She was dumbfounded.
In the video, her uncle appeared in various public events, all the clips neatly spliced together. He was dressed sharply in suits, slim-waisted and long-legged, every frame switching perfectly to the rhythm of the music like a celebrity’s personal highlight reel.
Then came the narration:
“He is a top scholar at the pinnacle of Huaxia’s academic world: brilliant, aloof, and noble, yet strict and exacting, never one to smile lightly.”
Cen Qiaoqiao couldn’t help nodding.
That was a pretty accurate description.
After Xie Dingyuan’s quick montage, Jiang Fuyue’s segment began.
Compared to him, her “screen time” was far longer: daily snippets, campus shots, and footage of her dominating the international stage, winning glory for the country.
There were even several clips of her in a sports jersey, jumping up for a layup enough to make Cen Qiaoqiao drool.
Ah—
Sister Yue is so cool!
Narration:
“She is Huaxia’s genius girl: youthful, wild, intelligent, and beautiful. And when he meets her—”
The screen flashed, ending their individual showcases.
Then came the most shocking part, clips of Xie Dingyuan and Jiang Fuyue together.
He was speaking at the World Anti-Nova Virus Commendation Conference: “The rise and fall of the world is every man’s responsibility.”
She, standing on the IPhO stage, declared to the world: “I come from magnificent Huaxia, the land of propriety and honor!”
Xie Dingyuan: “To fight the epidemic is everyone’s duty.”
Jiang Fuyue: “Whoever offends me, no matter how far, shall be punished.”
Xie Dingyuan: “We, the youth, must read more books, read good books, love reading books.”
Jiang Fuyue: “I am a student. I love to learn.”
…
The cross-cut editing made it seem like the two were speaking to each other across space and time. With the rousing background music, every frame hit a CP fan’s sweet spot perfectly.
At the end, four bold words flashed across the screen: “A Match Made in Heaven.” Then another popped up: “Please get married on the spot!”
【Aaaahhh—KSWL (Knocked dead by the sweetness)! KSWL!】
【They’re so perfect together — a scholarly god and a genius girl. I can imagine two thousand textbooks out of this!】
【If only there were a real video of them together — I could replay it ten thousand times!】
【Thanks to BoBo for the sweet drop! Too sweet it’s explosive! @YuanYue’s Big BoBo】
【BoBo-god, take my knees! The whole factory’s sugar output KPI depends on you!】
【Video for group viewing only — private storage allowed, no sharing outside.】
【Time to unleash my holy picture!】
A picture popped up in the chat, and Cen Qiaoqiao’s eyes widened.
That—that—wasn’t that her uncle and Sister Yue?!
In the picture, the woman leaned on the man’s shoulder while he slightly bowed his head. They shared the same pair of earphones, listening to the same song. Sunlight streamed through the window, coating them in a soft, golden glow. It looked like a fairy tale.
Maybe the photographer’s hands had trembled, or the focus wasn’t right, the picture was a little blurry, low-resolution.
YuanYue’s Little Qiaoqiao:【Miss, where did this picture come from? Is this really YuanYuan and YueYue?】
(Inwardly: Little Uncle, please forgive me for giving you such a… questionable nickname.)
YuanYue’s Little Belly:【Looks like them, right? It’s from a street artist who sketches tourists. Too bad it’s not the real YuanYuan and YueYue…】
Cen Qiaoqiao screamed internally. It is! It totally is!
Maybe strangers couldn’t tell. But she could, one was her actual uncle, the other her close roommate. Even if the picture were pixelated beyond recognition, she could still tell!
So the two had already gone out together? Sightseeing at scenic spots?
Maybe even…
Pia!
She slapped her forehead, shaking away the inappropriate thoughts.
But still—
It’s so sweet!
Lying on her bed, she held her phone up and rewatched the video.
Again.
And again.
The smile tugging at her lips couldn’t be stopped.
The group wasn’t wrong, they were perfect for each other. What started as pretend shipping had turned into genuine belief.
【YuanYue’s Little Qiaoqiao】: Locked for life!
….
F Continent, Suweitan Military Base.
“Professor Xie, the Phase I clinical trial report is out!”
Inside the sealed lab, communication was only possible through the intercom.
A short burst of static came before a calm voice answered, “Got it. Leave it on the desk.”
The assistant did as told.
Two hours later, the lab door opened. Disinfected and composed as ever, Xie Dingyuan stepped out though the fatigue in his eyes couldn’t be hidden.
He didn’t rest.
He went straight to the desk, picked up the report, and began to read.
It had been nine days.
Nine days since that urgent call pulled him away, an emergency deployment to F Continent. He hadn’t even had the chance to properly say goodbye to Jiang Fuyue.
Still—
She should have received the letter and the cup by now.
The secure diplomatic channel between Nigeria and Huaxia was faster than the last time.
His thoughts flickered, but his reading speed never slowed.
Just then, the assistant entered quietly. “Professor, you’re out?”
“Mm.” He didn’t look up, flipping another page.
The assistant poured him a glass of water and set it down silently.
“Thank you.”
Only when he finished the final page did Xie Dingyuan set the report down and take a sip.
