[Qinghua University, Business School Building 3, Room 307 — 9:34 AM]
Lin Feng walked into the Business Mathematics classroom five minutes late.
The professor was already lecturing. Derivatives, optimization problems, maximizing profit functions.
He didn't care.
His mind was elsewhere. On the breakfast he'd delivered to a park bench. On the girl who'd been invisible for five years. On the message he'd sent that morning.
He scanned the classroom automatically. It was a habit from his previous life: assess the environment, identify threats and opportunities.
The seat beside him was empty.
Su Qingxue's seat was empty.
She'd been sitting there since orientation. Every single class, right beside me — the Lin Family's second young master. A strategic choice, looking back. Close enough to ask for favors, close enough to let me pay for things, close enough to keep me hooked without ever giving anything back.
Today, though, she wasn't here.
Right. The library. She was probably there right now, getting "rescued" by Long Tian. The protagonist's first conquest, falling exactly on schedule.
He waited for the jealousy to hit. The regret. The loss.
After all, this was originally his body. This was from that Lin Feng.
But, there was…
Nothing.
Huh. Nothing. I feel nothing at all.
It seems that the original Lin Feng has been completely displaced by me.
Good riddance. That's one less thing to worry about then.
He leaned back in his seat, letting the memories of that trash novel surface.
Su Qingxue. The campus belle. A two-star heroine. Falls in less than a month.
And not in some romantic hotel suite. Not even a dorm room. But in a bathroom stall. Her first time, taken like she's worth nothing more than a quick release between classes.
Campus belle my ass.
And after that? She becomes his portable toy. His "mobile onahole"—that's literally what the novel calls her. A recurring reward in his conquest log. Affection points climbing into four digits. Complete degradation wrapped in the illusion of love.
His jaw tightened.
There's even that scene inside the Lin household. Su Qingxue, flushed and trembling, letting Long Tian use her right under his roof. While the original Lin Feng still believed she was an innocent girl worth protecting.
Pathetic. The original Lin Feng was absolutely pathetic.
And her singing? She loved singing once. When that Lin Feng learned of her passion, he spared no expense to please her and he even funded her lessons. Paid for studio sessions. And even used the resources of the Lin family to help her debut as a real artist.
But when she fell for Long Tian, that passion vanished overnight.
The only microphone she ever held after that was the one Long Tian carried between his legs.
His stomach churned.
Disgusting. I feel sick just thinking about it.
And at the end of that trash novel? Su Qingxue becomes the instrument of Lin Feng's death.
Eight years. It took Long Tian eight years to realize that no matter how many heroines he conquers, Lin Weiwei and Xiao Yue will never yield to him. Not while that Lin Feng still breathes.
So he uses Su Qingxue as bait. Makes her feign regret, beg for forgiveness. Classic honey trap. Sends her to assassinate the man who loved her for over a decade.
But, as expected, the assassination failed. Obviously. Su Qingxue couldn't kill a mosquito, let alone a man.
But Long Tian doesn't give up. He's waited eight years for those two seven-stars. Eight years of being denied. So he decides to handle it personally.
The great protagonist himself, descending to eliminate a mere bootlicker villain. How generous of him.
He corners that Lin Feng. Su Qingxue is there too—the failed assassin, standing uselessly to the side. Long Tian doesn't bother with words. He just draws his blade and swings.
That Lin Feng dodges. Su Qingxue is in the way. And what does that moron do?
He saves her. Shoves her out of the blade's path.
Incredible. Truly incredible. Over a decade of being used like an ATM, and his first instinct is still to protect her.
And how does she repay him?
She throws herself into his arms. Tight embrace. A lover's hold. That idiot probably thought his heroism finally made her see him.
Then Long Tian's sword goes through both of them.
She held him in place. Let herself be impaled. All so Long Tian could claim the two seven-star heroines who would never yield while that Lin Feng breathed.
The villain who died saving the woman who killed him. The hero who sacrificed his own pawn just to remove an obstacle.
