Summer's Rose

Chapter 14: The Model Student

Alicia watched as Zhou Nan walked out, sneaking closer to Wen. She couldn't hold back the urge to share what she had overheard. "Zhou Nan suddenly hit that boy. I mean, who knows, if he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed one day, will he hit us too? Earlier at lunch, he just slammed a tray on that guy’s head."

Wen paused, her face thoughtful as she processed Alicia's words. "If we don’t know the full story, it’s not right to jump to conclusions. I don’t think Zhou Nan is that kind of person." Although she hadn’t spent much time with him—let alone exchanged more than a few words—she felt certain that Zhou Nan wasn’t someone who would casually bully others.

Before Alicia could respond, a voice interrupted her thoughts.

Zhou Nan, who had returned to class just in time, stood at the door, his expression unreadable. "Move."

Alicia, who was already nervous around him, stepped aside with an awkward glance at Wen. Her face turned a bit red as she whispered, "I’ll talk to you later."

Wen nodded and smiled as Alicia hurried off. Zhou Nan walked past them, dropping into his seat and immediately pulling out his phone. He launched Candy Crush game without a second thought.

Zhou Nan had no interest in listening to others’ opinions. The rumors, the whispers—he couldn’t care less about any of it. But one thing did catch his attention. When Wen had spoken just now, he had been caught off guard. Her words had been simple, but they meant something. She had defended him without knowing much about him.

He glanced at her briefly. She was deeply focused on something, probably a book, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Ugh," Zhou Nan muttered inwardly. Another perfect student.

He couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped his lips. It was always the good students—the ones who spent their time buried in books. They were often the ones who didn’t get into trouble, the ones who avoided the noise of the world around them.

As Hannah’s determination started to build, she stood in front of her mother, her voice wavering but firm. "I don’t want to go to school anymore."

Her mother stared at her in disbelief. "What do you mean you don’t want to go to school? Why would you say that?"

Hannah’s eyes lowered, guilt gnawing at her. "I just don’t want to go."

"Are you out of your mind?" Her mother’s voice cracked. "I work tirelessly to provide for you, to send you to school. And you just want to quit? Do you think it’s that easy? You think you can just decide you’re done with everything? Do you think I worked so hard to send you to school? Is it for me? It's for your future! And now you don't even appreciate it and come here telling me you want to drop out?!"

Hannah could feel the weight of her mother's frustration press down on her chest, the sting of her words cutting deeper than anything she could have imagined. But it was the memories of yesterday that made it harder for her to breathe.

The things that happened at school… I can’t go back there. Not after what happened.

Tears pooled in her eyes as she spoke again, her voice barely a whisper. "Please stop asking me, I just don’t want to go."

Her mother’s anger flared. "What are you talking about? You’ve been getting all these opportunities because I’ve worked so hard for you! And this is how you repay me? By giving it away?!"

Hannah shut her eyes, trying to push back the rush of emotions. The argument between them became a blur as the anger and frustration inside her exploded. She cried out, her voice trembling. "Don’t push me anymore, Mom. I just can’t do it. I can't go back."

Her mother grabbed her by the arm, trying to force her to listen, but Hannah pulled away. She could feel her heart racing in her chest, and every word her mother said only pushed her further into despair.

"Okay! Okay! I’m going to school, okay? Just stop," Hannah said, trying to calm her mother down. But even as she said it, the tears wouldn’t stop flowing. Her own promise to go back to school felt hollow, knowing what awaited her there.

Her mother’s face softened, but her words remained sharp. "You better keep your promise. You better go and do well in school. I won’t let you ruin everything we’ve worked for."

As her mother hugged her, her words stung. Hannah didn’t feel the warmth of reassurance she hoped for. Instead, the coldness of her mother’s strict expectations hung heavy in the air, leaving her feeling more lost than ever before.

Walking to school felt like a nightmare. Hannah felt her body trembling as she passed through the familiar gates. Each step seemed to weigh more heavily than the last. She knew what she would face—another day, another round of whispers, another encounter with the cruel truth that seemed to chase her everywhere she went.

She tried to keep her head down, walking quickly through the campus. But as she glanced up, her eyes caught the familiar figure of Zhou Nan on the second floor. He was talking with some classmates, laughing, the usual carefree air around him.

Hannah paused. There was a strange, almost magnetic feeling she couldn’t explain. She didn’t know what to think of Zhou Nan—he was someone she didn’t really know, but somehow his presence felt familiar in an odd way.

Just then, she felt a hand gently touch her arm. She turned, startled, only to find a girl with clear, compassionate eyes standing beside her.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked softly.

Hannah blinked, still shaken. "Yeah...I’m fine. Thank you."

The girl hesitated, unsure, but asked again, "Are you sure?"

Hannah nodded and smiled weakly. "I’m fine. Really."

The girl, still unsure, gave her a gentle smile and said, "If you need someone to talk to, I’m here."

Hannah didn’t know how to respond. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to burden anyone with her problems. But the girl’s kindness felt like a small light in the dark.

"Thanks," Hannah said, giving a tiny nod before she turned and walked away.

At lunchtime, things didn’t get any better. Hannah sat with her friends, trying to focus on the meal in front of her. But she couldn’t help but overhear the conversation at the next table.

"Have you heard about Zhou Nan?" one of the girls asked, her voice low but filled with gossip. "He’s such a troublemaker. I thought he was cool at first, but now I know he’s just a bully. I heard he poured a tray of food on Liu’s head. Who does that?"

Another girl joined in, "Yeah, they say he’s been causing trouble all over school. I can’t believe he was ever a hero to anyone."

Hannah’s stomach churned. She knew they were talking about Zhou Nan, the same person who had helped her yesterday. Yet, to the others, he was now painted as a villain. She felt her heart sink as the words continued, realizing the truth no longer mattered. What people said—what people believed—was all that mattered now.

But as she sat there, her mind wandered back to that moment in the classroom when Wen had spoken up for Zhou Nan.

Maybe it’s not all bad, maybe some people still see the truth.

Her mother had told her many times not to fall in love, that her focus should be on studying, and that studying well was the only way out.

Perhaps out of rebellion, or because of youthful emotions, she ended up falling in love with Lucius, her classmate.

Lucius’s grades were among the top in the class, just like hers. He told her they should keep their relationship a secret, not let anyone in the class know.

Hannah agreed because she didn’t want any gossip reaching her mother’s ears.

They dated for a while, but Lucius’s grades didn’t drop, while hers did. She was always feeling insecure, overthinking everything. Whenever she saw him talking to other girls, she couldn’t help but feel upset. With the pressure from her teachers and her mother, she broke up with Lucius.

Lucius agreed, saying he had something to give her and asked her to meet him behind the school sports field.

She didn’t expect that the seemingly gentle and friendly Lucius would pull her straight into the equipment room and lock the door.

“It’s after school hours; everyone’s gone to eat. Even if you scream your lungs out, no one will hear you.”

Hannah was terrified, her voice trembling. “What do you want to do?”

Lucius smiled, his face looking a bit sinister and frightening, and said, “What do you think? You’re not leaving here until I’m done with you.”