From the day he started picking up Qian Yu, Xia Chuan’s routine changed.

He not only had to fetch her for school but also prepare breakfast for three. He genuinely didn’t dare let Mo Yao near any ingredients—even the finest would turn into biohazards in her hands.

After making breakfast, he ate a little himself, then went to the next room to wake the still-sleeping Qian Yu. He brushed her teeth, washed her face, and changed her clothes…

He combed her hair afterward, though the result was slightly messy.

By then, Mo Yao was still asleep. *Could someone like her even be a mother?*

Still, Xia Chuan left a note asking her to eat breakfast next door once she woke.

Glancing at the time, he bolted out the door without delay.

---

When Xia Chuan returned to school after dropping off Qian Yu, morning reading was about to start.

The corridors were empty. Watching the time tick closer on his watch, he broke into a jog toward his classroom.

“Stop! Xia Chuan.”

A cold voice cut through the air behind him, freezing him mid-stride.

He didn’t need to turn to know who it was. His previously calm mood turned icy.

“Oh, Miss Northsea. What do you want?”

He turned to face the figure, his tone detached.

The girl in his line of sight was undeniably beautiful—flawless skin, delicate features, and a figure that made the summer uniform cling tightly to her generous curves. Sun-kissed golden curls framed her face, and gem-like eyes glittered under the sunlight. Yet her expressionless, frosty demeanor dimmed her radiance.

Ordinarily, Xia Chuan might’ve blushed at such beauty. But this girl—Northsea Yuxue—shared a tangled history with him.

A celebrity at school, unlike Xia Chuan’s infamous “Black-Haired Demon King” title, she was one of the top three campus beauties. A Sino-British heiress to a powerful conglomerate, she excelled academically and commanded universal respect.

Logically, their worlds shouldn’t intersect. Yet her influence was a major reason for his current isolation.

“Just checking how you’re doing.”

Northsea Yuxue’s voice remained glacial.

“No need for your concern, Miss.”

Xia Chuan’s reply was equally cold.

“Enjoying the loneliness?” She let out a derisive laugh.

“It’s fine. Though admittedly, it can’t compare to your popularity.”

“You—!” Trained in elite etiquette, Northsea Yuxue faltered.

Xia Chuan shot her a dismissive glance and turned to leave.

“Stop!” Her voice sharpened with irritation.

He paused but didn’t turn.

“Xia Chuan, I’ll give you another chance. Apologize to me now, and I’ll make them stop isolating you.” Her tone dripped with condescension, like a queen granting alms to a beggar.

Xia Chuan stayed silent for a beat.

“Well?” Northsea Yuxue already pictured his surrender.

“Apologize? For *that*?” His first words stunned her.

Slowly, he turned. Summer wind lifted his long bangs, revealing eyes deep and resolute.

“I’ve never thought I was wrong. Even if time rewound, I’d do the same thing again.”

“No matter what you do for her, she’ll never know!” Northsea Yuxue’s composure cracked.

“She… doesn’t need to know. She just needs to be herself.” His voice hitched, then softened with quiet sorrow.

Without another look, he walked down the corridor. His shadow stretched long and lonely across the floor.

Northsea Yuxue didn’t call out again.

Slowly, she sank to her knees, head bowed. Her whisper barely stirred the polished floor:

“I’m such an idiot… I ruined it again.”

---

Xia Chuan was late returning to class.

No one dared stop him. He slipped to his seat and opened his book.

Though reading aloud, his mind replayed Northsea Yuxue’s words:

*“No matter what you do for her, she’ll never know!”*

He couldn’t pretend they didn’t sting. Her words had shaken him.

Morning reading ended in a haze. His mood remained unsettled.

“Xia Chuan, what’s wrong?”

Liu Yixia approached, concern in her eyes.

He forced energy into his voice. “Just didn’t sleep well. Thanks for asking.”

Seeing her face only deepened his turmoil.

“Really?” She studied him skeptically.

“Of course! The ‘Black-Haired Demon King’ doesn’t get troubled by little things.” He flashed an over-the-top grin.

Liu Yixia didn’t smile back. Leaning close, her voice dropped to a tender murmur only he could hear:

“You don’t have to pretend with me, Xia Chuan.”

Her gentleness froze him.

*Liu Yixia… stop being like this. I might start hoping again.*

Bitterness flooded his chest.

After a pause, he pushed her away lightly, plastering on a smile.

“I said I’m fine.”

---

Break time flew. Before he knew it, the first class began.

Xia Chuan had regained his usual reserved composure.

As the bell rang, the homeroom teacher strolled in—followed by a new student.

*An transfer student,* Xia Chuan guessed.

Curious, he studied the figure on the podium.

A girl stood there—delicate features, porcelain skin, flushed cheeks—radiating shyness. But she wore the *boys’* uniform. Xia Chuan’s instincts flared.

The boys erupted in cheers and wolf-whistles.

“Silence!” The teacher’s shout quelled the chaos.

“Bai Yifan, introduce yourself.”

“I-I’m Bai Yifan… from Beichuan City! I like… badminton…” She stammered, trembling visibly. To the class, it was endearing.

Xia Chuan almost clapped—he felt like a proud father watching his daughter take the stage. *Wait, I don’t even have a wife!*

“A-and…” Bai Yifan hesitated, then steeled herself.

“I’m actually… a boy.”

The class froze. Except Xia Chuan.

*Knew it. That cute? Impossible.*

He smirked knowingly.

After a stunned silence, the boys’ eyes gleamed with renewed excitement.

*Seriously? Even more hyped now?*

Xia Chuan stayed unmoved—not because he disliked cross-dressers. *Ugh, I don’t.*

As the school’s outcast, he doubted anyone would approach him. New students or not, he only had Liu Yixia.

The teacher scanned the room. All empty seats clustered near one spot. He pointed.

“Bai Yifan, you’ll sit there.”

*Wait—that’s beside ME?!*

Xia Chuan opened his mouth to protest but found no words.

He could only watch as the cross-dressing boy took the seat beside him.

Bai Yifan offered a nervous smile.

*Sorry, dear God… I think I just accidentally opened Lucifer’s door.*

Seeing that sweet smile, Xia Chuan felt himself take one step closer to damnation.