Chapter 32: Campus Mary Sue 30

On the night of the Li family's little princess's coming-of-age ceremony, countless young hearts shattered into pieces.

Everyone likes a beautiful girl, so when word spread that the little princess of the Li family had called off her engagement, many hearts brimmed with hope, and gifts were prepared with special care.

Yet, before the banquet had been underway for long, their would-be father-in-law dealt them a crushing blow.

Another engagement? Already?

Who could be so lucky?

Was it the young master of the Beitang family? The heir to the Nangong family? Or perhaps a foreign power's leader?

Guests' minds raced with speculation, but soon they saw a short, plain-looking youth approach Mr. Li.

Seeing this young man in formal attire, struggling to suppress the joy on his face, several students from Orston Academy felt a strange, uneasy suspicion.

There had always been rumors at school: the goddess had a new boyfriend—and this boyfriend was a whole head shorter than her?

“Let me introduce everyone. This is Mu Xue’s fiancé—Ke Yuandao.”

The words fell like thunder in broad daylight, stunning everyone present.

And then, as the ball began, they watched in disbelief as the little shorty, bashful and red-faced, was led by the goddess herself onto the dance floor to open the evening’s first dance. At last, they closed their eyes in resignation.

Watching the goddess dance was always a pleasure. But seeing the boy in front of her, shorter than she was, made it hard to bear.

Why should this little fellow be the one engaged to the goddess? They were taller and handsomer than he was!

From across the hall, they cast resentful glances at their future father-in-law, who chatted and laughed as if nothing had happened—such injustice.

When the dance ended, Le Yixian grew tired of the crowd. She grabbed Ke Yuandao’s hand and whisked him away.

The Li family estate was vast, so there were always carts waiting outside. Le Yixian chose one at random, pressed the accelerator, and sped far from the lively gathering.

“Senior Sister, where are we going?” Ke Yuandao asked.

“Somewhere quiet. My brothers are busy socializing and, for once, no one’s watching us. I’d rather not make small talk with anyone,” she replied.

Hearing this, Ke Yuandao’s ears flushed red.

The car finally stopped beside a pavilion in the garden.

Under the bright moon, a cold wind blew.

Le Yixian stepped out of the car and was immediately greeted by the chill. She shivered, muttering to herself that while the dress was beautiful, it was certainly no match for the winter wind.

Before long, a jacket still warm from its owner was draped over her shoulders.

She turned to see Ke Yuandao, his handsome face tinged with pink. “S-Senior Sister, I’m not cold. You wear it…ah-choo!”

He didn’t finish his sentence before sneezing.

Le Yixian couldn’t help but smile. “Let’s talk in the car; it’s freezing out here.”

With that, she climbed back in, and Ke Yuandao, shivering, quickly followed from the other side.

Their eyes met, both noticing the other’s red nose, and they shared a laugh.

Afterwards, Ke Yuandao, a bit embarrassed, rubbed his ear. “Happy birthday, Senior Sister.”

“So, you don’t have a birthday gift for me?” Le Yixian arched a brow.

“I do,” Ke Yuandao nodded vigorously and, as if by magic, produced a large, beautifully wrapped box.

Le Yixian thought: Even as master of this dreamworld, must you cheat? Don’t think I didn’t see you conjure that box out of thin air.

But Ke Yuandao, oblivious to his own peculiarity, was already blushing to the roots of his hair. “I made this myself. I hope you’ll like it.”

Le Yixian took the box and opened it, finding inside an awkwardly cute, hideous little frog. She paused.

Looking up, she met Ke Yuandao’s hopeful, bashful eyes. Then she looked down at the frog, plush and soft, clearly made with fine fabric and cotton, its mouth crooked and eyes mismatched—grotesque yet endearing.

“I like it very much. Thank you,” she said.

“As long as you like it,” Ke Yuandao stammered, “I…I’ve liked you for a long time.”

Le Yixian, her heart tickled, took his hand and planted several kisses on it. “I like you too.”

With a bang, Ke Yuandao’s face turned as red as a monkey’s bottom. He quickly pulled his hand back. “S-Senior Sister…”

“What? I can’t kiss you?” Le Yixian asked.

Ke Yuandao shook his head, clutching his freshly kissed hand with the other, his voice barely a whisper. “Can you…kiss me on the lips?”

The request made Le Yixian laugh all the more. She leaned in and kissed him.

…

In the middle of the night, Ke Yuandao left, lips slightly swollen, casting longing glances back as the Li brothers glared daggers at him.

Le Yixian, carrying her grotesquely adorable frog, hummed a tune as she walked toward her room, only to be called back by her brothers.

“Xue, I know you really like Ke Yuandao, but don’t let him bully you,” the eldest said meaningfully. “If he ever acts up, tell us. We’ll take care of it.”

“He’s always very sweet!” Le Yixian smacked her lips, savoring the lingering sensation of those cool, jelly-soft lips.

Her brothers were left speechless.

Back in her room, the stewardess appeared and helped her remove her intricate jewelry. Noticing the frog on the vanity, she smiled. “Miss, did Young Master Xiansi send you another frog this year?”

Without waiting for an answer, she continued, “Shall I put it in the usual room…” She trailed off, realizing that her young lady was now re-engaged to the Ke family’s young master.

A trace of hesitation flickered in her eyes. Did Miss still have feelings for Young Master Xiansi?

“Room?” Le Yixian’s mind flashed with images. “I haven’t been there in ages. Let’s take a look.”

Since she insisted, the stewardess could only oblige.

The room in question wasn’t far from Le Yixian’s own. They reached it quickly.

As soon as the door opened, frogs arranged in the most prominent position caught her eye. She hurried over, comparing the frog in her hand to the others—each one clearly made by the same person.

She counted—nine in all, including the one she’d just received. Had someone been secretly sending the original her a frog every year, for nine years?

Le Yixian pursed her lips, feeling a twinge of jealousy.

She gazed at the funny, lovable frog in her hand, finding it oddly familiar.

The room was filled not only with frogs, but with books, trinkets, and all sorts of curious things.

Le Yixian rummaged through them, stopping abruptly when she recognized a certain gift box.

She opened it carefully, revealing a familiar heart-shaped necklace and a card, on which someone’s bold, carefree handwriting declared: My beloved Yixian, happy birthday!

It all came rushing back—every object in this room, including all those ugly-cute frogs, were gifts that Ke Yuandao had given her over the years.