While Serena was silently fuming over Lucian's absence, the boy himself was currently locked in a bitter standoff with An Yinshu.

To understand how things reached this point, we need to rewind a few hours.

Lucian utterly despised Jade. However, yielding to Ser

The crisp, ringing sound of the slap echoed through the vast hall.

Everyone present froze in sheer disbelief. Not a single person had anticipated that the frantic newcomer bursting through the doors would be Lucian—let alone that Lucian would take a direct, unresisted

All eyes in the hall instantly snapped to Lucian.

*Has he lost his mind? There is no way Lucian would ever apologize to a scholarship student.*

Expressions shifted across the room in a blur of shock and disbelief.

Beside him, Jing Lin was already lunging forward, ready