Many boys had confessed to Xu Zhinan, and Qin Tang was one of them.

The reason this particular experience stood out so vividly was that the period of being pursued was not pleasant for Xu Zhinan.

She had a quiet and gentle temperament. Fan Li’s pursuit of the tattoo shop, saying he wanted to tattoo her name on his body, was already too much. But Qin Tang was even more excessive.

It happened in high school. Xu Zhinan attended Yan City No. 1 High School, while Qin Tang wasn’t from No. 1 High. Xu Zhinan had never bothered to find out which school he attended.

Qin Tang’s pursuit could be described as harassment.

Every time after class when she headed home, Qin Tang would wait at the school gate. Xu Zhinan ignored him, but he didn’t need her acknowledgment. He would follow her, talking to her like a hooligan.

Eventually, Xu Zhinan couldn’t take it anymore and finally got annoyed.

That day after school, she was holding a certificate for a city-level essay competition award and was preparing to go home when she spotted Qin Tang at the school gate again.

He was standing with a bicycle, a cigarette between his lips, waiting for her.

Xu Zhinan’s classmates all recognized him by now and walked away laughing and chatting. Xu Zhinan ignored him and headed straight home.

“Hey, Student Xu, didn’t you see me?” Qin Tang rode his bicycle next to her.

Xu Zhinan quickened her pace, and he matched her speed. When she slowed down, he slowed down too, always keeping pace with her.

She stopped, frowning: “Aren’t you annoying? Stop following me!”

Qin Tang grinned playfully: “I like you. How else am I supposed to see you if I don’t follow you?”

“I would never like someone like you.”

The sunlight shone brightly. Xu Zhinan had her hair in a ponytail, with a few loose strands falling on her nape. Her features were delicate and beautiful, without a trace of gloom. The award certificate in her hand had gleaming gold lettering.

She tilted her chin slightly, brows furrowed, her expression cold and distant. She wasn’t aware of it, but to Qin Tang, she looked as proud as a swan, keeping people at a distance, looking down on him from the bottom of her heart.

Qin Tang looked at her for a moment, then suddenly smiled: “You’re quite something.”

Xu Zhinan ignored him. She had never encountered a boy like this before.

With finals approaching, she didn’t want to be disturbed. She turned and continued walking, not sparing him a single glance.

“Don’t fucking take my kindness for granted,” Qin Tang shouted from behind her, his tone malicious. “What are you being so high and mighty about? Let’s see how long you can keep up this act.”

Xu Zhinan muttered “psycho” under her breath and walked faster.

Qin Tang didn’t follow her again.

Afterward, Xu Zhinan never saw him again. From that day on, Qin Tang no longer pursued her.

Regarding this incident, Xu Zhinan’s attitude was simply relieved, allowing her to focus on preparing for exams.

By now, she had almost forgotten what Qin Tang looked like, except for that vicious tone in his voice that remained unchanged, triggering her memories.

But how did Lin Qingye know Qin Tang?

She had never seen this type of person around Lin Qingye before.

As she lifted her dress and walked backstage, she could still hear the teasing voices of that group behind her.

Then came Qin Tang’s voice, playful and contemptuous: “You’re not fastidious—her lipstick is still on you.”

Xu Zhinan’s face heated up. She gathered her dress and ran back backstage, revealing a small section of her fair, slender calves, like smooth white jade.

Lin Qingye looked away, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, letting out a faint laugh.

The female co-host, seeing Xu Zhinan running back, asked: “How was it? Did Lin Qingye arrive?”

She was still in a daze and didn’t answer.

The female host waved her hand in front of her eyes: “Ah Nan?”

“Huh.” She snapped back to reality. “What is it?”

“What’s wrong with you? We’re about to start,” the female host repeated her question.

She nodded: “He’s here. We’ve coordinated.”

“Your lipstick looks so faint. Did you eat something? Let me touch it up for you.” With that, she pulled Xu Zhinan to the makeup table and reapplied her lipstick. She demonstrated by pressing her lips together. “Press your lips like this.”

Xu Zhinan followed, pressing her lips together.

With red lips, her features still didn’t carry any aggression. They remained soft, but more radiant and dazzling, making it impossible to look away.

