The Sour Plum Girl [Rebirth] - Chapter 2

Song Yiran stepped forward with worry and stood before them. She wore a white dress and had an obedient, innocent face.

“Stop it. Violence isn’t okay, you know.”

Her voice was sweet, carrying no deterrent power whatsoever.

The “ah-tai” (delinquent) girl laughed. “Screw off, mind your own business. I’ll beat you up along with her…”

As she spoke, the girl prepared to strike. Song Yiran was quite helpless; she sidestepped to dodge, then kicked the girl’s leg. Seeing this, the other delinquents rushed in to help.

In the end, Song Yiran took care of all of them. She apologized sincerely, saying, “I’m sorry, I forgot to mention I used to practice Taekwondo.”

“You just wait…” The girls ran away in a fit of rage.

Seeing this, Song Yiran felt quite helpless and turned back to look at Song Song.

Song Song didn’t give her a single glance, turning around to leave.

Song Yiran asked, “Aren’t you going to say thank you?”

The girl didn’t speak. Her pace was a bit slow; clearly, her leg was injured as she limped while leaning against the wall.

Looking at the holes in Song Song’s jacket, Song Yiran quickly followed behind her. Just as they were about to turn the corner, she spoke up: “Song Song, do you want to come home with me?”

From her previous “archaeological” research into Song Song’s past, she knew that Song Song had said she lost everything at nineteen and lived in deep darkness. Though it was only a few sentences, it had made Song Yiran’s heart ache for her.

Looking at Song Song’s back as she feigned strength, Song Yiran wanted to take care of her.

That way, perhaps she wouldn’t think about leaving in the future.

Song Song’s footsteps paused. She turned her head slightly and said coldly, “What? Are human traffickers so direct these days?”

She sized Song Yiran up. The outfit was casual, but the dress clearly didn’t look cheap.

Song Yiran froze and quickly explained, “I’m not a trafficker. I just feel like you might need help.”

“There are plenty of people who need help. Do you take every one of them home?”

“Of course not. I only want to take you home.” She wanted to help her and prevent the future from happening.

But Song Yiran couldn’t say those words. Her hesitant appearance looked even more suspicious in Song Song’s eyes.

Song Song had no interest in dealing with such a person.

“I don’t care what you are. Don’t follow me. Stay away from me, or I’ll make things difficult for you.” Her voice was muffled, but Song Yiran could hear the threat within it.

When Song Song looked at her, it was as if she were looking at something filthy, filled with disgust.

Song Yiran knew she was misunderstood but didn’t know how to explain. She could only follow behind, saying, “Song Song, I’m already good-looking enough, I don’t need to be made ‘more beautiful.’ I’m really not a trafficker; I just want to help you.”

“Help me…” Song Song smiled disdainfully. Though she didn’t know how this girl knew her name, she hated girls like this.

She looked up at the girl who was half a head shorter than herself. She looked obedient and harmless.

It was truly irritating!

She coldly grabbed Song Yiran’s wrist and said angrily, “Do you think I’m some kind of ‘good person’ who needs your help?”

With those harsh words, she applied pressure to her palm, intending to shove her against the wall to scare her into retreating.

However, when she grabbed the wrist, she couldn’t move it at all.

Song Yiran looked a bit dazed. Watching the hand that was tugging at her, Song Song went from anger to shock.

Song Yiran asked uncertainly, “Do you want to take me somewhere?”

Having practiced Taekwondo, Song Yiran was stronger than the average girl, even when facing the taller Song Song.

The air stagnated for a moment.

The hand gripping her wrist let go. As the cold sensation vanished, Song Yiran looked at her wrist with a hint of regret in her heart.

She looked up and felt that Song Song’s expression was quite strange at that moment.

Thinking of her words just now, Song Yiran said, “In my heart, Song Song has always been a gentle and good person.”

The nineteen-year-old Song Song must be going through bad things to be like this.

Since she had been reborn, she was determined to keep Song Song away from all misfortune.

She reached out her hand toward Song Song, her tone very kind. “Song Song, why don’t you try to trust me? I will help you. Come home with me.”

Song Song looked impatiently at the fair, upward-facing palm where the lines were clearly visible. She truly didn’t understand; she felt this person was mentally ill.

Suddenly, she pointed behind Song Yiran and shouted, “Hey, teacher! There’s a human trafficker here harassing me, trying to take me home!”

Her voice was very loud. Song Yiran was afraid of actually being mistaken for one, as that would be a hassle. Scared, she immediately turned around to explain:

“No, I’m not a trafficker. I just want to help student Song Song.”

There was no response. Song Yiran looked up; there was no teacher, only an empty alley. Realizing she had been tricked, she quickly turned back, but Song Song had already disappeared at some point.

She pursed her lips, feeling a bit unhappy. Why was she so hard to coax?

