[A resilient weed with so much vitality you can't burn it away x A haughty young master of noble birth, all bark and secretly soft-hearted]
#Younger man, two-year age gap
In the year 106 of the Radiant Calendar, the second year after the statewide entrance exams were officially abolished, Chi Xingyue enrolled at the Federal Central Academy in place of her older sister, who had died in childbirth.
While at school, she had three things to do.
1. Hide her true identity as a [Third District pauper]
2. Win the annual S+ scholarship
3. Find the scumbag who got her sister pregnant
-
Chi Xingyue was an orphan, one of the lowest-ranking people in the Third District.
She did every dirty, exhausting job there was, collecting scrap, waiting tables, cleaning, delivering packages, all to earn enough money for college.
The year she came of age, the statewide entrance exams were abolished.
Eighteen years of hard work turned to ash. She was destined to spend her life as a lower-class nobody.
Her twin sister, meanwhile, had been adopted by a wealthy businessman from the Second District as a child and had even been accepted into the world's top university.
Chi Xingyue envied her sister, and she resented her, too.
One day, after delivering her last package, Chi Xingyue got home at three in the morning.
Her twin sister was waiting outside their low-rent apartment with a suitcase and a swollen belly. "Little sister, I've lost everything."
Her sister died that winter, leaving behind a wrinkled baby girl.
Chi Xingyue decided to take her sister's place at the academy.
Less than half a year after enrolling, she became a thorn in the side of the school's clique. Because of them, she lost several part-time jobs and received disciplinary action, putting her at risk of expulsion.
She couldn't let herself be driven out of there in disgrace.
*
The young master of the Jing family was instantly surrounded by admirers when he enrolled, and soon became the undisputed leader.
He was the only son of the Federation's leader, the carefully groomed heir to the Jing family, and everyone at school lined up to curry favor with him.
The young master did as he pleased, brash and arrogant, though every now and then he would feel a burst of kindness and meddle in some small matter.
Someone like him would make a perfect backer.
By chance, she overheard classmates talking about the young master's coming-of-age celebration, which was to be held aboard a private luxury cruise ship.
She went to great lengths to get a ticket for the Radiance.
With all eyes on him, Jing Yan appeared in a custom silver suit and closed his eyes to make a wish before a two-meter-tall cake.
The moment the lights came on, someone shoved Chi Xingyue toward the champagne tower. She fell onto the broken glasses, staining her white dress wine red. A shard pierced her palm, and a lurid flower of blood bloomed there.
Every eye in the room turned toward her.
The young master, surrounded by admirers, turned around and saw her drenched in red wine.
He told the butler to take her to change.
The young master looked down at the person who had ruined his coming-of-age celebration. "The butler said you had something important to tell me?"
She changed into a maid's uniform, which fit her surprisingly well, tracing the gentle lines of her figure. Blushing faintly, she looked at him imploringly and asked if she could speak with him alone.
He sent everyone else away.
She walked up to him and tearfully condemned the school's clique for bullying her, hoping he would help. Finally, she wrapped her arms around his leg and hinted with her eyes that she would do anything for him.
*
A lowlife with nothing but filthy thoughts in her head, a little rat from the gutter.
Jing Yan knew perfectly well that this woman had approached him to protect herself. At first, he only wanted to watch the show and keep her around as an amusing little toy.
But later, he found himself dreaming of her again and again in the dead of night, enduring the agony of wanting what he could never have.
- Modern alternate universe, with plenty of original worldbuilding. The technology is slightly more advanced than in our world.
- Six-year aristocratic academy. The Federal Central Academy is the world's number one school.
- Both are virgins. A bit melodramatic.
[Note from 2024.8.27]
Theme: Live life earnestly
