He's here.

Lin Zhihan helped Ling Yan sit down again, then picked up her paintbrush.

She could never get enough of him; he was her angel, her source of inspiration.

Ling Yan's most beautiful feature is his eyes, like a clear spring; what is most captivating is his demeanor—polite and refined, like a young master from a noble family.

Her delicate, gentle, and pure aura was like that of an elf who had mistakenly fallen to earth.

Lin Zhihan was immersed in her fantasy of the boy, completely infusing him into her creation.

Before she knew it, the boy had walked up to her.

"Zhihan."

"Mmm," the girl, lost in her own world, responded softly.

"He's so much better than me, I can't compare to him."

Ling Yan looked at the boy in Lin Zhihan's drawing, who seemed like a god descending from heaven, and gave a soft evaluation.

"He is you. In my eyes, you are just that good, the most perfect boy in the world."

Ling Yan smiled gently, the smile reaching her eyes.

He smiled more in those seven days than he had in the previous 14 years.

Happiness, emotion, the satisfaction of surviving a disaster, and her...

She painted him, he looked at her, the little garden was full of blooming flowers, and the sunlight showered the boy and girl with golden blessings.

They seemed to radiate light, warmly illuminating each other.

Seven days later, Teacher Zhang sent a message saying that the team needed to return to Fancheng.

Lin Zhihan reluctantly said goodbye to her boyfriend as she packed up her art supplies.

"Ling Yan, I can't bear to part with you~" The girl started to whine sweetly again.

"Wait for me when school starts, I'll give you a surprise." There was reluctance in the boy's eyes, but he was quite restrained, which was his usual character.

"Really?" Lin Zhihan's eyes lit up.

"Um."

"That's enough, you guys~" Ye Yunran, who had been waiting on the three-wheeled vehicle outside for nearly 20 minutes, urged impatiently.

"It's not like we're going to die. You can come back to see him after the training camp is over!"

Give him Grandma's key, and we can hire him to take care of her little garden—wouldn't that kill two birds with one stone?

I said—"Ye Yunran looked at the two people in the courtyard who were still reluctant to part and unwilling to look away.

Are you leaving or not?

"If you don't leave, I'm leaving!" The childhood sweetheart, already jealous, was about to explode.

"Go quickly, I'll be fine on my own," Ling Yan urged.

"Ling Yan, there are frozen dumplings and steamed buns in the refrigerator. If you're hungry, just cook (heat them up) and eat them."

After I leave, you must eat well. Don't just eat instant noodles all the time; it's bad for your health. You can cook some porridge and stir-fry a couple of side dishes. I~" Lin Zhihan transformed into a nagging devil.

"Okay, I promise you." Ling Yan smiled at her.

"Then I'm leaving." Lin Zhihan waved to Ling Yan, turning back every few steps.

"Little miss, you'd better hurry up, or you'll be late for the assembly!" Ye Yunran rolled her eyes on the bus.

The two remained on the tricycle until Ling Yan could still hear Ye Yunran's scolding:

"He's a tough guy who can dig out bullets himself, and you're worried about his survival skills!"

Let me tell you, the Ling family's specialty is wilderness survival!

"Shut up, shut up!" the young lady snapped.

……

As the sound faded into the distance, Ling Yan's smile vanished.

Turn the silver ring around your neck:

"Zero, that's me."

"Ling Yan, you're still alive!"

Do you know how frantically the Ling family is looking for you? Where are you?

"I'm fine, but could you do me a favor now...?"

One month later

Class 1, Grade 8, Fancheng International Middle School.

"Hello!

"Ye Yunran, did you see Yan Yan today?" Lin Zhihan fidgeted with her fingers, clearly somewhat restless.

"Which Yan Yan?" Ye Yunran had her hair slicked back today and was admiring her new hairstyle in a small mirror.

Ye Yunran has a baby face, thick eyebrows and big eyes. Even though he has outstanding features, he is not the type of boy that girls nowadays like to have sharp features, piercing eyes and a cool demeanor.

So even someone as beautiful as Ye Yunran is a member of the "appearance inferiority complex association".

His older brother, Ye Wenran, looks like a movie star. At only 20 years old, he is not only highly skilled in medicine, but also the youngest star surgeon in the Ye family hospital.

With such a powerful older brother, Ye Yunran seems like a complete fool in comparison.

Perhaps feeling he could never surpass his brother in the field of medicine, he took a different path and began learning to paint.

But according to Lin Zhihan...

This guy is more steady holding a scalpel than a paintbrush.