The female host snapped her fingers: “Perfect. But you went out and came back looking like you’ve lost your soul.”

“I’m fine,” Xu Zhinan said, pressing her temples and organizing her cue cards.

Just before going on stage, her phone vibrated. It was a message from Ruan Yuanyuan. She summoned her energy.

[Ruan Yuanyuan: OMG!! Is the gala about to start!!]

[Xu Zhinan: Yes, what’s wrong?]

[Ruan Yuanyuan: Old lady Fan wants me to fix that mid-term design draft right now. If I don’t go, she’ll fail me! Do you know roughly when Lin Qingye’s performance will be?]

Xu Zhinan’s fingers paused, remembering what had just happened. She felt a tightness in her chest.

[Xu Zhinan: He’s the finale, probably in about two hours.]

[Ruan Yuanyuan: I don’t know if I’ll make it back in time. Why is old lady Fan so annoying?

[Ruan Yuanyuan: Ah Nan, if I can’t make it, you must help me stop him!!!]

Xu Zhinan didn’t know how to respond, only replying “Come as soon as you can.” The other hosts called her, so Xu Zhinan turned off her phone, put it in her bag, and went on stage with them.

The school attached great importance to this gala, filming the entire event.

Lights shone down as the four hosts—two males and two females—took the stage together to deliver the opening speech.

“Hey, isn’t that Xu Zhinan?” Students in the audience craned their necks.

“Yes, haven’t you heard? They announced long ago that Xu Zhinan would be one of the hosts.”

“She’s so beautiful. I used to think her face would look better without makeup, but now I see—damn, she’s stunning.”

…

Whispered discussions spread through the audience.

Xu Zhinan had already memorized her script thoroughly, and despite her inner turmoil, she didn’t make a single mistake.

She could see Lin Qingye from the corner of her eye.

He hadn’t sat down with everyone else but stood nearby with his group of friends, laughing and talking casually, carefree and dismissive.

She remembered Qin Tang’s comment about “her lipstick still being on you,” and her heart skipped a beat. She looked over, wanting to see if he had wiped it clean.

But the glaring lights from above spread out, making even the floating dust particles visible in the air, while obscuring details in the darker areas.

Lin Qingye noticed her gaze and looked directly at her, lazily raising his arm to greet her.

Xu Zhinan’s dark eyelashes fluttered, and the heaviness in her heart dissipated somewhat. She lowered her gaze to her cue cards and introduced the first segment.

They had rehearsed several times before. The other three hosts were outstanding broadcasting majors, and the entire gala proceeded smoothly.

However, by the latter part, the audience’s enthusiasm had somewhat waned. They stopped watching the performances and began taking selfies with friends beside them—after all, they would soon graduate and go their separate ways.

It was time for the final performance.

After sending Ruan Yuanyuan a message, Xu Zhinan went on stage. She was responsible for the announcement. After she finished her introduction, everyone guessed it was Lin Qingye, and enthusiasm was reignited.

“Next, please welcome the performance by Lin Qingye, a senior from the Music Department.”

Applause and screams mixed from below.

Completely different from earlier.

Lin Qingye walked on stage amidst these cheers. Staff fixed a standing microphone and keyboard in place.

Different from the previously recorded video, it seemed he had decided to change at the last minute—no guitar, but a keyboard instead.

Lin Qingye was proficient with many instruments, all at a professional level. He practically could form a one-man band.

His fingers were long and slender, lightly touching the keyboard. He pressed three keys in succession, creating a melody that effortlessly captured everyone’s attention.

The musical notes rose from light to heavy. Lin Qingye’s bangs fell forward, taking on the colors of the dappled lights.

The song had also been rearranged, different from what she had heard during the video recording.

Rock elements had been added. Xu Zhinan didn’t know if this had been prepared beforehand or was improvised.

“We’re quite lucky,” the other female host stood with Xu Zhinan at the side of the stage, watching Lin Qingye’s performance up close.

She spoke softly, “This might be the last free performance of Lin Qingye we’ll ever see. I heard that as soon as this is over, he’s going straight to record for a show.”

His performance was the shortest, lasting only one song.

