East Wing of the Golden Goose Academy, Building B.
Ji Yunhe trailed the familiar path to her destination with ease.
Although she and Mo Xuanyu belonged to different departments, her being a ballet major while Mo Xuanyu studied the piano, the Dance Department and Music Department were located in buildings next to each other.
Ji Yunhe had just made a few turns and reached the third floor, where her morning Music Theory class would be held, when she caught sight of something pinkish and simply too striking when compared to its exquisite surroundings.
'Wow, a cotton candy stall! Since when are hawkers let in to roam around the academy, even allowed to set their stalls in the hallways?'
Her face beamed with the happiness of a sweet little girl upon discovering a treasure as she skipped to the stall. "Handsome, I'll have one please."
The young hawker behind the stall raised his dark ink eyes and scanned the young lady before him from head to toe.
Dark luscious hair, porcelain skin, clean nails; at least a five figure outfit and an LV bag.
He readily handed her a stick, saying in a clear voice, "Thank you for the patronage. That'll be 30 yuan."
"30 yuan?" Ji Yunhe's eyes nearly popped out at the sky-high price. "This is daylight robbery! Young man, do you know how many sticks of candy floss you can get with 30 yuan from the stall across the street?"
The hawker flashed her an angel's smile and said, "Take two and it'll be 40."
"F-Fine." Swooned by his charm, Ji Yunhe blankly nodded.
She raised her phone and scanned the barcode, only to freeze the second later she made her payment. "Wait, that's still too expensive. You're a black-hearted seller, I'm going to report you!"
The smile on the young man's face immediately disappeared, replaced by a gathering of gloomy dark clouds. He was just about to open his mouth to retort, when a sudden commotion erupted not far from them.
Ji Yunhe's instinctive alarm for gossip blared. She shot the hawker a warning glare and quickly took a seat beside the stall, craning her neck to see what exactly the drama was about.
From the other end of the hallway, a short-haired bespectacled female student was being forcefully dragged by a gangster-like young man with metal stud earrings.
Upon arriving before the completely ajar door of the Music Theory Class, the man hurled the girl to the ground with force, earning a few gasps from the surrounding crowd.
"Huo Bing, what is the meaning of this?"
Soon after, a pure-looking young woman in a simple white top and blue trousers emerged from the class, her long ponytail swaying with the wind as she asked the gangster-like man for an explanation.
The female lead, Xu Nian. Ji Yunhe recognized her almost the instant she landed her gaze upon her.
When her sight moved to the other woman following behind Xu Nian, Ji Yunhe's gaze immediately sharpened like a vengeful viper, her resentment bar reaching the peak in that exact second.
An excessive doll-like appearance paired with a temptress' hourglass body, forever in bold makeup and frivolous tight dresses as if she were dying to be the centre of attention.
Ji Manman. What was she doing here, in the Music Department, despite being a ballet major herself?
Ji Yunhe immediately got her answer when she heard Ji Manman's shrill cries.
"Niannian, it's this damned bitch! She's the one who had made up everything about the post and slandered me in the forum."
Ji Manman squeezed out a few drops of crocodile tears as she said this, looking as if she was the most miserable person in the world.
When she noticed how unmoved Xu Nian was, Ji Manman grew uneasy and set her thoughts onto the unkempt bespectacled girl splayed on the floor.
Ji Manman strutted to the girl's side and raised her by the collar, demanding her for an answer.
"Fang Ruohan! What have I ever done to you, for you to throw dirty water at me? Do you know that because of you, I've become a laughingstock in the whole academy. If not for Xu Nian, I would've long been called to the headmistress' office and faced the threat of expulsion!"
By this time, even Xu Nian couldn't take it anymore, "Enough, Manman. Since I've forgiven you, let's not talk about this anymore and let bygones be bygones."
Xu Nian continued to convince Ji Manman with a soft voice, receiving the admiration of the people around her who were moved by her kindness, when the bespectacled girl suddenly let out a crazed laugh.
