Chapter 1 - Qingming College

Sunlight had been streaming through the window for quite some time before he groggily opened his eyes, stifled a yawn, and picked up the phone placed beside the pillow to check the time. "Oh no," he thought, realizing it was already ten o'clock. Hurriedly, he threw off the covers and sat up, slipped on his slippers, and made his way to the bathroom mirror. Reflected back at him was a somewhat delicate face with a tired, lackluster expression, giving off a hint of weariness. He looked to be about nineteen, with just a bit of youthful awkwardness. His face showed a bit of excess weight, a clear sign of poor lifestyle habits and lack of exercise, which left him looking somewhat listless. After a quick wash and brush, he looked a bit more refreshed, more like a second-year student. This was Chen Xiao, a sophomore at Qingming Academy, standing at a hundred and seventy-four centimeters, with a standard but unremarkable build. In another place, finding a girlfriend might not be an issue for someone like him, but at Qingming Academy, where handsome men and beautiful women were aplenty, he was just another unremarkable presence. His roommates, Li Luyou, Luo Suohui, and Shan, had been sharing the same dorm since they started, and they maintained a very close friendship. He glanced at a photo on the table, depicting a breathtakingly beautiful girl—a celestial beauty, dressed in an elegant gown that accentuated her graceful curves flawlessly. This girl was Zhao Qingshi, the class monitor and the prettiest girl in their department. Ever since Chen Xiao saw Zhao Qingshi on his first day at Qingming Academy, he had fallen for her. Zhao Qingshi, a miss from the very city where Qingming Academy was located, excelled in her studies. Naturally, such a girl had an air of pride, likely uninterested in guys like him, which had left Chen Xiao without the courage to pursue this perfect girl. Today was supposed to be a day off, a day to be idled in the dorm based on his usual habits. However, it was Zhao Qingshi’s nineteenth birthday, and she was hosting a birthday party at her home, inviting all classmates, including him. He almost slept through it. Since Zhao Qingshi’s home was somewhat far from the academy, and his three roommates had already purchased a car at school, he had arranged to get a ride with Li Luyou to Zhao Qingshi’s birthday party. He turned and left his room. Heading towards the school gate where he had agreed to meet Li Luyou, he could already see two figures waiting off in the distance: the more handsome one on the left was his good friend and roommate, Li Luyou, and beside him was his girlfriend, An Zhi, a lovely girl with a graceful figure. She was also the class monitor, and together with Zhao Qingshi, they were the two recognized beauties of the class. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, and she wore a T-shirt and pleated skirt, complete with canvas shoes—an attractive and pleasant sight standing by Li Luyou. Although he was a little late and unsure how long Li Luyou and An Zhi had been waiting, thanks to his close relationship with Li Luyou, there were no hard feelings. Li Luyou jibed, "Took your time getting ready for your beloved’s birthday party, didn’t you?" Although Chen Xiao's crush on Zhao Qingshi wasn’t public, all three of his roommates were well aware. He replied, "Had I known An Zhi was waiting here too, I wouldn’t have had the guts to be late." An Zhi’s cheeks flushed as she replied, "We weren’t waiting, really. I just happened to run into Li Luyou at the gate." Seeing An Zhi's blushing face, Chen Xiao teased, "I thought you two were coming out of the same room this morning. Right, Li Luyou?" Luo Suohui and Shan were often out of the dorm, but Li Luyou hadn’t returned to the dorm last night and was now seen with his girlfriend, An Zhi. It didn’t take much guessing to figure out what had transpired. "No, no," Li Luyou denied, though his face bore a contented grin, confirming Chen Xiao’s suspicions that last night was indeed special for them. An Zhi playfully pinched Li Luyou's side, but then Li Luyou pulled her into a shameless embrace. With little resistance, An Zhi allowed Li Luyou to wrap his arm around her slim waist, resting her petite frame comfortably against her boyfriend. While the couple exchanged playful banter, An Zhi let her boyfriend get away with teasing her, likely because they were at the school gate, so Li Luyou kept his actions in check. An Zhi was a miss of the An Group, a conglomerate presided over by her father, who