LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 22
Li Miao's nightmares were relentless.
Each night, a fragmented mosaic of her past: glimpses of a young Li Miao standing lost within the grandeur of a lavish party. Then, Chen Yuehua's warmth-filled smile was replaced by an aching, echoing emptiness within her family home.
These glimpses ripped her from sleep, sweat-drenched and heart-pounding, leaving her to grapple with the whispers of a life not fully her own.
Is it the original Li Miao? What happened to her? I can only remember small fragments of her past…
The guilt clung to her, a chilling reminder of her displacement of the novel's Li Miao. Exhaustion painted dark circles under her eyes, mirroring her emptiness.
“Hmm… I think we have a problem here…” One classmate eyed Xu Yue. Her face? Flawless. Her delivery? Oof. It left... something to be desired.
“Repeat after me: ‘O, princess of the flowery heaven, take my hand, and we shall soar into the sky together!'” The girl gestured grandly, but Xu Yue met her with a blank stare.
“O, princess…” Xu Yue droned, a perfect impression of a bored robot. The classmate's eye twitched. How is such acting even possible in someone this beautiful?
“No, no! More emotion!”
“I was using emotion,” Xu Yue insisted.
If that was considered emotional acting, then I fear for the film industry…
This painful charade dragged on until an anguished wail echoed through the room.
“I can’t take it!” The exasperated girl stomped toward Li Miao, desperate for rescue. “Classmate Li…”
Li Miao, mid-stencil for a lantern design, winced in sympathy. She glanced at Xu Yue, her expression as lively as a stone statue, and sighed.
Gently, she tugged Xu Yue's sleeve. “Xu Yue… don't they deserve at least a little pity?”
Xu Yue blinked, genuinely confused. Why does everyone make acting sound so hard? “I have been trying my best.”
Her best? Oh dear. “Alright, Xu Yue, do me a favor. Can you give me a bright smile?”
Xu Yue's face contorted. The corners of her mouth rebelled as a scowl emerged instead. A collective shiver rippled through the class.
That... may be worse than we feared.
Li Miao paused, and then inspiration struck. She clasped Xu Yue's hands, holding them against her cheeks as she delivered a dazzling smile. “Xu Yue, doesn't looking at me make you happy?”
A warmth bloomed in Xu Yue's chest. Suddenly, a soft, gentle, and genuine smile graced her lips. For a fleeting moment, their world narrowed to just the two of them.
The Class: How is this fair? What sorcery is this?
“Exactly! Hold onto that feeling!” Li Miao spun Xu Yue towards the onlookers. “Now smile!"
Instantly, the warmth vanished, replaced by Xu Yue's signature icy glare.
Yep! This isn’t going to work. Li Miao’s smile held a faint feeling of resignation. Clearly, there were battles not worth fighting.
The classroom lay draped in twilight. Exhausted, Zhang Wei lingered outside – a forgotten bag was his excuse. Sunlight surrendered to the soft glow of student-made lanterns, each a tiny, vibrant world within the fading day.
A glimpse through the window held him captive: Li Miao huddled amidst a cluster of struggling students. Curiosity got the better of him, and he forgot his weariness.
Paper whispered and rustled against the hum of quiet conversation. The lantern light gilded the edges of Li Miao's hair, each strand shimmering against the darkening room. And her posture... not with the rigid arrogance he'd come to expect but radiating quiet strength.
What is she doing?
Her voice held a new lightness, each word not just instruction but a gift of confidence. As a lantern finally blossomed into shape, Li Miao's smile mirrored its delicate glow. Her joy infected the room, even reaching Zhang Wei through the glass.
I… don’t know why I feel this way.
A warmth, unfamiliar and far gentler than he had felt before, blossomed in his chest. Without thinking, his face shifted in the ghost of an answering smile.
Her focus wavered. When her eyes met him, the carefree light was dimmed by a flash of the old defensiveness. He turned away, unsure.
The glow of those lanterns chased him down the hall.
I never truly hated her. I was just pissed at the way she treated Xu Yue.
This Li Miao… isn't what I expected. There's an odd tightness in my chest. What is this feeling? Respect? It seems wrong, somehow.
A laugh cut through his thoughts, Li Miao’s, which were so similar to the ones she had shown him in the past.
I just hope that one day, we can return to the way we were before…
