Chapter 4
When Fu Xia first enrolled at Lorenz Academy, she’d heard a certain theory going around.
If you could latch onto one of the young masters or misses, your life would be set. The money that slipped through their fingers was a windfall for an ordinary person, so even being a lover or something similar was worth it. If you could maintain a long-term relationship, you wouldn’t have to worry for the rest of your life… or so the theory went.
There was a time, when she was down to her last hundred yuan, that Fu Xia seriously considered finding a decent-looking, not-necessarily-super-rich peer to depend on.
But she quickly dismissed the idea.
Since starting school, Fu Xia had witnessed countless good-looking scholarship students being played for fools by the elite kids. They would develop genuine feelings, only to be ruthlessly abandoned in the end. These rich kids treated the scholarship students’ reactions as a performance, and they never tired of the show.
It was proof that the wealthy weren’t idiots.
Compared to chasing those illusory, get-rich-quick dreams, Fu Xia now felt it was better to rely on herself.
In reality, her plan for her life was quite simple.
First, get through high school peacefully, earn the Lorenz Academy scholarship, and find part-time work during the holidays. The money saved would be the startup capital for escaping her family.
Next, get into a good university far from home. During her college years, she would do multiple internships to gain experience, and after graduating, find a good job that would allow her to rent a cheap apartment.
After working for a few years, she would try to save up enough to buy her own place and finally settle down.
Given her terrible starting point in life, successfully completing this plan would already be a great outcome. Although seeing students who were incredibly wealthy and had happy families still made her feel a small, twisted pang of jealousy, Fu Xia could quickly get over it.
To get what she wanted, she could endure pain.
…And she could endure a few psychos.
With that thought, Fu Xia circled a problem on her test paper.
Because of yesterday’s events, her concentration was scattered. The two practice sets she’d done this morning had a much higher error rate than usual.
Fu Xia wasn’t sure if she could trust Xie Rin. If she placed all her hopes on him, and he decided to turn on her, she’d be completely finished.
In any case, it was best to have a backup plan.
—I wonder if groveling at Pei Wang’s feet would work?
Fu Xia forced herself to stop thinking about yesterday and continued with another practice set.
Pei Wang hadn’t come to class yet.
A normal person, after being hit in the head with a baseball bat, would need a few days to recover, assuming they didn’t die. They might even suffer from some long-term effects. Fu Xia could completely understand that, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
Her attention was so focused on Pei Wang and Xie Rin that she’d forgotten about another person she needed to watch out for.
—The girl from yesterday who had demanded to switch seats with her.
“Hey, scholarship student.”
“Did you enjoy the show yesterday?”
The voice wasn’t quiet. The classroom fell silent for a few seconds.
Fu Xia wanted to cover her head with her hands.
“You’re pretty fast on your feet.”
The girl rapped on the desk, looking down at her imperiously. “Come with me,” she ordered.
Fu Xia’s seat was by the window. The girl stood in the aisle, completely blocking her path. In this situation, there was no escape.
…Unless she jumped out of the fourth-floor window right now.
At that thought, Fu Xia obediently stood up.
But before she did, she secretly slipped a utility knife from her pencil case into her uniform pocket. If this person planned on doing anything life-threatening, Fu Xia was prepared to fight back.
—Worst case, we’ll take each other down.
Fu Xia was pushed into the women’s restroom at the far end of the hallway.
The light in this restroom had broken yesterday afternoon. A maintenance sign hung on the door, and inside, the light flickered on and off, creating an atmosphere straight out of a horror movie.
The girl who had sought her out was named Chen Wang. Her family was in international trade, placing her in the top tier of the wealthy students in their class. As someone near the top of the pyramid in Lorenz Academy’s Day Division, Chen Wang rarely socialized proactively. However, the students of the Night Division were exceptionally powerful, and Chen Wang, wanting to expand her network, had decided to make a move yesterday.
It was worth mentioning that she had a fiery temper.
That was precisely why Fu Xia had fled immediately after school yesterday. She hadn’t dared to risk what might happen if she stayed.
Chen Wang shoved her against the wall. Fu Xia squeezed her eyes shut, her hand gripping the utility knife in her pocket.
If she’s just going to beat me, I’ll protect my head and my right hand. That should be manageable. If she plans on crippling me, then I’ll jam this knife into her neck or her eye.
But Chen Wang didn’t come any closer. She stood under the flickering light, pulled a slim cigarette from her pocket, and lit it. She didn’t move or speak, her inscrutable gaze sweeping over Fu Xia’s face.
After a moment, as if dissatisfied, she clicked her tongue. “It would be better if you were prettier… As you are now, it’ll probably be difficult to succeed.”
“But listen up,” the surprisingly pragmatic young miss said, stepping closer. She pinched Fu Xia’s chin, forcing her to look up. “I’m not going to beat you up today.”
The smell of smoke was choking; Fu Xia hated secondhand smoke.
Chen Wang ignored her discomfort and continued. “The Night Division holds a Full Moon Ball twice a year. Not only do the Night Division students attend, but a number of industry tycoons will be there as well.”
“…Pei Wang is from the Night Division. Even though he’s transferred classes, he’s guaranteed to have an invitation.”
