“Who are you calling the welcoming committee?!” Bai Qiaoqiao snapped, stomping her foot hard and speaking through gritted teeth.

She never expected Chen Dao to dash into the main building and come back cradling a beautiful girl in a school uniform!

The loudest boy sucked in a sharp breath, then squeezed out hoarsely from his thick lips:

“I— Holy crap…”

Beside him, the slender yet 1.8-meter-tall boy elbowed him, eyes wide with disbelief.

Of the two girls, the sharp-tongued one twisted her face, nearly cursing aloud; the bespectacled girl with a mushroom cut simply stared blankly at Chen Dao and Xia Jiuli.

After a moment, stung by their piercing gazes, Chen Dao jostled Xia Jiuli upward slightly to adjust her position.

“Sorry, sorry! My silly little sister doesn’t talk right—please don’t take offense,” he said with an apologetic chuckle.

Hands gripping Xia Jiuli’s thighs, he couldn’t bow properly, so he shuffled forward in tiny steps, trying to slip past the five.

But after only a few paces, flushed-faced Bai Qiaoqiao muttered resentfully:

“You rejected me… just because you found someone new?”

Xia Jiuli turned her head, glancing at Bai Qiaoqiao. *She’s cute,* she thought, *but weren’t you the one who rejected him? Why flip the script now?*

She stayed silent—mistaking someone for the welcoming committee right off was already rude enough. One awkward moment was plenty.

She saw Bai Qiaoqiao tug the loud boy’s sleeve, calling him Li Zhiqiang.

“R-Right! How can you even call yourself a man?!” Li Zhiqiang blurted after a hesitant pause.

A well-known rich kid in Xinchi—real estate family, generous spender—but lacking Chen Dao’s height and looks; wealth was his only edge.

Truth was, across Xinchi No.4 High, he only remembered three names: Bai Qiaoqiao, class beauty of Grade 10 Class 8; homeroom teacher Zhu Zhan; and Gu Lian—the school’s untouchable “moonlight.”

Gu Lian: famed beauty, bona fide heiress. A winged mini-car ferried her to school; bodyguards trailed her everywhere. Fair, elegant, brilliant—wealthy, stunning, capable, a rare academic prodigy.

Rank the prettiest at No.4? Gu Lian stood utterly alone. Bai Qiaoqiao came second.

Had Chen Dao never met Xia Jiuli, he might’ve placed Gu Lian first in his heart.

But with a college score starting with seven, she left for the capital—never seen again.

Maybe only twenty-five-year-old Xia Jiuli could rival her someday.

No one dared chase her. Outside class answers, she barely spoke to anyone.

Ah, wasn’t she at today’s city ballet competition?

Without Bai Qiaoqiao shouting “Li Zhiqiang, speak up!”, Chen Dao wouldn’t have recalled the rich kid’s name—or the others: tall Zhang Yu, sharp Li Fang, bespectacled Zhao Lexuan.

Xia Jiuli hung limp, chin nearly brushing Chen Dao’s scalp, watching like a prop. *Because right now, I’m just dead weight.*

“‘Warm man’ ranks right after ‘dog.’ Maybe rethink your priorities?” Chen Dao quipped.

Li Zhiqiang froze, speechless—he heard the jab. Being called “warm man” felt nice… but below a dog? Not so much.

“You—”

“Who is she? Answer me!” Bai Qiaoqiao crossed her arms, emboldened by her group.

Chen Dao glanced at Xia Jiuli—but she only stared coldly at Bai Qiaoqiao. No reply.

“She’s my distant cousin! Got so caught up confessing to you, forgot she was touring the school! Now she’s sulking—won’t stay put! Honestly, what a mess!”

He pivoted with practiced clowning, tongue flicking the topic away, leaving them all momentarily baffled.

*Cousin? Since when?*

Chen Dao jostled Xia Jiuli’s hips subtly—a silent plea.

Hearing “cousin,” Bai Qiaoqiao’s expression softened a trace. “Cousin? For real?”

Pressure shifted to Xia Jiuli. She blinked, pursed her lips, cleared her throat:

“Giegie~”

The babyish coo didn’t convince anyone—it screamed “weird couple roleplay.” The air turned thick, stiff.

Even Chen Dao broke out in goosebumps.

*I told you to act, not cringe!* *I’ve already sacrificed my sanity for this!*

“Uh… th-this…” Li Zhiqiang stammered, glancing at Zhang Yu. Li Fang stood arms akimbo, back turned in sheer embarrassment.

Zhao Lexuan, Bai Qiaoqiao’s closest friend, finally broke the silence:

“Let’s go. Don’t disturb the siblings—it’s not right.”

She tugged the petrified Bai Qiaoqiao away.

Bai Qiaoqiao’s jaw hung slack—*This isn’t over*—but followed silently.

Li Zhiqiang and Zhang Yu muttered; Li Fang kept grumbling. Soon, only Chen Dao and Xia Jiuli remained before the main building.

“Was I… not convincing?” Xia Jiuli asked, lips tight. She felt she’d killed the mood.

“You were perfect,” Chen Dao said flatly. “Just… don’t do it again.”