When Destiny Brings the Demon

Liao Tingyan had a boyfriend, Sima Jiao from Class 1 of Grade 11, but their relationship was unknown to others—a secret, underground romance.

Her boyfriend, Sima Jiao, was a figure who stood above the many school bullies. Even back in middle school, he had been the subject of countless rumors, and by high school, his reputation was just as formidable. If one were to call him a school bully, he wasn’t like those from Class 9 who smoked, drank, and stirred up trouble—regulars on the disciplinary list—but he was far more intimidating than those so-called bullies, enough to make people keep their distance.

Liao Tingyan was in Class 5 of Grade 11, and her classroom wasn’t in the same building as Class 1. The school had a U-shaped layout—Class 1 was on the left, Class 5 on the right, separated by the administrative offices in the middle.

At school, Liao Tingyan didn’t often get to see her secret boyfriend. They met more often during breaks when they were at home. She would often spend entire days at Sima Jiao’s place—aside from sleeping at night, she even had all three meals there. Officially, she went under the pretense of studying, but the truth was, the food at her boyfriend’s place was simply too good to resist.

Whether it was due to nearly a year of excellent meals or Sima Jiao’s aggressive cramming teaching method actually working, Liao Tingyan’s grades improved dramatically after entering Grade 11. Her teachers even talked to her about transferring her to Class 1.

Considering how rare such a transfer was, Liao Tingyan suspected this was likely Sima Jiao’s doing.

The big shot had money, power, and influence—arranging something like this was easy for him. He just had to pick the right timing and reason. Liao Tingyan thought to herself, He really went out of his way for this.

Unlike Sima Jiao, Liao Tingyan came from an ordinary family. Before dating the big shot, her grades had been average, her social circle unremarkable—she was just a middling student in her class. The kind who, even at future class reunions, most classmates would probably forget her name. Completely unnoticeable.

Now that she was suddenly transferring to Class 1, aside from her deskmate and the students sitting near her expressing some reluctance, most of her classmates were just curious—wondering how her grades had improved so quickly.

Liao Tingyan: …Because of love.

Class 1 was the top-tier class, filled with the highest-achieving students. Perhaps because of this, the atmosphere was always eerily quiet, with everyone speaking in hushed tones. Liao Tingyan hadn’t been to Class 1 many times before, but whenever she passed by, she noticed that even during breaks, it was much quieter than other classes.

But when she actually entered Class 1, she realized something was off. The students here were lifeless—unlike the relaxed vibe of Class 5 or the wild energy of Class 9.

First was the seating arrangement. After the homeroom teacher asked who was willing to be her deskmate, the classroom fell into a long, awkward silence. Not a single person spoke up. Some students kept reading, others continued writing—no one even acknowledged the question.

Liao Tingyan: "…" Wow, the elite class is this aloof?

Her gaze landed on the window seat with the best lighting, where her boyfriend seemed to be napping. There was an empty spot next to him, so she found herself an out. "Teacher, there’s an empty seat over there. I’ll sit there."

The moment she said this, nearly the entire class couldn’t help but look up at her, their expressions complex and strange—so subtle that Liao Tingyan wondered if they somehow knew she was dating the big shot.

"Teacher, let her sit next to me," a girl suddenly spoke up.Liao Tingyan glanced once more at her seemingly fast-asleep boyfriend and said, "Alright then."

She sat down next to the girl named Xiao Yu, who immediately lowered her voice to warn her, "You need to be careful in our class. Don’t provoke him or make any noise around him."

Liao Tingyan: "Him?" Surely she doesn’t mean my boyfriend.

Xiao Yu: "You were from Class Five before, right? Don’t you know him?" She quickly scribbled three characters on a piece of paper.

Liao Tingyan looked—"Sima Jiao"—yep, her boyfriend’s name.

The girl sitting in front of her also leaned over and sneered, "You’re really bold, wanting to sit next to him . When he wakes up and sees you, he’ll probably throw you out. If you piss him off, don’t even think about staying in Class One."

Xiao Yu added, "If you want to last long in Class One, the most important rule is silence. Don’t make noise when he’s sleeping, or something bad will happen."

Their grave tone made Liao Tingyan a little nervous. Wait, are they really talking about her boyfriend? Honestly, after dating him for half a year, she’d always thought he had a pretty good temper—nothing like a school tyrant. She hadn’t expected his classmates to be so afraid of him.

