Chapter 1 The Breeze Cannot Be Covered

Wuzhen is located in the south, where trickling water lingers in the mist.

Courtyards of varying heights fill the air with a tranquil and graceful air, exuding a gentle tranquility. This place nestles between mountains and water, with stone steps and a small path running through the town. A small river, called the Yuan River, flows through the town. Town residents claim it's an ominous sign, so families living near the river have moved away.

Only one house remains open, a rather conspicuous sight. Its white walls are stained, and the solid wooden door creaks when pushed. The white hands on the door frame complement the swaying wooden door, like a figure from a painting of a lady.

Her white dress, embroidered with pale blue patterns, fluttered slightly at the hem. Her long hair flowed freely over her shoulders. Her graceful, fair face, with a touch of childishness, was tinged with a rosy crimson hue. She was a natural beauty, but unable to get enough of her, she wore a hat, half-covering her head.

School had just started today. Su Qing woke early, locked the door, and walked slowly along the stone path, a graceful figure.

"Qing Qing, school starts today ah? " She left the long street and turned into the alley. The sake lady from the convenience store sat at the doorway, sipping her sake and squinting at Su Qing. The old lady was serene and playful.

Su Qing nodded. "Yes."

The girl had a beautiful voice, soft and clear, very pleasant to the ear.

"Qing Qing, get along well with your classmates when you get to school. Don't be afraid."

Seeing the girl nod, she put down her glass and glanced at Su Qing's back. She had been in this town for half her life, having seen through the mundane world of life. She had loved this girl from the moment she first saw her. She was gentle and endearing. She didn't know what sin she had committed. Alas...

The sigh was drowned out by the gentle breeze.

The alleys along the river were always winding and twisting. The morning tranquility made Su Qing's heart even more bleak. However, the misty sky was a little oppressive. She didn't like rainy days, so she walked faster... Just as she reached the alley entrance

A dark shadow in the fog blocked her steps. Before Su Qing could raise her head, a damp black shirt, stained with the smell of rain and dirt, covered her face.

Su Qing's body stiffened in the darkness. Her waist was gripped, twisted forcefully, her entire spine pressed against the wall.

A sharp, intense pain...

The iron wall couldn't be pushed through. A handsome, masculine face loomed before her eyes, hiding with her beneath a black shirt.

Su Qing was slammed hard against the wall by the sudden force. Under the eaves, the girl's delicate brow furrowed, her calm, fair face a blur of confusion.

The stunned girl stared at the boy before her, too startled to call out.

"Shh..."

He leaned against her in the corner, his wispy hair unable to conceal his unruly eyes. A gash ripped across his thin lower lip, the flesh protruding and bloody, a startling sight. He gasped softly, the skin at the corner of his throat rolling up and down, a prickly white. His aura thickly enveloped Su Qing.

Jiang Sui's eyes flickered to Su Qing. In the cramped air, he licked his dry, thin lips, the fishy smell of blood clearing his eyes.

Su Qing was trapped in Jiang Sui's embrace, her cool lips sealed by a pair of broad hands, the other gripping her slender waist. The rustling of footsteps reached her ears, signaling someone was approaching. Su Qing stopped moving.

Jiang Sui tightened his grip, allowing his hand to tighten.

"Boss, we couldn't find him."

"F**k, he actually let him escape." A fierce look pierced through half the wall.

He'd gotten in trouble.

Su Qing pinched the strap of her backpack, flinched, glanced at the boy, and pursed her lips...

As the sound of raindrops grew louder, the murmurs dwindled... the danger seemed to be over, yet it still lingered.

"Don't scare" The boy's voice, hoarse like gravel, somehow pierced the panic in the girl's eyes.

Su Qing looked up at the person before him. They were both cloaked in clothing, while he wore only a vest, supported by his muscular arms. The rain began to fall, a gentle patter, small drops splashing against Jiang Sui's trouser legs, damp and cold, yet Jiang Sui felt no chill at all.

