughout her life, but the most important by far were her parents.
That was why An Qing had chosen to get revenge in An Yu’s own style.
She wouldn’t frame An Yu or do anything too obvious.
Because she wanted An Yu to safely witness the moment everything she cherished was taken away.
That was the only reason An Qing had been playing along with the An family parents, pretending to go along with their enthusiasm.
If An Yu truly didn’t care, then what was the point of everything An Qing had done?
If An Yu didn’t care, then what had all the events of her previous life even meant?
?!
Where… did things go wrong?
The girl’s eyelashes trembled lightly, and her mind grew increasingly chaotic.
The light in her crimson eyes gradually dimmed.
“Miss An Qing?”
Wang Man frowned slightly, looking at the dazed girl with some concern.
From her long observation, she believed both young ladies were innocent, good children.
An Qing turned slightly, the color drained from her eyes as she seemed lost in self-doubt.
She could no longer maintain her usual smile.
A faint trace of panic even crept into her expression.
An Qing waved her hand coldly, saying nothing.
“Then… I’ll be going now.”
Seeing this, Wang Man didn’t linger any longer.
Her departure didn’t change anything. An Qing didn’t even glance at her.
She walked back to the door of An Yu’s room, her gaze growing increasingly hollow.
This isn’t how things were supposed to go.
An Qing had been looking forward to this day for so long.
She had always wanted to see what expression An Yu would make when she realized the An family no longer favored her.
Would she regret it? Would she despair?
Because those were the things An Yu had cared about most in her previous life.
An Qing wanted to take away everything An Yu valued, then prove to her that none of it was worth anything at all.
Why are you leaving today?
Why are you willing to leave today?
How dare you leave today?
And where… did you even go?
An Qing’s face was cold and expressionless as she gently stroked the door.
The place was utterly silent now. Because no one cared about An Yu anymore, no one came near this area.
In the quiet, An Qing could hear her own heartbeat.
“Why… is this happening?”
An Qing murmured blankly.
What if An Yu really doesn’t care about any of it?
An Qing couldn’t believe it. She didn’t want to believe it.
If that were true, then everything she had done would be utterly meaningless.
She wouldn’t even know why this hatred had started in the first place.
Almost unconsciously, An Qing pulled the hair clip from her pocket—the white cat design, identical to the one from her previous life.
…
“An Qing, you’re still wearing it. I didn’t expect you to like it so much.”
An Qing instinctively tightened her grip on the clip. That day’s words from An Yu surfaced unbidden in her mind.
“Thank you. I like it. It suits you very well.”
One moment, the girl had been praising her with a blank expression; the next, her face had changed completely, even her tone shifting.
“Too bad it’s as cheap as you are.
“It only cost two yuan, just like your status in my family—utter trash.”
“But I have to say, you’re just as tough as it is. Clearly worthless, yet you refuse to leave. You even want more.”
The adorable girl had tilted her head, her amber eyes filled with innocence.
It sent chills down the spine.
Even though her words were so cruel, those eyes remained breathtakingly beautiful.
“Everything here… is mine. So you should just disappear, shouldn’t you?”
That was the first time An Yu had spoken to her so directly.
Before that, An Qing had suffered setback after setback, abandoned by everyone.
No matter where she went, she felt nothing but malice.
Even then, she had only been mildly suspicious.
Only when An Yu dropped the act did An Qing finally see the truth.
Everything she had gone through had been orchestrated by An Yu.
Because she was so “innocent” and “cute,” everyone had been easily manipulated by her.
Including the biggest victim—An Qing herself.
That was why An Qing knew her so well.
She understood An Yu.
The girl was a master of fake kindness and deception.
She was a genuine liar, one who could gain people’s trust without effort.
For example, those classmates of theirs had fallen for it too.
They were just like An Qing had been—nothing more than fools who’d been tricked.
An Qing unconsciously clenched the hair clip in her hand. Clarity slowly returned to her crimson pupils.
That’s right. How could she have forgotten? An Yu is a liar.
She had almost—almost—been fooled again by that damn liar, even after being reborn.
An Qing couldn’t guess what An Yu was planning, but no matter what, she wouldn’t give up her revenge.
It was her obsession.
At the same time, she refused to believe that someone like An Yu could truly let go of everything tied to the An family.
Not care? Leave? Who would believe that?!
No matter what tricks An Yu was trying to pull, An Qing would see it through to the end.
But she couldn’t keep going like this.
An Yu wouldn’t go down without a fight, so An Qing needed to do something.
These past few days, An Yu had been far too comfortable.
An Qing’s face remained cold. A glint of chill flashed in her crimson eyes.
Her gaze drifted unconsciously toward Wang Man in the distance, a thoughtful look crossing her face.
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i stand corrected.