The Mortal World Descends into Chaos

The next morning, the sky was a bit overcast, reportedly due to the outer bands of a typhoon. Binhe City had experienced a temperature drop these past few days.

A light drizzle fell for a while in the early morning. The tall magnolia trees lining the road stood like burly warriors, holding up the sky with their hands. Dewdrops glistened on the tips of their broad, ovate leaves. Amidst the cool air, it was exceptionally fresh.

Jiangnan Teahouse, a two-story building nestled in the pedestrian street at the southeast corner of the higher education park, featured winding corridors and high-peaked eaves. Its antique architectural style was unique on this street.

Those who came to enjoy tea seemed to have a certain leisureliness. Even those who didn't understand tea pretended to be elegant and successful.

Ascending the stairs to the second floor, the melodious sound of the guzheng played, elegant and beautiful. Occasionally, the flute's mournful tune mingled with the sound of the xiao, creating a refined atmosphere that drew exclamations of admiration.

At this moment, Ling Chendong and another young man were enjoying tea and playing chess. "Zhifeng, your teahouse is becoming more and more like something else."

Bai Zhifeng scoffed, "My cafe is a blend of East and West, isn't it profound? Imported luxury, except for the dim lighting and the addition of piano music to feign sophistication, it's just a hollow facade."

Ling Chendong coughed lightly, disagreeing. "You can't put it so harshly. Modern city dwellers live fast-paced lives with a lot of work pressure. Cafes are excellent places to relieve stress and cultivate one's temperament."

Bai Zhifeng shook his head, countering him. "Your place, decorated like a vampire count's ancient castle, can cultivate temperament? I'm afraid anyone who goes there will have nightmares and need a psychologist. Oh, right, your cafe already offers psychological counseling services. Chendong, you've thought of everything."

"And those baskets of forget-me-nots hanging in the air, such beautiful little purple flowers, but in your terrifying environment, they look like severed heads hanging up there, eerie and frightening!"

Ling Chendong took a sip of tea and said wistfully, "I prefer to call them Star Flowers..."

"Whatever you call them, they're terrifying. How can they compare to my Jiangnan Teahouse, which is so warm, pleasant, and antique? If you want to cultivate your temperament, my teahouse is the first choice! Bright, grand, a culmination of Chinese culture. You, a fake foreigner, can never compare to me, the newcomer."

"Alright, I won't argue with you anymore."

"Did you ask me out today for a reason?"

Ling Chendong smiled and nodded. He took a photo out of his jacket pocket. If Su Yuan were here now, she would gasp and stand up, because the person in the photo was her! Dressed cleanly, without any trace of post-processing.

Bai Zhifeng took the photo doubtfully. "Is the person in the photo a man or a woman?"

"A man."

Bai Zhifeng showed a sly smile. "Chendong, it's been half a year since we last met. Have you changed your taste?" He looked at the photo again. "Of course, such a cute boy is indeed very likable."

"Get out, get out, am I that kind of person?" Ling Chendong slammed his purple clay cup onto the table, causing the chess pieces on the board to jump.

"Then why did you show me 'his' photo?" Bai Zhifeng rubbed his nose.

"'He' is in the same dorm as Ji Yehao, Gao Jun, and Yang Xiaowei!"

Bai Zhifeng gasped, then thought hard. He whispered, "How did 'he' get mixed up with those three?"

"Yeah, I'm also very puzzled. I just met this Su Yuan a few days ago and thought he was quite interesting. Later, I found out he lives with those three guys."

"What about 'his' background?"

"Very ordinary, ordinary to the point of being unremarkable. 'His' family is a single-parent family; he only has a mother. His father died in a car accident when he was very young. It's said he has a twin sister who was lost in childhood."

"It's said that his family used to run a stationery factory, but it was acquired by a local company a few years ago. That's the situation for now."

"Very ordinary. That's strange."

Su Yuan had no idea that someone was talking about her behind her back. She was walking towards the dormitory now. The path from the External Relations Department office to the dormitory area crossed a river. Willow catkins were falling along the riverbank, and the long willow branches hung down, swaying in unison when the wind blew.

A group of people had gathered ahead. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a male student confessing his love to a female student. The flowers in his hand were in full bloom, drawing cheers from the surrounding students.

