Xu Yueyao groggily got up, ate breakfast, and then dazedly headed to school. Before she even reached the school gate, she saw a large crowd gathered around the entrance, along with media reporters holding cameras.
Xu Yueyao stopped in her tracks and overheard some classmates discussing something up ahead, so she tilted her head to listen.
“Have you heard? Our school is in the spotlight now. Yesterday, Fu Xiao Si, the CEO of the Fu Group, confessed to An Zhiyi at a coffee shop.”
“Yeah, I heard about it too. They say the scene was incredibly romantic.”
“Who would’ve thought our school had such hidden talents?”
“No kidding, and they’re all from underprivileged backgrounds.”
“What are those wealthy CEOs thinking? They have so many rich heiresses to choose from, yet they go for these commoners. Is this some kind of fairy tale—Prince Charming and Cinderella?”
“Ha! It’s all about looks. They’re pretty, cheap to keep around, and just for fun!”
“Well, I wouldn’t mind being played with by top-tier men like Zhan Shao or Fu Xiao Si either,” one girl said dreamily.
Her comment drew laughter from her friends. Xu Yueyao pulled up the hood of her jacket, lowered her head, and walked into the school.
When she arrived at the classroom, Xu Yueyao saw several girls gathered around An Zhiyi, chatting about something that had An Zhiyi covering her mouth and laughing.
Gao Yuyan, admiring her manicure, sneered with dissatisfaction, “Our class is really making a name for itself. Every little nobody is getting ahead, and now even the strays are starting to act up.”
Xia Nuannuan retorted angrily, “What do you mean by that, Gao Yuyan?”
“I mean I don’t like you. Want to settle this outside?” Gao Yuyan didn’t hold back at all. She stood up abruptly, and three girls behind her immediately rose as well.
Xia Nuannuan panicked slightly but still said, “You lost the bet with Xu Yueyao. You promised you’d never bully anyone again.”
Xu Yueyao couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the mention of her name. Why drag her into this?
Thud! A ball suddenly dropped from above and hit Xu Yueyao on the head. Having slept poorly the night before, the impact made her head buzz.
Fu Xiao Si walked in, looked at Xu Yueyao, and said, “Sorry about that, Xu Yueyao. The ball had no eyes and hit you. It’s such a small matter—you wouldn’t go tattling to Zhan Shao and cause trouble for our Fu Group, would you?”
The entire class fell silent, watching everything unfold, perhaps wondering which side to take.
You madman, Fu Xiao Si, Xu Yueyao thought, rubbing her head. She knew that if Fu Xiao Si started this and she didn’t do something about it, others would follow his example and bully her. But today, Xu Yueyao really wasn’t in the mood to argue with him.
However, she was already seething with anger and had nowhere to vent it. She looked at the ball beside her, picked it up, placed it on the desk, took out a folding knife she always carried in her bag, and stabbed it fiercely into the ball. A limited-edition basketball was instantly ruined.
Xu Yueyao picked up the ball and threw it into the trash can. Smiling at Fu Xiao Si, she said, “No need to thank me. I was just lending a hand, helping you get rid of a ball with no eyes. Buy one with eyes next time. The Fu Group can afford such a small expense, right?”
Xu Yueyao stared directly into his eyes. Fu Xiao Si looked at her in surprise for a moment, then leaned in with a sinister smile and said, “Xu Yueyao, you’ve got guts. We’ll take our time playing.” With that, he deliberately brushed past her, and whether intentionally or not, he bumped her shoulder as he walked by.Next was Wu Haolin, who secretly gave Xu Yueyao a thumbs-up. Xiao Beichen pushed his glasses up and walked past, and even Shen Yi paused briefly to glance at her. After they had all passed by, Xu Yueyao sat down indifferently in her seat. Following the earlier incident, the classroom immediately fell silent.
Zhang Beilu arrived just as the class bell rang. Her eyes were slightly swollen—she must have cried for a long time last night. Xu Yueyao wasn’t in the mood to comfort her now, especially since she wasn’t doing much better herself. After all, her own fate was even more tragic.