had never dropped off the top ten on the wealthiest list. Though Li Luyou's family was not lacking, with his father being a distinguished scientist at the National Academy of Sciences, he was still a far cry from An Zhi's family background. Despite this disparity, Li Luyou was handsome, diligent, and one of the class’s top achievers, often helping classmates with their studies, particularly winning him over to the female demographic. Chen Xiao had to admit he harbored some feelings for An Zhi as well. A rare beauty, her vibrant, lively manner caught his attention, but since she was with Li Luyou, and a socialite like An Zhi would never look at someone like him, he kept his admiration discreet. Watching Li Luyou embrace An Zhi, Chen Xiao couldn't help but envy his roommate, imagining An Zhi’s beauty unfolding the previous night for Li Luyou’s gaze. Since they were at the school gate, Li Luyou and An Zhi didn’t engage in anything too excessive, so the three of them headed to Zhao Qingshi’s house. About half an hour later, they arrived. For Chen Xiao, this was the first visit to Zhao Qingshi’s home. Although he knew she was a miss in Heng County City, the sheer size of their mansion stunned him. Before the mansion was a vast green lawn, carpeted pathways stretched from the gate to the mansion itself. Here, he truly grasped the disparity in social class. Heng County City, being the country’s second most economically developed city after the capital, Beijing, was extremely pricey. For an ordinary family, affording even a few square meters here would be unthinkably hard, yet Zhao Qingshi’s family owned what was almost a manor in this city. The land the mansion occupied, with its scattered small trees, was beyond the reach of an average Qingming Academy student’s lifetime income. Exiting the car, Li Luyou took An Zhi's delicate hand, a gesture natural for a couple. Perhaps because their relationship deepened last night, even such a simple act made a light blush blossom on An Zhi’s face today. Before entering the mansion, they saw two more figures, one of whom was a roommate, Luo Suohun. Luo Suohun had a delicate look, wore black-rimmed glasses, and had a scholarly air. To others, he might appear studious, but those who knew him understood his passion for gaming. His father, Luo Batian, was the deputy mayor of Heng County City, owing his place at Qingming Academy to his connections. Beside Luo Suohun was an exceptionally graceful girl, her eyes bright and her slip dress highlighting her snowy complexion like a snow princess. Her short black denim shorts hugged her shapely hips, making her figure even more alluring and exuding an elegance that made one want to hold her close and appreciate her seductive curves. This girl was Ning Yingxue, a student from the Law Department. Because she was Luo Suohui’s girlfriend, she was invited to Zhao Qingshi’s birthday party. "You two finally made it; we’ve been waiting forever," Luo Suohun said, playfully punching fists with Li Luyou. Chen Xiao joked back, "With your girlfriend by your side, you sure are missing us, your buddies, a lot." "Ugh, don’t mention it. I was just talking about Yasuo, and she thought it was a sneaker brand. These girls only know about shoes," Luo Suohun quipped. Hearing her boyfriend belittle her, Ning Yingxue awkwardly chuckled and apologized, "Alright, now that all your brothers are here, you can chat about your games." Seeing Ning Yingxue apologize for being chastised, Chen Xiao felt a sense of understanding. It was normal for a pretty girl like her to be into makeup, less so for games, wooed by countless guys yet choosing Luo Suohun, likely for his family background. "As clueless as ever, only knowing games. Lucky you have Ning to school you on Gucci, Dior, Armani, Louis Vuitton; do you know these things?" An Zhi, good friends with Ning Yingxue, defended her sister's dignity and was a bit riled up. Luo Suohun boastfully declared, "I bet no guy knows this stuff. Li Luyou, do you?" Surprisingly, Li Luyou answered, "Gucci is an Italian brand known for high-end, luxurious goods." Luo Suohun, flustered but unyielding, retorted, "Alright, stop it now, Li Luyou. Ever since he got a girlfriend, he’s gone soft. Chen Xiao, do you know?" Feigning ignorance to avoid direct conflict, Chen Xiao replied, "Oh, I’ve heard a bit here and there," and quickly shifted the topic, "Where’s Shan? Isn’t he here yet?" "Shan is in deep trouble right now, you'll find out when we get there. Follow me," Luo Suohun replied, turning to lead the way. Ning Yingxue