Roi des rêves

Chapitre 1

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December 24th, Christmas Eve, at the Cheng residence.

A brightly decorated Christmas tree stood tall on the right side of the spacious living room, its base piled high with beautifully wrapped gifts. Not far from the tree, a large oak table was laden with platters of fragrant, mouthwatering delicacies. The heavenly strains of Christmas carols mingled with the soft laughter and clinking of glasses—everything about the room felt so relaxed and joyful.

Except for one person.

To be precise, it was a little girl, about seven or eight years old, who was squatting under the Christmas tree.

She had naturally curly hair like a porcelain doll, with soft, shiny strands tied into a princess hairstyle with a pink ribbon and casually draped behind her head. Her pink dress, matching the ribbon, made her look as charming and adorable as a little princess. Of course—if her bright eyes were sparkling with laughter instead of rolling them, and if her pink lips were smiling instead of pouting enough to hang a wine bottle, she would be a hundred times more adorable.

Of course she was dissatisfied, and she had every reason to be angry!

Her father had promised her that he would spend Christmas Eve alone with her and her mother this year. Why did so many unrelated people suddenly appear at her house, ruining the happy time that her family could have enjoyed alone? She hated the aunt who smiled like a turkey and looked at her father with such ill intent. She also hated the uncle with the cunning look in his eyes as he gazed at her mother with such a strange and profound look. She hated even more those strangers who always pretended to be kind and touched her cheeks, giving her goosebumps all over!

She hated today, hated Christmas, hated everything in front of her—

"Huh? There's such a big doll here!"

A crisp sound, like the clear call of a newly hatched oriole, rang out as her hair was yanked without any mercy, causing her scalp to throb painfully.

"What are you doing!" Cheng Yongxin—the young lady of this mansion—turned around in utter displeasure, glaring at the reckless fellow who dared to pull her hair. How dare this man! He actually dared to pull the young lady's hair!

"The baby can talk! How advanced!" The "culprit" couldn't hide his surprise.

Cheng Yongxin angrily climbed up from under the Christmas tree, raised her head and glared at the idiot who was unaware that his death was imminent—a boy who was about the same age as her, wearing a well-fitting suit, and had a handsome and cute appearance—but that was no longer the point!

"I...say...I...am...not...a...baby!!"

"Brother, brother, come quick! I've found a talking doll!"

The little boy seemed oblivious to Cheng Yongxin's protests, and continued to call out to his older brother with a joyful expression, wanting to share his amazing discovery with him.

Cheng Yongxin's face fell, but she, who always admired the elegance of a lady, decided to repeat herself with grace once more.

"I already said I won't..."

Before she could finish speaking, Miss Cheng's eyes widened suddenly, and the remaining half of her sentence was swallowed back down her throat.

Your Highness...

In fairy tales, there's a prince who rides a white horse to pick up the princess...

Yes, that's for sure! Only a prince could have such an elegant and charming smile, such refined manners, and only a prince from a fairy tale could wear such a white, almost mournful suit with such extraordinary and unique style...

"What's wrong, Xiao Zhe?" Her "Prince" chuckled and patted the head of the "culprit" from before.

Wow, even the prince's voice is so nice! He's absolutely perfect! Awesome... Wait a minute! What did that guy call the prince again?

elder brother--?

Miss Cheng Yongxin's face immediately darkened. He, they—His Highness the Prince and that annoying guy are...brothers?! This is like heaven and earth, there's no comparison at all!

"Brother, doesn't she look like a wooden doll, always staring blankly?"

What?! First they said she was like a doll, and now they dare call her dull! This guy—oh no, she has to maintain her ladylike demeanor in front of the prince! Although—she really wanted to give that ungrateful jerk a good beating!

"Your Highness" chuckled softly, his smile as gentle and clear as the melting snow in early spring. Wow—so charming!

"Xiao Zhe, she's the eldest daughter of the Cheng family, how could you say that to her? Yongxin, don't be angry, Xiao Zhe didn't mean it."

Wow! Wow! His Highness actually knows her name! And he even calls her—Yongxin!! For the first time in her life, she's realized how beautiful her name actually is!

As for that annoying guy—forget it! Considering His Highness the Prince pleaded for him, she'll spare his life!

"N-no, it's okay." She gently touched her face with her little hand. Oh dear—she was so nervous talking to His Highness the Prince!

"Your Highness" smiled again, gently stroking her soft, lustrous hair. "Then, Yongxin, would you like to come with us for a meal?"

"Brother, no..."

