Chapter 1

“One day, it rained so hard and was so cold that I couldn’t leave work. I called my boyfriend to pick me up. He took nearly half an hour to get there, and at first, I was so angry I could’ve screamed. Then part of me worried—what if he ran into trouble because of the heavy rain? To my surprise, he showed up five minutes later, completely drenched.”

The speaker, a beautiful young woman, sipped her drink. If you looked closely, you’d notice a small diamond ring on her left ring finger. Setting her drink down, she continued.

“I was shocked and asked what happened. He wouldn’t explain—just kept smiling sheepishly. When we got to the car, I tried to open the front door, but he blocked it and insisted I get in through the back. That’s when I saw it—two kittens in a cardboard box on the front seat. Once he got in, he explained he’d found them abandoned near his workplace. He couldn’t just walk past them, so he brought them with him. He went on and on, hesitating to say that he wanted to keep them in our apartment. But I could tell he’d already decided. What else could I do? Honestly, one reason I love him is his kindness. If he weren’t like this, I wouldn’t have even considered him when he first asked me out.”

“I thought you were interested in his Audi. I saw the ad—doesn’t the person surnamed Fang drives cost nearly 600,000 yuan?” One of the female friends in the group conversation teased.

“650,000 yuan for the top model my boyfriend drives. He said if he was going to buy one, he might as well get the best. But I didn’t fall for him because of his car. By the way, Tang Beibei, where did you get off giving my boyfriend a nickname?”

“Didn’t you used to call him that yourself, Madam Fang? At first, you kept complaining he was plain-looking but acted high and mighty.”

“Ahem, that was before I realized how grounded and humble he was. Once he dressed up a bit, he looked much better. Besides, he’s smart. How else would he have become a regional manager at just thirty?”

The lively conversation involved three women. Two of them bantered as if it were second nature, while the third, Chen Linyao, remained quieter.

As her friends debated, Chen Linyao took the opportunity to grab the last ham-filled croissant, biting into it as she sipped her vegetable smoothie. She checked her smartphone multiple times.

“Chen Linyao, what’s up with you?” Tang Beibei asked.

The one being addressed looked up, noticing her two friends’ gazes fixed on her.

“Um… fine, I guess.”

“Fine? What kind of answer is that? You’ve been buried in work, never reaching out. The prettiest girl, Chen, in our class has been single for years, and there’s still no word of a man. Are you planning to shave your head and become a nun?”

“No, nothing like that.”

“Then what is it? Are you really happy being alone? It’s been three years since we graduated. Have you even talked to a guy? Don’t rush to answer—at Ru Yi’s wedding two months ago, you said you weren’t seeing anyone. Oh, I should call her Madam Fang now. Do you know how often she called me a month before the wedding? She kept asking if she should go through with it. At first, I thought she wanted advice, but no—she just wanted to brag about how great her fiancé was. I’m counting on you to find a rich, handsome boyfriend to one-up her.”

"Tang Beibei, are you gossiping about me?" Madam Fang, or Ru Yi, smiled sheepishly and lightly swatted the speaker’s arm. Among the three, Chen Linyao clearly excelled in career and appearance, but Ru Yi had surged ahead in family life, leaving the others behind by several strides. Naturally, she took pride in it.

Tang Beibei, whose family ran a business, wasn’t wealthy but lived comfortably. However, her impatience when it came to studying or working meant she hadn’t progressed as much as she could have. Still, her sincerity and honesty kept her in good standing with her friends.

“So, how are you doing lately?” Tang Beibei asked Chen Linyao again. “Don’t just say ‘fine.’ Has anything out of the ordinary happened outside of work?”

“Um, the other day, I found a prince,” Chen Linyao replied.

The conversation came to a sudden halt. Ru Yi and Tang Beibei stared at her, trying to process the words they had just heard. The information seemed too raw and unrefined to understand. Finally, Ru Yi asked.

“What?”

“The other day, I found a prince at the base of the hill near White Guanyin Temple.”

Just as she finished speaking, her smartphone buzzed. She glanced outside the café.

Ru Yi and Tang Beibei turned their gazes in the same direction. There, standing by the window, was a man with loosely tied long hair. Though casually dressed, his glowing, flawless skin was as exquisite as the finest white jade, and his noble features hinted at an extraordinary background. His slightly reproachful gaze rested on Chen Linyao inside the shop.

