After seeing Miss Chen off, the shop became quiet again.

Because the weather had been stuffy, hot, and humid recently, it was more troublesome for large tattoos to heal. Coupled with it being finals week, business was not as good as in other seasons.

[Xu Zhinan: How am I supposed to tutor?]

[Brother Qingye: I'll come pick you up at school tonight?]

Xu Zhinan sat alone in the quiet tattoo shop, her hands cupping her cheeks, her phone placed in front of her. Her brows furrowed slightly, looking very troubled.

It would have been fine if she were tutoring a course in her major, but for a class like modern history, she hadn't listened very attentively either.

Going to tutor someone just like that would definitely be a joke.

She thought for a moment and replied: [Let's do it in a couple of days, I'll organize the key points first. I haven't reviewed it yet either.]

Lin Qingye was at Chuanqi Entertainment Company when he received the message. He smiled, put his phone away, and raised his eyes to look again at Wang Qi, who was sitting on the sofa opposite him.

Wang Qi was a program producer for Penguin Video and was currently planning a show about a singing competition. It needed both well-known singers and some new faces to be discovered.

Thus, Lin Qingye became his most satisfactory candidate. For the show, he was indeed a new face, yet he also had fame and a considerable fanbase. Since winning the Golden Melody Award, he had remained a mystery, possessing immense commercial value.

"A young lady, huh?" Wang Qi asked, looking at his expression.

"Uncle Wang," Lin Qingye said lazily, "don't try to fish for information."

Lin Qingye and Wang Qi had a deeper connection; they were considered family friends, so he could call him uncle on a daily basis.

Wang Qi burst out laughing, pointed a forceful finger at him, and shook his head: "You! No one can control you, really. But if you truly enter this circle in the future, you need to think clearly beforehand about how you'll handle these things yourself."

Lin Qingye gave a faint "mm," it was unclear if he had taken it to heart.

"The show's teaser is already in the preparation stage. If you're free in a bit, come with me to record a demo first. We'll release the audio in advance to build up hype."

Lin Qingye signed the contract and stood up: "Alright."

Once in the recording studio, the production team chose his breakout song, 'Black Locust'.

Wang Qi, wearing headphones, sat next to a staff member and said to Lin Qingye in the recording booth: "Are you ready?"

He made an OK gesture, the same old demeanor, showing not a hint of nervousness for his first official demo recording.

A staff member pushed up a fader, and the melody of the intro filled the enclosed recording studio.

Lin Qingye lifted his chin slightly, leaned closer to the microphone, and half-closed his eyes:

"Between myself and the world

You are a chasm, a swamp

A collapsing abyss

You are a fence, a wall

An eternal pattern on a shield

You are a maiden

I am a crawling, five-legged monster

In the intersecting dark night, a spring scene is revealed

You pick up a gun, I become your sacrifice

..."

The young man's voice was deep and clean. He sang with ease, yet it inexplicably captured one's heart.

Wang Qi watched from the outside and finally understood why Lin Qingye had been able to continuously attract fans for so many years just by relying on fan-shot videos of his bar performances.

Some people are just born with the magic to stand in the spotlight effortlessly.

It was already evening when Xu Zhinan left the tattoo shop. After eating dinner at the cafeteria, she went straight back to her dorm.

The modern history professor had already gone over the key points and mentioned some important questions that might be on the exam, but he didn't provide the answers.

No one was in the dorm. Xu Zhinan turned on her computer, went through the modern history textbook again, found the answers to those questions, and typed them into a document.

"My baby Ah Nan!"

There was a sound at the door, and Ruan Yuanyuan walked in, wearing high heels and pushing her small silver suitcase.

Ruan Yuanyuan often went home on Fridays and came back to the dorm on Sundays.

Xu Zhinan turned her head: "You're back."

Ruan Yuanyuan walked over to her side and craned her neck to look at her computer screen: "What are you doing?"

"Ah." Xu Zhinan felt a little guilty for some reason, "Isn't the modern history exam coming up soon? I'm just reviewing."

"You're too serious! For a class like modern history, you're actually making your own review materials!"

"Not really, I just have nothing to do right now anyway, and it's quick to do."

Ruan Yuanyuan: "Are you going to print it out when you're done?"

"Yeah."

"Then give me a copy too."

Xu Zhinan nodded and continued to add key points: "Okay."

There were four people in their dorm. Zhao Qian and Jiang Yue both disliked Ruan Yuanyuan. Fortunately, the two of them weren't here right now, otherwise, they would probably start bickering after just a few sentences.

