After ninety-nine online romances, I finally met my ex in person when school started.

"Mr. Zhu, we've arrived at Peking University," the driver in the front seat said respectfully.

The Maybach S680 slowly came to a stop outside the plaza at the main gate of Kyoto University.

At this point, the square had been completely surrounded and enclosed.

Three layers of yellow police tape surrounded the century-old auditorium in the center. The perimeter was packed with media reporters, their cameras and microphones crammed in.

Most of them were male students from Peking University.

Two or three thousand self-important boys, dressed in flamboyant outfits—some with slicked-back hair, others in trendy brands—stood outside the police cordon, craning their necks. They all thought they were the "leading man" handpicked by the Best Actress.

Zhu Xunchuan opened the car door.

A handcrafted Italian calfskin shoe steps onto the asphalt road.

He stood up.

Sunlight shone on his dark gray bespoke suit, worth 780,000 yuan, its tailored fit perfectly against his tall, straight shoulders and back. There wasn't a single wrinkle.

He slightly raised his left wrist to adjust his cuff, and the Patek Philippe Nautilus, worth twelve million, reflected an extremely cold and expensive metallic luster.

[Perfect Aura Halo], activate!

A system notification sound flashed in my mind.

An invisible sense of oppression radiated outwards from Zhu Xun Chuan's center. It was a class oppression that combined the wealth of three generations of conglomerates, the composure of those in power, and extreme arrogance.

The once noisy square seemed to have been muted.

The closest guys, who were probably the most handsome men in the department, were posing for the camera one second, but the next second, when they saw Zhu Xun Chuan, their confidence crumbled instantly. Faced with his imposing height and arrogant aura, they felt like clowns in a circus, and lowered their heads in shame.

The girls on the perimeter were stunned.

Immediately afterwards, a deafening scream erupted.

"Ahhh! Who's that?! He's so handsome!"

"This aura... Is this the heir of some powerful conglomerate out on an incognito visit?"

"Help! The way he adjusted his cuffs just now could have killed me!"

The media's flashbulbs went off wildly, trying to capture the image of this suddenly appearing top VIP.

Zhu Xun Chuan remained calm, ignoring the surrounding commotion. With one hand in his trouser pocket, he strode towards the police line.

A short-haired woman dressed in a smart black business suit walked briskly down the steps of the auditorium.

She parted the crowd, pushed aside the police tape, and walked up to Zhu Xun Chuan.

Amidst the envious gazes of two or three thousand male students and the shocked cameras of all the media, Pei Yanyu's personal assistant bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle with utmost respect.

"Mr. Zhu, Sister Pei has been waiting for you inside for a long time."

The entire room fell silent.

So, the male lead who was showered with offers online and made even the Best Actress go to great lengths was actually already decided beforehand?

Zhu Xun Chuan nodded slightly, without uttering a single unnecessary word, and walked step by step down the red carpet toward the main entrance of the auditorium.

Behind me, there was a deafening commotion that seemed to shake the very heavens.

In front of him were two heavy, ancient mahogany doors.

"Creak—"

The door was pushed open.

The glaring sunlight and deafening noise outside were completely shut out through the door.

The auditorium was extremely spacious and quiet; one could hear the echo of his leather shoes on the wooden floor.

Five thousand seats were completely empty.

Only one extremely bright spotlight shone vertically on the center of the wide stage.

In the center of the stage, there was a retro red velvet sofa.

Pei Yanyu sat there.

She wore a burgundy, high-slit silk gown. The hem slid down her curves, revealing a stunningly long, flawless, snow-white leg.

On her slender toes, a red-soled high heel clung, seemingly about to slip off.

Her long hair cascaded lazily over her shoulders, a glass of red wine dangling from her hand, her lips ablaze with fiery red. That mature, alluring femininity, brimming with danger and seduction, was magnified infinitely under the dim spotlight.

Hearing footsteps, Pei Yanyu turned her head slightly.

Those fox-like eyes were fixed on Zhu Xun Chuan, their depths churning with three years of resentment, unwillingness, and a morbid fanaticism.

With a slight wobbling of her toes, the red-soled high heels fell to the wooden floor with a "thud".

Her red lips curved into a breathtaking smile.

"Little liar."

"I've helped you smooth things over with them, how are you going to thank me?"

Pei Yanyu's languid and charming voice clearly reached Zhu Xunchuan's ears through the surround sound system at the top of the auditorium.

As her voice fell.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Hundreds of giant metal halide lamps on the dome of the auditorium suddenly lit up. The originally dark and deep interior of the building was instantly illuminated as if it were daytime.

The sudden visual contrast made Zhu Xun Chuan squint slightly. Immediately afterwards, a deafening roar that seemed to lift the roof off completely engulfed him like a tsunami.

It wasn't empty at all.

It's not that there are too many people.

The brief silence just now was merely a deliberate breath-holding caused by the overwhelming presence of the Best Actress. Now, the lights are on, and the second-floor stands and back rows are packed with fans and media from all walks of life, holding light sticks and cameras.

Pei Yanyu lightly flicked her fair toes and precisely stepped into the red-soled high heel.

She stood up from the red velvet sofa.

The wine-red, high-slit silk gown, like flowing fine wine, clung tightly to her exaggeratedly voluptuous waist and hip curves. As she descended the steps, the extremely high and daring slit on the side of the skirt billowed wildly in the cold white light. A long, slender, straight, and flawless snow-white leg was faintly visible through the skirt, the extreme sensuality and the barely perceptible edge of exposure making each step precisely strike at the weak spot of every man in the room.

Her allure was ingrained, her flamboyance ingrained. That captivatingly beautiful face, like a fox's, carried an undisguised aggressiveness.

"Oh my god! Sister Pei walked towards that boy!"

"Who is this guy? That aura... my god, I thought it was some tycoon's son coming to inspect the place!"

"Is this the pre-selected male lead? Dressed like this for the audition, does he think the auditorium is his backyard?"

"What's there to be so sour about! With her looks and figure, I'd be willing to be sexually harassed too!"

Amidst gasps and whispers from the audience, Pei Yanyu gracefully walked up to Zhu Xunchuan.

The two were less than half a meter apart.

The rich scent of black datura perfume, mixed with the sweet, cloying fragrance unique to mature women, forcefully entered Zhu Xun Chuan's nostrils.

In front of nearly 10,000 people. In front of countless flashing media cameras.

This aloof and glamorous actress, who had been retired from the entertainment industry for two years and was revered as a goddess, actually extended her jade-like hand, painted with bright red nail polish, towards Zhu Xun Chuan.

A collective gasp erupted from the audience. Countless boys were consumed by envy, their eyes gleaming red, their teeth grinding together.

Zhu Xun Chuan remained calm, his dark gray bespoke suit accentuating his noble and arrogant air. He had one hand in his trouser pocket, while his other hand reached out naturally and grasped that soft, boneless hand.

"Nice to meet you, classmate. Please take care of me." Pei Yanyu spoke into the invisible microphone she carried with her, her voice so sweet it could melt your heart.

"No, it was our second meeting."

However, at the moment their fingertips touched.

The index finger with red nail polish subtly and brazenly traced a ticklish arc across Zhu Xun Chuan's palm, then sharply hooked his fingertip.

On the surface, it was a dignified and restrained meeting, but behind the scenes, they were racing recklessly.

P.S.: I'm going to have surgery this morning. Leave a 5-star review with text, follow, and comment for a chance to win. Wish me luck, and wish you all good luck too.