Chapter One

After a four-hour flight, the trio arrived in Tokyo, Japan. Once they had completed the necessary immigration procedures, they officially entered the country.

"Oh, my aching back! It’s killing me," Yu Xingyue complained. For the entire four-hour flight, Sun Ying had been sleeping in his arms. Yu Xingyue hadn't dared to move, even when he desperately needed to use the restroom. By the time they landed, he felt so numb that he couldn't stand up on his own and had to rely on Luo E’s assistance to get to his feet.

In this foreign land, a brand-new life was about to begin.

Upon exiting the airport, a VIP car had been waiting for them for quite some time. Yu Xingyue hadn't realized this vehicle was meant for them; he had assumed they would take a taxi to the residence Sun Yao had arranged.

Sun Ying and Luo E, however, knew better. Yu Xingyue had thought that even if Sun Yao was successful and wealthy in his career, what use would that be overseas? He had clearly underestimated Sun Yao’s reach.

Seeing Sun Ying climb into the luxury car, Yu Xingyue paused, stunned. "Sun Ying, did you get into the wrong car? Aren't we supposed to be taking a taxi?"

Before Luo E could explain, Sun Ying beat him to it. "Big Brother, are you silly? This is my father’s car. He has businesses and houses overseas."

"What?!" Yu Xingyue was shocked. Sun Yao was that wealthy in Japan? Was it the same in other countries too? Yu Xingyue had to recalibrate his perception of Sun Yao; this hidden old fox had managed to keep him in the dark for so long. He had never doubted the villa in China, assuming Sun Yao had bought it through his own hard work, but it seemed he had been wrong.

"Mr. Yu, please get in. It is time to depart," Luo E said, opening the door for him. Yu Xingyue snapped out of his daze, muttered an "Oh," and climbed in, still bewildered by the nature of Sun Yao’s business and wondering why Yang Shuting had never mentioned it to him.

*Forget it, I’ll find out eventually,* he told himself. The car started and drove toward the east.

As the three of them drove away, a young girl appeared in the distance, wearing a mysterious smile.

The car didn't head straight to their residence; instead, it went to the school first to finalize enrollment. Sun Ying’s process was simple, but Yu Xingyue’s was more complicated.

At the school, Sun Ying wanted to accompany him, but Luo E firmly refused, insisting that only he and Yu Xingyue were needed. Yu Xingyue also persuaded Sun Ying to stay in the car, promising it wouldn't take long. She obeyed, though she pouted in protest.

After settling Sun Ying, the two men were led by a teacher to the principal’s office. This was a co-ed school where boarding was also mixed—a primary reason for the high number of male students. After all, living with girls was considered the ultimate luxury. Truth be told, Japan had many such schools, but none were as successful as this one; perhaps its open-mindedness was the secret to its current prestige.

They completed the enrollment formalities in the principal’s office without much conversation. Yu Xingyue was terrified of making a mistake; he felt as though he were on someone else’s turf, where a single misstep could lead to disaster.

Most of the requirements were met according to the school’s standards. After reviewing Yu Xingyue’s documents, the principal said, "Yu Xingyue, once you are here, you must follow the rules. Do not cause any trouble for me. If you get into trouble, the school will not be held responsible." The principal spoke in Japanese. Yu Xingyue had learned a little before coming to Japan and understood part of it, though he would still need to rely on Luo E to guide him later.

The principal continued, "My name is Ichiro Kobayashi. This is your teacher and homeroom advisor, Riko Yanagi." The woman standing next to Kobayashi stepped forward to greet him.

"Nice to meet you, Xingyue-kun. I will be your homeroom teacher for the next two years. Please take care of me," Riko Yanagi said, bowing to him.

Yu Xingyue could tell that Yanagi was likely a new teacher, not yet fully accustomed to the school's eccentric rules, which he found understandable.

Yanagi then handed him an item. Yu Xingyue took it and realized it was his student ID. The photo on it was the same one from his identity card, though it looked quite different—his face didn't seem that long, did it? (He didn't yet know about the wonders of Photoshop).