Chen Wang was indeed a wealthy young miss, but her family also had several illegitimate children, all of whom were eyeing the inheritance. Her father favored the illegitimate children and had been wavering in his support for her in recent years. A quick glance at the Night Division’s alumni list revealed a who’s who of powerful figures. If she could connect with them, her family’s company could make a quantum leap.
Chen Wang’s reason for approaching Pei Wang wasn’t an interest in men; it was simply because he was useful.
“I want you to seduce Pei Wang and get that invitation from him.”
“Of course,” she added, “if you can play with his emotions, make him fall for you and then crush his pride under your heel, that would be even better.”
Fu Xia thought she was hearing things.
Setting aside his potential serial killer tendencies, Pei Wang was handsome and rich. Even with his arrogant personality, people were naturally drawn to power. He certainly didn’t lack for admirers.
If the situation weren’t so serious, she would have pointed at herself and said, “Me? Are you serious?”
Chen Wang rolled her eyes. “You have that little faith in yourself?”
At this point, Fu Xia was convinced it wasn’t just Pei Wang and Xie Rin who were insane; the entire school was probably full of lunatics.
Chen Wang blew a smoke ring in Fu Xia’s face. Fu Xia choked and started coughing.
“Ahem… Was that last part really necessary?”
“Of course it was. That bastard,” Chen Wang took a vicious drag from her cigarette, as if recalling a humiliating memory. “My whole life, I’m the one who tells people to scram.”
Fu Xia: …
Clearly, Chen Wang’s pride had reached a terrifying level. And Fu Xia was just a disposable scholarship student in her scheme—low cost, with the potential for high returns.
Having said her piece, Chen Wang straightened up. “When you succeed, I’ll transfer you fifty thousand. If you need any help in the meantime, you can contact me.”
“But if you fail… you know what will happen.”
She patted Fu Xia’s cheek.
“Remember to put on a show on your way back. Don’t let people think we were just having a friendly chat.”
Fu Xia watched Chen Wang turn and leave the restroom.
She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
Her grip on the utility knife loosened. Fu Xia flexed her trembling legs and braced herself against the sink. In the mirror, her face was pale.
A dark thought crossed her mind. If I really could seduce Pei Wang, the first thing I’d do is make sure everyone who ever threatened me meets a miserable end.
She turned on the faucet and splashed her face. The cold water helped her calm down. She pushed herself upright.
Avoiding Pei Wang is impossible now. I wonder if I can get some tips from Xie Rin…
The next second, she froze.
—Sometime, without her noticing, someone had appeared behind her.
The restroom didn’t face the sun, and only a little light filtered through the window. The overhead lamp flickered on and off like a bad omen.
Pei Wang was standing calmly just two steps away, his emerald-green eyes staring intently at her through the mirror.
Perhaps the running water had masked his footsteps; Fu Xia hadn’t heard a thing.
The faucet was still on, the sound of water a constant rush.
Fu Xia was completely rigid. Her heart rate skyrocketed, her mind filled with scenes from every ghost movie she’d ever seen. She instinctively whipped out the utility knife and stabbed backward.
Human? Or ghost?
Don’t tell me he actually died from that baseball bat yesterday and now he’s back to claim my life!
Her movement was clumsy. Pei Wang simply raised a hand.
Before Fu Xia could even register his motion, he had snatched the knife from her grasp.
He looked down, toying with the less-than-intimidating weapon, a mocking smile on his lips. “Why were you so submissive with her just now?”
Fu Xia backed away until the back of her waist hit the edge of the sink. “…You heard everything?”
So much for the seduction plan.
Her new career had ended before it even began. Fu Xia wanted to run.
But Pei Wang was slowly closing the distance.
He was tall and seemed to habitually look down on others. Meeting his gaze, Fu Xia felt an overwhelming sense of pressure.
“So, how do you plan on seducing me?”
The little person in Fu Xia’s mind screamed, holding its head. “I… haven’t figured that out yet.”
Pei Wang took another step forward.
His knees were now pressed against hers, almost pinning her to the sink. Fu Xia sucked in her stomach, trying to make herself as thin as a sheet of paper.
“Think of it now.”
Fu Xia was sure he was threatening her on purpose. If she had known this would happen, she would have rather been caught and beaten up by Chen Wang yesterday.
Her legs were shaking even more violently.
“I… I could ask if you’re warm or cold, serve you tea and water…?”
She had absolutely no experience in seduction. All that came to mind were the tasks performed by the lackeys who trailed after the wealthiest students.
Pei Wang’s eyelids were lowered. He said nothing.
Fu Xia kept her head down. “…Can I go home and study up on it?”
Pei Wang seemed completely oblivious to her terror.
His cold gaze traveled down the streaks of water on her face, finally settling on her lips, which opened and closed as she spoke.
That strange, bewitching tone returned to his voice. “Look up. At me.”
Fu Xia instinctively raised her head, her eyes meeting his. His emerald eyes were calm, as if he were inspecting a piece of meat. He stared at her, and a ring of blood-red light seemed to bloom around his pupils.
Fu Xia could clearly see his Adam’s apple bob, as if he were fighting back a powerful thirst.
“Now, think of me as your master.”
The proud Prince lowered his head slightly. As he spoke, his breath mingled with hers.
“…And please me.”