Chapter 1 — Journey of Love

My brother was a bleach-blonde slacker who treated academics like a distant acquaintance. That evening, I texted him: "Brother, would you like to have dinner together tonight?" With a voice dripping in haughty teenage arrogance, he replied with a thoroughly baffling line: "Which... which sister are you anyway?" What on earth? Exactly how many sisters did he have?

1

My brother and I were fraternal twins. When I was seven years old, our parents separated, their relationship eroding to the point where they eventually cut all ties entirely. My mother took me with her, while the custody of my brother went to our father. Ten years later, my mother had built a successful career, and because I passed the entrance examinations with high marks, my household registration was transferred back to our hometown so I could attend senior high school there. Mother had always missed my brother—the child she had not seen in a decade. After making countless inquiries everywhere, she finally managed to get in touch with him. She also gave me his contact information, hoping that the two of us could rekindle our sibling bond.

Knowing that my brother was attending the same high school as me, I eagerly sent him a WeChat friend request. To my surprise, the message I sent in the morning wasn't accepted until late afternoon. The moment the request went through, I sent my very first text: "Brother, would you like to have dinner together tonight?" Even though we were biological siblings, more than ten years of separation meant that our affection needed to be rebuilt slowly. When we were little, our relationship had been exceptionally close. On the day Mother took me away, all three of us cried until our eyes were swollen shut. He had even said with utmost seriousness that he would earn money in the future to support me, begging our parents not to tear us apart. As the years drifted by, I had no idea what kind of person he had become. When we were children, we looked quite alike.

The chat window popped open with a reply from him—a voice message. I tapped to play it, and a masculine voice dripping with haughty arrogance echoed from the speaker: "Which... which sister are you anyway?"

What on earth? Did my father somehow manage to father a bunch of other daughters over the years? Before I could even reply, the person on the other end sent a location pin, followed by another voice message: "If you want to invite me out to eat, come find me here."

I glanced at the location; it was very close to the school. We simply hadn't seen each other in ten years, but just hearing Lu Tingchu's voice left me somewhat dazed. It felt terribly distant, and his personality seemed to have undergone a complete transformation.

I followed the location pin he had sent. Right at the end of the school day, the surroundings grew increasingly deserted. As I reached a street corner, two male students wearing the same uniform as mine brushed past me. The pair were talking and laughing cheerfully.

"Lu-ge went to intercept Tong Mingxuan! That guy only knows how to study, so when Lu-ge's little sister confessed her feelings to him, he put on such an arrogant face that our school belle ended up crying like a torrential rainstorm. Lu-ge said he's going to get justice for her."

"Tong Mingxuan doesn't even like Su Qiyue. Just how astronomically high must his standards be to turn her down?"

"Who knows? In the eyes of these top students, there's only room for studying. The school belle truly picked the wrong person, always falling for bookworms like that. Our Lu-ge is so wonderful, yet when his confession failed, he even took her in as a sworn younger sister and brings her gifts every single day. If I were a girl, I would have fallen for him instantly."

"Ha ha ha, keep dreaming in broad daylight..."

Having accidentally overheard a mountain of juicy gossip, the corners of my twitching mouth tightened. What kind of sworn brother was this? He was practically nothing more than a loyal guard dog!

I continued walking forward while lowering my head to text my brother: "Brother, I'm almost there. Where are you?"

Suddenly, a voice rang out beside my ear: "Tong Mingxuan, I'll head out first. You should head home early too."

I had heard this name just a few minutes ago, leaving me with a slight impression. Instinctively, I raised my head to look. At the intersection, the male student who had just said his goodbyes pedaled away on his bicycle, leaving behind only a figure with a single-strap backpack, also wearing our school uniform, strolling leisurely forward. Judging by his direction, he was heading the exact same way as me.

He wore a slightly parted fringe, sharp facial features, and his uniform was neat and clean. His entire appearance seemed to radiate an aura that walled him off from everything around him. At first glance, he was exceptionally eye-catching. Ah, so he was merely a bit better at studying, was he? Surely the school belle didn't like him solely because of his academic prowess, right?

2

I admit that human beings are purely visual creatures. The moment I caught a clear glimpse of that fellow student's face, the scales in my heart tipped instantly. Standing idly by and watching a handsome youth about to be intercepted by a gang of unverified campus delinquents was simply not something I could do with folded arms. After a few moments of hesitation, I quickened my pace to catch up with the person walking ahead.

"Classmate Tong," I called out.

The other party also came to a halt, turning his head to look at me. His gaze carried no particular emotion; realizing that he genuinely did not recognize me, he patiently waited for me to continue.

"I just heard that someone is planning to intercept you. Perhaps you should take a different route?" I offered genuinely.

However, Tong Mingxuan merely looked at me for a few seconds before speaking up abruptly: "Thank you, but I'm afraid your warning comes a bit too late."

He glanced toward a specific direction, and I instinctively followed his gaze. Not far away on the opposite side of the street stood an internet cafe. A few people were already waiting by the entrance; some wore school uniforms, while others did not. Right in the center of them stood someone wearing the exact same uniform as us... with dyed blonde hair.

That head of blonde hair was glaringly dazzling, and to top it off, he wore an earring, with silver chains wrapped around both his neck and wrists, giving off the unmistakable vibe of a street thug. The moment my eyes brushed against his face, I froze in my tracks.

Twins often share an indescribable, uncanny intuition. Regardless of anything else, the instant I looked at him, I practically recognized him at once.

Damn it all. Ten years apart, and my brother had turned into a blonde delinquent.

The blonde delinquent opened his mouth and sneered, "Tong Mingxuan, didn't you say that high school students should focus on studying and not date early? Just who is this female classmate standing right beside you?"

"It seems model students are only ever good for empty talk."