Oh no! I've only been a freshman and I've already been targeted by a mean upperclassman.

The night was as still as water, and a chill crept in through my collar.

Yan Xi stood in the shadows of the girls' dormitory building, like an exquisite sculpture.

Through that cold, glass-like automatic door, her gaze was fixed on the gradually blurring figure in the distance.

Only after that tall figure was completely swallowed by darkness did she slowly blink her dry eyes.

The palm of my left hand was frighteningly hot.

The warmth of Li Chen's palm still seemed to linger there, the rough calluses brushing against the skin, the domineering yet irresistible force.

"call……"

Yan Xi let out a long breath, raised her hand, and placed that burning hot palm on her slightly cool cheek.

My heart pounded against my ribs in my chest, once, twice, deafeningly loud.

Even when negotiating projects worth tens of millions, or when she stood up against the majority in the student council, she had never lost her composure like this.

Girls were passing by, whispering among themselves.

"Isn't that Senior Yan Xi?"

"The aura is so strong, it feels like the air around us is frozen..."

Yan Xi ignored him.

At this moment, her world consisted only of that figure from behind.

That silhouette overlapped perfectly with the stubborn figure holding a little yellow duck umbrella in the pouring rain deep in my memory.

That was ten years ago.

On another autumn night, the rain was so heavy it seemed to threaten to flood the entire city of Linjiang.

Eight-year-old Yan Xi, dressed in an expensive haute couture princess dress and exquisite lambskin shoes, looked like a drowned rat, huddled under a musty-smelling bridge.

She escaped from that hypocritical, noisy, and sycophantic business dinner, only to find herself lost in this unfamiliar neighborhood.

cold.

hungry.

Fear came crashing down like a tidal wave.

The Yan family's upbringing taught her not to cry, as that was a sign of weakness.

But when she heard the cries of wild cats in the darkness, the eight-year-old girl finally broke down.

"Waaah..."

The cries echoed in the empty bridge arch, mournful and helpless.

"Feed".

A childish but somewhat stiff voice suddenly rang out.

Yan Xi suddenly looked up, and through her teary eyes, she saw a little boy.

He was holding a ridiculous yellow duck umbrella, wearing faded tracksuits with mud splattered on his knees.

But his eyes were incredibly bright.

Like two small knives, they instantly pierced through the gloom of the rain curtain.

"Stop crying, you look awful."

The little boy frowned, his words expressing disdain, but his actions betrayed his true feelings.

He folded his umbrella, crawled into the dirty, smelly underpass, and squatted down in front of her.

"I...I can't find my way home."

Yan Xi sobbed, her body trembling uncontrollably.

The little boy didn't say anything, but just stared at her blistered feet for a while.

Then, he rummaged through his empty pockets for a long time.

He pulled out a flattened red bean bread and a crumpled, warm ten-yuan note.

"Give."

He shoved everything into Yan Xi's hands, his tone curt: "This is all I have. Take it or leave it."

Yan Xi was stunned.

The bread in her hand still carried the warmth of the little boy's body; it was the warmest temperature she had ever felt in her life.

"Take it!"

Seeing her in a daze, the little boy impatiently stuffed the money into her hand, "You're full now, take this money to make a phone call or take a taxi."

"How can someone so big still get lost? How stupid."

Yan Xi's eyes welled up, and tears involuntarily streamed down her face again.

"Thanks……"

"Alright, stop crying."

The little boy stood up, reopened the little duck umbrella, and sighed like a little adult, "My grandpa said that men have to protect women, even though you look like a lot of trouble."

"Okay, goodbye."

After saying that, he turned and rushed into the rain.

"Why!"

Yan Xi panicked, grabbed the bread, and chased after him to the bridge archway. "What's your name?"

In the rain, the little boy turned around.

A radiant smile bloomed on that dirty little face, revealing a set of bright white teeth.

"Li Chen!"

He shouted, his voice piercing through the rain and striking Yan Xi's heart clearly.

"The 'Li' in 'powerful,' and the 'Chen' in 'starry sky'! Remember that!"

The small figure ran very fast and disappeared at the end of the street in the blink of an eye.

Only eight-year-old Yan Xi remained, clutching the ten-yuan note tightly, standing at the entrance of the bridge.

That was the first time she realized that in this cold world, there was a kind of warmth that didn't require any exchange of benefits.

……

"Yan Xi? Yan Xi!"

A mocking voice pierced the bubble of memories like a needle.

Yan Xi snapped back to her senses, her eyes instantly regaining their usual cold and sharp expression.

Leng Qingge was standing in front of her, a mischievous grin on her face: "What are you thinking about? You've lost your mind? I saw it all clearly from the balcony just now. Someone came back holding hands, as obedient as a little kitten."

Yan Xi ignored her teasing and simply glanced at her indifferently.

"Send last month's report to my email before 8 a.m. tomorrow."

"ah?!"

Leng Qingge's smile froze on her face instantly, followed by a bloodcurdling scream: "No way, Chairman! It's after get off work hours! This is revenge! Blatant personal vendetta!"

"Also," Yan Xi straightened her collar, her tone as calm as if she were discussing the weather, "don't peep on the balcony too often, or you'll get a sty."

After saying that, she strode away and headed straight for the elevator, leaving Leng Qingge standing there, bewildered in the wind.

The elevator doors slowly closed.

Yan Xi's stunning face was reflected on the metal wall.

She looked at herself in the mirror, and the corners of her mouth slowly curled up, revealing a confident smile.

That crumpled ten-yuan note is still tucked away in the deepest part of her bookshelf, inside her copy of "The Little Prince".

That was her lucky charm.

It was also her... indenture.

At the opening ceremony, she recognized those eyes at a glance among thousands of new students.

At that moment, she knew that her prey had fallen into the trap.

"Li Chen..."

Yan Xi murmured the name, her fingers gently caressing the spot where he had just held her hand, her eyes flashing with a heart-stopping possessiveness.

You saved me ten years ago.

Ten years from now, I'll give you back the principal and interest. That's not too much to ask, is it?

The elevator stopped on the fifth floor with a "ding".

Yan Xi stepped out of the elevator, her high heels clicking crisply on the marble floor.

I've got you.

My little benefactor.