Yu Xingyue opted to commute rather than board, hoping to avoid further complications. If the distance was too great, he would simply take a car.

As they left, Yanagi reminded him, "Be here at 8:00 AM sharp tomorrow for class. I will take you to your classroom." Yu Xingyue understood the gist and thanked her before leaving.

Back in the car, Sun Ying complained, "I finished so easily, why were you so troublesome?"

Yu Xingyue retorted sharply, "I’m a boy. I know we’re at the same school, but I’m not a girl."

Because Ichiro Kobayashi preferred to handle them one at a time, the process had taken much longer than necessary. Starting tomorrow, Yu Xingyue would be a second-year middle school student, while Sun Ying would be a first-year.

Yu Xingyue caught a glimpse out the window and saw a person dressed entirely in black, wrapped up tightly. *Isn't it hot to dress like that in summer?* he wondered. Then again, autumn was only a month away, and the weather would be cooling down. He stopped watching and decided to rest.

He ignored Sun Ying’s endless stream of questions. He could hear her voice, but he chose to endure it, knowing he could settle the score once they got out of the car.

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, it was morning. Yu Xingyue, who was notoriously grumpy in the mornings, didn't want to get up. Between the cool air and the warm quilt, no one would want to leave their bed, which gave Luo E quite a headache.

"Mr. Yu, please get up. You’ll be late if you don't," Luo E said, pulling back the curtains and letting the sunlight flood onto Yu Xingyue’s face.

Yu Xingyue checked his phone. "Ugh, why so early? It’s only seven. I have another hour. Let me sleep for another thirty minutes." He rolled over and went back to sleep.

The residence was a villa near Akihabara, arranged by Sun Yao. It was built with lightweight industrial materials, as Sun Yao knew Japan was prone to earthquakes and wanted to ensure their safety.

Sun Ying entered the room and tapped Yu Xingyue’s forehead. "Big Brother, get up! You’re really going to be late, stop sleeping!"

Yu Xingyue didn't hear her and stayed asleep. Seeing that he wouldn't budge, Sun Ying realized she had no choice but to use her secret weapon for waking up heavy sleepers.

"Grandpa Luo, please step out. Leave this to me," Sun Ying said. Luo E understood her intent and left the room, though he stayed guard at the door, worried for her safety.

Watching the soundly sleeping Yu Xingyue, Sun Ying rubbed her hands together with a sinister, beaming smile.

"Big Brother, today is your death day." With those words, Yu Xingyue’s fate was sealed.

Sun Ying carefully climbed onto the bed and stood up. She sized him up, then began to jump on the mattress... (You can imagine what happened next).

"Aaaaaah!" A scream echoed through the entire villa. The glass cups in the kitchen shattered from the force of the yell. Even Luo E, standing by the door, couldn't help but cover his ears. He usually relaxed when no one was around, only maintaining his serious demeanor during important moments.

The morning incident was over, and at least Yu Xingyue was finally awake.

After washing up and eating a sandwich with milk, Yu Xingyue felt a burning pain in his abdomen. He thought to himself that Sun Ying was truly ruthless; thank goodness his core was strong, or he might have been sent to the afterlife.

Back in his room, he changed into the school uniform. He couldn't help but admire how stylish and handsome it was; he wondered why his old school’s uniforms couldn't be that good-looking.

Sun Ying was waiting for him. In her uniform, she looked quite charming—a "goddess" for the local otaku, perhaps even someone a talent scout might notice.

They drove to school. Watching the students in the same uniforms walking outside, Yu Xingyue realized those around Sun Ying’s age must be the new students.

The walk to school took thirty minutes, but by car, it took only ten. Upon arrival, Yu Xingyue was dumbfounded.

He had spent ten minutes getting up, ten minutes washing and eating, five minutes changing—totaling twenty-five minutes. Ten minutes for the car ride made thirty-five. That left him with twenty-five minutes to kill.

He realized what he had to do with those twenty-five minutes, and he couldn't help but break into a cold sweat at the situation ahead.