Before she could turn to leave, four or five girls arrived and surrounded her.

With their consistently unique style, one could tell at a glance they were delinquents.

Song Yiran had seen plenty of scenes like this. she smiled lightly and asked, “Is something the matter?”

The lead delinquent pushed past the other girls’ shoulders and stepped out, acting like a hoodlum: “So you’re the one who dared to bully my little sister, huh? I think you’re—”

Before she could finish the words “tired of living,” her expression turned frantic the moment she saw Song Yiran.

“Sister Ran? Why are you here? They didn’t offend you, did they?” Her attitude instantly became fawning.

Song Yiran raised an eyebrow, clearly having no memory of her.

But that wasn’t important. Thinking about them bullying Song Song, she asked, “Why were you bullying Song Song?”

The girl replied: “Oh, you know Song Song…”

She had a look of sudden realization, and her gaze even became strange.

She hadn’t expected this “ancestor” to have a connection with her.

“Sister Ran, if you had said you knew her earlier, we definitely wouldn’t have bothered her. But to be honest, it’s better if Sister Ran stays away from her.”

“Is she not a good sort?” Song Song clearly had a bad reputation at school.

Song Yiran asked: “What do you mean?”

The girl expressed it tactfully: “She’s quite famous in our school. She’s often hanging out in nightclubs at night. I heard she even harassed classmates at her previous school… her private life is a mess. In short, her reputation is bad.”

“If Sister Ran likes that type, you can switch to someone else.” She looked like she was volunteering herself.

Watching her speak so convincingly, the corner of Song Yiran’s mouth twitched slightly.

It was hard to imagine these girls, acting like delinquents and bullying classmates, saying someone else had a bad reputation.

Who could have a worse reputation than them?

She frowned impatiently. “Mind your own business. If I see you bullying her again, don’t blame me for being impolite.” She issued the warning, then walked away without a second glance.

The girl hurried to say they wouldn’t do it again, watching her leave.

Once she was gone, the girl spat. “How unlucky.”

A girl nearby asked, “Boss, who is she?”

The girl replied: “Someone you can’t provoke. Stay far away from her if you see her in the future. Don’t worry about Song Song either; this woman is crazy.”

Speaking of Song Yiran, those in their circles knew her. She was famous for her great strength and never held back when hitting people.

She had a flamboyant personality and a wealthy family; mainly, she was also acquainted with “that person” from the New World… they were all people not to be messed with.

After returning, Song Yiran lay on her bed feeling a bit discouraged, staring at the ceiling.

If she met a stranger who wanted to take her home, she would probably be wary too. It was indeed a bit impulsive of her.

After finally meeting her, she had left such a bad impression. Song Yiran felt like dying.

Ahhh!

What on earth should I do?

She carefully recalled Song Song’s grand memoirs.

Great Song Song said that at nineteen, she had been accepted into a good university, and was working over the summer to save for tuition.

In the end, because of some bad incidents, she didn’t attend school and returned to North City. It wasn’t until three years later that she returned to Yun City.

Those three years in North City were the beginning of her writing. Pain was the enlightenment for her words; thinking about it, those three years in North City must have been very painful.

She also said that at nineteen she lost everything. Since it was now nineteen, she couldn’t let all of that happen.

Thinking about what that girl said, Song Yiran felt that Song Song seemed a bit different, but thinking of the future Song Song, she felt it must be rumors.

Great Song Song’s nineteenth year would be personally escorted by her.

Song Yiran sat up full of fighting spirit, clenching her fists to encourage herself.

Speaking of nineteen, her own nineteenth year seemed to also…

Suddenly, Song Yiran seemed to think of something, and her face turned pale.

She suddenly put on her slippers and rushed downstairs frantically, her footsteps thumping on the stairs.

Ms. Song was sitting on the sofa watching a drama with great interest. Hearing this, she frowned, looked at the running Song Yiran with annoyance, and swept her gaze over her.

“Song Yiran, are you itching for a beating? Do you want to tear the house down?”

Song Yiran ran to Ms. Song, panting as she asked, “Mom, is that girl from second uncle’s family coming to Yun City First High School in September?”

“Yes, didn’t you already know that?” Ms. Song was quite puzzled by her train of thought. Usually, Song Yiran didn’t care about family matters at all.

“So she’s going to live at our house?”

“Your second uncle mentioned having that intention. Didn’t you say before that you were lonely by yourself?”

Ms. Song recalled. Although she hadn’t agreed at the time, once that girl arrived in Yun City, she would probably come over, and it would be a companion for Song Yiran.

Ms. Song said, “Since you don’t like the university you were accepted into and don’t want to go abroad, you might as well repeat the year and keep her company.”

“I don’t want to.” Song Yiran refused loudly. Keep her company? That was inviting a wolf into the house.

Moreover, she now had her own plans.

