Appearances could be deceiving. A person's life might be quietly breaking apart, piece by piece, and yet they could still smile as though nothing had happened.
An Ning liked to think that this was a coping mechanism for many. After all, outsiders loved to measure their own lives against others'. Some even took a perverse comfort in knowing that someone else's life was worse than theirs.
The world could be unkind in countless ways.
But it was not without kindness.
In her previous world, An Ning had received kindness too. From fans who supported her regardless of rumours, regardless of endings, regardless of how abruptly she had disappeared. They stayed. They remembered. That alone had once been enough to keep her standing.
Now, looking at the woman in front of her, An Ning's thoughts drifted.
Lu Jiaxin did not have a good ending in the original timeline.
