On a midsummer evening, the night sky was devoid of stars and the moon, with a few dark clouds hanging over the distant mountain peaks, as if signaling impending rain.
In the banquet hall of a five-star hotel owned by the Liang Group, a birthday celebration was underway.
The Liang Group held a prominent position in the business world, and the Liang family was one of the most prestigious families in Lincheng. Although tonight’s celebration for the mother-in-law of the group’s chairman was being held in a low-key manner, the attendees were either wealthy or influential.
Guests took turns approaching the elderly lady to offer their birthday wishes. However, the elderly lady had one person on her mind, and after a while, she once again asked the parents of the Liang family who were beside her:
“Why hasn’t Zhiyi arrived yet?”
Mr. Liang glanced at his watch. “She should be here soon. I called her half an hour ago, and she said she was on her way.”
Mrs. Liang smiled and reassured her, “Mom, don’t worry. She’s probably stuck in traffic. If she had wings, she would have flown over to see you.”
The elderly lady was amused. As they were talking, a middle-aged woman’s voice came from the side:
“Mom, happy birthday—”
They turned to see a family of three from the Zhang family approaching. The woman who spoke was the elderly lady’s younger daughter and Mrs. Liang’s sister. She was accompanied by her husband and daughter, all dressed extravagantly.
Mrs. Zhang presented a set of expensive gold jewelry as a birthday gift in a grand manner, and her daughter, Zhang Xinxin, sweetly wished her grandmother a happy birthday as well.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Mrs. Zhang looked around and asked, “Why haven’t I seen Zhiyi and Tongzhou?”
The two were twins, a sister and brother. Mrs. Liang smiled helplessly. “Tongzhou has a fever and is resting at home. Zhiyi was traveling out of town, and her flight is arriving tonight, so she should be here soon. By the way, why are you all a bit late?”
Mrs. Zhang adjusted her silk shawl with a smile. “Xinxin has a piano solo performance coming up at the city’s music hall, so she’s been busy with rehearsals.”
“A solo performance? That’s impressive, Xinxin.”
“Yes, her teacher keeps praising her talent, and she’s also quite striking in appearance…” Mrs. Zhang boasted, her grin almost reaching her ears.
Noticing the many guests present and the piano set up nearby, Mrs. Zhang suggested with a smile, “Mom, how about we let Xinxin play a piece for you? It would liven up the birthday celebration.”
Mrs. Zhang had always been overshadowed by her elder sister, Mrs. Liang, and after her sister married into a wealthy family, she felt even more inferior. However, recently, her husband’s business had unexpectedly flourished, and her daughter had been doing exceptionally well. She was eager to seize this opportunity to show off.
Her intentions were clear, and the elderly lady’s smile faded slightly, but she still nodded, “Alright…”
And so, under everyone’s gaze, Zhang Xinxin proudly took her seat at the piano on stage.
Imagining the admiration from the crowd after she played her piece, the girl secretly rejoiced as her fingers slowly touched the keys.
The piano music began to play.
Everyone was absorbed in the melody when—
Suddenly, the doors to the banquet hall swung open.
Under the greeting and bowing of the waitstaff, a young girl slowly walked in.
The light from the crystal chandelier cascaded down, illuminating her gradient sea-blue evening gown. The ruffled hem of her skirt fluttered like waves with each step.
The girl’s skin was as fair as snow, her features delicate and bright.
“Isn’t that the young lady of the Liang family…”
“Yes, she’s Chairman Liang’s beloved daughter. She’s truly beautiful…”
A wave of murmured admiration spread through the guests, and all eyes focused on the girl. Zhang Xinxin’s piano playing suddenly became more like background music for the grand entrance of the real star.
Zhang Xinxin’s mother’s face immediately turned sour.
In the center of the hall, Liang Zhiyi approached the elderly lady with a sweet greeting. The elderly lady beamed with joy and playfully scolded her, “You, why are you so late…”
“I went home to change my clothes,” the girl replied with a gentle smile, linking her arm with her grandmother’s. “Don’t be upset, Grandma. I brought you a gift. I hope you like it—”
Knowing her grandmother’s love for antiques, Liang Zhiyi had specially selected a finely carved turquoise handpiece while she was traveling. Though it wasn’t as extravagant as gold or silver, it was precisely the kind of gift that would delight the elderly lady.
Seeing this, a nearby guest smiled and remarked that the elderly lady was truly blessed to have such an obedient granddaughter. Everyone knew that Chairman Liang’s daughter was not only beautiful but also exceptionally talented in the arts—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She was the apple of her grandmother’s eye.
Just then, Zhang Xinxin finished her piano performance and returned. The elderly lady offered a few words of praise, but Zhang Xinxin’s mother noticed that all the attention was still on Liang Zhiyi. Forcing a smile, she chimed in, “It’s been a while since we’ve seen Zhiyi. She’s grown even more beautiful.”
