Chapter 1: Love at First Sight

The September sun was still scorching, especially at noon.

Today was the first day of school.

Ji Jinbai wasn’t local, and his parents had originally planned to accompany him to school but were held up by last-minute matters.

The family driver helped him carry his luggage upstairs and into the dormitory. “Young Master, do you need help unpacking?”

Ji Jinbai waved his hand and said, “No need, I can handle it myself. You can head back now.”

Ji Jinbai sat on a chair, enjoying the cool breeze from the air conditioner. He was wearing a white shirt, his eyes slightly narrowed, his lips a healthy red, yet he exuded an air of cool detachment.

“Xiao Bai, you’re here! I’ve missed you so much over the summer!”

Suddenly, the curtain on the upper bunk was pulled open, and a pink head popped out. A pair of round, sleepy eyes blinked at him, a wide grin spreading across a baby face.

The boy quickly climbed down the ladder and leaned in close to Ji Jinbai.

“Look at my new hair color, isn’t it cute?”

Ji Jinbai looked at the person in front of him, his roommate Lu Mian, who was one of the few friends he had.

Lu Mian had initially clung to Ji Jinbai every day, undeterred by his aloof demeanor.

Even when Ji Jinbai remained silent, Lu Mian, the chatterbox, could talk nonstop for hours.

Thanks to Lu Mian’s relentless efforts, they had gradually become friends, much to Lu Mian’s delight.

Lu Mian kept bouncing around in front of him, his pink hair particularly eye-catching.

Ji Jinbai glanced at him a few times and nodded casually. “It looks good, it looks good.”

“Stop bouncing around, you’re giving me a headache,” Ji Jinbai said, giving him a helpless look.

“Hehe, you rest for a bit. Later, we’ll go to the cafeteria together. I heard they’ve added some new dishes. Let’s check them out.”

“Alright,” Ji Jinbai replied. He didn’t have much to unpack and quickly finished organizing his things.

His bed was right below Lu Mian’s, and he sat there idly scrolling through his phone.

Suddenly, Lu Mian’s voice came from the upper bunk. It sounded like he was on a phone call.

“Hello, Second Uncle.”

Lu Mian’s tone was a bit flustered and panicked. Lu Mian feared nothing and no one, except for his strict and intimidating Second Uncle.

“Lu Mian, your father asked me to keep an eye on you. Behave yourself lately, and don’t let me catch you going to those messy places like bars, or you’ll be in trouble with your allowance.

By the way, I’m free tomorrow. I’ll take you out for a meal. I’ll wait for you at the school gate at 6 PM tomorrow.”

The voice on the phone was loud enough for Ji Jinbai to hear clearly. The man’s deep, magnetic voice came through the phone, and Ji Jinbai found himself drawn to the low, captivating tone.

“Ah, Second Uncle, I, I have something to do tomorrow. I can’t make it, really, I’m busy.”

Lu Mian was blatantly lying. He really didn’t want to have dinner with his Second Uncle. Just the thought of that stern, serious face made him lose his appetite.

“I know you don’t have anything to do tomorrow. Stop making excuses. Be there on time tomorrow.” With that, the man hung up.

“Ah, Xiao Bai, I’m doomed! My Second Uncle wants to see me!”

Lu Mian climbed down from his bed and sat next to Ji Jinbai, grabbing his arm and shaking it lightly, on the verge of tears. His big eyes looked pleadingly at Ji Jinbai.

Ji Jinbai looked at Lu Mian’s reluctant expression and comforted him, “He’s your Second Uncle. He’s not going to eat you.”

Seeing his expressionless face as he said this, Lu Mian didn’t feel comforted at all. Suddenly, he thought of something, and his eyes lit up.

“Xiao Bai, Xiao Bai!”

“Why don’t you come with me? If someone is with me, my Second Uncle probably won’t dare to scold me. With you there, I won’t be as scared. Please, Xiao Bai, come with me!”

Lu Mian shook Ji Jinbai’s hand, pleading pitifully.

“Why should I go? I’m an outsider, and I don’t even know…”

Ji Jinbai’s face was calm, but there was a hint of surprise in his expression. Before he could finish his sentence, Lu Mian quickly interjected.

