The smile on Caspian’s face faded.

He looked at me, the emotion in his eyes sinking.

"People like me?"

I knew I had stepped on his pride.

People like him were accustomed to being superior and couldn't tolerate being defined by such blunt disgust.

But I didn't regret it.

In my last life, my fear, my concessions, and my silence only resulted in his escalating control.

In this life, I would rather make him uncomfortable than be the person he could mold at will.

I straightened my back. "Please move. I need to get back to class."

Caspian stared at me for a long time before letting out a low laugh.

"Fine."

He actually stepped aside and let me pass.

But as we brushed past each other, he leaned into my ear, his voice as light as a breeze.

"I'll remember that."

"I hope you can keep despising me this much in the future."

I didn't stop. I walked straight ahead.

It wasn't until I turned the corner that I realized my palms were soaked with sweat.

Even so, I had no intention of backing down.

Because it was becoming clearer and clearer to me—

If I wanted to escape, I couldn't just think about hiding.

Once some people set their sights on you, simple retreat only makes them more excited.

7

After school at noon, Lucas came to find me.

We went to the small garden behind the teaching building. It was sparsely populated with dense shade, a perfect place for a private conversation.

I handed him the form Mr. Sterling had given me.

Lucas read it carefully, his brow furrowing deeper as he went.

"The competition for this spot must be intense," he said.

"Yes," I nodded. "But it's not impossible."

He remained silent for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "What made you suddenly think to ask about this?"

I looked at him, thought for a moment, and decided to tell him part of the truth.

"Because I don't think Sloane is going to let this go."

"And," I paused, "I have a feeling something is off with Caspian too."

Lucas looked up sharply. "Did he come looking for you?"

I didn't deny it.

Lucas’s face instantly darkened. "What did he say to you?"

"Nothing much, just testing the waters," I said with a forced, casual smile. "But it only made me more certain that we can't remain passive."

Lucas’s hand tightened around the form.

After a long silence, he finally spoke: "I'm sorry."

I was taken aback. "Why are you apologizing?"

"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been targeted by them."

As he spoke, there was a deep sense of suppression and self-reproach in his eyes, like a heavy night sky.

A pang hit my heart, and I immediately thought of my past life.

The Lucas from my previous life was always like this.

Taking all the blame upon himself, as if his poverty, his powerlessness, and his inability to protect me were his greatest sins.

But clearly, the person at fault was never him.

I couldn't help but take a step forward, looking at him earnestly.

"Listen to me, Lucas."

"You aren't the reason I was targeted. It's because they were never good people to begin with."

"When someone commits an evil act, it's not the victim's fault, and it's certainly not yours or mine."

Lucas stared at me blankly, seemingly surprised by my words.

I took a breath, my voice becoming softer yet more determined.

"You don't owe anyone anything, and you don't need to trade yourself for my future."

"I will fight for my own future."

"And your future should be something you choose for yourself."

The wind blew through the treetops, carrying a faint rustle.

Something flickered gently in Lucas’s eyes.

He whispered, "But if I could trade it for—"

"No trading," I interrupted him. "Lucas, even if it's for me, you can't."

I looked at him, my fingertips trembling.

"Promise me, no matter what Sloane says or what terms she offers you, don't agree to anything."

"Even if I end up living a terrible life, even if I can't afford school or food in the future, you cannot sacrifice yourself."

Lucas’s breath hitched.

This was likely the first time he had seen me so close to losing control while emphasizing something. His eyes held both shock and confusion.

"Why?"

Why?

Because I have seen the end of that road.

Because I know that once he compromises, one wrong step will lead to another.

Because the so-called "being liked" and "being supported" aren't gifts from fate to the poor; they are abysses wrapped in sugar.

But I couldn't say all of that now.

I could only look at him with reddened eyes, my voice growing hoarse.

"Because I won't be able to stand it."

"Lucas, I don't want to see you unhappy. I don't want to see you bow your head for my sake. More than anything, I don't want to look at you in the future and feel like I was the one who pushed you into that hole."

"So, please. I'm begging you."

Lucas watched me, his Adam's apple bobbing slowly.

After a long while, he gave a low response: "Okay."

That single word was soft, yet it felt like it finally settled the heart I had kept suspended for two lifetimes.

My eyes grew hot, and I nearly burst into tears again.

Fortunately, this time, I was in time.

In time to stop the worst from happening.

As we were speaking, footsteps suddenly came from the other side of the garden.

Sloane, in her leather shoes, walked toward us with two other girls and stopped in front of us.

Her gaze first swept over the form in Lucas’s hand, then landed on my face. She smiled.

"No wonder you've been avoiding me so diligently lately. So you've been plotting this."

My heart sank.

She had seen it.

Lucas stood up, shielding me. "What do you want?"

"What do I want?" Sloane huffed. "I'm just here to remind you not to waste your breath."

She reached out and tapped the form lightly.

"With your family background, you really are suited for a financial aid application. Unfortunately, these things aren't decided by grades alone."

The corners of her mouth curved up into a beautiful, malicious smile.

"Care to guess what would happen if I put in a word with the organizers?"

My fingers suddenly went cold.

Lucas’s expression was hideous. "Sloane!"

"Why are you calling me?" She tilted her head. "I gave you a chance. You're the one who didn't want it."

As she spoke, her gaze shifted to me.

"And you."

"Weren't you quite prideful yesterday? What’s the matter? Starting to look for a backdoor today?"

I met her gaze, and surprisingly, my mind began to calm down.

If I had held a sliver of hope before—that maybe we could avoid them without a direct confrontation—Sloane had now made things crystal clear.

She wouldn't let go.

She was even willing to use her family’s resources to block our legitimate opportunities.

In that case, there was no point in retreating any further.

I slowly stood up and looked at her. "If you really like Lucas that much, why don't you try to make him like you of his own free will?"

Sloane acted as if she had heard a joke and let out a sharp laugh.

"Free will?"

"The pride of you poor people is always used in the most ridiculous ways."

She folded her arms, her eyes full of indifference.

"When I want someone, why on earth should I care if they're willing?"

"I have money, I have connections, and I have plenty of ways to keep him by my side. As for whether he's happy or not, does that even matter?"

I looked at her and suddenly felt a profound sense of pity.

It wasn't that she didn't understand love; she had simply never learned to respect others.

In her world, liking was taking, and possession was victory.

And Lucas was nothing more than an object she had set her sights on and wanted to conquer.

I said softly, "But what if he never likes you?"

The smile on Sloane’s face abruptly froze.

That was likely the sentence she hated most.

Because the fact that Lucas didn't like her was, in itself, enough to wound her towering ego.

Sure enough, her face turned cold in the next second.

"Then I won't let him like you either."

She stared at me, her words clear and deliberate.

"You want to climb up, don't you? Fine. I’ll watch and see exactly how you climb."

With that, she turned to leave.

Before she went, she looked back at Lucas and said casually,

"I'm giving you one last chance. Find me after school today."

"Otherwise, you’re welcome to try your luck."

After she left, the surroundings became terrifyingly quiet.

Lucas gripped the form so hard his knuckles turned white.

I knew he must be struggling right now.