As she finished, a man came from behind Wang Meiyou and placed his hand on her waist. She smiled and softly said,
"Oh, stop it, Brother Chen. People are watching,"
She spoke gently but didn't dare to push his hand away.
It was none other than Li Chenhao.
He wore a designer red bomber jacket with gold dragon embroidery and black joggers with golden zippers. The son of a rising—yet still second-tier—business family, Li Chenhao was arrogant and insecure.
With slicked-back hair, a mocking grin, and a loud, overcompensating presence, he always tried to act important. But in front of real wealth, he was just a barking dog. He clung to Wang Meiyou like she was a trophy.
Li Chenhao looked at Shenye, his gaze smug and his grin wide.
Shenye stared back.
His stark white hair framed his face in uneven tufts, and his eyes—deep black and quiet—seemed to hide a thousand thoughts. Though undeniably handsome, his skin was pale and sickly, and his body frail and underfed, as if years of illness or starvation had eaten away at his strength.
The sharp lines of his jaw were softened by fatigue, and his shoulders slumped beneath a weathered blue jacket. Black trousers hung loosely on his thin frame. He looked like a young man who had once possessed brilliance—but now stood on the edge of ruin: forgotten, overlooked.
Li Chenhao had been one of the main kids who used to bully Lu Shenye. He looked at Shenye with contempt.
"Shenye, she's right," he said with a sneer.
"You're poor as a mouse. You can barely fend for yourself—so how could you possibly take care of Wang Meiyou?"
"She's a beautiful woman. Don't you think she deserves better?"
"As her boyfriend, don't you think it would be unfair to her?"
Shenye looked at them indifferently, but his thoughts moved like lightning.
He understood everything clearly now.
The old Shenye had inherited a decent amount after his parents died in an accident. That's when Wang Meiyou had approached him—pretending to be in love.
The old Shenye had been a fool. A simp.
He spent money on her endlessly, desperately hoping to win the affection of his so-called "goddess."
But in truth, she had only been exploiting him—for money—and doing it hand-in-hand with Li Chenhao.
She was going out with Shenye in public, while secretly clinging to Li Chenhao like a real lover.
When Shenye's money ran out, she turned cold. She stopped answering his messages, ignored his calls. And finally, when there was nothing left to gain, she said bluntly:
"We're not compatible. You can't afford me."
Why now?
Because today was the Power Awakening Ceremony—a new beginning where all sixteen-year-olds awakened their powers.
It was the most important day of their lives.
A chance to build connections. Forge alliances. Shape their future.
Reputation mattered more than ever now.
If people found out Wang Meiyou was two-timing, they wouldn't say it to her face—but they'd avoid her. Her chances of climbing the ladder would plummet.
Unless, of course, she seduced someone from a powerful guild.
So she confronted Shenye in public—to control the narrative. To humiliate him before he could say anything damaging.
She wanted the crowd to see her as righteous, and him as a pitiful beggar.
But all of this passed through Shenye's mind in an instant.
Wang Meiyou looked at him seriously—but behind those eyes, she was smiling with satisfaction.
"Shenye, I hope you understand," she said sweetly.
"Brother Chenhao treats me much better. You simply can't compare to him."
"Even if you beg me, I'm not going to chang—"
But before she could finish, Shenye, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
"I understand."
"Do as you wish."
His voice was calm. His expression indifferent. He turned away and walked off.
"WHAT?!"
Wang Meiyou was stunned. Her entire performance—her carefully crafted humiliation—had fallen flat.
She shouted after him.
"Shenye! Don't you dare come chasing after me later!"
She couldn't stop herself.
His cold indifference had shattered her control.
The crowd was slightly surprised. No one expected such a response from the school's so-called "Number One Trash."
"To think that trash still has guts."
"Hehe, he made Wang Meiyou look like a clown."
"Hmph, just acting tough. He'll fall soon enough."
Some mocked.
Some admired.
But either way—they all dispersed. The ceremony was about to begin.
Wang Meiyou's eyes turned bloodshot. She grit her teeth, fists clenched tightly, her body trembling with rage.
"Lu Shenye… How dare you talk to me like that!"
"You'll regret this!"
She turned toward Li Chenhao.
Her tone softened, her voice turning meek.
"Brother Chenhao… You have to teach him a lesson. He humiliated me…"
Li Chenhao wrapped his arm around her, consoling her—but his eyes remained fixed on Shenye.
"Shenye… You dare to look down on me? One day, I'll teach you a lesson."
As Shenye walked forward, the entire incident didn't stir even a ripple in his heart.
Even if she hadn't dumped him, he would've left her.
She had only used him—and he was sure she wouldn't love Li Chenhao either.
If a richer man came along, she wouldn't hesitate a second to leap into his arms.
In one sentence—She was an opportunist.
But Shenye didn't hate her.
He didn't even loathe her.
In this vast universe, everyone wanted to seize opportunities. Everyone had ambition.
When Shenye had been a legendary hero on his planet, thousands of women had flocked to him—some to curry favor, others to bear his children. Almost every noble woman had tried to seduce him just to climb higher.
They were far more beautiful than this vain little Wang Meiyou.
"There was nothing wrong with this," he muttered.
Even if she had genuinely fallen for him—he would've still rejected her.
"Love?" he scoffed.
"It's nothing but a chain—binding one soul to another."
"When people fall in love, they say: 'I'd die for you. I'd fight the heavens for you.'"
"Bullshit."
"Those empty promises rot with time. The passion fades. People grow cold."
"They want to believe love completes them. That they're not whole until they find someone else."
"But if you were incomplete before love—why would finding someone make you complete?"
This…
This was the greatest difference between Zarethul and the old Lu Shenye.
He looked up at the blue sky and whispered:
"What matters most to me—is myself."
"Only mortals yearn for love."
"But I, Zarethul… do not."
"The Awakening Ceremony… has begun." a voice echoed