Ruan Yuanyuan squatted down, opened her suitcase, and suddenly asked again: "By the way, Ah Nan, are you hosting the seniors' graduation ceremony in a while?"

"Yes, but there are several hosts. The others are all broadcasting majors."

"Is the ceremony's program rundown out yet?"

"Not yet."

Ruan Yuanyuan's eyes curved into a smile, and she said softly: "Let me take a look at the program rundown after you get it."

This wasn't something that needed to be kept secret, so Xu Zhinan quickly nodded and said "okay," but she suddenly remembered what Zhao Qian had mentioned last night.

She paused for a moment and asked: "Are you going to confess then?"

"Yo." Ruan Yuanyuan raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Who would've thought, you're quite well-informed."

"..."

Xu Zhinan originally wanted to persuade her against it, but she opened her mouth and didn't know where to start, so she had to give up.

Speaking of which, the way Xu Zhinan met Lin Qingye was very cliché.

It was back in her freshman year, the time when Xu Zhinan received the most attention after enrolling, and she had also joined the school's art club.

For a weekend club activity, everyone went to a bar to have fun.

Many of the drinks at the bar were made to look like soda or juice, very pretty, but in reality, their alcohol content was very high. Ah Nan unknowingly drank too much.

She felt her face burning and planned to go to the washroom to wash her face.

But unexpectedly, after coming out of the washroom, her path was blocked by a man who was saying some indecent things.

The aftereffects of the alcohol surged up in waves. A blush rose on Xu Zhinan's face, and she couldn't even walk steadily. She supported herself against the wall, her heart pounding.

Just then—

"Hey," a male voice sounded from behind.

That was the first time Xu Zhinan saw Lin Qingye.

His features were sharp and distinct, flamboyant and arrogant, yet he seemed nonchalant. He leaned to one side, a cigarette held between his lips.

That man obviously knew Lin Qingye too. The expression on his face froze, and he stood there stiffly: "What?"

Lin Qingye flicked his cigarette ash, a faint smile on his lips: "She's with me."

Xu Zhinan knew this line was used to drive that man away, but she was still stunned.

Ah Nan didn't know if the timing of their meeting was right or not.

To say it was right, because this first meeting made the direction of their relationship increasingly difficult to grasp.

But to say it was wrong, they might not even have had the chance to meet.

Lin Qingye did have some influence in this bar, and the man who was pestering her left.

A cool palm wrapped around her shoulder, and a voice came from above her head: "Can you still walk?"

Xu Zhinan looked up at him. Her head was getting dizzier, throbbing with a piercing pain. She couldn't speak.

Then the voice above her asked again: "Want to come back with me?"

She didn't have much memory of what happened after that when she woke up the next day. She had completely blacked out. It was truly a wild night. She could only stare blankly at Lin Qingye for several minutes.

His upper body was bare. He looked at her and asked faintly, "What are you going to do?"

He was asking her about the current situation.

Xu Zhinan held back the sob that was rising from her helplessness and said to him: "I'm sorry, I'll be responsible for you."

Lin Qingye was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing and leaned against the wall, nodding: "Fine, remember to be responsible for me."

And so they became entangled, their relationship becoming more and more ambiguous.

After Xu Zhinan finished organizing the modern history review materials, Zhao Qian and Jiang Yue returned to the dorm.

Because Ruan Yuanyuan was also there, it interrupted their lively chat, so there was no "night talk session" that evening. After the lights went out at eleven, they went straight to sleep.

Monday morning was full of classes.

After class, Xu Zhinan went with Zhao Qian to print the modern history review materials.

One person's effort, four people's gain. Xu Zhinan printed five copies of the review materials.

"Ah Nan, do you want milk tea?" Zhao Qian asked.

"No, I'm going to buy a bottle of mineral water. I'll go with you."

Downstairs from the print shop was the campus supermarket, which also housed a milk tea shop. Several of its signature milk teas were very famous, practically signatures of Pingchuan University, and people from other schools often came just to try them.

Just as they walked down the stairs, someone called out to Xu Zhinan.

Zhao Qian looked over, let out a gloating "Oho," and whispered in her ear: "The underclassman who wants to tattoo your name on his body is here."

The underclassman's name was Fan Li. He had just finished playing basketball. His pursuit of Xu Zhinan was known to everyone, and his friends around him started hooting and teasing as soon as they saw her.

Fan Li ran up to Xu Zhinan: "Senior, what are you doing here too?"

Xu Zhinan gestured to the stack of materials she was holding: "Came to make some copies."

"Then do you want milk tea, Senior? My treat."

"I don't really like sweet things."

Zhao Qian chimed in from the side, blinking and recommending herself: "This senior over here wants some."

