Roxana High School was an unremarkable school in the city of Sinaia, with fewer than a hundred students in total. It was an ordinary school with ordinary teachers and ordinary students, just like the snowy winter outside—monotonous and unremarkable.

  The first time Baili Weibu met him was on the rooftop of the main teaching building.

  She had skipped css. The chalkboard filled with formus and numbers, the math teacher spitting words everywhere, made her feel drowsy.

  On an autumn afternoon, hiding on the roof to soak up the sun was a nice little escape. Baili Weibu propped herself up with her hands, squinting up at the sky, her feet dangling over the railing, enjoying the sway of the breeze.

  "The wind blows, and you'll fall off."

  At some point, a tall figure had appeared beside her, blocking the sunlight from the side. The sudden voice was gentle, but it still startled her. The iPod earbuds, lodged firmly in her ears, were yanked loose when she turned her head quickly.

  "Don't worry, I'm not here to catch you skipping css," the person beside her said with a smile. His eyes, framed by well-shaped double eyelids, sparkled with a watery, ke-like glow. His thin lips curled into a slightly mischievous and charming arc.

  He was Chinese, or at least looked to be of East Asian descent. No older than twenty, standing well over 180 cm, dressed in a well-tailored white shirt and jeans, with a light blue patterned sweater casually draped over his shoulders. His bck hair, naturally wavy and reaching his neck, had a few strands of golden-red hidden within. Under the sunlight, the contrast of his understated bck hair with the bright gold hints was perfectly banced.

  He stood at the edge of the rooftop, tall and steady, speaking fluent, native Chinese.

  Baili Weibu had never known there were other Chinese people at her school, aside from herself.

  "Who are you?" She quickly pulled her feet back, scrambling to her feet and gring at him warily.

  "Your gaze looks like you're staring at a kidnapper," he said, turning and taking a step closer, fixing his gaze on her. "Do I look that terrifying?"

  "All well-dressed beasts look good!" Baili Weibu blurted out, retreating as she spoke. "Who are you? Stop! Don't come any closer! I′ll scream for help!"

  The man ignored her, and instead, took a quick step forward, unexpectedly grabbing her arm. With a gentle tug, she collided with his warm, broad chest.

  Baili Weibu froze for a moment, then yelled, "Pervert!" Immediately, she shoved him away, her face turning as red as a tomato.

  "Being a pervert is better than watching you throw something from a high pce," he said, unbothered. His dark eyes were filled with obvious tolerance. He gestured toward her back with a subtle tilt of his head. "Take a look for yourself."

  Baili Weibu turned back warily and saw that the railing behind her had a gap she hadn’t noticed. If she had taken one more step back, she would have really been at risk of falling from the height.

  "You... I..." She wanted to say "thank you," but the words wouldn't come out. If it weren't for him suddenly showing up, she would probably still be comfortably basking in the sun.

  "My name is Cen Kaiwen, but everyone calls me Kevin. I just arrived from China, pnning to attend Roxana. Today, I′m here to handle some paperwork and thought I′d take a look around," he said, extending a friendly hand to her. "What's your name? We'll be cssmates soon."

  Baili Weibu let out a relieved sigh, her expression softening. "You′re right. There′s plenty of beautiful scenery around here. Why come to this shabby rooftop? I'm Baili Weibu."

  "A rare surname," Kevin said with mild surprise, then smiled, adding, "But you're really cute."

  "Is there any necessary connection between a surname and being cute?" Baili Weibu thought to herself, feeling a little baffled by his random comment. But being called cute in such a sincere way was always a pleasant thing.

  Gncing at the time, Baili Weibu stuck out her tongue, waved her hand at him, and said, "Alright, go ahead and look around. I need to head back. Since we’re both Chinese, I′ll let this incident slide today. If you need help from a fellow countryman, come find me." Then she quickly turned and went downstairs.

  Cen Kaiwen smiled as he watched her hurriedly leave, but the smile quickly faded and disappeared from his face in just a short moment.

  He walked silently to the edge of the rooftop, gazing out at the distant mountain range, and spoke into the air, "I've found her. Reaction speed: zero. Resistance level: zero. Lethality: zero. A completely unawakened hunter."

  The sunlight gradually dimmed, and the wind blew against his face, pushing his messy hair aside. A golden S-shaped mark glowed faintly on his forehead, hidden beneath his hair.

  A depth that seemed out of pce for his age, even a touch of weariness, cast an aura over every line of his figure, making him seem like a completely different person from just moments ago.

  He took a deep breath and, without hesitation, leaped off the rooftop.