They died together. Locked in an embrace that looked like love but was nothing but murder.
Poetic, in a sick kind of way.
That's the ending the original Lin Feng got. But not me. I'm not that stupid.
He exhaled slowly.
She wasn't a heroine. She was a victim. Another puppet dancing on Long Tian's strings, her mind twisted by that broken system until betrayal felt like love.
Do I hate her?
Not really. She didn't do any of that to me. She did it to the original Lin Feng. A man I never knew. A man whose body I just happen to occupy now.
Her betrayal, her degradation, her death—none of it is personal.
But that doesn't mean I'll be stupid enough to repeat his mistakes.
The original Lin Feng wasted four years chasing her. Spent millions on her. Gave her his heart, his resources, his family's connections.
And she used every last drop without a shred of gratitude.
That's not hatred. That's just facts.
So no, I won't save her. I won't chase her. I won't waste a single second on someone who was never mine to begin with.
She can have her protagonist. She can have her system-manipulated romance.
I have better things to focus on.
Like Xiao Yue.
Good riddance indeed.
A smile crept onto his lips.
He glanced over his shoulder. The seat directly behind him was also empty.
Huh. Two empty seats. One beside me, one behind me.
How convenient.
Or maybe not so random. In this world, "coincidences" usually serve the plot.
He pulled out his phone discreetly, angling it under the desk.
His eyes flicked to the back corner.
--------------------------
Xiao Yue sat in the back corner. The same spot she'd claimed for five years now, positioned at the exact same angle. Always watching from the same place.
There she is. Heroine number 3,000. The silent stalker who watched that Lin Feng every single day without being seen.
Star rating: seven stars. One of only two seven-stars in the entire ten-thousand-chapter trash novel.
The original Lin Feng never noticed her. Not once. Too busy chasing after a two-star who didn't give a damn about him.
What an idiot.
But that Lin Feng is gone now. And I'm not blind.
And now that he was actually paying attention?
She looked different today.
Not physically. Still that oversized black hoodie two sizes too large. Still long black hair falling over her face like a curtain. Still trying to disappear.
But something had changed.
She's sitting up straighter. Phone clutched like a lifeline. Eyes darting between her screen and me.
Back and forth. Over and over.
She can't quite believe this morning was real, can she?
He could practically read the emotions cycling through her body language. Terrified. Hopeful. Excited. Overwhelmed.
Like someone who's been living in darkness for years and suddenly saw sunlight.
Lin Feng smiled to himself and opened his messages.
Let's give her a little more sunlight then.
--------------------------
[Lin Feng: Good morning, Xiao Yue. How are you today?]
Sent. 9:37 AM.
He watched her from the corner of his eye.
Her phone lit up. She saw the notification. Her entire body went rigid.
Then she grabbed the phone with trembling hands and started typing frantically.
[Xiao Yue: Good morning!! Yes!! I'm good!! Very good!!! Thank you so much for asking!!]
Received. 9:37 AM.
Six seconds.
Lin Feng stared at the timestamp.
Six seconds between my message and her reply.
The original me spent four years chasing Su Qingxue. Four years of desperate messages, expensive gifts, pathetic confessions.
And Su Qingxue? She'd reply when she felt like it. Hours later. Days later. Sometimes three days on read, then responding with something manipulative when she needed me.
The old chat history surfaced in his memory like a monument to stupidity.
[Lin Feng: Are you free for dinner this weekend? There's a new French restaurant I'd love to take you to.]- Sent Friday 6:34 PM
[Su Qingxue: sorry I've been so busy! 😥 I just saw this! maybe another time?]- Received Monday 10:15 AM
Sixty-three hours. Two and a half days. And a lie so transparent it was insulting.
But Xiao Yue? Six seconds.
This girl watched me from the shadows for five years. Never asked for anything. Never demanded attention. Never used me for money or status or connections.
Just loved me quietly from a distance. Content with scraps. Content with just being in the same room.
