Chapter 4: Back Then

Ethan Li and his parents sat patiently in the VIP room, waiting for the Bai family to arrive. Yet, despite his composed exterior, excitement simmered beneath the surface.

Lillie Bai.

The Ice Queen. The She-Devil. And soon… my wife.

No one—not his family, not his closest friends—had ever known the truth. Ethan Li, the ever-composed and ruthless CEO, had harbored a secret crush on Lillie Bai for years.

They had been classmates since high school. And as expected of geniuses, they were placed in the same elite classroom. Not only had she been his classmate—she had been his seatmate.

He could never forget the first time he saw her.

Lillie Bai sat by the window, her chin resting lightly on her palm, her expression peaceful yet distant. The cool spring breeze swept through the room, rustling her unique silver-ash hair. Her striking blue eyes, bored yet calm, were fixed on the world outside.

For the first time in his life, Ethan lost his breath over someone.

Drawn by an invisible force, his feet carried him toward her. He slid into the seat beside her, his heartbeat loud in his ears.

Lillie Bai turned to face him, her gaze sharp and unreadable. An elegant brow arched in question.

"Hello."

Her voice was soft, melodic—almost hypnotic. Ethan felt his heart stutter. He wanted to hear more of it.

Yet, instead of responding properly, all he managed was a curt—

"Hm."

He wanted to slap himself. Well done, Ethan. Now you sound like a jerk.

Unfazed, Lillie simply returned her attention to the window, as if he didn't exist.

Ethan sighed inwardly. It took him days—weeks—of trial and error just to have a proper conversation with her.

But in that time, he came to realize something.

Lillie Bai was anything but ordinary.

She excelled in everything—academics, sports, the arts. There was no subject she wasn't effortlessly brilliant at. It was as if she had been sculpted by the gods themselves—flawless, untouchable.

The word failure did not exist in her vocabulary.

Ethan had always considered himself a genius. Until he met Lillie Bai.

It wasn't just that she was ahead of him—it was the ease with which she outperformed everyone. No matter how hard he worked, she always seemed miles beyond his reach.

And so, he pushed himself even harder.

He hired tutors for every subject—academics, arts, sports—anything that would bring him to her level. Anything that would make her see him.

He wanted to stand beside her as an equal.

He wanted to be the perfect man for her.

And then—he did it.

One day, the academic rankings were posted.

1st Place: Ethan Li

2nd Place: Lillie Bai

Ethan's heart swelled with pride. Not because he had beaten her—but because it meant that, at last, he had caught up to her.

He turned to look at her, expecting—what? A flicker of acknowledgment? Amusement? Maybe even grudging admiration?

Instead, she was staring at him.

And then—

"From this day onward, you, Ethan Li, are my enemy."

Her voice was as cold as ice, her gaze like sharpened steel.

It was the same voice that had once greeted him with a gentle hello.

Now, it sent a chill down his spine.

Ethan felt his chest tighten. His heart—so foolishly full just moments ago—shattered into pieces.

What had he done wrong?

Why did she hate him?

From that day forward, they became rivals.

Like fire and water. Like predator and prey. Like two forces destined to clash.

In academics, in sports, in business—they battled relentlessly, never willing to concede an inch to the other.

And Ethan?

He changed.

The bright, confident young man he once was became cold and distant. He buried his emotions, focusing only on the competition—on beating her, on proving himself.

It was the only way he knew how to keep up with Lillie Bai.

—

A sharp knock at the door pulled Ethan from his thoughts.

The VIP room opened, and in walked a familiar middle-aged man, followed by an elegant French woman, a young boy—

And finally—

Her.

Lillie Bai.

She was just as breathtaking as he remembered. Maybe even more so.

And when she finally met his gaze, her reaction—however subtle—was enough to satisfy him.

A smirk tugged at his lips as he slowly stood, his voice taunting yet laced with something deeper.

"Well, hello there, future wife."