“Uh… I need to go.”

Seeing the look of death in the man’s eyes and Chen Linyao’s panicked retreat, her two friends exchanged glances.

It really seemed like Chen Linyao had picked up a prince.

A Week Ago

At 24, Chen Linyao was like most women her age, except her career was a bit more advanced compared to her peers. She had worked tirelessly over the past three years, saving up a considerable amount of money, and decided to reward herself by walking into a showroom of a renowned car brand.

Last week was the day she was scheduled to pick up the car. Her luck had been unusually good from the morning—she cracked an egg to make a fried egg and got two yolks. When she arrived at work, a client who had never contacted her before called to place a huge order. That afternoon, she requested half a day off, and her usually difficult manager approved without complaint.

Everything went smoothly when she picked up the car. On such a perfect day, she felt it was fitting to soak in the atmosphere of her success. The ideal destination? White Guanyin Temple, perched on a hill overlooking the city. The road leading up was well-paved, perfect for testing her new car’s performance. 

It was a weekday, so the temple, which was popular for prayers and blessings, wasn’t crowded. Chen Linyao felt lucky that she didn’t have to jostle with others for the views.

After wandering around the temple, it was already late in the afternoon, and she began driving back. The sun set as she started descending the hill. Driving the car for the first time, she struggled to figure out how to turn on the headlights, so she slowed down.

And then came a loud crash.

The brakes were slammed instinctively. It took nearly a full minute for Chen Linyao to regain her composure. She racked her brain for memories of her driving lessons but realized she’d only ever learned to drive during the daytime and never had a chance to practice turning on the headlights. Fumbling, she reached for her smartphone, searched for a tutorial video on how to turn them on, and followed the steps.

One hand held the phone as a flashlight while the other tested the switches on the steering column. 

Having had such good luck all day, and having just prayed for blessings at the temple, Chen Linyao clung to the hope that whatever she hit wasn’t a person. A stray dog she hadn’t seen in a while or maybe even a deer would be a better outcome. After all, in a place like this, an animal was more likely than a human. 

Of course, every life was precious, but she still fervently wished it wasn’t a person.

The headlights flickered to life, and with them, Chen Linyao’s hope extinguished. 

Lying in the middle of the road in front of her car was a person. 

The quiet road was suddenly illuminated by headlights from the opposite direction. A car slowed down and stopped on the side of the road. 

Out stepped two uniformed police officers.

A few minutes later, Chen Linyao realized her long day had only just begun. 

At the nearest private hospital, the police questioned her incessantly, while the unconscious man she’d hit showed no signs of waking. 

At least she was lucky she hadn’t been speeding. When the officers moved the injured man, there wasn’t a drop of blood. After several rounds of examinations, the doctor confirmed that he hadn’t suffered any significant injuries. In fact, his body appeared to be stronger than the average person. 

However, the man carried no wallet or ID. The intricate craftsmanship of his antique-style clothing, combined with his strikingly handsome face, led both the police and Chen Linyao to conclude he was likely an actor. But there was no film crew in the area, and no images of him could be found online. The only option was to wait until he woke up to answer their questions. 

Little did they know that this wait would stretch into the morning. 

Chen Linyao spent the night outside the patient’s room, accompanied by a female officer who had taken over the night shift. After buying a hot coffee for the officer, she tried subtly asking if the situation was serious. The officer reassured her that since the man wasn’t seriously injured, it was likely just a matter of negotiating compensation once he woke up, and she could consider the matter resolved. 

When the patient finally woke up, a commotion broke out in the room. A middle-aged nurse stepped out, her expression odd, and informed Chen Linyao and the officer. 

The door of the patient’s room opened, revealing the handsome injured man, now half-reclining on the bed. He looked irritated and directed his gaze at them, speaking sharply. 

“Who are you?” 

The female officer froze, momentarily confused. Wasn’t she supposed to be the one asking him questions? 

Seeing the newcomers refusing to answer his question, the young man in the room seemed to grow angry. He then shouted loudly. 

“I, the prince, am asking.” 

The female officer and Chen Linyao exchanged glances. It seemed this situation wouldn’t be resolved so easily.