Such emotional agitation puzzled Ms. Song. She pinched her ear and shouted:

“You were the one who wanted her to come before, and now you don’t. You’re the only one at home all day, you’re becoming lawless. I think you’re really itching for a beating.”

Song Yiran covered her ears and said coquettishly, “I don’t like her now. Anyway, she can’t come.”

“Mom, this is called inviting a wolf into the house.”

Ms. Song laughed. “I think you’re the wolf. We have an empty room at home; it would be unfair not to let her come. Just accept your fate on this matter.”

Accept her fate?

Song Yiran didn’t want that. After finally being reborn, she wasn’t going to let herself be disgusted by that dead “green tea” (manipulative) girl.

No…

She searched for a loophole in Ms. Song’s words and asked, “If there isn’t an empty room, she won’t have to come, right?”

“What? You want to perform a magic trick and conjure a person for me?”

Song Yiran smiled lightly, tilted her head, and rolled her eyes. “Of course not. I just think there’s someone very suitable.”

Seeing this, Ms. Song knew Song Yiran was up to no good. A mother knows her daughter best.

She sighed, sat back on the sofa, and asked, “Go ahead, let’s hear what this is about.”

Song Yiran became excited. Leaning next to Ms. Song, she vividly described Song Song’s tragic background and extraordinary talent.

In her mouth, Song Song was practically glorified into a tragic heroine. After Ms. Song finished listening, the phrase “beautiful, strong, and miserable” floated into her mind.

She felt like she had accidentally entered some strange cycle.

Seeing the longing in Song Yiran’s eyes when she mentioned Song Song a look she had never seen before she figured it wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Song Yiran looked obedient, but she was actually quite rebellious and only liked doing what she enjoyed. Ms. Song found her quite a headache.

Ultimately, Ms. Song agreed to let Song Yiran bring Song Song back to see her. If it were truly as she described, she could provide some sponsorship.

Ms. Song was a strong woman who had worked hard from a young age to become a first-generation wealthy person. Sponsoring a college student was no problem.

Song Yiran was very excited about this answer. She felt that Ms. Song would definitely like Song Song once she met her.

As for that dead “green tea” girl, she could go wherever she wanted.

In her previous life, her mom had a soft heart and let that girl move in, and then second uncle’s family latched onto their family like leeches.

Eventually, they seized Ms. Song’s property and kicked her out of the house. That was why Song Yiran had become an actress for the money.

In reality, she didn’t like that job at all.

In this life, she was going to do what she liked.

Thinking about the popularity of self-media in the future, she felt she could start an account as a fashion blogger.

To this end, she specifically opened her computer and created an official account called “A Grain of Ran-Ran’s Inspiration.”

She posted the outfits she had photographed before onto it, casually sharing the sources of her inspiration.

As a fan of Song Song, her writing style was heavily influenced by her.

After the official account was published, it quickly went viral overnight. Due to her outstanding appearance and unique style, “A Grain of Ran-Ran” dominated the trending searches.

A Grain of Ran-Ran’s Inspiration

What kind of fairy is Ran-Ran?

So outfits can be like this

Words writing a romance of lightheartedness

Song Yiran knew nothing of this.

After setting everything up, Song Yiran went to sleep early. Tomorrow, she still had to go find Great Song Song.

In the bar, the piercing volume seemed ready to penetrate people’s eardrums. In the dance floor, graceful figures clung to one another.

Song Song wore a work uniform and stood expressionless at the front bar mixing drinks. She had long since grown accustomed to this, appearing like a numb machine performing repetitive work.

Her looks were striking and she was tall, making it easy to attract customers’ attention. However, she was a person of few words, which caused those trying to flirt to lose interest and leave.

Song Tian sat at the bar, her chin resting in her hands, looking quite helpless. “Song Song, with you being so cold-faced, it’s hard to do business.”

“Is that so?” Song Song was cutting crushed ice, not looking up but focusing on her task. She said casually, “I see there are plenty of people. Otherwise, your aunt would have fired me long ago.”

Song Song was telling the truth. Song Tian’s aunt was the bar owner and was a money-grubber.

Only because Song Tian said Song Song could act as the shop’s “poster girl” to attract customers did she agree to the part-time job.

Song Tian was a bit helpless. “You really do know her.” Seeing Song Song was busy, she picked up her phone and browsed through an app.

“Wow!” she exclaimed. “What is the background of this ‘A Grain of Ran-Ran’? She’s so popular.”

Song Tian lamented while her finger kept scrolling. She casually followed the account; it was a style she liked.

However, looking at the inspiration text, she looked at Song Song with ill intent and said, “Song Song, are you secretly doing some part-time job without telling me?”

Song Song raised an eyebrow and finally looked up at her. Her cool face was filled with confusion. “Do you think I have the time?”