Playing along, she whispered, "What’s the deal with him?"

Xiao Yu gave her a look but didn’t answer aloud. Instead, she wrote on a small slip of paper and handed it to her. Liao Tingyan read: Rumor has it, someone once argued in front of him, and he grabbed them by the neck and threw them off the third floor. Their legs were broken.

Liao Tingyan: These kinds of school legends are usually unreliable, right? Probably.

After she finished reading, Xiao Yu took the note back, tore it up, and tossed it into the trash.

Liao Tingyan: This is way too exaggerated. Is Sima Jiao some kind of sleeping dragon? Do they really need to be this careful?

"You think we stay so quiet all the time for no reason? We barely even talk. It’s all because of him. If you disturb him and he gets angry, it’s terrifying."

Liao Tingyan finally realized—her new classmates weren’t being standoffish or disliking her. They were just traumatized by the sleeping dragon in the room. She also understood why Class One was always eerily silent whenever she passed by. It wasn’t some "elite student’s pride"—it was pure survival instinct.

Who would’ve thought? The students of Class One might look polished and impressive, but their living conditions were this harsh. As the dragon’s significant other, she even felt a little guilty.

Two classes passed in silence, and Liao Tingyan got along well with her new desk mate, including the sarcastic girl in front and the chubby bespectacled boy behind her. Her desk mate, in particular, was amazing at math. When Liao Tingyan asked for help with a problem, she received a detailed and patient explanation.

Compared to Sima Jiao’s "dragon roar" style of teaching, this girl was an absolute angel!

During the second break, the great Sima Jiao lifted his head from the desk. The moment he silently sat up, the classroom fell deathly quiet. Just as Liao Tingyan turned to look, her desk mate yanked her sleeve and hissed, "Don’t look!"

Startled, Liao Tingyan instinctively lowered her head like the others, staring at her textbook in silence.

Liao Tingyan: "..." Wait, why am I scared? At his house, I’ve thrown pillows at him, yanked his hair, and even slept on his back! Sima Jiao seemed like he hadn’t slept well, radiating irritation as he walked out of the dead-silent classroom with an expressionless face. One minute after he left, the entire classroom erupted into chaos, everyone’s voices finally returning to normal volume.

Liao Tingyan was stunned by the stark contrast, but her deskmate took it in stride. “You’ll get used to it. This is just normal for our class.”

Wow, you guys really have it rough, huh?

Sima Jiao didn’t return for third period. Before fourth period started, he walked into the classroom and headed straight for Liao Tingyan. She was working on a math problem when she noticed the sudden silence around her. Looking up, she saw her boyfriend’s pale, expressionless face.

Sima Jiao: “What are you doing here?”

Liao Tingyan: “I’ve been here for three classes already.” Seriously? You’re pretending now? Weren’t you the one who pulled strings to transfer me to Class 1?

Sima Jiao frowned. He probably hadn’t slept well last night—his eyes were bloodshot. He always had trouble sleeping, so he often looked perpetually annoyed.

Rubbing his forehead, he started gathering the books on her desk.

Liao Tingyan heard her deskmate and the students around her inhale sharply. The person behind her even jerked their desk in fright, making a loud scraping noise.

Sima Jiao ignored them all, carrying her books to his side of the room and dumping them on the empty desk next to his. Liao Tingyan wasn’t the least bit surprised. Picking up the only thing left on her desk—her pencil case—she followed him, awkwardly smiling at her stunned deskmate before leaving.

Oh no, we’re about to be exposed.

The space around Sima Jiao’s desk was unusually spacious—his neighbors had consciously left him the maximum amount of room.

Liao Tingyan could feel the gazes of Class 1’s students lingering on her. Uncomfortable, she started absentmindedly kneading her eraser, shredding it into tiny pieces. Three minutes later, Sima Jiao lifted his head and scanned the room.

“What are you all looking at?”

Instantly, everyone lowered their heads.

Under the desk, Liao Tingyan grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard. Boss! You really do look like a bully right now!

…

The students of Class 1-2 discovered a secret: their resident bigshot seemed to be dating his new deskmate.

To discuss this, they created a group chat—everyone in the class except Sima Jiao and Liao Tingyan was in it.

