Nine a.m., a crisp September morning. Frost glittered on the manicured lawns of Stanford. A thick fog, straight out of a gothic novel, hung heavy over campus, muting the usual bustle. Spooky quiet.
In a grad student dorm room…
"An arranged marriage? Are you kidding me? It's 2020, not the freakin' 1820s! Who even does that anymore?" Wendy Qiang practically glued her face to her phone, her stunning profile lit by the screen. Seriously, this girl was a knockout.
Her tiny wrist looked like it could snap, but her grip on the phone was fierce. Her perfectly-manicured nails were practically white.
Wendy, whose life had been a charmed existence, was facing a total curveball in her second year of grad school: a freakin' arranged marriage. And not just any arranged marriage – a childhood betrothal, no less.
"Sweetheart, grab that engagement ring I sent you and get your butt home. Ethan's waiting for lunch." Her mom, Mrs. Song, didn't even pause for a breath. "You two need to, like, connect." Click.
Wendy's head was spinning. Even after the call ended, she was still reeling. Total whiplash.
She stared down at her palm, a delicate ring nestled there. Diamonds, simple but elegant, with a central, openwork half-heart. Clearly a pair.
Her mom had air-freighted it from overseas yesterday. The "engagement ring," for the childhood betrothal.
Childhood betrothal? Engagement ring? This was some seriously next-level crazy pressure.
Definitely her mom's doing. Her mom's schemes were getting more and more… creative.
Leaning against the balcony door, window cracked open, a cool breeze nipped at her, but she barely registered it. She stared out at the hazy figures of students lugging suitcases, her mind a total blank.
Then, Maya, her roommate, popped her head up from the bed. "Wendy, you're gonna freeze your butt off! Seriously, put on a jacket."
Wendy's dew-kissed lashes fluttered. The fog in her brain cleared. Only then did she realize her shoulders were numb.
Her stiff finger still clutched the ring as she stumbled back into the room. Wendy looked up at Maya, who was peeking out from her bunk bed. "Cold," she murmured.
She opened her closet, choosing an outfit for her trip home. Reluctant as she was, years of proper upbringing prevented her from canceling.
Her slender fingers brushed the closet door; the ring on her finger sparkled. Just as she was about to take it off, Maya, as if by magic, leaped from her bed, excitedly grabbing her wrist. "OMG, Wendy, you bought the Ashton ring too?!"
Wendy looked bewildered, glancing at the ring on her index finger. "The same one?"
Maya held out her phone. "Here, look."
"My idol, Ashton Hayes, was at an awards ceremony this week. They zoomed in on his ring, and now every girl online is buying the matching one. It's gone viral."
Ashton Hayes?
Wendy followed Maya's gaze to the phone screen, staring at the elegant man. Ashton Hayes was handsome and aloof in the shot; his well-tailored suit emphasized his tall, slender frame. His long fingers held the microphone, the other hand clutching a golden Best Actor trophy. His ring was prominently featured, the openwork half-heart design crystal clear. It was identical to hers.
It was definitely the same ring.
Wendy stared at the photo for a few seconds, her clear eyes flickering slightly. Then she saw the comments below:
—"AAAAAH! My husband is SO hot! Husband, husband, husband!!!"
—"That's my husband! Look, same ring! (Picture)"
—"Excuse me, but until I die, you're all concubines! (Picture)"
—"What a coincidence! I have this ring too. My husband gave it to me, and his last name is Hayes! (Picture)"
...and so on. All comments featured the Ashton Hayes ring.
Wendy lowered her eyes, her thick lashes casting shadows in the soft light. Her expression was unreadable. "Are female fans this crazy these days?" she muttered to herself.
Every single one of them fantasizing about being Mrs. Hayes... Does Ashton Hayes even know?
Wait a minute!
Wendy stared at the ring in her hand, finally understanding! Her mom, that fashionista! She'd bought the celebrity-endorsed ring and lied, saying it was some ancient betrothal heirloom – talk about a major scare!
Maya scoffed. "The fans aren't crazy; it's that everyone refuses to believe Ashton actually has a girlfriend! This is Ashton we're talking about!"
"Which lucky girl snagged the hottie and the real ring?!" Maya dramatically threw her arms around Wendy, practically in tears.
Leaning in for a closer look, her eyes widened in suspicion as she scrutinized Wendy's finger. "Holy moly, yours is way shinier than the ones online! Did they use unicorn tears or something?"
"Wendy!"
Maya's eyes suddenly lit up. She whipped her head around, staring at Wendy's beautiful face.
Wendy—that smile, those eyes, those features! She was like a perfect porcelain doll, stunningly beautiful.
Still in her pajamas, her figure was… well, distractingly amazing! Her skin was so flawless, it rivaled the pajamas in whiteness. She was the epitome of beauty.
Stunning, sexy, and captivating—a total bombshell.
Maya stared for a long moment, took a deep breath, and started shaking Wendy's shoulders. "Come clean, is Ashton's girlfriend you? Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised!"
Wendy, dizzy from the shaking, finally broke free. "Are you seriously obsessed with a celebrity? I don't even know him!" she rolled her eyes.
Wendy had been a hardcore computer science nerd in college, barely using social media, let alone knowing any celebrities.
Maya, completely serious, grabbed Wendy's hand. "Wendy, if it's you, I'm totally fine with it! It's Ashton!"
