Vol. 1 Chapter 1.1 – Unparalleled Elegance

◇Unparalleled Elegance◇

Jinghua University, the highest educational institution in the Huaxia Nation, stands in the northern part of Jinghua’s city centre. After enduring centuries of storms and trials, it has accumulated a rich history and cultural heritage, holding an indispensable position among the world’s top universities. Gaining entry to Jinghua is a dream and honour for nearly every student in Huaxia.

This place exudes the grandeur of a royal garden while boasting the picturesque qualities of Jiangnan’s waterscapes. Ancient trees tower over the campus, casting thick canopies of green. The landscape changes with each step, never failing to captivate the eye. Classical pavilions and towers possess an elegant charm, surrounded by mountains and water, with islands and bridges interspersed throughout.

Amidst the sweltering heat of summer, the constant flow of people adds a certain liveliness to the already hot air. Today marks the beginning of the new school year at Jinghua University, and while traffic and people are endless, the scene remains orderly, without a trace of chaos. Most new students have the company of their parents or relatives, but he is alone.

With a youthful appearance of seventeen or eighteen, his face is angular, and he stands tall. His steps are unhurried, his head slightly raised, staring at the blazing sun. A loose strand of hair falls rebelliously over his forehead, and his eyebrows are as if painted with lacquer. Behind him, a modest-sized suitcase rolls lazily along with his steps. This man possesses an unusual charm, especially with the casual smile at the corner of his lips and the occasional flash of mischief in his eyes, making him irresistibly intriguing.

Unlike the other new students who excitedly marvel at the beautiful campus scenery, his expression remains unwavering, with a faint smile lingering on his face. His slightly raised head lowers, his gaze looking straight ahead, his lips curling up slightly… Finally, he has arrived.

“Excuse me… Hello, senior. Could you tell me how to get to Dormitory Building 39? Huh? Are you a freshman too?”

Turning his head toward the voice, he saw a thin young man with a scholarly air. Though not short, he was still half a head shorter than him. However, the suitcase he dragged was twice the size of his own, and he also carried a large light-coloured backpack. Evidently, upon seeing his small suitcase, the young man realised he had asked someone who was also a freshman.

“I’m looking for Building 39 as well. Want to come along?” He responded with a casual smile.

The gentle smile seemed to infect the thin young man, who nodded quickly and hurried forward a few steps. “Yeah, sure… By the way, my name’s Liu Hua, Virtual Electronics Department.”

“Ye Tian Xie, same department.” His reply was equally casual.

Ye Tian Xie? What an odd name. Liu Hua muttered in his heart before excitedly saying, “Wow! What a coincidence. We might end up in the same dormitory…”

Jinghua University’s campus was vast. After walking for quite a while under the scorching sun and crossing half the campus, they finally reached the dormitory area. Liu Hua kept chatting the whole way, and although Ye Tianxie answered every question, he never initiate any conversation. His gaze remained calmly fixed ahead, as if searching for something. Or perhaps, this was simply his nature.

“Excuse me, senior. Could you tell me how to get to Dormitory Building 39?” Liu Hua politely asked an older man with glasses.

“Oh, just go around Chengze Lake and past two buildings… Actually, I’ll take you there. The campus layout is quite complex; it’ll take a while to get familiar with it. Follow me.” The man with glasses adjusted his frames and started walking ahead.

“Thank you, senior.”

“You’re welcome. We were all freshmen once.”

Chengze Lake, one of the sixteen shallow lakes on Jinghua University’s campus, was refreshing even in the heat of summer. From a distance, one could feel the pleasant coolness from the lakeshore. The verdant willows swayed gently in the breeze, occasionally shedding leaves that drifted onto the lake’s surface, mingling with the ripples. A gentle breeze blew, and in an instant, the surface of the lake sparkled, the dancing light and shadow creating a myriad of changes—a scene of breathtaking beauty.

Yet, this picturesque scenery paled in comparison to another sight.

Liu Hua’s steps unconsciously stopped, his body stiffening. The hand dragging his suitcase went slack, letting it fall to the ground with a thud, but he didn’t seem to notice.

His odd reaction caused Ye Tianxie to pause. Following his gaze, he saw something that stirred a ripple of surprise in his otherwise calm eyes. [No wonder…] he thought to himself.

By Chengze Lake stood a dreamlike figure. She wore a light blue dress, its shimmering fabric gracefully outlining her delicate curves. A nearly transparent silver gauze veil danced around her skirt, fluttering in the breeze like a wisp of smoke. Her long, waterfall-like black hair cascaded down her back, reflecting the sunlight against her snow-like skin. Even from their angle, where they could only see her profile, her presence alone seemed to eclipse the surrounding beauty of the lake. Anyone who caught sight of her would feel as if a stone had been thrown into their heart’s calm waters, sending endless ripples.

Her beauty was unlike that of any worldly woman. She radiated an ethereal grace, pure and noble, like a celestial being descended to the mortal world. Standing by the lakeshore, she resembled a water goddess, and simply looking at her would evoke a sense of unreality, as though she had descended to the wrong place, a place unworthy of her presence. From a distance, her skin shimmered like ice and snow, reflecting the sparkling water. Her eyes were like the bright moon, and her lips like soft pink petals… Any one of her features placed on an ordinary woman would make her stand out, but here, they all combined on a face that seemed too perfect to belong to the human world.

“An angel… She’s an angel…” Liu Hua’s soul had seemingly drifted away. His eyes were wide, fixated on the dreamlike figure ahead, unable to see anything else. Never in his life had he been so spellbound.

