The hush that had fallen over the audience was abruptly shattered. All eyes were riveted on the stage, where the “old witch” had miraculously transformed. Her complexion, a pristine white, glowed under the brilliant lights, revealing a small, luminous face. Her dark, moist eyes, wide and bewildered, resembled those of a lost deer, reflecting her own astonishment at the sudden turn of events.
“Hiss!” A collective gasp rippled through the stunned crowd. Then, an eruption of voices.
“Oh my god , what kind of fairy is she ? It’s too beautiful.” The words spilled from one astounded viewer.
“The old witch becomes a fairy in a second? It’s too exciting to play like this.”
“Didn’t you say that the one who danced in the first show was the school beauty? Why is the school belle so different from the witch on stage? Is this the school beauty of B University?”
“God, just now I thought the person who played the old witch was very professional and had good acting skills. I didn’t expect it to be so beautiful. When did our school have such a beautiful woman? It’s the feeling of heartbeat. Who allowed her to be such a fairy?”
“Fuck, this is the school beauty, right? Is the school beauty so low-key? She doesn’t even show her face in the performance, it’s covered tightly. You can see her eyes are so beautiful.”
“The moment her hat fell off, I, a girl, was completely amazed and fascinated to death. Beautiful, the burlap bag is ready, and I want to take people home.”
“Damn it, I love it. It’s not a big loss to come to B university this time. Can you pack this fairy back to our school?”
A wave of excited chatter swept through the audience. Mobile phones emerged, snapping frantic pictures of Su Yue, cloaked in black, her snow-white skin and dark hair starkly illuminated on the stage.
In the first row, where school leaders and honored guests sat, Jiang Xuan and Jiang Muhang were positioned perfectly to witness the spectacle. As Su Yue’s hood fell, Jiang Xuan gasped, her mouth slightly agape in utter disbelief. On the brilliantly lit stage, Su Yue’s delicate, flawless, snow-colored face was undeniably revealed. Isn’t her face hurt? How can… how can there be no scars at all? Didn’t everyone says the scars on her face wouldn’t heal? Jiang Xuan had once felt sympathy for Su Yue’s disfigurement, a sympathy Su Yue had never denied. Why, then, had Su Yue’s face suddenly healed?
Hearing the murmurs from behind them, Jiang Xuan glanced at Jiang Muhang, only to find him equally transfixed by the stage. Jiang Xuan’s soft eyes darkened. No intricate makeup, no opulent gowns—simply a small, captivating face and a black cloak. Yet, she commanded the attention of every single person in the audience. Jiang Xuan understood the implications. Su Yue, her beauty now fully restored, was even more stunning than before.
“Dad, it’s her, Hao Hao saw it.” Xiao Haohao, eyes wide with discovery, tugged at Jiang Ci.
“Um.” Jiang Ci’s casual response belied the tightening of his thin lips as the exclamations around him grew louder. He found Su Yue’s resplendent appearance intensely annoying, and the surrounding chatter even more so. He wished he could blind every pair of eyes fixed on her.
“Anger value: 30.”
On stage, Su Yue’s gaze instinctively darted towards Jiang Ci, a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. Was it an illusion, or did she meet his gaze? Is he angry? Why is he mad? Following the others, she bowed to the audience before stepping off stage.
In the dimness of the waiting area, Guan Jun, his face flushed, profusely apologized to Su Yue. “Student Su, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it just now.” He hadn’t intended to step on her cloak.
“It’s okay, the cloak is too long.” Su Yue offered him a reassuring smile, dismissing his worries. In the faint light, Guan Jun’s heart hammered at the sight of her delicate beauty.
“Yueyue, Yueyue!” Jin Mingyuan rushed over, throwing her arms around Su Yue’s neck. “Okay, Su Yue, you’re not very loyal! Your face is fine, and I didn’t even know it! I was too embarrassed to ask, worried about upsetting you.” Jin Mingyuan playfully squeezed Su Yue’s smooth, delicate face. There wasn’t a single scar, just soft, first-class skin.
“I wanted to surprise you,” Su Yue said, a hint of guilt in her voice.
“Fart.” Jin Mingyuan pressed closer to Su Yue’s face. Her gentle pinch had left a red mark. “You think I’ll believe it?”
Su Yue rubbed her cheek. “It hasn’t been long since I recovered. I’ll tell you later, I promise.”
Jin Mingyuan winked. “Yueyue, why are you so low-key? The school beauties and other stars are performing so beautifully, practically begging to show off their looks, and you’re good, you have a face like that and you hide it, you cover it up. But isn’t it exposed now? You didn’t see it, the audience was completely amazed by you.” Jin Mingyuan’s eyes shone with pride for her friend’s impromptu reveal.
