Chapter 1

Chapter 1

City A.

Early September, with blue skies and white clouds stretching as far as the eye could see. The green trees planted along the roadside flower beds stood tall and lush, while the campus was filled with the soothing fragrance of flowers.

The white, gabled buildings rose high, and sunlight streamed through the crystal-prism windows, casting dazzling, colorful patterns on the ground. From the grand auditorium came the sound of bustling murmurs.

Under the lofty dome hung crystal chandeliers, and rows of red velvet high-backed chairs were packed with people. Exquisitely dressed young masters and ladies greeted one another.

"Long time no see~"

"Long time no see! How was your summer vacation?"

......

Today marked the 158th opening ceremony of Star Glory High School. Everyone was required to attend formally dressed in either school uniforms or suits.

Ten minutes before the official start of the ceremony, the hall was filled with soothing music and the buzz of conversation. Suddenly, a wave of intense murmuring broke out:

"Look, look!"

"Huh?"

"It's Juan Yun!"

"Wow! Juan Yun is here, Juan Yun is here..."

The side door was pushed open, and many people craned their necks in anticipation. The air seemed to grow still for a moment.

Who was Juan Yun?

He came from the most distinguished aristocratic family in all of City A. With striking features, he was usually aloof, never making a misstep in his words or actions, never putting a foot wrong—renowned for his perfection. Among the children of the upper echelons, he was seen as an exemplar.

The slightly ajar door was pushed open, and a figure stepped inside. The person had a prominent nose, crimson lips and pearly teeth, but his expression was cold. He wore a well-tailored suit.

As he moved, the hem of his jacket brushed past, carrying a faint, fresh scent.

Behind him trailed a female alpha. She wore a simple, understated cocktail dress with an A-line skirt, her black eyeliner bold and elongated, her sultry red lips striking—clearly, she had put effort into her appearance. However, her heels were a bit too high, and she struggled to match Juan Yun’s pace.

"Juan Yun, wait for me," she murmured.

The grand auditorium could seat over a thousand people. With so much buzz around, Juan Yun seemed not to hear her. His expression remained impassive as he continued walking without waiting for her, heading straight to the center of the first row—his seat.

Many eyes surreptitiously lingered toward the figure seated in the center. Juan Yun, dressed in a deep black suit, sat ramrod-straight, a stark contrast to the dozens of rows of students behind him wearing blue school uniforms and name tags:

Exuding refinement and nobility, with an extraordinary presence.

Sidelong glances from all directions fell upon him, scrutinizing him. Juan Yun unobtrusively frowned.

The seat next to him, labeled "Ye Xinyan," was soon slid into. A breathy female voice sounded in his ear, whining:

"Juan Yun, you didn’t wait for me."

As she tucked her arm through his, Juan Yun’s expression turned frosty:

"Sorry, I didn’t hear you earlier."

Juan Yun barely turned to look at her. A flicker of wistfulness crossed Ye Xinyan’s face, but she soon smiled again, breezily, and said sweetly while holding his arm:

"Your parents said we’re having dinner together tonight. You know, right?"

"I know." His reply was brief and cold.

The soft red curtains on both sides of the spacious auditorium were swept aside, marking the official start of the opening ceremony. The host stepped onto the stage and began to speak, prompting a round of applause from the students below.

"Respected teachers, dear students, and generous benefactors who have supported our school, good afternoon!"

Another wave of applause echoed through the hall.

"In this beautiful golden autumn season, within our picturesque century-old campus, we usher in yet another academic year..."

The host, dressed formally, delivered a rousing opening speech. After the host finished, it was time for the student representative to deliver the speech.

About fifteen minutes later: "Next, let us welcome the student representative to deliver the address! Please give a round of applause~"

A wave of applause swept from the audience, and all eyes turned to Juan Yun in the center of the first row. In previous years, Juan Yun had always been the student representative.

The title of student representative was a comprehensive one—it encompassed roles such as student council president and head of the school’s Youth League Committee.

Within the school, the student representative spoke on behalf of the student body. Outside the school, they represented the institution in various competitions, speeches, and events, earning opportunities for direct admission to universities both domestically and abroad.

As the student representative of Star Glory Middle School, they would also make appearances at major government events and large-scale enterprise competitions, truly standing out among their peers and serving as a leader among students.

Juan Yun had held the position for two years, and this year was expected to be no exception.

Countless eyes rested on him, anticipating his ascent to the stage.

Juan Yun’s raven hair fell against his cheek, accentuating his snow-white complexion. Yet he remained seated, his expression utterly unmoved, making no move to rise.