And what did the original me do?
Ignored her. Treated her like furniture. Like she didn't even exist.
What a waste. What an absolute goddamn waste.
He typed another message.
[Lin Feng: The breakfast this morning—did you like it? I wasn't sure what you preferred, so I made what I thought you might enjoy.]
Sent. 9:38 AM.
[Xiao Yue: I LOVED IT!! It was perfect!! Everything was my favorite!! How did you know!? The bird's nest congee, the xiaolongbao, the spare ribs, even the mushroom soup!! It was the best breakfast I've ever had in my entire life!!]
Received. 9:38 AM.
Ten seconds this time.
Holy shit. How fast can this girl type?
And she was getting faster. More comfortable. More eager.
[Xiao Yue: Sorry!! I'm using too many exclamation points!! I'm just really excited!! Sorry!!]
Another message. Immediately after. Apologizing for being excited.
Lin Feng smiled despite himself.
Adorable. Genuinely, authentically adorable. No manipulation. No calculation. Just pure, honest emotion from someone who spent five years believing she'd never be noticed.
[Lin Feng: Don't apologize. I like the exclamation points. It's nice to talk to someone who's actually happy to hear from me.]
Sent. 9:39 AM.
[Xiao Yue: I'm always happy to hear from you!! Always!! Anytime!! I mean, not that I expect you to message me all the time!! I don't want to be annoying!! But if you ever do want to talk, I'm here!! I'm always here!!]
Received. 9:39 AM.
Three seconds. She must have been typing before I even hit send.
Was she predicting what I'd say next?
[Xiao Yue: Sorry, that sounded desperate, didn't it? I'm not trying to be desperate!! I just mean that I enjoy talking to you!! If you want to talk!! No pressure!!]
Three seconds after the first.
[Xiao Yue: I'm overthinking this, aren't I? I'm really bad at this. I've never really talked to people much. Sorry.]
Lin Feng's chest tightened.
This girl. This precious, precious girl.
She thinks she's bad at communication. Apologizes for being excited. Terrified of being annoying.
And the original me? He ignored her for five years. Chased after a manipulative ice queen who saw me as a walking ATM.
Unforgivable. Absolutely unforgivable.
[Lin Feng: You're not overthinking. You're doing great. And I want to talk to you. That's why I messaged you. You're not annoying, you're not desperate, and you don't need to apologize for anything.]
Sent. 9:40 AM.
[Xiao Yue: ...]
Received. 9:40 AM.
Dots. She literally sent me dots. She couldn't find the words, huh?
[Xiao Yue: Thank you. Really. You have no idea how much this means to me.]
Received. 9:40 AM.
More measured this time. Calmer. More genuine.
[Lin Feng: I think I have some idea. Five years is a long time to wait for someone to notice you.]
Sent. 9:41 AM.
Silence.
Ten seconds passed. Twenty. Thirty.
For the first time since their exchange started, she didn't reply instantly.
Lin Feng glanced toward the back corner. Xiao Yue's hands were pressed against her face. Her shoulders were shaking slightly.
Is she crying?
His phone buzzed.
[Xiao Yue: How did you know? How did you know it was five years? How did you know I was watching? How did you know I skip breakfast? How did you even get my number?]
Received. 9:41 AM.
Good question. Excellent question.
How do I even answer that?
"Hey Xiao Yue, I'm actually a transmigrator from another world. I read about your entire story in a trash novel. Also, the Lin Feng you've been watching for five years? The one you fell in love with? He's gone. Dead. Erased. I'm just a stranger wearing his face."
Yeah. That'll go over well.
She'd either think I'm insane, or worse — she'd realize she's been waiting for a man who no longer exists.
Either way, I lose her.
Better to keep it vague. Mysterious. Let her fill in the blanks herself.
[Lin Feng: Don't ask strange questions. Just know that I've been paying more attention to you than you think. Someone like you deserves to be noticed.]
Sent. 9:42 AM.
