if you could see the sun

Chapters 1-3: The Price of Vision

Alice Sun, a scholarship student at the elite Airington Academy in Beijing, discovers she can see monetary values hovering above people's heads. This ability is overwhelming and a constant reminder of her family's financial struggles, particularly her mother's mounting medical bills. She tries to ignore the glowing numbers, which range from small change to millions, but they intrude on every interaction, highlighting the vast wealth disparity among her peers. Alice feels increasingly isolated and burdened by this secret, struggling to reconcile her new perception with her desire to fit in and maintain her academic standing. Her initial attempts to understand or control the ability are futile, leaving her feeling like an outsider in a world obsessed with status and money.

Chapters 4-7: A Business Proposition

Desperate for money to help her family, Alice realizes her unique vision could be a lucrative asset. She reluctantly approaches Henry Li, a popular, wealthy, and academically brilliant student known for his connections and entrepreneurial spirit. Henry, intrigued by her ability, proposes a partnership: they will start a "ghost" business, where Alice uses her sight to solve problems for other students for a fee, with Henry handling the logistics, client interactions, and payment. Their first few cases involve relatively minor issues, such as finding lost items or exposing small-scale deceptions, allowing them to test the waters and establish their clandestine operation within the school.

Chapters 8-12: Establishing the Ghost Business

Alice and Henry's "ghost" business quickly gains traction among Airington's students. They take on more diverse and complex cases, from helping students navigate social dilemmas to uncovering secrets that could impact reputations or academic standing. Their partnership becomes more refined, with Henry acting as the public face and strategist, while Alice provides the crucial insights from her vision. They develop a system for discreetly accepting requests and delivering results, building a reputation for efficiency and secrecy. Despite the ethical ambiguities, Alice finds a sense of purpose and a means to alleviate her family's financial burden, while Henry enjoys the challenge and the thrill of their illicit enterprise.

Chapters 13-17: Growing Pains and Personal Stakes

As the ghost business flourishes, Alice faces increasing pressure. The demand for their services grows, leading to higher-stakes problems and more significant ethical dilemmas. She struggles to balance her academic responsibilities, her family's needs, and the demands of their secret operation. Her relationship with Henry deepens beyond a mere business partnership; they begin to confide in each other, sharing vulnerabilities and offering mutual support. Moments of genuine connection and burgeoning romantic tension emerge, complicating their professional arrangement. Alice also grapples with the emotional toll of seeing everyone's "price," which often reveals uncomfortable truths about her peers and the school's social hierarchy.

Chapters 18-22: The Rise of a Rival

A mysterious competitor, known only as the "Ghost King," emerges, offering similar "ghost" services but with more aggressive and often morally questionable methods. The Ghost King directly challenges Alice and Henry's business, undercutting their prices and even attempting to poach their clients. This new threat introduces a layer of danger and urgency, forcing Alice and Henry to strategize more carefully to protect their operation and their clients' trust. The rivalry escalates, with the Ghost King leaving cryptic messages and demonstrating an unsettling knowledge of Airington's inner workings, making Alice and Henry suspect the rival is someone within their own school.

Chapters 23-27: Unmasking the Competitor

Alice and Henry intensify their efforts to uncover the identity of the Ghost King. They meticulously analyze the rival's tactics, client base, and the nature of the problems they solve, searching for clues that could reveal their true identity. Suspicions fall on various students, creating tension and distrust within their social circles. The competition becomes a cat-and-mouse game, with the Ghost King actively trying to expose Alice and Henry's secret, leading to several close calls. Alice uses her vision to gather information, while Henry leverages his network, as they race against time to unmask their rival before their own operation is compromised.

Chapters 28-32: Betrayal and Exposure

The identity of the Ghost King is dramatically revealed, proving to be someone unexpected and close to their circle, leading to a profound sense of betrayal. This revelation triggers a major crisis, as the Ghost King's actions directly threaten to expose Alice and Henry's entire ghost business to the school authorities. The stakes become incredibly high, with the threat of expulsion, severe academic penalties, and public humiliation looming over them. Alice and Henry must confront the emotional fallout of this betrayal while simultaneously scrambling to protect their secret and mitigate the damage caused by their rival's machinations.

Chapters 33-37: Confrontation and Fallout

Alice and Henry face the immediate and severe consequences of the Ghost King's actions and the near-exposure of their business. They confront the Ghost King directly, leading to an intense and emotionally charged showdown where motives are revealed and past grievances come to light. The school administration begins to investigate the rumors and incidents surrounding the "ghost" services, putting Alice and Henry under immense scrutiny. They must navigate a delicate balance of protecting their secret, dealing with the fallout among their peers, and trying to salvage their academic futures, all while their personal relationship is tested by the immense pressure.

Chapters 38-40: Resolution and New Beginnings

The main conflict with the Ghost King is resolved, though not without lasting repercussions for Alice and Henry. They manage to protect their secret from full exposure, but their ghost business is irrevocably changed, and their experiences have profoundly impacted them. The ending explores the evolution of Alice's relationship with Henry, which has been forged through shared secrets and challenges, solidifying their bond. Alice comes to a deeper understanding and acceptance of her unique ability, recognizing its power and its burdens. The final chapters reflect on their growth, the lessons learned about wealth, power, and integrity, and hint at a new, more mature chapter in their lives at Airington Academy.

"If You Could See the Sun," authored by Ann Liang, is a contemporary young adult novel exploring identity and belonging within a multicultural backdrop. The protagonist, Alice Sun, grapples with the challenges of being a Chinese American teenager at an elite international school in Beijing, where she feels pressured to conform while yearning for self-acceptance.

The narrative unfolds as Alice discovers her unusual ability to turn invisible, a metaphor for her experiences of feeling unseen in a world dominated by privilege and power. As she navigates her complex relationships with friends and family, Alice also faces the realities of her parents' expectations. The plot thickens when she decides to leverage her powers for personal gain, particularly in the competitive world of high school drama and social status, leading to unforeseen consequences.

Key characters include Alice's ambitious best friend, the charming but enigmatic boy she falls for, and her strict parents who represent...