“I just saw Boss take out a milk carton from his desk, stick a straw in it, and put it on Liao Tingyan’s desk!!! And she just casually drank it!!!”

“Since when did Boss’s desk have milk in it?! I always assumed he kept knives or guns or something dangerous in there?!”

A while later, someone posted: “Did Liao Tingyan just touch Boss’s hair?”

“I think so, I saw it too.”

“Oh no, she woke him up.”

“Boss looked at her.”

“And then nothing happened. He just lay back down and kept sleeping.”

“Nothing happened??? I thought the new girl was about to get hit!”

“I told you they must be dating. Even Boss wouldn’t… uh, he wouldn’t actually hit his girlfriend, right?”

“Who says she’s his girlfriend? Maybe she’s his sister!”

The thirty-eight students observed in secret. At the slightest movement, the group chat exploded with screams. Every little action Liao Tingyan thought went unnoticed was magnified under a microscope and dissected in the chat.During the evening self-study session, the students in Class One appeared to be diligently studying on the surface, but secretly, notes were being passed around frequently, and the group chat was constantly flooded with messages.

Generally, the big boss rarely attended evening self-study, but today, he came—though he still spent the time sleeping with his head down.

"She took out her earphones to listen to music and put one in the big boss's ear."

"That takes guts... and the big boss actually tolerated it? Isn’t he usually annoyed by the slightest noise?"

"Tell me, is this a fake big boss? Is someone impersonating him? It’s been a year, and I’ve never seen him this patient!"

The Class One group chat exploded for days before gradually calming down, though people still occasionally brought up those two. Ever since Liao Tingyan transferred to their class, it felt like a new era had begun. Their once-silent classroom suddenly came to life.

At first, Liao Tingyan started talking to the people around her without deliberately lowering her voice. Following her lead, everyone else unconsciously stopped whispering too. Occasionally, if the noise got too loud and disturbed the big boss, her deskmate would be the one to soothe him.

The first time they saw her holding the big boss’s hand under the desk, swaying it gently to calm him down, everyone nearly lost their minds.

"The big boss’s girlfriend really can do whatever she wants."

"I think she deserves a title—like 'The Brave One,' you know, like the hero who slays the dragon."

"Nah, 'Dragon Rider' fits better."

"Damn, Fatty, your mind is way too dirty!"

"I think both of you have pretty dirty minds."

When the first monthly exam results came out, Liao Tingyan was unsurprisingly ranked last in the class. She had expected it and lay slumped on her desk, looking dejected as she held her report card. Her grades had always been average, and even after half a year of tutoring from her boyfriend, it was still tough to climb to the top in a class full of academic elites.

"Why that look? If you didn’t do well, it’s because I didn’t teach you well—it’s not your fault," Sima Jiao said matter-of-factly, pinching the back of her neck and pulling her upright.

Liao Tingyan glanced at her classmates and noticed they were all buried in their practice problems, seemingly oblivious to her boyfriend’s words. She sighed in relief, thinking, As expected of a class of top students—focused on studying, not gossip. She leaned closer to Sima Jiao and whispered, "Should I come to your place this weekend for math or English tutoring? I did poorly in both."

The student sitting in front of them quickly pulled out their phone and, hidden behind their textbook, typed furiously into the group chat— "I just heard Liao Tingyan say she’s going to the big boss’s place this weekend!"

"Straight to his house?! She can do whatever she wants, whatever she wants—I’m out!"

"Damn... is the big boss really this blatant about dating in high school? Does he think the school is his family’s—oh wait, sorry, I forgot, it literally is."

During the afternoon class, the math teacher went over the exam papers, announcing scores and singling out underperformers. Liao Tingyan, with the lowest math score, bore the brunt of the teacher’s criticism.This math teacher was relatively young, having just graduated not long ago. Rumor had it she had impressive academic credentials and was related to one of the school administrators. After teaching Class 1 for a year, her strict image was deeply ingrained, especially her penchant for berating students. Almost everyone in Class 1 had been harshly scolded by her at some point—except Sima Jiao. Whether it was scoring lower than before, making mistakes on problems she had previously explained, speaking during class, or simply catching her on a bad day—even if nothing was wrong, she would start each lesson with a round of sarcastic remarks. One girl had transferred out of Class 1 earlier after breaking down in tears from her constant verbal abuse.

