Shi Lan wasn’t about to go back so soon. After all, she had taken five days off, and it was only the second day.

At 8:00 AM on the third day of her break, the school sent out a message reminding everyone to gather in the plaza hall at 12:00 PM.

Shi Lan got ready early, finishing lunch with Jiang Yan a little after eleven before heading to the hall.

The Imperial Capital School’s graduation ceremony was exceptionally lively. Though it was still half an hour before noon, the plaza hall was already packed with people.

On this day, the rest of the student body had the day off. Only the graduating students were present, and their parents were invited to witness the ceremony, so it was a packed house.

The plaza seating was divided into a student section and a parent section. Shi Lan didn’t rush to sit down, instead waiting under a banner to the side.

Jiang Yan asked curiously, "Are you waiting for someone?"

She didn’t ask directly if it was family; Jiang Yan knew Shi Lan was an orphan.

Shi Lan nodded. "Yeah, a friend. He said he’ll be here in two minutes."

The words were barely out of her mouth when, before Jiang Yan could ask if the friend was male or female, a handsome man about 190cm tall with short black hair and dressed in casual clothes approached. Jiang Yan silently shot Shi Lan a meaningful look.

Shi Lan knew she was getting the wrong idea but didn’t rush to explain. Instead, she waited for the man to approach and asked, "Are you Levito?"

Levito scratched his hair, a slight smile revealing a small canine tooth. "Ah, yeah. The Major General sent me over to protect you."

"Okay, thank you. I’ll only be here for a few days, so I’ll have to trouble you until then."

Shi Lan had originally intended to refuse He Hanshi’s help, but he then added, "I hear Capital Star hasn’t been very peaceful lately. It’s not safe for a female on her own. This is a much safer arrangement."

After hearing that, Shi Lan relented. ’It really is the safer option,’ she thought. ’Besides, I’m bound to run into the novel’s heroine here, and there’s no guarantee her followers won’t end up hurting innocent people again.’

Levito had spent years in the military and rarely interacted with females aside from military doctors. Now, standing so close to Shi Lan, a faint blush crept across his healthy, tanned face.

He quickly shook his head. "It’s no trouble, no trouble at all. It’s an honor to protect a female."

"Ooh, in that case, I need protection too."

Hearing this, Jiang Yan, who had been enjoying the show from the side, chimed in. At that moment, the two Beast Husbands who had been standing silently behind her pulled her into their arms from either side, protesting, "Yanyan, we can protect you too."

Now it was Shi Lan’s turn to watch the show, a smirk playing on her lips.

Jiang Yan coughed, her face turning a rare shade of red.

Once Levito had arrived, Shi Lan had him sit with Jiang Yan’s Beast Husbands in the parent section, while she and Jiang Yan took their seats in the female student area.

By noon, all the students were seated.

Shi Lan and Jiang Yan were seated in the third row, not too far forward or back. As she scanned the rows ahead, she immediately spotted two very familiar figures from behind. These two were so ingrained in the original owner’s memory that she could recognize them instantly, even just by their backs.

It was the novel’s heroine, Bai Rao, and its hero, Ye Yan.

For all four years of university, the original owner had harbored a secret crush on Ye Yan. As for the heroine, it was purely because she was the most outstanding female in the entire school. With her A-level spiritual power and a Fertility Value of 52—when the highest ever discovered was 60—she was the dream wife of nearly every male. Everyone said she was the only female qualified enough to marry a Prince of the Imperial Family, and was certain to produce an outstanding heir.

And Ye Yan was the Second Prince.

Therefore, in the original owner’s heart, the heroine and the Second Prince were destined to be a couple. Every time she saw the heroine, her own feelings of inferiority would deepen.

Even now, after so much time had passed, the sight of them seemed to stir the faint, residual sadness of the original owner within Shi Lan, leaving a strange, bitter ache in her heart.

She blinked, trying her best to ignore the discomfort.

Thankfully, she returned to her usual calm after only a moment.

Just then, the graduation ceremony officially began. The proceedings were quite conventional: first, a showcase of outstanding projects by top students, then student speeches, and finally, the dean’s address and the awarding of diplomas.