carefully followed behind him, her hand holding onto the hem of his coat. Li Luyou, holding An Zhi’s hand, walked beside Luo Suohun. Following behind them, Chen Xiao noticed the stark contrast in how the two treated their girlfriends. Li Luyou doted on An Zhi with all his heart, whereas Luo Suohun was often indifferent—perhaps one day Ning Yingxue might run out of patience with Luo Suohun. The five of them entered a room where a boy about their age was sitting, his hair a shock of yellow with a small tuft dyed purple—that was their final roommate, Shan, nicknamed Mao. It was Luo Suohun who had dubbed him "Mao" upon their first encounter at the dorm, and although Shan had never been fond of the nickname, it eventually stuck to the point where everyone seldom remembered his real name. Mao was the young master of Yun Si Group, one of the most successful enterprises in the city. At school, he spent money like water; apart from academics, he excelled at everything from games to racing, making him quite popular among the girls. If he were as handsome as Li Luyou, the title of 'Campus Heartthrob' would surely be contested, for Mao had a flirtatious disposition and often juggled multiple romantic interests simultaneously. Today, Mao had his left hand pressed to his cheek. As soon as they entered, he greeted them, though his hand stayed in place. Just as they began to wonder about his strange behavior, Luo Suohun mischievously yanked Mao's left hand away to reveal a fresh handprint stark against his usually suave face; clearly, whoever had slapped him must have been very angry. The sight of the handprint utterly shattered the image of the refined, charming playboy they knew. Luo Suohun and Ning Yingxue must have been aware of this already, for they didn't react, while Li Luyou, An Zhi, and Chen Xiao immediately burst into laughter, especially An Zhi, who never liked Mao's playboy ways and now couldn't suppress her amusement. Mao, seeing them laugh so heartily, remarked with resignation, "What's so funny? It's just a slap, after all." Chen Xiao asked, "Who dared to slap you? They must have a death wish." Mao didn’t answer, but Luo Suohun jumped in, saying, "Haha, Mao's got himself into too many romantic entanglements—those girls must have fought over him and given him a good slap." Chen Xiao was skeptical, "No way, those girls of Mao’s usually seem to get along pretty well. Why would they start fighting now?" Mao explained, "Don’t listen to Luo Suohui’s nonsense. I recently started seeing a girl from the Law Department—she's quite cold and I haven't told her about my other girlfriends. Who’d have thought she'd show up at Zhao Qingshi’s birthday party today, spotted me with Zhang Yiyu, and then this happened." Zhang Yiyu was a Foreign Languages student, a striking beauty and Mao’s first girlfriend; she was fairly well-acquainted with them and was often considered Mao’s most serious girlfriend. "Serves you right. Flirty men like you deserve a slap," An Zhi said. "If Li Luyou ever tries dating someone else, I’ll smack him too." Quickly, Li Luyou embraced his petite girlfriend to prevent her from turning this unwarranted wrath towards him, promptly declaring, "I wouldn't dare. My heart belongs to just one woman forever." Chen Xiao and Luo Suohun simultaneously let out skeptical snorts of derision. "And what about Yiyu? Is she okay? She didn’t get hit, right?" An Zhi asked, not forgetting to be concerned for her friend. Ning Yingxue reassured An Zhi on Mao's behalf, "Yiyu wasn’t hit, but she got scolded. Feeling wronged, she left early." An Zhi was relieved and said happily, "As long as Yiyu’s okay, that’s all that matters. Mao getting slapped is just what he had coming." She raised her eyebrows provocatively at Mao. Incensed, Mao retorted, "An Zhi, you're supposed to be my classmate, can't you at least show some sympathy when a fellow classmate gets slapped?" Despite being a wealthy scion, those who got to know Mao understood his inherent generosity, which was why they could call him "Mao" so casually. However, he and An Zhi were natural rivals, and almost every meeting devolved into a squabble. An Zhi made a playful face at Mao, ready to continue their banter. Her normally refined and graceful demeanor carried a playful yet unusual allure. Seeing his girlfriend and roommate about to bicker again, Li Luyou intervened, a bit exasperated, "Alright, the party's probably starting. Shall we go? How about you, Mao?" Mao cast a glare at Li Luyou, saying, "Looking like this, how can I go? I might as well stay here."