Chapter 1: Dull And Uninteresting, Nothing Special

On the day of Jiang Se’s coming-of-age ceremony, it was a thunderstorm.

Thunder rumbled, and torrential rain poured down from the roof of the Cen family’s old mansion, forming cascading curtains of water.

She had never liked thunderstorms.

The awful weather stirred up the hidden restlessness buried deep in her bones, threatening to break free.

Of course, the relentless rain was merely a trigger. What truly unsettled her was the sudden, unexpected childhood betrothal to Fu Jun.

Two days ago, Madam Ji had lowered herself to visit her room and said, “The year you were born, Old Master Fu made a verbal agreement with your grandfather for your engagement to Fu Jun. Last month, the Fu family brought it up again, and your father has already given his approval. As soon as you graduate from university, the engagement banquet will be held. This jade bracelet from the Fu family arrived last month—remember to wear it on the night of your coming-of-age ceremony.”

When Ji Yunyi spoke, her gaze was neither warm nor cold, and her tone was light, as if discussing something trivial—certainly not her daughter’s lifelong marriage.

Jiang Se had long grown accustomed to Ji Yunyi’s indifference.

Looking at her mother, she asked in the same detached tone, “What if I already have someone I like?”

Not a flicker of emotion crossed Ji Yunyi’s exquisitely made-up face.

Outsiders always praised Jiang Se for her elegance and grace, saying she resembled her mother’s younger self—never doing anything inappropriate at the wrong time.

But no one knew a daughter better than her mother.

Ji Yunyi was well aware of the defiant nature hidden beneath Jiang Se’s refined and noble exterior.

Taking a slow sip of tea, Ji Yunyi smiled and asked, “Se Se, do you think I married your father because I loved him? In families like ours, marriage is nothing more than a veil—a convenient cover. With it, you can enjoy great freedom in life, even indulge in multiple romances. Haven’t you already understood this?”

She paused before continuing, “Of course, you can refuse the ‘veil’ your father and I have carefully chosen for you. But only on one condition—”

Ji Yunyi placed her cup down lightly. Her tone remained soft, but her words were sharp:

“Marrying the one you love must bring greater benefits than marrying Fu Jun. If that’s the case, your father and I would gladly allow you to break the engagement. But the real question is—

‘Does the person you set your sights on even want you in return?’”

These words echoed in Jiang Se’s mind for two whole days.

Retracting her gaze from the rain-drenched window, she looked into the mirror before her.

The mirror reflected the rain-streaked window, the misty blur framing a delicate and finely sculpted face.

She understood perfectly well that the upcoming collaboration between the Fu and Cen families was crucial for the Cen family’s entry into the new energy sector.

But in all of Beicheng, the Fu family was not the only dominant force in the industry. The Lu family’s commercial empire was even more expansive.

And the person she had set her sights on was none other than the favored grandson of the Lu family’s patriarch.

If marriage was nothing more than a convenient veil for people like them, then why couldn’t she choose her own?

Glancing at the antique wall clock, Jiang Se rose and stepped out of her room.

Madam Zhang, who had been waiting outside, quickly approached her. “The banquet is starting in less than three hours. Why don’t you rest a little longer? Your gown is on its way, and once you put it on, you won’t have a chance to relax.”

Madam Zhang was the housekeeper assigned to care for Jiang Se. She had been by her side since birth, making her one of the few people Jiang Se felt close to in the Cen family.

Jiang Se’s almond-shaped eyes curved slightly as she smiled. “I’m just heading upstairs to say a few words to my brother. I’ll be right back.”

Madam Zhang assumed that Jiang Se was feeling nervous about her coming-of-age banquet and simply wanted to talk to the young master to ease her nerves. Smiling, she said, “The young master is in the study. You should go quickly.”

Cen Li was indeed in the study, but he was not alone.

It was only after Jiang Se had already walked away that Madam Zhang suddenly recalled—

The young master from the Lu family was in the study as well.

—

The old mansion was a four-story building, and the study was on the top floor. Inside, it housed a collection of rare and valuable antique books and paintings. Apart from a few members of the Cen family, only honored guests and the old butler were ever allowed inside.

A thick, sound-absorbing carpet covered the hallway leading to the study, its dark hues blending into the dim lighting. The only sliver of brightness came from the gap beneath the study’s door.

The door was slightly ajar.

Jiang Se arrived at just the wrong time.

Or perhaps, at just the right time.

Just as she reached the doorway, before she could even knock, a familiar voice drifted out from inside.

“Cen Li, stop trying to set me up.”

The man’s tone carried a trace of indifference, laced with the crisp flicking sound of a lighter being idly toyed with—click, click—as if he were half-distracted, speaking only out of boredom.