Xu Zhinan couldn’t go backstage to check her phone to see if Ruan Yuanyuan had arrived.

When the song ended, the audience spontaneously chanted Lin Qingye’s name in unison.

He always had this ability to move people’s hearts.

He wore a white shirt, half of it casually tucked into his waistband. Under the lights, his broad shoulders and narrow waist cast a carefree silhouette. Then he looked up, slightly breathless, with a hint of a smile, mischievous and a bit roguish, bringing his lips back to the microphone.

His voice was low and husky as he said languidly: “Happy graduation.”

The screams reached a crescendo.

It was easy to imagine what the school forum would look like afterward.

The atmosphere created by Lin Qingye continued even after the hosts announced the end of the gala.

Xu Zhinan returned backstage, changed back into her clothes. The teacher in charge came over, clapping her hands: “The gala has concluded successfully! Thank you all for your hard work!”

She gave everyone a bottle of mineral water.

Xu Zhinan accepted it with thanks.

“Ah Nan, aren’t you removing your makeup?” her friend called out.

“I’ll remove it back at the dorm. I’m leaving now.”

Xu Zhinan hurriedly stuffed her things into her backpack. Just as she was about to leave, she ran back, “Yiyi, does my makeup look good now?”

“When do you ever not look good? This makeup is designed to make you look more beautiful as the night goes on. You look stunning right now!” Yiyi blinked suspiciously, “You’re acting strange. Got a boyfriend?”

Xu Zhinan smiled and waved goodbye: “I’m heading back now.”

Thinking of how dazzling Lin Qingye had been on stage, she couldn’t help but want to see him.

Everyone had already started leaving. Except for a few staff members, the hall was empty.

Xu Zhinan opened the mineral water bottle and took a sip. After speaking all evening, her throat was a bit sore.

She walked out through the side corridor.

“You’re something, Brother Ye. I can see the light in her eyes when she looks at you. I’m impressed, truly impressed.” Qin Tang’s voice came from beyond the wall.

Xu Zhinan paused, stopping in her tracks, strangely not walking out.

Lin Qingye flicked his cigarette ash, glancing at him, casually saying: “Watch what you say.”

He had seen Xu Zhinan in high school, earlier than when she first saw him.

He and Qin Tang attended the same high school, Seventh High. Later, one weekend, a group of them were coming out of an internet café when they saw Xu Zhinan queuing at a milk tea shop.

Qin Tang nudged his shoulder, raising an eyebrow, gesturing toward the opposite direction: “Hey, that girl looks so pure.”

Lin Qingye looked over, curling his lip without commenting.

“Interesting. Should we go ask for her contact information?”

Lin Qingye snorted, very dismissively: “Would someone like that be interested in you?”

“What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with me?” Qin Tang punched him playfully. “Just because you have all these girls fluttering around you doesn’t mean you can look down on me. My face isn’t bad either, you know.”

“It’s not that,” Lin Qingye narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at Xu Zhinan in the sunlight. “This girl is too proud; she won’t give you her contact information.”

“Proud?”

Qin Tang examined her carefully again, but couldn’t see a hint of pride in her. Instead, she seemed soft and obedient, making his heart itch. “She looks quite docile.”

Lin Qingye said scornfully: “Then go pursue her.”

Not believing him, Qin Tang later asked around and discovered she was the beauty of No. 1 High School. He immediately began pursuing her.

However, after a short period, he deeply experienced what Lin Qingye meant by “proud.”

This pride wasn’t visible on her face; it had permeated her bones. She had always been excellent—outstanding grades, a good personality, and similarly good friends around her.

She had her principles and goals, deeply rooted. She couldn’t understand someone like Qin Tang, a troublemaker, and disdained any connection with him.

Later, when Qin Tang truly understood what Lin Qingye meant by “proud,” he gave up. Although he didn’t show it, he was indeed hurt for a while.

Later, Lin Qingye was exceptionally admitted to Pingchuan University.

A year later, Xu Zhinan also got into Pingchuan University.

Of course, Qin Tang didn’t know this. After Xu Zhinan had all but crushed what little self-esteem he had, he stopped paying attention.

Until he coincidentally saw Xu Zhinan again at the bar where Lin Qingye performed.

