But no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find the little fairy. Who knew where she had gone?
Just as he was feeling uneasy, a group of young men from the Beijing circle approached him, chattering excitedly.
"Mr. Fan, you're so mean! We heard that the adopted daughter the Shen family's old madam brought back is your fiancée, but you never told us she enrolled at Tsinghua University—and she even made it into the top ten of the Tsinghua University beauty list."
"Mr. Fan, is your fiancée so beautiful that you're hiding her from us?"
"We know every beauty in the Beijing circle, but not your fiancée. Hurry up and take us to Tsinghua University so we can see her."
"What?"
Fan Jun's brows furrowed. He didn't want anything to do with that so-called Harley Quinn. She had the audacity to reveal her engagement to him and even claim to be his fiancée. How shameless!
She even made it into the top ten of the Tsinghua beauty list?
More like the top ten of the Tsinghua joke list.
Fan Jun immediately stood, snatched up the keys to his sports car, and said coldly, "Since you're all so eager to see her, I'll take you."
He hadn't even bothered to pick up that harlequin from the Shen family at the airport that day. Today, he was going to humiliate her and end the engagement in front of everyone.
…
When school ended, students began streaming out of their classrooms.
Several flashy Ferraris screeched to a halt at the school gate. Fan Jun and his group swaggered in, drawing instant attention.
"Where's Su Ci?" Fan Jun barked, his tone arrogant. "Tell her to come out and see me!"
It was rush hour, so naturally, a crowd gathered. Lu Yao had already left, having gone to smooth things over with Nathaniel Fu, but Ning Xiner stayed behind, eager to watch the drama unfold.
"Jun, you're here! Looking for Su Ci?" Ning Xiner's smile was bright and mocking.
Several of the Beijing circle young men piped up, "Yes, we heard Mr. Fan's fiancée made it into the top ten of the campus beauty list. She must be a stunning beauty. We can't wait to see her."
"Pfft."
Ning Xiner and her classmates burst into laughter.
"What are you laughing at?" the Beijing youths frowned.
"You've all been fooled," Ning Xiner sneered. "That Su Ci isn't a beauty at all—she's a clown."
The Rocket Class students chimed in quickly, "Yeah, Su Ci has a long scar running down the right side of her cheek. It's hideous."
"How is that possible?" one of the Beijing youths asked, clearly skeptical. "If she's really that ugly, how could she rank in the top ten beauties of the school?"
"If you don't believe me," Ning Xiner smirked, "come with me to Class 28." She strutted toward the classroom with the others in tow.
…
Inside Class 28, Celia was quietly packing her books when Zuo Ming, Li Yuting, and a few classmates rushed over, their faces pale.
"Cici, bad news!" Zuo Ming gasped. "Ning Xiner, Young Master Fan, and a whole group of Beijing elites are headed this way!"
"Student Su, we'll cover you—slip out the back door while you can!"
Everyone urged her to escape.
But Celia only sat calmly, her beautiful eyes glimmering with quiet intelligence. "I'm not leaving."
"Su, why aren't you leaving? Do you want to get slapped in the face?" Zuo Ming was frantic.
Celia gave him a faint smile. "Class Leader Zuo, you're half right. I am waiting to get slapped in the face… but not by them. They're the ones who'll be slapped."
Her words left everyone baffled.
"What do you mean by that, Su?"
Celia lifted her brows slightly. "Does anyone have a makeup remover pad?"
"I do!" Li Yuting scrambled to pull one out of her makeup bag. "Cici, what do you need that for?"
"Makeup removal."
Celia took the pad and pressed it to her cheek. Slowly, she wiped away the scar that had haunted her for so long.
The thick, jagged line disappeared.
Under the harsh fluorescent light, flawless skin emerged—smooth and pale as porcelain. Her features sharpened into breathtaking perfection: bright, clear eyes; a straight, delicate nose; soft, rose-colored lips.
She looked like she had stepped straight out of a painting.
The classroom went utterly silent.
The Beijing youths froze, jaws slack. "This… this is Mr. Fan's fiancée?"
Ning Xiner's mocking laughter caught in her throat. Her face stiffened, the smile collapsing as though she had been slapped in public.
Even Zuo Ming and Li Yuting gaped in awe. They had always thought Celia was beautiful despite the scar, but now… now she was dazzling beyond words.
Celia set the used pad aside, then raised her head slowly. Her gaze swept across the crowd, cool and unyielding.
"Didn't you all want to see a joke?" Her voice was calm, almost indifferent, yet it carried a razor's edge. "Well, the joke's standing right in front of you."
Gasps rippled through the room.
Fan Jun's face darkened instantly. What he thought would be Celia's humiliation had flipped into his own disgrace. The boys beside him looked between Celia and Fan Jun in disbelief, murmuring, "Jun, you're crazy… hiding a fiancée like this? She's more beautiful than half the starlets we know!"
Heat surged up Fan Jun's neck, his pride burning.
And Celia… deep inside, she felt a fierce calm settle over her chest. For so long, she had endured whispers and ridicule. Now the truth stood naked before them all.
If they had come to trample her dignity, then she would let them choke on their own shame instead.