First meeting with the male leads

On Pluto Academy's first day of term, Song Jici had just met up with a few friends and was about to head to the academy auditorium with them.

Before they had gone more than a few steps, however, they spotted a crowd gathered by the lake, seemingly watching some commotion.

"What's going on? Is someone fighting?"

They had intended to walk straight past, but Tan Xuguang had always loved a bit of excitement. He eagerly dragged Song Jici, Shen Hui, and Wen Jincheng over to the edge of the crowd to watch the drama.

As they approached, Song Jici looked up and blinked in surprise.

One of the people at the center of the incident was someone he knew.

It was Jiang Nian, the daughter of his mother's best friend, Aunt Jiang. They had played together as children, but he hadn't seen her in years since she went abroad to study.

Before he could greet Jiang Nian, he heard the exchange between the two girls.

Seeing how pitiful Jiang Nian looked, he pressed his lips together in displeasure.

Regardless of whether the other girl had stepped on Jiang Nian deliberately, her remarks disparaging the rich, calling them "vermin who do whatever they want just because their families have money," were enough to offend over half the students at Pluto Academy.

A prestigious academy renowned far and wide, Pluto Academy had been built with funding from several powerful, established families. Its facilities were famous, and its teaching staff ranked among the very best.

Aside from outstanding students admitted on their academic merits, two-thirds of the students were children of City A's rich and powerful. Their parents stood at the top of every industry, possessing not only wealth but widespread fame and influence.

With those few remarks, she had slapped a baseless "spoiled rich kid" label on someone. Her resentment of the wealthy was so obvious that there was no telling how much gossip it would spark.

Just a few days earlier, his mother had told him Jiang Nian would be returning to the country to attend Pluto Academy, and had specifically instructed him to look after her.

He hadn't expected their first meeting in years to involve seeing her limping and crying, then getting pushed into the pool.

The moment Jiang Nian fell into the water, Song Jici hurried through the crowd to rescue her, only to see her sitting motionless in the pool, looking utterly stunned.

Her wet hair clung to her face, making her look pale and fragile. Yet her expression of utter disbelief made her look both pitiable and rather funny.

Suppressing the faint smile tugging at his lips, he was about to step forward and pull her out when a slightly distorted voice reached his ears:

[Wait, **, the water's this shallow? How did the original novel's female lead even manage to need Song Jici to rescue her?!]

Song Jici froze.

The original novel's female lead? Him rescuing her? And what were those two censored words in the middle?

That was clearly Jiang Nian's voice, but she hadn't opened her mouth. She still just sat there looking like a drowned rat.

Where had the voice come from, then? Was he hearing things?

He surveyed the people around him. The other students were all staring in surprise at the two girls by the lake, while only his three friends were studying Jiang Nian thoughtfully.

Meeting Wen Jincheng's eyes, he pointed to his own ear, and Wen Jincheng calmly nodded.

So he wasn't hearing things.

He pressed his lips together and walked toward Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian was still marveling at how shallow the lake was when she saw a boy walk out of the crowd toward her.

Tiny flecks of sunlight shimmered in his short black hair. A breeze brushed his bangs aside, revealing his forehead and making his dark eyes seem even brighter as he stared straight at her.

Her gaze swept over his face and lingered on the beauty mark by the corner of his eye. Before she knew it, he was standing in front of her, holding out a hand.

"Nian, let me help you up."

[So this is Song Jici. He's pretty handsome. As expected of the male lead, he comes with a powerful aura right from his entrance. Such swagger.]

Song Jici's outstretched hand paused, and he glanced at Jiang Nian's tightly closed lips.

Sure enough, these had to be her... thoughts?

Jiang Nian looked at the hand held out before her, then glanced at Fu Zhenzhen, whose eyes were blazing with anger.

[System, do you think Fu Zhenzhen will assassinate me tonight if I take his hand?]

[That's not entirely impossible, Host.]

The corner of her mouth twitched, but she took Song Jici's hand anyway.

"Long time no see, Jici."

With his help, Jiang Nian rose from the pool. Water dripped sporadically from the hem of her skirt, and she was a complete mess. A breeze swept over her, sending a shiver across her skin.

Seeing this, Song Jici took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

"Long time no see. How's your foot? Did you twist your ankle just now?"

Faced with the male lead's concern, Jiang Nian shook her head to indicate she was fine, while inwardly marveling:

[As expected of the male lead, gentle and attentive. Too bad he met the female lead as a child only to be forced apart from her. He finally gets to see her again, but ends up being the biggest fish in her pond of admirers.]

[Wait, he's also the one who'll personally send me to prison for her in the future! Damn it, I take back what I said about him being gentle.]

"Pfft!"

Tan Xuguang burst out laughing at the front of the crowd. Looking at the stiffened Song Jici, Shen Hui and Wen Jincheng also struggled to hide their amusement.

As Song Jici's closest friends, all three knew he had an unforgettable childhood sweetheart.

After Song Jici had been kidnapped, that girl had stayed attentively by his side through those anxious days. She held the tenderest place in his heart.

But according to what Jiang Nian had revealed, that girl was the so-called female lead. In the future, Song Jici, as the male lead, would not only become a little fish in that player's pond, but would even send Jiang Nian to prison for her?

Besides having thoughts they could hear, could Jiang Nian also... predict the future?

No.

Even if she could predict the future, she shouldn't be calling them male and female leads.

The three exchanged glances, then walked toward Jiang Nian together.

"Hello. You must be Uncle Jiang's daughter, Jiang Nian, whom Jici mentioned. I'm his friend, Wen Jincheng."

The boy had neat, short hair and wore semi-rimless glasses. His eyes were bright and deep, as though they could easily see through anyone's thoughts.

With a faint smile and his arms folded, he stood quietly beside Song Jici, the very picture of gentle refinement.

This was Wen Jincheng, the young master of the Wen family.

[So this is Wen Jincheng, the devoted second male lead?]

Jiang Nian nodded politely and greeted Wen Jincheng, inwardly lamenting his fate.

[Too bad he'll give up an important competition opportunity for the female lead. Not only will he sacrifice his own future, but he'll later almost bring his company to ruin, all without earning so much as a glance from her.]

This time, it was Wen Jincheng who went rigid.

That was his future? Not only was he the second male lead, but he would nearly destroy his company over a woman?

How could he possibly become that stupid?

Beside him, Tan Xuguang sensed Wen Jincheng's tension and quietly swallowed. Suddenly, he had a very bad feeling.

"I'm Jici's friend too. My name's Tan Xuguang. Since you call him your big brother, you can call me Xuguang. If anything happens, I've got your back."

Standing tall and straight, Tan Xuguang tilted his head as he spoke, revealing a slightly pointed canine tooth on one side. His smile was adorable, like a big, warm puppy.

"Um... hi, Xuguang."

Looking at the effortlessly friendly Tan Xuguang, Jiang Nian returned his smile with a sweet one of her own.

[The third male lead is so cute. Too bad the female lead will drive a wedge between him and his older brother, Tan Zhuishi. He'll even cause his brother to die saving him, and end up abandoned by everyone.]

Tan Xuguang let out a piercing internal shriek: What?! My brother dies? My whole, fully grown brother just dies?!

One more person had a breakdown.

Listening to thought after thought, Shen Hui watched his friends fall one by one. Although their expressions seemed unchanged, there was no telling what turmoil was raging inside them.

Under his three friends' death glares and Jiang Nian's curious gaze, his voice began to tremble.

"I'm... uh... want to guess?"

Everyone: ...