Monday, Li Cheng didn’t show up.
Tuesday, Li Cheng still didn’t show up.
By Wednesday, news of Li Cheng’s transfer had spread through the class.
Rumor had it that Li Cheng had personally gone to see the principal and, speaking with heartfelt sincerity, repeatedly said that he simply couldn’t keep up with Nan’en Academy’s classes and that it had absolutely nothing to do with Li Miao.
Before leaving, Li Cheng came to class to pack up his things and was then forced by his parents to go onstage and read a heartfelt apology letter.
After hearing the whole story, Li Cheng’s father, who was also Li Miao’s second uncle, immediately sensed that something was wrong.
How had Li Miao found out so quickly that Li Cheng had gone to tattle? It was Li Shun’an who had told him.
What was this? A warning to Li Cheng? No, it was clearly a lesson for him!
Li Cheng got a mixed beating from both his parents at home, and when he returned to school he still had to apologize to Li Miao. He looked completely wilted.
Jiang Luo watched Li Cheng apologize from below the stage, and only felt a chill run through him.
This had clearly never happened in his previous life.
Not only that, but his progress with Brother Xingze had barely moved at all, and Du Shengsheng and Lin Shi, whom he had wanted to befriend, were avoiding him like the plague. Even after the small grove incident a couple of days ago, many people’s looks toward him had changed.
All of these differences were tied to Li Miao… Was it a butterfly effect caused by his own reincarnation, or had Li Miao also been reincarnated?
Jiang Luo didn’t notice that after Li Cheng went onstage, Lin Shi’s gaze toward him became thoughtful.
The Du Shengsheng matter, the Li Cheng matter… this person had been present for both. Was that just a coincidence?
If it was a coincidence, then this person was truly unlucky. If it wasn’t… looking at Jiang Luo’s innocent expression, Lin Shi felt that he was far too frightening.
Better keep his distance.
Jiang Luo took a deep breath. Maybe he had been too eager for quick success, only thinking about getting together with Brother Xingze as soon as possible, without realizing how terrifying the butterfly effect could be.
He should stick to the path of his previous life.
His nails dug into his palm. Jiang Luo closed his eyes. Don’t panic, don’t panic. The masquerade ball was coming up soon, and everything would get back on track.
But then Jiang Luo suddenly froze. He had just remembered that after coming back through reincarnation, he had spent all his time circling around Shen Xingze and had never gotten to know the person who, in his previous life, had brought him into the ball!
Shen Xingze could clearly tell that his little deskmate had something on his mind today; those round eyes kept sneaking careful glances at him.
Did he really think he hadn’t noticed?
Shen Xingze turned his head, expressionless, though his tone wasn’t displeased. “What’s wrong?”
“Brother Xingze,” Jiang Luo hesitated, a little embarrassed. “For this week’s masquerade ball, do you already have a dance partner?”
Jiang Luo wanted to go to the masquerade ball? Shen Xingze frowned.
Someone as innocent as him shouldn’t go to a place like that. He’d be eaten alive.
“I don’t, but…”
“I know! I know the ball has a king game!” Seeing that Shen Xingze didn’t have a dance partner, Jiang Luo’s eyes lit up and he hurriedly cut in. “I believe you, Brother Xingze. You’ll protect me!”
This wasn’t a matter of protection or not.
No one had the right to save a slave chosen by the king. Even he couldn’t break that rule.
Otherwise, it would be the same as making enemies of the entire ruling class.
Shen Xingze frowned, but under Jiang Luo’s expectant gaze, he still nodded. “All right. Then get your mask and clothes ready.”
There was no way it could be that coincidental: the person chosen as king would recognize Jiang Luo and then pick Jiang Luo as his slave.
“President Shen.”
When Shen Yu got home, Bai Xin was waiting by the door. “The perfume matched to the clothes you provided has been brought back.”
“Mm.” Shen Yu took the perfume and went into the room.
On the bedroom bed, which had always been neat before, lay a school uniform coat, startlingly out of place.
It was crumpled, as if it had been savaged.
Shen Yu sat down by the bed and opened the test tube.