Vague enough to be true. Romantic enough to distract her from digging deeper.
[Lin Feng: It's not enough. You deserve better than watching from the shadows. You deserve to be seen. You deserve someone who appreciates what you are instead of taking you for granted.]
Sent. 9:43 AM.
[Xiao Yue: What am I?]
Received. 9:43 AM.
[Lin Feng: Someone loyal. Someone genuine. Someone who's been waiting patiently for five years without asking for anything in return. Someone I should have noticed a long time ago. And honestly? Someone who's worth a hundred Su Qingxues.]
Sent. 9:44 AM.
There. Su Qingxue's name, right next to "not worth it." Let that sink in.
[Xiao Yue: ...]
[Xiao Yue: I need a minute. I can't stop crying. People are going to notice.]
Received. 9:44 AM.
Lin Feng smiled.
Good. Cry, Xiao Yue. Let yourself feel valued for the first time in five years. Let yourself realize that your love wasn't wasted.
The professor's voice droned on in the background. Something about profit margins. Cost-benefit ratios. The usual business math no one would remember after finals.
Lin Feng didn't hear a single word.
Neither did Xiao Yue.
--------------------------
Around the forty-minute mark, Lin Feng noticed something.
Xiao Yue kept sending messages, then stopping mid-thought.
[Xiao Yue: The seat beside you is empty today.]
[Xiao Yue: I noticed Su Qingxue isn't here.]
[Xiao Yue: That's unusual for her. She always sits next to you.]
Subtle, Xiao Yue. Real subtle. She's fishing for something.
His lips twitched. Alright. I'll bite.
[Lin Feng: She's at the library. Getting very... thorough help from someone. I doubt she'll remember class exists today.]
Sent. 10:24 AM.
[Xiao Yue: Oh. That makes sense.]
[Xiao Yue: The seat behind you is empty too.]
[Xiao Yue: Just noticed.]
[Xiao Yue: Random observation.]
[Xiao Yue: Not important.]
[Xiao Yue: Forget I said anything.]
[Xiao Yue: Ignore me.]
"Random observation." Sure, Xiao Yue. And I'm Qin Shi Huang.
She wants to move closer. But she's scared. Scared of overstepping. Scared I'll push her away like that Lin Feng did two years ago.
[Lin Feng: You could sit there if you wanted. Behind me. Or beside me. Whichever you prefer.]
Sent. 10:26 AM.
[Xiao Yue: ...]
[Xiao Yue: Really?]
[Xiao Yue: You mean it?]
[Xiao Yue: REALLY really?]
[Xiao Yue: I can sit near you?]
[Xiao Yue: Wait]
[Xiao Yue: People will see]
[Xiao Yue: People will talk]
[Xiao Yue: What if they think I'm weird?]
[Xiao Yue: What if Su Qingxue gets upset?]
[Xiao Yue: What if she confronts me?]
[Xiao Yue: Wait I don't care about her]
[Xiao Yue: I mean I DO but I don't]
[Xiao Yue: I just don't want problems for YOU]
[Xiao Yue: But I want to]
[Xiao Yue: I really want to]
[Xiao Yue: I've wanted to sitbeside you for years]
[Xiao Yue: Forget I said that]
[Xiao Yue: That sounded desperate again didn't it]
[Xiao Yue: I just mean]
[Xiao Yue: Are you sure?]
[Xiao Yue: You're really sure?]
[Xiao Yue: 100% sure?]
His phone buzzed. And buzzed. And buzzed. And didn't stop buzzing.
How is she typing this fast? Is she using both hands?
[Lin Feng: I don't care what people think. I don't care if Su Qingxue gets upset. And you're not in the way. You're welcome anywhere near me. Always.]
Sent. 10:27 AM.
[Xiao Yue: ...okay]
[Xiao Yue: After class]
[Xiao Yue: Before I lose my nerve]
[Xiao Yue: I'll try]
[Xiao Yue: I promise]
[Xiao Yue: Please don't change your mind before then]
Received. 10:28 AM.
