Xie Yuqi set her phone down, the lingering embers of her anger still burning hot.
Right at that moment, the phone rang once more.
Assuming it was Ning Che calling back, fury flared in her chest, only for her expression to soften when she looked down and saw the caller ID. Xia Li.
Xie Yuqi took a breath to master her emotions before answering the call.
“Senior Xia.”
“Xiao Qi, I only just found out from my sister that Union University’s graduation gala is in three days. It turns out you and my sister are in the same graduating class for graduate school?”
Xie Yuqi replied, “Yes, though we are in different departments, so we rarely cross paths.”
Xia Li said, “Xia Xue dragged me into attending, claiming it was to give her some social backing. It’s been several years since I graduated from Union U. Going back now feels a little embarrassing, don’t you think, Xiao Qi?”
Xie Yuqi was about to respond when she suddenly caught herself. Xia Li was seemingly asking for her opinion, but in reality, wasn’t she probing to see if Xie Yuqi would be attending the gala? It was a veiled invitation.
She replied, “Senior Xia, you were a legendary figure back in your days at Union U. The current underclassmen would be thrilled to have you back. I’m certain the professors will welcome you with open arms as well.”
Xia Li let out a low chuckle. “Hearing you say that actually tempts me. Shall we see each other in three days then?”
Xie Yuqi smiled slightly. “Welcome back, Senior Xia. See you in three days.”
After hanging up, Xie Yuqi gave the matter some thought and placed calls to Xu Ziwen and Lu Niansheng, inviting them to attend her graduation gala together, acting as her own social backing.
June 5th, 5:00 PM.
Before nightfall had even fully descended, the streetlamps in the plaza outside Union University’s Central Auditorium were already lit.
A red carpet stretched from the plaza all the way to the auditorium’s main entrance. Guided by pillars adorned with floral arrangements, an even broader and more luxurious red carpet led straight into the heart of the auditorium.
Inside, the venue had long been decorated anew, ablaze with lights.
Floating pink balloons, dancing ribbons, and bright red banners filled with embossed gold blessings adorned the space. The brilliant chandeliers cast a bright, golden radiance, rendering the grand auditorium magnificent and opulent.
The seating in the center of the hall had been cleared away, transforming into a grand central ballroom capable of accommodating hundreds of people.
The remaining tables and chairs were arranged around the dance floor, dressed in pristine white chair covers paired with deep blue back-bows. Every table featured a massive bouquet of fresh, fragrant flowers.
Suspended high above the stage was a golden banner congratulating the students on their successful graduation. The calligraphy was bold and sweeping, clearly the handiwork of a master calligrapher among this year’s graduating class.
As groups of meticulously dressed students began stepping onto the red carpet, the auditorium gradually transformed into an ocean of joy.
Viewed from above, every path leading toward the Central Auditorium was filled with students clad in formal evening wear. Walking in rows of three or five, they strolled through the campus walkways, drawing crowds of mesmerized underclassmen who stopped to watch.
Everyone was in high spirits, their strides confident. In contrast to the green naivety they possessed when they first entered the university, their youthful faces were now alive with a brilliant aura of self-assurance.
Glamorous figures continuously converged from all directions into the plaza, meeting up with familiar classmates, cheering, chatting in clusters, and then heading together into the hall.
Even more students were linking arms with their partners to walk the red carpet.
Around the perimeter of the carpet, crowds of photography enthusiasts had already gathered.
Amidst clusters of professional camera lenses, everyone did their utmost to showcase their most beautiful, confident selves. The air was thick with the din of voices and constant gasps of admiration, closely resembling the scene of an Academy Awards red carpet.
At 6:40 PM, a sudden burst of cheers erupted from the clamorous crowd.
“Look, quick! Senior Xie is here!”
“The goddess has arrived! Wow, she looks so beautiful tonight!”
“Yuqi, over here!” a familiar classmate called out, waving.
The dense crowd instinctively parted, revealing three beautiful figures at the end of the red carpet.
Xie Yuqi, Xu Ziwen, and Lu Niansheng.
Xie Yuqi wore a royal purple floor length gown that exuded nobility and elegance. Xu Ziwen wore a diamond-blue gown, cold, elegant, and grand, while Lu Niansheng wore a champagne gold gown, opulent and radiant.
The moment the three stepped onto the red carpet side by side, it triggered waves of screams.
“Goddess! Goddess!!”
“Goddess, I want a picture with you!”
“Me too!”
“Senior Goddess, could I please get your autograph?”
Amidst the commotion, another collective gasp echoed from behind the crowd.
“Wow, who is that?”
“Good heavens, it’s Union U’s former goddess, Senior Xia Li!”
“She actually came! Save me! I think I’m going to faint!”
“So handsome! Oh my god, too handsome!”
“Oh my god, what kind of day is today? The former goddess and the newly crowned goddess are in the same frame!”
The crowd parted uniformly once more as Xia Li’s handsome and beautiful figure appeared at the end of the line. Bearing a charming smile, humble and poised, her left hand was gallantly linked with another beautiful Omega.
