Su Xiaonuan cracked open one eye and immediately regretted it. The clock on her wall glared back at her like it was mocking her existence: 7:45 AM.
Her heart plummeted.
"NO!" she shot up, blankets tangling around her legs as she stumbled out of bed. Today was her first day as a high school senior—senior year—and she had overslept because she didn't get home from her late-night shift until past midnight.
Brilliant. Truly brilliant.
She scrambled for her uniform, hopping around on one foot as she yanked on her socks. "Why didn't anyone wake me up?! Xiaoting-jie, you traitor!" she yelled toward the kitchen.
From downstairs, her older sister's calm voice floated up. "I did! Twice! You told me to 'go away' and rolled over!"
"That's called persistence training! You should've dragged me out of bed!" Su Xiaonuan shouted back, hair sticking out like a bird's nest as she searched for her tie.
Their single father had already left for work; he usually left early to open his auto shop, which meant Xiaoting was the only one around to play morning drill sergeant. Not that she was any good at it.
Xiaonuan darted around the room, shoving notebooks into her bag. Math textbook, math textbook… oh no. She glanced around wildly but couldn't spot it anywhere. She knew she'd left it on her desk last night while cramming formulas before collapsing into unconsciousness.
No time. She was already late. She stuffed what she could into her bag, threw on her blazer, and bolted down the stairs two at a time.
"Breakfast!" Xiaoting called as soon as she saw her. She was perched at the dining table, sipping coffee, looking irritatingly well-rested.
"No time!" Xiaonuan shot back, grabbing her shoes by the door.
"You'll collapse halfway through first period!" her sister scolded.
"I'll survive!" Xiaonuan retorted, hopping into her sneakers. Then, as if it were Xiaoting's fault: "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?!"
"I..." Xiaoting blinked. "I literally..."
But Xiaonuan was already out the door, slamming it shut behind her.
The bus stop was a block away, but by the time she arrived, her lungs were already protesting. She glanced at her phone: 7:55. The bus should've been there five minutes ago.
She tapped her foot impatiently, glancing down the empty street. Nothing. Not even a shadow of a vehicle.
"Great. Perfect. Amazing," she muttered, bouncing on her heels.
After another two minutes of waiting, she stuffed her phone back into her bag. "Forget it!" she huffed. "I'll run."
She tightened her grip on her bag straps and took off.
Across the street, a sleek black luxury car glided smoothly down the road, the kind that practically whispered money with its tinted windows and gleaming paint job.
Inside, Lu Jingchen sat lazily by the window, chin resting on his hand. His hazel eyes—unusual enough to catch attention anywhere—flicked toward the sidewalk.
"Zhou Wei," he said casually, his voice calm but commanding.
The driver, a man in his thirties with a stiff posture, glanced in the rearview mirror. "Yes, Young Master?"
"Slow down."
The car eased its speed. Jingchen's gaze had locked onto a girl running along the street in the same uniform as Imperial International Academy—the school he was transferring into today.
She was small, messy-haired, and clearly in a hurry, her bag bouncing wildly against her side with every step. Yet there was something oddly… spirited about her. Most girls he'd seen at his old school were polished to perfection, walking like they were on runways. But this one? She looked like she'd just lost a battle with her alarm clock.
Interesting.
Zhou Wei glanced at him. "Should I stop?"
"No," Jingchen murmured, lips curving faintly. "Just… follow her. Slowly."
The car rolled forward at a crawl, and Jingchen watched her, head tilted slightly.
.
.
Su Xiaonuan's lungs were on fire. She had been running for nearly ten minutes and was convinced her soul had left her body.
Then she noticed it.
The same black car had been trailing her for a while. Slowly. Too slowly.
She frowned, slowing down slightly, suspicion prickling at the back of her neck. Her gaze darted sideways and that's when she saw it.
The window was down.
A ridiculously handsome guy, black hair perfectly tousled and hazel eyes cool and unreadable, was watching her from inside.
Her heart nearly stopped.
'Oh no,' she thought. 'Oh no, oh no, oh no. Stranger danger!'
She skidded to a halt, whirling toward him.
"Hey!" she shouted, pointing accusingly. "What do you think you're doing, following me like some creepy pervert?!"
The driver looked startled. The boy inside… didn't react. He merely raised an eyebrow, mildly amused.
Xiaonuan's panic doubled. "Listen! If you're planning to kidnap me, don't bother!" she yelled. "My family has no money for ransom! We're broke! Dirt poor! You'll be wasting your time!"
The driver choked on a laugh but quickly disguised it with a cough.
The boy still didn't say a word. Instead, he simply said, "Roll up the window," his tone smooth and indifferent.
The driver obeyed.
And then, without another glance, the car sped past her, engine purring effortlessly as it disappeared around the corner.
Xiaonuan blinked.
"...It worked?" she murmured, stunned.
A slow grin spread across her face. "Ha! See, Xiaonuan? Brains over brawn!"
She pumped her fist once in triumph before resuming her run toward school, blissfully unaware of who she just yelled at.
---
In the black car ahead, Lu Jingchen leaned back in his seat, smirking faintly.
"So that's how it is," he murmured to himself, hazel eyes gleaming with interest.
Zhou Wei hesitated. "Young Master… should I be concerned?"
Jingchen didn't answer. He was still watching her retreating figure through the rearview mirror, his expression unreadable.
--
Su Xiaonuan, meanwhile, ran like her life depended on it. First day of senior year, and she was already late, yelled at a stranger she swore was following her, and missed the bus entirely.
"This year…" she panted between breaths, "is off to… an amazing start."
She pushed herself faster, her mind focused on not being late.
.
.