A gentle summer afternoon stretched across the southern side of the city.

In Class 11-2 of a certain school...

"Class monitor, please come up here."

"Yes, teacher."

A beautiful girl with long, jet-black hair and mesmerizing green eyes gracefully stepped toward the podium, her lips curved into a proud smile.

"Congratulations to Lin Shu Mo for achieving the highest score in our class during the second semester exams, ranking third in the entire school."

Clap, clap, clap... A round of applause echoed throughout the classroom. This marked the fourth time Lin Shu Mo had made it onto the school's list of outstanding students. Not only was she captivatingly beautiful, but she was also incredibly talented, a perfect combination of brains and looks. Her academic achievements consistently soared to dazzling heights, earning the admiration of everyone around her.

"How do you manage to be so good at studying? You really deserve to be the star student of Yan Zheng High!" Ran marveled, her eyes sparkling with awe.

Lin Shu Mo smiled, gently twirling the ends of her hair, and replied:

"It's nothing special. Just focus on doing advanced exercises and reading additional books and materials related to what you want to learn."

"Sigh... Forget it, I give up," Cheng Yuan Yi let out a long sigh, her voice dropping into a tone of playful defeat.

Indeed, such excellence came from Lin Shu Mo's diligence, hard work, and patience — qualities few could emulate.

But that wasn’t all. Lin Shu Mo was one of the brightest flowers at school. Her graceful figure and elegant stride left countless boys mesmerized and hopelessly infatuated as they watched her walk down the hallways.

Lin Shu Mo was regarded as a model student of her class, a school genius, the quintessential "perfect child," and a shining example for others to follow.

For over a year now, Lin Shu Mo had gained a notable reputation among both boys and girls at Yan Zheng High school, though her popularity among female students was somewhat less. Her striking beauty and all-around talents often stirred silent envy and jealousy among her female peers. A smile on the outside could never reveal everything within.

Lin Shu Mo probably understood this well, but she didn’t want to show her worries or insecurities to anyone. She always maintained a carefree expression, walking confidently with her head held high, ignoring the envious gazes directed at her.

However, that wasn’t the whole story. A beauty like her was bound to have headaches when it came to "love."

"Lin Shu Mo, I’ve admired and liked you for a long time. Please go out with me!"

"Thank you for your confession, but I have to decline."

The most disappointing response in the world, dropping the once-hopeful atmosphere into a silent and awkward void. Situations like this happened countless times, no matter where in the school.

Direct and decisive to the point of being cold — that was one of Lin Shu Mo's most prominent traits, especially when it came to matters of the heart. For seventeen years, she had been faithful to her belief in staying single, fully devoted to her studies and prioritizing academics above all else.

Additionally, Lin Shu Mo pursued her hobbies and passions, showing little interest in romantic flings like her peers.

As a result, whenever someone confessed their feelings or tried to woo her, Lin Shu Mo would always reject them firmly and mercilessly. If she wasn’t interested, there was no reason to hesitate or give the other party time to reconsider. But when it came to her best friend, Cheng Yuan Yi, things were completely different.

"Mo Mo, why is no one coming to sweep me off my feet? Am I really that unattractive? Or am I just cursed to never experience love in this lifetime? I wish I were like you."

"Of course not. My Xiao Ran is beautiful and adorable! Cheer up!" Lin Shu Mo helplessly reassured her.

Cheng Yuan Yi pouted and let out another sigh of exasperation.

"Ugh, there you go again."

Beside Lin Shu Mo was this girl who constantly lamented her seemingly nonexistent love life. Lin Shu Mo wanted to help Cheng Yuan Yi but had no idea how to advise her, since she herself had zero experience in matters of the heart and hadn’t even had a crush.

But that was only one side of her overly dramatic friend.

"Hey, look over there, Mo Mo! That guy is so handsome! I want to marry him right now!"

"...Just how many husbands are you planning to have?"

The truth was, Cheng Yuan Yi was an incurable boy-crazy girl. As long as someone had a good-looking face and stylish appearance, she would immediately want to marry them, regardless of how many "husbands" she already had in mind. Perhaps this was the very reason she remained completely single to this day.