He left the middle-aged supervisor, who was brimming with questions, staring in exasperation. Zhong Yun had bolted too fast; the supervisor hadn't even managed to call him back.

Just then, the door to the reception area opened. Weiwei swept out, not sparing a single glance for the multitude of men gathered at the doorway, moving like a proud peacock. Not a single man dared to approach her to strike up a conversation.

After work, Zhong Yun hurried toward the building’s refreshment lounge. On the way, he ran into several men who were eager to get to know Weiwei and, having seen him enter the reception area, hoped he could offer an introduction.

When faced with such situations, Zhong Yun naturally made a quick escape. He wasn't planning to stay long anyway, so he wasn't afraid of offending people—as long as they weren't his direct superiors.

Weiwei was already waiting in the refreshment lounge. Seeing him enter, she waved vigorously.

Many men in the lounge had already been secretly eyeing the rarely seen beauty. When they saw the unimpressive Zhong Yun approach, they felt a sharp pang of disappointment in their chests.

Having been with Yun Qi for so long, Zhong Yun was completely immune to the gazes of other men. He walked straight over and sat opposite Weiwei. "Been waiting long?"

Weiwei tilted her head, studying him for a full five seconds, as if trying to see a flower bloom on his face.

"What's wrong?" Zhong Yun touched his own face, wondering if there was something on it.

"You really are different from other men," Weiwei murmured, seemingly to herself, but a bit too loudly, making sure Zhong Yun heard every word.

"Of course. Otherwise, why would you look at me differently?" Zhong Yun chuckled.

To his surprise, Weiwei actually nodded. "I didn't misjudge you after all."

"Do you know? The first time I saw you, I felt you were anything but simple."

Zhong Yun froze. The words sounded vaguely familiar. After a moment's thought, he recalled that Odin had said something very similar once.

"You are the first peer I can't see through," Weiwei continued. "Since I was little, I knew I was different from other children. Everyone called me a genius; I don't know if I am one."

"But, from childhood through adolescence, no one my age has ever beaten me, not even come close," Weiwei’s tone was perfectly level, entirely devoid of boastfulness.

"As I got older, the gap between us widened even further. Then I realized no one wanted to play with me, until I met Xiao Zhu. Xiao Zhu is four years older than me, but we got along extremely well."

"Su Qi is Xiao Zhu's cousin; he's also called a genius. But after interacting with him, I found he was far below my level," Weiwei recalled the past, her eyes growing hazy.

Zhong Yun listened quietly as she recounted her history.

"When I was eleven, my father suddenly told me there was a boy my exact age who was just as exceptional as I was. My father wouldn't lie to me, so somewhere, there must be such a boy, as outstanding as me."

Weiwei’s expression became even more distant and dreamlike.

"That day, I was overjoyed, because I suddenly felt I wasn't alone anymore; there was someone in this world exactly like me."

Zhong Yun's gaze shifted subtly, appearing infinitely strange under the soft lighting of the lounge.

Weiwei remained immersed in her memories, oblivious to the change in Zhong Yun.

"From then on, I began to yearn, to long for the day I would meet that boy. My father told me he would appear before me on my twentieth birthday."

"I imagined him in my mind, picturing his appearance. But his image was always blurry, and no matter how hard I tried, I could never see him clearly."

Weiwei’s gaze then moved to Zhong Yun’s face, the hidden emotion in her eyes causing a chill to run down his spine.

"Time passed year by year. After nine years of anticipation, on the night of my twentieth birthday, he truly appeared before me. I was so, so happy. Even though he wasn't handsome, nor particularly charming, he stood there alive, flesh and blood."

Weiwei smiled, a touch of shyness in her expression.

"So, the first time I saw you was on your twentieth birthday," Zhong Yun said, his smile masking a far more complex mood. Even if he were foolish, he knew the boy she spoke of was him. Indeed, if one had to find someone among his peers close to her level, besides himself, it would be genuinely difficult. Reaching the Nineteenth Tier at twenty was highly unusual, even in a Five-Stage Mid-Level Civilization.

Hearing her words today, Zhong Yun finally understood why she regarded him so highly. It wasn't infatuation or love at first sight; back when she was eleven, she already held an "image of herself" in her heart.

"Your father has precognitive abilities too, to be able to predict our meeting," Zhong Yun remarked, sounding contemplative.

"My father said your surname should be Zeng, but I prefer calling you Zhong Yun," Weiwei said, her voice rich with affection, completely missing how Zhong Yun's face suddenly darkened at that statement.

Zhong Yun’s expression turned truly grim. Even in his previous life, his surname wasn't Zeng. How could he be surnamed Zeng? Moreover, he had never been to the Mins Kingdom or Ketong Star before; how could Weiwei’s father possibly know him?

