Everyone loved He Li'an

"Do you know me?"

This was the two hundred and fiftieth person Yu An had stopped.

He looked at them, his face full of hope.

But they merely glanced at him, as dismissively as they would at the flowers by the roadside. "No."

The same answer as the previous two hundred and forty-nine people.

Yu An was disappointed.

Not one of all those people knew him, which meant he definitely wasn't part of the main cast.

Besides...

He lowered his head to look at the name badge on his uniform, where the lettering was blurred.

He didn't even have a name.

So he was probably just an insignificant extra.

Yu An felt deeply humiliated.

Yu An was furious.

If I'd known, I would've just stayed dead out there.

But that's okay.

There's still time to die now.

Enlightenment struck Yu An, and he strode toward the school gates.

If he had to speak of experience with dying, he'd only done it once.

The internet said adults needed to leave home and venture out into the world.

So, after celebrating his eighteenth birthday at home yesterday, he had left the house first thing this morning.

He hailed a taxi without having decided where to go, and the driver suggested downtown, where young people gathered.

Yu An thought the driver was very nice. He hadn't even minded him playing an audiobook aloud, though he'd been forced to listen to some of the plot.

"Do you really love me? He Li'an is the only one in your heart, isn't he? Too bad he died young. You and he will never have a chance in this lifetime!"

"We graduated years ago. Do you have to drag up the past and bring up Senior He every time we argue?"

"Can you honestly say you never liked He Li'an?"

"...So what if I liked him back then? That's all in the past. Besides, who at St. Phelien Noble Academy didn't like Senior He?"

"That's right, everyone loves He Li'an. Then what am I, Sheng Xize, to you?"

"Senior He was noble and elegant, kind and generous. How could you possibly compare..."

The protagonists kept arguing about this person named "He Li'an," talking at cross-purposes without any logic or point.

Listening to them made Yu An's head buzz.

Then the car was struck violently.

His body flew out of the car, beyond his control.

When Yu An regained consciousness, he was standing at the gates of St. Phelien Noble Academy.

He soon realized he'd transmigrated into the novel the driver had been listening to.

But none of that mattered anymore. There was no point dwelling on it.

Going by experience, he just needed to walk into the middle of the road and get hit by a car.

There were lots of people at the school gates.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! He's almost here!"

"Check for me-is my hair okay?"

"..."

He had no idea what was coming.

Everyone seemed very excited.

Yu An was in a hurry to die, so he didn't care.

But the next second, the crowd surged, and someone knocked into Yu An, spinning him around on the spot.

Before he could steady himself, someone else slammed into him.

Yu An fell onto his backside, and several people stepped on him.

"Aaaah, Senior He!!!"

The crowd shrieked and swarmed in the same direction, without a single person apologizing to him.

Not one person spared him another glance.

I'm so mad.

Now I want to die even more.

He didn't want to spend another second in this shitty novel full of rude, ill-mannered people.

I'm going! To die! Right now! This instant!

"Hss-" The moment Yu An moved, a sharp pain shot through his ankle.

As he sank back down, an ear-splitting scream came from up ahead:

"He Li'an! I love you!!!"

He Li'an.

That name sounded so familiar.

Yu An remembered. Those two protagonists had mentioned He Li'an over and over during their argument.

But wasn't He Li'an dead?

His surroundings suddenly fell quiet.

Yu An looked up in confusion and saw a tall, straight-backed figure approaching, backlit by the sun.

Facing the light, Yu An couldn't make out his face, only the outline of his body: broad shoulders, a waist that tapered sharply inward, and long legs. The same uniform looked tailor-made on him, graceful and elegant, with an air of innate nobility.

"Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

The young man's clear, gentle voice sounded above him as he bent his tall frame into a crouch.

Yu An read his name badge: He Li'an.

He suddenly understood. This was the prequel to that novel, during the protagonists' school days.

The He Li'an whom everyone loved, according to the protagonists, was still alive, right here before him.

That realization sent Yu An's heart pounding like a drum.

He slowly raised his eyes and was instantly captivated by He Li'an's impeccably sculpted face.

No wonder everyone loves He Li'an.

Someone this good-looking must be civilized and polite.

Yu An decided he didn't absolutely have to die today.

Living a little longer would be fine too.

He stared, a little dazed, without speaking for a long time. Concern entered He Li'an's eyes. "You..."

"I'm hurt! I'm really hurt!" Yu An answered eagerly, pointing at his ankle. "It hurts."

He Li'an reached out and lightly brushed and pressed the slender, fragile ankle a few times, watching Yu An's reactions.

The boy's clean-cut, delicate face was a little too pale, giving him a sickly look, and his lips were pale too. His eyes were as innocent and bright as a newborn puppy's, and he looked so docile it was almost pitiful.

He Li'an's touch unconsciously grew even gentler. "It looks like a sprain. Can I take you to the infirmary?"

He was being gentle, so it shouldn't have hurt much, but he still noticed the tiny movement as Yu An pressed his lips together.

Yu An nodded eagerly. "Yes!"

He Li'an really is civilized and polite!

Yu An took the initiative and grabbed He Li'an's hand. He Li'an froze for a moment before realizing Yu An wanted help getting up, and immediately moved carefully to support him.

The fingers in his hand were thin too, as though he were holding a handful of bones.

"Ow, ow, ow-" Yu An had barely steadied himself when an excruciating pain pierced his ankle.

Just as he was about to fall again, an arm tightened around his waist, and he was scooped up into a bridal carry.

Yu An had never been carried before. A little nervous, he reflexively wrapped his arms tightly around He Li'an's neck.

He Li'an reassured him gently. "Don't worry. I won't let you fall."

He discreetly gauged Yu An's weight in his arms.

Very thin, and very light.

He was probably a picky kid who didn't eat properly.

The other students' eyes nearly popped out of their heads, but He Li'an was a highly respected senior at school, and no one dared say anything.

Reassured, Yu An relaxed, his bright eyes curving into a smile. "Thank you, He Li'an."

He Li'an corrected him solemnly. "Call me Senior."

Yu An said, "Senior He."

Seeing how obedient he was, He Li'an's lips curved slightly. "You're in the high school division, right? What brought you over here?"

"I'm not in the high school division!"

The high school division sounds like it's for kids. I'm already an adult!

A little surprised, He Li'an lowered his head to study his face and asked uncertainly, "Are you a college freshman?"

Yu An nodded without hesitation. "Yes."

Being an extra wasn't so bad. He could make up his entire identity on the spot.