His textbook-perfect technique is far more sophisticated than his paintings.

As expected, smart people can learn it at a glance.

However, given that Miss Lin was not qualified to observe Brother Ye's surgery...

Just look at how quickly Ling Yan recovered.

Young Master Ye's medical skills were already comparable to those of a miracle doctor in her eyes. Of course, Ling Yan felt the same way.

Ye Yunran, who was recognized for his talent but was unaware of it, is clearly still a nobody.

Why did you comb your hair like that?

Although your face means you're not destined to be the school heartthrob, you shouldn't give up on yourself. After all, we art students value inner qualities more. An eye for beauty is far more important than a pretty face. And what's with that slicked-back hair?

"You stole your brother's hairspray"

Enraged by the truth, Ye Yunran roared:

"Roll away~"

none of your business!

You just lack the eyes to see beauty. So what if I, the school heartthrob, didn't make the cut!

That's because I'm still too young, and my bone structure hasn't fully developed yet.

You've met my brother before.

I'll be just like him when I grow up!

He's definitely a male god.

"You've grown tired of me and abandoned me for that sickly guy. You'll regret it later!" Ye Yunran stroked his shiny black hair again.

"You talk like you're in love with me, like that picture of Ming Anya from Class 2 in your book~" Lin Zhihan nodded, popping his words like a balloon.

"Shh!" Ye Yunran jumped over and tried to cover Lin Zhihan's mouth.

"Shut up, grandma! Where are the boundaries between people?"

"How dare you read my diary!" Ye Yunran's face was almost red with anger as she looked at Lin Zhihan with reproachful eyes.

"Don't accuse me wrongly. I saw you fall out of the book yourself."

Wow, you're pretty good, Xiao Ye.

"Does Goddess Ming know you have a crush on her?" Lin Zhihan winked at him.

"Nonsense, I already said it's a crush, how could she possibly know!"

Besides, my Ya Ya is such a well-behaved girl, she won't fall in love like you.

"I plan to confess my feelings to her on her coming-of-age day, and then we'll apply to Huainan University (Huailing University, Nanmiao University) together!" Ye Xiaopang's eyes sparkled.

Chinese-style romance: Let's take the exam in Huainan together.

Lin Zhihan gave Ye Yunran a thumbs up for her awareness.

"By the way, did you have any news about transfer students today?"

Wasn't the Ye family supposed to have an information network covering the entire city of Fancheng?

So, is her Yan Yan coming or not?

"Oh, I do have some news about the Ling family." Ye Yunran leaned closer.

"What is it?" Lin Zhihan perked up.

"I heard that the eldest grandson of the Ye family has been missing for two months, and rumors say he is likely in grave danger."

The power struggle between the Ling family and Xiao family members has reached a fever pitch. The police are now monitoring the Ling family 24 hours a day, fearing that they might get desperate and start a fight!

"Oh, anything else about our international high school?" Lin Zhihan picked at her ear; she wasn't interested in the Ling family's business rivalry.

All she cared about was whether her handsome boyfriend had kept his promise to attend the same high school as her.

"Hello!

Lin Zhihan, do you know that the Ling family children don't actually go to school?

"Ah?" Lin Zhihan looked completely bewildered.

So fierce

But my Yan Yan doesn't seem like an illiterate guy who only knows how to use his fists~

"Nonsense!" Ye Yunran whispered in Lin Zhihan's ear:

"Urban legend has it that the Ling family has a secret training base, the kind of organization that trains assassins and hackers, like in movies and novels."

They receive intensive, elite training specifically designed to cultivate top international talent. Compared to them, our ordinary public or private schools are utterly insignificant.”

After gossiping with Lin Zhihan for a while, Ye Yunran returned to his desk to look at his new hairstyle.

I wonder if his hairstyle today will be enough to catch the eye of the goddess Ming.

"Alright, I'm off!" Ye 2 walked confidently out of the classroom.

"Hey, where are you going?" Carrying a stupid head on your back and going out to embarrass yourself.

Lin Zhihan propped her chin on her hand and looked out the window.

I wonder if her Yan Yan will come or not.

For the past month, they've been undergoing intensive training with Teacher Zhang, and they've even turned off their phones.

She only had time to tell her boyfriend that she would be in closed training for the next month.

Then the teacher confiscated my phone.

Lin Zhihan scrolled up and down her chat interface with Ling Yan.

He changed his profile picture to a white lotus flower.

That's her name.