“Who is that? Why is Senior Xia holding her hand?”
“I heard Senior Xia got engaged. Is that her fiancée?”
“Don’t talk nonsense, that’s Senior Xia’s younger sister, Xia Xue! She’s also a graduate student here at Union University!”
A voice called out from behind. “Xiao Qi!”
Xie Yuqi, along with Xu Ziwen and Lu Niansheng, turned around.
Xia Li walked over with a smile, her arm linked with Xia Xue.
The two parties met in the middle of the red carpet, exchanging pleasantries.
Xia Li’s eyes remained fixed on Xie Yuqi. As she drew near, she praised softly, “Xiao Qi, you are more beautiful than the moonlight tonight.”
Xu Ziwen and Lu Niansheng covered their smiles, and Xu Ziwen blinked, teasing, “Senior Xia, you only praise Qiqi. That is so biased!”
Remaining perfectly poised, Xia Li glanced at each of them. “You two underclassmen are, naturally, top-tier beauties in your own right as well.”
The surrounding crowd erupted into a frenzy, and camera shutters clicked madly at them.
Click, click, click!
The shutters of the surrounding cameras pressed so rapidly they practically smoked, everyone scrambling to capture this visually stunning and rare moment.
Liu Xinxin, Ling Shiya, and Fang Lin were also in the crowd, each dressed in their finest attire. Yet, the moment Xie Yuqi, Xia Li, and the others arrived, they were instantly reduced to background noise.
Envy and jealousy marred the expressions of the three girls, yet they still strained their necks to watch.
“Where is Ning Che? Why hasn’t she shown up?”
“Who knows? Maybe she was dumped by Eldest Miss Xie and is too embarrassed to show her face.”
“Fang Lin, why are you being so quiet? Do you know something?”
Liu Xinxin and Ling Shiya turned simultaneously toward the silent Fang Lin.
Fang Lin stammered, “I don’t know anything. I haven’t seen Ning Che for several days either. But Xu Fan and Shen Qingzhi definitely know.”
“Tch, like we needed you to tell us that.”
The two girls flashed looks of disdain before continuing to glare toward Xie Yuqi’s direction with eyes full of envy and resentment.
Suddenly, Liu Xinxin and Ling Shiya changed a look, and then Liu Xinxin yelled out into the crowd.
“Senior Xie, how come Ning Che didn’t come with you?”
The moment those words left her mouth, the restless energy in the crowd underwent a subtle shift. Some who didn’t know Ning Che asked the people beside them, and upon being told she was Xie Yuqi’s girlfriend, they all took on curious expressions.
Then someone else chimed in: “Senior Ning is Senior Xie’s girlfriend, why isn’t she here?”
Xie Yuqi’s expression shifted slightly. She didn’t know why Ning Che hadn’t arrived yet either. In the past, Ning Che would have been waiting for her long before this hour.
More people, never ones to miss out on drama, began piping up one after another.
“Where is Ning Che? Has anyone seen her?”
“Is Senior Ning not walking the red carpet with Senior Xie?”
“Did the two of them break up?”
Xie Yuqi’s face grew slightly cold. She utterly despised this kind of atmosphere. At that moment, Xia Li looked at her with a look of mild curiosity. “Ning Che? Is that the top scholar from Huazhou who had the fortune of being publicly confessed to by Xiao Qi?”
Xie Yuqi replied, “Yes. She might have been delayed by something. She’ll be here in a moment.”
Her confession to Ning Che years ago was public knowledge, she had never intended to hide it. She simply disliked being gossiped about. Since Xia Li asked, she might as well tell her openly, using the opportunity to observe her reaction.
Xia Li smiled gently. “Anyone who catches Xiao Qi’s eye must be exceptionally outstanding. I look forward to meeting her.”
The dialogue was destined to be overheard by the surrounding students, spreading like wildfire.
“Senior Xie said Ning Che will be here soon!”
“Senior Xia Li said she looks forward to meeting Ning Che!”
“Wow, a match of talent and beauty. I can’t wait to see them walk the red carpet together!”
Hearing this, Liu Xinxin and Ling Shiya’s expressions suddenly turned incredibly ugly.
“What match of talent and beauty!” Liu Xinxin spat.
Ling Shiya shrugged. “You know how it is. The lower classes just love watching these fairy-tale romances, when in reality, facts will slap them hard in the face.”
“A match of talent and beauty? People actually still believe in that archaic nonsense?”
Suddenly, a discordant voice cut in.
“Did I come to the wrong place? Is this Union University? Talking about talent and beauty, have you all lost your minds?”
The crowd parted for a third time as someone led a group forward. She was quite tall, with her shoulder-length hair combed straight back, leaving only a single lock bleached white that hung down from her left temple.
She wore a custom-tailored, high-end suit, with the jacket designed like a cape, left wide open. The high, stiff collar accentuated her slender neck, and right in the center of her throat was a linear tattoo, extremely fine, yet exceptionally conspicuous.
