Chapter 11

She quietly looked at herself in the mirror.

It was an exceptionally beautiful face—her complexion so clear it resembled the finest porcelain. A gentle press would reveal a delicate moisture beneath the surface. Her lips carried a hint of natural flush—not from makeup, but a color that seemed to rise from beneath her skin.

She couldn’t help but smile a little. As the corners of her lips lifted, the smile rippled like early summer water, shimmering with fine light.

In her past life, she had stared into a bronze mirror countless times as her nanny adjusted her posture, scolding in a cold voice: “Chin up. Softer. Smile. Be more demure.” Everything back then had been about pleasing others—so that the Zhou family could marry her off to the Cheng family at a good price, for the sake of a single compliment from someone else.

But now, she no longer needed to please anyone.

She lifted her fingers and gently pressed the spot above her heart.

—This time, it’s for herself.

The next day, she got ready early, putting on a simple beige dress. The hem fell just to her knees, revealing her softly curved calves. She stood in front of the mirror for a moment and gave a gentle spin. The thin waist belt tightened slightly with the movement, highlighting her narrow waist. She looked as if she were wrapped in a light, translucent mist.

Her phone buzzed—it was a message from her deskmate:
[Don’t forget! Class dinner today at that little restaurant by Xixi. If you skip it, everyone’s gonna say you’re being cold!]

Ran Nannan stared at the message for a moment, then suddenly smiled. She replied simply:
[Got it.]

By the time she arrived at the restaurant, quite a few classmates were already there. It was a cozy little place, warmly decorated. Soft yellow lights hung on the walls, and the wooden tables and chairs gave off a gentle, inviting glow.

“Nannan! You finally made it!” Her deskmate waved her over enthusiastically.

As she walked in, she could feel several gazes land on her.

“Whoa… is that Ran Nannan? When did she get so pale?”

“No kidding—how does her skin look like that? Like a beauty filter in real life.”

“And… I swear when she smiles now, it’s like… more… you know…”

One boy trailed off mid-sentence, his voice dropping as his ears turned red.

Ran Nannan was pulled into a seat near the wall by her deskmate. She looked up and gave the others a faint smile. There was none of her old caution or reserve in that smile—only a quiet, effortless ease.

Across the table, a girl blinked, slightly dazed, then leaned toward the deskmate and whispered, “Is she using some kind of miracle skincare? I swear, in just the last few days, she looks like she’s glowing.”

The deskmate blinked too, then turned to glance back at Nannan before muttering, “Who knows… maybe she’s just naturally blessed.”

Ran Nannan lowered her eyes, lips curling slightly.

Of course she knew—it wasn’t about being “naturally blessed.” It was the freshly prepared traditional face balm she’d started using two days ago. Combined with safflower water, chrysanthemum dew, and standing meditation—step by step, quietly, she had been transforming herself into someone better.

Midway through the gathering, someone suggested playing Truth or Dare. The dice spun around the table and, in the end, stopped in front of her.

“Yes! Nannan’s always so quiet—now we’ll get to hear something juicy!”

“How about… telling us who your first crush was?”

Her deskmate elbowed her, grinning. “C’mon, spill it!”

Ran Nannan paused, then smiled softly. There was a hint of natural shyness in that smile, but the light at the corner of her eyes made it inexplicably alluring. Even the guy who asked the question seemed stunned, his face suddenly flushing red.

“Never had one…” she said gently, her voice soft but sincere. “I was always too focused on studying—guess I never had time to like anyone.”

Someone let out a disappointed “aww,” but the table suddenly warmed with chatter. A few of the boys, who had seemed a little reserved earlier, now fell into silence—stealing quiet glances at her from the corners of their eyes.

As the night wrapped up, her deskmate threw an arm around her shoulders, leaning in close to whisper, “Nannan, seriously… what are you using? You’ve changed so much these past few days—so, so…”

She fumbled for words, then mumbled, “So ethereal.”

Ran Nannan blinked, then laughed softly.

Moonlight spilled down, landing on the curve of her gently smiling lips, and glimmered in her eyes that seemed to hold a soft inner glow.

She said quietly, “Maybe… I’m just finally learning how to take care of myself.”

Her deskmate stared into her eyes, suddenly a little dazed.

There wasn’t just light in those eyes—it was as if they held an entire lake of moonlight on a spring night.