Chapter 1: Three Rules

As Xu Zhou sat on the ferry to Saint Leste, only one thing filled his mind: three rules.

Don’t use the front door.

Don’t look at the male lead.

Don’t talk to Gu Yanli.

This was the second hour since he’d transmigrated into the book “Crown of Saint Leste,” and these were the three self-imposed rules for staying alive as a cannon fodder.

In the original story, he was a cannon-fodder scholarship student with nothing but a pretty face and an empty head.

Because he desperately threw himself at the male lead, Gu Yanli, he ended up being toyed with by the noble young masters, forced to drop out, and eventually threw himself into the sea.

Xu Zhou took a deep breath. The sea breeze carried a strong smell of gasoline that made his temples throb.

He just wanted to graduate in peace, get a diploma, and go back to China to find a nine-to-five job. He didn’t want to experience the pain of dying from overwork in his previous life again.

Twenty minutes later, the Rose Hall of Saint Leste, which looked like a vampire castle, stood tall in front of him.

Xu Zhou checked his watch. It was 9:10.

Great. The ceremony had already started ten minutes ago. The male lead, Bai Qi, should be on stage right now, giving his heartfelt speech as the scholarship student representative.

According to plan, Xu Zhou would slip around to the small side door behind the hall, sneak in unnoticed, and hide in a dead corner in the last row.

But when he stood in front of the side door, holding the rusty iron lock, he fell silent.

The lock was locked. On top of it, there was even a brand-new pink notice: [Due to fire inspection, the side door is temporarily closed. Please use the main entrance.]

Xu Zhou: “…”

He let out a resigned sigh and reached up to tidy his hair that the sea breeze had messed up.

Xu Zhou took a deep breath, hugged his folder, and walked toward the main entrance of the hall.

Inside the Rose Hall at that moment, the air conditioning was turned up high.

On the stage, Bai Qi was reading the last sentence of his speech: “…At Saint Leste, I hope we can use knowledge to bridge the gap between classes.”

It was noble, correct, and perfectly fitting for his resilient little white flower persona.

The applause from the audience was sparse. The noble ladies and gentlemen played with their phones, wearing looks of pity and contempt.

In the midst of the scattered applause, the heavy red oak main door was pushed open from the outside, revealing a crack.

The brightest sunlight of nine in the morning found an outlet and burst through the gap, casting a long, glaring white shadow on the floor.

Xu Zhou had planned to slip in sideways like a gecko, but the door was too heavy, and the hinges let out a dull creak.

In the vast, silent hall, that sound was no different from a thunderclap on a clear day.

On stage, Bai Qi, who was about to bow and exit, paused mid-motion and instinctively looked over.

In the first row, Gu Yanli, who had been pressing his temple, frowned impatiently and turned his head at the noise.

Xu Zhou stood at the door holding his folder, facing the blinding light.

Because he had sprinted all the way, the top two buttons of his school uniform shirt had come loose, revealing a broad expanse of delicate, pale collarbone, so white it was dazzling under the golden sun.

He was slightly out of breath, and his fine black hair clung messily to his forehead, making his face look even smaller and more refined.

His beautiful peach-blossom eyes were damp from running, and the red at the corners was startlingly deep, like a stroke of delicately applied rouge.

He stood in the light, beautiful like a spirit who had accidentally strayed into the mortal world, carrying a stunning visual impact.

The hall fell into a strange silence for a full three seconds.

It was an absolute silence where even breathing disappeared.

“Sorry,” Xu Zhou raised a hand and pressed the back of his hand to his slightly hot cheek. His voice was a little hoarse, carrying a hint of sexiness. “The security guard pointed me the wrong way. I’m late.”

His voice wasn’t loud, lazy and casual, but it was like a feather, scratching people’s hearts in the silent hall.

Bai Qi’s face on stage suddenly stiffened. The applause that should have been his curtain call was, in that instant, completely stolen by this abrupt, dazzling face.

The dean at the registration desk pushed up her glasses. She looked at the name on the computer, then at the boy standing nearby. Her usually stern voice involuntarily lowered, as if afraid of breaking something.

“Xu… Xu Zhou, right? Come over and register.”

Xu Zhou kept his head down as he walked over, his eyes straight ahead, absolutely not looking toward Gu Yanli in the first row.

The dean took his materials, typed a few keys, and then suddenly raised an eyebrow. She muttered, “…Comprehensive assessment third? Scholarship students are this strong this year?”

Even though she muttered, the microphone on the stage was still on, and her voice carried clearly through the hall.

The tight silence broke instantly, and the noble students stirred with low murmurs.

“With that face… you’re calling him a scholarship student?”

“Third in comprehensive assessment? Is that face even real?”

Xu Zhou sighed inwardly, annoyed by the staring. The red at the corners of his eyes deepened. He leaned lazily against the registration desk.

