While her brother was navigating the cold glass corridors of Horizon Tech, Xiao Ni was seated in the third row of her Advanced Mathematics class. To her classmates, she was the "Ice Lily" of the academy—brilliant, hauntingly beautiful, and untouchable. To herself, she was a girl walking a tightrope over a canyon of debt.
She kept her head down, her pen moving with mechanical precision. Every stroke of ink was a prayer for a scholarship; every correct answer was a shield for her brother, Li Tian. She knew he was struggling. She had seen the crumpled notices from the Black Vulture Syndicate hidden in the trash, and she knew his recent "accident" was no mere stumble.
As the bell rang, signaling the end of the testing period, a shadow fell over her desk.
"Top of the class again, Ni-Ni?"
She didn't need to look up to recognize the voice of Zhang Kang. He was the son of a local real estate mogul, a boy who treated the school like his personal fiefdom. He leaned against her desk, smelling of expensive cologne and entitlement.
"I have a spare ticket for the symphony tonight," he said, his smile practiced. "My driver can pick you up. You wouldn't have to worry about the 'bus situation' for once."
"I have to study, Zhang Kang," Xiao Ni replied softly, tucking her books into her worn backpack. "And my name is Li Ni. Please use it."
"Always so cold," he chuckled, though his eyes flashed with annoyance. "One day, you'll realize that beauty is a currency, Ni-Ni. It's a shame to let it sit in a vault."
She ignored him, her heart thumping against her ribs. She didn't have the luxury of romance; she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.
"Li Ni? The Dean would like to see you regarding your tuition assistance application."
The voice of the school secretary was thin and uninterested. Xiao Ni felt a cold pit form in her stomach. She followed the woman down the hallway to the heavy oak doors of Dean Zhao's office.
Zhao was a man who looked like a melted candle—soft, pale, and perpetually damp. As Xiao Ni entered, he stood up, his gaze lingering on her for a second too long before gesturing to the chair across from him.
"Sit, sit, Xiao Ni," he said, his voice dripping with a forced, paternal warmth. "I've been looking over your file. Incredible grades. Truly. But... the scholarship committee is being very difficult this year. They see your brother's recent job loss as a 'financial instability risk.'"
Xiao Ni's knuckles turned white as she gripped her bag. "Sir, I will work. I'll take more shifts at the cafe. I just need—"
"What you need," Zhao interrupted, walking around the desk to stand behind her, "is a benefactor. Someone who understands the... delicate needs of a young woman in your position."
He placed a heavy, clammy hand on her shoulder. Xiao Ni flinched, her skin crawling.
"I'm a minor, Dean Zhao," she whispered, her voice trembling. "And I would like to leave."
"The law is a very rigid thing, Xiao Ni," Zhao murmured, leaning down so she could smell the stale tobacco on his breath. "But tuition deadlines are also rigid. One night of 'mentorship' at my private villa, and I can make all these debts vanish."
The walls felt as if they were closing in. Xiao Ni looked at the door, but Zhao was blocking the path, his eyes filled with a predatory hunger.
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
The door rattled under the force of a frantic pounding.
"Dean Zhao! Are you in there?" It was the secretary, her voice high-pitched with urgency. "The Principal is on Line 1 from the District Office! He's furious—the audit results for the cafeteria funds just came in, and he demands you report to his office immediately!"
The color drained from Zhao's face, turning him a sickly shade of grey. The "mentorship" was forgotten as the fear of a financial scandal took hold.
"I... tell him I'm coming!" Zhao barked, snapping his hand away from Xiao Ni as if she were made of hot iron. He scrambled to grab his briefcase, ignoring the girl entirely. "Get out of here, Li Ni. We'll discuss your... eligibility... later."
Xiao Ni didn't wait for a second invitation. She bolted past him, her vision blurring with tears as she hit the hallway. She ran until she reached the school gates, leaning against a brick wall to gasp for air. She felt dirty, hunted, and utterly alone.
She pulled out her phone to call her brother, then stopped.
He has enough to deal with, she thought, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. I have to be strong. For him.