Cage

As the last note faded into the air, Tong Chuhe took a graceful dancer's bow, and the whole world fell silent.

A moment later, the gathering crowd erupted into enthusiastic applause and cheers, everyone applauding their wonderful performance.

The two simply smiled and bowed their thanks, their composure and confidence making them all the more captivating. In that moment, Jiang Nian's singing not only touched everyone's hearts but also became a lasting memory for Song Jici and the others.

Only after the onlookers dispersed did Jiang Nian and Tong Chuhe return to their seats.

"Oh my gosh, Chuhe, your dancing was so beautiful! Jiang Nian, your singing was amazing too!"

Gao Wen's face flushed with excitement. She genuinely loved their performance.

Song Jici also thought they were dazzling, able to shine even in such a humble place.

"Nian, you sang beautifully, but I don't think I've ever heard that song."

He had never heard its melody before.

Jiang Nian shook her head slyly. "I sang someone else's original song. Of course you haven't heard it! But that's not important right now."

"What matters is that Jici, Shen Hui, Chuhe, and Fang Xiaonan-you all have to change your cards!"

Even while singing, she had kept an eye out for anyone breaking the rules. Now she had caught them all!

The four willingly changed their cards, but Jiang Nian's delight lasted barely two seconds.

"You broke the rules too, Jiang Nian~"

Huh?

Jiang Nian froze. No way, right?

She pulled the card off her head, saw the words "sing," and gave Tong Chuhe a reproachful look.

Now she knew why Tong Chuhe had asked her to provide the accompaniment. She had been setting her up all along.

Once they had all changed to their second cards, they turned their attention to those who had yet to change theirs.

Scanning the others, Chen Xiaonan spotted the card on Gao Wen's head that read "say 'go home'" and began laying a trap. "Ugh, we've only been away for a day, and I already miss my parents."

Hearing Chen Xiaonan's words, Gao Wen spoke softly too.

"I miss my grandma too."

Tan Xuguang asked curiously, "Do you live with your grandma?"

Gao Wen nodded. Sitting on the ground with her arms around her knees, she briefly explained her family situation.

"My parents died in an accident three years ago, so my grandma raised me. Her health isn't good, but she still did everything she could to scrape together enough money to keep me in school. I usually collected recyclables and did odd jobs with her, and that got me through school up to now."

"Now that I've gotten into Pluto Academy, the school has waived most of my fees and given me a subsidy. I don't have to worry about money for the time being, and she can finally get some proper rest. But she's home alone, so I'm still a little worried about her."

Tan Xuguang paused, then spoke awkwardly.

"Sorry."

He hadn't meant to bring up something so painful.

Gao Wen shook her head. "It's okay. It's all in the past. At least I still have my grandma with me. I'll take good care of her from now on."

Then she hesitated before adding, "But... I think you broke the rules."

The others had been ready to let Tan Xuguang off out of consideration for Gao Wen's feelings. They hadn't expected Gao Wen herself to bring it up.

Tan Xuguang became the first person to be eliminated completely.

Everyone laughed at Tan Xuguang's contorted expression. Only Jiang Nian stared steadily at Gao Wen, her heart feeling as though an invisible pair of hands had seized it in a crushing grip.

[Gao Wen loves her grandma so much. What kind of pain did she have to endure to leave her grandma all alone and choose to jump from the rooftop, giving up everything?]

Everyone who could hear her thoughts felt their chest tighten, then turned to Gao Wen with complicated expressions.

What could possibly have happened to drive someone so strong to jump to her death?

Jiang Nian could barely breathe under the weight of those feelings as she recalled some details from the original novel.

Gao Wen was deeply introverted, but she was also incredibly brave.

For the sake of her grandma and her friends, she endured all the torment alone.

To keep them from getting dragged into it, Gao Wen endured Liu Fan's abuse and humiliation day after day, all while secretly gathering evidence of Liu Fan and the others' crimes.

She found others Liu Fan had bullied, and together they gathered evidence of her crimes. Some had developed depression, some had been disfigured, and others had been left disabled after being beaten by people Liu Fan had hired.

Every single one of those acts was a crime Liu Fan had committed.

Gao Wen gathered all the evidence and went to the Police Station to report her, thinking she could finally escape it all.

But when she saw the scapegoat Liu Fan had sent in to take the blame, and the dark, vicious look Liu Fan directed at her, she knew what awaited her next.

She gave up.

She felt she was useless, that there was nothing she could do. All she could do was take that evidence and jump from the rooftop of Pluto Academy's Teaching Building, staking her own life on making the matter known to everyone and bringing Liu Fan down for good.

Jiang Nian clenched her fists tighter and tighter, taking several deep breaths before she finally calmed down.

Seeing Jiang Nian's somewhat erratic heart rate, 88 grew worried.

[Host, are you okay?]

Jiang Nian shook her head.

[I'm fine.]

Just because Gao Wen hadn't managed it didn't mean she couldn't. Gao Wen couldn't shake the powerful people backing Liu Fan, but that wasn't necessarily true of her, a cannon-fodder supporting character.

Coming out of her recollections, Jiang Nian didn't notice the shocked looks the main characters were giving her. She simply looked at Gao Wen and asked gently:

"So, Gao Wen, have you and Nie Xuzhi been classmates since middle school? You seem to know each other really well."

Gao Wen exchanged a glance with Nie Xuzhi and smiled. "Yes, we've been good friends for a long time. Xu Zhi was the one who suggested I come to Pluto Academy."

Jiang Nian nodded in understanding.

[No wonder Nie Xuzhi became mentally unstable after learning everything Gao Wen had suffered. She must have felt guilty for bringing her to Pluto Academy, only to fail to protect her and let her lose her life.]

Glancing at Liu Fan, who looked completely harmless at the moment, Jiang Nian spoke.

"It's a shame I've been abroad for several years, so I don't really have any close friends here. But last year, I met someone online who I really hit it off with. I think she's from City A too! We've arranged to meet in person soon. Hehe."

Song Jici frowned at that.

"People online aren't very trustworthy. Be careful not to get scammed."

Tong Chuhe looked worried too. "Don't just believe whatever they tell you. Even if they ask to meet you, you need to be careful, okay? If necessary, I'll go with you."

Jiang Nian, however, seemed unconcerned.

"That won't happen. She's a really sweet girl. It's just..."

Nie Xuzhi asked in confusion, "Just what?"

"It's just that she seemed really unhappy a while ago, but she wouldn't tell me why. I was thinking of going to her school to check on her."

"I think it's called... Peicai Middle School?"

Everyone there knew the school. Liu Fan had even attended it.

So she cheerfully joined Jiang Nian in conversation. "That's my old school~ What's your online friend's name? Maybe I know her."

"Hmm... her name's Qiao Ling. Do you know her?"

Liu Fan thought the name sounded familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had come across it.

"It sounds a little familiar, but I can't remember."

Jiang Nian smiled at her. "It's fine. You can't possibly know everyone."

But you can even forget someone you bullied. What am I supposed to say about you, Liu Fan?

"Ah!"

Jiang Nian seemed to suddenly remember something. "Right, she once recommended a movie to me. It's called Cage."

"Have you seen it? Should we go watch it together during the break?"

Gao Wen looked puzzled. "Cage? Is it new? I've never heard of it."

Jiang Nian glanced at Liu Fan, who was listening with a confused expression, then smiled as she answered Gao Wen.

"You haven't seen it? Of course I mean that movie..."

"About school bullying."