As the tall, long-legged young man approached, his flawless features and the noble aura radiating from him made countless girls' hearts race.
Luo Xiaoluo also glanced over, her spirits soaring with delight. "Seeing a handsome guy like this is the perfect cure for my weary heart," she mused.
"Excuse me, coming through! Make way, please!"
A girl carrying a stack of documents rushed past in a flurry, her movements hurried and careless. In her haste, she tripped over her own feet—somehow managing to stumble on flat ground—and tumbled straight toward Leng Jingshen.
Leng Jingshen barely had time to react before the girl crashed into him, sending them both to the floor. To make matters worse, their lips met in an accidental kiss.
Leng Jingshen froze.
The girl’s eyes widened in shock.
The crowd around them erupted in gasps and shrieks.
"Oh my god! Who is this woman? How dare she defile our prince!"
Snapping back to reality, the girl scrambled to gather her scattered papers, her face flushing crimson as she looked up at Leng Jingshen, who had already risen to his feet.
"I—I didn’t mean to!"
Leng Jingshen frowned slightly. "Lin Baobao. It’s you again."
Hearing her name, the onlookers immediately understood who she was.
Leng Jingshen had no shortage of obsessive admirers, but Lin Baobao was undoubtedly the most relentless. She had always used the excuse of her family’s past favor to Leng Jingshen’s family as a way to force her presence on him.
Leng Jingshen was beyond fed up with her antics and had repeatedly rejected her advances.
Yet, like a broken record, Lin Baobao had chased after him with undying devotion—until now.
This time, her "accidental" collision had to be deliberate, right?
Lin Baobao could feel the disdainful stares of the crowd. Biting her lip, she lifted her chin with a newfound defiance, her posture radiating a pride she had never shown before.
"Leng Jingshen, I really didn’t mean to bump into you this time. I apologize, but don’t overthink it. I know I’ve done a lot of ridiculous things in the past, but I’ve finally come to my senses. You’ll never stop hating me, so I’m giving up on chasing you."
Her words were firm and resolute—no tricks, no games. This Lin Baobao was independent, clear-headed, and self-respecting, a far cry from the girl who had once revolved her entire world around Leng Jingshen.
A flicker of surprise crossed Leng Jingshen’s eyes.
Rumors said Lin Baobao had changed after recovering from an illness. Indeed, she hadn’t appeared in front of him for a while now. Though he’d never admit it, he had felt… strangely unaccustomed to her absence.
You can do this, Lin Baobao!
She silently cheered herself on. Given this second chance at life, she was determined to rewrite her fate—no more ending up in a psychiatric ward for Leng Jingshen’s sake.
In her past life, she had given everything to win his affection, only to push him further away. She had watched helplessly as he married another woman, and the heartbreak had driven her to madness, leading to her miserable death in an asylum.
Lin Baobao’s gaze shifted to Luo Xiaoluo in the crowd.
That woman—along with her friends—had humiliated Lin Baobao with money, demanding she stay away from Leng Jingshen. The memory of Luo Xiaoluo’s smug face, especially after flaunting her wedding dress, still burned in her mind.
But this Lin Baobao was different. Let Leng Jingshen and Luo Xiaoluo—that scumbag and his vile woman—rot together.
Without a backward glance, Lin Baobao gathered her things, stepped around Leng Jingshen, and walked away.
A strange pang struck Leng Jingshen’s chest as he watched her retreating figure. For the first time, he felt an odd premonition—as if he was about to lose something precious.
Lin Baobao… really had changed.
Someone nudged Luo Xiaoluo’s shoulder. "Xiaoluo, isn’t that your crush? Aren’t you going to say hi?"
Luo Xiaoluo’s expression twisted. "No. He’s tainted now. He’s not my crush anymore."
The other person blinked in confusion.
Luo Xiaoluo entered the activity room, where an even larger crowd had gathered—bigger than the one outside fawning over Leng Jingshen.
"Fu Lan, our hiking club is so much fun! We climb mountains, take photos, and have barbecues!"
"Yeah! And if you get tired, don’t worry—I’ll carry you!"
"Get lost! Take a good look in the mirror—you think you’re worthy of Fu Lan?"
"Fu Lan, look! I just bought the most expensive caviar for you!"
The dark-haired, dark-eyed young man sat elegantly in his chair, basking in the attention like a moon surrounded by stars. Yet, the amusement in his eyes was laced with mockery, as if he were a disdainful god watching pitiful mortals debase themselves for his favor.
He couldn’t care less about their so-called "sincerity"—he didn’t even bother hiding his contempt. And yet, despite recognizing his scorn, they still clamored for his attention.
So what if Xia Miao was ignoring him?
Who cared?
Plenty of others were eager to fight for his affection!
Fu Lan felt a twisted sense of satisfaction, but as his gaze fell on the mountain of gifts piled on the table—including the caviar he used to adore—Xia Miao’s nagging voice echoed in his mind:
"Learn some boundaries. Stop accepting gifts from random people!"
For some inexplicable reason, his hand, which had been reaching for the "offerings," froze mid-air. What had started as a whim to join the popular hiking club for attention now felt like self-inflicted torture.
That infuriating woman, Fu Lan thought darkly. She just cut me off without a second thought. Doesn’t she know she’s supposed to come back and apologize?
If she didn’t even try to coax him, how would she know he couldn’t be coaxed?
Luo Xiaoluo’s heart suddenly raced uncontrollably. An inexplicable urge surged within her—to chase after him, to please him, to make him look her way.
But the ring of her phone snapped her out of her daze.
Answering the call, she heard the voice on the other end and abruptly regained her senses. "Miao, what’s up?"
At the mention of "Miao," Fu Lan’s eyelids lifted slightly, his gaze drifting over with feigned indifference.
"You’re asking where to buy men’s clothes? Well, I’ve taken my brother shopping before. There’s a good store downtown…"
Men’s clothes?
Fu Lan couldn’t suppress the grin tugging at his lips. He tugged at his slightly worn sleeve, suddenly self-conscious. So that woman claimed she was done with him, but she still liked him after all.
The young man stood abruptly, brushing past his fanatical admirers with a sneer.
"Move it, trash. Don’t block my way—I’ve got a girlfriend waiting to pick out clothes with me."
