The girl stood quietly on the podium, as if bathed in the glow of spotlights. The eyes of everyone in the class were drawn to her involuntarily. Noticing the gaze of someone specific in the crowd, a faint smile graced her serene face as she turned toward him.
Her smile bloomed like a flower, her delicate features radiant against the white of her outfit—like their first meeting all over again!
“Holy shit, she’s looking at me! She’s way too badass, like a 3D model from a blockbuster game, perfectly sculpted.”
Wei Ming let out a curse under his breath.
The class snapped to attention, erupting in a wave of exclamations.
“What a gorgeous girl—she looks like she stepped right out of a painting.”
A female student gasped in awe.
“She looks even prettier than those celebrities.”
“Is this for real? Does anyone actually look like that?” came a sour voice from one of the girls.
“Looking at her, I feel all stirred up. Who’s calling me all talk and no action?”
“Our class’s average looks just got a massive upgrade. The kids next door must be green with envy.”
“Prettier than the class monitor, even.”
“Whoever lands her is my idol for life. I’d build a shrine in the dorm and pray to it day and night.”
“It’s like my ancestral grave is smoking with good luck… Hey, do you see smoke over there? Is that mine?”
“Get lost, as if you’d deserve it.”
In an instant, the classroom filled with chatter, gasps, and shouts, chaotic as a bustling farmer’s market.
Yang Haoran ignored the commotion, staring blankly at the girl on the podium. A strange emotion welled up inside him—panic, a racing heart, a touch of fear, and an inexplicable timidity. The feelings tangled together, and he… heard his own heartbeat.
It pounded hot and urgent, like surging lava, scorching and boiling. Like a thunderclap splitting the dark sky, illuminating ripples across a lake… Yang Haoran felt a flush of heat on his face. He touched his cheek; it was burning. Though he hadn’t checked a mirror, he could imagine his face must be bright red.
Even someone as shameless as him could blush. He found it unbelievable. Suddenly, the girl on the podium noticed his movement and looked his way. Their gazes met.
Her eyes were clear and bright, sparkling like a galaxy brimming with starlight. Yang Haoran held her stare for three seconds before naturally turning away to gaze out the window.
The vast blue sky stretched endlessly, with a few wispy white clouds drifting lazily. They seemed to form the girl’s serene, flawless features.
Irritation stirred in Yang Haoran. This unfamiliar emotion was taking hold of him. What the hell? He’d seen beautiful women before—even his mom was just as stunning.
The thought of his mom made him pause. No wonder. He finally understood the source of that feeling. From the moment he’d laid eyes on this girl, she’d reminded him of his mother in her youthful prime. Somehow, his feelings for his mom had spilled over onto her.
“Heh…” Yang Haoran let out a bitter chuckle. How embarrassing. He’d just been telling Wei Ming to man up, and here he was, no better.
“Class, quiet down! Quiet!” Gu Qingying had to rap the podium a few times to force the students into silence.
“As I announced in the class group chat yesterday, everyone should know by now that Class 5 has a new transfer student. I hope you’ll all welcome her warmly in the days ahead and help her settle in quickly.”
Gu Qingying paused there and turned to the girl beside her. “Next, let’s welcome our new student to introduce herself.”
She started clapping, and the students followed with enthusiastic applause that rose and fell like ocean waves, fervent and resounding.
Facing the gaze of the entire class, the girl’s stunning face broke into a tranquil smile. Her voice rang out, crisp and melodious like a nightingale’s song. “Hello, everyone. I’m Ji Youxin!”
That was her brief introduction, and she fell silent.
“Hm?” Gu Qingying quickly stepped in to smooth things over, smiling at her. “Ji Youxin, is there anything else you’d like to say to the class?”
The girl pondered for a moment, then lifted her eyes to sweep over the room—lingering, it seemed, on one person in particular for a few seconds. She smiled and spoke slowly. “I hope we can be like a pair of white birds riding the crest of a wave. Before the shooting star fades, we’ve already grown weary of its brilliance.
“The faint glow of that blue star, low on the horizon in the morning light, awakens the bond in our hearts. And so, I have come here!”
Her words were clear and articulate. Yang Haoran blinked in a daze, feeling as if her final glance had landed on him. An illusion? Gu Qingying led another round of applause, and the class joined in, the thunderous ovation echoing through the room.
“Ji Youxin, there are no extra desks in the class right now. Come with me to the Guidance Office later to pick one up.”
Gu Qingying glanced at the class. “Yang Haoran, Wei Ming—you two come help the new student move a desk and chair.”
Wei Ming’s face lit up with joy, but it was short-lived as the girl’s next words cut him off.
“No need, Teacher.”
Ji Youxin shook her head slightly and pointed to an empty spot in the classroom. “There’s an empty seat right there. I’ll just take that one.”
Gu Qingying followed her gesture and saw—Yang Haoran, and the vacant seat beside him. Her expression stiffened. She forced a smile and advised, “You’re a girl. It wouldn’t be appropriate to sit with a boy.”
She knew exactly where that seat had come from. Originally, Wei Ming and Yang Haoran had been desk mates, but the two were always whispering during breaks. After complaints from other teachers, she’d moved Wei Ming behind Yang Haoran and given him a single desk.
Separating them to other spots would have been ideal, but she knew their habits all too well—it would just disrupt other students. Yang Haoran had improved lately, but old impressions didn’t vanish overnight.
“No need, Teacher. I just arrived; I don’t want special treatment. If there’s a seat available, that’s fine by me.”
The girl seemed utterly carefree about it.
Seeing her insistence, Gu Qingying relented. She addressed the class. “Alright then. Our new student, Ji Youxin, will sit with Yang Haoran for now.”
She went on from the podium about getting along amicably… Ji Youxin stepped down and walked straight to the empty seat beside Yang Haoran. Without so much as glancing at him, she sat down calmly.
As the girl settled in, Yang Haoran’s heart began to race again. A faint lily scent wafted into his nose, lingering teasingly at the tip, refusing to fade. It seemed to emanate from the girl beside him.
He stole a discreet glance at her. She sat with perfect posture, her exquisite profile flawless. A few strands of dark hair draped over her crystalline earlobe, her expression serene and elegant, utterly composed.
She seemed to notice his furtive look but treated him like thin air, completely ignoring him.