Back in the dressing room, silence fell as Su Yue entered. Everyone turned to look at her. Many had already heard the commotion from outside. Previously, they hadn’t paid much attention to Su Yue, masked and inconspicuous, but now they realized the beauty she had chosen to conceal.
The reigning school beauty, sitting at her makeup mirror, had scoffed at the whispers. She had been elected by popular vote, the recognized beauty of B University. How could anyone be more beautiful than her? She’d been prominent since the election; why would someone wait until now to reveal themselves? As she heard the movement at the door, she casualy glanced over while applying lipstick. The next second, her hand clenched, sending the lipstick skittering across her lips. The girl walking in, clad in a black cloak, possessed skin several shades whiter than hers, almost dazzling in its luminescence.
Su Yue walked to where her bag lay, unfastened the bow at her neckline, and shed her cloak. “Yueyue, where are you going?” Jin Mingyuan asked, surprised to see Su Yue grab her bag.
“I’m going to Jiang Ci, he’s in the audience.” Jiang Ci was angry; she needed to find out why.
“But we all have to go on stage for the curtain call after the performance,” Jin Mingyuan reminded her.
“I’ll be back later.” Su Yue, bag in hand, slipped out.
In his seat, Xiao Haohao slurped the last drop of milk tea, then licked his lips. He turned to his father. Dad seemed angry? Was the performance bad? His calves swayed. No, Hao Hao thought it was good.
“Ah, Dad, she’s here.” Xiao Haohao’s big eyes lit up as he spotted Su Yue approaching from the side aisle.
Jiang Ci slowly turned his head, his gaze immediately falling on Su Yue in her black dress. The surrounding audience noticed too.
“Oh my god, isn’t this the fairy who played the old witch on stage just now? How could it be here?”
“Fuck, she’s even more beautiful looking at it so close.”
“Her skin is so fair and beautiful, did she grow up with the fairy water?”
“I want to go up and ask for contact information…”
Many noticed Su Yue’s sudden appearance, a mix of surprise and delight. They whispered, staring at her. Su Yue ignored them, weaving through the chairs to reach Jiang Ci. The seat beside him was empty, perhaps due to his chilling aura, or simply because others felt intimidated.
Su Yue quickly bent and sat down in the vacant seat, careful not to block the view of those behind her. She didn’t realize that, captivated by her appearance, the audience behind them had entirely forgotten the performance on stage, their eyes fixed solely on her.
“Jiang Ci.” Su Yue turned her head, calling out to the man beside her.
Jiang Ci’s gaze settled on Su Yue’s bright, unblemished face, then on her snow-white arms, exposed at her sides. Every part of her seemed to gleam, dazzlingly.
Xiao Haohao’s little head popped out from one side. “Have you finished the performance? Haohao has been watching the performance obediently,” he said in a milky voice.
Su Yue pulled a candy from Jin Mingyuan’s bag and handed it to the little boy. “It’s so sweet, I’ll give it to you as a reward.” With a touch of shyness in his large, dark eyes, Xiao Haohao reached for the candy, peeled off the wrapper, and happily popped it into his mouth, his attention returning to the show.
“Jiang Ci, are you bored?” Besides Xiao Haohao, the surrounding seats were empty, so no one should have provoked him.
Jiang Ci was expressionless, a twitch at the corner of his lips. “What do you think?” he said lazily.
Su Yue took out another candy, a milky one. With her thin, white fingers, she peeled off the blue wrapper and offered it directly to Jiang Ci’s mouth. “You can bear with me for a bit, okay? When the performance is over, I will go on stage for the curtain call, and then we will leave.”
The sugar touched his lips, and Jiang Ci opened them. A faint taste of milk melted on his tongue, and his expression softened slightly. Seeing him accept the candy, Su Yue’s eyes curved in a smile. She leaned close to Jiang Ci’s ear, lowering her voice. “Now the sixth show is on stage—the military boxing performed by the eighth class.” Each time a new act began, Su Yue would quietly introduce it to Jiang Ci. Even if the host announced the program, she would still gently explain it to him.
The audience behind them saw their heads close together and realized this fairy was already taken. Jiang Ci leaned back in his chair, the tip of his tongue pressing against his upper jaw, the faint taste of milk still in his mouth. He allowed Su Yue to whisper in his ear, inhaling her scent, and the discomfort in his heart lessened, though it did not entirely vanish. Her head still ached, and the bell continued to echo in her mind. Su Yue knew Jiang Ci was still angry.