That's all I need. A promise to try.
Baby steps, Xiao Yue. We'll get you out of that corner eventually.
The class continued. The professor kept lecturing. Students took notes, asked questions, participated.
Lin Feng and Xiao Yue ignored all of it completely.
They just kept texting. Back and forth. Message after message. Building something real through screens and words because face-to-face was still too overwhelming for her.
By the time class ended at 11:04 AM, they'd exchanged over three hundred messages.
--------------------------
The professor dismissed class. Students started packing up. The usual end-of-class noise filled the room—zippers, shuffling papers, conversations starting.
Lin Feng put his phone away and stood slowly. Deliberately.
She promised to try.
Will she actually do it?
He pretended to organize his textbook. Gave her thirty seconds. Forty-five.
She's watching. I can feel it. Debating. Working up the courage.
Come on, Xiao Yue. You can do it.
Then he heard it.
Footsteps. Quiet. Almost silent. The kind of movement that required training to achieve—or natural talent honed over five years of stalking someone without being detected.
Moving toward him from the back of the classroom.
There you are.
Other students noticed immediately. Their heads turned. The whispers started.
Because Xiao Yue never moved. Never approached anyone. Never left her corner until everyone else was gone.
But today she walked directly toward Lin Feng with her bag clutched against her chest like armor.
Every eye in the classroom tracked her movement.
"Did you see that?"
"The weirdo is moving!"
"She's walking toward Lin Feng!"
"Since when do they know each other?"
"Why would he even talk to her?"
The weirdo. The class freak. The girl no one talks to?
That's what they see.
What I see is someone who's been hiding in plain sight. Pale skin, delicate features, the kind of face that would turn heads if she ever let anyone get close enough to notice. But she doesn't. She hides behind her hair and drowns herself in shapeless clothes because she was never trying to be seen by anyone else.
Genius-level intellect. Loyalty that would put saints to shame. One of the few women in this trash novel who are worth a damn.
Let them laugh. They'll choke on it eventually.
He met her eyes. She held his. Not flinching. Not looking away. Holding on like her life depended on it.
It's okay. I'm not going anywhere.
She stopped about two feet away. Close enough to talk. Far enough to flee if needed.
"Hi," she whispered.
Her eyes stayed on his. Steady. Unwavering.
Wait. She's actually maintaining eye contact?
Lin Feng blinked.
The Xiao Yue from that trash novel couldn't even look at Lin Feng without staring at the ground. Two years ago, she confessed everything and got called insane. Spent two years in the shadows believing she was too broken to ever deserve love.
But this one?
She's trembling. Terrified. But she's not looking away.
One breakfast. A few text messages. And she's already this brave?
"I... I wanted to say thank you. In person. For breakfast. And for talking to me today. And for everything."
Her voice was soft. Barely above a whisper. But her gaze never wavered.
Huh. Where did this courage come from?
Lin Feng smiled warmly. Genuinely. No calculated charm. Just real warmth for someone who deserved it.
"You're welcome, Xiao Yue. I'm glad we finally got to talk properly."
He paused, then added casually, "I'm meeting my sister Weiwei for lunch. Want to join us? I think you two would get along."
--------------------------
The whispers around them intensified.
"His sister? Lin Weiwei?"
"The crazy nerd from Computer Science?"
"Wait, he's introducing them?"
Xiao Yue's head snapped up. Eyes wide. Surprised.
"Lunch? With you and... and your sister? Really?"
She hesitated. "I... I don't want to intrude on family time..."
Then it hit her. Her entire body went rigid.
"Wait. Your sister. Your family. I'm meeting your family!?"
Her voice rose slightly in panic. Her breathing quickened. Her hands started trembling harder.
"This morning you noticed me for the first time in five years and now I'm meeting your sister? That's—that's so fast! Too fast! I'm not ready! What if she doesn't like me? What if I say something stupid? What if I'm too weird?"
