For just a fleeting second, Li Mochen's eyes softened—a rare, almost imperceptible shift that melted the usual cold sharpness in his gaze. But it disappeared as quickly as it came, replaced once more by his signature calm and unreadable expression.
Yet even then, the quiet hum of thoughts continued echoing in his mind.
"Should I just walk in and say hi? Do I look okay? Is my hair… still in place? What about my makeup?"
The corner of his lips twitched, almost forming a smile—subtle, but real. His gaze drifted toward the doorway, and from the edge of his vision, he caught sight of a slim figure standing just beyond the threshold.
Yun Xiyan.
She hadn't noticed him looking yet. With a touch of nervous energy, she slipped a small compact cushion from her purse and dabbed it gently along her cheeks, checking her reflection with the practiced movements of a girl who wanted to look effortlessly perfect—but was secretly overthinking every detail.
Li Mochen looked away before she noticed his stare, but the faint warmth in his eyes lingered. "She really came all this way... just to see me?. " he thought, "How strange."
Yun Xiyan unaware of her thoughts leaking out, walks inside confidently. Her hair flowy through the wind, as her heels click clack within the class floor. She looks at Li Mochen and almost felt her heart dropped by just how fast her heart beats.
The other classmates, sharp enough to sense the subtle shift in atmosphere, began quietly gathering their things. One by one, they offered polite excuses and slipped out the door—leaving only Li Mochen and Yun Xiyan in the room.
As the door clicked shut, silence settled between them.
Suddenly, Yun Xiyan felt her nerves catch up with her. Why does it feel hotter in here all of a sudden?
Trying to play it cool, she cleared her throat and casually flipped her luscious brown hair over one shoulder, flashing a practiced smile.
"Yun Xiyan. Twenty years old. I like shopping and painting…" she said, voice lacing with confidence and clear, "Any of that interest you?"
The words left her mouth—and she immediately regretted everything.
"What the hell was that?! Who even introduces themselves like that? Are you speed-dating him, Xiyan?!"
Her face twitched as she inwardly cringed, mentally banging her head against an invisible wall. Smooth. Real smooth.
The black haired man leaned back against the table, folding his arms with effortless confidence. The slight tilt of his jaw, the way he carried himself, he exuded a quiet authority that filled the space between them.
"Li Mochen," he said, his voice smooth and steady. "Twenty-four. I don't really do hobbies. But handling business… that's what I'm best at."
Yun Xiyan, not one to be outdone, mirrored his posture with playful elegance. She turned gracefully and leaned against a nearby desk, her long, slender legs crossing ever so naturally—drawing his attention without even trying.
Li Mochen's gaze dipped.
Just for a second.
Then he swallowed, his throat suddenly dry, before lifting his eyes back to hers.
His tone shifted becoming cool, low, and laced with something more guarded. "So… what business do you have with me, Yun Xiyan?"
Yun Xiyan's eyes dropped to the floor, heart pounding louder than it had any right to.
"What am I even doing?"
A storm of thoughts swirled inside her mind.
"I can't just say I came to stop him from meeting the female lead… that would sound insane. He'd think I'm delusional."
"But if I say I came to see him… would that freak him out?"
Her fingers tightened slightly around her purse. She had imagined this moment a hundred times in her head, but now that she was standing before Li Mochen, everything just became a blur.
And the worst part?
He looked even more perfect than the original novel description.
Tall, cool, and composed. His presence filled the room without effort. The kind of man who didn't need to raise his voice to be heard, or look twice to be noticed. He wasn't just the second male lead anymore. He was real. And she was standing right in front of him.
"This was supposed to be the part where the female lead enters the scene.."
She remembered it so clearly. The original plot, the first time the female lead and Li Mochen met at the university library. A cliché moment, yes, but it had always carried weight. Two strangers, two empty chairs, one beginning of something beautiful.
Li Mochen kept looking at her waiting for her answer, but instead she managed only a soft, nervous laugh. "Sorry. I think I forgot my script."
"What script? What are you saying?!"
To her surprise, Li Mochen's lips curved, just slightly. "I didn't realise this was a performance," he said, voice calm, almost amused.
Yun Xiyan met his eyes then, finally steadying herself. "No… it's not," she whispered. "But I really hope you remember this scene." She takes out a folded piece of paper that she had prepared and places it on top of his table before turning around, heels clicking softly against the floor, Yun Xiyan walked away, posture straight, stride poised, like a woman who knew exactly what she was doing… even if her heart was still threatening to leap out of her chest.
She didn't look back.
But Li Mochen did not take his eyes off her.
Her silhouette grew smaller in the hallway's golden light, but something about her lingered—like a spark refusing to die out.
For a long moment, he stood frozen, before grabbing the piece of paper and tuck it in inside his pocket.
Then, a quiet, disbelieving laugh escaped him—dry, barely audible, but undeniably real. "What is she thinking now?" His gaze darkened slightly, his smirk fading into something more solemn, more private.
"As if I've ever forgotten her."
__________________________________________________________________________________
Neither Yun Xiyan nor Li Mochen noticed the soft snap of a phone camera, expertly taken from behind a cracked-open door. The lighting wasn't perfect, the angle a little off—but the image was gold.
In the photo, Li Mochen, B University's notoriously Li Corporation heir, stood closely with a stunning girl no one recognized. A smile—a real one—ghosted across his lips. His expression, normally unreadable and cool, looked almost… warm?
