Chapter Two: Tang Ruyan

Tang Ruyan was the epitome of classical beauty. Her delicate face, slender eyelashes, petite and perfectly shaped nose, and full, rounded lips were framed by a cascade of jet-black hair that fell smoothly over her shoulders. Combined with her habitual long dresses, she exuded an air of pure, ethereal grace that set her apart from the crowd.

Yet, for all her beauty, she remained distant, cold as ice, and almost painfully reserved, which inevitably kept others at arm's length. Many of her classmates found themselves growing distant from this classical beauty, feeling stifled by her aloofness.

Guan Qian was never one to be overly curious, but when it came to Tang Ruyan—who had transferred from the Department of Languages to the Department of Ancient Scripts just the previous year—he harbored a particularly keen sense of awareness. Over the span of a year, Guan Qian still couldn't see through this ice-cold beauty. Ever since his precognition had awakened, he found that, strangely, he couldn't sense the slightest trace of life’s rhythm from her. This only made him all the more cautious and attentive.

The sweltering heat of midsummer was unbearable. In the Ancient Scripts classroom, Professor Han lectured with wisdom gleaming from behind his glasses, his spittle flying with every word. Yet hardly anyone listened intently to his theories; the restless atmosphere left everyone ill at ease.

Guan Qian propped his head up with one hand, his gaze drifting unconsciously to Tang Ruyan, who sat in the front row to his right. There was no denying that even from behind, a beautiful woman was an endless source of temptation. Guan Qian watched her elegant silhouette, lost in thought.

Indeed, beauty had a magical quality—even the most stoic man would find himself momentarily adrift, let alone a young man as full of vitality as Guan Qian.

Suddenly, with a loud smack, someone slapped Guan Qian on the back. Caught off guard, he was momentarily speechless, but quickly composed himself, returning his thoughts to the present.

He didn’t need to look to know it was Jiang Qiang behind him—the fiery-tempered woman with the notorious reputation.

Everyone in the Department of Ancient Scripts knew Jiang Qiang had a thing for Guan Qian. Unfortunately, Guan Qian tried his best to avoid her, but his efforts only seemed to encourage her relentless pursuit.

Whether he lowered his head or raised it, whether in the classroom or outside, Jiang Qiang’s presence was inescapable, leaving Guan Qian both exasperated and resigned to the unassailable power of a beautiful woman's advances.

At this moment, Jiang Qiang’s face was stormy. Ever since Tang Ruyan had transferred into their department, Guan Qian’s attitude toward her had been noticeably different. Though they barely spoke, Jiang Qiang had keenly observed that Guan Qian often paid attention to Tang Ruyan’s every move. To Jiang Qiang, this ice-cold beauty was nothing short of a rival.

There were even a few occasions when she marched up to Tang Ruyan and loudly berated her in front of the whole class, leaving everyone bewildered. Yet Tang Ruyan would only respond with an expressionless, “Is there something you need?”—which sent Jiang Qiang into a rage, nearly creating the first great disaster in the history of the Department of Ancient Scripts.

As Professor Han finally collected his spittle and brought his lecture to a close, the suffocating classroom burst into life—the day’s lesson was over.

“Guan Qian, we’re going to sing karaoke—want to come? Mo Han’s buying!” Fang He slung an arm around Guan Qian’s shoulders.

“You’re the one buying! We agreed to split the bill, and now you’re trying to trick me again, aren’t you?” Mo Han immediately protested at the mention of buying, waving a fist at Fang He.

“Mo Han, just because you had to treat us to a big dinner last time doesn’t mean you have to be so stingy,” Fang He retorted, dodging nimbly like a rabbit.

“Dead Fang He, don’t bring up last time—you went out without a cent and freeloaded off me. You need a good beating, don’t you?” Mo Han lunged at him.

“You two do whatever you want—Guan Qian’s coming with me today!” Jiang Qiang suddenly appeared behind Guan Qian, grabbing him with an air of utter confidence.

Immediately, Mo Han and Fang He wilted. This was not a woman to be trifled with; when she lost her temper, it was a fight to the death.

“Um, Jiang Qiang, I’ve got something to do at noon, so I can’t go with you today,” Guan Qian tried to make an excuse. He was already doing his best to avoid her—why would he deliberately give her another chance to cling to him?

But Jiang Qiang said nothing, simply dragging him toward her car.

Jiang Qiang was born into a wealthy family—a true daughter of privilege. Spoiled from a young age, she’d become somewhat overbearing and unreasonable.

“Today, I told my mom you’re coming to our house for dinner. Let’s see if you dare not go!” she declared with righteous indignation, glaring at Guan Qian as if daring him to refuse.

Guan Qian was speechless. He hadn’t received any warning from this wild woman, yet from her tone, it sounded as if he was the one at fault.

Resigned, he found himself bundled into the passenger seat like a parcel.

“So…what kind of game are you playing today?” Guan Qian asked nervously, dreading that this wealthy young lady might have arranged a family engagement dinner.

He remembered one time when Jiang Qiang took him to her house, only for her mother to start playing matchmaker—talking of perfect matches and ideal couples—leaving Guan Qian so embarrassed he could barely speak. In the end, he fled with a flimsy excuse, escaping by the skin of his teeth.

“Game? Game? You’re the one playing games! I told you—you’re coming to my house for dinner and you’re not happy about it. Is it because of Tang Ruyan? Hmph! I knew there was something going on between you two!” Jiang Qiang huffed, suddenly stepping on the accelerator with a jealous glint in her eye.

Guan Qian was utterly at his wit’s end. He had only ever seen her as a classmate—no matter how plainly he said it or how hard he tried to avoid her, it seemed to make no difference.

Poor Guan Qian could only lament his fate; life truly was full of hardships.

Meanwhile, Jiang Qiang, sitting in the driver’s seat, grew more agitated the more she thought about it. To vent her frustration, she kept pressing the accelerator, and before she realized it, the car was hurtling along at 120 kilometers per hour, making Guan Qian in the passenger seat suck in a sharp breath. Was this woman trying to get them both killed?

“Jiang Qiang, slow down! I’m already going home with you for dinner, aren’t I?” Guan Qian gripped the handle, trying to steady himself.

“Hmph! Mind your own business, I want to drive fast!” In her fit of willfulness, Jiang Qiang paid no attention to his words, stomping on the gas even harder.

“That’s enough! Stop being so unreasonable!” Guan Qian suddenly roared.

Jiang Qiang, caught off guard, slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to an abrupt halt. Tears streamed down her face as she muttered, “You actually called me unreasonable.”

Guan Qian was at a loss for words. The sight of a beautiful woman crying before him was just as devastating as facing a tigress—he was completely disarmed.

But what he didn’t expect was that Jiang Qiang, now crying, began to throw a full-blown tantrum. At that moment, Guan Qian wanted nothing more than to run away—when this woman lost control, her destructive power multiplied exponentially.

“Guan Qian, you…” Jiang Qiang pointed a trembling finger at him, about to launch into another tirade, when a sudden, deafening crash interrupted her.

Bang!

Fifty meters ahead, two cars had collided. The overturned truck instantly erupted into flames.