Gu Jun and his roommates were still seated at the restaurant.
Gu Jun sat quietly, lost in thought. Li Ming, ever the silent type, remained still beside him, while Zhao Ming, Zhou Hao, and Xiao Wei were still chattering, voices animated with gossip and laughter.
Gu Jun's mind, however, drifted elsewhere.
He was thinking about Bai Yue.
She was undeniably stunning, elegant, and poised with an extraordinary family background. But even with all that, to rise as the number one beauty at Tianhai Royal University, and also become the student council president? That wasn't something looks or connections alone could achieve. Not at a school where excellence was the bare minimum.
There had to be more.
Secrets. Power. Influence.
And what about Xia Qingyue? Her soft image might just be a veil over something more complex, more dangerous.
Still, Gu Jun didn't care. Not yet.
At that moment, the door opened, and four girls stepped into the restaurant.
Gu Jun's eyes instinctively went to the entrance—he was seated facing the door.
Among them, he immediately recognized Rong Xi and Bai Xue. The other two were unfamiliar, but their presence turned heads throughout the room. Conversations paused, and spoons hovered mid-air.
They were all beautiful, but Bai Xue and Rong Xi stood out like stars in a cloudy sky.
Gu Jun's eyes briefly met Bai Xue's.
Her expression was terrible. She looked furious.
Rong Xi, walking beside her, glanced at her friend with a mix of amusement and sympathy.
Bai Xue was still simmering with embarrassment.
Just thinking about it made her stomach turn. A boy, some random boy, had completely humiliated her. He'd played her like a flute, tricking her into believing he was her sister's secret boyfriend.
And then… that moment.
When she had confidently declared in front of Bai Yue and Rong Xi that she'd just had dinner with her sister's boyfriend.
The looks on their faces.
She wanted to dig a hole and disappear.
If she ever saw that boy again, she'd strangle him.
Rong Xi could tell exactly what was going on in her head. She grinned and teased, "Don't worry, he's also a student at our university. You'll see your dear brother-in-law again very soon."
Bai Xue gave her a sharp glare and snorted, clearly not amused.
As they were heading toward the private section of the restaurant, Rong Xi suddenly stopped.
She looked toward a table by the window… and burst out laughing.
"Speak of the devil," she said, nudging Bai Xue. "There he is—your brother-in-law."
Bai Xue instinctively turned her head.
And there he was.
Gu Jun.
Sitting casually with a group of boys, chopsticks in hand, completely unfazed.
Her face turned crimson—not with embarrassment this time, but with pure rage.
Without a second thought, she stormed across the restaurant, practically marching toward him.
At the table, Gu Jun had already noticed her.
But instead of reacting, he calmly brought a spoonful of rice to his mouth, chewing slowly.
The sound of hurried footsteps grew louder.
Everyone turned to look. Zhao Ming's eyes widened as he laid eyes on Bai Xue—he was visibly stunned by her beauty.
Gu Jun glanced up just as Bai Xue arrived, glaring at him as if she might throw the entire table over.
He swallowed his food, set down his spoon, and said in a calm, casual tone—
"Oh, hello, sister-in-law. You're here? Come, sit down. Eat with us—it's my treat."
Just then, Rong Xi arrived behind her and, upon hearing Gu Jun's words, let out an uncontrollable laugh. Bai Xue stormed over and glared at Gu Jun.
"To hell with your eating!" she snapped. "Why did you trick me? Why did you make me look like a fool in front of my sister?"
Gu Jun didn't even flinch. He calmly chewed his food, then gestured with his chopsticks.
"Lower your voice," he said, almost lazily. "Everyone's staring."
Sure enough, Bai Xue glanced around and saw not only their tablemates but also nearby diners watching with curious eyes.
Still fuming, she turned back to Gu Jun.
"I don't care!" she hissed. "You humiliated me. How are you going to make it up to me?"
Gu Jun wiped his mouth with a napkin, looked her straight in the eyes, and said flatly,
"Simple. I'll make you my real sister-in-law. Problem solved."
"You—!"
"Sit down," he said sharply, voice suddenly edged with authority.
Bai Xue stared at him for a long second, her breath catching in her throat. Then, with a defeated huff, she sat down, clearly still bristling with anger.
There were enough seats, so Rong Xi and the other girls took their places as well.
Xiao Wei blinked.
"Sister-in-law?" he repeated, eyes flicking between Bai Xue and Gu Jun. "What's all of this about?"
Bai Xue ignored him. Rong Xi rolled her eyes.
"Shut up, you white-faced peacock."
Xiao Wei simply smiled and stroked his face with both hands, clearly taking the insult as a compliment.
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
Then Rong Xi turned her gaze to Gu Jun.
"Well, well, junior brother," she said with a teasing smile. "I heard you've been having a good time lately. You've barely set foot in Tianhai, and already girls are flocking to you. Impressive."
Gu Jun didn't respond to her. He simply glanced at Bai Xue and said,
"Alright, don't be upset. I was just joking about being your sister's boyfriend. But if it bothers you that much, I'll just go ahead and become her real boyfriend. Even though she's not all that great, I'll reluctantly accept her."
Pfft—
Xiao Wei had just taken a sip of red wine when Gu Jun finished speaking. The moment the words registered, he spat them out in a sudden burst, accidentally soaking Zhao Ming across the table.
Zhao Ming cursed, while Xiao Wei coughed and wiped his mouth, staring at Gu Jun as if he were a ghost.
He knew exactly who Bai Yue's sister was.
Everyone in Tianhai's elite circles knew Bai Yue—the cold queen, the perfect student, the pride of the Bai family. But most didn't know her true background. Xiao Wei did.
Yes, her father was from the Bai family. But her maternal side... that was the real storm.
Her maternal grandfather was one of the Nine Chiefs of the central government.
And her mother—
Xiao Wei's thoughts stopped there. He physically shuddered.
Just thinking about that woman made his blood run cold.
He turned to Gu Jun again, eyes wide.
A mix of astonishment, awe, and a flicker of pity.
"Bro," he muttered under his breath. "You really don't value your life, do you?"
In Tianhai's inner circle, no one dared joke like that about Bai Yue. Not because of her, but because of the titanic force behind her. One wrong word, one wrong move—And you'd disappear.
Gu Jun, of course, just went back to his food like nothing happened.