The Cold Beauty's Rebirth

Ruolan's breath hitched as the realization sank in—she had lost.

The whispers grew louder, slicing through the last remnants of her carefully built façade. Faces that had once held sympathy for her were now filled with suspicion, disappointment, and even disgust. The forged messages, her 'proof,' had been publicly dismantled, leaving her with no way to explain herself.

"This…" she forced out, her voice cracking. "This isn't fair."

Qingxue's silver-blue eyes remained impassive. "Fair?" Her voice was soft, almost amused. "You lied, manipulated, and framed us. And now that your scheme has failed, you want fairness?"

Ruolan's hands curled into fists. "I—I just wanted things to be the way they used to be. When people liked me… when I was the one they believed in."

Qiuhan let out a scoff. "You mean when they were blind to what you really are?"

Ruolan's lips trembled. "No, I—"

"Enough."

The single word came from an unexpected source.

Xu Yiran.

The quiet, observant girl who rarely spoke louder than necessary now regarded Ruolan with cold indifference. "It's over. Stop embarrassing yourself."

Ruolan flinched as if struck.

Tianyi smirked beside his sister, his sharp silver-gray eyes gleaming with amusement. "You know, I was curious to see how long you'd keep up the act. But this…?" He shook his head. "Disappointing."

The crowd began to shift. Students whispered among themselves, exchanging glances filled with uncertainty and disapproval.

"Can you believe she actually faked all that?"

"I almost defended her… How pathetic."

"She had us fooled for so long."

Ruolan's breathing grew unsteady. No, no, no… this wasn't how it was supposed to go.

Desperate, she turned to Li Shen, her eyes pleading. "Shen-ge, you believe me, don't you?"

Li Shen arched a brow, his golden eyes unreadable. "Believe what, exactly? That you got caught?"

The final blow.

Ruolan's entire body trembled as shame, humiliation, and fury warred inside her. She had been stripped of her carefully crafted mask, exposed in the most brutal way possible.

Tears burned in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Instead, she spun on her heel and stormed away, her footsteps hurried, almost frantic.

The silence she left behind was heavier than anything she had ever experienced.

For the first time in her life—

She had lost control.

And she hated it.

---

Qingxue watched Ruolan's retreating figure with mild disinterest before turning to her brother. "That was faster than I expected."

Qiuhan hummed. "She was always going to break. We just gave her a reason to do it sooner."

Li Shen let out a slow, amused breath. "You two are terrifying."

Tianyi grinned. "Beautifully so."

Yiran merely sipped her tea, her gaze flickering between the twins with quiet curiosity.

But Qingxue wasn't thinking about their words. Her mind had already moved ahead.

Ruolan wouldn't stay silent.

She had lost today—but desperation made people reckless.

And she had no doubt that Ruolan was planning her next move.