She and Sima Jiao were the two biggest psychological shadows looming over Class 1.

"Do you have any idea how much you're dragging down Class 1's average? How did someone with your grades even get into this class? Let me tell you—however you got in, you'd better leave the same way. Just look at what you've scored! What kind of brain do you have to be studying math? Maybe you should go back to elementary school and start over!"

When Liao Tingyan went up to collect her test paper, the teacher subjected her to a barrage of sarcasm before throwing the paper at her feet.

As she bent down to pick it up, a loud crash erupted behind her—Sima Jiao had kicked over his desk.

What followed was arguably the most chaotic moment in Class 1's history. The volatile delinquent suddenly flew into a rage, storming up to the podium and kicking it over before hurling the stack of test papers at the shrieking math teacher and pointing at the classroom door, ordering her to get out.

Humiliated, the teacher screeched with false bravado, "How dare you speak to a teacher like that!"

Sima Jiao couldn't be bothered to argue. He stepped forward as if to kick her, only for Liao Tingyan to wrap her arms around his waist and yank him backward. "Calm down, calm down! We don't hit people!" she pleaded.

His fury was terrifying. Not only did none of the other students dare intervene, even the math teacher was scared out of her wits. Liao Tingyan was the only one brave—or foolish—enough to approach him without getting kicked aside. But she was no match for his strength, straining with all her might just to keep him from lashing out.

Yet Sima Jiao refused to let it go. Dragging her along like deadweight, he delivered another powerful kick to a desk. "I said get out, so get out. And don't bother coming back as a teacher. Go tell your uncle he can pack up and leave this school too."

The math teacher's face paled. Glancing between the infamous troublemaker and the silent classroom where not a single student stood up for her, she burst into tears and fled. Under the stunned gazes of their classmates, Liao Tingyan—still clinging desperately to Sima Jiao's waist—managed to haul him out of the classroom and down the stairs.

For a moment, Class 1 was dead silent. The remaining students exchanged bewildered looks.

"Uh... where did the boss and his knight just go?"

"I don't think 'knight' is the right term here. Wasn't that the legendary 'rage over the beauty'? Maybe we should call them King Zhou and Consort Yang instead?"

"Those two weren't even a couple—shut up already!"

"Never mind that—where did they go?"

"Looks like the little grove downstairs," reported a student peering out the window. "I think I saw them kissing!"

"Where? Let me see!"

"Whoa, is she calming him down?"

"Ugh, I'm getting diabetes from all this sweetness."

The next day, their homeroom teacher announced that the math teacher had been replaced by a veteran instructor with over twenty years of experience. Though equally strict, the new teacher was far less inclined to berate students.When the teacher change was announced, the entire class stood up and applauded. Liao Tingyan noticed everyone looking at her with overflowing gratitude.

Liao Tingyan: "..." I didn't do anything.

Sima Jiao frowned and lifted his head amidst the noise, only to be immediately pushed back down by Liao Tingyan. "Keep sleeping, keep sleeping."

...

Their morning runs were more dreadful than math class for Liao Tingyan. She ran so slowly that she'd be panting heavily after just one lap, and right after running they had to do morning exercises. Exhausted like a dead fish, she didn't even want to move.

Sima Jiao had never joined class runs before, but after Liao Tingyan came, he started showing up too. He didn't run in formation either—he just walked beside Liao Tingyan, taking advantage of his long legs to keep pace with her slow jog while mocking his sluggish girlfriend. "You're slower than that lazy turtle crawling."

Liao Tingyan: "Don't insult turtles like that. Turtles are much faster than me."

The classmates who pretended not to notice later learned that "turtle" was actually the pet snake kept by the big shot (Sima Jiao). Liao Tingyan talked about it like it was her own child.

Though Sima Jiao mercilessly teased her during runs, Liao Tingyan never got angry with him. After finishing, when she was completely exhausted, she'd look around and immediately sit on the ground once others had left. "So tired."

It might have been acting cute, but every time she did this, the big shot would pick her up—though not romantically at all, more like carrying a child. The girls in class secretly complained: "The big shot is so clueless! Why not a princess carry?!"

Occasionally the two would skip morning exercises. Students who skipped usually gathered behind the small grove, but after the big shot started bringing Liao Tingyan there, it became their exclusive hiding spot. Passersby would see the big shot sitting against the wall scrolling through his phone while Liao Tingyan rested in his arms, holding his hand and covered by his school jacket—the two quietly staying together.