"All I want is an autographed photo. Just one!"
She totally approved! Wendy had been voted prettiest girl at Qingda University for five years—beautiful, low-key, and incredibly smart, having gotten into computer science and then grad school all on her own.
She's more than good enough for Ashton! Way better than those Instagram models.
And the best part?
If her best friend landed her idol, wouldn't she get some of the fame too? Imagine the bragging rights!
Maya clutched her chest, eyes sparkling with pure excitement.
Wendy twitched her lips. This girl's imagination was out of control. She lightly smacked Maya's head. "Wake up! It's my mom's ring!"
"My mom's rich, so of course, she bought the real thing! It's blindingly sparkly!"
Maya finally snapped out of it. "..."
Money talks. And in this case, it's screaming.
The temperature difference between morning and noon in Beicheng was significant. Around noon, the sun pierced through the thick fog, a curtain lifted to reveal a dazzling display of golden light across the grand and imposing school gates.
Wendy was a slow dresser. By the time she showered, applied a face mask, chose an outfit, and finished her makeup, it was almost twelve o'clock.
She hurried out of campus.
Along the way, she saw the same ring on countless fingers, once again marveling at the charm of the top idol in the entertainment industry.
It seemed like every girl on campus wanted to be Mrs. Shang Heng.
Even girls who got into the prestigious Qingda University had fallen for him. No wonder her mother had started following the Shang Heng trend.
Wendy passed through the bustling school gates and got into the car waiting for her.
Yang Shu, the family driver, said, "Miss, you're finally here. Madam said there's a surprise waiting for you."
Wendy smoothed her slightly disheveled hair. Hearing the driver's words, her fair fingertips paused by her ear. "A surprise?"
"It's just a blind date, why so mysterious?"
"It's not a blind date, it's a childhood betrothal," Yang Shu attempted to explain.
However, Wendy had already made up her mind about her mother's behavior. She unilaterally assumed the driver was covering up her mother's middle-aged obsession with the star, saying meaningfully, "Uncle Yang, I know everything. Don't try to cover for my mom."
What childhood betrothal? Wasn't this just her mom's new scheme to get her to go on a blind date?
Uncle Yang had such strong professional ethics. If she hadn't known about the ring beforehand, she probably would have believed their charade.
Wendy took out her phone and checked her appearance.
She reapplied some lipstick. Her lips were beautifully shaped, with a prominent cupid's bow that subtly curved upwards, adding an unintentional allure.
Her family's villa was not far from Qingda University. In less than half an hour, the car stopped.
Standing at the villa's entrance, Wendy took a deep breath, her mind settling on the man she was about to meet.
It's just meeting a guy. Don't be nervous. Don't be nervous.
While knowing there was a 99% chance it was her mother's elaborate scheme, Wendy was still worried about the 1% possibility that this childhood betrothal was real.
For the first time, she felt the threshold of her home was so high, so impossibly high that she couldn't bring herself to cross it.
Wendy closed her eyes, forcing herself to calm down, and walked step by step through the garden and into the living room.
Her mother was often abroad, so there weren't many servants at home. The large European-style villa felt somewhat empty and lonely.
The click-clack of her high heels echoed through the spacious room.
Pushing open the two-meter-high door, Wendy's eyes fell upon a stranger sitting on the ornate leather sofa in the living room.
He was looking down, his long, slender fingers holding a thin black phone, tapping lightly. His other arm was casually resting on the armrest of the sofa, the cuffs of his crisp white shirt slightly gathered, revealing a section of wrist bone as white as jade.
As if sensing her gaze, the man's beautifully sculpted jaw slowly lifted, revealing a handsome face as he looked back at her.
Wendy, bathed in the bright light of the living room, clearly saw the man's features.
The air suddenly stilled.
Her pupils constricted. She had seen this face somewhere before.
Wendy subconsciously walked closer to get a better look.
However, she wasn't paying attention to her feet. The thin heel of her high heel caught on the carpet, causing her to stumble and almost fall onto the coffee table.
Wendy's first thought: Oh no, my face!
Her second thought: Cover my face!
At that moment, a long, slender hand reached out, firmly catching her arm and preventing her fall.
The man's eyes flickered slightly, his voice low and magnetic: "Careful."
The clean, crisp scent of the stranger enveloped Wendy, instantly coloring her ears a pretty shade of crimson. "Thank you," she whispered.
The man gently released her arm.
Wendy blinked, realizing how close they were—close enough for her to see every detail of his flawlessly handsome face.
Having seen his features up close, Wendy forgot about her embarrassment. Shock washed over her face. "You... you... you..."
She finally remembered who this face resembled: Ashton Hayes, the top idol in the entertainment industry, the husband of every girl on campus!
He was Ashton's doppelganger!
And his nose and eyes... there were no signs of plastic surgery. Which hospital had such amazing skills?
Seeing her speechless, a slight smile played on the man's lips. "Am I that frightening?"
Wendy slowly shook her head, then nodded, her long lashes fluttering for a few seconds before she cautiously asked, "Did you spend a lot of money on plastic surgery?"
Had her mother's star-chasing gone this far?
Not only did she buy the same ring, but she even found a celebrity look-alike for her daughter's fiancé.
The man paused, looking down at her. His refined and calm voice held a hint of amusement: "Plastic surgery?"