By Mang Chazi
“…Would you really like me?”
“…Including my awkward personality and my sensitive, ever-changing moods.”
“So what? I love you, so I’m willing.”
By the end of August in Jingbei, the weather could change on a whim.
Lin Ting had just walked out of the residential complex where she tutored when the stifling summer heat was shattered by a sudden downpour.
Holding a transparent umbrella, clutching a tote bag stuffed with documents to her chest, she hurried toward the Finance School’s freshman registration desk.
Today was opening day at Jing University. As a member of the student council, she had promised long ago to help out.
Luckily, the two places were only separated by one street—turn a corner and she’d be there.
On the sidewalk, Lin Ting carefully avoided the puddles.
Suddenly, a black Maybach sped past her without slowing down at all.
Splash—
The wheels plowed straight through a pool of water, icy mud mixed with fine grit soaking her from the waist down.
Lin Ting froze on the spot, her mind going blank.
She instinctively glanced at the empty road, unable to understand how that car had managed to splash dirty water onto only her so precisely.
Rainwater dripped from the hem of her skirt. Her once straight, fair legs and white sneakers were now covered in grime. She looked utterly miserable.
She clenched the umbrella handle tightly. A nameless anger mixed with grievance rushed straight to her head.
Staring at the luxury car disappearing into the distance, she couldn’t help blurting out, her face flushing red,
“Can’t you drive properly?!”
Only then did she realize no one was listening.
With no choice, Lin Ting resigned herself to bad luck, patting the water off her clothes as she left.
As she walked, she muttered under her breath, exhausting every curse word she knew to thoroughly scold that immoral driver.
She never expected the Maybach to come back.
It pulled up smoothly and steadily right in front of her.
The words on Lin Ting’s lips came to an abrupt stop.
As the rear window rolled down, the sound of rain and surrounding noise seemed to be muted, fading into a blurry background.
The familiar profile of the man was like pebbles tossed into a lake—she could hear nothing but her once-calm heart, suddenly beating wildly out of control.
He was leaning lazily against the seat back.
He wore a white dress shirt, his tie loosely knotted. A black watch rested on his cool, pale wrist. Beneath the taut cuffs of his shirt, the outline of muscle was faintly visible. From head to toe, he exuded an air of restrained nobility.
Lin Ting was so nervous her gaze trembled, with nowhere to land—until it crashed straight into the man’s deep, smiling peach-blossom eyes.
Her eyes felt instantly scorched.
Before he could speak, Lin Ting hurriedly looked away.
The driver quickly got out, handed her a handkerchief of fine material and a dark blue suit jacket, then bent repeatedly in apology.
“Miss, I’m truly sorry! I was in a hurry just now and didn’t notice someone by the roadside. I really startled you!”
“Please put on this jacket—don’t catch a cold.”
Seeing the expensive brand logo on the clothing, Lin Ting subconsciously took a small step back.
She shook her head, her voice a little dry. “It’s fine, really. I appreciate the thought. Thank you.”
From the passenger seat, Shen Xiao leaned out, looking at the girl’s pitiful state. He couldn’t help pointing at Lu Hesheng with a sarcastic tone to back her up.
“Hey, little sister, don’t be shy! It’s him being foul-mouthed—”
Shen Xiao paused. “Oh no—he feels guilty about it!”
Who knew what had gotten into Young Master Lu just now?
One moment he had a cold face, telling Uncle Tang, “We’re late for the semester—drive faster,” and the next he was frowning, saying, “You’re driving too fast. You splashed water on a pedestrian.”
Shen Xiao had wanted to jump out of the car on the spot! So are you in a hurry or not, sir?!
Back and forth like that, they might as well have walked at a leisurely pace!
Lu Hesheng swept his gaze over Lin Ting from head to toe—restrained yet quick—before speaking gently.
“Put it on, miss. It’s cold outside. Don’t catch a cold.”
Mesmerized by his low voice, Lin Ting unconsciously reached out and took the jacket.
She silently put it on. A faint warmth and scent wrapped around her, shutting out the chill from outside.
Lu Hesheng said coolly, “Uncle Tang, let’s go.”
The Maybach disappeared once more into the curtain of rain.
Like a passerby who had accidentally wandered into the frame and left without a sound.
All that remained was the woody fragrance on the jacket, lingering at Lin Ting’s nose, impossible to shake.
In her mind, the man’s cool, distant profile surfaced uncontrollably.
Her nose stung. So it turned out that fate between people really could be just a matter of a few brief seconds.
Her phone vibrated right on cue. The screen lit up with an @ mention from the student council group chat.
She forcibly suppressed all her emotions, turned around, and entered Jing University’s campus.
At the Finance School’s registration desk, her friend Qin Liangyan immediately spotted her familiar figure and waved enthusiastically.
“Tingting! Over here!”
When she came closer, Qin Liangyan finally saw the mud stains on the girl clearly.
She quickly stood up, took the bag from Lin Ting’s hands, and joked with concern.
“Oh my god! Babe, did you go roll around in a mud pit or something?”
Lin Ting, her mood heavy, pulled out a chair and sat down, unfolding the handkerchief to wipe the mud off her legs.
“I’m fine. I just got splashed by a passing wild dog.”
She pinned all her irritation on that car.
A trace of confusion flashed through Qin Liangyan’s eyes. She knew Lin Ting was usually terrified of dogs—there was no way she’d deliberately get close to one.
Lin Ting’s task was simple: guiding freshmen to sign in on the registration sheet.
The new students’ faces were clean and a little naive. When they saw a pretty senior, they’d sneak a few extra glances before shyly looking away.
Suddenly, Qin Liangyan grabbed Lin Ting’s arm excitedly, eyes shining, unable to wait to share the latest gossip she’d just heard.
“Tingting, quick—check the campus forum.”
“They say our Finance School got a super handsome guy this year!”
The phone screen was shoved in front of her without warning.
The attached photo was a sneak shot of a side profile.
In the picture, Jing University’s usually stern president was smiling broadly, standing respectfully beside a young man.
Students with extraordinary information networks had already dug up his identity.
The only son of the Lu family—rich, powerful, a wildly flamboyant crown prince.
Lin Ting lowered her head, searching for names on the sign-in sheet, and said nothing.
Thinking she wasn’t interested, Qin Liangyan turned away and started chatting animatedly with the others nearby.
“Tsk tsk, no wonder he’s the Lu family’s crown prince. This post’s popularity is on par with a public figure’s.”
“Which window did God not close for him? People like this are just born winners, aren’t they?”
“I heard none of the beauties chasing him ever succeeded. Every single one was a fair-skinned, long-legged celebrity or model type…”
“But wasn’t the crown prince studying in the U.S. all this time? Why suddenly drop into Jing University for grad school? No way he’s actually here to do academics, right?”
“…”
The figure in the photo overlapped perfectly with the owner of the Maybach’s back seat from earlier.
It was Lu Hesheng.
How could Lin Ting not know?
She clenched her fingers, forcing her tone to sound calm, stubbornly speaking against her own heart.
“Honestly, he looks pretty average in the photo. Guys like that aren’t exactly rare at our school, are they?”
Qin Liangyan: “?”
Suddenly, an eerie silence fell over the registration desk.
Before either of them could react, a tall figure loomed in front of Lin Ting. The familiar woody scent invaded her senses.
In her line of sight, the man’s long, well-defined fingers tapped the registration sheet unhurriedly.
His drawn-out ending carried a lazy hint of amusement.
“Junior?”
“Could you sign me in?”