Thinking of Fu Xiao Si, Xu Yueyao felt a headache coming on.
In the afternoon, as Xu Yueyao came out of the restroom, a classmate with a face full of freckles—someone named Ruan Fangfang, if she remembered correctly—approached her and said, “Xu Yueyao, Zhang Beilu asked you to meet her at the South District basketball court. She seems upset.”
Xu Yueyao didn’t suspect anything; she actually wanted to talk to Zhang Beilu as well. But when she arrived at the basketball court, she saw Fu Xiao Si and his group, along with Gao Yuyan’s clique, sitting in the highest seats, watching her with mocking expressions.
Xu Yueyao had run there and was slightly out of breath. She placed her hands on her hips, trying to steady her breathing, and looked up at Fu Xiao Si. Were they destined to become enemies? She sighed, feeling a bit unwilling.
She walked up the stairs and stood before them. Gao Yuyan stood up, flexing her hands. Fu Xiao Si had just told her she could bully Xu Yueyao however she wanted—he’d take care of the consequences.
As soon as Xu Yueyao reached Gao Yuyan, the latter raised her hand to strike her. Xu Yueyao grabbed her wrist, spun her around, and pushed her into the arms of her three friends. The three had just been about to step in and help when Gao Yuyan was suddenly flung toward them. The force of the impact sent all four of them tumbling to the ground.
Ignoring them, Xu Yueyao headed straight for Fu Xiao Si. Standing before him, she got straight to the point: “Fu Xiao Si, tell me, what will it take for you to stop bothering me?”
Fu Xiao Si looked at Xu Yueyao, his eyes gleaming. He licked his dry lower lip and said, “Break up with Zhan Shao and be my girlfriend.”
“Impossible. Name something else,” Xu Yueyao replied without hesitation.
Fu Xiao Si’s expression darkened as he tried to persuade her. “Xu Yueyao, you’d better be smart about this. You and Zhan Shao have no future. He’ll never marry you. Once he finds a fiancée from a suitable background, he’ll abandon you—you might even lose your life. If you’re with me, I can make you my wife.”
After Fu Xiao Si finished speaking, everyone’s expressions changed drastically. None of them had expected him to be so serious, especially Shen Yi, whose face turned pale. Did he really like Xu Yueyao that much?
Seeing Fu Xiao Si’s earnest expression gave Xu Yueyao a headache. Had his mouth been blessed with prophecy? He had described her fate so accurately. But even if she didn’t dislike Fu Xiao Si, she wouldn’t dare act recklessly. She had come here only to change her fate and survive—she couldn’t tamper with the plot, and Fu Xiao Si wasn’t worth the risk.
“Fu Xiao Si, listen carefully. I’m with Zhan Rong Xuan because I like him. I’m not interested in becoming his wife. I love him—it has nothing to do with money, status, or fame. My love for him is my own affair and has nothing to do with him. So, I don’t care about what you’re offering.”Xu Yueyao finished speaking and looked at their stunned expressions. She thought to herself, I just want to see if you’re convinced. Anything, as long as it’s tied to true love, becomes reasonable and leaves you speechless. That’s the charm of true love.
Fu Xiao Si wasn’t angered or deterred by Xu Yueyao’s words. Instead, his eyes took on a determined, must-win look. He leaned in close, bending down to whisper seductively, “Then let me be your man. We won’t let Zhan Shao know. How about that?”
Xu Yueyao stared at him in disbelief. What the hell? Is he even speaking human words? To hell with him, this damn scoundrel. Screw off! Furious, Xu Yueyao turned and walked away. Someone—she didn’t know who—stuck out a foot and tripped her. Stumbling, she lost her balance and fell, then began tumbling down the stairs, rolling over and over. Ignoring the pain, Xu Yueyao thought, Could this actually kill me? Then another thought crossed her mind: If I die, so be it. Maybe dying would send me back to my little villa.
“Xu Yueyao!” Fu Xiao Si shouted. Fu Xiao Si, Shen Yi, Wu Haolin, and Xiao Beichen hurried after her. Wu Haolin and Xiao Beichen, remembering their parents’ warnings, were filled with dread.