In the end, it was Ji Yan whose conscience acted up first. She noticed Xu Zhinan was still over there and figured she must have heard all the jokes they were just telling.

Just as Shi Si was about to speak again, Ji Yan jabbed him hard with her elbow. He instantly sucked in a sharp breath, "F—ck, what was that for!"

"Shut up," Ji Yan said softly, glancing over at Xu Zhinan.

Shi Si followed her gaze and saw the young woman standing there quietly, intently watching Lin Qingye on the phone screen, but her other hand was tightly gripping her clothes.

He suddenly felt he understood what Ji Yan meant—those who are truly deeply in love are often the ones whose actions aren't so wild.

Shi Si shut up.

The song, three and a half minutes long, came to an end.

After the last line was sung, Xu Zhinan pressed the button to stop recording.

Lin Qingye put the guitar back in its case, tossed it to a bar employee, and jumped down from the stage.

Xu Zhinan discreetly scanned the customers below. A few girls sitting near the stage were waving their arms and shouting Lin Qingye's name, but none of them approached him.

Then, the girl Ji Yan had pointed out earlier got up from her high stool and walked straight toward Lin Qingye.

The piano music in the bar started again, drowning out the girl's voice. She must have called out to Lin Qingye, as he stopped and turned to look.

Ji Yan silently rubbed three fingers together, signaling to Shi Si to concede the bet and hurry up and pay her.

Lin Qingye stood before the girl, his head lowered, his expression impassive.

The girl looked nervous and helpless. From the second-floor angle, one could only see her mouth opening and closing as she spoke for quite a while, looking very earnest.

Then, Lin Qingye gave a slight smile, and Xu Zhinan clearly lip-read what he said—Sorry.

Casually, he then turned and came straight up the stairs.

"Ah Nan." He stood at the top of the stairs and raised a hand. "Did you get the recording?"

"Yes," Xu Zhinan said, walking over to hand him the phone.

Lin Qingye quickly scanned through the video by dragging the progress bar, sent it to his academic advisor, then put an arm around Xu Zhinan's shoulder and said to Ji Yan and Shi Si, "We're leaving."

After they said their goodbyes, Shi Si watched the two leave. "Hey, you think she heard what we were saying just now?"

"Obviously."

"Then the Light of Pingchuan has an incredibly good temper. She acted like she didn't hear a thing. From the looks of it, she doesn't seem to plan on picking a fight with the captain either."

Ji Yan fished her wallet out of her pocket, pulled out a hundred-yuan bill, and waved it in her face. "My winnings."

Shi Si scoffed, "You're unbelievable."

Ji Yan said, "To pick a fight, you need the captain to be willing to coax you."

Shi Si shot her a look. "You sound experienced."

Ji Yan rolled her eyes. "You think the captain doesn't know I used to like him?"

Shi Si froze, saying nothing as he lowered his gaze to look at her.

Ji Yan shrugged and gave a self-deprecating laugh. "He's not an idiot. If even you could tell, how could he not know? But he just doesn't take it to heart, so I gave up. There's no chance."

She swirled the glass in her hand, the amber liquid sloshing against the sides. "I'm actually really curious. What would a guy like Lin Qingye be like if he ever fell hard for someone?"

She chuckled, her gloating attitude returning. "It'd be karma."

Xu Zhinan followed Lin Qingye out the side door of the bar. Since Lin Qingye had to go to his studio, she headed back to school first.

The moment she got back to the dorm, Zhao Qian rushed over. "Ah Nan! You came back so late yesterday, you scared me to death!"

Xu Zhinan smiled apologetically. "I was so tired yesterday, I fell asleep the moment I hit the bed and didn't hear your call. Sorry for making you guys worry."

"Good thing your brother answered the phone, otherwise Jiang Yue and I were probably going to call the police," Zhao Qian said. "By the way, when did you get a brother? How come I've never heard you mention one?"

