The horizon was awash with the colors of a rosy sunset, like a smear of vibrant paint melting into the floating clouds as the sun dipped below the west.
Xie Yun and Lu Yibing walked side-by-side, heading up toward the teaching building.
Evening self-study at Field Academy was quite liberal; there was no teacher supervision, and as long as students checked in and returned by nine o’clock, they were free to do as they pleased—though leaving the school gates was strictly prohibited. With monthly exams approaching, most students were buried in the study halls or the library. Others were tucked away in the more distant laboratory buildings.
Xie Yun wanted to drop off his bag and head straight to the dining hall to deal with those macaroons. He wasn’t one to procrastinate; his philosophy was to get things over with as early as possible.
The spacious, European-style classroom currently held only about half its capacity. The amber glow of the lights reflected off the palm-colored desks and chairs, giving the room a bright, classical atmosphere.
“Hey, the forum on Black Pigeon says that Brother Cui is hosting a party at a castle near Field tomorrow. I heard it’s to celebrate his family closing another overseas deal worth hundreds of millions!”
A girl at her seat whispered into her neighbor’s ear.
Upon hearing this, a boy sighed. “That’s their business. I heard they only invited the young masters and ladies from the Top 20 of the Florentine Rich List. Why should we bother joining the fuss?”
“You’ve got it all wrong!” Another female voice cut in. “It’s a party; how could there be so few people? But I feel like Brother Cui has an ulterior motive. He specifically invited the Top 20 and even requested their parents be present. What is he trying to do?”
The boy replied, “Could he be using this chance to show off his family background and get them to recommend marriage partners? Brother Cui is of age, after all, and he’s a high-quality Alpha…”
The chatter below the podium was endless as they gossiped away.
Sitting nearby, Lu Yibing and Xie Yun heard every word clearly.
Is one of the F1 members getting a marriage partner?
That’s great, Xie Yun thought. If there’s an Omega to keep him in line, maybe he’ll stop bothering Lu Yibing.
In noble families, marriage alliances were always Alpha-Omega pairings. In any case, it had nothing to do with a Beta like him. It wasn’t his concern.
Little did he know that after the three students finished their chat, they glanced at Xie Yun in a synchronized fashion. The next moment, they all pulled out their phones…
[Girl 1]: Hey? How was it? Did XY hear?
[Boy 1]: At this distance, I might as well have been shouting in his ear. He definitely heard.
[Girl 2]: I think so too. Should we notify Brother Cui?
[Boy 1]: I already told him. Man, Brother Cui is generous. He gives us so much money just for acting out a scene. I’m definitely a repeat customer; count me in for next time!
The group whispered and giggled amongst themselves.
Meanwhile, Xie Yun—the oblivious protagonist of their scheme—was busy stuffing the books from his bag into his desk drawer. Then, with a sharp thud, someone’s palm slammed onto his desk.
Xie Yun, who was already getting annoyed by that specific sound, thought: …Can you pick a different way to enter next time?
He knit his brows and looked up following the hand. There, he locked eyes with the very person who supposedly “had nothing to do with him”—the subject of the gossip, Brother Cui.
His slightly messy bangs were parted down the middle to frame his face, his narrow eyes slanted downward, and a bright silver stud hung from his ear. Cui Yiyang had a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips, looking every bit the frivolous playboy.
“What do you want?”
Xie Yun stared coldly at the uninvited guest, speaking only three words as if they were made of gold.
His fingers, adorned with a silver snake-shaped ring, tapped rhythmically on the tabletop. Cui Yiyang laughed at his response. “What do I want? Before you ask that, don’t you know what you did?”
“Not only did you kick me, you rejected me in public, and then you stood me up. You think I’m just going to turn the page with you? And you have the nerve to ask what I want.”
Cui Yiyang laughed out of sheer exasperation, a sense of laziness permeating his words. “I have suffered both physiological and psychological trauma. Tell me, transfer student, how do you plan to settle this?”
The Xie family and the Cui family were equal in power. Cui Yiyang was used to being arrogant and overbearing at school, fearing nothing and no one. Having been humiliated, he wasn’t about to play nice with the Xie family’s young master.
In contrast, Xie Yun was much more low-profile.
Trouble really is unavoidable, Xie Yun thought. He softened the coldness on his face slightly and gave him a smile. “Then, Great Young Master Cui, what would you like me to do?”
The words, though laced with a chill, spilled from the boy’s lips. Under the amber light, his upturned, snowy-white face seemed to glow, unintentionally revealing a sort of swirling tenderness, like autumn waters at dusk.
His smile was faint—so faint it was almost non-existent against his warm-toned skin.
Cui Yiyang’s heart felt as if it had been pinched by something. A flush crept up to the tips of his ears. He stared blankly, his mind going completely fuzzy.
What kind of spell did this XY cast on me?
He’s more seductive than a damn Omega.
Clutching a gold-rimmed envelope in his other hand, he slammed it down again in front of everyone and said to Xie Yun, “Your mother asked me to give this invitation to you. Tomorrow, show up. If you come, I’ll forgive you.”
If you don’t come, you’re dead!
He hissed that last sentence under his breath before tossing the invitation down and stalking away.
Xie Yun: …….What a shitty “young master” temper.
Immediately following that, the “shitty-tempered” young master walked out of the classroom under the gaze of the entire room, his two lackeys hurrying to keep up.
Once outside, Cui Yiyang leaned against the wall and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Seeing this, the lackey with the pompadour hair quickly whipped out a lighter and lit it for him with a fawning smile.
