Studio.

The light bulb hanging overhead emitted a harsh white light.

Below, tripe and shrimp balls tumbled in the bottom of a brass hot pot, the aroma of hot pot spreading, steam continuously rising, creating a haze around the light bulb.

Several bottles of beer stood around the brass pot, ice-cold, with condensation droplets sliding down the bottles in strings.

Ji Yan had bought hot pot takeout, with disposable plastic containers stacked in a pile, filled with various fresh ingredients.

“Come on, let’s toast,” Guan Chi raised his glass. “Let’s celebrate our band leader’s successful debut on the variety show.”

Shi Si laughed and criticized, “What kind of last-century cliché congratulatory phrase is that?”

The four raised their glasses and clinked them together. The beer was poured to the brim, splashing out upon impact and dripping into the boiling pot, making a sizzling sound.

“Captain, our Miss Ji watched your first episode and I reckon she must have sent about two hundred comments.”

Lin Qingye took a sip of beer and raised his eyes, “What did she say?”

Ji Yan imitated the fans: “Ahhhhh brother is so handsome! Lin Qingye, I love you! Brother, I can! Brother’s deep voice killed me!!”

Unfortunately, she recited it without any emotion, like a real-life Siri.

Ji Yan shrugged, “It was pretty much the same when we performed at the bar before. I’m tired of hearing these things.”

Mentioning the bar performances still made everyone sigh.

Back then, their Locust Tree Band was considered a top-tier underground band, receiving endless attention and enjoying cheers and shouts every time they took the stage.

Everyone was reluctant to disband like this.

But the three of them faced pressure from their families. Although the resident performer’s salary was quite substantial, their elders’ fixed mindset believed it wasn’t a proper occupation.

What proper occupation involved staying up all night, hanging around in bars every day, drinking, smoking, and listening to high-decibel noise?

“It’s all right,” Shi Si lightened the mood. “We can still get together in the future. When we have time, we can tell the boss, and he’ll agree if we want to perform again.”

Lin Qingye asked, “What are you doing now?”

“Working at my dad’s factory. Once I get familiar with the processes, he’ll probably be ready to retire,” Shi Si said, flicking his cigarette ash.

Lin Qingye then looked at Ji Yan, raising an eyebrow, silently asking the same question.

Ji Yan said, “I found a job at an arts training institution that pays by the hour. I can teach both bass and dance, and the salary is decent.”

Guan Chi laughed, “I never would have thought that Ji Yan would end up being a teacher.”

Ji Yan glared at him, sending a sharp look his way, “You’re about to be a father, and you’re still laughing at me.”

Lin Qingye smiled, lazily leaning back on the sofa, “Everything’s good.”

He hadn’t been to this studio in the past few days. Things were messy, with cushions, blankets, and drumsticks scattered randomly on the sofa.

Guan Chi, now a married man and soon-to-be father, got up to leave shortly after they had eaten together.

His wife called right after to ask when he’d be coming home, and no one tried to stop him from leaving.

Only three of them remained, continuing to eat and drink.

Lin Qingye didn’t eat much, focusing on drinking, and barely participated in the conversation.

He had always been like this, not very enthusiastic about chatting and gossip. Shi Si and Ji Yan were used to it by now. As they got more intoxicated, they even started playing drinking games.

Lin Qingye watched them play, drinking along when Shi Si lost, and also drinking when Ji Yan lost.

Eventually, they finished all the beer they had bought, and then mixed white liquor with beer.

Shi Si and Ji Yan were just playing around, taking four or five sips to finish a cup, while Lin Qingye downed his in one gulp.

By the time they finished playing, they turned to see that Lin Qingye was already drunk.

When he was drunk, there wasn’t much noticeable difference from his usual self. His complexion remained unchanged, and he was still lazy, but when he looked at people, there was not a hint of warmth in his eyes, just pitch-black pupils.

Seeing him in this state, Shi Si and Ji Yan stopped playing.

“Captain, are you going home to sleep tonight or staying here?” Ji Yan asked.

“Here,” his answer was still clear and coherent.

“That’s good. You can’t drive in your condition anyway,” Ji Yan glanced at him and added, “Why don’t you go to bed first? Shi Si and I will clean up here and then leave.”

They were close enough friends that there was no need for fake courtesy.

Lin Qingye’s head was throbbing, so he agreed and quickly went into the bedroom.

