“Shen Guang’s identity won’t allow you to think that way.” Lin Qingqian cut him off, folding her arms across her chest. Beneath her bangs, her dark, watery eyes gleamed brightly.

“But at least for now, you can still enjoy this kind of life.”

Shen Guang was at a complete loss. If his family really was that powerful, then why had he been expelled from school back then? Couldn’t they have just used the family’s influence to shut the whole thing down?

There were simply too many unanswered questions about this.

But just as Lin Qingqian had said, digging into it now wouldn’t get him anywhere. He might as well focus on living the life in front of him.

Lin Qingqian stood up and held out a hand to Shen Guang. Her expression was serious.

“My name is Lin Qingqian. You can think of me as someone who looks after Shen Guang.”

Shen Guang had only just taken her hand when she quickly pulled hers free.

“Let’s keep this a secret for now. As for what happens later, perhaps they’ll have to deal with it together.” From the sound of it, Lin Qingqian wasn’t confident she could handle what came next, either.

“Okay. I look forward to working with you.”

.......

The cool breeze from the air conditioner left Shen Guang feeling groggy, and his mouth was so dry it was making him uncomfortable.

Suddenly, his phone alarm rang out, jolting his heart.

Shen Guang sprang up from the bed and clutched his chest, staring around in confusion.

He wasn’t in the familiar room he knew. The strange surroundings made him think, for a moment, that he was dreaming. But he soon came to his senses. He was Shen Guang now.

“Ah... I have to go back to school.” Shen Guang rubbed his head, looking rather dispirited.

When it came to high school, he followed the principle that it was better to avoid trouble than invite it.

He took part in group activities, finished the tasks assigned by his teachers on time, got along normally with his friends, and had no bad habits.

He was the kind of person who’d disappear into a crowd in no time.

But Shen Guang was different. Someone destined to become cannon fodder would probably have plenty of “friends” down the line. As for who they were, he had no idea.

People were naturally cautious around the unknown.

“Whatever. I’ll take things as they come.”

Shen Guang quickly washed up, changed into his school uniform, then looked at himself in the mirror.

He had to admit, Shen Guang was handsome in a bright, sunny sort of way. His brains, on the other hand, might not be quite as impressive.

But from now on, he’d be the one to save his own fate!

Shen Guang silently cheered himself on, only for his merciless alarm to remind him he was about to be late.

He grabbed his schoolbag, shut the front door, and went to wait for the elevator.

But when the elevator doors opened, two girls were standing inside.

Lin Qingqian and Yan Qingxue were both inside.

Lin Qingqian had traded the dowdy look she’d had a few days ago for a crisp school uniform and skirt. Black stockings covered her long legs, and a pair of small brown loafers made her look particularly cute.

This look completely outshone how she’d looked yesterday!

The only thing that hadn’t changed was her heart-chilling gaze, as if she could freeze anyone solid.

If Lin Qingqian was an iceberg, constantly radiating cold, then Yan Qingxue beside her was a ray of warm winter sunshine.

When she saw Shen Guang, Yan Qingxue smiled and gave him a slight nod in greeting.

But the moment Shen Guang stepped into the elevator, he felt a distinct chill.

Standing between the two girls, he felt completely out of place.

The character for “womanizer” popped into his mind—the image of a man between two women. Could these two girls really not get along? But he hadn’t heard anything about them having a conflict when he played the game before. So was he the reason behind all this?

Shen Guang tried to piece things together, but Yan Qingxue spoke up and broke the awkward silence.

“Shen Guang, are you well enough to go back to school now? It hasn’t been long since your head injury.”

“My head’s fine. You don’t need to worry too much.” Shen Guang gave an awkward laugh. Suddenly, he felt as if a deadly gaze were boring into his back.

He turned around without thinking. Lin Qingqian stood with her arms folded, eyes fixed ahead and her expression as calm as ever.

It had to be his imagination. There was no way Lin Qingqian would do something like that, right?

Shen Guang tried to reassure himself, but as he began to look away, he clearly saw the chill in Lin Qingqian’s eyes. It was as if she meant to freeze him in place.

Shen Guang shuddered, and Yan Qingxue beside him asked anxiously,

“Shen Guang, are you okay?”

“Ah... I... I’m fine. The elevator’s just a little cold. Maybe I should call someone to fix it later.”

.........

Naturally, as soon as Shen Guang returned to school, he became the center of everyone’s attention. Who didn’t know he’d pursued Yan Qingxue for a long time? Even though Yan Qingxue had denied the rumors, some people still secretly held on to their suspicions.

Still, seeing Yan Qingxue and Shen Guang arrive at school together surprised everyone.

They chatted and laughed together. It was nothing like the rumors that Shen Guang had threatened Yan Qingxue.

But the seeds of suspicion had already been planted. Who knew what might happen next?

Shen Guang looked around the unfamiliar classroom, keeping his head down as he quickly found his seat.

His desktop was spotless, and the books in his desk were neatly arranged.

It suited the kind of person Shen Guang seemed to be.

Nothing about him looked like the traits of someone with a dark personality.

As soon as Shen Guang sat down, he felt the gazes of his classmates on him. He propped his cheek up with one hand and turned to look out the window.

He didn’t like people staring at him, but he understood that most of his classmates were just following the crowd and looking for excitement.

Those who genuinely cared about what had happened to Yan Qingxue probably weren’t in the majority.

People always liked to judge others from the moral high ground. Even when they were in the wrong, they’d find an excuse to argue their way out of it.

It all seemed rather dull. Shen Guang lowered his hand and was about to take out a book when a dark shadow suddenly blocked the light in front of him.

He slowly raised his head and met the other person’s eyes: a strikingly handsome boy.

He wore a gentle smile. Even the most irritable person would calm down under its influence.

Someone like him was as dazzling as the sun.

And exactly the kind of person Shen Guang hated dealing with most.

“Good morning, Shen Guang.” The boy’s voice was easygoing, like a clear spring bubbling over stones.

But what a forced greeting. Who says “good morning” like that?

Shen Guang immediately marked him down as someone he was only so-so with!

Shen Guang looked up, smiled back at him, and said,

“Good morning.”

The other students were surprised by the scene, but no one spoke. They just watched the two of them talk.

The boy blinked, then asked,

“I heard you got hurt. Are you okay?”

“It was nothing serious. I was just in the hospital for a few days.”

“That’s good.”

The boy seemed to know where to draw the line and didn’t ask anything more.

He turned and went back to his own group, fitting right in as if he’d never left.

Shen Guang watched him walk away, his feelings a tangled mess.

As expected, the people he hated dealing with most were these “perfect” boys.