Instead, another person stepped onto the stage.

He was tall.

Everyone’s first impression of him was his height, as he moved past the host—the contrast was striking. He stood a full head taller than the host.

His hair was slightly parted, falling to his brows. With high cheekbones and a sharply defined jawline, he carried an undeniable handsomeness. Standing behind the podium adorned with flowers and a standing microphone, he calmly scanned the audience and gave a slight nod.

He gripped the microphone, leaned forward slightly, his voice a resonant baritone:

"Hello everyone, my name is Shi Yue."

"Huh?"

"Who is that?"

"What’s going on?"

A ripple of murmurs buzzed through the entire hall.

The first row was filled with dignitaries in suits and formal attire—prominent figures from City A’s business, political, and military circles.

Many of them had encountered Juan Yun at various banquets. They had been invited with special invitation to attend this opening ceremony, and seeing an unfamiliar face ascend the podium instead of Juan Yun, they turned in surprise to look at Juan Yun in the center.

"Why hadn’t the Juan family’s son gone up?" they murmured.

Among the students below, a frenzy of hushed discussions erupted. In the senior year’s exclusive group chat—"Unity, Friendship, Mutual Support," which excluded homeroom teachers and school administrators—messages quickly skyrocketed to 99+.

"Who is this?"

"Haven’t seen him before," muttered another.

"He's so hot!"

"So tall and really good-looking, never heard of anyone like that at Star Glory..."

"Who is he? Who gave him the right to be up there? Where's my Juan Yun?"

"Yeah, isn't Juan Yun the student representative? Why is he speaking?"

Sitting in the audience, Ye Xinyan looked confused and whispered to Juan Yun, "Do you know this person?"

Juan Yun's eyes, crystal clear, stared coldly at the person on stage: "No, I don't."

"If you don't know him, how could he..." How did he steal your spot as student representative?

Ye Xinyan raised her voice slightly, but before she could finish, the voice from the stage cut her off, and she trailed off.

"...I’m from Class 1, Grade 12. It’s an honor to be invited to speak as the student representative right after transferring in..."

His deep, pleasant voice filled the auditorium, crisp and clear like a news anchor's, with a magnetic quality that was music to everyone's ears, making it really pleasant to listen to:

"When the autumn leaves of the wutong tree first turn golden, when the morning breeze carries away the last of the summer heat..."

"Wait, Class 1, Grade 12..." Wen Qiang, sitting in the second row, jumped up and facepalmed. "What? He’s in *our* class?"

The Shi family?

Who?

Never heard of it.

A girl next to Wen Qiang asked him, "What’s going on?"

Wen Qiang, stunned, scrambled his memory but couldn’t recall any well-known family in City A with the surname Shi: "I really don’t know him!"

Lu Sihua, sitting beside him, said calmly, "Then he must have been admitted through the public admissions program."

There’s open admissions every year, but no one expected a transfer student to come in during the final year.

"So he must have crazy good grades?" Wen Qiang said.

He stared in disbelief at the sharp-looking guy on stage: "How good must they be?! Good enough to bump Juan Yun out and take over as student representative?!"

"My speech is over. Thank you, everyone."

......

......

Shi Yue walked to the side of the stage with flower arrangements, one hand behind his back, the other placed over his chest, and gave a gentlemanly bow.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the person on stage.

His face was handsome, his figure tall and slender, but unfortunately and abruptly, what didn’t match his overall demeanor were his faded, hand-me-down uniform, his outdated tapered uniform pants, and his beat-up shoes.

This outfit...

Countless impressed looks in the audience turned to disdain, for no other reason than that he was clearly a public admission student—the scholarship kid at this rich kids' school.

As his speech ended, the students’ private discussions in the public group chat "United and Supportive" (without teachers or the principal) reached a conclusion:

[It seems Star Glory Middle School has reformed its policy this year—focusing on grades rather than family background. The student representative is now just a book-smart nobody.]

Sitting next to Juan Yun, Ye Xinyan snickered, "What a pathetic alpha. Juan Yun, someone like him could spend his whole life trying to climb up and still never move in our circles."

Just then, Shi Yue walked past the two of them without even a glance. Juan Yun acted like he didn't even exist, his expression still cold.

It was as if the person passing by was air.

In front of everyone, the student representative walked right past the former student representative without a single word exchanged, not even bothering to make eye contact.

A wave of whispers rose from below:

"Yikes! Juan Yun is so cold!"

