Chapter 1: Late  

“Little sister, little sister… get up quickly, you’re going to be late.” A tall, handsome, and gentle-mannered man kept knocking on the door marked “Rain Room.”  

“Brother, stop knocking. Let me sleep a little longer… just a little longer,” came a miserable groan from inside the room.  

Hearing Yin Siyu’s groan, the man sighed helplessly. “I’m not not reminding you—today is the first day of your sophomore year…”  

He paused for a moment, thinking carefully. “And I heard that the first class this morning is Teacher Yu’s. Are you sure you don’t want to go?”  

Yin Siyu was deep in her dreams, rolling around under the covers, muttering, “What’s Old Yu got…” Then, in the next second, she suddenly jumped out of bed. “Wait, Old Yu?! Oh no, oh no, Old Yu’s going to kill me…”  

Listening to the chaotic sounds from inside the room, Yin Baiyu couldn’t help but chuckle. “Don’t panic, you still have fifteen minutes. I’ll drive you there right away.”  

No sooner had he finished speaking than the door swung open, and Yin Baiyu was dragged forward by his younger sister. Her speed was astonishing—if he didn’t know Teacher Yu personally, he’d almost suspect the man had been abusing her.  

Zhuang Qing, who was just bringing out breakfast, called out at the sight, “Don’t go on an empty stomach! Take some food with you!”  

“Mom, I can’t eat now—I’m about to be late!” Yin Siyu answered frantically as she slipped on her shoes by the door. “Brother, hurry up!” She shoved the man beside her for good measure.  

“Alright, alright, I got it.” Yin Baiyu leisurely walked to the dining table and packed two portions of soy milk and steamed buns into a paper bag.  

“Brother, what are you doing?! Hurry up! I don’t want to die young!” Yin Siyu’s face was flushed with urgency as she tugged at Yin Baiyu’s arm.  

Once in the car, Yin Siyu stared fixedly at the ticking time on her phone. Outwardly, she seemed calm, but inwardly, she was a storm of contradictions.  

Old Yu was notoriously strict—a fact well-known across campus. Yin Siyu majored in French, and Old Yu just happened to be the French professor.  

He despised students who broke classroom rules. If you crossed him, his punishments were inescapable—and the consequences were always brutal.  

Yin Baiyu glanced at his sister and noticed the dark circles under her eyes. His expression darkened. “Did you stay up late streaming again last night?”  

Yin Siyu flinched. “Uh, well, just for a little while. Streaming is fun!”  

“I don’t get what’s so fun about it.” He didn’t believe for a second that she had only played “a little while,” but he couldn’t bring himself to scold her—she was still his little sister to spoil. “Don’t stay up so late. It’s bad for your health.”  

“As you command, brother!” Yin Siyu grinned sweetly, putting on her most charming act. “I knew you’d be the best to me.”  

“Good that you know. So, are you planning to stay in the dorm or come back home?”  

Yin Siyu thought about her close friends and roommates and answered decisively, “I’ll stay in the dorm. Guan Shuang’s there too.”  

Yin Baiyu respected his sister’s choices and didn’t interfere. “Fine. I’ll drop off your luggage at the dorm this afternoon. Just focus on your classes.”  

Yin Siyu loved her family’s laid-back approach—it made her feel incredibly happy.  

When they reached the school gate, Yin Baiyu handed her the food bag and emphasized, “You have to eat breakfast. Call me if anything happens.”

Yin Siyu nodded vigorously while inching toward the school gate, then waved her hand. “Got it, brother! Your little sister will take her leave first.”

Watching his sister’s playful and adorable figure, Yin Baiyu felt a warmth in his heart, his lips curling into a faint smile.

During the lecture…

“Now for roll call…”

“Here.”

“…”

………………………

“Yin Siyu.”

The classroom fell silent.

Yu Feng scanned the seats and called again, “Yin Siyu.”

“Here—” Accompanied by the response, the classroom door burst open, revealing a petite, lovely, and strikingly beautiful girl with large eyes and fair skin.

Her cheeks were flushed from running too fast, making her appear even more delicate and charming.

“Sorry, Professor Yu.”

Yu Feng suppressed his anger, unable to lash out. If he said she violated the rules, she hadn’t missed roll call. But if he said she didn’t, she hadn’t arrived on time.

The entire class silently rooted for her—daring to be late for Old Yu’s class was a bit tragic, but she certainly had guts.

In the end, Yu Feng waved his hand, letting her off for now. He’d settle the score after class.

After class, just when Yin Siyu thought she’d escaped disaster, Yu Feng’s words dashed her hopes, leaving her utterly defeated.

What Yu Feng said was: “Yin Siyu, come to my office.”

“Explain why you were late.” Yu Feng stared intently at Yin Siyu, as if trying to bore a hole through her.

In truth, he remembered Yin Siyu as a good student—excellent in French and usually well-behaved. That’s why he hadn’t punished her immediately. He wanted to understand the real situation first. Besides, he knew her brother.

Under Old Yu’s stern gaze, Yin Siyu reluctantly spoke up, steeling herself. “Professor Yu, I just overslept and was late. You can punish me however you want. But I really know I was wrong.”

Yu Feng hadn’t planned to punish her harshly anyway. Clearing his throat, he said, “Write a 5,000-word self-reflection in French and read it aloud.”

Hearing the light punishment, Yin Siyu instantly brightened. “Yes, Professor Yu! I promise to complete the task with quality and quantity.”

With that matter behind her, Yin Siyu continued with her classes. A French self-reflection was a piece of cake for her.

In the dorm that evening…

“Hey, Yin Siyu, I heard you were late for Professor Yu’s class today. How did he punish you?” Her best friend Guan Shuang suddenly leaned in, startling Yin Siyu.

Guan Shuang was a loyal and righteous person—they’d grown up practically inseparable, though she majored in design.

“What else? But he wasn’t as cold as the rumors say. He just made me write a 5,000-word reflection.” Yin Siyu pouted and shrugged.

“That’s not too bad. You better get writing, then. But seriously, how could you oversleep on the first day of class? Tsk tsk—” Guan Shuang shook her head in mock disappointment.

Yin Siyu laughed helplessly. “Alright, alright, you’re so dramatic.”

“By the way, where are Xia Xiaobei and Xie Jing?” Yin Siyu glanced at the two empty beds, puzzled.

“They said they saw some super handsome guy and ran off somewhere. No idea where they are now.” Guan Shuang shrugged.

As soon as the words were spoken, two figures burst through the dormitory door and exclaimed in unison, “We’re back!”

Xia Beier said with a beaming smile, “Xie Jing and I just saw an incredibly handsome guy.”

(End of chapter)