Liang Zhiyi greeted her politely.
Zhang Xinxin’s mother then said with a hint of sarcasm, “I heard you’ve been traveling recently? You can’t be too playful; you’re in your second year of high school now, and you should focus on your studies. Look at Xinxin—she plays the piano but never lets it interfere with her studies. She consistently ranks in the top ten of her grade.”
Hearing this, Liang Zhiyi raised her eyebrows slightly and smiled, “Yes, I’ll definitely work hard on my studies.”
“I heard you’re transferring to the main campus of No. 1 High School for your second year, right? Now that you and Xinxin are in the same grade and the same school, you can help each other out. By the way, what’s your usual rank in the grade?”
Liang Zhiyi smiled again, “Not that great. I don’t always come first.”
“…?”
In her first year, she attended a branch school of No. 1 High School, an innovative campus that was internationally oriented, and her grades were as valuable as those from the main campus. She was nearly always the top student in her grade.
Liang Zhiyi’s dimples appeared as she said, “I’ll have to seek guidance from my cousin and improve together.”
The surrounding guests couldn’t help but chuckle, while Zhang Xinxin’s mother awkwardly forced out a laugh, “Th-that’s good.”
Mrs. Liang gently tapped her daughter’s hand and smiled helplessly, “Alright, that’s enough mischief.”
Afterward, Liang Zhiyi mentioned that she was a bit hungry, and the elderly lady told her to get something to eat, so she went off to find some food.
After grabbing a few desserts, she walked over to the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling windows and sat down. She hadn’t eaten anything since lunch, and only after downing two small pieces of hazelnut mousse did she finally feel revived.
After finishing, she sat lazily, gazing out at the night view. Suddenly, someone covered her eyes from behind, and a mischievous voice whispered, “Guess who?”
Liang Zhiyi was speechless. “…Ji Fei’er, get your claws off me.”
Ji Fei’er, who was Liang Zhiyi’s close friend, knew their families well. She let go with a playful grin and sat down beside her.
Liang Zhiyi was surprised. “How come I didn’t see you earlier?”
“I was hiding in the corner watching the drama. Your aunt must be fuming by now, haha.”
Liang Zhiyi sighed. She had grown used to it over the years, though it still bothered her. It wasn’t as if she went out of her way to compare herself to others; it was really quite frustrating.
Ji Fei’er turned her head and noticed how Liang Zhiyi was resting her hand under her glowing, delicate profile, her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.
Wow, even as a straight girl, she found this sight captivating.
Ji Fei’er shook off the thought and nudged Liang Zhiyi’s shoulder. “By the way, tell me how your trip went. Was it fun?”
Liang Zhiyi smiled and started chatting with her. “It was great…”
—
The two of them huddled together, happily catching up.
Meanwhile, outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the clouds were growing darker, shrouding the hotel in the depths of the night.
This five-star hotel, owned by the Liang Group, offered a blend of leisure and entertainment. The first four floors housed a department store.
At that moment, in a bookstore’s warehouse on the first floor of the building, several staff members were busy working. The store had just received a large shipment of books, and now they had to count and organize them all.
A clear-eyed young man was carrying stack after stack of books, moving back and forth between the delivery truck and the warehouse.
The boy was tall with long legs, dressed in a white T-shirt and black pants. His skin was fair, and his eyes were cold. The night cast shadows over his features, giving him a cool, ethereal look.
As he carried the books, beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, sliding along his sharply defined jawline. His sweat-dampened shirt clung slightly to his chest.
He was strikingly handsome, almost too conspicuous for this kind of job.
He seemed entirely out of place.
As someone struggled to lift two stacks of books from the truck, a slender, defined hand reached out to help, and a cool voice said:
“Let me take some.”
The girl, also working part-time, looked up and met his deep, distant brown eyes, blushing slightly as she thanked him.
The boy moved quickly and efficiently, carrying the books into the warehouse. A middle-aged woman came over to check the inventory and smiled as she asked him, “Xiao Pei, school starts tomorrow, right? You’re in your second year?”
“Yeah.”
“Where do you go to school?”
“No. 1 High School.”
“Wow, that’s impressive. No. 1 High School is excellent. I could tell right away that you’re the studious type…”
Pei Chen’s expression softened slightly as he responded.
Needing to earn money, tonight’s shift was one of the part-time jobs he had taken up during the summer break. He was diligent and quick-witted, which made him well-liked by the other staff.
As Pei Chen continued working, he overheard two people chatting while carrying books:
“So, what’s up with you tonight? Not going out with your boyfriend?”
“He’s working overtime in the kitchen upstairs. It’s been crazy busy. Apparently, there’s a super important banquet tonight, and even the top executives of the group are attending.”
“No wonder I saw so many luxury cars when I came up from the underground parking lot. And I happened to catch a glimpse of this incredibly beautiful girl in a blue evening gown. She looked like a princess—I almost thought she was a celebrity.”
