The Beloved One Is Always Coveted - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

◎The Fun Arrives◎

It’s early September, and Tunnan City is still in the grip of summer. The fuzzy tail of the heat sweeps across everyone’s heart. It’s so hot that even a little dog is panting with its tongue out to cool off.

Yu Li has been back at school for a while now. This is her last year of high school, a crucial time in her life, and she studies at School Number 12.

The school is strict. Although it’s not a key high school in the city, it tries to compete with one in every way. Even though the official policy says schools aren’t allowed to start early, where there’s a will, there’s a way. The students signed a “voluntary self-study” form and returned in mid-August to begin their senior year.

Yu Li isn’t a boarder. School Number 12 is in Yaming District, not far from her home. It’s a four-bus-stop ride.

This particular Monday morning, Yu Li left the house with her backpack early. Her friend Zhou Yuqing had messaged her last night, saying her gastritis had flared up. She had asked her teacher for a half-day off and told Yu Li not to wait for her. Yu Li didn’t think much of it. Zhou Yuqing had a stomach condition, and this wasn’t the first or second time she’d had gastritis. Yu Li was used to it.

Once on the bus, she was in luck. There was an empty window seat. She walked over and sat down, then took out her MP3 player to listen to an English listening comprehension exercise. The school didn’t allow cell phones. If a student was caught with one, it would be confiscated until after the college entrance exam. But MP3 players were fine. Yu Li’s homeroom teacher was also her English teacher, and she encouraged students to use MP3s to practice their listening skills.

“Yu Li!” As she was listening intently, her headphones were suddenly pulled off. Her desk mate’s voice instantly filled her ears.

Yu Li’s eyes widened. Her gaze brushed past the bus window, where a huge billboard came into view. Dark green mountains were faintly visible, and a woman with her hair in a bun sat alone in a pavilion. Her face was detached, without sorrow or joy, like a phantom spirit, a mountain specter detached from the world.

For a moment, she couldn’t tear her eyes away, and she subconsciously ignored her desk mate’s presence. Yu Li held her breath, afraid of disturbing that mysterious beauty.

It wasn’t until the bus drove away from the building, and her view was gone, that Yu Li reluctantly pulled her gaze back.

“You’re staring so intently, are you her fan?” Her desk mate had sat down beside her at some point, a look of gossip on her face.

“Yes,” Yu Li pulled her headphones back from her friend’s hand, her face slightly flushed. She added, “I’ve liked her for many years.”

“Oh, come on. Du Yuran has only been in the industry for three years,” her desk mate said, unconvinced.

Yu Li didn’t want to talk about Du Yuran with her desk mate. She glanced at her friend’s backpack and said, “Did you do all your homework?”

At the mention of homework, her desk mate’s face fell. She clung to Yu Li’s arm and pleaded dramatically, “No! Quick, Yu-scholar, let me copy yours! Or I’m finished!”

Yu Li’s grades were good. School Number 12 didn’t have special advanced classes, and she had never dropped out of the top ten in the school rankings. Her desk mate’s grades were average to below average. The teacher had put them together with the idea that the good students could help the weaker ones.

“I’ll give it to you during morning study hall, but remember to give it back after class,” Yu Li said softly. She looked out the window again, thinking about the billboard she had just seen. It was a promotion for Du Yuran’s new drama, Night, in which she was the lead, playing the cold and emotionless mountain goddess, Feng Zi.

Soon they arrived at school. Life in the senior year passed slowly, a three-point-line of home, school, and classes. Besides the occasional change in the schedule, life was like a stagnant pond, without a single ripple.

Until…

“Transferring schools?”

Yu Li’s eyes widened slightly, full of disbelief.

Her homeroom teacher, Ms. Li, also seemed a little helpless. “Your mom called to inform me. I just found out myself.” After a few seconds, she added in surprise, “Didn’t your mom discuss it with you?”

Yu Li was the top student in her class. Honestly, Ms. Li was the last person who wanted her to transfer. She had been teaching Yu Li since the tenth grade, but Yu Li’s mother had never attended a single parent-teacher meeting, so when she got the call before class, she was a little shocked.

“Ms. Li, can I call my mom?”

Ms. Li didn’t try to persuade her. Along with the call from Yu Li’s mother, a notice had also come from the Dean’s office, stating that Yu Li’s school records had already been transferred. Ms. Li handed her phone to Yu Li, letting out a silent sigh. She thought that Yu Li’s mother must not be an ordinary person.

Yu Li dialed her mother’s number. Her mother, Yu Rong, answered quickly.

“Xiao Li, did the teacher tell you?” Her mother’s voice sounded a little tired.

“Mom, are you very tired?” Yu Li stood outside the office, speaking very softly. She felt anxious inside. The sudden transfer news had hit her like a surprise attack, almost knocking her out. But as soon as she heard her mother’s voice, she couldn’t say anything harsh. She knew her mother did this for her and that her mother had a hard time raising her.

“Good girl. It’s your birthday today, and I haven’t even had a chance to say ‘Happy Birthday.'”

“That’s okay, Mom. It’s enough that you remembered.” Yu Li’s eyes welled up. She pinched the bridge of her nose and then asked Yu Rong, “Mom, where am I transferring to?”

“Huizhi,” Yu Rong paused, then continued, “You’ll be in your senior year with the Young Miss of the Tang family.”

“Isn’t that the family you work for, Mom? Why would I suddenly…?”

