The sun hung low over the campus courtyard, casting long shadows as students slowly trickled out of classes. But the real show wasn't in the lecture halls—it was happening near the fountain, where Jiang Yue'er was quietly walking beside Lin Feng, a soft smile lingering on her lips.
From a distance, someone watched.
Luo Zixuan.
Leaning against the base of a tree, hands in his pockets, his eyes were locked on them—specifically on her. That smile. That warmth she never once showed him.
He clenched his jaw.
"Why him?"
Luo Zixuan had it all—pedigree, looks, money, connections. He'd been the prince of the music department for two years. Girls chased him, professors praised him, and the guys envied him.
And yet, Jiang Yue'er never gave him a second glance.
Until now. Now she was laughing beside Lin Feng—Lin Feng, the guy everyone thought was a charity case until recently.
"First Guo Yuwei, now Jiang Yue'er?" Luo Zixuan muttered to himself. "What is he, some undercover tycoon?"
From behind, a voice added with fake sympathy, "Bro, you okay?"
It was Tang Wei, sipping a latte, always nearby when drama brewed.
Luo Zixuan didn't answer, eyes still glued to Lin Feng like he was calculating something. "He's hiding something."
"Obviously. No one pulls a Rolls-Royce stunt, buys a private studio, and casually flirts with two top girls without some serious backing."
Luo Zixuan's voice was flat. "He's not from any known family. I checked."
Tang Wei blinked. "Wait. You actually…?"
"I did." Luo Zixuan straightened. "Nothing comes up. No connections, no relatives, no known background. It's like he appeared out of thin air."
Tang Wei whistled low. "Damn. That makes it worse, doesn't it? He's unpredictable."
Luo Zixuan's eyes narrowed as Lin Feng handed Jiang Yue'er a bottle of water. She laughed again.
"Unpredictable," he repeated, "and dangerous."
Later that evening, Lin Feng and Jiang Yue'er sat near the music hall steps, the quiet warmth between them unspoken but present.
"Thanks for the piano earlier," she said, voice low. "It feels like… like someone finally saw me."
Lin Feng smiled faintly. "Sometimes, you just need the right stage."
Jiang Yue'er glanced sideways at him. "You always act like it's no big deal."
"It isn't," he said, stretching. "Not if it makes someone smile again."
She paused. "You're… not like the others, are you?"
[System: Correct. Host is the emotionally available wallet every campus goddess dreams of.]
Lin Feng coughed and quickly looked away.
"Nothing," he said. "Just the wind."
Back near the dorms, Luo Zixuan stared at his phone, eyes burning into a blank message draft.
He was quiet for a moment… then started typing:
"Let's talk. Tomorrow. Privately."
He didn't say who it was for, but the name above the message said it all:
Guo Yuwei.