At the auditorium of St. Martin High School, a red carpet was laid all the way to the front of the auditorium. Accompanied by dazzling lights, the sides of the carpet were lined with roses of all colors, creating a truly mesmerizing scene.
St. Martin High School was a prestigious school in the truest sense. Its students were either rich or of noble status, with most of them coming from families that were worth billions of dollars.
Tonight, the school was hosting its annual graduation party for its senior high school students — a tradition since its founding. It was a night of revelry to say the least.
Interestingly, though, not many people were in the auditorium. Instead, they were gathered at its entrance, visibly excited as they looked outside, as if waiting for someone.
"Gosh, Gu Zhiyao is coming... I can't believe he's going to our graduation party. Is this a dream? If I can have a dance with him tonight, I'll die without regret!" an excited girl confessed, clutching her heart as if she were about to faint.
She wasn't the only one. Many girls were flushed with anticipation, waiting for the legendary Mr. Gu to grace St. Martin with his presence.
Another girl pitched in, "How could there be such a perfect man in this world? Rumor has it he started managing the Gu Corporation since his teenage years. Under his leadership, the corporation has soared to new heights and topped the list of the world's top 100 companies!
And above all, it's unbelievable how good-looking a man who shakes the global economy with a mere stomp of his foot could be. His perfect physique, perfect looks, perfect aura... Even if I could only have him for a day, I'd willingly shorten my lifespan by ten years!"
"Well, even if you were willing to shorten your lifespan by twenty years, you still wouldn't stand a chance. Reliable sources indicate that Gu Zhiyao is here tonight because he was invited by the school's beauty queen, Lin Su. Who among you thinks they stand a chance against her?"
Upon hearing this, the girls around all lost their spirits, like eggplants touched by frost.
Not only was Lin Su top of St. Martin High's beauty list, she was also the most cherished daughter of the Lin Family, one of the eight major families in China.
She was intelligent, beautiful, talented, and above all, her charisma and beauty were one in ten thousand. The queue of suitors she had was long enough to circle the globe.
Everyone was eagerly awaiting, hoping to see Gu Zhiyao make his entrance.
Only a girl with thick bangs covering her eyebrows, wearing black-frame glasses and a school uniform, quivered and quietly withdrew.
She needed to leave quickly. Gu Zhiyao was coming!
“Hey, Yan Xiaoke, where are you planning to go? Don’t forget, you're my dance partner tonight!”
Just as Yan Xiaoke was about to slip away, she was caught by a tall and handsome boy.
Rolling her eyes, Yan Xiaoke asked in an exasperated tone, "Xue Dashao, you are the top heartthrob in school; aren’t you taking this too lightly? With my appearance, you still want me as your dance partner; are you out of your mind?"
Yan Xiaoke was not being overly modest; her appearance was indeed miserable. Amongst the majestic high school where handsome boys and beautiful girls swarmed, she indeed was an odd one out!
She always wore a school uniform and black-frame glasses covering half of her face, and her thick bangs always covered her eyebrows, casting a deep shadow on her already small face.
In short, if she didn’t occasionally look at herself in the mirror while taking a bath, she wouldn't know what she looked like!
Xue Jinran was young, bright, and breathtakingly handsome with an distinguished aristocratic aura, making him the undisputed top heartthrob of St. Martin High School!
Pairing him with an "ugly girl" like Yan Xiaoke set a completely discordant scene when put together.
Xue Jinran looked at Yan Xiaoke with a smirk saying, "I agreed because I pitied you. Besides, I am a man of my word; you won the lottery, and I am your prize!"
"Boring. That raffle ticket was shoved into my hands; I don't need a dance partner, I didn't even want to attend the ball. If it weren't for everyone else attending, I would rather be at work earning money right now!"
Yan Xiaoke had no interest in this "grand prize". Even though the other girls would accuse her of acting coy for saying so, but...she truly felt wronged!
Xue Jinran was not at all pleased with Yan Xiaoke’s attitude and was about to give her a proper "lecture" when screams from the crowd of girls and the sound of a car braking in the distance interrupted him.
A smirk lifted the corner of Xue Jinran's lips, knowing without having to look back who was approaching. What puzzled him, though, was Yan Xiaoke's reaction.
She stiffened, anxiously muttering under her breath, "Damn it, I'm too late..."
"What are you mumbling about? Are you smitten with Gu Zhiyao too? Hmph, he's just been born a few years earlier than me. Otherwise... I would definitely not be worse than him!" Xue Jinran scoffed.
Yan Xiaoke took a deep breath, then grabbed Xue Jinran urgently, "Young Master Xue, can you find a way to get me out of this banquet hall? Now, immediately, right now..."
"Why? The party hasn't even started yet!" Xue Jinran asked, mystified. Yan Xiaoke looked panicked, what was she afraid of?
Yan Xiaoke watched as the door to a limited edition silver Porsche was opened. The first thing that came into view was a long leg. Yan Xiaoke felt her nerves skyrocket, terrified that she would see that horrifying face any second now.
Unable to stay any longer, Yan Xiaoke turned to make her escape, but Xue Jinran stopped her.
"Yan Xiaoke, you're not allowed to leave! If you leave, what am I going to do?" Xue Jinran had no intention of letting Yan Xiaoke out of his sight. He would not easily let go of the girl he had finally cornered.
Yan Xiaoke gritted her teeth, "Let go of me, now!"
"No, do you want me to be humiliated? Me, Xue Jinran, losing my female companion at the graduation party!" Xue Jinran stared down Yan Xiaoke, already winning the confrontation in terms of dominance.
But Yan Xiaoke stepped ruthlessly on Xue Jinran's foot. The moment he let go due to pain, she ran toward the banquet hall.
However, the girls on the front started rushing in like they were injected with chicken blood, pushing Yan Xiaoke towards the banquet hall's courtyard gate.
Due to the force, Yan Xiaoke lost her balance and fell backward!
It’s over, Yan Xiaoke wailed inwardly. She wasn't particularly liked at school, those people deliberately collided with her even though they saw her!
As Xue Jinran watched Yan Xiaoke about to be trodden on by the crowd, he hurriedly moved to help.
But as soon as he reached out, someone beat him to it. A pair of long arms caught the about to fall Yan Xiaoke, steadying her firmly.
The over-excited girls also stopped. No one moved forward. They just stood on the spot, daydreaming in the same direction with starry eyes.