Yu Li was even more confused. Her mother had been a housekeeper for the Tang family for years. She lived alone in Jing’an District and had never been to the Tang family home. Why was she suddenly singled out? And why was she transferring to Huizhi, an international school and a famously prestigious one in Tunnan City? The tuition alone was hundreds of thousands a year. They couldn’t possibly afford it.

“The family head was kind. The Young Miss is also celebrating her birthday today. The family head knew you were around the same age and felt sorry that we’ve been separated for so many years. She let you go to Huizhi with the Young Miss and live in the Tang family home from now on!”

Yu Rong’s voice was a little excited. The Tang family was an existence they had to look up to for their entire lives. The thought of her daughter going to Huizhi with the Young Miss was beyond their wildest dreams.

“But…” Yu Li’s breathing quickened. She didn’t want to go to this ‘Tang family head’s’ house at all. Her mother always spoke of the “family head,” but if she hadn’t accidentally seen the Tang family on a financial news channel, she would have thought the Tang family was some sort of underworld gang.

“Xiao Li, the family head has already transferred your school records. You should pack your things now. A driver will be there to pick you up in a little while. Mom wants to celebrate your birthday with you.”

Before Yu Li could say no, Yu Rong had already hung up.

Yu Li still didn’t understand. Her mother’s explanation seemed to explain nothing at all. The Tang family head felt sorry for them? Would a capitalist feel sorry for a little mouse from the bottom of society?

She returned the phone to Ms. Li and quickly explained her mother’s intentions, without mentioning the Tang family.

Yu Li wasn’t very good at socializing. She knew everyone in her class, but she didn’t really have any friends. She was the kind of person who found it hard to open up. She never talked about her family or her past, and her guard was very high, so it was difficult for her to make friends.

So she didn’t need to say a special goodbye. As she packed her things and walked out of the school gates, she still couldn’t quite believe it. She was still wearing School Number 12’s blue and white uniform, but from today on, she was no longer a student there. The change in her identity was so fast that even she, a person who was good at adapting, found it hard to accept.

It wasn’t until a black Cayenne stopped in front of the school gate and the driver in a black suit recognized her from a photo and told her to get in that Yu Li came to her senses.

“Excuse me…”

The driver looked unapproachable. Yu Li swallowed and bravely asked in a small voice, “Did Yu Rong send you to pick me up?”

The driver nodded subtly, then took out his phone. The screen showed an ongoing call with Yu Rong. Only after hearing her mother’s voice did Yu Li relax and get into the car to the Tang family home.

The Cayenne drove along a winding mountain road. Yu Li sat up straight, secretly glancing at the unfamiliar buildings outside the window, her heart a mix of nerves and apprehension. She didn’t know the Tang family, but she trusted her mother.

The scenery outside the window changed continuously. Soon, the car drove into a mountainside estate. Looking at the low-key yet luxurious buildings, Yu Li clutched the hem of her school uniform.

What if… the Tang family didn’t like her?

She had read in novels that characters like her were either the young lady’s follower or the vicious female antagonist, neither of which had a good ending. Besides, going to school with a Tang family young lady seemed too fantastical. Would the Tang young lady really not mind her?

Yu Li didn’t know. She got out of the car, following the cold-faced driver, walking carefully.

On a distant terrace, young ladies in evening gowns sat in small groups. Tang Xi leaned against the railing, idly rolling her eyes, when she unintentionally spotted the girl following Yangshuo.

Why is she wearing a school uniform? It’s so ugly.

Tang Xi clicked her tongue. Her eyesight was good. She could see that the strange girl was also carrying a backpack, lumpy with unknown contents. Was it a gift for her?

Ordinary people couldn’t get into their birthday parties, but there were always a few who wanted to climb the social ladder, accidentally stumbling in like rabbits, then apologizing with tear-filled red eyes when they were discovered. The routine had been the same for years, and it was boring.

But this one was different. She wore a school uniform, carried a backpack, and had thick bangs that covered her eyes. How intriguing.

Tang Xi’s eyes moved, and her interest was quietly piqued.

“What are you looking at, smiling like that?” Jian Mingyue walked over from behind her, resting her arm on the railing and following Tang Xi’s gaze. The girl in the school uniform was following closely behind the expressionless woman in the black suit, like a docile quail who had found a fierce raptor to be her mother. It looked a little out of place.

Jian Mingyue didn’t recognize her, and the uniform didn’t reveal which school she was from. She casually asked Tang Xi, “Is she your friend? Why is Yangshuo with her?”

Yangshuo was the Tang family head’s personal driver. Jian Mingyue’s mind stirred slightly, sensing that something was unusual.

Tang Xi didn’t deny it. She downed the drink in her hand. “Maybe she got lost. You know Yangshuo is a softie.”

Jian Mingyue smiled and didn’t pry further. She raised her glass to Tang Xi. “I’m in a hurry, so I didn’t get a chance to prepare a birthday gift for you. I’ll make it up to you later.”

“Leaving again?” Tang Xi lowered her eyes. Although she and Jian Mingyue were on different paths, they had grown up together, and their relationship was close. Jian Mingyue had recently taken over some of the family business and was swamped. She didn’t even have time to get together for a little while, and she was leaving after being here for less than half an hour.

With her gone, Tang Xi felt things had become a lot less interesting. Her birthday parties were always a big deal, but having one every year was so boring. Tang Xi rested her cheek on her hand and suddenly thought of the girl Yangshuo had brought.

Just when she was getting bored, the fun had arrived.

Support The Beloved One Is Always Coveted