Lin Zhihan smiled secretly with delight.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

Just then, a boy wearing a white shirt and dark blue pants from an international high school walked over, stood next to Lin Zhihan, tilted his head, and asked her a question.

The boy who asked the question was about 175 cm tall, with a head of fluffy black hair, thick eyebrows pointing straight to his temples.

A pair of almond-shaped eyes were gazing at her tenderly, eyes that held starlight, the ocean, the sky, and the mysterious cosmic nebulae...

What beautiful eyebrows and bright eyes!

Lin Zhihan silently cheered in her heart.

He had a high nose bridge and thin, sensual lips.

Overall, her facial features are quite beautiful, but why do they look so ordinary when put together?

It's the kind of person you can't spot in a crowd.

But this boy's physique is a bit too good.

Broad shoulders, narrow waist, perky buttocks, and long legs.

From the perspective of Lin Zhihan, an art student.

His physique is simply a perfect golden ratio.

At first glance.

It feels so out of place.

It's as if he shouldn't have such an ordinary face.

Or rather, his appearance doesn't match his physique and demeanor.

When did they get such a prominent figure in their Grade 8 (1) class?

The student's voice didn't sound right either.

Why does Lin Zhihan see Ling Yan's shadow in him?

He is not himself.

"Someone's already taken." Lin Zhihan ranked first in the class in the promotion exam, so she had the right to choose her own deskmate with the teacher.

The seat next to her was reserved for her boyfriend.

Others won't do.

The boy chuckled softly, took long strides, and sat down at Ye Yunran's table.

It's the table on the left, against the wall, in the last row.

If she had to say what this boy was similar to her Ling Yan in, it would be his strong will.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but she's different from all the other students.

Lin Zhihan sat back down in her seat, staring sullenly at the playground outside the window.

She saw Ye Yunran sneakily following a girl about 5 meters away. He would stop whenever she moved, just like a stalker or peeping tom.

From Lin Zhihan's omniscient perspective, it was easy to see that the girl had already noticed him.

But that fool thought he was exceptionally clever.

His slicked-back hair was practically on fire from all the stroking.

Lin Zhihan chuckled softly.

My assessment: "Good dog!"

"What dog?" A gentle, soothing male voice suddenly came from beside him.

Lin Zhihan suddenly turned her head.

The boy smiled at her.

"you-------"

"Hello, my name is Yan Zheng, I'm a new transfer student, please take care of me."

“Ling-------”

"Shh~~~, it's me." Ling Yan pressed Lin Zhihan down to sit, gesturing for her to close her wide-open mouth.

Lin Zhihan had a lot of questions she wanted to ask him, but since they were at school, she wasn't sure what she could say.

I could only suppress my restless heart and pretend I didn't know him.

"Hello, my name is Lin Zhihan, nice to meet you."

The two looked at each other and smiled simultaneously.

Ling Ling, who was sitting at the same table as Ye Yunran, scoffed softly.

Morality!

It's true what they say, when there's someone of the opposite sex around, humanity disappears.

Ling Ling, who lost a bet with his best friend, disdainfully pulled out a book and covered his face with it.

He's a hopeless romantic, abandoning the Ling family for a little girl and even impersonating someone else to attend school in this godforsaken place.

Ling Ling, a reclusive young man, believes that sleeping is worse than chasing girls.

This was a treatment we'd never received at the base before.

That's right, Ling Ling is Ling Yan's best friend in the secret base.

The two were about the same age; one was being groomed as the heir of the Ling family, and the other was being raised as the heir's right-hand man.

Of course, there were originally two hands that Ling Yan was training together, but unfortunately one of them was ruined due to the heavy investment.

Ling Yan is currently only left-handed.

Meanwhile, Ling Changqing, who possessed astonishing medical talent, sought refuge with Ling Yan's second aunt.

Now they have become the right-hand men of Ling Yan's two cousins, Ling Kun and Ling Yan.

It was precisely because of Ling Changqing's betrayal that Ling Yan's whereabouts were exposed, almost leading to Ling Yan's death at the hands of Instructor Abu.

It's a mystery how Ling Yan managed to escape from Abu, one of the world's top three assassins.

Perhaps Abu's hand was shaking.

Perhaps Lady Luck was on his side.

Lingling rarely gets to sleep in during the most beautiful morning of the day.

The two of them impersonated the two sons of the Yan family and changed their appearances to attend the international middle school.

There are certainly risks involved, but compared to the bloody chaos that plagues the Ling family today, it's like paradise.