“Okay!” Cheng Yongxin smiled sweetly, and the little boy’s protest was immediately rendered “invalid” and received no support or response.

"Then let's go over there."

"Your Highness" gently took her hand and led her to the dining table.

Oh, her heart was pounding! And her face was so red and hot—that's how it is when a princess meets a prince in fairy tales, in fairy tales, princesses always fall in love with princes… So—so… she must have fallen in love with a prince too, that must be it!

My mom always says that you have to take control of your relationship, and the sooner you make a move, the more likely you are to succeed—although I don't really understand what "making a move" means yet, who cares! I've already made up my mind!

Under the warm orange light, Cheng Yongxin's big eyes sparkled like the brightest stars in the night sky.

She vowed to marry a prince when she grew up! And she meant it!

A tragic relationship

If you were to ask who the most popular, eye-catching, and near-perfect person is at Yuluo Girls' High School, the most famous girls' high school in City C, any student would tell you that it is none other than their student council president, Cheng Yongxin.

This is not an exaggeration, but a fact.

Cheng Yongxin is truly outstanding. Leaving aside her prestigious family background as the sole heir to the Cheng Group, and setting aside her sweet yet sophisticated appearance… just considering her individual qualities…

She excelled academically, consistently ranking among the top students—her grades almost never fell out of the top five in her grade.

She has a grade 8 piano and a grade 7 guzheng, and has also won the runner-up in a national competition.

Unlike the naivety of girls her age, she is mature and composed in her dealings with others, and makes decisive and swift decisions.

Even the theorem that girls with good grades are bound to be bad at sports doesn't apply to her at all; she's just as good as everyone else in sports. Generally speaking, girls tend to be jealous and ostracize those who are at a similar level to themselves, and the ones who can truly impress them must be those who are outstanding in ways they can't match. So, it's not surprising that Cheng Yongxin became the first girl in the history of Youluo Girls' High School to become the student council president in her first year of high school.

"Senior Sister Yongxin, Senior Sister Yongxin—"

Hearing someone call her name, the tall girl walking ahead stopped in her tracks. Her soft, naturally curly hair seemed to possess a spirit, waving over her shoulders as she paused, revealing her flawless face beneath. Her bright, clear eyes curved slightly, and her cherry-red lips curved into a gentle smile—a smile just right. It didn't make her appear arrogant because of her stunning looks, nor did it seem fake or insincere because of its subtlety. It was just a gentle smile, not too bright, not too cold, just perfect, making her seem very approachable and humble.

Senior Sister Yongxin is always so beautiful and elegant, no matter when you look at her.

The junior schoolmate stared blankly at that beautiful face beaming with smiles, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"Is there something you need?" Cheng Yongxin asked gently with a smile, looking at the junior schoolmate who was staring at her in a daze.

Ah—even your voice is so perfect, senior!

The junior student sighed once again, her heart filled with admiration.

"Is something the matter?" Cheng Yongxin asked again, his good nature evident.

"...Yes, yes!" Suddenly realizing what she'd said, the junior student blushed and stammered, "Th-that...last time the student council asked us to collect...collect student statistics reports, and my class...we've already collected them all..."

"Really?" Cheng Yongxin took the report presented by the young girl with both hands, and smiled elegantly and gently again. "Thank you."

"N-It's okay!"

"Then I'll be going now, thank you for your trouble." With a gentle nod, Cheng Yongxin turned and gracefully departed with elegant and confident steps, her demeanor as refined as the famous lines from Xu Zhimo's "Saying Goodbye to Cambridge Again"—"Gently I leave, just as gently I came; gently I wave my hand, bidding farewell to the western clouds..."

The younger schoolgirl was left staring at her departing figure with a look of adoration in her eyes—

"Senior Yongxin is truly outstanding; I doubt anyone in the school could compare to her!"

"Yes, she's so outstanding, yet she's so kind to people. She doesn't have any of the airs of a rich heiress at all."

"I think she's absolutely perfect... I never imagined there could be such a perfect person in the world—she's practically flawless!"

...

With a faint smile on her face, Cheng Yongxin took in all the whispers along the way. When she arrived at the student council office and closed the door, she could no longer suppress her laughter and burst into wild laughter. Her laughter was as arrogant as that of the scheming stepmother queen in Snow White. It was hard to believe that this was the same gentle and quiet girl from before.

Hehehe—hard work pays off! So, in everyone's eyes, she really has reached near perfection? Her nearly ten years of hellish, arduous effort have truly been worthwhile!