A faint citrus scent instantly filled Shen Yu’s nose.
But…
It had no effect.
Shen Yu frowned, closed the test tube, and picked up the clothes from the bed.
The scent on the clothes had almost vanished.
And yet it somehow managed to suppress the irritability that never left Shen Yu’s heart.
The two scents were almost exactly the same.
But Shen Yu knew that something was missing.
How could that be?
Early Friday morning, a large number of people in bizarre outfits appeared at Nan’en Academy.
Some wore evening gowns, some wore cosplay costumes, some were men dressed as women, and some were women dressed as men.
Nan’en Academy had its own indoor stadium, more than enough to hold all three grades of students, and the freshmen’s masquerade ball lasted there all day.
The clothes Li Miao sent to Shen Yu fit him perfectly, but they were also outrageously flashy.
When Shen Yu saw that jewel-bright formal wear, he reasonably suspected that Li Miao had accidentally taken his own clothes.
The black shirt had lace patterns woven into it, with a corset fastened by metal buckles over it. A silver chain hung from the breast pocket, and pearls decorated the collar.
Actually, up to this point, Shen Yu could still accept it.
If the shirt hadn’t been a deep V-neck.
If the package hadn’t also included a shawl with a blue-green gradient and a laser-like shimmer, made by some unknown technique.
With a mask inlaid with green gems and feathers, Shen Yu kept a blank expression. He had really turned into a peacock.
Shen Yu entered with the invitation Li Miao had sent him, not together with Li Miao, so he didn’t know what Li Miao would be dressed like today.
Shen Yu’s outfit was flashy, but truly beautiful. Within half an hour of entering, wave after wave of people came over to flirt with him… men, women, and even a nonhuman doll.
But without exception, they all cut themselves off the moment they saw the blue corsage on Shen Yu’s chest.
Their eager looks turned to contempt, and the desire in their eyes was no longer hidden.
Jiang Luo followed behind Shen Xingze as they entered.
Today he wore a white formal suit, looking like a little prince.
This suit had almost exhausted his monthly living expenses, but at the ball it still looked cheap.
Shen Xingze, as always, wore a dark blue formal suit, restrained and serious.
The two of them standing together really did look well matched.
Someone tried to flirt with Jiang Luo, but the moment they saw Shen Xingze beside him and the blue and purple corsages on their chests, they immediately turned and left.
This person was taken.
Yes, in their eyes, the person wearing a blue corsage was more like merchandise. If a piece of merchandise already had a Master, then even if someone else liked it, they wouldn’t snatch it away.
Why offend someone over an object? It wasn’t worth it.
Jiang Luo didn’t notice any of this. He was delighted, because everyone could tell that he and Brother Xingze were a couple!
People moved through the crowd, chatting and looking for a dance partner for the first dance.
No one wanted to be left out of the first dance.
Shen Yu didn’t care. After he politely turned down who knew how many people who came up to him, the music for the first dance began.
“May I have this dance?” a voice suddenly came from behind him.
That familiar citrus scent.
Shen Yu paused and turned around.
Behind him stood a boy with black hair and a black formal suit. Even his mask was black, with a valuable black gem set on the side. He looked restrained and refined, politely extending his hand, his gaze modest.
Not only was his style of dress different, his entire temperament was completely different.
No one could have imagined that this was the usual slouching, frivolous young master.
The moment Shen Yu reached out his hand, Li Miao’s lips curved. He pulled him forward, right on the beat.
Shen Yu knew what Li Miao was smiling about. He was a little helpless; Li Miao had rushed to take the male lead in the dance.
The first dance at a ball always carried a subtle hint of ambiguity. The black knight spun through the dance floor with his princess.
Until the final beat, when a couple so wrapped up in their own dance that they weren’t paying attention to where they were going crashed into them.
The knight lost his balance, was caught by the princess, and landed squarely in the princess’s arms.
The music stopped.
Their eyes met.
Anger rose in Li Miao’s eyes. He stood up, grumbling, and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Shen Yu smiled helplessly.
The king game soon began.
Everyone carefully kept silent, afraid their voices would give them away.