"Feel like that guy is pretty full of himself too!"

"They're ignoring each other..."

"Whoa? He's got nerve?" Wen Qiang was shocked. "Isn’t he afraid Juan Yun will..."

Someone who didn’t know what Juan Yun had done before asked the person next to them, "What's Juan Yun gonna do to him?"

The person beside them immediately vividly explained: "You have no idea—once, someone offended Juan Yun. Guess what happened? Juan Yun called a shareholders’ meeting and, as the largest shareholder with 35% stake from the Juan family, had that boy expelled from Star Glory. The boy and his family disappeared from City A overnight, no one knows where they went!!! City A isn’t that big, but I never saw him again..."

"What?!"

"Who in Star Glory would dare underestimate Juan Yun? This scholarship student is something else—bold enough to steal the spotlight right after arriving. I doubt he’ll last long at Star Glory!"

"Oh my, this should be good."

After the student representative’s speech, there were still speeches from the principal, representatives from donating entrepreneurs, and government officials...

In previous years, these speeches were long and boring. The principal, over seventy years old, spoke slowly, always stopping to clear his throat, his voice garbled and accented. Compared to the earlier speech, many students were nodding off.

Just two minutes in, Juan Yun’s phone vibrated.

Ye Xinyan next to him asked who it was. Juan Yun glanced at his phone, hit the button to lock his phone, tilted his head, and after a moment of thought, said:

"Lu Sihua?"

"What?!"

"Sorry." Juan Yun pushed her hand off his arm and stood up. "Something’s come up. Excuse me."

Ye Xinyan turned in surprise, just meeting the gaze of Lu Sihua sitting diagonally behind them.

Lu Sihua was leaning back with his legs crossed, resting his head in his hand as he listened to the old principal’s speech. Noticing Ye Xinyan looking his way, he raised an eyebrow slightly, looking puzzled.

Ye Xinyan found it strange and pointed at Lu Sihua, saying to Juan Yun, "But isn’t Lu Sihua right there?!"

She received no response from Juan Yun, and it was quiet beside her.

Ye Xinyan turned her head.

Juan Yun was gone.

In a dimly lit basement.

*

"Mmm..."

The sound of ragged breaths, rustling clothes, and the wet noise of kisses continued incessantly.

A Note from the Author:

----------------------

Can you check out this blurb? Pretty please!

Due to a high-society arranged marriage, Shen Jue and Feng Ye entered a marriage.

Both were forced into it, and after three years together, they still hadn't developed any real connection. Shen Jue had made up his mind—he wanted a divorce.

He would be the one to end this charade and set them both free.

But unexpectedly, on his way to discuss the divorce with Feng Ye, he got into a car accident and unexpectedly gained the ability to read minds.

*

Suddenly able to hear people's inner thoughts, Shen Jue lay in his hospital bed, listening to the hypocritical well-wishes of various visitors, finding the whole situation utterly absurd.

Until his husband in name only opened the door.

Feng Ye, a director of a listed company, his face cold and handsome, with deep, starry eyes, looked down at him imposingly.

His face pale, Shen Jue placed his hands on the blanket, intending to privately discuss the divorce with him.

Just as he parted his lips, he heard the CEO's dark inner thought: "If he never recovers, he could stay by my side forever."

Shen Jue was startled: "?"

*

Shen Jue began to suspect if his usually cold, serious, and stoic husband had been body-snatched.

In the morning, Feng Ye drove him to the administrative building of the school. As Shen Jue unbuckled his seatbelt, he heard a deep inner voice say: "If only I could kiss him."

Shen Jue: "……?"

At noon, while having lunch together, Feng Ye couldn't take his eyes off him: "He's even cute when he eats."

Shen Jue snapped his lunchbox shut: "...I'm full."

In the evening, Shen Jue stepped out of the bathroom drying his wet hair, and Feng Ye shot him a cold look.

Used to this expression, Shen Jue brushed past him but then heard: "My wife's wet hair looks so good, I want to do things to him."

Shen Jue jumped, but when he looked again, Feng Ye's face was stern and icy as he seriously read the newspaper.

??......Are you okay?

Is this an act?

*

In the third year of their marriage, Shen Jue was forced to hear some unbearable things every day. Troubled, his online searches kept changing:

#What documents are needed for divorce?

#What illness causes you to hear inner thoughts?

#What to do if your arranged marriage partner keeps sexually harassing me?

Looking for answers online.

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Interested readers, please bookmark below [sunglasses] It's really, really important [sobbing]