Chapter 4: Back Then

Ethan Li and his parents waited for the Bai family to arrive. Ethan couldn't contain his excitement, 'The one and only Lillie Bai, the Ice Queen, the She-Devil, will be my wife'.

Ethan had kept it a secret all through out his life and never uttered a single word to anyone. The truth is that he, Ethan Li, had a huge crush on Lillie Bai.

Ethan and Lillie were actually classmates since high school. And as expected from geniuses, they all gather together in one classroom. Lillie was not only his classmate but his seat mate as well.

He could never forget the day he saw her for the first time, her chin was leaning on her palm with a peaceful expression. The cool spring breeze blew her natural and unique ash hair. Her usual blue, bored eyes stared at the window in utter calmness.

His breath was caught by this goddess' beauty, he could not get enough of it. His feet unconsciously went towards her, then sat at the seat beside her.

Lillie Bai noticed his presence and turned to meet his gaze. Her eyebrow was raised into an arch.

"Hello." Her soft and melodic voice was like a lullaby to his ears, he wanted to hear more of it. Ethan's heart was pounding so loud he fears that she might hear it.

"Hm." He uttered, keeping his cool expression. He almost cursed himself because of it. 'Well done, Ethan. Now you sound like a jerk.' After that, Lillie Bai returned her attention back to the window.

Ethan mentally sighed in disappointment. For days, Ethan tried everything just to have a proper conversation with her.

He soon found out that Lillie was anything but the average. She excelled everything in class, her talent is limitless, as if she was carefully sculptured by God into perfection. The word 'failure' is never on her dictionary.

Ethan considered himself as a genius but when he met her, that illusion was destroyed. He realized that he couldn't keep up with her!

So, he studied, harder than usual. He had his father hire a lot of tutors for him. Be it in academics, arts or sports. There's nothing he missed.

He wanted to be on Lillie's standards, he wanted to stand together with her. He wanted her to see him as the perfect man.

But, his dreams were crushed by no other than Lillie Bai. The woman he adored and probably love.

Her eyes were cold as she stared at the board, where the school's academic ranking was posted.

The name that was stated on the first place was Ethan Li and the second is Lillie Bai.

Ethan was happy, but not because he beat her it's because it means he's now as good as her!

Ethan looked at her direction and was stunned when he saw her staring at him. He now had the courage to speak with her but as he opened his mouth, he was cut off.

"On this day onwards, you, Ethan Li, are my enemy." She said with a cold glare, the sweet voice that said 'hello' to him on the first day now sounds like thunder to his ears.

His heart was broken that day, he didn't know what he did wrong.

Why did she hate him?

And as Lillie said, for that day onwards, they became enemies, rivals.

Like fire and water, cat and dog, they did their best to beat each other, be it in academics, arts or sports, and now, business.

Because of that, Ethan's personality shifted. He became cold and distant, so much that his parents were restless with concern.

Ethan Li was awoken from his daze when the VIP room was opened.

His eyes landed on the familiar middle aged man then at the beautiful French woman, a young boy and lastly, the woman he longed to see.

Lillie's reaction made him satisfied. So, he stood from his seat and said in a taunting voice,

"Well, hello there, future wife."