"Did you know? The big shot buys breakfast for his girlfriend."

"No way? I've never even seen him eat anything. Does he even go to the snack shop?"

"I saw it today! He bought breakfast and a bunch of snacks—definitely not for himself, so it must be for his girlfriend."

Liao Tingyan tore open a piece of gum and noticed her deskmate secretly eyeing it. She offered one: "Want some?"

The deskmate tremblingly accepted the gum and frantically messaged the group chat: "OMG!!! I got to eat snacks the big shot bought for his girlfriend!!"

"SO JEALOUS!!! I want some too! Bought by the big shot himself—it's practically a collector's item now!"

"Ughhh why couldn't I be sitting next to the girlfriend?!"

After going through nicknames like "Brave One," "Dragon Knight," and "Imperial Consort Yang," everyone gradually started calling Liao Tingyan simply "the girlfriend."

Noticing all the stares around her, Liao Tingyan thought: I really shouldn't eat snacks in class. The top students' gazes are burning so intensely... She quietly put the snacks back in her desk. Better restrain myself.

Staring at her workbook, she puffed her cheeks struggling with a problem before silently sliding the paper and pencil to the side. Sima Jiao, poked awake, took them and swiftly solved it before tossing it back to her.Liao Tingyan: "Should I just copy yours?"

Sima Jiao: "Copy. And copy mine during the exam too."

Liao Tingyan couldn’t quite tell if he was being sarcastic. "Then I’ll write my own."

Sima Jiao: "I’m telling you to copy mine during the exam."

Liao Tingyan lowered her voice. "That’s so embarrassing… And stop saying it so loud! Someone might hear!"

Sima Jiao: "Tch."

The English practice sheets were due that evening, and Liao Tingyan still had two left to finish.

Liao Tingyan: "Help! Save me!"

Sima Jiao: "Just don’t hand them in."

Liao Tingyan: "I can’t finish! Jiao! Please, I’m begging you!"

Sima Jiao clicked his tongue in annoyance at her antics, grabbing the remaining two English test papers from her and picking up a pen to mark the answers. He worked quickly, glancing briefly before swiftly filling in the options with a casual yet forceful hand—so forceful that the papers nearly tore under his strokes.

Liao Tingyan protested, "You can't just randomly choose answers!"

Sima Jiao retorted, "You think I'm like you?"

Later, when the graded papers were returned, not a single answer he marked was wrong.

The only perfect score in the entire class belonged to Liao Tingyan—Sima Jiao hadn’t even bothered to write his own name on his paper.

Classmates who knew the truth lamented, "Damn, I'm so jealous!"

Gradually, the students of Class One grew accustomed to the sight of their formidable classmate being soft-spoken and utterly indulgent around his girlfriend. Compared to before, it was like the difference between a real man-eating tiger and a paper tiger—strangely endearing in its contrast.

"Hey, the big boss just talked to me."

"What? He initiated a conversation? What did he say?"

"He took my hot water bottle."

"Oh, got it. Must be for his girlfriend."

Liao Tingyan was suffering from period cramps, hugging a hot water bottle listlessly. She glanced at her boyfriend beside her and scooted closer. "I really want to eat red bean ice."

Sima Jiao looked down at her. "You have a death wish?"

Liao Tingyan: "Hear me out—it's ice, but red beans help replenish blood..."

Sima Jiao stared.

Liao Tingyan: "Fine, I won’t eat it then."

She looked so pitiful that after about ten minutes into class, Sima Jiao, watching her drooping eyes and listening to her weak voice, suddenly got up and left. The meek and frequently sidelined music teacher didn’t dare ask or comment, pretending not to notice. Soon enough, he returned with a red bean ice in hand.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire class, he let his deskmate take a bite.

Music teacher: "...Alright, class, today we’ll be appreciating 'The Wedding March.'"

The students of Class One silently applauded the teacher.

Later, at Sima Jiao and Liao Tingyan’s wedding, all their former classmates were invited. As they listened to "The Wedding March," they couldn’t help but recall that high school afternoon filled with cicada songs, blue skies, and white clouds.

"The way the big boss looks at his wife is so gentle!" a girl in the front row whispered to her neighbor.

(End of School Story)