Chapter 30: It Doesn’t Add Up

This is insane. What kind of jade pendant summons a Sleeping Beauty?

Cheng Yuan clutched the pendant, scrutinizing it. Aside from the intricate carving and superior quality of the jade, what made it special enough to conjure a man like that?

If things were like before—him lying unconscious, unmoving—she could still appreciate the view. But now that he was alive, it was a whole different story.

Even with his eyes closed, his presence was overwhelming. Every time she spoke to him, she found herself subconsciously affected by his aura.

An ancestral heirloom, my foot.

The pendant had been a gift from her mother. How could it possibly belong to his family?

And that nonsense about the pendant bringing misfortune—clearly, he had an agenda. No, she couldn’t risk seeing him again. It was too dangerous.

“Cheng Yuan,” Ye Mingyu said, stepping into her path. “I’ve cleared things up. It was just a misunderstanding.”

“Oh.” Her response was flat, her expression unreadable.

“I wanted to thank you again,” he added.

“No need,” Cheng Yuan replied, not even glancing at him.

Still blocking her way, Ye Mingyu tried, “I could help you with your studies. I’m really good at them.”

“Senior Year is valuable. Please don’t waste my time.” With that, she stepped aside and walked off without giving him another chance to speak.

“Cheng Yuan!” Ye Mingyu called after her, but the crowd around them made pursuing her awkward. Watching her walk away, frustration simmered in his chest. Does she really prefer tutoring from that fat guy over me?

“Brother Mingyu, I wasn’t lying. Cheng Yuan really doesn’t like being disturbed,” Meng Yue chimed in after witnessing the entire exchange. “Could you tutor me instead? I’m struggling with chemistry.”

“Ask the teacher,” Ye Mingyu said absently, barely registering her presence.

Meng Yue: “……”

“Yuanyuan, you’re amazing! Do you even realize who you just turned down?” Bei Xiaolin whispered in disbelief. “That’s the school’s heartthrob! Why would he choose you?”

“Don’t exaggerate. He probably just picked a random girl,” Cheng Yuan said with a yawn. She’d barely slept last night thanks to the jade pendant and her unexpected visit to Sleeping Beauty. Slumping over her desk, she mumbled, “Just let me nap for five minutes.”

“Are you sure your eyes are working? You don’t think Ye Mingyu is handsome?” Bei Xiaolin looked at her like she was crazy.

“My eyes are fine,” Cheng Yuan murmured, half-asleep. “You’d understand if you saw someone really handsome.” As she drifted off, her thoughts wandered to the breathtakingly beautiful man she’d met last night. In two lifetimes, she’d never seen such a perfect face—or such an alluring voice. He was like a living dream.

“Who could be more handsome than Ye Mingyu?” Bei Xiaolin pressed, but Cheng Yuan had already fallen asleep. Staring at her dark circles, Xiaolin muttered, “What did you do last night? Go rob a house?”

After a full day of yawning, Cheng Yuan went to bed early—11:30 sharp. She tossed and turned for a while before finally grabbing the jade pendant. Soon, she found herself in that familiar, dark room. There he was, lying on the icy bed as always—her annoyingly gorgeous Sleeping Beauty.

“Sigh. If Xiaolin saw you, she’d go crazy,” Cheng Yuan murmured, studying his perfect face. She wondered how to wake him up this time—and maybe even get him to open his eyes.

Her gaze lingered on his closed eyelids. What if… I pried them open? Would that count as waking him up?

The idea took root. Sitting on the bed, she reached out and boldly began to lift his eyelids.

Nothing happened.

“No reaction at all?” she muttered. Undeterred, she tried a few other ideas—none of which worked. But eventually, her antics succeeded in waking him.

The moment his hand locked around hers, only one word shot through her mind:

Doomed.

“We meet again,” said that velvety voice—the kind that could make ears pregnant. Cheng Yuan swallowed, her eyes locked on his closed ones. “You say ‘again,’ but you’ve never even opened your eyes. Can I take a peek? Just once?”

She changed her tone, adopting a flirtatious lilt, like a girlfriend teasing her boyfriend.

Jun Nanye froze. He hadn’t expected her to drop her guard so suddenly.

“Do you have squinty eyes?” she teased. “There’s a legend that one person’s eyes can ruin another’s. Is that you?”

Before she could try again, he caught her wrist and pinned her down on the icy bed.

“Tell me your name and where you live. I’ll come find you—and then you can see my eyes,” he said, voice low and serious. As he leaned in, she caught a whiff of his scent. It wasn’t cologne—just a light, clean, intoxicating fragrance.

Cheng Yuan’s eyes darted sideways. “Shouldn’t you go first? Fair’s fair.”

“Tao An,” he said without missing a beat. “Now it’s your turn.”

“Tao An? That sounds made up.” She was skeptical. He seemed too cunning to give up his real name so easily.

He didn’t argue. “I’m from Haishi. My father is Tao Zhihai, and my mother is Xu Meilan.”

Cheng Yuan blinked. “So your name really is Tao An?”

“I’m not lying.”

“Oh.” She pushed him away and stepped off the bed. “Well, I’m not telling you mine. What if you find me and try to bully me?”

“You should open your eyes soon. Let’s go back and get some sleep,” she said grumpily. “Your dark circles are getting worse.”

“How could I not have dark circles when you wake me up every night? This is your fault. You owe me,” he replied, still refusing to open his eyes.

He lay back down. “I’m sleeping here.”

“Tao An, no! You can’t just sleep here!” Cheng Yuan panicked. “Your dark circles have nothing to do with me. Don’t pin this on me!”

She stared at him, feeling more and more suspicious. His stunning looks didn’t quite match his strange behavior. Something didn’t add up.