Jiang Sui stared at her trembling eyelashes and released his hand from covering her mouth. A hint of warmth lingered on the girl's soft lips.

Jiang Sui slipped his hands into his trouser pockets, his expression grim. "Um..."

The words were lost in the water, and before he could finish, he was pushed against the wall.

Jiang Sui watched a small figure swaying unsteadily in the depths of the alley. He narrowed his eyes, rummaged through his trouser pocket, and pulled out an empty cigarette pack, which he irritably tossed into the trash can.

With a sly smile on his face, he looked at the footprints on his feet. They resembled cat paw prints, a curious sight

...----------------...

Su Qing hurried to Wuzhen No. 1 Middle School, her grip on the schoolbag strap only loosening slightly. She hadn't expected to see him so soon...

Thankfully, the rain wasn't heavy. Only when she reached the school gate did Su Qing's chaotic mind finally clear up a bit.

While this wasn't a top-tier middle school, it was still considered the best in town. Given this opportunity again, she had to seize it. Su Qing didn't dare slack off. Looking at the golden words "school," she breathed a sigh of relief. She was thankful she wasn't late.

Amidst the bustling crowd of students, a white pear tree stood at the school gate, its blossoms scattering in the wind, lingering in the air, their fragrance wafting through the air and soothing Su Qing's mood.

She walked to the gatehouse and asked for directions to the Academic Affairs Office. Soon, her homeroom teacher led her to her classroom, Class 1, Senior Year 3.

Perhaps it was the beginning of the new semester, so the atmosphere was a bit boisterous and noisy. It wasn't until the teacher arrived that things quieted down. The teacher leading Su Qing was Li Ran.

When everyone saw her enter, they instantly became like frost-bitten eggplants, completely unripe, with only quiet murmurs and mutterings.

"There's a female demon this semester! Oh my god, is this going to make us die?"

"The female demon has three things she's not allowed to do: skip class, leave early, and date..."

"It seems you've done a lot of homework." Li Ran's tapping on the blackboard faded the noise. "I have three principles: no skipping classes, no leaving early, and no dating. Otherwise, you know what I'm doing."

What do you know? Li Ran's brother is in a juvenile detention center. Students who don't study hard are given good food and drink, but they're sent to study socialist values and Marxism every day... Therefore, the learning atmosphere in Wuzhen is quite friendly. For such a small town, getting in is a real treat.

The school, in order to produce more good students, naturally turned a blind eye.

Su Qing, unaware of any of this, stood obediently at the doorway, head bowed, staring at her toes, silent and unassuming.

Until Li Ran turned to Su Qing and asked her to introduce herself.

Li Ran nudged Su Qing. "Classmates, this is Su Qing, who transferred to our school this semester. Please welcome her."

Su Qing looked up from the podium. She was so beautiful.

All eyes were fixed on the podium. Su Qing was a striking beauty, with delicate, porcelain-white skin and flowing black hair, a graceful and elegant look. However, her dark eyes were dull and lifeless, "My name is Su Qing."

She was beautiful, very beautiful, but her eyes were so lifeless that they made her appear rather dull and timid.

Third year of high school was dull and tedious, each class drowsy, yet the pressure to catch up was unavoidable.

When she first started school, Su Qing was assigned a seat in the second-to-last row by the door. Her deskmate wasn't there, nor were the students behind her. Everything was quiet and gentle.

Until the last class, the rustling sound at the door gave way to a louder commotion.

Su Qing could see the man just by tilting her head slightly.

The boy pushed the door open, his shirt still dripping with water. His hair, sparse and slightly damp, revealed a graceful demeanor that couldn't be masked even by his slightly disheveled appearance. His eyes were full of unruly energy. As he spoke, everyone's attention was drawn to him. He was a natural king, leaning against the corner of the last row of doors. A slight breeze blew his hair, and a broken mark marked the end of his sharp eyebrows. Even his school uniform couldn't hide his arrogance and evilness.