Shi Si pulled out a garbage bag from the corner and dumped all the beer bottles and food scraps into it.

After eating hot pot, the room was filled with a heavy aroma. Ji Yan went to open the window and asked, “Why did Captain drink so much today?”

“I don’t know. He seems off,” Shi Si frowned slightly. “I think he went home after getting his diploma.”

Having spent so much time together, they knew something about Lin Qingye’s family situation.

His relationship with his family was very strained, especially with his mother.

“What kind of drinking is that? That voice of his is meant for singing. Aren’t we afraid he’ll damage it someday?” Ji Yan couldn’t help but say.

The two quickly cleaned up the living room.

Shi Si lifted two full bags of garbage. “Let’s go.”

“Wait,” Ji Yan picked up Lin Qingye’s phone from the sofa, pointing toward the bedroom, “I’ll go check on him.”

The bedroom light was off. Lin Qingye was lying on the bed with his arm across his forehead.

Ji Yan wasn’t sure if he was already asleep, so she tiptoed over to place the phone on his bedside table, but heard him say something softly.

Ji Yan paused, bending down, “What?”

Looking closer, she realized his eyes were closed. Those faint sounds might have been him sleep-talking, or she might have imagined them.

“Captain, you’ve had so much to drink. Sleep on your side; otherwise, if you need to vomit during the night, you might choke,” Ji Yan said softly.

Lin Qingye didn’t move, still lying in the same position.

It seemed he was indeed sleep-talking.

Ji Yan was about to straighten up when he mumbled something again.

This time she heard it clearly and froze in place.

“—A’Nan,” he said.

Ji Yan stared at him in the dim bedroom. Through the light leaking from the doorway, she saw his brows tightly knit, his lips pressed into a straight line, looking distressed.

Ji Yan’s heart felt as if it was being tightly squeezed, a sour and numb bitterness rising within her.

Earlier, when Xu Zhinan had thrown water in Lin Qingye’s face in front of everyone, Ji Yan had noticed his reaction and suspected something, but in the following days, seeing him behave normally, she hadn’t thought much of it.

Even when she later heard rumors from Pingchuan University’s forum, she didn’t take them seriously.

After all, Lin Qingye was carefree and willful, doing whatever he wanted, unlike the rest of them.

Shi Si waited outside for a while without seeing her come out, so he pushed the door open and peeked in, whispering, “What are you doing?”

“Coming,” Ji Yan quickly responded, walking out of the bedroom.

The consequence of drinking too much was waking up thirsty not long after, with a throat that felt like it was on fire. Lin Qingye woke with a splitting headache, sitting on the edge of the bed, pressing hard on his temples.

Then he got up, went to the living room, took a bottle of cold mineral water from the refrigerator, and tilted his head back, drinking half the bottle.

Water droplets spilled out, running down his long neck and over his Adam’s apple, which moved up and down as he swallowed.

Lin Qingye returned to the bedroom, picked up his phone from the bedside table, and saw a message from Shi Si sent fifteen minutes ago, saying he had taken Ji Yan home.

Lin Qingye replied with an “Mm.”

With his headache preventing him from sleeping, he sat on the edge of the bed, casually opened his social media feed, and immediately saw a post Xu Zhinan had just made.

A photo of a tattoo.

The surrounding skin was still red. Lin Qingye was familiar with this now, knowing it meant the tattoo had just been completed.

He also checked the time—one minute ago.

Xu Zhinan’s tattoo shop was less than 100 meters from his studio.

Xu Zhinan had been worried about finding a model for the tattoo design competition when, coincidentally, Xu Zhenfan, whom she had previously tattooed and who had cried and sniffled through the process, came to find her.

Xu Zhinan had just seen off a customer when Xu Zhenfan arrived.

He came this time because the crane tattoo Xu Zhinan had done for him last time had received many compliments from his friends. He came specifically to thank her and even brought a basket of bayberries.

He also mentioned wanting to schedule another realistic style tattoo.

“What kind of design would you like?” she asked.

“Something romantic, to complement this crane. Like clouds, mist, a starry sky—that sort of thing. I haven’t thought it through completely. If you have time, could you first come up with a design for me? How about that?”

This coincided perfectly with Xu Zhinan’s previous plans.

She took out a drawing from her drawer, which already had a completed design. The difference between her design and what Xu Zhenfan wanted was that he wanted a starry sky, while she had drawn a galaxy.

