010, First Arrival at Beisen Academy

"Miss Jiuliang, we've arrived."

Unknowingly, the car had entered Beisen Academy.

Gathering her wandering thoughts, Ye Jiuliang pushed open the car door and stepped out.

The light golden sunlight poured onto her face, the young girl squinted her eyes slightly, and deep within them shone fragments of cold light.

"Miss Jiuliang, this way,"

Aren walked ahead to lead the way, while Ye Jiuliang lazily followed behind, occasionally glancing at the surrounding environment.

Indifferent, as if she were visiting a tourist attraction.

At this time, everyone at Beisen Academy was in class, making the surroundings seem eerily quiet.

Principal's office

In front of a large desk, a middle-aged man dressed in a well-fitting suit, his appearance made more scholarly by the thin-framed, black glasses he wore.

He lifted his gaze to glance at Ye Jiuliang, who stood leaning against the doorway, her head down looking at her phone, her waterfall-like long hair casually draping over her shoulders, offering just a glimpse of her profile.

She stood there quietly, her demeanor of natural grace impossible to ignore.

Jin Kai shifted his gaze, looking towards Aren seated opposite him, and lowered his voice, "I roughly understand what Mr. Ye means, but... "

Halfway through, he seemed hesitant to continue.

Aren smiled, "Principal Jin, please feel free to speak your mind."

"You know as well as I do, Aren, that even though I am the principal of this school, it's Mr. Li who really holds the power. I also have to abide by his rules," Jin Kai hinted, but did not elaborate further.

Aren understood the meaning behind his words. The most important rule at Beisen Academy was that regardless of one's background or wealth, what mattered most was individual strength.

Beisen Academy had a rigorous examination system, with tests nearly every month, and also had a performance ranking board, making it impossible for anyone to coast through their days at the academy.

"Principal Jin, the old patriarch is aware of your concerns, and he will speak to Mr. Li himself; you need not worry," Aren assured.

Hearing this, Jin Kai felt somewhat relieved.

Caught between Mr. Ye and Mr. Li, he could not afford to offend either, so he preferred to let them sort it out themselves.

Aren was supposed to escort Ye Jiuliang to the classroom, but she refused, along with the card that Mr. Ye had given her.

"Miss Jiuliang, don't be stubborn with me. Take the card; otherwise, the old man will blame me," Aren said helplessly as he looked at the card in his hand.

Ye Jiuliang lifted her eyes to look at him with his troubled expression, reached out, snatched the card from his hand, and casually stuffed it into her pocket.

"Is this good enough?"

Aren breathed a sigh of relief but couldn't help adding a few more words when he touched upon the chill in Ye Jiuliang's gaze, "Miss Jiuliang, the old patriarch has always been concerned about you during your years abroad. He's truly happy that you've returned."

"Heh,"

A note of scorn surfaced in Ye Jiuliang's eyes as she replied in a cold tone, "Aren, you should be clearer than Uncle Ren ever was."

Uncle Ren was Aren's father, who had been a powerful aide to Mr. Ye in conquering the business world. After Uncle Ren's death, Aren took over his father's position as the Ye Family's butler.

Perhaps in everyone's eyes, the old patriarch had always favored and indulged her, but she knew all too well that from the beginning, this favoritism and indulgence was never simple or pure.

And Ye Jiuliang never needed this kind of affection, filled with calculations.

Taken aback by her sudden statement, Aren paused, lifted his head, and met the girl's icy stare, finding himself at a loss for breath.

Before he could gather his thoughts, the young girl had turned and walked away.

His thoughts were still entangled with her meaningful words as her figure vanished from his sight.

He was not as perceptive as his father.

Could there be something else hidden beneath this?

...

Ye Jiuliang had studied finance abroad, so Mr. Ye had arranged the same major for her here as well.

As she approached the classroom door, Ye Jiuliang could hear the teacher's chanting-like lecture inside, which suddenly gave her the urge to skip class.

After a moment of thought, she decided to be well-behaved on the first day of school.

She took a step forward and knocked on the door.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Come in."

A composed voice came from inside.

The door was ajar, and it opened with a push.

Instantly, a multitude of gazes converged on the newcomer.

After a brief silence, the classroom filled with a collective gasp.

"Hiss—"

Among the many onlooking eyes, the boys were more awestruck while the girls showed jealousy and envy.

Against the light, the girl's cool eyes slightly lifted, her lips as red as blood, and her red and black casual outfit made her appear even more distant and languid.

Ye Miao looked at the person standing at the door, his fingertips suddenly tightening as if he were about to snap the pen in his hand.

His face darkened, irritation flashing in his eyes.

Damn it.

How could Ye Jiuliang be in the same class as him?

With her lousy grades that couldn't hold up a wall, what right did she have to be in this class?

"Ye student, right?" the lecturing teacher asked with a warm smile.

Xu Li, the teacher of finance and the class head teacher, was just as restrained and steady as his voice, giving a feeling of introspection and stability.

He had received a message from Principal Jin saying there would be a new student joining their class today, and by just hearing the name, he almost thought it was a boy.

Ye Jiuliang nodded, her gaze sweeping past Ye Miao sitting in the front row, her expression indifferent.

"Ye student, please come in," Xu Li waved Ye Jiuliang over, then turned to look at the students sitting down, "Today, our class will be joined by a new student. Ye student has just arrived, and I hope everyone will help her out."

After finishing his words, he looked at Ye Jiuliang, who walked up to his side, "Ye student, please introduce yourself to everyone."

Ye Jiuliang parted her red lips lightly, "Ye Jiuliang."

Three simple words, both blunt and cold.

The classroom was eerily quiet.

Everyone gazed at the girl standing up front, their eyes wide with astonishment.

Such an aloof person!

The atmosphere carried tinges of awkwardness, so Xu Li pretended to cough twice, "Ye student, you can take that seat for now."

Ye Jiuliang followed the direction of his pointing, the spot by the window at the back of the classroom suited her just fine.

"Thank you."

The cool tone of her voice made Xu Li's heart tremble.

God knows how strong the new girl's presence was; standing next to her felt like someone was gripping his throat.

In just a few short minutes, his back was already sweating.

As Ye Jiuliang walked down, people's gazes followed her curiously.

They knew well that their class was the crème de la crème of the finance department, and aside from those who got in through their scores, there had never been any transfer students.

Ye Jiuliang was the first.

Seeing everyone in class paying attention to Ye Jiuliang, Ye Miao's face was filled with displeasure.

"Alright, everyone, focus on the lecture," Xu Li curled his finger, knocking on the desk before picking up the teaching material to continue the lesson.

Because of Ye Jiuliang's sudden arrival, everyone in the class was somewhat distracted, occasionally glancing in her direction.

Ye Jiuliang, on the other hand, seemed completely indifferent to their scrutiny, propping her head with one hand and with narrowed eyes, gazing out the window, blatantly daydreaming.

Eventually, she even laid her head on the desk and fell asleep.

Xu Li had seen it but said nothing; after all, his job was only to teach. If exam results were satisfactory, one could stay, but those who failed to meet the standards would be expelled according to the rules.

It was quite convenient, and at least he didn't have to worry about offending any power brokers.