“Teacher, can I go sit in the back? My legs are sore.”

The dean was taken aback by his coquettish but arrogant tone, and her voice softened. “Go, go. There are empty seats in the back.”

Xu Zhou felt like he’d been pardoned. He hugged his folder tightly and turned to leave.

“Wait.”

A cold voice came from the first row.

Gu Yanli stood up. His tall, straight figure cast a heavy, oppressive shadow under the lights.

He looked at Xu Zhou, his dark eyes deep.

The moment he clearly saw Xu Zhou’s face, the fingers hanging by his side curled involuntarily.

The boy in front of him was far more beautiful than he had expected, like a thorny wild rose giving off a dangerous allure.

He suppressed the inexplicable flutter in his chest and said coldly:

“You were thirty minutes late. According to the discipline manual, after the ceremony, go to the student council administrative office to complete the make-up check-in.”

Xu Zhou stopped and turned his head to look at him.

This was Gu Yanli, the jerk male lead from the plot who had tormented the original owner endlessly.

Up close, he did look decent enough, but his way of doing things reeked of old-school feudalism.

“Senior.”

Xu Zhou tilted his head. His messy hair shifted with the movement, revealing a long, fair neck. He pointed to the water stains on his shirt.

“I came on the ferry. The engine stalled in the sea, and we drifted for half an hour. It’s already Saint Leste’s blessing that I didn’t drown. Can I skip the make-up check-in? I just want to go back and change clothes.”

He spoke with a slightly mocking curl to his lips, his peach-blossom eyes gleaming with bright mischief, so vivid that people couldn’t look away.

Gu Yanli clearly hadn’t expected a scholarship student to defy him so openly. He froze on the spot.

Someone nearby couldn’t help but snicker.

Gu Yanli’s face darkened. “School rules…”

“Enough, let him go.”

The red-haired guy behind Gu Yanli interrupted lazily. He had his long legs crossed, propped on the back of the row in front, and was the rugby team captain, Mateo Reyes.

Chewing gum, he kept his eyes locked on Xu Zhou. He pressed his tongue against his cheek and gave a roguish grin.

“Little transfer student, go back to the dorm and take a hot shower. Don’t catch a cold.”

Xu Zhou didn’t even glance his way. He merely twitched the corner of his mouth as a polite gesture and hurried to the corner of the last row.

As soon as he sat down, a boy with curly hair leaned over, his eyes almost glued to Xu Zhou’s face. He blushed and quietly handed over a pack of wet wipes.

“Man, you’re crazy. You’ve been here five minutes and you’re already going at Gu Yanli. I’m Joey.”

“Xu Zhou.”

He took the wipes, wiped the sweat off his face, and let himself collapse into the chair, feeling like he was falling apart.

“You’re the talk of the school now.” Joey pointed excitedly at the phone forum.

“In the three seconds after you walked in, ten posts popped up about your looks. There’s already someone asking which rich family’s illegitimate son you are.”

Xu Zhou didn’t even lift his eyelids. His voice was lazy. “Let them dig. Just make sure they photoshop me and take out the dark circles.”

Joey: “…” How could someone this good-looking be this full of himself?

Xu Zhou didn’t take in a single word from the rest of the ceremony. His mind was entirely on getting back to the dorm and sleeping.

After what felt like forever, the ceremony ended, and the students started to head out to claim their dormitory cards.

Saint Leste’s dorms were tiered. Regular scholarship students were placed in the West Dormitory with shared bathrooms.

The noble young masters lived in the Arden Mansion on the hill, with single suites and butlers.

Xu Zhou joined the queue to get his card. When his turn came, the dorm manager swiped his info into the system and suddenly gasped.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Zhou’s eyelid twitched.

The manager handed him a pure black magnetic card with gold embossed lettering: [Arden Mansion – P-18].

“Oh my, a VIP suite on the top floor of the Arden Mansion?”

Her look at Xu Zhou instantly changed, tinged with curiosity.

“Aren’t you a scholarship student? Why would you be assigned here?”

Xu Zhou’s heart gave a jump.

Was there a glitch in the plot? In the original story, he clearly lived in the ordinary West Dormitory.

“Yo, P-18?”

A rogue voice came from behind him.

Xu Zhou turned to see Mateo standing there, holding a black card as well.

Mateo stepped closer, his tall figure radiating an oppressive, hormonal presence.

He looked at the number on Xu Zhou’s card, then at his own, and suddenly laughed.

His eyes narrowed, and his gaze swept appreciatively over Xu Zhou’s exceptionally pretty face.

“Little pretty, you’re in luck. P-18 is the second bedroom of my suite.”

Mateo extended a finger and let his nail lightly scrape against the cold card in Xu Zhou’s hand. His tone was filled with unconcealed aggression.

“So, starting tonight, we’re sharing a room?”

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