By May, the summer heat had already settled in.
William still hadn't officially started school, nor had he begun working.
After returning last night, he'd spent the whole evening lying on the lounge chair in the courtyard, staring up at the parasol tree and the endless sea of stars above.
The longer one lived, the less they wanted to die.
This beautiful world still held so many unknowns, so many strange and fascinating things waiting to be seen, to be explored.
William wasn't at the point of despair—not even close. Sure, he didn't understand much about this era yet, but he was eager to blend in, to enjoy life again.
As the first light of dawn crept in, William rested with his eyes closed, half-dozing. He sensed someone step into his light, casting a shadow over him.
"You're William?"
He opened his eyes slowly.
Standing in front of him was a girl.
She radiated youthful energy, her figure tall and well-proportioned in the morning light. But her gaze was sharp, assessing him with a hint of suspicion.
"And you are?" William sat up slowly. A man who'd lived for who-knows-how-many centuries wasn't about to get flustered over a teenage girl.
"Hi. I'm Lila Carter. My grandfather asked me to give you this." She pulled a yellow envelope from the crossbody bag slung over her shoulder. The seal was still intact, closed with a wax stamp.
William took the envelope and nodded. "Anthony Carter's granddaughter?"
"Yeah." Lila's brow twitched slightly at the way he said her grandfather's name—so casually, without a hint of respect.
William didn't look that old, yet he spoke of her grandfather like an equal. It rubbed her the wrong way.
Still, she held her tongue. Her upbringing wouldn't allow her to lash out, especially not after the way her grandfather had warned her—again and again—not to upset this man named William. He'd insisted she go alone, and that no matter what William asked for, she was to agree without hesitation.
Coming from someone like Anthony Carter, that was shocking enough.
But it was that last part that really stuck with her.
No matter what he asks… fulfill it unconditionally?
It sounded like the setup to some trashy arranged-marriage drama.
An engagement from birth?
"Give me a moment," William said, opening the envelope right in front of her.
Inside was a driver's license, a sleek black bank card, a letter, and an acceptance letter from Hudson University.
William had always been a quick learner. Simplified Chinese had evolved from traditional, so it didn't take him long to read through the documents.
He glanced at the license, then unfolded the letter from Anthony. Aside from the usual declarations of loyalty, it explained that the bank card contained ten billion dollars. The PIN was included. If William needed anything, he could ask Lila. She could even live with him if he wanted.
"Lila, right? A purple flower. Nice name," William said with a faint smile. The name reminded him of a princess from the medieval era—she'd had the same name.
He handed the card and license back to her. "Do me a favor—return the card to your grandfather. Also, could you make a copy of my license? I don't have any money on me. I'll pay you back next month when I get my first paycheck."
"…" Lila took the card and license, her fingers stiff with disbelief.
That card—her grandfather's black diamond card—was legendary. She didn't know the exact balance, but she knew what it meant for him to hand it over.
She clenched her jaw. "Do you even know how much money is on this card?"
William smiled. "Doesn't matter. Just tell your grandfather I don't need financial support."
Lila almost laughed out loud. "Didn't you just say you don't have any money?"
William raised an eyebrow. "Not having money doesn't mean I need money. Now, could you go make that copy? I need it today. Thanks."
Not having money doesn't mean needing money?
You don't even have enough for a photocopy!
How broke do you have to be for that?
"Just wait here!" Lila huffed, spinning on her heel with a dramatic eye roll. What kind of person had she just run into?
If her grandfather really had some kind of arranged marriage plan in mind—and the groom was this guy—she might seriously consider running away from home.
Ten minutes later, she returned with a thick stack of photocopied driver's licenses. Her expression was tight, her patience clearly wearing thin. "Anything else you need?"
"If you've got time," William said, handing her the Hudson University admission letter, "could you take me to the school? I don't know the way, and I'm not sure how enrollment works."
Lila stared at him for a long moment, unsure how to even process what she was feeling. Was this guy raised in the mountains or something?
"I've got time," she said through clenched teeth, nodding stiffly. Her chest rose and fell sharply, nearly popping a button on her blouse.
Her grandfather had been very clear: fulfill any request William made—no exceptions.
And to be fair, this request wasn't unreasonable. He might look a little shabby, but at least he wasn't like some of the spoiled rich kids at school.
Those guys always looked at her with a certain… predatory gleam, no matter how well they tried to hide it.
Wait a second.
Was William's gaze… too indifferent?
That cold, distant look—like it came from somewhere deep in his bones.
Lila couldn't help but stare into his eyes.
He looked young—his license said he was twenty—but why did she feel something else entirely when she looked at him?
There was a stillness in his eyes. A calm, ancient weight. Like a thousand-year-old tree that had weathered every storm and still stood unmoved.
William noticed her staring and met her gaze without flinching. He smiled slightly. "What are you looking at?"
"N-Nothing!" Lila stammered, heart suddenly racing. She didn't even know why, but the moment their eyes met, she felt completely thrown off—like he could see straight through her.
His eyes were too clear, too deep. Like in that one glance, he'd peeled back every layer she had and seen what was underneath.
William narrowed his eyes slightly. "So, when are we heading to the school?"
"Now's fine. My grandpa already took care of all your enrollment paperwork," Lila said, then paused. "Hudson University's a bit far from here. Are you planning to live on campus or stay here?"
"Either works," William replied. "If I stay in the dorms, will I have the room to myself?"
Lila blinked. "What? Of course not. Hudson's dorms are all four-person rooms. If you want to stay there, I'll help get you assigned."
She took a deep breath. Was this guy from another planet? What kind of college gives students their own room?
William didn't hesitate. "Dorm's fine. I'll still come back here from time to time."
If he wanted to truly blend into this new era, then naturally, he needed to be around people. That was the whole point of going to school in the first place.