Cheng Yongxin picked up the photo frame that had always been on her desk with fascination. The photo frame contained a picture of a young man—clearly taken secretly, because the man in the photo was not looking at the camera, but he still maintained his demeanor, being refined and composed.

She stared intently at the man in her eyes—Jiang Chenjun, the eldest son and heir of the Jiang Group, whom she had fallen for at first sight when she was eight years old.

For the sake of her most perfect brother Jiang, she has gone to great lengths over the past nine years.

He studied diligently because Brother Jiang had excellent grades and had always been number one since childhood.

He was vying for the position of student council president because Brother Jiang was also the student council president during his student days and was highly regarded.

He put a lot of effort into learning the piano and guzheng—because Brother Jiang can play the violin and has even won awards in international competitions.

She relentlessly practiced sports she had never been good at—partly because Brother Jiang was so perfectly good at even sports… To become a suitable woman to match Brother Jiang, she had already put in far more effort than most people could imagine.

With her index finger lightly tapping the cheek of the man in her photo, Cheng Yongxin smiled with unparalleled confidence and assurance: "...Wait another year, just one more year, and I will absolutely—marry into the Jiang family!!"

"Please! You're only eighteen next year, can you even get married?!"

The door was kicked open without ceremony, and a tall and slender figure appeared in the doorway.

"Stop with that infatuated face! I really want those people who idolize you to see your true colors!" Cheng Yongxin's best friend and sports minister, Fang Yu, frowned, unable to bear it any longer.

She knew it! She knew it!!

She had a bad feeling when she heard the unusual burst of laughter coming from the office in the hallway. It was probably Cheng Yongxin, the student council president whom everyone admired, swooning over her crush again! It was hard to believe that the girl laughing so wildly and without any regard for her image was the same person as the girl who was rumored to be so elegant and perfect!

Cheng Yongxin quickly concealed her smug and arrogant smile, as if everything just now was an illusion. Instead, she put on a sweet and cloyingly beautiful face: "Xiaoyu, you're back!"

"It's too late to make amends now," Fang Yu said irritably, hooking his foot over a chair and sitting down sloppily, glancing at her sideways. "Can't you tone down your two-faced personality a little?"

"If she could change, she would have done so long ago. Why wait until now?" A clear, elegant female voice casually replied as a quiet girl wearing glasses walked in carrying a large stack of documents.

“Xiaoying—” Cheng Yongxin glared at her two friends with extremely resentful eyes, “How could you say that too!”

It's all Fang Yu's fault! She's always been sharp-tongued, and she's even corrupted the gentlest and cutest Xiao Ying along with her—

"It's not that even I'm saying this, it's just that I really can't stand you anymore." Ignoring her pitiful gaze, Su Ying walked straight past Cheng Yongxin and placed the large stack of documents she was carrying on the table.

Indeed, the young lady Cheng Yongxin, admired by countless younger girls at Youluo Girls' High School, respected by her peers, and praised by her older sisters, is actually a true "two-faced person" at heart. She has two faces, speaking one way to one person and another way to another. No wonder she is a Gemini with type AB blood; her personality is thoroughly split. Yet, all the teachers and students at Youluo Girls' High School are captivated by her Mona Lisa smile, which is so deceptive that no one knows the evil nature of this two-faced woman except for the two of them. As a result, Cheng Yongxin has been able to carry out this duality so skillfully until now—it seems like an injustice!

"Oh, don't say that! Besides Brother Jiang, I love you all the most!" Cheng Yongxin smiled sweetly, looking exceptionally pure and innocent. Her gentle smile was like the pure and beautiful smile of an angel. As she smiled, hundreds of lilies bloomed behind her as a backdrop, making even the most angry person instantly vanish.

How cunning! They always use this trick—

Fang Yu and Su Ying exchanged a helpless glance, then sighed in unison.

They may have said all that, and they may have scolded her, but haven't they always been there to protect her secrets and maintain her perfect image? This girl clearly has them cornered. Sigh—

Seeing their helpless expressions, Cheng Yongxin's smile deepened. She turned to Fang Yu and asked, "Xiao Yu, didn't you go to the South China Expo next door for a meeting? What did you talk about at the meeting today?"

Nanzhan High School is the only all-boys school in the city, and also the only high school in the city that dares to challenge Youluo. It's one thing that their levels of excellence are comparable, but the main reason is that the two schools are located just across the street from each other—Nanzhan is right across the street from Youluo. The two schools inevitably fall into a clichéd position—competing openly and covertly for many years, and never speaking to each other again.