Chapter 29 Part 1

Later, when Xu Zhinan recalled Lin Qingye's words, "Let me like you one more time," she realized that although Lin Qingye had never spoken loudly to her before, this seemed to be the most gentle he had been since she'd known him.

With his pride stripped away, his gaze was level with hers, and for the first time, Xu Zhinan touched his true feelings.

Those words were a request.

After meeting his gaze for a moment, Xu Zhinan was the first to look away. "But so many people like you now. You don't have to be like this."

"But I don't like other people."

Lin Qingye raised his hand, wanting to touch her face, but it hovered in mid-air. As if remembering something, he stopped, then lowered it slightly, letting it land gently on her neck.

His palm was slightly cool against the skin of her neck and collarbone. It felt bony, so slender it was fragile, as if it would break with a little force.

"I won't like anyone else," he said again.

His palm was large, holding Xu Zhinan's neck in his grasp.

"I know I lied to you, pulling you into my life without your permission." Lin Qingye's expression was faint. "That night, I got drunk later too."

"I never intended to deliberately ruin your life. If I hadn't been drunk, I wouldn't have done that." His head lowered bit by bit, no longer looking directly at her.

"You don't have to give me any reply, just allow me to like you one more time." Lin Qingye said, "Ah Nan, I wasn't good enough to you before. Let me seriously pursue you again now."

Xu Zhinan only felt the skin of her neck, cupped in his palm, grow hot. She was speechless.

Until a ringtone broke the silence.

It was a call from her mother.

Lin Qingye took a step back, no longer so close.

Xu Zhinan took her phone out of her bag and answered, "Hello, Mom?"

Mother Xu asked from the other end, "Ah Nan, when are you coming back? Don't work too late and get sick again."

"Okay, I know, Mom." She answered obediently. "I'll be back right away."

Mother Xu, afraid she was just appeasing her, urged again, "Hurry home and rest. I'm leaving the door open for you. I'll go to sleep after you get back."

After a few more words, Xu Zhinan hung up. Lin Qingye had already retreated to the table. Looking at her, he said, "Let me take you home."

"I can take the subway."

Lin Qingye glanced at the time. "The last train is about to leave. It's an hour-long subway ride home, that's too late."

Xu Zhinan thought of her mother's words, "I'll go to sleep after you get back." She hesitated for a moment, glancing outside the glass door. Lin Qingye's car was parked right outside, very close.

She shook her head. "Someone will see."

"They won't." Lin Qingye put on a mask and a hat, pulling them down securely, only a pair of dark eyes visible under the brim. "I'll take you. You'll get home sooner."

To be safe, Lin Qingye got in the car first. Only after confirming that no one outside had seen did Xu Zhinan quickly follow.

The car windows were one-way glass; you couldn't see in from the outside.

The summer night temperature had finally cooled down a bit. The car window was only cracked open. It was the time when nightlife was just beginning, and there were many vehicles on this road, but thankfully, everyone was in groups, laughing and joking, and no one paid attention to this particular car.

Xu Zhinan sat in the passenger seat, quietly looking out the window.

Yan City was a cosmopolitan metropolis. On the verge of a new day, it was still bustling. The streetlights were as bright as day, and handsome men and beautiful women dressed in light summer clothes came and went on the streets.

In the past, Xu Zhinan always felt out of place in Yan City's nightlife, whereas Lin Qingye fit in perfectly.

Back at the bar, whenever the Black Locust Band performed, the place would inevitably be packed. Xu Zhinan was used to seeing him dazzling and unrestrained on stage, with all the cheers and shouts from below directed at him.

Now that he was on a show, he had become the most talked-about singer, and still so many people from all over the country liked him.

But now Lin Qingye was sitting next to her, having said those things to her.

Xu Zhinan felt it was all surreal.

She didn't speak the entire way, and Lin Qingye also remained silent. After the car left the bustling downtown area, there were fewer people around.

However, halfway there, it suddenly started to rain. To her dismay, Xu Zhinan realized she hadn't brought an umbrella again, even though the weather forecast had said it wouldn't rain today.

Raindrops pattered against the windshield.

They were almost at Xu Zhinan's home, but there were no convenience stores or supermarkets nearby. It would be difficult to even buy an umbrella.