His voice was lower than most men’s, deep and magnetic, filled with an unmistakable charm. It was even richer and more beautiful than the tone of Jiang Se’s cello.

She knew this voice all too well.

For the past two years, whenever she heard it, her heart would lose control. Even catching his name—Lu Huaiyan—from someone else’s lips would make her heart skip a beat.

It was as if a switch had been installed in her chest, and anything related to him could flip it on.

His name. His voice. A fleeting glance in her direction. Even the faint scent that trailed him when the wind brushed past.

Each one was a trigger.

And the moment that switch was flipped, chaos reigned.

It was in this fleeting moment of chaos that she hesitated—just a beat too late. Her raised hand, poised to knock, froze midair when she heard the next voice.

“I’m just keeping it in the family,” Cen Li’s casual drawl carried a teasing lilt. “Our Se Se is such a good girl, I don’t want that hypocrite Fu Jun to get his hands on her. Besides, doesn’t your grandfather like her a lot? Marrying a granddaughter-in-law that pleases him would only work in your favor, right? It’s not like I’m telling you to marry her right away—just get engaged for a few years. If it doesn’t work out when the time comes, you can always call it off.”

The moment Cen Li finished speaking, Jiang Se felt a sharp pang in her chest. Her suspended hand slowly lowered.

Cen Li wasn’t wrong—Old Master Lu did indeed like her.

She knew this better than anyone.

In this world, no one’s affection came without reason.

For someone like Old Master Lu to hold her in such high regard, Jiang Se knew exactly how much effort it had taken to make him see her differently.

All that time, all that energy—just so she could be closer to him.

Through the narrow gap of the slightly ajar door, the study stretched into a confined, elongated world. The men inside had their backs to the door, completely unaware that the very girl they were discussing stood just outside.

“You’re getting more ridiculous,” Lu Huaiyan’s voice was laced with impatience. “I have no interest in Jiang Se. No matter how well you put it, she’s nothing special to me. She’s just—”

His fingers stilled over the lighter, as if searching for the right words. After a long pause, he finally spoke.

“Bland. Unremarkable.”

Nothing special.

Bland and unremarkable.

So that was how he saw her?

Outside, the raging storm slowly seeped into her bones.

Her hands and feet grew cold, her heart plummeting—but her lips, against her will, curled into a smile.

Jiang Se had always been this way.

The more turbulent her emotions, the more serene her smile became.

At this moment, the smile on her lips was probably the warmest it had ever been in her life.

“Ah Yan!” Inside the study, Cen Li’s voice carried a trace of frustration, almost as if he were gritting his teeth. “Why do you have to be so harsh? That’s my sister you’re talking about—don’t forget, she calls you ‘brother’ too!”

“It’s precisely because she’s your sister that I’m telling you the truth.” Lu Huaiyan’s tone remained detached, indifferent. “You look down on Fu Jun and want to use the Lu family’s influence to sabotage their engagement, but what makes you think I’d be willing to be your scapegoat? Our friendship? Or the fact that your sister calls me ‘Huaiyan-ge’?”

With a sharp clack, Lu Huaiyan tossed the lighter onto the side table. His voice was as cold as the wind that howled through midwinter nights.

“Let me be blunt—you and your sister both overestimate your worth.”

Cen Li, caught off guard by the blunt rejection, instantly fell silent.

A suffocating stillness settled in the room, the storm outside creeping closer, thunder rolling through the heavy air.

Beyond the door, the girl lifted her thick lashes, casting a detached glance at the stormy sky outside. A fleeting trace of disgust flickered in the depths of her dark eyes.

Thunderstorms—just as intolerable as ever.

Jiang Se turned away, stepping lightly as she retraced her path back.

Just like when she had arrived, her footsteps remained steady, silent—leaving no trace of her presence.

By the time she returned to her room, it was no longer empty.

Ji Yunyi had arrived, accompanied by several fashion designers. One of them held a gown in their arms, waiting.

As soon as Jiang Se stepped inside, Ji Yunyi gestured for the designer to step forward.

“The dress is here. Put it on now,” she instructed, her tone calm and precise. “From this moment on, you are not to eat, and try to drink as little water as possible.”

Jiang Se looked at the haute couture dress.

It was a strapless ball gown, with classical floral embroidery hidden beneath layers of the skirt, and the centers of the flowers embedded with small diamonds. When she walked, it was as if the stars from the sky had fallen into the blooming flowers—complex, dignified, yet slightly dreamy.

When deciding on the color of the gown, Ji Yunyi had preferred a white base with black diamonds, but Jiang Se had deliberately chosen black.

