"Hey! Are you in the Advanced Pattern Techniques class?"
Su Nian turned around as she tucked her sketchpad into her bag. A tall boy with tousled hair, denim jacket, and an easy smile stood behind her.
She blinked, a little startled. "Uh, yeah… I am."
"Great. I'm Ji Chen," he said, holding out a hand. "Transfer student. I just joined this week."
Su Nian hesitated, then shook his hand politely. "Su Nian."
He smiled wider. "Cool name. Are you new here too?"
"I just started a few days ago," she said, soft-spoken as always.
He slung his bag over his shoulder. "Mind if I walk with you to the next class? I have no idea where anything is."
She smiled faintly. "Sure."
And just like that, Su Nian made her first male friend at Yulan Academy.
Afternoon – Lu Corporation.
Lu Cheng stood by the tall glass window of his office, hands in his pockets, gazing down at the city skyline.
He had just finished a long meeting when Bai Ming entered.
"Sir," he said carefully, "Miss Su was photographed on campus this morning. One of our contracted media watchdogs picked it up—no leaks yet."
Lu Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly. "Show me."
Bai Ming handed over the tablet.
On the screen was a series of harmless photos taken on campus—Su Nian walking alongside a boy. Laughing. Holding a sketchpad. The boy was clearly talking animatedly, and Su Nian… was smiling.
A rare, bright, genuine smile.
Lu Cheng's jaw tightened. "Who is he?"
"Ji Chen. A transfer student from Beihai Art Institute. His family runs a successful jewellery brand."
Of course. Not just a random classmate. A potential rival.
Lu Cheng handed back the tablet with an unreadable expression. "Send someone to monitor him. Don't leak this to anyone. And don't interfere… yet."
Bai Ming paused. "Yes, sir."
But as he left, he could swear he heard Lu Cheng mutter under his breath—
"…So she smiles like that for other men."
Evening. Lu mansion.
Su Nian walked through the front door humming softly to herself, cheeks pink from laughter and the cool evening air. She hadn't laughed that much in weeks. Ji Chen was funny, and a surprisingly good artist. They'd shared their sketches over lunch.
She was halfway up the stairs when a deep voice stopped her.
"You're late."
She flinched slightly and turned. Lu Cheng stood at the base of the staircase, dressed down in a black sweater and slacks, looking like something straight out of a magazine. But his eyes… were different tonight.
Sharp. Focused. Cold.
"I had an extra class," she said, trying to keep her tone neutral.
"You were laughing," he said suddenly.
She frowned. "Excuse me?"
"In those pictures. You were laughing with him."
Her heart skipped. "You saw pictures of me?"
"I see everything, Su Nian." He stepped forward, slow and controlled. "Do you often laugh with boys like that?"
Her hands clenched. "He's just a classmate."
"Is that what we're calling it now?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
He stepped closer—close enough that she had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes. "You're my wife. On paper or not. If you're going to smile like that, you should at least be doing it with me."
Her breath caught in her throat.
"Are you jealous?" she whispered.
He smirked. But there was no humor in it. "No."
Then, before she could move, he cupped her chin gently but firmly.
"But I'll teach you not to smile like that for another man again."
And then—
He kissed her.
Not gently. Not softly.
It was a possessive, claiming kiss. One that made her knees wobble and her fingers clutch his shirt without thinking.
When he finally pulled away, his voice was low and dangerous. "That's what you should remember next time he makes you laugh."
She was still reeling as he turned and walked away.
Leaving her standing on the staircase, flushed and breathless.
The Next day.
"Is it just me, or is Ji Chen totally into you?" Xiaoyu whispered at lunch, leaning in close.
Su Nian nearly choked on her juice. "What?! No! He's just being nice."
"Nice my butt. He literally gave you his entire dessert today."
"That's not a big deal—"
"I'd marry someone for a chocolate tart, okay?"
Su Nian laughed despite herself. "You're ridiculous."
But deep down, she knew Xiaoyu wasn't entirely wrong.
Ji Chen had been attentive, kind, and had even complimented one of her dress sketches, offering to model it sometime.
She appreciated the friendship—but her heart?
It was confused.
Especially after last night's kiss.
That Evening.
When she arrived home, she wasn't expecting to find Lu Cheng in the lounge with one of his four best friends.
A tall man with jet-black hair, silver-rimmed glasses, and a quiet smirk.
"This is Shen Zhihao," Lu Cheng introduced.
"A long-time friend and the CEO of ShenTech. He'll be joining us for dinner."
Zhihao's gaze lingered on her for a second too long. "Ah, so you're Su Nian. I've heard quite a bit."
She bowed slightly. "Nice to meet you."
"You're prettier in person," he said with a half-smile.
Lu Cheng's eyes darkened.
Zhihao leaned closer to whisper to Lu Cheng, just loud enough for Su Nian to hear. "You sure she's just for show?"
Lu Cheng didn't respond.
But Su Nian noticed the way his hand subtly slid around her waist when they sat down at the dining table.
The same hand that stayed there the entire evening.
Later that night, Su Nian opened the door to her room and froze.
There, on her bed, was a package.
Inside, there was a new sketchbook. Premium, leather-bound.
There was a sticky note inside that read:
"If someone else makes you laugh, I'll make sure I'm the only one who makes you smile." – L.C."
She hugged the sketchbook to her chest and didn't sleep for a long, long time.