The assistant asked, “Three people in Phase I had adverse reactions… does that mean the vaccine is successful?”
Xie Dingyuan replied calmly, “It’s fine. Those three had pre-existing conditions, side effects are expected. We look at the overall data, not outliers.”
“Understood.”
“Tell everyone, Phase I is successful. Speed up preparations for Phase II.”
“Yes, sir!”
When the assistant returned later, the lab’s indicator light was back on, the professor had gone in again.
He washed the glass, put it away, and started tidying the desk. It wasn’t messy, overly neat, in fact. Still, he re-sorted a few documents, shredding and archiving what needed it.
When he slid an important folder into the drawer, he froze.
Inside was a single photo, the old-fashioned kind, developed from film.
Assuming it was a souvenir from the professor’s stay in F Continent, he turned it over—
—and froze again.
It was a souvenir photo, but it had nothing to do with F Continent.
In it were Professor Xie and a young woman.
They were in a scenic mountain area, under blue skies and white clouds. The professor stood tall and straight, the girl slender and graceful. Both had their backs to the camera, but at the moment the shutter clicked, they turned to look over their shoulders, caught mid-motion.
Only their side profiles showed.
In the bottom right corner was the timestamp:
2051.9.3 – At Qingwu Mountain.
Just recently!
So… the eternally single Professor Xie had actually started dating?!
And then, called away on urgent duty, had to part from his girlfriend taking her photo with him as comfort!
Aaaaaah—!
The assistant was thrilled.
The only regret, the girl’s face was half-turned, so her features weren’t clear. But even that side profile showed she was stunning and that figure, flawless.
No one else probably knew…
Now burdened with this accidental gossip, the assistant was torn. Should he share it so everyone could celebrate, or keep it secret and giggle about it in private?
….
The weekend passed quickly, and Monday arrived.
Peiya Class had no morning lessons, they could’ve returned in the afternoon.
Yet somehow, by nine a.m., everyone was already there.
Why?
Because today, Li Chen was going to read his public self-criticism in front of the whole school!
According to the punishment notice last week—
Li Chen: Major demerit, public reprimand, open apology.
“You came too?”
“Heh, everyone did. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, the dark hour of the ‘heirs.’”
“Still, Sister Yue is awesome. Took him down effortlessly.”
“Of course! Remember when she went head-to-head with Country R? That was legendary! Heirs or not, before Sister Yue, they’re all trash.”
“Now I finally get why her fans are so loyal.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s strong! Strength is truth, is justice, is god-tier!”
“……”
Jiang Fuyue was also there, with Liu Sisi standing behind her, expressionless.
Soon, more and more people began gathering on the sports field.
Some came just to watch the drama, while others didn’t even know what had happened—they were simply joining the crowd for fun.
Either way, the effect was achieved.
Liang Jingzhou froze as soon as he saw the scene. “Wha—what’s going on? Where did all these people come from?”
Gu Huaiyu also looked stunned but quickly understood. “The school said the self-criticism is public, anyone in the school who wants to can come watch.”
“D*mn! Once Old Li goes up there, won’t he lose all his face?”
Gu Huaiyu gave him a complicated look and, after a pause, managed to squeeze out, “…Do you think we still have any face left?”
Liang Jingzhou touched his own cheek. “I mean, it’s still here, right?”
“I get it! Jiang Fuyue must’ve called all these people here on purpose to embarrass us!”
Cheng Lian said coolly, “She’s not that petty.”
“What, why do you keep defending her? Because she’s pretty? Got a soft spot for beauty?”
Cheng Lian didn’t even bother looking at the idiot. “I’m just stating facts.”
“Bullsh*t, you—”
“Enough!” Li Chen cut him off sharply.
Then he took the microphone and walked up onto the stage.
Liang Jingzhou blinked. “He… he really went up there?”
Cheng Lian: “What else can he do? Wait to get expelled?”
“This… is so humiliating…”
“If you lose, you bear the consequences,” Cheng Lian said flatly.
That shut Liang Jingzhou right up.
——
The moment Li Chen stepped onstage, the crowd fell silent.
Jiang Fuyue looked up, meeting his gaze head-on.
One cold and indifferent, the other dark and heavy.
“I am Li Chen, student of Class Peiya, Year 2051. Last week, because of…”
He calmly recounted the incident. “…Therefore, I would like to apologize to Jiang Fuyue.”
The word “apologize” came out hard and deliberate.
“Wow—”
“Why does that sound kinda… threatening?”
“I think it’s more like intimidation. Like, ‘Fine, I’ll apologize but you just wait.’”
“Only Li Chen could make a public self-criticism sound arrogant. He’s oozing ‘top dog’ energy even now.”
“He’s no d*mn top dog. Didn’t my Sister Yue crush him flat? Still acting tough.”
“Guess he hasn’t had enough of a beating yet. Wants round two.”
Of course, not everyone was on Jiang Fuyue’s side, Li Chen still had supporters.
“Young Master Chen’s still handsome. Even his self-criticism has swag.”
“Some people worship that genius girl too much. She’s just bullying him now.”
“Young Master Chen’s so pitiful. My heart aches!”