Lin Qingye had originally intended to park the car directly at her doorstep, but Xu Zhinan stopped him. "My mom might be waiting for me downstairs. She'll see."

So he obediently parked the car on the side. It was about a ten-meter run to her home from here, but given the downpour, she would still get soaked.

Lin Qingye glanced at Xu Zhinan beside him, dressed in a short-sleeved shirt, denim shorts, and a pair of canvas shoes.

He looked away and took a jacket from the back seat, placing it on her lap.

Xu Zhinan paused and looked at him.

"Wear this jacket inside." Lin Qingye then took off his hat and placed it on her head, pressing it down firmly. "Go on, don't get wet."

"...Thank you." Xu Zhinan tightened her grip on the jacket bit by bit, then added, "Thank you for bringing me back, too."

His jacket was a black windbreaker. It was large and waterproof. When she put it on, the hem reached mid-thigh, completely covering her own clothes.

After thanking him, Xu Zhinan ran straight home.

Her mother was still waiting downstairs. Hearing the commotion, she turned her head and was startled. "You came back in the rain! Didn't you bring an umbrella?"

Xu Zhinan stood in the entryway, taking off the jacket and shaking off the water. "Yeah, I forgot my umbrella. It started raining just as I got to the door. It's okay, I didn't get wet."

"Is this jacket yours?" Mother Xu noticed something was off. "Why is it so big?"

Xu Zhinan paused. "It's my friend's. He just gave me a ride home."

"Little Gu?"

"No, it's another friend."

Mother Xu glanced at the jacket in her hand again. It was so big, clearly a man's. Curious, she asked, "Our Ah Nan isn't dating, is she?"

"No." She quickly denied it. Meeting her mother's scrutinizing gaze, her face inexplicably grew hot. "I don't have a boyfriend, just a regular friend."

Mother Xu smiled. "You'll be graduating in another year. What's wrong with this topic? It's about time you find a boyfriend. Mom doesn't have any other requirements, as long as he's good to you."

Regarding this topic, Xu Zhinan ended it with a perfunctory "Mhm." She took off the hat, which was also wet from the rain, but her hair was still dry.

She lowered her eyes, her mind wandering again.

Does Lin Qingye count as being good to her?

She wasn't sure.

"Here, give me the wet jacket and hat." Mother Xu took them from her hands and urged her, "Go take a hot shower quickly, don't catch a cold."

So Xu Zhinan stopped thinking about it and turned to go upstairs.

Lin Qingye waited outside for a while. It wasn't until he saw the light in Xu Zhinan's room upstairs turn on that he turned the car around and drove away.

By the time he got back to his apartment, it was already past midnight.

Lin Qingye took a shower and came out in a bathrobe and slippers. The kraft paper packet the female fortune-teller had given him was on the table.

He stared at it for a while, his head bowed, and suddenly let out a low laugh.

The apartment was huge and empty. The young man's smile was casual, and the light from above cast his bangs in a lighter shade.

Spending a thousand yuan on this thing wasn't a total loss.

The next morning, it was time for the recording of Here for the Song again. The show was already halfway through, and Lin Qingye's composite score was still ranked first, while Zhou Ji was in the danger zone.

The song Lin Qingye chose this time was also an original—a slow, romantic song.

He truly had a good voice. It was low and very magnetic, with a slight nasal tone as if he had just woken up. His enunciation was crisp and clear, yet it always sounded lingering to the listener, effortlessly stirring their hearts.

The stage for Here for the Song not only had top-tier music equipment but also top-tier lighting and cinematography.

The other contestants were all sitting in the backstage lounge, where a TV in the center showed a live broadcast.

This time, he didn't use any instruments, just a standing microphone. He stood loosely in front of it, his long, bony fingers gripping the stand. The lights outlined the smooth lines of his broad shoulders and narrow waist in a golden silhouette.

Someone in the lounge covered their eyes. "Aiyo, I can't look. I was almost seduced. I'm going to report him to the director! Someone's cheating in the competition! He's electrifying the audience down there!!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Although the contestants on Here for the Song were competitors, their relationship wasn't as tense as on other shows. Most of them were already established singers who simply treated the competition as another performance stage. Their relationships with each other were very harmonious.