Of course, the female student was a celebrity on campus, so the cheering crowd maintained considerable restraint.

Xiao Yiyan frowned, looking for an opportunity to slip away. This male student had been pursuing her for a long time, and she was very annoyed. This public confession put her in an awkward position.

Don't think that confessing in public is romantic. It requires a certain emotional foundation between both parties. Right now, Xiao Yiyan felt extremely embarrassed. This method of using external pressure to force someone to accept a pursuit was something she had always found unacceptable.

At this moment, Su Yuan, out of curiosity, walked over. She hadn't managed to break her habit of joining in the fun. When she saw Xiao Yiyan's clear, sparkling eyes, she instinctively turned to leave, a gut feeling telling her she shouldn't stay here long.

But it was too late.

"Su Yuan, wait."

A woman's voice called out from behind. She stopped, realizing she couldn't escape this trouble. Su Yuan stiffly turned around and looked at Xiao Yiyan, who was hurrying towards her.

Under the astonished gaze of the crowd, Xiao Yiyan took her arm and leaned close intimately.

Wow, gasps erupted from the surroundings. Su Yuan immediately felt a burning gaze fixed on her. Because of Xiao Yiyan's action, which was usually only seen between boyfriends and girlfriends, and not between people with a casual relationship, anyone who didn't know would think Su Yuan and Xiao Yiyan had "rehearsed" countless times beforehand.

"Am I seeing things? The great goddess Xiao is actually this intimate with a guy. Is he her boyfriend?"

"No way, Xiao Yiyan has a boyfriend? This is huge news!"

The great goddess Xiao was known for her high standards. She was beautiful, and her family background was reportedly excellent. Many high-ranking officials and wealthy individuals who pursued her were rejected with the excuse that she wanted to focus on her studies and didn't want a relationship. Over time, everyone had become accustomed to her cold and aloof personality. Although people continued to confess their love to her in waves, everyone was on the same starting line, and their mentality was quite balanced.

Now, a "boy who captured the goddess's heart" suddenly appeared, disrupting this balance. The huge disparity made everyone extremely curious. What kind of boy could win the favor of the goddess?

To their disappointment, they saw Su Yuan. He wasn't tall, just over 1.6 meters. He didn't have a strong physique or an unyielding will. From his evasive and confused eyes, people could only conclude, "This boy can't be relied upon."

It was hard to understand why the goddess would choose him!

"Lin Jun, I already have someone I like. Please don't bother me anymore," Xiao Yiyan declared without leaving any room for doubt.

Her clear voice still echoed in their ears. Everyone was stunned, seemingly shocked by the news. Then, they turned to watch the boy named Lin Jun, who had confessed to Xiao Yiyan earlier, as if watching a good show.

The greatest hatred between people is not that of killing a father or stealing a wife. Especially being rejected in front of everyone, and the woman he liked actually fancied such a "girly" pretty boy, the sense of failure and frustration was magnified a hundredfold.

"Yiyan, are you kidding me..." Lin Jun's eyes were red. He glared at Su Yuan with hostility.

As the saying goes, Buddhas are gilded, and people are dressed. Most people's eyes are shallow; they only see the appearance, not the substance. Fine, even if a good horse needs a good saddle, but is this pretty boy in front of them a good saddle?

"No, I'm not joking."

"Xiao Yiyan!" Su Yuan couldn't help but exclaim.

"Wait a moment."

Under the gaze of many, Xiao Yiyan turned Su Yuan around, cupped her face, and kissed her.

Lips met, and Su Yuan's mind went blank. Her eyes stared in surprise at the face so close to hers. Xiao Yiyan had actually snatched her first kiss so boldly.

But her skin is really good, and her eyelashes are so long. Also... her lips are soft. Maybe all beautiful women have fresh, soft lips.

"No, now is not the time to think about this!"

Su Yuan suddenly reacted, realizing that this kind of scandalous event would cause huge trouble! She instinctively wanted to distance herself from Xiao Yiyan, but Xiao Yiyan seemed to anticipate her evasion, pulling her closer with force and holding her tighter.

A gasp, or perhaps a cheer, the scene was starting to get out of hand.

Goddess kisses mysterious boyfriend – this news was explosive enough.