Ever since that fateful handshake, Guo Chouyan had practically made Guo Chouzhou's classroom her second home.
She claimed she was there to "see her brother," but everyone knew the truth — she was waiting for Mo Lü.
Wherever he appeared, she followed.
Like a shadow that refused to fade.
It wasn't long before Mo Lü realized he spent more time with Chouyan than with her quiet, withdrawn brother.
She was fearless — blunt, beautiful, and utterly unashamed of the affection she showered him with.
Though she hated that her pursuit hadn't won his heart, she kept her word and told him everything — stories, secrets, and even the ugly truths about her brother.
And through her words, Mo Lü pieced together the tragic, twisted tale behind the Guo siblings.
They were both orphans, abandoned by a mother who burned through life like a dying star.
A woman addicted to the night — to the thrill of strangers, to men of every race and face.
Guo Chouzhou was born from one fleeting encounter with a foreigner.
Months later, another man — another stranger — and then came Guo Chouyan.
Their fathers were ghosts. No one knew if they were Russian, German, or something else entirely.
When illness finally claimed their mother, she left behind nothing but her sins — and two children too young to understand what "goodbye" meant.
No one wanted to adopt the odd, mixed-blood pair.
Their beauty set them apart — and made them untouchable.
So they grew up watching the world turn cold around them.
Chouyan became wild — proud, untamed, always chasing what she wanted.
Chouzhou became silent — emotionless, buried deep in thought.
His only memory of their mother was her drunken laughter echoing through nights filled with strangers.
The green umbrella he carried was all he kept of her — a symbol, he said, to remind himself:
"Even blood lies. People aren't worth believing in."
Two siblings. Two hearts scarred the same way.
Both angry at a world that never once embraced them.
------------------------------------------------------
That night, the bar pulsed with music.
Mo Lü stood center stage, his voice slicing through the noise — raw, powerful, captivating.
"A fault in time, we pass like strangers.
I watch your face, frozen in forever.
Love's not about holding on,
Together, we're not even happy.
Maybe… this is how it ends."
The crowd erupted as the final beat hit.
The cross-shaped earring dangling from his ear caught the light — sharp, silver, dangerous.
He bowed, hair falling across his eyes, drenched in sweat and glory.
Backstage, Guo Chouyan rushed forward, towel in hand.
"Here, let me," she said sweetly, reaching for him.
Mo Lü stepped back, exasperated.
"You again? Seriously? I come here early to avoid you, and somehow you still show up. What are you, my shadow?"
She smirked.
"I come where you are. Until you say yes."
"Yes… to what, exactly?" he asked, taking the towel himself.
"Yes to dating me," she said without blinking.
He nearly choked. "Oh come on, give me a break. I only said I wanted to know your brother better — I didn't say I was signing up to sacrifice myself!"
Mo Lü was used to being in control, used to brushing people off with a smirk.
But this girl? Half fire, half storm — she didn't play by his rules.
He couldn't escape her.
And deep down, he wasn't sure he wanted to.
"Fine," she said suddenly, stepping closer. "If you won't date me, then join the Student Council. I need a new Minister of Arts."
He blinked. "You what? I'm not into that kind of thing."
"You're the school's second-ranked heartthrob," she said matter-of-factly. "You sing like a dream, look like sin, and have the charisma everyone else pretends to. You're perfect. But if you don't want the position…"
Her lips curved into a daring smile.
"Then be my boyfriend instead."
Mo Lü froze. Her gaze didn't waver — burning, certain, merciless.
He sighed in defeat. "...Fine. I'll take the job."
Guo Chouyan's smile deepened — victory gleaming in her eyes.
"Good boy."
And that was how it began —
The moment he stepped into her world,
There was no escaping her sight ever again.