The parent-teacher meeting had just ended.
Rong Yu, Ji Zhouye, Ji Jingchuan, and a group of classmates helped Chen Nian’s grandmother collect empty water bottles.
Rong Wangtian stood quietly to the side.
The last time he attended a parent-teacher meeting, he had been furious to see Rong Yu associating with delinquent-looking youths like Ji Zhouye, who had dyed hair.
But now, seeing his daughter so close to the young master of the Ji family, he felt a sense of relief.
He waited for a while until Rong Yu finished before approaching her. "Xiao Yu, even though you’ve been granted early admission to Tsinghua University, you still need to study hard. Don’t let your teachers down."
Rong Yu responded indifferently, "Mm."
Rong Wangtian didn’t know what else to say to her, so he shifted his gaze to Ji Zhouye. "Young Master Ji—"
He barely got the words out before Ji Zhouye snorted through his nose, shoved a hand into his pocket, and walked off without another word.
When Rong Wangtian turned back to Rong Yu, she had already left as well.
He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
Dealing with his daughter was becoming more exhausting than negotiating with business clients.
Rong Yu walked back to the classroom with her two "grandsons."
As they passed a small grove, a large group of girls suddenly swarmed around them—clearly underclassmen from their youthful, energetic demeanor.
"Ji Jingchuan, you’re so handsome! Can we get your contact info?"
"Ji Jingchuan, did you know? You’ve already surpassed Song Huai in votes—you’re the new school heartthrob!"
"Oh, and Senior Rong Yu, you and Rong Ruoyao are now tied as the school’s top beauties!"
Rong Yu: "..."
Do these kids not have anything better to do than obsess over who’s the most handsome or pretty?
Ji Zhouye: "..."
Great. One heartthrob, one beauty—just him left out. What exactly was wrong with his face?
Ji Jingchuan smiled politely. "Excuse me, does anyone here have an eyebrow razor?"
A few of the girls, who wore light makeup, happened to carry such tools. One quickly handed him a razor.
Ji Jingchuan passed his book to Ji Zhouye. "A’Ye, hold this for me."
He casually brushed aside the strands of hair falling over his forehead—then, in full view of everyone, pressed the razor to his skin and dragged it backward in one swift motion.
"Swish—"
The blade glided smoothly over his scalp, and locks of black hair fluttered to the ground. Gasps erupted around them.
Ji Jingchuan worked with practiced ease, the razor flicking deftly between his fingers as more and more hair fell away, revealing patches of bare skin at his temples and forehead.
When he finished, he returned the razor with a polite smile. "Thanks, juniors. So, do I still qualify as heartthrob material now?"
The girl who had lent him the razor trembled. "Ji Jingchuan… how could you do this?"
Another girl, clutching a box of chocolates, hastily stuffed it into her backpack and retreated several steps.
A third forced a weak laugh. "Bald… bald is kind of cool too."
Ji Zhouye hadn’t blinked once since his brother started shaving. He stared at the now perfectly round, gleaming head, swallowed hard, then whistled. "Fourth Brother, that’s insane. I bow to you."
Rong Yu averted her gaze silently.
This move was absolute genius.
Not only did it crush any romantic fantasies these girls might have had, but it also spared him endless confessions and gifts…
Someone secretly snapped a photo and uploaded it to the school forum: "RARE FOOTAGE: New Heartthrob Ji Jingchuan Shaves His Head in Public. Only available for 10 minutes—watch fast!"
The post instantly went viral, crashing the forum’s servers from sheer traffic.
In the honors class, Song Huai’s phone buzzed with a notification of the trending post.
Honestly, he’d heard rumors all morning about the underclassmen re-electing the school heartthrob, with Ji Jingchuan winning by a landslide.
While he didn’t particularly care about the title, the sudden change still left him slightly unsettled.
When he opened the photo of Ji Jingchuan’s bald head, he froze.
Back when he was first voted heartthrob as a freshman, he’d become more conscious of his appearance—after all, once labeled, he felt compelled to uphold the image.
But Ji Jingchuan clearly couldn’t care less.
The photo soon made its way to the teachers’ group chats.
The dean of academics spat out his tea. "What’s wrong with this transfer student? Shaving his head in public—what’s he trying to prove?!"
Pei Yaru smiled. "On his first day, his desk was already overflowing with love letters. This is just his way of making a statement. I think it’s admirable."
Teacher Yang scoffed. "Just a publicity stunt."
Pei Yaru disagreed.
But soon, she realized the shaved head might have backfired—Ji Jingchuan’s desk was now even more buried in love letters.
"AHHH! Bald Ji Jingchuan’s features look even sharper now! So handsome—I want to date him!"
"I used to think Song Huai was the hottest, but he’s still a bit boyish. Ji Jingchuan is more mature."
"If Ji Jingchuan would go out with me, I’d grind through five exam papers in one sitting!"
Ji Zhouye: "..."
Was there no justice in this world? How could these girls just ignore a certified hottie like him standing right here?
"Scram, all of you!" he barked, cracking his knuckles. "If you want to get to Ji Jingchuan, you’ll have to get through me first. Anyone wanna test how hard my fists are?"
Though he’d mellowed lately, his reputation as the school’s former delinquent king still held weight.
The crowd of girls scattered instantly.
Ji Jingchuan looked touched. "A’Ye, you’re amazing."
Ji Zhouye puffed out his chest. "Told you—this school’s my turf. You just focus on studying, Fourth Brother. Leave the nonsense to me."
From a distance, the girls whispered among themselves.
"Ji Zhouye’s temper is the worst."
"Whoever ends up with him must’ve blown up a galaxy in their past life."
"..."
Ji Zhouye’s face darkened.
Rong Yu couldn’t help but laugh.
Her phone suddenly vibrated. She pulled it out—Rong Wangtian was calling.
She didn’t want to answer.
But the calls kept coming, urgent and relentless.
Frowning, she finally picked up.
"Xiao Yu, your brother is missing." Rong Wangtian’s voice was frantic. "He didn’t show up to school this morning. Someone saw him being taken away by a new transfer student..."
Rong Yu’s frown deepened.
If her dislike for Rong Ruoyao was mild, her feelings toward Rong Qing'an bordered on outright loathing. That kid had zero redeeming qualities and seemed determined to trample on every last one of her nerves.
Coldly, she replied, "What do you expect me to do about it? I’m just a high schooler."
"The transfer student’s name is Wei Xu. His older sister is Qiu Sang," Rong Wangtian rushed to explain. "Your stepmother looked into it—Qiu Sang is Yan Ting’s agent. Rumor has it Yan Ting is currently in deep collaboration with Ji's Entertainment. Since you’re staying with the Ji family, can you ask them for Qiu Sang’s contact information?"
Rong Yu knew Qiu Sang.
But she wasn’t aware Qiu Sang had any brothers.
Her tone remained flat. "I’ll ask around first."
