as a child, jang qian acclimated to the concept of spending time at a beach in a swimsuit; therefore, it led to the inescapable action of the members of the old money—along with several of the elder members of the nouveau riche—feeling the necessity to critique her choice of fashion. her high-neck bikini top and denim shorts struck as an apparent offense to the unusually formal dresses, especially considering that they were in the maldives for a weekend in early september.

she stood in conversation with some of the elderly members of the nouveau riche, and even the old money, forcibly attempting to avoid the topic of her education. "what do you major in?" a man, who may or may not coincidentally have been her future grandfather-in-law, inquired, forcing the student to reveal her interests.

"i major in computer science at qing university, and now, i await the archetypal 'women and technology don't mix' rhetoric that i have heard one time a little too many," she deadpanned, invisibly stunned that despite the prejudiced expression on the elder man's face, he did not bestow upon her a litany of choice words.

"i didn't think that you would enjoy all this criticism," taojun murmured in her ear as they stood in a corner, watching her feign innocence as she scrolled through her social media, sending a text message to her brother regarding her trip, containing a picture of the beautiful beach setting.

"everyone in this vicinity has no knowledge that i come from more humble origins than them; all they're concerned about is my mother's lineage and culture, which heavily delineates from my own," she countered smoothly, "i'm going to need some air."

jang qian took a step outside into a cabana located near the pool, her sleeveless cardigan billowing slightly with the breeze; scrolling through her phone, she managed to find a social media account regarding the name of the girl who appeared on