Bai Ling... Senior Bailin?!

A thunderclap exploded in Liming’s ears. His head snapped around uncontrollably, his whole body locking up stiff. His best friend Zhangqianxing’s excited chatter beside him faded into white noise—as if an invisible hand forced his gaze exactly where it shouldn’t go.

Across the intersection, through gaps in the flowing traffic, Liming caught sight of that silhouette. A figure he’d never forget.

Her beauty was flawlessly gentle. Flawless porcelain skin glowed softly under the morning sun. Silk-stockinged legs stretched with artistic perfection—any alteration would ruin its harmony.

From Liming’s angle, he spotted the easily missed beauty mark near Senior Bailin’s eye. A stray lock of hair fell across her forehead; she casually swept it behind her ear. As her fingers gathered the dark strands, Liming felt his pulse skip a beat.

Even off-campus, she carried herself with poised grace—warm yet dignified, standing subtly above the crowd yet blending seamlessly within it.

Her tea-brown eyes weren’t large and bright like most girls’. They held a hazy tenderness, whispering unspoken words. The slightly downturned corners radiated docility with a trace of coquettish charm.

A girl of near-aristocratic rarity like her? Unseen among Qianning High’s awkward teens. Uncommon even in the wider, colorful world.

“Hey! Hey! Snap out of it, Xiao Ming! Your eyes are about to pop out!”

The muffled shout pierced through frosted glass. Only Zhangqianxing’s loud voice yanked Liming back from that strange, conflicting haze. He blinked, disoriented.

“What?”

“What? Move! Green light!”

Clearing his throat to cover his lapse, Liming hurried after Zhangqianxing. *What’s wrong with me? Only a year apart, and just seeing Senior Bailin froze me like this. Pathetic.*

But… how did his best friend even know her name? First day of school, and he’d already dug up intel this fast?

Liming shot Zhangqianxing a sidelong glance. Could his buddy possibly…

“Ugh, finally across! Seriously, you never gawk at girls like this. Today? You turned into a dumbstruck goose just seeing Senior Bailin. That’s no way to win over your goddess~”

“Shut up. I don’t have *those* kinds of thoughts about her…” Liming protested, then caught Zhangqianxing’s knowing smirk. *Making it worse.* He pivoted sharply. “How’d you even know her name’s Bailin?”

*Right. She’s school-idol tier. Denying it now just screams guilty.* Better play it cool. Let the heat die down.

Still, teenage pride flared. Liming cracked his knuckles—a silent warning to his friend: *Watch what you say, or I’ll rearrange your bones.*

“Alright, alright! You’re acting like a grumpy old man, Xiao Ming. You’ll turn into a fossil.” Zhangqianxing grinned, relishing his spotlight. “As for Senior Bailin? Anyone who knows Qianning High knows her. She’s Student Council President.”

“President? I heard our Student Council’s pretty powerful.”

“Exactly. They handle everything student-related—Discipline, Welfare, Arts and Sports Departments. Even teachers can’t interfere lightly. Senior Bailin and the Council? They’re the real power at Qianning High.”

*Typical of her…* Liming recalled his middle school days under her command. How she’d welded a ragtag team into something extraordinary.

After Bailin graduated, the middle school council collapsed into chaos. Liming, left in charge, failed to hold her legacy together. Guilt still pricked at him.

“Teachers can’t interfere? That sounds exaggerated. They’ve always got detention and grades over us.”

“Yeah, weird, right? But it makes sense for *her*.” Zhangqianxing puffed up, proud of his intel-gathering skills. He connected scattered rumors and observations like a pro—though he never spread gossip carelessly. Just traded useful tidbits to stay popular.

“Rumor is… she’s some bigshot’s heiress~ The kind who doesn’t even need to care about the principal’s glare. Everyone says her background’s terrifyingly deep.”

“Heiress? Don’t joke. Senior Bailin’s not like that. She teases sometimes, sure, but she’s… genuinely kind.”

Memories of working beside her flashed through Liming’s mind. He rebutted with a confidence he didn’t realize he had. *The girl everyone calls ‘Senior’ with warmth? No way she’s some arrogant rich girl. Anyone who knows her would say the same.*

“Oho~?” Zhangqianxing’s voice turned sly, excitement building. “Why so sure, Xiao Ming? I know she skipped ahead and graduated early last semester of junior high… Could it be…”

He’d finally cracked Liming’s tight-lipped middle school history. And the way Liming reacted? *Definitely more than classmates.*

Liming didn’t snap this time. He just repeated his line, then strode through the school gates.

“Senior Bailin isn’t some heiress.”

*[If she were… she wouldn’t live in a place like that…]*