Fan Li grinned: "Alright, then my treat for you."

Xu Zhinan hit Zhao Qian lightly and said in a low voice: "What are you doing?"

"I'm giving the underclassman a way out. Otherwise, wouldn't it be so awkward for his group of friends to see that he can't even give away a cup of milk tea."

"..."

After the two finished their whispered conversation, thinking that Fan Li was treating Zhao Qian because of her, she still smiled and thanked him.

"Hey, Captain, isn't that our Light of Pingchuan?"

Guan Chi and Lin Qingye were sitting in the car. He lifted his chin towards the other side.

Lin Qingye followed his gaze and saw a boy standing in front of Xu Zhinan. The young lady's smile was gentle and serene, and it was unclear what she was saying to the person opposite her.

He stared for a while, an indescribable emotion gradually gathering in his eyes, then he directly opened the car door and got out.

"Hey—?" Guan Chi was startled, "Captain!"

But his captain was already walking over there without looking back.

Guan Chi rubbed his nose and muttered: "In such a hurry, why didn't you even wear a hat? Be careful of getting mobbed."

The supermarket's beverage section was on the far side, separated by a wall. Xu Zhinan headed for the beverage section as soon as she entered, while Zhao Qian and Fan Li stood at the milk tea counter.

It was still class time, and because of the scorching heat, there weren't many people in the supermarket at this hour, and the room-temperature beverage aisle was even emptier.

However, most of the mineral water had been placed in the refrigerators, with only a few bottles left on the top shelf of the aisle.

Ah Nan stood on her tiptoes and stretched her arm up to reach.

She silently complained in her heart that the design of the supermarket shelves was too unreasonable. Why make them so high? It's not like she was particularly short.

Stretching her arm wasn't enough, she had to stretch her fingers too. Just as she was about to grab it, another arm came over her head, and long, slender fingers grasped the body of the bottle.

Xu Zhinan blinked: "Thank..."

Then she watched as that hand pushed the water bottle further into the shelf.

"..."

...Huh?

From Xu Zhinan's current perspective, she couldn't even see the water bottle anymore.

What kind of move was this?

Xu Zhinan frowned slightly, thinking it was some kind of prank, but when she turned around, she came face to face with Lin Qingye.

Her eyes widened, completely stunned. Her first reaction was to look around, and luckily, no one else saw.

Seeing her reaction, Lin Qingye chuckled lowly: "Why are you acting like a thief?"

Because she was.

He had so many fans who liked him. If someone found out, who knows what they would say.

Xu Zhinan had a guilty conscience, and when she thought about her relationship with Lin Qingye, she felt even more guilty.

"No one saw me come in," he said again.

Xu Zhinan lowered her voice: "Why did you come to school today?"

"My counselor was looking for me."

"Oh." She nodded. She wasn't used to talking to Lin Qingye in this kind of environment, terrified of being seen. "Then I'll get going."

Lin Qingye clicked his tongue, grabbed her by the collar and pulled her back, pinning her wrist against the shelf: "What are you running for?"

"..."

Xu Zhinan rarely felt a sense of pressure from him, and she could even smell the scent of smoke on him.

"My classmate is right over there."

He raised an eyebrow: "You don't want the water anymore?"

Xu Zhinan couldn't help but complain: "You put it in there yourself and wouldn't give it to me."

"Call my name once and I'll get it for you."

From Xu Zhinan's angle, she could see his prominent Adam's apple and a section of his collarbone exposed by his collar when she looked up. She tentatively and obediently said: "Brother Qingye."

Lin Qingye raised his long arm and easily got the bottle of mineral water for her.

The two of them were hiding furtively by the shelves. Xu Zhinan felt her face start to burn. She took the water from his hand and thanked him again.

Acting completely like a stranger.

Lin Qingye found it amusing and gripped her hand again over the water bottle.

As expected, Xu Zhinan immediately bristled like a cat, trying hard to pull back, but unfortunately, she wasn't as strong as Lin Qingye and couldn't break free.

Lin Qingye squeezed her hand and asked faintly: "Who was that just now?"

Author's Note:

Jealousy firepower has reached 10%

Everyone in the first two chapters: I'm so into Lin Qingye! Lin Qingye, come get me!

Everyone now: Can I steal Ah Nan! Ah Nan is so well-behaved! What the hell is a Lin Qingye!

[Note:] The first stanza of the lyrics

"Between myself and the world

You are a chasm, a swamp

A collapsing abyss

You are a fence, a wall

An eternal pattern on a shield"

is quoted from Bei Dao's "A Bouquet".

The lyrics should be considered a bit of foreshadowing~