Finally, after the curtain call, Su Yue and Jiang Ci left. In the car, Jiang Haoyan had already fallen asleep, his head tilted against the back of his seat. Su Yue gently cradled his head, letting him rest against her arm. Then, she turned to Jiang Ci beside her. In the dim car, his profile was stark in the darkness, his deep outline growing colder.
Su Yue used her free hand to hook Jiang Ci’s large hand, resting on her lap. “Jiang Ci, Did i do well?”
“The sound is terrible,” Jiang Ci replied casually. Stupid, even the hat dropped! The thought brought back the image of those boys reaching out to her, and her accepting their help. They were holding hands!
“I’m a professional, that’s what the old woman’s voice is like…” Su Yue began to protest, but her words died on her lips. Jiang Ci had grabbed her finger, then brought it to his mouth and bit it. A bite for each finger. A slight tingling sensation.
“You… what are you doing, they’re so dirty.”
“I know.” Jiang Ci’s lips twitched. “So, I’m helping you disinfect.”
Su Yue was speechless. Feeling the dampness on her fingertips, she instinctively tried to pull her hand back.
“Anger value: 0.”
Su Yue was stunned. She turned to look at Jiang Ci’s softened profile in the dim light. Forget it, he can bite her fingers if he likes.
Meanwhile, in another car, Jiang Xuan, who had also departed, received a call from her manager. “Hey, Miss Fang.”
“Xiao Xuan, have you read the news on the Internet?” the agent asked.
“I haven’t had time to watch it yet.” Jiang Xuan’s voice was soft, with a hint of a smile. “Am I on the hot search?” She and Jiang Muhang had attended the B University celebration together, revealing their identities as husband and wife. She knew such shocking news would undoubtedly dominate the headlines. In the past, she had been reluctant to go public, fearing accusations of using connections rather than talent. However, with the positive reception of her TV series snippets, fans now recognized her acting skills, making this revelation less likely to spark doubt. More importantly, it would pave a smoother path for her career, granting her better access to resources, free from dependence on investors. Her time in the entertainment industry had taught her the arduousness of navigating it without a strong background. This realization had led to her current agreement with her agent.
“You’re on the trending search.” The agent’s tone held a touch of embarrassment. “But now the number one trending search is the news of ‘B university is shocked by the appearance of a goddess’.”
A sharp “squeak” resonated in Jiang Xuan’s heart. Her hand tightened around the phone. Then, she heard her agent’s follow-up question: “Now there are videos and photos of the girl from B University’s anniversary celebration. Xiaoxuan, you were there. How did you see the girl?” Sister Fang worried the media might have intentionally leaked the photos for hype. If not, with such striking looks, she would sign the girl before any other company could. That face alone would ensure popularity.
Jiang Xuan bit her lip, comprehending the agent’s implication. After a moment of silence, she said, “That girl is my sister-in-law, you’ve seen her before.”
The agent paused, surprised. She had indeed met Jiang Xuan’s sister-in-law at the Jiang family home, though she had worn a mask. The agent recalled thinking the woman had an excellent figure, but it was a shame her face was ruined. Now, the girl’s face in the photo was fair and smooth, completely devoid of scars. The agent felt a pang of confusion. This was the young madam of the Jiang family—wealthy and powerful. Why would she consider joining the entertainment industry?
After hanging up, Jiang Xuan’s damp eyes darkened. Jiang Muhang, who had overheard the conversation, gently touched his distraught wife’s head. “What’s the matter?” he asked in a deep, gentle tone.
Jiang Xuan bit her lip, then confessed to Jiang Muhang in a petulant voice, “I finally got on the hot search with you. After the news that I am Mu Hang your wife comes out, it will be the number one hot search.” She lowered her eyelids, a hint of grievance in her tone. “I didn’t expect… The first hot search is the photo of Su Yue on stage just now.” She quickly added, “But it’s right to think about it, Su Yue’s face has recovered now, she has become better-looking, and she is on the hot search, which means that everyone likes her, which is something to be happy about. However, last time I recommended her to act, She refused. I can see that she doesn’t want to enter the entertainment industry, and she probably doesn’t want to be followed by so many people.” Jiang Xuan concluded warmly.
Jiang Muhang saw his wife’s disappointment and pulled her into a hug. “I will let people remove her hot search, and your hot search will be the first.”
“Will this be bad?” Jiang Xuan looked up in surprise, hesitating.
“No, leave it to me.” Jiang Muhang asserted.
However, before Jiang Muhang could give the order, Su Yue’s hot search had already been removed.