The boy pursed his lips, glanced at Su Qing lightly, and casually picked up his textbook.

His gaze met hers instantly. Su Qing calmly retracted her gaze and scratched her fingertips.

It was him, Su Qing recognized him instantly. He was in the same class as her. She resisted the urge to run away! Su Qing took a deep breath.

Su Qing had clearly not expected to see that person here...

She could sense that person's uniqueness in the class, a cold, arrogant air, an instinctive sense of danger.

She felt uneasy, pinching her fingertips. Su Qing took a deep breath and sat down, closing her eyes and suppressing her emotions, not daring to move.

Su Qing seemed to sense a subtle gaze from behind her, a feeling of annoyance and regret.

If only she had known, she shouldn't have stepped on him that morning.

Since he couldn't be dismissed or avoided, she might as well make the best of it. Fortunately, Jiang Sui didn't come to class often; it had already been a week since he'd been there. Everyone knew him more as the legendary figure.

Jiang Sui, that man, never once greeted anyone with a friendly face, never once initiated a conversation with anyone. Not only girls, but even boys were scarce. He was a black flower from the highlands, to be admired from afar but never touched. Poisonous and thorny, yet alluringly beautiful.

"Qing Qing, Qing Qing, come out! Come out! Come out to the balcony! Hurry!" Liu Ranran, with her chubby face, held potato chips in one hand and beckoned to Su Qing with the other. Something important was happening, and she called out to her with eyes shining.

The playground was in turmoil. Not only were the corridors crowded with students of all ages, but even the playground itself was packed.

It turned out to be a grand confession of youth.

In the turbulent years of youth, at this age of restlessness and shyness, there was a girl, stripped of her school uniform, wearing a black lace dress that didn't suit her age. She wore makeup, her long hair flowing, blown by the wind, and she strummed her guitar. A beautiful girl, she stood in the middle of the playground, gazing at that dazzling boy.

The music was awkward and clichéd, yet explosively unsettling.

"Jiang Sui, I... I like you!" the girl's anxious voice rang out.

The surrounding cheers and sighs contrasted with the silence that followed the girl's words.

On the playground, Jiang Sui's footsteps didn't pause, not even for a second. He continued on the same path, heading towards the classroom, as if the hero wasn't him at all. His cold eyes, unobstructed by the breeze, refused to allow anyone to scrutinize them. Zhou Shen's aloofness was almost imperceptible.

The incident, like a spice of boredom in middle school, ended abruptly. The girl abandoned her guitar and ran away, while the instigator calmly took his seat.

Everything seemed to have never happened, becoming a topic of conversation after dinner.

"Jiang Sui handsome is handsome, but this kind of person—no, not a human, but a god... too cold, a little scary. And the one confessing his love is Xu Miaoran, the top scorer in the arts exam."

Liu Ranran hunched her neck, picked up a chicken leg, and whispered to Su Qing. The girl was very gentle, and seeing Su Qing didn't react, she was quite charming.

Su Qing had curvy eyebrows and long, thin hair with a hint of sharp charm. Her white fingertips gripped the chopsticks, and she ate her meal intently, shoveling small portions into her mouth. Liu Ranran was stunned at first sight, and even more stunned at second glance.

"Qing Qing, Qing Qing, you know who I'm talking about, right? It's the one sitting behind us, Jiang Sui!"

Perhaps it was because Su Qing was too calm, a calmness that was a bit cold, that Liu Ranran puffed out her cheeks and took another bite of the chicken leg.

She sighed, "Qing Qing, I wish I were as pretty as you."

"You're pretty too, so cute," the girl said earnestly, blinking her eyelashes.

Liu Ranran had a cheerful personality, her chubby face always radiating a sweet innocence. She blinked, still dazed by Su Qingqing's compliments.

Su Qing then spoke, "Ranran, hurry up and eat! We need to prepare for the monthly exam in two days."

Senior year was a demanding and tedious academic endeavor, with endless exercises and exams.

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