The early morning light filtered lazily through the pale curtains of Lin Meilin’s bedroom, painting her walls in soft gold. She was curled beneath her duvet, deep in the sweetest part of her sleep, where even the noisiness of the already awake city outside her window couldn't affect her. It was all calm and peaceful until it wasn't.

What finally broke through wasn’t the chirping birds, nor the distant honk of cars,it was the shrill, insistent ringing of her phone.

Meilin stirred with a groan, burying her face into the pillow. Whoever it was clearly had no respect for beauty sleep. She let it ring out, praying they would give up.

But no! It rang again and again,sharp and unrelenting.

“Ugh,” she groaned bitterly,dragging one arm out from under the covers and fumbling along the headboard until her fingers closed around the phone. With sleepy eyes, she squinted at the glowing screen.

Li Nian.

Her best friend’s name flashed at her so brightly that she could almost feel her impatience. Meilin squeezed her brows. What on earth could Li Nian want at this ungodly hour? School wasn’t until later, and Meilin had planned to milk every last drop of sleep before getting ready.

She sat up reluctantly, her messy black hair falling across her face, and hit the answer button.

“Meilin!” Li Nian’s voice shrieked through the speaker, so loud and shrill that Meilin winced and pulled the phone back from her ear.

“What—” she answered groggily.

“Oh my gosh, don’t tell me you’re still asleep! Are you serious right now?” Li Nian continued, practically vibrating with excitement.

Meilin rubbed her temple, already regretting picking up. “What are you even—”

“You’re missing it! Ruiyan is back! My superstar is finally home! Quick, turn on the TV! They’re showing his arrival at the airport right now!”

Her voice was dripping with obsession.Meilin blinked at the ceiling,for a minute her sleepy brain couldn't recollect. Ruiyan? That was what this was about?

“Li Nian, is this seriously why you woke me up?” she asked flatly.

“Of course! Everyone’s watching it. He looks so good! And guess what? His concert is tonight. The entire city will be there!” Li Nian gushed dreamily.

Meilin sighed and ended the call.

She couldn’t believe her best friend of twelve years had disturbed her sleep over Ruiyan’s return, knowing fully well how she valued her sleep.Still, curiosity pricked at her, and she reached for the remote. With a click, the flat-screen television flickered on.

There he was. Ruiyan.

The camera zoomed in on him as he waved at the sea of fans crowding the airport, Lady J standing gracefully beside him.

Ruiyan was the most celebrated young pop icon in the country,perhaps even the entire continent. People worshipped the ground he walked on. Rumor had it that only family members were allowed to touch him. He was the heir to Wenlong Enterprises, although he had stepsiblings.

He was unreal. Girls often fainted just from being in his presence.

At such a young age, he’d collected over twelve music awards and brought so much recognition to the country that he was dubbed The Nation’s Honor.

He wore the most luxurious brands, sported rare jewels, and was chauffeured around in limited edition cars. Apparently, he never wore the same outfit twice. Yet, he was known to be temperamental and unforgiving,though that hardly dented his fanbase. If anything, it only made him more charming.

Meilin shook her head in disbelief and padded into the bathroom. After a warm shower, she stepped back into her room, towel-drying her skin.

The program had ended. The TV now played music videos.

Then her phone rang again.

She glanced over and saw the caller: Jiang Xun.

This time a soft blush crept to her cheeks as she picked up the call.

“Hey,” she said with a small smile, settling on the edge of her bed and kicking her feet like a little girl.

“Hey, bae. How are you?” came his deep, teasing tone.

Meilin giggled. She loved when he called her bae.

“I’m good. You?”

“All good. So, are you getting ready for school?”

“Yeah,” she replied.

“Cool. Umm… I was wondering—can you come over after school? There’s something I need to tell you.”

Meilin scratched her head. What would she be doing at home anyway?

“Sure. I’ll be there,” she said.

“Great. Bye. Love you,” he said and ended the call before she could return the words.

She smiled, staring at the screen for a moment before placing it back on the bed. Then she walked to her wardrobe and pulled out her school uniform.

She couldn’t help but wonder why Jiang Xun wanted to see her.

After slipping into her fitted high-waisted skirt and purple long-sleeved blouse, she grabbed her purple socks and black sneakers. At her dresser, she brushed her jet-black hair until it fell neatly over her shoulders and applied a light pink tint to her lips.

She admired herself in the mirror. Pretty as always.

Not to brag but people said she had a unique beauty.

Her eyes were clear and almond-shaped,not exactly Asian but something like a mix of another ethnicity.Her face oval-shaped and delicate,her lips were full and naturally glossy, wherever she passed, people always cast double stares. But what drew the most attention was her body.

Even her mother teased her about her striking figure. Her curves,especially her slim waist and full hips formed an almost exaggerated figure-eight shape. People often said she had a really great shape, far better than a lot of people her age, and the school’s fitted skirts only made it more noticeable.

Half the girls at school envied her. The boys? Most were already half in love with her, even though she constantly reminded them she was in a relationship.

But was it her fault? She didn’t choose how she looked even though she loved it.

After giving herself one last check in the mirror, she grabbed her pink designer school bag and strutted out of the room, her morning finally beginning.