It was then that he understood everything was just a massive misunderstanding. There truly was a man in the Mins Kingdom with talent no less than Weiwei’s. Their meeting on her birthday must have been a pre-arranged date. The union of two powerful families, cemented by the marriage of their heirs—such things were exceedingly common for political gain.

But by sheer coincidence, he had appeared before Weiwei on her twentieth birthday, while the intended man failed to show up. Consequently, Weiwei had mistaken him for the "Him" in her mind, leading to this whole series of events.

But why didn't Weiwei know what that man looked like? Otherwise, such an absurd misunderstanding wouldn't have happened.

Having pieced everything together, Zhong Yun felt nothing but utter absurdity, as if fate were playing a cruel joke on him, Weiwei, and that other man.

Zhong Yun took a deep breath. "Weiwei, there's something I need to tell you." His expression was very serious. Since he knew the whole situation was a mistake, he couldn't let it continue.

"Hmm?" Weiwei looked up at him, a slight bewilderment in her eyes. Why was he being so serious at a time like this?

"Actually, I—" Just as Zhong Yun was about to confess, his communicator suddenly chirped in his pocket, causing him to pause. Had Xiao Ling contacted him about that matter?

In that hesitation, Weiwei abruptly stood up, her small face paling slightly. "I just remembered something urgent; I have to go." She left in a rush, giving him no chance to stop her.

Watching her retreating figure, Zhong Yun frowned; she seemed to have sensed something.

Feeling the vibration of the communicator in his pocket growing more intense, Zhong Yun decided to put the current issue aside for a moment and answered the call.

As expected, the message from "Wasp-Bee One" confirmed it: Wen Zhu had received notification from the Ketong family. The new head of the family had been selected—it was her father, the current Planet Governor of Ketong Star, Chang Ben.

Finally selected. Zhong Yun’s eyes gleamed, an irrepressible excitement bubbling up inside him. He had wasted months here solely for this day. Now that it had arrived, he was naturally thrilled.

Returning to Ketong Academy, the campus had undergone significant changes compared to two months prior. The efficiency of the professional construction team was clearly far superior to their amateur efforts. In those two months, the academy’s second and third phases of construction had been completed. The school now finally bore a semblance of its former appearance.

In the newly built student dormitory complex, Zhong Yun proceeded to Wen Zhu's quarters. Wen Zhu lived in a high-end apartment, unlike their communal dorms.

Seeing Zhong Yun, Wen Zhu looked puzzled. "Why are you alone? Didn't Xiao Wei go with you?"

"She headed back first. She's not here?" Zhong Yun considered this. "Oh, right, she said she was going shopping; maybe she hasn't returned yet."

"How can you be a boyfriend? Letting her go shopping alone," Wen Zhu chided him slightly.

Zhong Yun wisely remained silent. Experience had taught him that arguing with a woman at a time like this was a surefire way to invite trouble.

"I'll wait for her here. She should be back soon." Zhong Yun walked into the apartment. This was the first time he had ever been inside Wen Zhu’s apartment. Despite their good relationship previously, Wen Zhu had never allowed him in.

Wen Zhu didn't stop him. Previously, she barred entry to avoid suspicion; now that Xiao Wei was back, it was irrelevant. This was also Xiao Wei’s apartment; they had always lived together.

Zhong Yun sat on the very feminine sofa, sipping tea, calculating how to bring up the sensitive topic. Before he could formulate his opening, Xiao Wei returned, her hands empty.

The moment Weiwei stepped through the door and saw Zhong Yun sitting on the sofa, her face immediately fell.

Wen Zhu eyed her suspiciously, then glanced back at Zhong Yun. The atmosphere was clearly wrong. Though she disliked socializing, it didn't mean her emotional intelligence was nil. She said, "You two chat; I have a few more calculations to finish." With that, she retreated into her room.

"Why are you slower than me?" Seeing her silence, Zhong Yun broke the ice first.

Weiwei stared at the floor, saying nothing. Zhong Yun noticed her body was slightly stiff. A sudden thought crossed his mind: what would her reaction be if she knew he wasn't the "Him" she was expecting?

The thought flashed and vanished. He walked over and gently pulled her toward him. "What are you standing there for? Come sit."

"Your complexion isn't good. Are you sick?" Zhong Yun looked at her with concern.

Weiwei shook her head, biting her lower lip without speaking.

Seeing her expression, Zhong Yun's brow furrowed slightly, then relaxed. "If you don't feel well, go back and rest. I still have a few things to attend to."

Seeing she still didn't react, Zhong Yun stood up and walked out the door. Weiwei remained sitting motionless until he left, like a statue.

What a mess. Outside the door, Zhong Yun let out a long breath. He had stepped out to handle one matter, only to get entangled in this kind of complication.

P: Begging shamelessly for votes.