You said you hated men, why are your eyes now full of love?

Nighttime.

Towering skyscrapers shimmered with colorful neon lights, and the endless flow of vehicles crisscrossed the streets.

Compared to the bustling city center, the southern district of Tianhua City on the outskirts of the city showed a desolation that didn't belong to this city.

This is a well-known slum.

Row after row of dilapidated apartment buildings, their walls peeling and cracked.

The yellowed street lights flickered on and off, and no one had come to repair them in nearly a year.

Walking through the narrow streets, Ruan Qingqing returned home after work.

"Qingqing, you're back?"

A soft female voice came.

In the dim warm light, a woman of simple beauty wearing a simple dress came out of the kitchen with a tray.

Taking off her mask, Qingqing forced a smile and said, "Yes, I'm back, Mom.”

She placed the tray on the table, and the woman walked over to her and patted her head affectionately, "You must be exhausted.”

The girl shook her head and rubbed her mother's rough palm.

"No, Mom, it was easy today. There weren't many customers in the store."

"Is that so? That's good."

Ruan Chiyao gently took the girl's schoolbag from her hand, not wanting to expose her daughter's lie.

"I just heated the food and washed my hands to prepare for dinner."

As soon as she spoke, she felt an itch in her throat and couldn't help but cough a few times.

"Mom."

Hearing the movement, Qingqing looked up and patted her mother's back anxiously.

"You are not feeling well, go back to your room and rest. I'll take care of this."

"It's nothing." Looking into her daughter's worried eyes, Ruan Chiyao gently reassured her.

"I just took some medicine and I'm feeling much better now."

"That's even more reason to rest well." Qingqing, who was usually soft-spoken, was unusually firm.

"All right, Mom, I'll listen to you."

Seeing her daughter's attitude, Ruan Chiyao also gave up.

"But can you wait until I see you finish eating before you go back to your room to rest, okay?"

The girl hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly.

"You're such a good daughter." Ruan Chiyao smiled gently.

"Wash your hands and eat, I'll bring the food over."

"Um."

…

Dinner was not elaborate, in fact, it was quite simple.

Just bean sprouts stir-fried with noodles and a bowl of ordinary seaweed soup.

The girl didn't show any dissatisfaction, and she ate with relish.

Sitting across from her, Ruan Chiyao noticed her daughter's thin face and smiled, but a hint of sympathy and guilt flashed in her eyes.

Suppressing the sourness in her heart, she ladled a bowl of soup and pushed it towards her daughter, "Qingqing, did anything good happen to you today?"

Obediently, Qingqing took a sip and looked up in confusion.

"Mom, why are you asking?"

Ruan Chiyao gently stroked the girl and said softly, "It's just that you seem happier than usual."

"Really? Do I?"

"Of course you do."

Her daughter's obedient and sweet expression made Ruan Chiyao smile.

"I'm your mother, I can always tell when something's different."

Hearing this, Ruan Qingqing lowered her eyes and seriously remembered the events of the day.

But no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't find anything particularly joyful.

Perhaps it's true that the onlooker sees more clearly than the participant.

Ruan Chiyao could tell a lot from her daughter's confusion.

She sighed silently.

"Qingqing."

Looking into her daughter's eyes, she chose her words carefully and then asked hesitantly,

"Do you... have someone you care about?"

After saying this, she noticed that the girl's expression turned to shock.

A few seconds later, as if realizing something, her pale face turned a visible shade of red.

"Mom... Mom... what are you saying?"

Her hands involuntarily gripped the bowl and chopsticks, and Qingqing tried to suppress the sudden panic, avoiding her mother's teasing gaze.

Seeing her daughter's reaction, Ruan Chiyao confirmed her suspicions, but still pretended not to know anything, looking completely innocent.

"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

With the intention of teasing her daughter, she asked casually,

"Or... do you really have a boyfriend..."

Before she could finish the last word, the girl suddenly stood up.

"I'm done eating, I'm going back to my room to do my homework."

She said, blushing, and hurried into the inner room.