Xu Zhinan pulled out her chair and set down her bag. She opened a bottle of milk, took a sip, and said slowly, "He's not my biological brother."

"Is he handsome?"

"Huh?"

Zhao Qian said, "Judging from his voice, he sounds like a total hunk!"

Xu Zhinan smiled and vaguely skipped over the topic, then asked, "Where's Jiang Yue?"

"She's at the library, of course. She was busy studying for the grad school entrance exams a while ago, and now she's finally realized she's running out of time for finals week."

Xu Zhinan nodded, then suddenly remembered the clothes she was wearing were still Lin Qingye's. Afraid of being discovered, she grabbed a change of clothes and rushed into the bathroom.

When she came out of the bathroom, Ruan Yuanyuan was back too. Her circle of friends didn't include the other three in the dorm. She stood at the door saying goodbye to the person she had walked back with before humming a tune as she entered.

Xu Zhinan only washed her old clothes, not Lin Qingye's shirt. Afraid of it being discovered, she hung her own clothes up to dry after she came out.

Ruan Yuanyuan asked, "By the way, Ah Nan, on the program for your graduation party, has it been confirmed that Lin Qingye is participating?"

"He is, it was just confirmed." Xu Zhinan didn't hide it from her.

Ruan Yuanyuan had never hidden her crush on Lin Qingye. In her eyes, when so many other girls were too intimidated to even approach him, her courage to admit her feelings was something to be proud of.

"That's great! I've already ordered the flowers!"

The dorm rooms had loft beds with desks underneath. Ruan Yuanyuan, who had a hanging chair tied to her bed rail, swung around to face them. "He's the last of the graduating students to perform, right? I'm planning to go on stage and confess my feelings to him!"

Zhao Qian had long been annoyed by her. Hearing this, she just pursed her lips and didn't say anything.

"Mhm."

Xu Zhinan paused. She felt she should warn her, but she didn't know how to start.

She didn't want anyone to know about her current relationship with Lin Qingye, afraid they would look down on her.

But she also knew Lin Qingye wouldn't take Ruan Yuanyuan's confession seriously. So many people liked him that he was long used to it.

If she made such a big scene confessing and offering flowers on stage, it could easily become very embarrassing for her.

"If you go on stage, what's your plan if he rejects you?" Xu Zhinan asked.

"What's the big deal? I never thought he'd accept me anyway."

"..."

So Xu Zhinan closed her mouth and didn't try to persuade her further.

As finals week approached, several of her classes this semester only required a design project for the final grade, which Xu Zhinan had already completed. There were still two other classes that had exams.

She took out her textbook and opened it. It was filled with neat notes and annotations made with different colored highlighters.

She had already mostly digested the material during lectures, so her review for finals went quickly. Xu Zhinan only had to memorize a few obscure definitions; the rest simply needed to be understood.

After finishing her review, she closed the book and slid it back onto her bookshelf.

She had actually gotten eight hours of sleep last night, but whether it was because Lin Qingye had worn her out or because of the nightmare she'd had that morning, her head still ached a little.

Xu Zhinan sat at her desk, supporting her head with her hand and gently massaging her temples.

A moment later, she suddenly remembered the poster for the Tattoo Design Contest. She couldn't find it in her bag; she must have forgotten it at the shop.

She turned on her computer and typed in the registration URL from memory.

A page popped up with a striking color palette, the same as the poster, featuring the words "Tattoo Design Contest" in an ink-wash style font.

It had all the details for registration and the competition process. The first prize was a twenty-thousand-yuan cash award.

In reality, the prize money for this type of competition wasn't the most important part; what mattered more was one's reputation in the industry.

Many tattoo enthusiasts followed these competitions and would then seek out the winning artists for their work.

The income disparity among tattoo artists is enormous. The top-tier ones charge thousands per hour, while those at the bottom charge by the design, ranging from tens to hundreds of yuan.

Winning an award in the competition would be a great opportunity for Xu Zhinan.