“Now you’ve got me curious. I’d love to see her too.”
“Well, she’s clearly from a wealthy family. What does that have to do with us…”
Their laughter drifted past Pei Chen’s ears.
His gaze remained indifferent as he automatically filtered out this information, deeming it irrelevant to him, and continued moving books.
Moments later, there was a loud rumble in the sky, and raindrops began to fall, soaking him.
It had started raining. Pei Chen lowered his eyes and silently quickened his pace.
—
Outside, the rain poured down, while inside the banquet hall upstairs, the clinking of glasses, laughter, and lively chatter continued unabated.
Amidst the blessings of the guests, the elderly lady happily cut the cake. After Liang Zhiyi and Ji Fei’er finished their cake, they decided to go to the restroom together.
On their way, they passed Zhang Xinxin, who sneered at her, “Cousin, when you start attending classes at the main campus, you better study hard. The competition here is intense, and getting the top spot won’t be so easy.”
Hearing this, Liang Zhiyi raised her brows and smiled, “Yes, I definitely need to work hard to do well; otherwise, I wouldn’t even have the confidence to brag about it, right?”
“…”
Zhang Xinxin was too angry to respond and could only walk away, her head held high like a defeated peacock still trying to maintain its pride.
Liang Zhiyi chuckled. In truth, she didn’t pay much attention to Zhang Xinxin, though the latter had always seen her as a rival.
When they reached the restroom, Ji Fei’er, thinking about their future school life, said dreamily, “Zhizhi, once you transfer to our Class 9, we can go to school together!”
“By the way,” she patted Liang Zhiyi’s hand, “there’s a bit of truth in what Zhang Xinxin said. Once you get to the main campus, you might actually lose your top spot.”
“What do you mean?”
“Because there’s a guy in our class who’s been ranked first in the grade every single time. His name is Pei Chen, and he’s an insanely smart super scholar who always scores way ahead of the second place. The best part is—”
Ji Fei’er paused for effect, “He’s also really handsome.”
Hearing the last word, Liang Zhiyi looked up at her with a newfound curiosity. “How handsome?”
“Well, let’s just say a lot of girls in our grade are into him.”
“Oh? Is this one of those romance novels coming to life?”
“Well, you’ll see for yourself when you meet him tomorrow at school. Just don’t get so smitten that you can’t walk straight.”
“…”
She wasn’t convinced.
After returning to the banquet hall, Liang Zhiyi spent some time accompanying her grandmother. However, after a while, she began to feel tired, having had a long and exhausting day. Her grandmother urged her to head home and rest since school started the next day.
Outside, the rain was still falling. The chairman’s assistant brought her an umbrella, and after saying her goodbyes to the elders and a quick word to Ji Fei’er, she left the banquet hall.
She leisurely walked into the elevator and noticed that someone had pressed the button for the basement level. She continued to look down at her phone, and when the elevator doors opened, she stepped out without checking which floor she was on.
After a moment, she locked her phone and looked up, only to realize that she wasn’t in the underground parking lot but at the east side entrance on the first floor of the hotel.
The elevator doors had already closed, and she didn’t feel like waiting for another one. So, she called her driver:
“…Yeah, just come up here to pick me up.”
After hanging up, her eyes wandered aimlessly and fell on a truck parked outside. The truck’s rear door was open, and a few people were busily unloading heavy boxes of books from it.
She knew there was a bookstore near the side entrance but didn’t pay much attention to it. She turned her focus back to the time, figuring it was about right, and began walking outside.
The rain was drizzling softly. She opened her transparent umbrella and gently held up her skirt as she passed by the truck.
She was looking down, carefully watching her steps, and didn’t notice what was ahead.
At the same time, a young man was coming down from the truck with a stack of books in his arms. As he turned, they accidentally collided.
Startled, Liang Zhiyi let out a small gasp, and her umbrella slipped from her hand, falling to the ground.
She took a step back, the light rain now beginning to dampen her dress, causing the hem to ripple like water.
She quickly glanced down to see if her dress had been dirtied. The next moment, she noticed that the umbrella had been picked up and was now held out in front of her, shielding her from the falling raindrops.
Liang Zhiyi blinked in surprise and instinctively looked up, seeing a young man standing before her—
He was tall, with sharp, defined features, thin lips, a straight nose, and eyes as deep as if they were submerged in a tranquil lake. His presence was as cool and serene as the moon.
The boy’s distant gaze rested on her as he spoke in a calm voice:
“Sorry, did I mess up your dress?”
—
Here are some tips about this story:
- It’s a school-themed novel.
- The female lead is cherished and adored—though she does pursue the male lead, she doesn’t suffer! The male lead is instantly and completely captivated by the female lead.
- It’s not meant to be some grand or lofty piece—just something light-hearted and enjoyable~