The afternoon sun painted golden streaks across Sunshine University's campus as students rushed toward the main lecture hall, their excited chatter filling the air like music.
"Oh my God, Li Jaesun is really coming here today!"
"I can't believe it! He's so young and already owns like half the world!"
"My cousin works at Li Group. She says he's absolutely gorgeous but super cold. Like, scary cold."
"I don't care if he's made of ice. Did you see that photo from the business magazine? I would totally let him freeze me to death!"
The girls giggled and squealed as they hurried past.
Ru Lan sat on the marble bench outside the administrative building, watching the parade of swooning students with pure annoyance. She checked her phone again and groaned.
Three hours. THREE WHOLE HOURS.
She'd been sitting here like some kind of delivery girl, waiting for this Mr. Smith to show up with documents that Uncle K claimed were "super important." The only reason she'd agreed to this nonsense was because he'd promised her his black card for a shopping spree with Ru Lei tomorrow.
"I'm a freaking Surgeon," she muttered to herself, "not a messenger service."
But even as she complained, she couldn't help but smile thinking about how her sister would react when she heard about this ridiculous day. Ru Lei would probably die laughing, especially when she found out that Ru Lan had spent her rare day-off playing errand girl.
What she didn't know was that her smile had just stopped traffic.
Li Jaesun (Jason) was having the worst day of his adult life.
He'd had Three board meetings and one very persistent grandfather who'd somehow guilt-tripped him into this university appearance by bringing up old promises and family honor.
"It's just one lecture, Jaesun," his grandfather had said with that innocent smile that always meant trouble. "You promised me when you returned to the country that you'd give back to the university someday. Besides, you need to get out more. Maybe you'll meet someone nice."
Meet someone nice. Jason almost snorted at the memory. His grandfather's latest obsession was finding him a wife, and every conversation lately ended with hints about "settling down" and "giving me great-grandchildren before I die."
Now here he was, walking toward the lecture hall with a small army of university executives fawning over him like he was some kind of nectar for the bees. The dean was practically vibrating with excitement, talking non-stop about the "honor" of having him speak to their business students.
"Mr. Li, sir, we've prepared a special reception afterward. The media will be there, and we've invited several prominent families. Perhaps you'd like to meet some of our most accomplished female graduates..."
Jason tuned out the rest. This was exactly the kind of setup his grandfather would love. He was already planning his escape route when something made him stop mid-stride.
A woman was sitting alone on a bench across the courtyard, and she was... stunning.
Not in the polished, desperate way of the socialites his grandfather kept throwing at him. She looked completely natural, her long dark hair catching the sunlight, her posture relaxed like she didn't have a care in the world. She was checking her phone with a slight frown, and when she looked up at the passing students, he caught a glimpse of the most beautiful green eyes he'd ever seen.
Then she smiled, apparently at some private thought, and Jason felt like he'd been struck by lightning.
What the hell?
He'd never believed in love at first sight. Hell, he'd never believed in love, period. But something about this woman made his chest tighten in a way that had nothing to do with his usual stress.
"Sir? Mr. Li?" His assistant's voice seemed to come from very far away. "Is everything alright?"
Jason barely heard him. The woman had stood up, and he realized she was even more gorgeous than he'd thought. She moved with a confidence that suggested she could handle herself in any situation, and there was something almost dangerous about the way she carried herself, even though she was wearing a combat-styke trousers and cropped top.
Before he could think better of it, he was walking toward her.
Minutes later, the elusive Mr. Smith finally emerged, balding, sweat-stained undershirt. He thrust a thin envelope at her with all the warmth of a dying fish.
"Dr. Ru Lan? Here's what your K requested. Sorry for the wait. Bureaucracy, you know how it is."
She snatched it, nodded curtly.
"No, I don't," she said flatly, already turning away.
Her patience was thinner than his hairline. All she wanted now was her bed, a dark room, and the next ten episodes of Bloodthirsty Lovers...
"Finally," she muttered, "I can get out of here and..."
"Excuse me."
The voice was deep, smooth, and did absolutely sinful things to her nervous system. She turned around and immediately forgot how to breathe.
The man standing in front of her was... there weren't words. Tall, broad-shouldered, with the kind of face that could only belong in the photograph on her bedside. His brown hair was roughly styled, his suit probably cost more than most people's cars, and his eyes seemed to be some vortex recklessly pulling her in.
But it wasn't just his looks that made her heart skip. There was something about the way he carried himself, confident, powerful, like he owned the world and everyone in it. This was a man who was used to getting whatever he wanted, whenever and however he wanted it.
Oh no.
She was staring. She was actually standing there with her mouth slightly open, staring at this stranger like some kind of starstruck teenager. This was not like her at all. She was always brilliant, composed, and unflappable. She had seen all kinds of beauties for crying out loud. She did not get flustered by pretty faces.
"Have we met before?" he asked, and even his voice was unfairly attractive.
The question snapped her back to reality. Know each other? She'd never seen this man before in her life, and she definitely would have remembered someone who looked like... well, like that.
"I'm pretty sure I'd remember meeting you," she said, proud that her voice came out steady despite the way her pulse was racing.
He stepped closer, and she caught a hint of his cologne, that made her want to lean in and breathe him in. Which was completely ridiculous and not happening.
"I'm Jason," he said, extending his hand. "Jason Li."
Jason Li.
The name hit her like a bucket of cold water. This was the business tycoon everyone had been gossiping about all day. The man these college girls were practically worshipping. Thesame "impossibly handsome" CEO she'd been rolling her eyes at for the past three hours.
And damn it, they'd been right. He really was impossibly handsome.
"Ru Lan," she heard herself say, taking his hand. The moment their skin touched, she felt a jolt of electricity that had nothing to do with static and everything to do with the way he was looking at her.
"Ru Lan," he repeated, like he was testing how her name tasted. "That's beautiful."
For a moment, they just stood there, hands still touching, staring at each other like the rest of the world had disappeared. She could feel herself getting lost in those dark eyes, could feel her carefully constructed walls starting to crumble...
Then reality crashed back in.
This was insane. She didn't know this man. She didn't do instant attraction or fairy-tale meetings or any of that romantic nonsense. She was someone who dealt in facts and logic, not... whatever this was.
"Well," she said, pulling her hand back and stepping away, "this has been... interesting. But I really need to go."
"Wait," he said, reaching out like he wanted to stop her. "I..."
"Look, Mr. Li," she interrupted, her voice taking on that cool, professional tone she used when she needed to distance herself from a situation. "I'm sure you're very sexy... I mean important and very busy, and I'm sure you're used to women falling all over themselves to talk to you. But I'm not one of those women, and I have places to be."
She turned to walk away, but couldn't resist throwing one last look over her shoulder.
"Maybe try the lecture hall. I hear there are plenty of girls there who would love to chat with the great Li Jaesun."
And with that, she walked away, leaving Jason standing there staring after her with his mouth slightly open, wondering what the hell had just happened and why he was already planning how to see her again.
Jason stood there long after she vanished into the crowd, his hand still tingling from where it had touched hers.
And for the first time in his carefully controlled life, he found himself already calculating just how far he'd have to go to make sure that wasn't the last time.