She gave it a quick look. The main part of the Tattoo Design Contest was scheduled for the summer vacation, so it wouldn't conflict with her coursework.

The deadline was tomorrow.

Xu Zhinan filled in her personal information, bundled her portfolio pieces saved on her computer, and submitted everything, completing her registration.

On Sunday, the graduation ceremony arrived as scheduled.

After the various award presentations in the morning were over, the graduation party was held in the evening.

The Art Department at Pingchuan University was very well-known. It valued both practical skills and theory, rivaling many specialized art schools, and the performances at each year's graduation party were a major highlight.

Xu Zhinan went to get her makeup done in the afternoon.

She didn't usually wear much makeup, but she was naturally blessed with rosy lips and pearly teeth. Even her arched brows were perfect—not too thick, not too thin, just beautiful, natural-looking brows.

Stage makeup tends to be heavy, and a girl from the broadcasting department who was also co-hosting helped her apply it.

"Ah Nan, I've discovered that your skin tone is perfect for something like a 'hangover' makeup look. Since your skin is so fair, it won't look messy or tacky." As she spoke, she swept a makeup brush across Xu Zhinan's face, applying blush with swift strokes.

Xu Zhinan looked in the mirror and shielded her cheek with her hand. "Is it a little too red?"

"Not at all. Stage makeup is always like this. It will look perfectly normal from the audience."

Xu Zhinan's skin was fair and radiant, so the foundation wasn't applied too heavily. The blush had a delicate shimmer that subtly caught the light, making her look like a ripe peach ready to be plucked.

After finishing their makeup, the four hosts reviewed their respective parts once more.

During the rehearsals, Lin Qingye's performance hadn't been confirmed, so no one had been assigned to read his introduction.

Following the rotation, this part was supposed to fall to Xu Zhinan.

"Okay then, when Lin Qingye gets here later, remember to go and coordinate with him in advance," the teacher in charge said.

"Alright," Xu Zhinan agreed.

The female co-host beside her nudged her arm, cupped her hand over her mouth, and leaned in to tease, "If anyone sees you two coordinating, the school forum will probably explode with posts about the campus belle and the campus beau getting together."

"..."

As the sky darkened, the air conditioning in the auditorium felt strong. Xu Zhinan wore a long formal gown that had a thin slit down the back, revealing the smooth lines of her frame and the delicate curve of her spine.

The graduating students filed in and took their seats in the front rows.

After them, other students who had managed to get tickets also entered in groups, filling the seats in the back.

Everything was ready backstage.

The teacher in charge finished inspecting the costumes and makeup for the first act, then came over to ask, "Where's Lin Qingye? Have you coordinated with him yet?"

Someone answered for her, "Not yet. We haven't seen him arrive."

The teacher frowned. "What's going on? It's about to start, and all the student performers were told to arrive early." When no one replied, she added, "That guy... his personality is too wild, just like his name."

"Right, does anyone have his contact information? Call him quickly and ask where he is. The entire event is being recorded today, we can't have any mistakes!"

The hosts were all juniors, and they all expressed that there was no way they would have the contact information of such a legendary figure.

The teacher in charge said, "I'll go contact his academic advisor then. You all continue getting ready."

"Teacher," Xu Zhinan said, "I'll go wait outside. He should be arriving soon."

"Yes, yes, go quickly."

Xu Zhinan put down her cue cards, grabbed her phone, and stepped off the side of the stage.

She looked down at her phone and sent Lin Qingye a message.

[Xu Zhinan: Brother Qingye, are you here yet?]

He replied quickly this time: [I'm here.]

She looked around. Almost everyone was already inside, and she couldn't see Lin Qingye anywhere. She looked back down at her phone.

[Where are you?]

Xu Zhinan walked out of the auditorium. Figuring that Lin Qingye would likely use the other side entrance since he was coming from his apartment, she started walking that way.

There was no one else by this side entrance; it was very quiet.

