2 Chapter ONE - (In the new world)

"Feng YingYue!" the palm that slammed the table startled the girl on the desk so much she looked as if she was about to jump 5 feet in the air. "Are you listening to me?" asked the stern faced woman in her 40s.

Feng YingYue let out an uneasy smile at having been caught, and awkwardly rubbed the back of her nape. "Err... well, that wasn't intentional, Miss Hua. I apologize," perhaps it was due to the stares of her classmates that she ducked her head, and was fast enough to catch the motions her seatmate was giving her.

D-R-O-O-L. Shen Tianqing mouthed as she pointed to the corner of her lips.

'How embarrassing! The Rank 2 of this year level was caught drooling happily in her desk!' she exclaimed in her head unhappily as she swiftly wiped the drool with the back of her hand.

Hua Huizhen's brows furrowed before dismissively waved her hand. "Well, as long as you can get good grades in my subject... sit back down."

YingYue bowed her head, expressing her gratitude and sat back down. Miss Hua went back to teaching something about the Great Cold War when she felt her side getting pinched by Bing Xiang.

Turning her head to meet his eyes, she glowered at him. 'Later', she mouthed back in response and turned her head to face the window.

::

"Yue'er," Su YiYi cooed to her as the other girl played with her hair.

"Shouldn't you be eating with your fellow seniors, Senior Su?" Xiang asked her once he set his lunch tray down.

"My dear beloved Ying Ying is here, so naturally, I'm here," she said it casually and placed her chin above YingYue's raven locks. Xiang let out an awkward smile at the scene.

Well, it wasn't everyday when YiYi could sit down together with them and eat, so he'd just have to ignore this one. Besides, he couldn't afford to offend her anyway.

With her shiny brownish hair and peach blossom eyes with a pair of pouty lips and fair, snow like skin, it was no secret that Su YiYi was a true beauty. She had many admirers too due to her achievements. However, in that seemingly perfect girl laid one big flaw. Su YiYi, had strange sexual preferences. She liked girls, or to put it bluntly, she was a lesbian.

And his dear best friend, Feng YingYue, was the unlucky female that attracted her attention. 'Was it back when we were on 8th grade?' Xiang thought in amusement as he eyed the two.

Way back in eighth grade, Xiang and YingYue had participated as main casts for a play for their Annual School Festival. YiYi was the one who wrote the play and was utterly overjoyed when she saw YingYue and her acting skills. YiYi then screamed to everyone that YingYue was hers.

Needless to say, all of them were utterly mortified.

"*Xiao Yue, will you see the festival this evening?" YiYi casually asked, taking a spoonful of her panna cotta dessert. Her glassy phoenix eyes eagerly stared back at YingYue, waiting for a positive response. "You know, the Peony Viewing Festival."

(Xiao Yue - 'Xiao' here means little, so she's literally calling YingYue, 'Little Yue')

The chopsticks that were about to a piece of roasted pig into YingYue's mouth paused, slightly trembling. Her face changed colors for a moment before reverting peacefully. "This..." she hesitated.

Xiang frowned. It wasn't a fact known to many, but YingYue resented peonies. No matter what color or what type, she hated it all.

Others found this dislike questionable. Peony was such a beautiful flower - so why does she hate it? But Bing Xiang knew that there was more to this dislike, YingYue was actually allergic to it. No one knew why she couldn't get an allergy attack from other flowers, but the only thing she can't stand is having peonies touching her skin. if it did, the fair jadelike skin would soon turn itchy till its scratched and have blotches of red in it, tearing away a layer of her skin and injuring it.

If any of the snobby populars get wind of this, they will surely not let YingYue see the light of the day. Xiang fears that the endpoint of it all will be the operating room.

"She can't. Xiao Yue has a flight this evening with Auntie," Xiang inadvertently came to her rescue. YingYue glanced at Xiang and apologetically smiled at him, mouthing her thanks. Xiang smirked smugly and raised his chin. YingYue frowned and playfully rolled her eyes.

"Oh," YiYi's spirits seemed to have plummeted as she slowly picked on her rice.

'What's the matter with her?' YingYue frowned, while opening her phone once she felt it vibrate.

'November 26.

Grab package from the Auction House. Senior's birthday.'

YingYue: "..."

YingYue looked at the elder girl with a guilty look and looked back at her phone. Then looked at Xiang who sensed her restlessness. Xiang looked at YiYi and looked back at her while shaking her head slowly.

YingYue bit her lip anxiously before placing her chopsticks down. "Well... mama told me I can reschedule my flight?" she told her cautiously. A ray of hope flashed through YiYi's eyes, something that didn't go unnoticed by YingYue. YingYue suppressed a bitter smile.

"She did? How come I never--" Xiang didn't get to finish his words as he felt a sharp pain in his foot. He looked at Feng YingYue in appallment as he closed and open his mouth like a fish. 'Yue'er, this big brother has come to save you from a week of rash infection and you swat it like an annoying mosquito!' Xiang felt so wronged. He felt like crying but was without tears.

"Maybe I can accompany you in the festival," YingYue told her gently. Ever since they got to know each other, YiYi had been so good to her, having helped her out a couple of times when she was in a tight situation. The least she could do was accompany YiYi during her birthday, knowing that the girl's family was indifferent to her being born from a mistress.

YiYi's eyes transformed into stars as she hugged YingYue affectionately. Xiang sighed as he imagined an imaginary puppy ears and a wagging tail out of their senior. He sighed even more glumly once he saw his bestfriend patting their senior's head.

"Ahh, forget it. I'm sure Aunty would definitely permit it," Xiang interrupted the two. But of course, the only reason why she could accompany Su YiYi was due to the fact that there was no flight in the first place.

'Ahh, forget it! Don't come crying to this big brother once you've torn off a layer of your skin again! This big brother will not help you!' Xiang nodded resolutely with this vow in wind.