1 Prologue

The wind swept the winding road. Cherry blossoms continued to bloom in the heart of spring, littering the path with fallen petals.

Students who walked together reminded her of her middle school years a few years back. Her optimism and friendliness surrounded her with friends, but a single misstep lost her the ability to reconnect again.

Now, her family had moved to another city, one where they wouldn't be bothered by their pesky relatives and where her kinder relatives lived.

Today was the opening ceremony of Qing High School, a notorious private school for selected and well-off students. Had it not been for her father reminding her, she would've missed the first day.

Not that she minded. She would rather skip it, actually.

She held the straps of her bag tightly, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. Nervousness and anxiety gnawed at her, doubting herself in a strange and new environment.

Would she be able to make friends? Will people accept her?

The walk to school isn't very far, but neither is it near. She had to take a bus stop from the nearby intersection in her house, then stop a mile from the school and lastly walk the rest of the way.

Has it been too long? She breathed in the air of the cold breeze. Although spring had come, the lingering chill could still be felt.

Qing Middle School wasn't very noticeable, only the path of large oak trees were visible from the roads. You had to take another turn before the large, wrought iron gate could be seen at an angle.

When she walked inside, students were in a fervent discussion, gossiping amongst themselves by the notice board near the front gate.

"Kang Mu will be going here, right?"

"I heard that Ling Shan's transferring here, isn't she a famous idol?"

"Huh! Who could compare to the Su family? They're a large family full of talented people. I'd be grateful if even one of them could go here."

She cocked her head in confusion. A recluse like her couldn't recognize a single name that anyone uttered. Had she accidentally been behind in the world?

Not walking with her eyes forward, she bumped into someone, causing the other person to fall on the ground.

"Oh! I'm so sorry," she apologized and held out a hand.

The other person took it and dusted themselves off. They seemed to be in a hurry, judging by the weight of the impact. Thankfully, neither of them were hurt. It would be bad enough to offend someone so early in the year.

"It's fine." the person who bumped into her immediately left.

After walking a few more, she glanced at the time. There was still about an hour left before school would start. It seemed she got a bit excited and came earlier than expected.

Not wanting to get lost, she settled herself in a bench nearby the auditorium, where the tracks were visible. With her horrible sense of direction, exploring the large school may mean missing the opening ceremony and getting the opportunity to meet some friends.

Lost in thought, she didn't notice that someone had taken a seat beside her.

"Hello."

The voice startled her. She turned her head and saw a male student. He looked young but also mature, the glasses made him look smart but his haircut looked untidy. All in all, he looked suspicious in her heart.

"Yes, hello." she nodded politely.

After that they didn't talk much. The next few minutes were spent in silence.

She started to get even more suspicious in her heart when he didn't leave. He looked like a student here, but who would sit with a stranger like her?

Then, he spoke up. "I'm Su Wang, a third year student here in Qing Middle School."

His voice sounded clear and melodious, reminding her of a wind chime.

Since he introduced himself, it would only be right if she also did so.

"My name is Jiang Yue. A first year in Qing Middle School."

Su Wang turned to look at her and smiled. "Nice to meet you, Student Jiang."

"Likewise, Senior Su."

Then, the announcement for the start of the ceremony rang out.

"Oh, it looks like the opening ceremony will begin soon. We should go."

He stood up, waved goodbye, and turned to leave. She looked at his disappearing figure and cocked her head.

That was definitely the weirdest encounter she had.

Only then did she stand and also leave for the auditorium. On the way, there weren't many people in the way, probably because everyone had already scrambled to the venue, which she found weird again.

She found a seat at the furthermost row, where a bunch of rowdy kids were seated. A frown formed on her face, she didn't want to sit with them, even if they were strangers.

Stuck in a dilemma, she stood still.

"You don't want to sit with them either?" A voice said behind her.

She turned around. A young man stood before her. He stood at a smaller height than her, a little on the round side, and his hairstyle was neatly cropped.

"Hm? Are you okay? You look pale."

She shook her head. "I'm fine."

"Want to sit over there instead?" He gestured at the furthermost corner in the middle row. It was a lot quieter in the area, but didn't really provide a good view of the platform.

That was a seat she preferred over the rowdy bunch in the back row, so she nodded.

"Okay."

They walked towards their seats and sat down just as the principal started his speech.

This time, she decided to introduce herself first.

"I'm Jiang Yue. Nice to meet you," she said, holding out her hand.

The student looked surprised but nonetheless smiled and shook her hand.

"I'm Qing Shan. Nice to meet you too."