The Yan family is a secret known to few in the Ling family; they are the family that supported Ling Yan, a way out left for him by the old man before his death.

The Yan family does indeed have two sons, Yan Zheng and Yan Ze, who are fraternal twins. However, they are currently abroad and will likely not return to China for several years.

Ling Ling was also someone the old man had placed beside Ling Yan; he originally took direct orders from Ling Teng'an. But the old man died.

The two Xiaos, Ling Xiaoyang and Ling Xiaofeng, the eldest and youngest sons of Old Man Ling, are currently locked in a fierce battle, and it is still unclear who will emerge victorious.

Based on the principle of having the most outstanding eldest grandson inherit the family business, Ling Ling chose Ling Yan as her successor.

Of course, Ling Changqing chose Ling Yan, the second son of Ling Ershu.

Ling Kun has accomplished nothing; he has a violent temper but lacks shrewdness.

Ling Yan had been hiding behind Ling Kun the whole time. If Ling Yan hadn't somehow managed to persuade Ling Changqing, Ling Yan, the eldest grandson of the Ling family, probably wouldn't have had to suffer such an undeserved disaster.

Ling Yansheng learned this painful lesson.

Second Aunt, Ling Yan, Abu, Ling Changqing—Ling Yan remembered all the details of this debt.

However, he can forgive them for now, because he has unexpectedly met Lin Zhihan.

A little girl full of sunshine.

At this moment, the two of them were both leaning on the table, looking at each other and whispering in each other's ears.

More and more students arrived at the classroom.

The classroom quickly became lively.

Ye Er, the stalker, is back too.

"Huh?"

It turns out that someone else also had their eye on this auspicious location, and even fell asleep outside while blocking the way.

Ming Xiaoxiao, who sat behind Lin Zhihan, also arrived. Seeing Lin Zhihan lying on the desk, gazing affectionately at her deskmate, she let out a startling exclamation.

"Oh my, Hanhan, you're in heat!"

Lin Zhihan raised her head from the table with a dark expression, and gestured for her to shut up by raising her small fist.

Ming Xiaoxiao quickly and dramatically covered her mouth, muttering to herself:

"I didn't say anything, I didn't see anything."

Your heart is like a ray of light, it can go as it pleases.

It's moving away from me at 300,000 kilometers per second~

My poor Ye, how heartbroken he must be!

Ming Xiaoxiao was one of only two girls in the class who thought Ye Yunran was pretty good-looking.

That "school heartthrob ranking" is really unreliable.

"Hey, you know Ye 2 has a crush on your cousin, why are you singing 'Change of Heart' here?" Lin Zhihan retorted to her best friend.

"But my cousin likes that playboy Qin Yuting!" Ming Xiaoxiao immediately revealed Ming Goddess's secret.

Lin Zhihan: "Your cousin has absolutely no taste."

"Yes, all the girls in the school have no taste. How did that loser become the school heartthrob? Is he even half as cute as Ye Er?" Ming Xiaoxiao retorted indignantly, hands on her hips.

"Thank you, you guys are so adorable, your whole family is adorable!" Ye Yunran, who couldn't find a seat, somehow wandered to the second row.

Standing between Lin Zhihan and Ming Xiaoxiao, he asked with a miserable expression:

Your cousin likes that playboy Qin Yuting.

Lin Zhihan looked up at the sky

Ming Xiaoxiao decisively refuted the rumor: "I didn't say anything. Don't overthink it. My cousin is such a well-behaved girl, but she's focused on getting into Huainan University."

"Lin Zhihan, you speak!" Even her childhood sweetheart exuded an aura of authority.

"Yes, your goddess likes scumbags, so if you want to save her, you'd better hurry." Lin Zhihan looked at him seriously.

"I want to too, but Ming Anya doesn't even look at me properly. I wonder if calling my brother will change her opinion of me," Ye Yunran said with a bitter face, racking his brains to prove that he was actually very handsome.

Ming Xiaoxiao, with her quick tongue: "Don't..."

Brother Ye's face is so striking, it's confusing even to me. If you don't want my cousin to become your sister-in-law…

Lin Zhihan: ……

Ye Yunran, even angrier: ……

Turned around and left

"Hey, handsome, who are you? What are you doing in our class?"

Having driven away her cousin's unwanted suitors, Ming Xiaoxiao finally discovered that Lin Zhihan's deskmate was a new face.

"Hello, my name is Yan Zheng, I'm a new transfer student." Ling Yan, who had been watching the scene with a smile, nodded slightly to Ming Xiaoxiao.