She was no longer wearing that proper, oversized high school uniform, but just a simple dress.

Qin Tang had been brought by Lin Qingye, and even so, he could immediately sense Xu Zhinan’s pride.

To be precise, all those Pingchuan University students around her seemed proud. After all, it was a prestigious university, and they all had some sense of superiority.

They might not show it themselves, but others could feel it.

Qin Tang swirled the drink in his glass: “Brother Ye, look over there.”

“What?”

Qin Tang: “It’s Xu Zhinan, that beauty from No. 1 High. Don’t you remember?”

Lin Qingye took a swig of his drink: “Now she’s Pingchuan University’s beauty.”

“…So you two are schoolmates now?” Qin Tang pouted, half-drunk. “Hey, brother, want to bet? You see all these girls sneaking glances at you, but if you encounter someone high and mighty like her, it won’t work!”

Lin Qingye leaned back on the sofa, one foot on the coffee table, cigarette between his lips. The light from the flame illuminated his pupils as he observed Xu Zhinan at another table.

His narrowed eyes were long and sharp, like a predator eyeing its prey.

In the hot June weather, there were many small flying insects in the school’s side corridor.

Qin Tang waved his hand to brush them away, crouching cheerfully by the wall: “Unstoppable as always. How long have you two been together? If I hadn’t heard from Fatty recently, I wouldn’t have known you’d already succeeded.”

Lin Qingye’s relationship with Qin Tang wasn’t particularly close.

They occasionally hung out in high school, but now they rarely had contact. Today, Qin Tang had just heard the news and came to join the excitement.

Seeing that Lin Qingye wasn’t responding, Ji Yan answered for him: “Almost three years, I think.”

“Th-three years?!” Qin Tang was stunned, calculating. “So you hooked up right after that time at the bar?!”

Lin Qingye brushed his hair up: “More or less.”

Xu Zhinan was separated from them by just a wall, and she could hear what they were saying.

She was completely stunned, yet her thoughts were unusually clear. She inexplicably knew with certainty which “time at the bar” Qin Tang was referring to.

Freshman year, during a club activity, everyone went to “Ye,” and that was the first time she saw Lin Qingye.

The group outside discussed this as if it were an everyday topic.

Xu Zhinan suddenly understood.

Why did Lin Qingye never tell her about going to participate in the show?

Why, he could come and go as he pleased.

Why could the other members of his band talk about other girls right beside her without any reservations?

Because Lin Qingye didn’t value her, his friends didn’t value her either.

She had understood this all along, which was why she had carefully concealed her relationship with Lin Qingye from her friends, unwilling to let them know.

She had been happy about Lin Qingye’s kisses, happy about his ambiguous “I missed you,” and happy about Shi Si’s casual address of “Sister-in-law.”

But others saw her as a clown.

Xu Zhinan’s fingers trembled as she gripped the mineral water bottle. She clenched her jaw, causing a throbbing pain in her jawline.

Qin Tang teased suggestively: “Three years, so you must have slept together, right?”

This tone made even Ji Yan frown.

They hadn’t seen each other for years, and this Qin Tang had become even more crude and stupid, unable to read the room.

Lin Qingye’s face darkened, and the atmosphere around him turned cold. Those nearby observed his reaction, not daring to joke or act out, fearful he might get angry.

Though Lin Qingye usually seemed just a bit cold in temperament, with a decent temper, when he truly got angry, no one dared to stop him.

The video of him beating someone up in high school, which had recently gained attention again due to the show’s popularity, was a prime example.

But before he could speak, Xu Zhinan walked out from the side door.

Everyone fell silent.

Lin Qingye leaned against the wall, looking up.

Her eyes were burning red with anger and grievance. She walked straight up to Lin Qingye, looking directly at him, then splashed the mineral water in her hand onto his face.

His black hair was soaked, water droplets hanging from his eyelashes, sliding down his browbone and nose bridge, finally gathering at his sharp chin, dripping one by one onto the ground.

His expression darkened further, lips tightly closed, eyes pitch black.

Xu Zhinan looked at him, withdrawing her exposed emotions, and said expressionlessly: “Lin Qingye, you’re a bastard.”