Lin Weiwei.
The name surfaced in Xiao Yue's mind with bitter familiarity.
That incestuous whore.
I've seen her sneak into his room at night. I've counted the eight cameras she hid in his ceiling. She thinks she has the advantage because she lives with him. Because she's "family."
But this is perfect. Meeting the enemy up close. Seeing exactly what I'm up against.
And she'll have to watch him invite ME to lunch. Watch him choose to bring ME into his life.
"Xiao Yue," Lin Feng said gently, cutting through her external panic. "Breathe."
She sucked in a shaky breath.
"It's just lunch," he continued calmly. "Weiwei's not scary. She's actually kind of similar to you—quiet, prefers staying in the background, doesn't talk to people much. I think you two would get along well. And if it's too overwhelming, you can leave anytime. No pressure. Okay?"
Similar to me?
Xiao Yue almost laughed.
You have no idea how similar, Lin Feng. We're both stalkers who've been watching you for years.
She stared at him. Processing. Slowly nodding.
"Okay," she whispered. "Okay. Just lunch. I can do just lunch. I think. Maybe. Probably?"
"You can do it," Lin Feng confirmed with a warm smile.
She took a deep breath. Squared her shoulders. Tried to look brave even though she was clearly terrified.
"Yes. I want to come. Even though I'm probably going to embarrass myself. Even though this is the scariest thing I've done in years. Even though I have no idea what I'm doing. Yes."
Perfect. I get to meet my rival face to face. And she gets to watch him choose me.
"Good. That's all I needed to hear."
Now let's make it official.
He reached out and took her hand. Gently. No grabbing, no pulling. Just his fingers wrapping around hers like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Her fingers were ice cold and trembling, but they curled around his instinctively, like they'd been waiting five years for this exact moment.
Xiao Yue froze completely.
Her entire body went rigid, her eyes impossibly wide, her breath caught somewhere in her throat.
"W-w-what—" she stammered. "Your hand—my hand—we're—you're holding—"
Her face turned bright red, like a tomato, like her entire blood supply had rushed to her cheeks at once.
The classroom erupted.
"THEY'RE HOLDING HANDS!?"
"What the actual fuck!?"
"This morning he was still chasing Su Qingxue and now he's holding hands with the class weirdo!?"
"Someone pinch me, I must be hallucinating!"
"The weirdo and Lin Feng? What is happening today!?"
Lin Feng ignored all of it. He just smiled warmly at Xiao Yue, whose brain seemed to have completely short-circuited.
"You looked like you were about to panic and run away," he said calmly. "This seemed like a good way to make sure you actually come to lunch."
"I—you—we—hand—" She couldn't form complete sentences. Just fragments. Her hand was trembling in his.
"Breathe, Xiao Yue."
She sucked in a shaky breath. Then another. Her eyes were still impossibly wide, staring at their joined hands like she couldn't quite process that this was real.
"We're—ho—holding hands," she whispered. Like saying it out loud would confirm it wasn't a hallucination.
"Yes, we are."
"In public."
"Yes."
"In front of everyone."
"Yes."
"You're holding my hand. On purpose. Voluntarily."
"Very much on purpose."
She looked up at him with those wide, disbelieving eyes. "Why?"
"Because I wanted to," Lin Feng said simply. "Is that okay?"
She nodded frantically. Too frantically. Like her neck might snap from the motion.
"Yes! Very okay! Extremely okay! Best thing that's ever happened to me okay!"
Let that woman see this. Let Lin Weiwei watch him hold MY hand in public.
Then she grabbed his hand with both of hers. Not holding. Clamping. An iron grip that said you are not letting go and neither am I.
Lin Feng blinked.
Okay. Wasn't expecting that.
Her hands were still trembling, her face still tomato-red, but her grip could probably crush walnuts.
Lin Feng almost laughed.
Noted. I'm not allowed to escape.
--------------------------
"Good. Now let's exchange WeiChat properly. It'll be easier to stay in touch."