Even Ji Yunhe was surprised by Xu Ruohan's outburst when she suddenly counter-grabbed Ji Manman's arms and pushed her away, therefore successfully escaping out of Ji Manman's lethal grip in one movement.
"Serves you right." Xu Ruohan breathed out through gritted teeth. She fixed her collar and repositioned her crooked glasses, her eyes glistening with hatred as she raised her voice against Ji Manman.
"Although I've told you countless times that I'm not the one behind this, none of you believed in me and even dragged me out to be humiliated in public. Now that things have come to this, does the truth still matter? What matters is that you, Ji Manman, are exactly the rotten woman as what's stated in the forum!"
"As talentless as you are, you schemed against your peers to steal on their opportunities and shifted the blame to the others. You've even gone so far as scheming against your own best friend, Xu Nian, using her to attract the attention of the man you like!"
"The man she likes, are you talking about me?" Suddenly, the crowd parted to reveal a dark-faced Li Mubai, who had stood there listening since God knows when.
Ji Yunhe: Wow wow wow, the male lead and female lead turning up together in one place. Incoming dog-blooded drama detected! Hmm, there seems to be something lacking here… that's right! It's lacking me, the villainess, to stir up some spices! Wahahaha!
System: [Alert! Alert! Adultery detected! Adultery detected! Host, you need to follow the original script and accuse them for cheating on you!]
Ji Yunhe: What? What adultery? Am I blind or are you the one who's delusional? The two leads haven't even looked at each other yet! What more exchanging lovey-dovey glance or joining hands whatsoever!
System: [That doesn't matter! What matters is, we need to find a justifiable reason to date the second male lead tomorrow…]
Ji Yunhe: "…" Do as you like. I don't know anything, I'm a baby girl.
"B-Brother Mubai," something seemed to have stirred within Xu Nian as she weakly called out to the man of her heart.
Li Mubai's sudden appearance didn't only affect Xu Nian, but also the other young girls who melted upon the view of his exceptional face. After all, his reputation as the number one school hunk wasn't there for nothing.
Since his arrival, not even once had Li Mubai spared Xu Nian a glance. Instead, he placed his questioning eyes upon Xu Ruohan, as if asking her to elaborate about the matter more.
With him as backing, Xu Ruohan seemed to have a lot more things to say. However, before she could open her mouth, she was forcefully yanked aside by the gangster-like Huo Bing.
"Haven't you caused enough trouble?" He glowered at her, raising his hand to slap Xu Ruohan's fair cheek. "As an elder brother, I have the obligation to teach my disobedient sister some real-life lesson."
No one dared to say a word. Looking at how Xu Ruohan could only cower behind and silently choke back her tears, they seemed to have realized the truth in Huo Bing's words.
And yet, this was when Ji Yunhe saw red. She kicked up the stool and was more than ready to carry it over her head, when the hawker saw through her intention with just one glance and stopped her.
"The stool is a personal property." He slowly said whilst tapping his fingers against the table.
It was only now did Ji Yunhe notice the unique darkness lingering in his eyes, calm and shimmering like precious obsidians. She didn't even notice since when the handsome young man had taken the seat beside her.
With obvious impatience in her tone, she clicked her tongue and said, "Name your price."
"300."
Ji Yunhe: "..." This black-hearted guy…
Her fist itched to land a punch on the man's smug yet charming face. But then, her gaze suddenly turned serious as she examined the young man before her.
"Now that I look closer, you seem quite familiar to the eye. Have we perhaps, ever met somewhere before?"
The hawker raised his eyebrows, looking exceptionally handsome with the devilish smirk on his lips, "Faking an acquaintance won't give you any benefit. 250, that's the lowest I can go."
"Fine." Ji Yunhe grinded her teeth against each other and fetched her phone to scan the barcode. She was just about to stride forward with her newly bought partner-in-crime, when the system's crying voice rang against her ear.
[Host, how can you be this forgetful? That cotton candy guy is none other than the second male lead, Ning Xiaoran, ah!]