The girl, with flowing hair and legs for days, with luxury clothes obviously look like a pampered young lady wore a soft smile like she owned the moment. She was leaning slightly toward him, like a scene out of a modern romance manhua.
It hit the school forum like a nuclear bomb.
❝BREAKING: Campus Prince Li Mochen Caught with Mystery Goddess?! Who is She?!!❞ 📸 [RARE EMOTION UNLOCKED.jpg]
The reaction?
Immediate pandemonium.
"Wait—he SMILED?? Like, smiled??"
"Who is she?? Does she even go here??"
"Did an angel just descend to our school?"
"I need her WeChat. For science."
Gossip spread like wildfire. Some were screaming in jealousy, others were digging for clues like seasoned FBI agents. Fan accounts of Li Mochen were updating by the second.By the end of the hour, the post had over 50,000 views, a hundred reposts, and rumors of a secret engagement were already trending in three private WeChat groups.
Meanwhile, the two involved parties remained completely unaware that they had just become the university's hottest breaking news.
___________________________________________________________________________________
in the most private room of a high class bar
Li Mochen sat in silence, fingers loosely curled around the crystal glass in his hand, the low hum of jazz filling the exclusive lounge reserved only for the most elite. Across from him, lounging with practiced ease, were the only two people in the world he could truly call his brothers.
Zhang Wei was every bit the chaos the media painted him to be "Young Master Zhang the infamous rebel prince." With tousled blond hair (dyed in direct defiance of his family). He burned through relationships and luxury cars with the same recklessness. But beneath that wild persona was a mind sharp enough to continue the empire. The only reason Father Zhang hadn't disowned him was because he was, despite everything, brilliant.
Xu Yanfei, known in society as "Young Master Xu", he was the nation's sweetheart, the heir with the golden reputation. Dark hair, soft eyes, and a smile that melted the hardest of hearts—B Country's most eligible bachelor, adored by socialites and envied by rivals. He was the kind soul in a world of calculated ambition. But behind his warmth was someone with deep intelligence, emotional, loyal, and far more perceptive than he let on.
Of the three, Li Mochen was the eldest, though only by a single year. But that one year felt like a chasm between them. While Xu Yanfei and Zhang Wei shared the same age, it was clear that Li Mochen carried a weight, a presence, that neither of them could match. His maturity was not something easily seen, it wasn't the result of age, but of something deeper, more inherent. There was an undeniable gravity to him, a calmness that enveloped the room the moment he entered.
To outsiders, Li Mochen was the quiet one—the elegant heir who stayed away from the cameras, who let others take the spotlight. On the surface, it was always Xu Yanfei who seemed to lead the trio, the ever-smiling golden boy flanked by his wild counterpart Zhang Wei and the unreadable Li Mochen, trailing a step behind.
But only those who truly knew them understood:
Li Mochen wasn't walking behind. He was the one setting the pace.
He didn't need headlines or fanfare. His presence was subtle, yet absolute—like a shadow that stretched across the room before he even stepped inside. While the world saw him as silent, those closest knew that behind those cold, discerning eyes was a mind ten steps ahead—strategic, composed, and always calculating.
He didn't raise his voice, didn't posture or perform. But when he spoke, even the most arrogant men fell quiet. When he moved, people followed, sometimes without realizing why.
Xu Yanfei had charm. Zhang Wei had fire.
But Li Mochen had gravity.
And gravity doesn't ask for attention, it pulls everything toward it without ever making a sound.
Zhang Wei sloppily reached across the table, attempting to pour yet another drink into Li Mochen's glass, though most of it missed the rim entirely.
Li Mochen raised a brow and calmly pushed the glass away. "I've had enough for tonight," he said coolly, leaning back as he watched his friend sway like a windswept tree.
Zhang Wei, clearly tipsy and teetering on the edge of chaos, pointed an unsteady finger at Xu Yanfei, slurring, "L-look at him! He's totally wasted!"
Xu Yanfei, who had his head resting dramatically on the table, groaned and grabbed the nearest box of tissues. Without lifting his head, he chucked it straight at Zhang Wei's face. "Shut up, you drunken peacock," he mumbled.
Li Mochen sighed, staring at the scene like a tired parent watching overgrown toddlers. With an exhausted flick of his wrist, he pulled out his phone and calmly dialed.
"Pick up your young masters," he said to both the Zhang and Xu family drivers, before hanging up.
Within minutes, two sleek black cars pulled up outside. The drivers entered, bowed respectfully to Li Mochen, and expertly wrangled their respective troublemakers like seasoned babysitters. As Zhang Wei began serenading his driver with a love song about noodles, and Xu Yanfei mumbled about losing a staring contest with a lamp, Li Mochen paid the bill without so much as blinking.
He stepped out into the cool night air, the city lights casting a quiet glow on the empty streets. Glancing down at his watch, he noted the time: 2:03 AM.
"…Why do I even hang out with them?" he muttered, slipping his phone into his pocket, already regretting all of his life choices. As he puts it back in, his fingers grazes a piece of folded paper that someone had just given him earlier that day.
He paused, pulled it out.
Delicate handwriting curled across the paper, the numbers written with precision and a little flair, like a quiet wink hidden in ink.
Yun Xiyan.
He stared at it for a beat, his expression unreadable, until a smirk began to tug at the corner of his lips, smooth, knowing, and laced with something possesive, that he himself didn't notice.
"She really gave me her number…" he said under his breath, eyes gleaming beneath the soft glow of the city lights.
He looked down at the paper again, thumb brushing the edge like he could feel her confidence pulsing through it.
"How adorable."