With both hands stuffed in her pockets, she strode over with large steps. A mocking smile played in her eyes as she looked toward Xie Yuqi and the others, her chin tilted high, radiating pure arrogance.
Her words were just as arrogant, drawing frowns of displeasure from the students present. However, they instantly perceived the powerful aura emanating from her body.
The expressions of those around her shifted immediately.
“She’s actually an S-grade Alpha!”
“So powerful!”
The surrounding Alphas and Omegas involuntarily took a step back, and the Betas followed suit. The crowd was suppressed by the sheer pressure of her presence, and even their mindsets wavered.
“She’s Ye Lingyi, the heir of the Ye family who was rumored to be involved with Senior Xie!”
“Is she the one who publicly confessed to Senior Xie?”
“I heard the Ye family wants to arrange a marriage with the Xie family!”
“Then what about Senior Ning?”
“Ye Lingyi isn’t even from Union U. What is she doing here?”
Xie Yuqi narrowed her eyes but remained silent, her expression neutral.
Xia Li, on the other hand, watched impassively as Ye Lingyi drew closer.
Just as Ye Lingyi was about to step directly in front of Xie Yuqi, Xia Li’s feet shifted slightly. She turned her body just enough to face Ye Lingyi head-on, effectively shielding Xie Yuqi behind her.
Xie Yuqi silently breathed a sigh of relief, and beside her, Xu Ziwen and Lu Niansheng did the same.
Ordinary Alphas had no effect on them, but Ye Lingyi was an S-grade. If she truly unleashed her full aura, it would make things very uncomfortable for them.
With Xia Li gallantly stepping in front, she had neatly resolved their predicament.
Ye Lingyi suddenly felt her momentum stall, as though colliding with an invisible wall.
In front of her, Xia Li reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, acting like an older boss humoring a delinquent youth. In a slightly optionless tone, she said, “Lingyi, with so many underclassmen present, how can you casually throw around your Alpha aura? Pull it back. Don’t go offending the beautiful ladies.”
Displeased, Ye Lingyi shrugged her shoulder, but her frame didn’t budge an inch.
Only then did she realize that Xia Li was indeed just like her, an S-grade Alpha and her mastery over her Alpha aura was far more refined than her own.
More importantly, the Xia family possessed formidable strength. Although they ranked fourth among the major wealthy clans in Yanjing, they were an old money family with deep roots.
She truly did not dare to act recklessly in front of Xia Li. Instantly letting out a loud laugh, she said, “Senior Xia must be joking. How could I dare lose my manners in front of so many beauties? I merely ran into an elite senior Alpha like you and got a bit excited, failing to control it for a moment.”
She deliberately raised her hand to pat Xia Li’s hand resting on her shoulder. Xia Li seamlessly withdrew her hand, allowing the invisible smoke of conflict to dissipate into nothingness.
Ye Lingyi then turned her mocking gaze back toward Xie Yuqi. “Eldest Miss Xie, we meet again.”
This time she was smart enough not to extend her hand, knowing full well that Xie Yuqi would never shake it.
Xia Li immediately threw a look toward Xia Xue. Xia Xue instantly looped her arm affectionately through Ye Lingyi’s. “Sister Ye, you arrived just in time. Why don’t you walk the red carpet with me?”
With her pride preserved, Ye Lingyi readily took the exit offered. “An invitation from a beauty, naturally I must comply. After you.”
Her tone was flirtatious and casual, honestly speaking, it wasn’t particularly respectful to Xia Xue. A flash of coldness crossed Xia Li’s eyes, but seeing her sister looking happy, she said nothing. She turned and offered her hand to Xie Yuqi. “Xiao Qi, let me escort you inside.”
Xie Yuqi silently accepted.
By 7:20 PM, everyone had taken their seats.
Xia Li sat at the same table as Xie Yuqi and her friends.
The four of them were far too striking, sitting there, they stood out like cranes among a flock of chickens, casting everyone around them into shadow. Very few people could withstand that level of pressure to approach them.
It had to be said that extreme beauty was an insurmountable chasm.
Ye Lingyi was also sensible enough not to come over and cause trouble. However, she was loud and flashy, and there was never a shortage of beautiful women around her. Not only did many Omegas cluster around her side, but even quite a few Alphas stepped forward to curry favor, wanting to familiarize themselves with this handsome, wealthy heir.
Xie Yuqi scanned the surroundings. Seeing no sign of Ning Che, she felt a trace of surprise. Ning Che had repeatedly reminded her to attend tonight.
She pulled out her phone and quickly sent a message.
Ning Che, come to the graduation gala. I have something to say to you face to face.
Oddly enough, a long while passed without any reply.
Xia Li glanced at Xie Yuqi’s phone, asking in a seemingly casual manner, “Xiao Qi seems a bit restless. Are you anxious waiting for your girlfriend?”
“Why don’t you give her a call? That way, I can finally meet this high-achieving student from Huazhou.”