At six o'clock in the afternoon, Saint Night High School let out.
When the students walked out of the school gates, their eyes lit up—because the open space outside was covered with fiery red roses, arranged in a giant heart shape. Behind the heart, eight black luxury cars were parked in a straight line, each with a chauffeur in formal attire and white gloves standing in front.
In front of the heart stood a tall, handsome young man, a slightly wicked smile on his lips, dressed in an expensive white suit and holding a bouquet of roses. With his striking looks and upright posture, he was the very picture of a prince on a white horse.
He’s about to confess his love!
How romantic!
Countless girls had hearts in their eyes. If only I were the one he was confessing to, they thought, while their curiosity burned—who exactly was this prince on a white horse going to confess to?
The prince on a white horse was Justin Nangong, only son of the Nangong Family, and Riverstone City’s number one rich playboy.
Ordinary people might not know the Nangong Family, but anyone with a bit of social awareness knew they were Riverstone City’s local emperors—when they spoke, even the party secretary and mayor gave them face.
And as the Nangong Family’s only male heir, Justin Nangong was showered with endless affection—whatever he wanted, he got.
The Nangong Family’s power gave Justin Nangong an unbreakable shield, making him unbelievably arrogant and lawless. He preyed on women, got into fights, did drugs, raced cars through the city, and even beat up policemen—he’d done all of it, more than once.
These feats built his reputation—and his infamy.
Any decent-looking girl with a shred of sense would go out of her way to avoid him. If a woman caught his eye, she could only blame her bad luck.
Of course, while Young Master Nangong was famous in Riverstone City, the girls at Saint Night High School didn’t recognize him at all. Instead, they saw him as a prince on a white horse. If they knew the truth, none would dare stand around swooning—they’d have bolted long ago.
Zach Zhang stood with his hands in his pockets among the crowd. As a rich kid himself, he knew exactly what kind of person Justin Nangong was. It wasn’t his business, so he usually stayed out of it—but now he was curious: who had the Nangong Family set their sights on? Or rather, who was about to have a very bad day?
Justin Nangong was notorious for being utterly heartless. When chasing women, he pulled out all the stops; once he got bored, he’d toss the girl to his hangers-on to play with.
Several women, unable to bear the humiliation, either jumped to their deaths or killed themselves. But the Nangong Family was so powerful that none of it made the slightest dent in Justin’s life.
"The leading lady is here."
Someone called out, just as Justin Nangong stepped forward with his bouquet. It was obvious—his target had appeared.
It’s Teacher Hannah Han!
Zach Zhang’s face went pale. He never imagined the woman Justin Nangong wanted was actually Teacher Hannah Han.
All the students in Class 9 had a great impression of Hannah Han—she was beautiful, gentle, and treated every student with care, even considering them friends. It was no wonder so many boys secretly had a crush on her.
Although Zach Zhang was focused on chasing Zoey Su, he also liked Teacher Hannah Han. Now that she had become Justin Nangong’s target, he felt extremely uncomfortable—mostly, though, he was worried for her.
He knew that if she fell into Justin Nangong’s hands, her whole life would be ruined.
He really wanted to step in, but didn’t have the guts. The Zhang Family might be rich in the eyes of ordinary people, but compared to the Nangongs, they were nothing—the Nangongs had money and power.
Justin Nangong’s eldest uncle was a lieutenant general and deputy commander of the Southland Military Region, and his second uncle was governor of Tianhe State.
The Yanhuang Republic was vast, divided into thirty-three states, and each governor was the highest administrative official in their state.
Justin Nangong’s father, Nathan Nangong, was neither a soldier nor an official, but his influence was just as great—he was president of the Xuanwu Group, the Nangong Family’s business empire.
The Xuanwu Group was loaded—its total assets reportedly exceeded 500 billion, making it one of the top ten conglomerates in the Yanhuang Republic. Rumor had it Nathan Nangong had even met the nation’s head of state.
But let’s set aside Zach Zhang’s complicated feelings for now.
At this moment, Justin Nangong was already in front of Hannah Han, holding out the bouquet with a gentle smile and a look of deep affection. "Beautiful Miss Sasha, please accept my feelings," he said.
A flash of panic crossed Hannah Han’s eyes. She barely knew Justin Nangong—they’d only met once. She never expected him to track her down at school, let alone make such a grand display. The whole thing terrified her.
"I’m sorry, Mr. Nangong, but I can’t accept your flowers."
Justin Nangong just smiled, unfazed. "It’s fine. I’ve reserved a table at a restaurant—their food is really authentic. May I invite you to dinner?"
He loved the thrill of chasing women—but what he enjoyed even more was seeing their despair after he discarded them.
"I’m sorry, Mr. Nangong, I really can’t accept. I have matters at home, so I’ll have to excuse myself now!" Hannah Han said, stepping around Justin Nangong to leave.
Seeing this, Justin Nangong’s face darkened slightly. He stepped forward to block Hannah Han’s path. "Miss Sasha, if you embarrass me like this in front of everyone, you’re putting me in a tough spot."
"Please, Mr. Nangong, let me go," Hannah Han pleaded, fear growing in her eyes. She knew exactly what kind of person Justin was—one of her close friends had been destroyed by him, driven mad by the torment.
That was precisely why she dared not give Justin Nangong even the slightest chance—she refused to end up like her friend.
Justin Nangong licked his lips, a wicked expression spreading across his face. He liked Hannah’s pitiful look. "Miss Sasha, I’m a man who cares about face. If you reject me in front of so many people, where am I supposed to put my pride? Now, I’m giving you two choices: get in the car willingly, or I’ll have my men carry you in."
"Mr. Nangong, I’m begging you!" Hannah Han’s voice was on the verge of tears.
Just then, a sudden voice rang out: "Hello, Young Master Nangong."
Justin Nangong turned, fixing the newcomer with a cold stare. He spat out a single word: "Scram!"
Zach Zhang’s face went pale, but he forced himself to speak: "Young Master Nangong, my father is Daniel Zhang. We met at a banquet before. Could you please not make things difficult for Teacher Hannah Han?"
Smack!
Justin Nangong slapped him hard, leaving five bright red finger marks on Zach Zhang’s face.
"I hate being interrupted when I’m picking up girls. You have three seconds to disappear from my sight."
Humiliated, Zach Zhang clenched his fists and bit his lip, but still didn’t have the courage to fight Justin Nangong. He gave Hannah Han an apologetic look and turned away.
"Have you made up your mind?" Justin Nangong smiled at Hannah Han, who now looked utterly hopeless.
"No, I won’t go with you. Mr. Nangong, please stop forcing me, or I’ll call the police!" As she spoke, Hannah Han took out her phone to dial.
Smack!
Justin Nangong slapped Hannah Han’s phone out of her hand, then snapped his fingers. Two men in black suits and sunglasses appeared and bowed respectfully to him. "Young Master, your orders?"
"Escort Miss Sasha to the car."
"Yes, sir."
"No! I don’t want to get in the car!" Hannah Han twisted away and tried to run back toward the school, but the two bodyguards were faster. They caught up, grabbed her arms, and started dragging her toward the gate.
"Let go of me! Let go! I’m not going with you! Help!" Hannah Han struggled desperately.
Ian Song had just finished cleaning the classroom and was heading toward the school gate when he suddenly heard Hannah Han’s terrified screams. Looking up, he saw—just dozens of meters away—two men dragging her toward the gate.