“You’re my best friend, what does it matter? It’s a good chance for you to meet my Second Uncle. Although he has a bad temper, I have to admit he’s quite handsome, and he’s single too.”

After saying this, Lu Mian blinked at Ji Jinbai and smiled.

Ji Jinbai immediately knew what he was up to. “Stop, put away your little schemes. I’ll go with you.”

“Ah, that’s great! Xiao Bai, I love you!” Lu Mian excitedly hugged Ji Jinbai. He knew Xiao Bai wouldn’t leave him to face this alone.

Ji Jinbai looked at Lu Mian, who was hugging him, and frowned. He still wasn’t used to such intimate gestures, so he patted Lu Mian’s arm.

“Let go. I want to take a shower.”

Hearing Ji Jinbai’s cold voice, Lu Mian realized he had impulsively hugged him and quickly let go.

“Sorry, Xiao Bai, I got too excited, hehe.”

Ji Jinbai got up, went to the wardrobe to get his clothes, and then headed into the bathroom.

After finishing his shower, Ji Jinbai combed his messy hair with his fingers and used a towel to dry it. He then lay down on the bed, pulling the blanket over himself. Exhausted from the day, he quickly fell asleep.

The next day, after handling some school-related matters, Ji Jinbai went with Lu Mian to pick up their textbooks. It was almost six o’clock by the time they finished.

The two set off from the dormitory and walked along a tree-lined path. Along the way, Lu Mian filled Ji Jinbai in on Lu Tingshen.

He was the CEO of the Lu Corporation, a shrewd businessman who had expanded the company’s reach significantly. In the company, he was decisive, strict, and unapproachable.

Ji Jinbai listened quietly, his expression calm, as if the person they were about to meet was just an ordinary man, not the CEO of a major corporation.

As they talked, they reached the school gate. A black Maybach was parked by the roadside, and the window slowly rolled down.

The man in the driver’s seat was dressed in a black suit, his eyes sharp, his features well-defined, exuding an undeniable sense of dominance.

Ji Jinbai looked at him and immediately sensed that this man was someone very powerful.

He radiated the aura of a leader, like a dangerous lion.

It had to be said, this man was exactly his type.

Ji Jinbai’s lips curved slightly, and he looked at him with interest, but quickly returned to his usual calm demeanor.

Lu Tingshen’s sharp gaze turned to Ji Jinbai. From the start, this young man had been looking at him with an unignorable intensity.

But when he got a clear look at the young man, his eyes deepened, and their gazes locked.

Ji Jinbai wasn’t intimidated by his sharp stare. Neither of them looked away, and they held each other’s gaze for a few seconds.

Lu Tingshen observed Ji Jinbai, who was wearing a white shirt, with black, fluffy short hair, cool eyes, red lips, and a slender neck. He looked like a rare and exquisite flower.

Lu Mian spotted Lu Tingshen and immediately pulled Ji Jinbai along to approach him.

Completely unaware of the undercurrents between the two, he opened the car door and sat in the back seat.

“Second Uncle, this is my friend Ji Jinbai. He’s amazing—good-looking, top of our department, and the pride of our college,” Lu Mian excitedly introduced to Lu Tingshen, whose deep eyes turned to Ji Jinbai.

“Hello, Uncle. I’m Ji Jinbai. The ‘Jin’ in my name means ‘reserved,'” he said, glancing at the man before quickly averting his gaze.

At such close proximity, Ji Jinbai found himself hesitant to meet Lu Tingshen’s eyes.

Reserved?

The first look the beautiful young man gave him could hardly be described as reserved.

Lu Tingshen nodded.

“Ji Jinbai.”

“Yes, that’s a good name,” he remarked before starting the car.

Ji Jinbai felt a stir in his heart as he heard the man’s deep voice pronounce his name.

Summoning his courage, he boldly looked at the man driving in front of him, only to unexpectedly meet his gaze in the rearview mirror.

Ji Jinbai didn’t feel embarrassed. Instead, he smiled gently at him.

Lu Tingshen returned the smile before focusing back on the road, ignoring the young man’s inquisitive gaze behind him.

Lu Tingshen found it quite intriguing. This young man was completely different from others—unafraid of his gaze, even composed and at ease.