Song Song worked at a coffee shop during the day and a bar at night. She only had four hours of rest time; where would she have time for another job?

Song Tian didn’t believe her. she held up the phone for Song Song to see.

“Doesn’t this ‘Ran-Ran’s Inspiration’ look like something you wrote? When you write, you always like to write some unrelated metaphors. That’s exactly what she does. What on earth is ‘romance of lightheartedness’?”

“Even the punctuation is the same; you really love using em-dashes.”

As Song Tian spoke, Song Song’s gaze also fixed on the screen, and she was somewhat stunned.

It was an official account introducing outfits. She happened to know the owner the “psycho” who had stopped her before.

Inside the account, the light style gave off a sense of beauty.

It was completely different from her “obedient” look.

If she weren’t the person herself, her rapid inspiration sketches would truly make her think she had written them. The sense of familiarity was very strong.

Seeing she didn’t speak, Song Tian laughed. “I knew it was you. Next time you have a side job, remember to tell me. Don’t worry, I won’t tell my aunt.”

They had known each other since childhood; she could at least guarantee that much.

Song Song withdrew her gaze and continued working, denying in a low voice, “It’s not me. Don’t say it’s me just because you see an em-dash.”

Now it was Song Tian’s turn to be shocked.

Waking up, Song Yiran stretched. Having had a full night’s sleep, she felt very satisfied.

She got out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash up. She casually tied her hair into a bun, changed into a vintage square-neck short dress, and went downstairs.

Ms. Song had already prepared breakfast. She was quite surprised to see her and glanced at the clock. “What a rare guest. You’re up at eight in the morning.”

Song Yiran yawned and said, “It can’t be helped; there are things to do.” She pulled out a chair and used chopsticks to pick up a piece of deep-fried dough stick to eat.

Ms. Song: “It’s summer vacation. What could you possibly have to do?”

“Of course, it’s to go find Song Song. She probably doesn’t know…” where she is.

Realizing something was wrong, she swallowed the rest of her words. While biting the dough stick, she added, “Actually, I made an official account and I want to find Song Song to write some inspiration sketches.”

Seeing Ms. Song’s confusion, she immediately took out her phone to show her. At a glance, the chopsticks in Ms. Song’s hand dropped in shock.

“Goodness, you have quite a lot of followers. Units, tens, hundreds, thousands… two and a half million…”

Ms. Song counted a full two million plus followers. Was it normal for an official account to have so many?

Song Yiran hadn’t expected it either. She quickly took back her phone and looked. Below the official account, a high-rise building of comments had already been built; the comments were a mix of good and bad.

A moment later, she switched to another app, and sure enough, she saw her account had become a million-follower account.

A new account gaining so many followers overnight this was going to be big.

It seemed her outfits were very popular.

It was just that the number (2.5 million/250) didn’t sound very nice in Chinese; she always felt a sense of being cursed at.

She jumped up and paced over to Ms. Song, giving her a big hug. “Ahhh! Mom, my outfits are a hit! I’ll support you from now on!”

Ms. Song hugged her and smiled helplessly. “Alright, alright. I see those sketches are quite good. It seems Song Song indeed has talent.”

“From now on, I’ll retire and wait for you to support me.”

Early on, when Song Yiran registered the official account, she had noticed and had secretly given it a push.

Ms. Song still understood the commercial value of the popularization of the internet. Seeing Song Yiran happy made her very gratified.

She had finally found something she wanted to do.

After eating breakfast, Song Yiran carefully read the comments and replied to interesting ones. Private messages kept coming in. She had a feeling similar to when she was an actress in her previous life—there were also many private messages then.

Among the many private messages, there were also quite a few from brands for cooperation. She looked through them carefully and picked a few good ones to reply to.

After finishing everything, she went out.

Last night, she had carefully recalled and remembered that the coffee shop where Great Song Song worked seemed to be called “First Encounter.”

She took a taxi to First Encounter Coffee Shop.

Behind the transparent glass, a figure was standing at the front counter it was indeed Great Song Song.

After pushing the door and entering, she heard Song Song say coldly, “What do you need to order?”

When their eyes met, Song Yiran saw shock in her eyes, followed by a return to calmness as she asked again what she needed, as if she didn’t know her.

Song Yiran: “Brown Sugar Macchiato.”

This time Song Yiran had become smarter. She no longer spoke about taking her home, but instead sat quietly inside the coffee shop.

From time to time, her gaze shifted toward Song Song until she saw her preparing to pack up and leave. She stood up and walked to the door to block her.

“Song Song, do you want to cooperate with me?”

Song Yiran was referring to the inspiration sketches. She could write them herself, but she felt that giving them to Song Song could both bring them closer and help her.

The cash-strapped Song Song would not pass up any opportunity that required money.

Sure enough, Song Song went from being impatient to beginning to think.