Huaze Lei chose not to drive himself and instead followed Lin Mei—his wife, as he now insisted on calling her.
Every time that word left his lips, Lin Mei couldn't help but blush. It was inevitable.
Huaze Lei was a passionate man. He wanted to show the world his love openly and unapologetically. But Lin Mei was more cautious.
She knew very well that, given the difference in their backgrounds, people would label her as a white lotus who seduced him, while he would be painted as a rich playboy surrounded by countless women. In their eyes, she would be nothing more than another name on his long list—and the rumors about his "condition" would remain just that: rumors.
That was why Lin Mei wanted to become famous first.
She wanted to graduate, stand on her own merits, and only then openly say she was married to Huaze Lei.
What she didn't know was that Huaze Lei understood her thoughts perfectly.
That was precisely why he agreed to keep their marriage hidden—for now.
But that didn't mean he was doing nothing.
He had already started his quiet strategy: informing his close friends, showing his face when necessary, and even changing his contact photo on her phone to one clearly labeled:
Husband – Huaze Lei
Huaze Lei was not joking.
He entered this marriage to stay.
And he knew that once people learned who Lin Mei's husband truly was, no one would dare bother her again.
"Wife, we're here," he said softly. "Give me a kiss, and I'll let you go."
"No," Lin Mei replied immediately.
He turned to the driver. "Xiao, let's go back to the company."
"Wait!" she blurted out. "Fine, I'll give you a kiss."
She leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.
"Muah. Go with God."
Huaze Lei smiled, thoroughly satisfied.
"Bye, baby. Have a good day. See you tonight. Don't forget to call me."
Lin Mei walked across the campus, her heart still beating fast, when she spotted her best friend, Shen Fei, rushing toward her.
"Mei! Is it true?" Shen Fei asked excitedly. "You're married to Huaze Lei?"
Lin Mei's eyes widened.
"How do you know who I married? Weren't you only supposed to know that I'm married?"
"Well, he introduced himself," Shen Fei replied matter-of-factly. "And then he sent a huge photo of the two of you together. How could I not recognize him? Not to mention the diamond on your finger—if not him, who would buy that?"
She snorted.
"Certainly not that traitor Feng Zhen. Everyone already knows he cheated on you with your sister. Now they're parading around as the 'official couple,' as if she was never the other woman. That woman really has nerve."
Then she leaned closer.
"But back to the point—it's really true, right? You didn't deny it. And it happened yesterday, didn't it?"
"That's… a long story," Lin Mei admitted.
"I want to hear it. Come on, spill."
...
"And that's how I ended up married," Lin Mei finished.
Shen Fei stared at her for a few seconds.
"Wow. That really was a long story," she said, then clapped her hands together. "Alright, Mrs. Huaze, do you have time before meeting your husband again?"
"That depends. What is it?"
"An audition—for the lead role."
Lin Mei froze.
"You know we agreed to start auditioning in our second year. We're already nineteen," Shen Fei continued excitedly. "I auditioned and got the role of the second female lead in this drama."
She sighed lightly.
"The director said I wasn't suitable for the female lead—not because I lack skill, but because I couldn't convey the emotion he wanted. He wants someone who has been betrayed, someone who cried bitterly, someone who wants revenge."
Her gaze sharpened.
"He said the emotion must be raw, alive, and filled with contempt. That's why I was cast as the protagonist's sister—the one who despises the traitorous couple and treats them like trash."
Shen Fei took Lin Mei's hands.
"Mei, you lived through this. I saw it in your eyes when you told me what they did—the pain, the anger, the desire for revenge."
She smiled slowly.
"And the best part? Your sister auditioned too."
Lin Mei's fingers tightened.
"She got the role of the other woman—the lover."
Shen Fei's voice softened but carried conviction.
"If you want revenge, take it the right way. Take revenge through your performance. Take revenge by showing the world who she really is."
Lin Mei took a deep breath.
"What time is the audition?"
"Four p.m."
"I'm going," Lin Mei said firmly. "Wish me luck."