The moment Jiang Lijin put on the cool silver mask, a wave of suppressed gasps spread through the hall.
Even Xiao Si Ming, standing beside him, raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“You’re joining too? Didn’t you say this kind of game was boring?” Xiao Si Ming teased lightly.
Jiang Lijin slowly adjusted the edge of his black gloves until every inch of leather fit perfectly against his fingers.
His proud gaze swept across the hall and precisely locked onto the figure in white. “Just playing around.”
Xiao Si Ming’s eyes moved between Jiang Lijin and Xu Jingran. Suddenly, he seemed to understand something, and a meaningful smile curved his lips.
He casually picked up a crimson mask and placed it over his face. “Then I’ll play too.”
The bells on the attendants’ trays were quickly snatched up.
The moment Jiang Lijin picked up his mask, Liu Ruan stepped forward and grabbed a bell.
Others followed suit.
Whether the game was fair or not, they all wanted that opportunity—and the one million prize.
For those nobles, one million might be nothing more than the cost of a dinner or a piece of clothing.
But for them, it could be wealth their families would never accumulate in a lifetime.
The special-admission students came from extremely poor families, though they excelled academically.
They might be inexperienced or naïve, but they were not stupid.
Each of them had once been top students in their own schools and regions.
Only in this aristocratic campus, controlled by powerful financial families, did they truly become the lowest class.
The corridors of Stirling Castle were intricate and winding. Candleholders cast flickering shadows on the walls.
Xu Jingran took off her high heels and carried them in her hand, walking barefoot on the soft carpet.
The silver bell chimed lightly with each step she took.
They had twenty minutes to hide.
[So nervous! My heart is pounding. Hide well!]
[Hehe… the dance studio, the garden, the library, in front of mirrors… I can’t wait to see the male leads in those places…]
[Gracefully putting on my napkin. I’m ready to feast.]
[So the heroine joined the game? The side character too? I’m betting the heroine wins this round.]
[Before, Lu Ran and Jiang Si were nice to the side character because they hadn’t met the heroine yet. Now they’re going to meet her.]
[I wonder who will be first…]
Xu Jingran glanced at the floating comments. Oh?
Looks like she shouldn’t hide in the dance studio, garden, or library.
Anywhere with mirrors?
Mm… bathrooms and restrooms were out too.
That left very few hiding places.
Xu Jingran ran barefoot to the fifth floor. Above that was the S District’s exclusive area.
She pushed open a small storage attic and struggled to pull aside the heavy velvet curtains. Behind them was a narrow balcony.
The balcony was semicircular, barely large enough for two people standing sideways, with half a wall providing cover.
This was a good spot.
She closed the thick velvet curtain and slowly crouched down, trying her best not to move the leg with the bell.
Her heart was beating fast—maybe because she had run too quickly.
Or maybe because of the “punishment” Lu Ran had mentioned.
She hoped he wouldn’t be the first to find her.
She definitely didn’t want to experience those punishments.
Compared to boys his age, Lu Ran was… excessively well-developed.
Even just stepping on his shoes earlier had taken effort.
She didn’t dare imagine anything beyond that.
Impossible. She wouldn’t be able to handle it.
Xu Jingran brushed the loose strands of hair from her face behind her ear. Through the gaps in the carved balcony pillars, she could see several masked nobles strolling through the garden below, beginning their search unhurriedly.
Two special-admission students were hiding in the garden bushes. They were quickly discovered.
Xu Jingran’s beautiful pupils shrank slightly.
She saw the S District nobles begin the punishment on the spot.
They forced one of them to kneel and slapped him casually, as if teasing.
Then they made the other person kneel by the fountain and drink the water from the pool.
How vicious.
Some nobles act refined and well-mannered within their own social circles, appearing cultured and dignified. But once they face someone from a lower class, they reveal their true nature.
The screams and laughter from the garden were harsh and grating.
Xu Jingran noticed one noble had fallen behind—the same one who had slapped someone earlier.
A tall, slender figure emerged from the shadows, grabbed the noble by the neck, and slammed his head against the edge of the fountain while pulling his hair.
Xu Jingran witnessed the entire scene. Her lips trembled slightly.
Then she saw the tall figure, dressed in a simple casual suit, lift his head and smile at her.
Under the lights, his face looked gentle and refined, handsome in a soft way, completely harmless.
She didn’t recognize him.
But she noticed a flash of silver at his ankle as well.
Another special-admission student?
A special-admission student beating a noble?
Xu Jingran quickly turned her face away, pretending she hadn’t seen anything.
It had nothing to do with her.
She saw nothing…
She stayed curled up quietly in her hiding spot, counting the time in her head.
As long as she could last two hours, it would be over.
One million. She was so close.
Light footsteps echoed from outside.
Xu Jingran froze, not daring to move, shrinking deeper into the shadows.
The moonlight illuminated only half of the balcony; her body blended into the darkness.
The footsteps drew closer—steady and unhurried, calm in a way that made her uneasy.
She could tell it was the sound of men’s dress shoes against the floor, the rhythm controlled and deliberate.
Not Lu Ran.
Lu Ran’s steps would be faster, more aggressive.
This person’s steps carried a kind of elegant indifference, as if patrolling his territory. The spacing between each step was precise.
Like a perfectionist with obsessive tendencies.
Xu Jingran bit her lower lip and curled herself tighter.
The footsteps stopped in front of the curtain where she was hiding.
Her fingers clenched. She held her breath.
Time passed slowly. Just when she thought the person had left—
A long, well-defined hand suddenly slid precisely between the curtains and slowly pulled the heavy fabric aside.
Xu Jingran looked up sharply and met a pair of eyes behind a red mask.
He bent down to look at her. Standing against the light, his tall frame almost completely enveloped her.
“Found you.”
His voice came through the mask, carrying a hint of amusement and curiosity.
Xu Jingran tried to stand and run, but Xiao Si Ming’s other hand was already pressed against the wall beside her, trapping her in a small space.
And within his arms.
“The bell.” His gaze traveled downward, stopping at the silver bell on her ankle, and he reached out his hand.
Instinctively, Xu Jingran pulled her foot back and hid it behind her, her toes curling nervously.
“No…”
She didn’t want to give it to him.
The game had just begun.
Xiao Si Ming caught the faint scent coming from her.
Lowering his gaze, he saw her delicate face flushed red, her eyes moist, her body trembling as she shrank in his arms.
It only made her look more tempting to bully.
His Adam’s apple moved slightly.
Lu Ran’s girlfriend.
Was she really this timid?
Whenever Lu Ran was with her, he became a completely different person.
Xiao Si Ming had often caught glimpses of Lu Ran kissing the girl in his arms.
His gaze lowered to her lips, marked faintly with teeth marks.
Full and red.
They did look very soft.