Chapter 1: The New Transfer Student

The autumn sun spilled through the windows of Class 2-B at Yucai Middle School, casting long, golden stripes across the rows of wooden desks. Students chattered loudly, their voices buzzing like cicadas, but the moment the classroom door slid open, all the noise gradually quieted.

“Class, we have a new transfer student joining us today,” announced Mr. Liu Wen, the homeroom teacher. His stern but kind gaze swept the room before settling on the girl who stood shyly behind him.

Her uniform was crisp, her dark hair tied neatly into a ponytail, and her eyes sparkled like two clear pools reflecting sunlight. She clutched her schoolbag tightly, nervous but determined, and then smiled bright and genuine.

“Introduce yourself,” Mr. Liu said, stepping aside.

The girl bowed slightly. “Hello everyone, my name is Lin Qianyu. I transferred here from Heping Middle School. I hope we can get along.”

Her cheerful tone was like a sudden breeze that cut through the heavy air of routine. A few students whispered among themselves, curious about the newcomer.

“Pretty cute, isn’t she?” one boy muttered.

“She looks too bright for this class,” another girl giggled.

Mr. Liu scanned the room, then pointed to the far corner by the window. “Lin Qianyu, you’ll sit there. Next to… Chen Yuze.”

A collective hush fell over the classroom. Heads turned, eyes widened. Qianyu blinked, confused by the sudden shift in atmosphere.

“Chen Yuze?” she whispered under her breath, following Mr. Liu’s gesture.

In the very back row, by the window, a boy lounged against his desk, chin resting lazily on his palm. His uniform blazer hung loosely, his tie undone, and his sharp jawline was accentuated by the sunlight pouring in from the glass. He didn’t look up, didn’t acknowledge the teacher, and certainly didn’t care about the whispers that filled the room.

“That’s Chen Yuze,” Xia Yinyin, the girl in front, whispered when Qianyu passed by. “Our class’s school tyrant. You better be careful.”

Qianyu nodded slightly, though her curiosity only grew stronger. She walked toward the empty seat beside him, her steps steady despite the heavy silence that followed her.

When she placed her bag down, Chen Yuze finally moved. Slowly, lazily, he lifted his eyes.

For a moment, Qianyu froze. His gaze was cold sharp like frost on a winter morning. Those dark eyes looked straight through her, as if she was nothing but a passing shadow.

But strangely, her heart skipped.

“Hi,” she whispered with a small smile, trying to break the ice. “I’m Lin Qianyu. Let’s get along, okay?”

He didn’t answer. Didn’t even blink. He simply turned his face back toward the window, resting his chin on his hand again. The breeze fluttered his messy hair, and he looked so distant, so unreachable, as if the entire world outside was more interesting than anything inside.

Qianyu pursed her lips. Rude. But somehow… cool.

The lesson began, and Mr. Liu droned on about mathematics. Qianyu tried to focus, jotting down notes in her neat handwriting, but her eyes wandered again and again toward the boy beside her. His textbook lay unopened, his pen untouched, and his gaze fixed outside as though the equations on the board had nothing to do with him.

When the bell finally rang, the classroom exploded with chatter. Friends gathered, plans for lunch were made, and laughter echoed. But the space around Chen Yuze remained strangely empty. No one dared to approach him.

Gathering her courage, Qianyu turned slightly toward him. “Um… do you want to go to lunch together?” she asked softly.

For the first time, he reacted. His eyes flickered to her, cold and sharp. “Do I look like someone who eats with strangers?” His voice was low, edged with impatience.

Qianyu blinked, startled, then broke into a small laugh. “I guess not. But you could at least say ‘no thanks.’”

Chen Yuze frowned. No one usually talked back to him especially not with a smile. Most people avoided his sharp tongue altogether. But this girl… she was different.

He clicked his tongue and leaned back in his chair, clearly uninterested. “Tch. Whatever.”

Qianyu only shrugged and stood, swinging her bag over her shoulder. “Fine. Suit yourself. But I’ll ask again tomorrow.”

His eyes followed her for a second longer than he intended, watching as her ponytail swayed when she walked out of the classroom.

And for the briefest moment, the corner of his mouth twitched almost like the beginning of a smile. Almost.

Outside, the autumn wind carried laughter, the rustle of leaves, and the promise of something new.

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