"Over here."

A familiar voice sounded from behind her.

Xu Zhinan turned around, her curled hair fanning out in an arc, and was suddenly met with the sight of Lin Qingye.

He took half a step back. His eyelids lowered and then lifted again, his gaze sweeping over her entire body as if it had physical substance. Xu Zhinan felt a strange nervousness and raised a hand to cover her chest.

He laughed. "What are you covering?"

The neckline wasn't even low; it was a very modest design.

His words only made Xu Zhinan more embarrassed. She dropped her hand and looked up at him. "The stage manager is looking for you."

"What for?"

"We need to coordinate your cue."

He curled his lip in a slight sneer. "So extra."

Xu Zhinan pressed her lips together and handed him the program. "This is the schedule. You need to be backstage two acts before your performance. You're the finale, so you just need to come over after the choir performance begins. And then..."

She recited the introduction for Lin Qingye that she had just memorized. "...After I say that final line, you can enter the stage from the right."

"Got it," he replied perfunctorily.

After all the necessary instructions were given, the corridor fell silent once more.

The side door behind them was still open, letting sunlight stream in. It felt as though someone might walk through at any moment.

Xu Zhinan said, "...I'll go back and let the teacher know you've arrived then."

"What's the rush?"

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him. His slightly cool hand cupped her face, his thumb brushing against her cheek. "Why are you so red?"

His hand was large, and Xu Zhinan felt a momentary panic. She explained, "My friend said stage makeup is supposed to be this red."

"I think it's your face that's too red. It's hot, too."

His words only made Xu Zhinan's face feel even hotter.

"Your lips are very red today, too."

Her head was held in his hand, unable to move. Her eyelashes fluttered rapidly as she said in a small, soft voice, "I put on... lipstick."

"Did you put it on yourself?"

"No, my friend did."

"Then you should have her touch it up for you later."

She didn't understand. Just as she lifted her head in surprise, he tilted her chin up and his lips came down on hers.

In a place like this—a side corridor of the graduation party auditorium—she and Lin Qingye were kissing.

She could even hear the clamor from inside the hall, just one wall away.

He traced her lips with his, kissing her slowly, showing a rare patience. It felt like he was deliberately tormenting her. His palm slid from her cheek down to her neck, circling it loosely.

Xu Zhinan was stunned for more than ten seconds. She only snapped out of it when Lin Qingye's phone rang. By the time she thought to push him away, Lin Qingye had already released her.

A roguish, wicked-looking smile played on his lips. He slowly took out his phone; it was his academic advisor calling.

The teacher in charge probably couldn't get ahold of him and had contacted the advisor.

As soon as he answered, the advisor got straight to the point and asked where he was.

"I'm here," he answered.

The advisor asked, "You're here? Then why did the stage manager tell me she couldn't find you?"

"At the entrance."

He pinched Xu Zhinan's chin to tilt her face up again, leaned down, and pressed another completely unrestrained kiss on her lips. Then he straightened up and finished his sentence, "Going in now."

After hanging up, he took a moment to appreciate Xu Zhinan's beet-red face with great interest. He was just about to tease her when a burst of noise came from outside the side door, and a group of people walked in.

Upon seeing them, one of the men was the first to react. "Oh, sorry to interrupt, sorry to interrupt."

Several other people were standing next to the man. Apart from the three band members, whom Ah Nan recognized, the rest were unfamiliar faces.

Lin Qingye looked back, not the least bit embarrassed. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We're the cheering squad," the man joked.

It was almost time for the show to start. Xu Zhinan tugged on the hem of Lin Qingye's shirt and whispered, "I'm going to head in first."

He patted her head. "Alright."

Holding the skirt of her long gown, Xu Zhinan walked away toward the other side.

After a few steps, she inexplicably glanced back. The man who had spoken earlier looked very familiar.

Her brow slowly furrowed as she remembered.

That man's name was Qin Tang.