Chapter 3

When the Wolf Entered the Classroom

Gu Yichen’s arrival did not come with noise.

No loud introductions.

No careless smiles.

He entered Shenghua Private Academy like winter — silent, sharp, and unavoidable.

The homeroom teacher cleared her throat. “Class, we have a transfer student joining us today. Gu Yichen. Please take the empty seat near the window.”

Every head turned.

Tall. Broad-shouldered. Eyes dark and unreadable.

He wore his uniform neatly, but not rigidly — as if rules bent slightly around him. His gaze swept the classroom once, not curious, not impressed.

Then it stopped.

On Lin Xueyi.

Only for a second.

But it was enough.

A Quiet Interest

Lin Xueyan felt it — that subtle pause, that moment of assessment.

She did not look back immediately.

She never rushed.

Instead, she continued writing, her pen moving smoothly, until she was certain he was still looking.

Then she lifted her eyes.

Their gazes met.

Gu Yichen did not look away.

Most people did when confronted.

She didn’t.

Something unspoken passed between them — not attraction yet, but recognition.

Predator to predator.

Xueyi’s Heart

Xueyi noticed everything.

She always did.

At lunch, she watched Gu Yichen sit alone under the gingko tree, flipping through a book he clearly wasn’t reading.

She hesitated.

Then gathered her courage.

“Gu Yichen,” she said softly, stopping in front of him. “You’re new. If you need help adjusting, I can—”

He looked up.

Polite. Distant.

“Thank you. I don’t.”

That was all.

No insult.

No invitation.

But her heart still fluttered.

For the first time, someone hadn’t tried to please her.

She began to watch him more.

The way he solved problems faster than teachers expected.

The way he avoided gossip.

The way he never smiled — except once.

That once was not for her.

It was for Xueyan.

The First Spark

It began with something small.

A pencil.

During a surprise mathematics test, Xueyi’s mechanical pencil broke. She searched her bag quietly — nothing.

Without looking at her, Gu Yichen slid his spare pen across the desk.

“Return it later,” he said.

His voice was low. Indifferent.

But he had noticed.

No one ever noticed her.

She finished the test with steady hands, but her heart had shifted slightly.

That afternoon, she watched him from the library shelves — how he read with quiet focus, how he frowned slightly when thinking.

For the first time in her life, she didn’t want something because it belonged to Xueyan.

She wanted something for herself.

And that frightened her.

Xueyan Realizes

Xueyan always understood her sister better than anyone thought.

She noticed the way Xueyi lingered after class.

The way her eyes followed Gu Yichen when he wasn’t looking.

The way she softened — barely, almost invisibly — around him.

It was the first time Xueyan had seen her sister look human instead of sharp.

And for a brief, rare moment…

She felt sympathy.

Until something unfamiliar stirred inside her own chest.

Because she had begun noticing him too.

His quiet strength.

His refusal to flatter.

His indifference to status.

He never treated her like the “legitimate daughter.”

He treated her like a person.

And that made her heart tremble.

A Choice

One afternoon, Xueyan made a decision.

If Xueyi liked him…

She would step back.

But that night, Madam Chen spoke casually while brushing her daughter’s hair.

“You must learn to choose wisely,” she said. “In this world, whoever hesitates loses.”

“I don’t want to compete,” Xueyan murmured.

Madam Chen’s tone sharpened slightly. “Do you think she would hesitate for you?”

Silence.

“She’s been trying to take your place since childhood,” her mother continued. “Even your discarded things aren’t enough for her.”

That sentence lingered.

Even your discarded things aren’t enough.

Was Gu Yichen going to become another thing Xueyi tried to take?

For the first time, Xueyan did not feel pity.

She felt threatened.

Becoming His Friend

The next day, Xueyan approached him in the courtyard.

“You’re reading Dostoevsky?” she asked gently.

He glanced up. “You’ve read it?”

“Yes.”

That surprised him.

They talked.

Not flirtatiously.

Not intensely.

Just… naturally.

She laughed softly at something he said.

He found himself replying.

Days turned into weeks.

They studied together.

Shared tea after school.

Walked toward the bus stop in quiet companionship.

And slowly — without drama, without calculation — affection formed.

He began waiting for her.

She began smiling more.

It was simple.

It was real.

And Xueyi watched it all.

The Poison Returns

Xueyi visited her mother that weekend.

Mei Lan noticed immediately.

“You look unhappy.”

“I’m not,” Xueyi replied quickly.

Mei Lan smiled thinly. “Who is he?”

Silence betrayed her.

“Ah,” Mei Lan said softly. “So it’s a boy.”

“He doesn’t belong to her,” Xueyi whispered suddenly.

“Then why are you letting her have him?”

Xueyi’s eyes darkened. “He doesn’t even know I—”

“Then make him know,” Mei Lan interrupted sharply. “Or do you plan to watch her take this too?”

Those words burned deeper than they should have.

Watch her take this too.

By the time Xueyi returned to the Lin mansion, something inside her had hardened.

The Shift

She changed tactics.

No longer obvious.

No longer staring.

She became gentle.

Helpful.

Smiling sweetly at Gu Yichen.

Bringing extra notes “for both of you.”

Standing slightly too close.

Laughing softly when he spoke.

Xueyan noticed.

Of course she noticed.

But she forced herself to stay calm.

Until the first lie appeared.

The Lies

A bracelet went missing from Xueyan’s locker.

Later, it was “found” inside Xueyi’s bag.

Whispers spread.

Xueyi cried.

“I don’t know how it got there,” she said, voice trembling.

Gu Yichen frowned. “Xueyan, are you sure?”

Xueyan stared in disbelief. “You think I would frame her?”

“I’m not saying that.”

“But you’re doubting me.”

That hurt more than anything.

Over the next weeks, similar incidents occurred.

Rumors spread that Xueyan bullied Xueyi privately.

That she mocked her mother.

That she was jealous.

The narrative slowly shifted.

And Xueyi never defended herself too aggressively.

She simply endured.

Softly.

Perfectly.

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