White smoke curled in the air. Aside from students who gave them a wide berth, there were currently no teachers or Student Council members in the hallway.
The pompadour lackey asked weakly, “Brother Cui, do you think Xie Yun will actually come?”
As he spoke, he tucked the lighter away. Before “Brother Cui” could even speak, a sharp blow landed on the lackey’s head.
“Are you a moron? Stop saying such unlucky, discouraging things!”
The other lackey looked at Cui Yiyang cautiously before speaking up indignantly on his behalf. “When has Brother Cui ever failed? How dare you doubt something he’s 100% sure of? Besides, the Xie family only landed those hundreds of millions because they’re collaborating with Brother Cui’s family! How could the protagonist not show up? I think you’re looking for a beating!”
The lackey made a move to hit him again, and the pompadour boy quickly covered his head, muttering a single word: “Oh.”
Cui Yiyang didn’t say anything. His long fingers held the burning cigarette butt as he silently took another drag.
Inside the classroom, Xie Yun finished checking in on Black Pigeon and prepared to head to the dining hall. Lu Yibing noticed his movements.
“Brother, where are you going?” He looked up.
Meeting those pitch-black eyes, Xie Yun stood up and tilted his head. “To the restroom. You want to come?”
To his surprise, as soon as the words left his mouth, a slight curve appeared at the corner of Lu Yibing’s lips. He smiled. “Can I?”
Xie Yun: …Get lost.
“No, you can’t.”
The standing youth’s thin lips parted as he coldly rejected the other’s “shared bathroom” request.
Lu Yibing: TT
Xie Yun left those three words behind and walked away from his seat, leaving the gold-rimmed invitation lying there all alone.
The person remaining at the desk propped his chin on his hand, silently staring at the object as his expression darkened.
Having finally escaped, Xie Yun walked out of the classroom. He was met by a thick, hazy cloud of nicotine and nearly choked to death the moment he stepped out.
Who is so uncivilized? He frowned.
A moment later, a cold night wind blew, dispersing the smoke to reveal a handsome teenage face.
At that moment, the boy—Cui Yiyang—happened to turn his head at the sound and came face-to-face with Xie Yun once more.
After seeing who it was, Xie Yun thought: …Sorry to bother you.
Xie Yun didn’t give him a second glance, turning around to slip away. Seeing this, Cui Yiyang slowly raised an eyebrow and told his lackeys, “You two go back to class first. I’m going out for a bit.”
He dropped the unfinished cigarette and crushed it under his shoe. The lackeys complied.
Realizing his trail had been picked up, Xie Yun clearly felt someone following him. He quickly took a detour. After walking through several patches of tree shadows, the feeling finally vanished.
Field Academy had two noble dining areas, Sector A and Sector B. Each was five stories tall, providing Western and Chinese cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was very convenient for the teachers and students living in the apartments. Since the academy had evening study sessions, it naturally provided late-night snacks, so the dining hall lights were still bright.
Xie Yun walked inside.
A lady who was mopping the floor looked up at the sound of footsteps. After a second of dazed silence, she instinctively called out, “Young Master Xie?”
This was the first time Xie Yun had come to the dining hall since occupying this body. To them, he was certainly a rare guest, hence the shock.
“What would Young Master Xie like to eat? Tonight’s snack menu has your favorite tomato pasta~”
Another young woman, seeing Xie Yun, took an enthusiastic step forward to introduce the food.
Xie Yun didn’t even have to think to know who had informed the dining hall of his preferences. They were probably afraid he would go hungry.
He gave a polite smile. “Excuse me, do you still have materials for making macaroons? I’d like to borrow the kitchen for a bit.”
the young woman was stunned for a few seconds, lowering her voice as if she had misheard. “Young Master, you want to make them yourself?”
Xie Yun nodded.
The woman didn’t ask for the reason. She gave a long “Oh” before smiling again. “Then come with me. I can teach you.”
Xie Yun: “Thank you so much.”
Woman: “It’s no trouble at all~”
Polished white marble came into view as the two walked through the spacious, brightly lit corridor of the dining hall. The layout was massive; it took them a while to reach the back kitchen.
“Xiao Pei, where did you go? Master Xi Li is calling for you to prep the ingredients!”
A young man saw the woman enter and then accidentally caught sight of the boy in the school uniform following behind her.
His face instantly lit up. “Young Master Xie! Why are you here? What would you like to eat?”
Xiao Pei smiled and said, “Young Master Xie is here to learn how to make macaroons, so I brought him in.”
“Oh—”
The man looked the girl up and down, his expression shifting to one of impatience. “Then you go prep for Xi Li. I’ll teach Young Master Xie.”
Hearing this, Pei Shuyan frowned with some hesitation. “But I…”
“Why so much nonsense? If I tell you to go, then go. Is Young Master Xie someone you can afford to offend?”
The man shot her a glare, then immediately turned back to Xie Yun with a fawning smile. “Sorry about that, Young Master Xie. This Xiao Pei just started and doesn’t know much. Let me be the one to teach you.”
Xie Yun’s face remained expressionless.
After saying this, the man’s gaze lingered intentionally on Xie Yun’s exquisite features for a moment. Raven-black bangs swept over the boy’s cool eyes; his complexion was fair, his nose bridge high, and his pale red lips were especially beautiful. The uniform outlined his tall, slender frame.
He looked every bit the model student.
The Xie couple were good-looking themselves; their son couldn’t possibly be lacking. This young master was even more beautiful than the rumors suggested.
The man stared blankly for a moment, then smiled again. “Young Master, please come in. I’ll go get you—”
“I don’t need you.”