Time passed quickly. Wei Xicheng had been discharged for a week but had barely gone out. His once-healthy body still hadn’t fully recovered from the toll of his illness. His already fair skin had now become even paler, to the point of envy.
Looking in the mirror, Wei Xicheng made sure his complexion looked healthy before finally feeling relieved. He didn’t want to walk around with a sickly pale face and attract unnecessary attention. As a performer, he cared a lot about his appearance.
Although the original owner of this body had a somewhat gloomy temperament, his face was quite good-looking. His sharp chin and slightly deep-set eyes, paired with his pale skin against dark clothing, gave off a unique gothic aesthetic.
After hesitating for a while, Wei Xicheng picked up his mother’s eyebrow pencil and lightly traced his eyes. It was subtle, barely noticeable unless one looked closely, but it made his gaze appear much sharper.
Looking at the cold and indifferent boy in the mirror, Wei Xicheng let out a soft whistle in amusement. What a cool boy. But in the end, he gave up on applying a bold red lipstick—after all, he wasn’t going to a film shoot. Wearing too much makeup might scare people. Less is more; just a touch of brightness was enough without drawing too much attention.
He didn’t think anything was wrong with his actions. What he didn’t realize was that he had already changed a lot. Stepping out of his house now, he was no longer the same Wei Xicheng as before. Every second he lived now, he was playing the role of “Wei Xicheng.”
Thinking about this, he tugged up his pants. Even though his mother had been making nutritious meals for him every day since his discharge, he still hadn’t gained back any weight. His once well-fitted pants now had extra room around the waist.
The boy in the mirror had a lean, almost frail upper body, with barely any muscle. One could even call him delicate. Yet, there was an unusual kind of beauty about him—one that evoked dangerous thoughts, as if inviting cruelty.
Releasing his grip, his loose-fitting pants barely hung onto his hips. His flat stomach lacked any visible abs, but his navel sat prettily in the center, making him look rather cute.
Wei Xicheng glanced at his pants and searched his bedroom for a belt but found none. He had no choice but to leave them as they were—so long as they didn’t fall off, it was fine. He pulled out a plain black button-up shirt, put it on, and got ready to head out.
Today was the class gathering for Grade 12, Class 36. Wei Xicheng planned to check out the so-called class heartthrob and mysteriously well-connected He Cheng.
The gathering was held at an extravagant hotel. Wei Xicheng wasn’t sure which classmate was rich enough to cover all the expenses, but he figured it had nothing to do with him.
Inside the private room, the atmosphere was already lively. Most of the students had arrived. At eighteen or nineteen, teenagers loved to joke and play around. With the weight of college entrance exams lifted from their shoulders, the more outgoing ones were now freely laughing, pushing, and shoving each other.
A few quieter students sat on the sidelines, smiling as they watched their classmates fool around.
The boys, eager to show off—perhaps because the girls had mostly arrived—were all trying their best to impress. They cracked jokes, performed tricks, and did everything they could to make the girls laugh.
When Wei Xicheng pushed open the door, not many people noticed at first. But as more and more eyes turned toward him, the room gradually fell into silence.
It was an awkward moment, yet Wei Xicheng remained unfazed. He had drawn all their attention, then calmly nodded slightly. Though his chin tilted downward, the natural curve of his jaw remained subtly raised, like a nobleman who had mistakenly stepped into a world that did not belong to him.
He walked to a corner and sat down. After the initial pause, the class’s mood manager was the first to break the tension, and the lively atmosphere resumed. However, many people still couldn’t help but steal glances at Wei Xicheng from time to time.
Teenagers who had yet to experience society viewed things in a simple way. They accepted what they liked and ignored what they didn’t. Gaining their approval was both incredibly difficult and laughably easy.
A tiny mistake could make someone the target of cold indifference, yet a pretty face alone could command the attention of an entire room.
Wei Xicheng pressed his lips together. To him, these teenagers weren’t in the wrong. Everyone has a cute but naive phase—some earlier, some later.
In the private room, hushed whispers spread among the students. Since no one had deliberately excluded Wei Xicheng from their group chat, they hadn’t expected the once-unwelcome classmate to actually show up.
Now that the college entrance exams were over and they were about to part ways, everyone had softened a little. It seemed they had collectively forgotten their past dislike for Wei Xicheng. No one openly ignored him anymore. In fact, one of the girls even took the initiative to hand him a can of Coke.
Wei Xicheng nodded, his lips moving slightly. Though his voice was too soft to hear over the noise, the girl could read his lips—he had said, thank you. That realization made her blush.
