We Are the Chosen Ones

Jingzhou First People's Hospital, VIP Ward.

Li Jinchuan awoke from a haze of confusion.

The white ceiling, the pungent smell of disinfectant.

He abruptly sat up, examining his body.

Aside from a dull throbbing in his head, there were only minor scrapes on his skin.

The car crash that should have been fatal felt like nothing more than a trivial accident to him.

This only reinforced Li Jinchuan’s conviction—he was the Chosen One.

The crash was no accident; it was a ritual of "awakening."

The memories flooding his mind were crystal clear.

He saw himself slaying his enemies, annihilating the Lu family, and ultimately standing at the pinnacle of the world.

He saw Lu Ruoxi nestled in his arms, gazing at him with adoration.

That was the life he was meant to have!

But in this world, everything was wrong.

Lu Chenyuan, Su Yang… these people, who should have been mere side characters or stepping stones, had stolen his rightful place.

And his heroine, Lu Ruoxi, had been blinded.

"I will set everything right," Li Jinchuan muttered under his breath, his eyes burning with obsessive, deranged fire.

Jingzhou International Convention Center.

The annual "World Young Scientists Forum" was in full swing.

Today marked its final day.

The venue was packed to capacity.

The brightest minds from around the globe had gathered here.

Today, the spotlight fell on two young individuals.

Lu Ruoxi.

Su Yang.

They were the core developers of Yuanlong Technology’s "Nuwa" artificial intelligence model.

Today, they had been invited to deliver the keynote speech.

Lu Ruoxi stood at the podium, dressed in a simple white dress, her long hair tied into a neat ponytail.

Her expression was calm, her gaze focused.

Behind her, a massive display screen showcased intricate streams of data and model structures.

Her voice, amplified by the microphone, resonated clearly throughout the hall.

The audience—scientists, scholars, and representatives of tech giants—listened intently.

Their eyes, fixed on Lu Ruoxi, brimmed with awe and admiration.

This young woman was articulating a vision of the future in a language they understood.

Su Yang stood beside her, handling the live demonstrations.

His fingers danced swiftly across the control panel, manipulating the data streams on the screen to perfectly align with Lu Ruoxi’s arguments.

Between them existed an unspoken synergy.

A glance, a gesture—each intuitively grasped the other’s intent.

They moved as a seamless unit, jointly commanding the colossal entity known as "Nuwa."

At the very back of the venue, in an inconspicuous corner, Li Jinchuan sat.

Clad in an expensive tailored suit, his hair impeccably groomed, he stood out starkly among the casually dressed scientists.

He couldn’t comprehend the jargon on stage.

To him, the complex terminology was gibberish.

But it didn’t matter.

His eyes never left Lu Ruoxi.

Since waking from the crash, the memories of his alternate life had convinced him—he was the Chosen One.

Omnipotent. Invincible.

And Lu Ruoxi was his destined lover.

As he observed the scene before him, one thought consumed him:

This was a paradox.

A flawed world in dire need of correction.

He watched Lu Ruoxi on the stage, his gaze devoid of admiration, filled only with an almost obsessive possessiveness.

He believed the height she stood upon now should have been granted by him.

The glory she had earned ought to have been crowned with his surname.

Through the connections Qin Ya had left behind, he had gone to great lengths to secure an admission ticket for the forum’s final day.

He had come to see her.

He had come to "awaken" her.

He was certain this was fate’s design.

Lu Ruoxi’s speech concluded.

Thunderous applause erupted across the venue.

Lu Ruoxi and Su Yang bowed deeply to the audience.

Then, side by side, they stepped down from the stage.

During the break, attendees gathered in small clusters, eagerly discussing the presentation.

Lu Ruoxi held a glass of lemon water and walked to a quiet terrace.

She needed a moment of solitude.

Su Yang, meanwhile, was surrounded by foreign experts exchanging technical details.

This was Li Jinchuan’s opportunity.

He adjusted his tie, took a deep breath, and plastered on a self-assured, charming smile.

He approached Lu Ruoxi.

"Ruoxi," he began, his voice gentle, laced with deliberate familiarity.

Lu Ruoxi turned.

Her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly at the sight of Li Jinchuan.

She didn’t know him.

Yet fragments of absurd memories in her mind held his face.

"Can I help you?" Her tone was flat, as if addressing a stranger.

Li Jinchuan’s smile didn’t waver.

He was convinced she was merely pretending.

"We’ve finally met again," he said, stepping closer to narrow the distance between them.

"I’ve been waiting for you."

Lu Ruoxi retreated half a step, maintaining a safe social boundary.

"I don’t understand what you mean."

"You will." Li Jinchuan’s gaze deepened, burning with intensity.

"I know you remember, just as I do—certain stories that were meant to unfold."

"We are destiny’s perfect pair. This world has deviated slightly, but it doesn’t matter. I’ll correct it."

His words dripped with certainty, as if declaring an unchangeable truth.

Lu Ruoxi listened quietly.

Her expression remained unreadable—no surprise, no anger, not even curiosity.

She studied him as one would a malfunctioning machine.

His logic was flawed.

His words were wrong.

His very existence was an error.

That was her assessment.

When Li Jinchuan finished speaking, Lu Ruoxi finally responded, her voice calm, almost clinically detached.

"Mr. Li, you’ve misunderstood three things."

His smile faltered slightly.

"First, I am not 'Ruoxi' to you. My name is Lu Ruoxi. We are not close enough for such familiarity."

"Second, my world has no room for stories—only data and formulas. I don’t believe in vague notions of fate."

"Third..."

She paused, her gaze shifting past his shoulder to where Su Yang was approaching.

For the briefest moment, her eyes softened.

"My world consists solely of mathematics... and Su Yang."

With that, she turned away without another glance at Li Jinchuan, walking toward Su Yang.

Li Jinchuan’s confident smile shattered piece by piece.

He froze in place, as if someone had slapped him hard across the face.

What had he just heard?

Math and… Su Yang?

That unremarkable man who always hovered around her?

That speck of dust who should have faded into some forgotten corner?!

Just then, Su Yang walked over and casually took the water cup from Lu Ruoxi’s hand.