Xiao Yue's left hand stayed clamped around his. Not letting go. Not even loosening.
Her right hand fumbled for her phone, pulling it out with trembling fingers. She navigated to WeiChat without looking—thumb swiping through screens on pure muscle memory, five years of obsessive phone-checking paying off.
Her eyes never left his face.
Why?
Why breakfast? Why the texts? Why holding my hand in public? Why introducing me to that incestuous whore?
What's your angle, Lin Feng?
The Lin Feng from two years ago called me insane. Told me to stay away. Looked at me like I was diseased.
And now you're acting like I'm the only woman in the world.
What changed? What do you want?
She couldn't figure it out. Couldn't read him at all. His smile seemed genuine. His warmth felt real. But none of it made sense.
It doesn't matter. Whatever game you're playing, I'm not letting go.
We're connected now. Officially.
And I don't do breakups, Lin Feng. I really, really don't.
She held up her phone with trembling fingers, QR code glowing on the screen. He scanned it without hesitation. Both phones buzzed simultaneously—his confirming the request sent, hers confirming the request received.
Her screen lit up with his name, and her heart nearly stopped all over again.
[Friend Request Sent: Lin Feng]
[Friend Request Accepted: Xiao Yue]
And just like that, it was done. Official. They were connected in a way that couldn't be undone.
The classroom erupted the moment the QR code scanned.
"They just exchanged WeiChat!"
"Did Lin Feng just ditch Su Qingxue for the class weirdo?"
"And now he's introducing her to his sister? The crazy nerd?"
"What the hell is happening today?"
"Quick, someone take a picture of this!"
Lin Feng heard every word. He didn't care.
Good. Let them talk. Let them spread the gossip. By tonight, the whole campus will know that Lin Feng stopped being Su Qingxue's pathetic bootlicker.
"Ready?" Lin Feng asked.
Xiao Yue nodded. She still looked like she might pass out from excitement, terror, and overwhelming emotion all at once. But she hadn't let go of his hand. Hadn't stepped away. Hadn't run.
Good enough.
They walked out together, hand in hand.
The hallway was packed with students shuffling between classes. One by one, they stopped. Stared. Whispered.
The second young master of the Lin Family, walking hand in hand with the class weirdo who never spoke to anyone.
The campus social dynamics were shifting in real-time.
"Is that—are they—"
"They're holding hands!"
"Lin Feng and Xiao Yue!?"
"What about Su Qingxue!?"
The whispers followed them like a wave. Students pulled out phones, snapping pictures, recording videos. By tonight, the whole campus would know.
Xiao Yue's grip on his hand tightened. Her palm was sweaty, her heart pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears.
Everyone's staring. Everyone's taking pictures. Everyone's going to know.
That I'm holding Lin Feng's hand.
That he chose me.
But the old fears crept in anyway.
"Is this okay?" she whispered. "People are staring. Taking pictures. Are you sure you don't mind being seen with me? Like this? Holding hands?"
What if he realizes this is a mistake? What if he sees everyone laughing and changes his mind? What if—
Lin Feng stopped walking. Right there in the middle of the crowded hallway. He turned to face her fully, making direct eye contact while still holding her hand.
"Xiao Yue, listen carefully."
Her breath caught.
"I don't care what people think. I don't care what they say. I don't care about campus gossip or social status or any of that bullshit. You've spent five years thinking you don't matter. That stops today. Understand?"
She nodded slowly, eyes getting shiny.
He means it. He actually means it.
"Good. Now let's get to lunch. Weiwei's probably already waiting."
They continued walking, hand in hand. His grip firm and reassuring, hers trembling but refusing to let go.
It wasn't much. But it was a start.
--------------------------
Lin Feng smiled to himself as they walked.
Somewhere across campus, Long Tian is probably celebrating his first successful conquest right now. Savoring his victory over Su Qingxue.
Enjoy it while it lasts, protagonist.
You have no idea the game has already changed.