“……”
No matter what they said, Li Chen finished speaking in one go and turned to leave.
Liang Jingzhou and the others hurried to catch up.
“Wait, why are you walking so fast?”
“What, you want me to stay there and keep losing face?” Li Chen gritted his teeth.
He wasn’t calm, and he definitely wasn’t unbothered. In fact, he was furious, far more than he showed.
He just didn’t want to look so humiliated in front of Jiang Fuyue.
Suddenly, he stopped walking.
Liang Jingzhou, unable to brake in time, bumped right into him. “What the h*ll—”
When he looked up, Li Chen’s deep eyes were filled with calculation.
Liang Jingzhou instantly had a bad feeling.
Sure enough—
“About that proposal last time, have you thought about it?”
“Wh—what proposal? I don’t remember!”
“Don’t play dumb.”
Just then, Gu Huaiyu and Cheng Lian caught up.
“Old Liang, go on! What are you scared of?”
“Didn’t you brag about being the best at pranks? What, you turn into a coward when it’s Jiang Fuyue?”
Cheng Lian smiled faintly. “Forget it. If he’s too scared, we’ll find another plan.”
“Bullsh*t!” Liang Jingzhou blurted, face flushing. “Who’s scared?”
“You’re not?”
“Not even if there were ten Jiang Fuyues!”
“Good!” Cheng Lian clapped his hands. “Then I’ll leave it to you.”
He smiled and walked off.
Li Chen patted Liang Jingzhou on the shoulder, eyes gleaming. “Good brother.”
Gu Huaiyu sighed, muttering internally idiot, but out loud said, “Zaizai, good luck.”
Liang Jingzhou: “?”
What did I just agree to?
Why did I even open my mouth?
Smack! He slapped himself across the face.
“That’s what you get! Running your d*mn mouth! No filter!”
Then he bolted off running.
As he did, he shouted, “I can’t do it—!”
Not long after, the school forum blew up again— “Young Master Liang admits he can’t do it!”
(Yes, direct quote.)
——
Jiang Fuyue was heading back to the dorms.
She hadn’t gone far when a boy, hands in his pockets, strolled up to block her way.
Liu Sisi immediately went on alert.
She’d been on a mission over the weekend, straight out of fire and blood. The killing edge in her eyes hadn’t faded yet.
Her cold, sharp stare made Chu Qingheng’s brow crease.
How could a girl have eyes like that?
Colder than a monster’s, one glance, and it felt like an invisible hand was closing around his throat.
Jiang Fuyue quietly stepped in front of her, blocking both Liu Sisi’s aggression and Chu Qingheng’s startled scrutiny.
“You go back first,” she said.
Liu Sisi knew she wasn’t in the right headspace. She gave a low “Mm” and walked away quickly.
Chu Qingheng’s gaze lingered a bit too long until a calm, cool voice broke in: “Something you need?”
His eyes shifted back to Jiang Fuyue. He smiled lightly. “My name is Chu Qingheng.”
The boy was handsome, skin fairer than most girls’, his smile soft and boyish to the extreme like a sweet puppy.
Unfortunately, that kind of beauty didn’t work on the girl before him.
Jiang Fuyue’s face remained unreadable. She said nothing, just looked at him.
“I’m also in the Peiya class,” he went on.
“So?”
“That means we’re classmates.”
She gave a polite nod. “Hello, classmate. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”
With that, she moved to step past him.
“Courtesy goes both ways, shouldn’t you introduce yourself, too?”
Jiang Fuyue paused, turning her head slightly.
The boy looked innocent, eyes bright and clear.
She suddenly smiled. “If you don’t even know who I am, why did you come over to talk to me?”
Chu Qingheng froze.
As she started to walk away again, he hurried to block her path. “Wait—”
“If you have something to say, just say it. No need to beat around the bush.”
“Ahem… You should be careful of Li Chen. He won’t let this go so easily.”
“Thanks for the warning.”
“You don’t believe me?” He frowned.
“I do.”
“Then why don’t you act like it?”
“What do you expect me to do? Look terrified? Tremble in fear?”
Chu Qingheng: “…Not that bad. But some worry or hesitation, at least? Otherwise how am I supposed to continue this scene?”
But Jiang Fuyue’s face was completely calm, too calm.
“Anything else?”
“…No, that’s it.”
“Alright then, please move.”
Chu Qingheng: “……”
“Don’t underestimate Li Chen. He’s petty, he always gets back at anyone who crosses him.”
“Oh.”
“And his closest friends Gu Huaiyu, Liang Jingzhou, Cheng Lian, they all got punished too. They won’t let you off easily.”
“Oh.”
A vein throbbed on Chu Qingheng’s forehead. His jaw clenched. “…Is ‘oh’ the only word you know?”
Watching this pretty boy get all worked up was honestly… kind of funny.
Jiang Fuyue smiled faintly. “You’ve told me things I already know. There’s not much else to say.”
“…You’re not even a little scared?”
“Not really. I’m more curious about your real reason for coming to talk to me.”
His eyes flickered.
Her tone dropped coldly: “Thirty seconds left. Say it, or I’m leaving.”