As soon as she returned to her friend group, the other girls immediately surrounded her, whispering and gossiping excitedly.
They didn’t lower their voices much. While they thought they were speaking quietly, six or seven people chatting together inevitably made their volume rise.
At first, their conversation was about trending celebrity news, but before long, it shifted to today’s unexpectedly stunning Wei Xicheng.
Comments like “I never noticed how good-looking Wei Xicheng is.” “Why did we dislike him before?” “He buttoned his shirt all the way up—so strict, so dark and forbidden.” “His skin is so pale!” filled the air.
Those who overheard the conversation couldn’t help but glance at Wei Xicheng again.
The subject of their discussion was sitting on a small single-seater sofa, one hand resting against the armrest, legs crossed. He tilted his head slightly, quietly listening to their gossip about him, lips curved into a calm smile.
The students watching this scene felt complicated emotions. They realized they had paid so little attention to this classmate that they knew almost nothing about him.
As for Wei Xicheng himself, he felt nothing in particular. Though this body had the same name as him, he was keenly aware that this wasn’t him. Even when people around him said his name, the initial discomfort quickly faded, and he slipped naturally into character.
Right now, Wei Xicheng was merely playing the role of someone named “Wei Xicheng.”
People are forgetful, especially teenagers caught up in the excitement of a gathering. They quickly forgot about Wei Xicheng as they played around, while he simply sat in the corner, sipping his cola in small sips.
He wasn’t particularly fond of carbonated drinks, so his gaze shifted to a bottle of yogurt nearby.
Just as he was about to reach for it, the door to the private room was pushed open again. This time, two people walked in together—Lin Yan and He Cheng.
Wei Xicheng withdrew his hand and stood up along with the others to welcome them. This small detail alone made it clear how well-liked the two of them were.
“Sorry, everyone, there was a bit of traffic on the way, so we’re late,” Lin Yan said with a bright, cheerful smile as he walked in, patting a few of the boys on the shoulder. “We held up dinner—I’ll take three drinks as punishment later!”
Standing at the doorway, He Cheng also stepped inside. Unlike Lin Yan’s lively demeanor, he smiled gently and took the blame upon himself. “I couldn’t find the place, so Lin Yan came to pick me up. I can’t skip out on those three drinks either.”
“Alright, neither of you are getting away with this!” One of the boys Lin Yan had patted laughed, pulling them both into the group. The two quickly blended in, and the room was once again filled with chatter and laughter.
Meanwhile, Wei Xicheng’s corner seemed even quieter in contrast. He didn’t mind, though. Taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention, he put down his cola and opened the bottle of yogurt instead.
“Alright, let’s all take our seats. Is everyone here now? If we are, let’s have them start serving the food. After we eat, we’ll head to another place to keep the party going!” Lin Yan had naturally taken the lead in making decisions for the group as soon as he arrived.
“Make sure everyone comes! Once we get our exam results and start applying for college, who knows when we’ll all be together again?”
“Listen to Lin-ge! Haha!” The boys all cheered in agreement, and even the usually quiet and gentle girls nodded. This gathering was meant to mark the end of their high school days, so it had to be perfect.
Unlike the boys, the girls were more observant. Seeing Lin Yan, they suddenly remembered Wei Xicheng sitting in the corner and all turned their heads to look at him.
Their synchronized movement naturally caught Lin Yan and He Cheng’s attention.
Lin Yan followed their gaze and smiled. “What are you all staring at so intently?”
But when he turned his head, he too found himself unable to look away.
The boy with short black hair had a straw between his lips, casually flipping through the restaurant menu. His once meticulously buttoned-up shirt now had the top two buttons undone, revealing a delicate collarbone and a slender, graceful neck.
The warm hotel lighting illuminated one side of his face while the other was cast in shadow. His flawless skin shimmered faintly under the light. His long eyelashes cast a soft shadow beneath his eyes, and his high nose bridge and sharp jawline seemed almost sculpted to perfection.
His posture wasn’t particularly proper—he lounged lazily in the small single-seater sofa. Though the chair wasn’t large, it somehow accommodated his entire frame.
His long, slender legs rested on the armrest, swinging slightly in rhythm with the soft background music. As if sensing the weight of everyone’s gaze, he furrowed his brows slightly and lifted his eyes from the menu, looking at them with confusion and curiosity.
“What’s wrong?”
Author’s Note: Oh no, Yu Beiyan didn’t appear!
Classmates’ reactions: Damn, he’s totally putting on an act… but why is it so freaking attractive?!