Seeing her daughter's almost fleeing figure, Ruan Chiyao shook her head slightly, feeling a bit inexplicably melancholy.

Her daughter has grown up.

…

In the steamy bathroom.

After finishing her homework, Ruan Qingqing took a steam bath.

The warm water slid down her hair and skin, flowing along her slender waist and curvaceous long legs.

The steam blurred the mirror, leaving only a faint glimpse of her seductive figure.

As a woman, her slender and graceful figure was undoubtedly perfect.

But if there was one thing she wasn't completely satisfied with...

While applying the body wash, Ruan Qingqing lowered her eyes.

The towering mass on her chest made it impossible to see her toes.

"It seems like... they've grown even bigger."

She pressed her delicate lips together, a wave of helplessness rising in her heart.

If I could only make one wish, I would really hope that my chest could shrink.

Although this thought had a bit of a "Versailles" feel to it, Ruan Qingqing longed for it to come true more than anything else.

Since middle school, she had suffered countless hardships because of her overly developed figure.

Whenever she wore even slightly figure-hugging clothes, the opposite sex would stare at her with intense, unwavering glances.

These penetrating gazes revealed a silent desire, as if they wanted to devour her whole 

In high school, this strange treatment became even more pronounced.

Whether it was the boys in her class or the male teachers who considered themselves adults.

Even when she wore ordinary casual clothes, they would pretend to act serious, but their eyes would often shift to her chest.

Sometimes she heard the boys gossiping behind her back, talking about how her "figure was too vulgar" and other similar comments.

She hadn't done anything wrong, yet she was constantly subjected to hostility from the girls and overly attentive behavior from the boys.

She hated this environment.

Her personality gradually evolved into one that feared and avoided social interactions.

If her mother's wishes were not fulfilled, she wouldn't even want to go to school.

Going to school was the most painful thing for her.

But her mother told her that she looked very happy today.

Happy?

Why should she be happy?

Her fingertips glided over every inch of her skin, the soft touch slowly making her thoughts blur.

The events of today replayed in her mind like a slow motion movie, frame by frame.

When the image of that face with the round-framed glasses appeared, Ruan Qingqing's thoughts stopped.

Back then, when Ji Mu was the top scorer in the six-school joint examination, she was surprised that among the elite children who had received an elite education since childhood, someone could top the list.

Out of curiosity about the top student, she often paid attention to him, intentionally or unintentionally.

The young man often arrived at school just in time and was among the first to leave after school. He was very solitary in class and never initiated conversations with others.

He always wore round-framed glasses and the proper school uniform, unlike other peers who flaunted their individuality with flashy, trendy brand names.

Unlike the restless and boisterous boys typical of adolescence, he was the opposite - calm and collected. During recess, he would sit quietly in his seat, not attracting attention.

Although his face, usually hidden behind thick glasses, was plain and ordinary, he was tall and had exceptionally good skin, even fairer than most girls.

Thinking about the young man's usual behavior, an inexplicable emotion surged in Ruan Qingqing's heart.

When she was being bullied by Chu Yashi, only Ji Mu stood up for her.

It was Ji Mu who helped her three times in a row.

And only Ji Mu never let his gaze linger on her chest when he looked at her.

No matter how he spoke or interacted with her,

She felt something she had never experienced before.

That was... respect.

Suddenly,

Ruan Qingqing's ears echoed with the question her mother had asked that night.

Is he someone I care about?

She pressed her hand to her chest and lifted her face, letting the warm water run down her cheeks.

Ji Mu... seems different from the other boys.

The image of him quietly watching her from behind after school earlier that evening, without having the courage to say goodbye, flashed through her mind.

She applied gentle pressure with one hand, her fingers sinking into the soft, pale flesh. The force was a bit too much, causing her to involuntarily let out a soft gasp.

"Mm~"

Her long, thick lashes caught droplets of water, and her beautiful eyes were moistened. In the rising mist, her gaze seemed to take on a hint of dazed charm.

"See you tomorrow."

"Classmate… Ji Mu…"