The glasses-wearing man’s gaze froze momentarily before he quickly averted his eyes and pulled Liu Hua, snapping him out of his daze. He lightly punched Liu Hua’s arm. “Come on, wake up. Your dorm’s just over there.”

“Uh… Ah?” Liu Hua seemed to have just woken up from a dream. He grabbed the glasses-wearing man and stammered, “S-Senior, that goddess… I mean, that senior sister… What’s her name?”

The man with glasses had an expression as if he expected this but shook his head calmly. “Her…It’s enough just to have seen her. It’s best if you don’t know her name, and even more so, don’t entertain any thoughts about her. She’s beyond what people like us can aspire to. Of course, if you’re ready to die, you’re welcome to try.”

“This… Does she have a boyfriend already? And… does she have a powerful background?” Liu Hua asked nervously. At the same time, an empty sense of loss surged within him. A celestial beauty that could make anyone lose their soul with just a glance—who wouldn’t want to claim her as their own, even if they knew that dream could never come true? But if such a woman already had someone in her life, it would leave a deep, almost painful sense of repression. He resisted the urge to look back at her, afraid that if he did, he would once again be mesmerised, unable to pull his gaze away.

“No.” The glasses-wearing man shook his head firmly and habitually pushed his glasses up. “On her first day at Jinghua University, she caused quite a stir. Countless people wanted to pursue her, many of them with influential backgrounds. But soon, no one dared to anymore… See that person over there?”

Following his gesture, Liu Hua looked in the direction he pointed. About ten metres away from the woman, a man with a broad, almost obese build stood leaning against a willow tree. His eyes were half-closed, looking at his toes. He wasn’t just fat and stocky, but his height was also astounding, probably close to two metres tall.

“That big guy?” Liu Hua asked, puzzled.

The glasses-wearing man widened his eyes and quickly lowered his voice. “He hates being called fat more than anything. If he had heard you just now, believe me, you’d be flying into Chengze Lake right about now.”

“Does he have a powerful background?” Liu Hua asked, instinctively shrinking his neck.

“His temper is infamous—no one at Jinghua University dares to mess with him. His background…” The glasses-wearing man lowered his voice even further. “Not that big… he’s just the only son of Huaxia’s highest-ranking official.”

“W-What!?” Liu Hua’s eyes widened in shock.

“It’s rumoured that he too tried to pursue her but was rejected. He didn’t force himself on her because of his status, but what he can’t have, no one else is allowed to touch. So don’t even think about making a move. If any man dares to say more than a few words to her, he’ll make them regret it for life…Sigh, let’s go. Even if I didn’t tell you this, it won’t be long before you find out. This year’s batch of freshmen will surely include a few overconfident fools who will suffer because of her.” The glasses-wearing man sighed softly.

Liu Hua remained silent. In Huaxia, who could be more powerful than the highest official? And who would dare to provoke the son of that official?

At that moment, Ye Tian Xie, who had remained silent the entire time, suddenly began walking forward, dragging his suitcase. His direction was straight towards the goddess-like woman.

“Hey! Tian Xie!” Liu Hua instinctively reached out to stop him, but suddenly, his vision blurred. His hand, which had been about to grab Ye Tian Xie, grasped at thin air. Liu Hua’s body stiffened; it felt like he had thrown a punch at a wall, only for the wall to disappear, leaving him in a state of discomfort. In the brief moment he stood there in shock, Ye Tian Xie had already reached the woman’s side.

“Hey, beauty, could you show me the way to Dormitory Building 39?” Ye Tian Xie raised an eyebrow, taking in her dreamlike beauty up close.

Liu Hua and the glasses-wearing man both had the urge to bang their heads against a wall. That casual gesture, that playful gaze, and the ridiculously outdated pick-up line…They could already picture the next scene: the goddess giving him a cold glance, followed by that towering brute storming over and punching him straight into Chengze Lake.

However, what they had anticipated did not happen at all. In their stunned gazes, the goddess-like beauty slowly turned her graceful, jade-carved neck towards Ye Tian Xie, who wore a smug expression. Her captivating eyes sparkled, almost enchanting anyone who dared to look into them. Gradually, a soft, beautiful smile curved upon her lips.

In that instant, the entire campus seemed to fall into an eerie silence, as if time had stopped. Only the rustling of the wind through the willow branches could be heard. Her delicate smile was like a beam of sunlight piercing through a dark valley, so breathtaking that no one could tear their eyes away. Slowly, she extended her hand and, under countless incredulous gazes, placed it in Ye Tian Xie’s. Her wrist was as white as porcelain, nearly transparent. Each finger was delicately crafted, like crystal-clear jade. The skin from her wrist to her fingertips was as soft and pure as freshly fallen snow, leaving one to imagine how exquisitely smooth the touch must be.

“I’ll take you there” she said softly, holding his hand and gracefully turning around. Ye Tian Xie smiled faintly, gently tightening his grip on her hand, stepping half a pace ahead of her.

Her voice was ethereal, like a whisper from the heavens. The sky, which had been lightly veiled by clouds, seemed to suddenly clear. Her stunning, slender figure bathed in the warm sunlight was so striking that even the words 『elegant beyond compare』 could not begin to capture a fraction of her grace. Liu Hua and the man with glasses stood there, dumbfounded, watching the two of them walk away, completely disoriented and unable to regain their composure for a long time.

As for the large man, at some point, he had turned away and was leisurely admiring the scenery of Chengze Lake, as if he hadn’t noticed anything that had just transpired.