It was simply because Lu Huaiyan liked black clothing.

At this moment, Jiang Se only felt that the deep black was so glaring, so distasteful.

“Change it.” She said softly as she walked toward the dressing room.

Seeing her like this, Ji Yunyi knew her rebellious nature had resurfaced, and the smile on her face faded slightly.

Just as she was about to say something, Jiang Se suddenly stopped in her tracks.

“Forget it, I’ll wear this one. No need to change.” She spoke in a calm tone, “This is the dress I personally chose. Why not wear it?”

Her words sounded odd, more like she was asking herself than actually asking a question.

Several designers lowered their eyes, keeping their gaze respectful and neutral.

Ji Yunyi seemed to finally notice the unnatural pallor of Jiang Se’s face. She studied her daughter, and soon her gaze shifted, looking toward the other people in the room.

“You all can leave.”

Once everyone had left, Ji Yunyi personally took the dress and helped Jiang Se put it on.

The mother and daughter stood in front of the mirror.

The black gown made the girl in the reflection appear like a white camellia blooming in the night—pure and noble. Paired with Jiang Se’s now pale, almost snow-white face, it subtly conveyed a sense of fragility.

“Se Se, where’s your smile?”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Se’s lips curved slightly as she forced a perfect smile.

Only then did Ji Yunyi show a satisfied expression. “Did you just come from the study?”

“Yes.”

Ji Yunyi’s eyes immediately showed a clear understanding, but she didn’t ask Jiang Se who she went to the study to find. Instead, she asked her, “The jade bracelet the Fu family sent over, will you wear it yourself, or do you want me to put it on for you?”

It was a question with two options, but there was only one answer.

She must wear this bracelet tonight.

Her gaze dropped, and Jiang Se looked at the jade bracelet on the vanity.

It was a glass-type green jadeite, translucent and clear, with a vibrant color. It was said to be an antique that the Fu family had bought from an auction house during the early Republic of China.

Sending such a bracelet to celebrate Jiang Se coming of age showed the Fu family’s sincerity.

Jiang Se knew what it meant to wear this bracelet.

And she knew she had a responsibility to wear it.

She raised her eyes and asked Ji Yunyi, “Did you ask my brother to find Lu Huaiyan?”

“Your brother doesn’t want us to sacrifice your marriage for the sake of a partnership. He told me you already have someone you like. Although he didn’t say who that person was,” Ji Yunyi smiled faintly, “But Se Se, how many times have you gone to the Lu family with Ah Li over the past two years? If you didn’t like Lu Huaiyan, with your temperament, how could you go with Old Master Lu to watch the Peking opera that you’ve never liked? The Lu family is good, but that young man from the Lu family—”

Realizing her words were not appropriate, Ji Yunyi abruptly stopped herself, stepped past Jiang Se, and took her left hand, gently sliding the jade bracelet onto her slender wrist.

“Now that you know Lu Huaiyan has no interest in you, it’s time to face reality. It’s wiser to give up than to cling to something blindly. Fu Jun is a good choice, both for you and for the Cen family.”

Ji Yunyi lightly pressed Jiang Se’s shoulder, signaling her to look in the mirror.

“Se Se, don’t forget, your surname is Cen.”

Don’t forget, your surname is Cen.

Jiang Se stared at the two completely different faces in the mirror, her thoughts momentarily stalled by those words.

No, that’s not right.

She didn’t have the surname Cen.

She was Jiang Se, no longer Cen Se, the precious daughter of the Cen family from Beicheng.

---

In the pitch-black room, the blackout curtains were drawn so tightly that not a single beam of light slipped through.

Jiang Se opened her eyes in the darkness.

Her thoughts were sluggish for a few seconds, but she soon realized she had been dreaming again. This time, it was a nostalgic dream—one from the day of her coming-of-age ceremony.

How long had it been since she last dreamed of herself at eighteen?

Back then, she was still Cen Se, the cherished jewel of the Cen family.

And back then, Fu Jun was still alive.

Through the curtains, she couldn’t tell what time it was outside, so she propped herself up from the pillow and grabbed her phone from the nightstand.

It was 5:59, one minute away from the alarm she had set.

Soon, with the sound of the alarm, a reminder popped up from her calendar:

[8:00 PM, Beicheng International Airport, pick up Cen Yu.]

Jiang Se turned off the phone.

In the darkness, she slowly exhaled.

Cen Yu was Jiang Se’s junior at school and the true golden child of the Cen family.

After bringing Cen Yu back to the Cen family, they would finally align their lives that had been out of sync for twenty-three years, and everything would soon return to its rightful course.

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