’I can’t believe we still get paper diplomas in this high-tech era,’ Shi Lan thought. ’Don’t they just check your spiritual power for jobs these days?’

She was thoroughly confused, but as it turned out, this was no ordinary graduation ceremony.

When the time came for the outstanding student speeches, she saw the heroine, Bai Rao, and the hero, Ye Yan, go up on stage together.

They each gave half of the speech. Then, at the end, Bai Rao and Ye Yan joined hands. Bai Rao announced the happy news, "To all our fellow students, parents, and teachers, it’s wonderful to be on stage at such a grand ceremony. I’m honored to announce a joyous event in my life: the Second Prince and I are officially engaged and will soon be discussing our wedding arrangements."

At her words, the audience burst into applause, and the media crews filming from Hovercars in the air all recorded the surprising moment.

The Imperial Family had previously announced they were searching for a suitable wife for the Second Prince, but no one expected a decision to be made so quickly.

Everyone looked at Bai Rao standing beside Ye Yan. While they were surprised by the speed of the announcement, it was also to be expected. After all, Bai Rao’s spiritual power and Fertility Value were both exceptionally high, and the Second Prince possessed S-class Spiritual Power and a Fertility Value of 45. A union between these two powerhouses was truly a perfect match.

Still, some couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret. If the Eldest Prince hadn’t suffered a spiritual power collapse, then as a powerhouse with Level 3S spiritual power, such an outstanding female would have been the most suitable match for him.

What a pity...

But for now, the various parents in attendance rushed to congratulate the Bai Family.

The Bai Family was not currently one of the Four Great Families, but with this union to the Royal Family, it seemed they now had a chance to enter their ranks.

At this thought, the crowd grew even more enthusiastic. Mrs. Bai raised her chin slightly and gave a reserved nod, while Mr. Bai beamed, his eyes crinkling into slits. He stole a glance at his wife and leaned in a little closer to her.

Seeing their daughter bring them such honor, Mrs. Bai allowed him to lean in without complaint.

Mr. Bai cast a smug glance toward the other Beast Husbands, successfully reaping a harvest of envious and jealous stares.

As Bai Rao and Ye Yan walked off stage hand in hand, Shi Lan understood. This wasn’t a graduation ceremony; it was a Royal Family press conference.

Seeing her staring intently at the stage, Jiang Yan leaned over and whispered worriedly, "Are you okay? You can lean on my shoulder if you’re sad."

Shi Lan shook her head. "I’m fine."

Jiang Yan wasn’t convinced. After all, Shi Lan’s crush on Ye Yan was an open secret among the females. Her feelings used to be so obvious; whenever Ye Yan appeared, her eyes would be glued to him.

Shi Lan smiled. "Don’t worry, it’s true. I don’t like him anymore."

"Really?"

Jiang Yan stared intently into her eyes, trying to tell if she was lying. But after a moment, she found Shi Lan’s gaze was too clear, so clear that it held no trace of romance, like the calm, waveless surface of a lake.

"That’s good, then."

She nodded dubiously, then after a moment, tried to comfort her. "Lanlan, this is for the best. If you ask me, the Second Prince can’t even compare to that Levito from today. He’s tall, handsome, can be both fierce and sweet, and he even has that little canine tooth."

"And take it from me, a male like that, in bed..."

"That’s enough!"

Jiang Yan was bold enough to say it, but Shi Lan didn’t dare listen, especially in such a public place. She’d already noticed several other females stealing glances in their direction.

"Fine..."

Jiang Yan pouted, looking as if she had more to say, but Shi Lan kept her mouth covered, not daring to let go.

Fortunately, the dean’s subsequent speech was brief and to the point. Soon, it was time for them to go on stage to receive their diplomas.

Females went first, then males, in groups of ten. Shi Lan and Jiang Yan were in the first group, lined up alongside the heroine.

Bai Rao’s gaze swept in their direction, lingering on Shi Lan’s face for a brief moment before casually moving away.