So handsome~, Lin Zhihan's eyes sparkled.

"Hi, my name is Ming Xiaoxiao. I'm your deskmate's best friend. There are two other members in our group of girlfriends."

"Qin Zixian and Ling Chaoyue parted ways." Ming Kuai quickly revealed the details of his friends and family.

"Ling Chaoyue," Ling Yan softly repeated this familiar name.

"Huh?"

Do you know him?

The little princess of the famous Ling family of the Dark Night Empire~

How about it

Our group of girlfriends is amazing, isn't it?

The young ladies of the four major families (or ministers) of Fancheng gathered together at once.

"Handsome, I'll introduce you sometime."

The overly enthusiastic Ming Xiaoxiao, a illegitimate daughter of the Ming family, actually has the audacity to call herself the eldest daughter of the Ming family.

The eldest daughter of the Ming family is clearly Ming Anya, the school beauty of the international junior high school, who is also Ye Yunran's goddess.

Who does she think she is, the eldest daughter of the Ming family? She's just self-proclaimed.

Lin Zhihan rolled her eyes.

I really wanted to explain to her that the man in front of her was none other than the missing heir of the Ling family.

"The Ling family doesn't have any young ladies," Ling Yan thought to herself with a slight scoff.

My second uncle's family, they really are always bullying others wherever they go.

However, Ling Yan was quite surprised to learn that Ling Chaoyue was actually a member of Lin Zhihan's group of best friends.

The daughters of the Ling family do not need to receive training at the Ling family's secret base.

However, through her upbringing, she became quite different from children from other families.

The key point is that Ling Chaoyue is Ling Yan's cousin and has seen his face before.

Although they had seen each other less often since he was sent to the Ling family base, the younger generation would still attend the family gatherings held several times a year when the old man was still alive.

Although Ling Yan impersonated Yan Zheng, they were still relatives. Given the Ling family's sensitivity and their relationship with Ling Yan and Lin Zhihan, it was inevitable that they would have to deal with her group of close friends in the coming years.

Ling Yan tapped her fingers lightly on the table.

Ling Ling, who was sleeping in the last row, suddenly raised her head.

If you look closely, you'll see they're all wearing the same style of ring necklace.

However, Ling Yan's was silver, while Ling Ling's was black.

This is a smart ring developed by the Ling family's private research institution. In addition to converting speech into text through special body movements, it also has all the functions of a mobile phone, positioning, and monitoring.

Just now, Ling Ling received a message from Ling Yan that Ling Chaoyue was also studying at this international high school.

Ling Ling got up and left the classroom to investigate the matter thoroughly.

Lin Zhihan keenly sensed that ever since Ming Xiaoxiao mentioned Ling Chaoyue, one of their four best friends, the atmosphere around her had become somewhat subdued.

Lin Zhihan took out her phone, opened Ling Yan's chat window, and typed:

"Actually, I don't have a very good relationship with Ling Chaoyue and Qin Zixian. It was Ming Xiaoxiao who dragged them in."

Her purpose was also to gather intelligence on the enemy for her cousin.

After all, her cousin was a little too naive, and the boy she liked was notoriously womanizing.

After receiving the message, Ling Yan smiled at Lin Zhihan.

I sent her a message:

"It doesn't matter."

Lin Zhihan breathed a sigh of relief, but still turned around and said to Ming Xiaoxiao:

"Xiaoxiao, let's not be best friends with those two anymore."

You cannot betray our sacred friendship in order to gather intelligence on the enemy.

That's really unfair.

"Alright, I know, I understand. Who told me to make a sacrifice when I have a little white flower in my family who's deeply in love with someone I don't know? As the protector of the eldest daughter of the Ming family, I naturally have to make some sacrifices." Ming Xiaoxiao crossed her arms, displaying a chivalrous spirit.

"But I'm not familiar with Miss Ming, and she's not anyone to me, so I'll leave the group of four best friends."

I really don't think I need to sacrifice myself for your cousin along with you.

"Who told her to be blind..." Lin Duidui suddenly transformed.

Ming Xiaoxiao: "Wow!"

Lin Zhihan, tell me, have you found someone new and forgotten about me, your old flame? Who exactly is that woman?

Tell me, and I'll tear her apart!

"Not a girl."

"What did you say?!" Ming Xiaoxiao was about to explode.

"I have my own CRUSH now!"

"Lin! Zhi! Han!"

"Ring ring~" The school bell rang just in time.

This prevented a bitter feud between best friends from escalating.