“How do you like this one?” she asked.

The design was predominantly blue and purple, with starry elements and light halos that looked very realistic, and it also had the misty cloud effect that Xu Zhenfan had mentioned.

Xu Zhenfan took one look and slapped the table with excitement, “That’s great, little sister! Has anyone else gotten this design? I love it so much, but I don’t want to have the same tattoo as someone else.”

“No one has yet. I just drew it recently,” Xu Zhinan leaned in closer and asked, “Do you think it will work?”

“Yes! I want this design. How much is the deposit?”

“Wait, don’t rush,” Xu Zhinan smiled and told him about the competition she had entered. “I originally prepared this design for the preliminary round. I don’t know if you’d be willing, because for the tattooing, we’d need to go to a special venue, which is a bit inconvenient. Also, afterward, photos would be posted online for voting. You’d essentially be my competition model.”

Xu Zhenfan raised an eyebrow, “You mean the poster I saw here last time?”

She nodded, “Yes, that’s it.”

“That’s fine! I’m really lucky to have caught this opportunity!” Xu Zhenfan quickly agreed.

Xu Zhinan’s expression brightened, “You’re willing?”

“Of course,” Xu Zhenfan was very friendly, “I must help my A’Nan sister. Besides, it’s not helping—I already like this design.”

Xu Zhinan smiled, her eyes curving into crescents, “Thank you so much. Since it’s for the competition, there won’t be a charge for this tattoo, and we can also discuss the model fee.”

“No, no, no,” Xu Zhenfan waved his hand generously, “That doesn’t make sense. How could I let you pay out of pocket? I don’t have the habit of getting free meals. I’ll still pay you.”

It was customary for competition models not to be charged; some were even paid an additional salary. But seeing Xu Zhenfan’s attitude, Xu Zhinan didn’t argue further on this issue, thinking they could discuss it later.

“By the way, one more thing. Since this design will be posted online for voting, it will have high exposure, and some people will definitely take the image to get similar tattoos. Would that bother you?” Xu Zhinan added.

“It’s not a problem. It’s a competition, which is different. I must support my sister’s career!”

“…”

Xu Zhenfan continued, “Besides, for this style of tattoo, I think no one in Yan City except you can do it. Even if someone copies it, mine will still be the best-looking. But later, if anyone comes to your shop requesting the same design, you can’t agree, okay?”

“Yes, you can rest assured about that.”

Xu Zhinan offered two types of tattoos.

One type consisted of common designs, mostly tried by young people interested in tattoos, which might overlap.

The other type was custom designs. For seasoned tattoo enthusiasts like Xu Zhenfan, each tattoo should tell a unique story, and a design should only be used once.

Xu Zhenfan had no other business today, and now that he had confirmed the future tattoo design, it was getting late, so he got up to leave.

“You should take this back,” Xu Zhinan said, picking up the basket of bayberries he had brought.

“No, no, no, this is to thank you for the crane tattoo last time. They’re very sweet. In a few days, these bayberries won’t be available anymore. Eat more.”

Xu Zhinan felt embarrassed, “This is too much. I can’t eat them all.”

“Put them in the refrigerator. I don’t take back things I’ve given away,” Xu Zhenfan waved at her as he walked out, “Don’t see me off. Stay busy.”

Xu Zhinan had no choice but to accept. With her hand on the doorknob, she lifted the basket and thanked him again, “Thank you, and thank you for being my model.”

“No need, no need for such formality,” Xu Zhenfan grinned, “And don’t use such formal terms. You’re younger than me, just call me Brother Zhenfan.”

Suddenly being asked to call a man she had only met twice “brother” made Xu Zhinan feel a bit embarrassed.

But Xu Zhenfan had indeed helped her greatly this time, and he meant no harm—he just had a straightforward personality.

“Brother Zhenfan,” she called softly.

“Yes,” Xu Zhenfan responded, waving his hand, “I’m off!”

Xu Zhinan watched him get into his car and leave, then patted her face, which had grown warm from the unfamiliarity of calling a man “Brother Zhenfan.” She turned to go back into the shop.

Knowing she would be busy until late, she had already messaged her mother that she wouldn’t be coming home to sleep, and after closing the shop, she would go directly to her dormitory for the night.

Having resolved the model issue, Xu Zhinan was in a good mood. She sat in her chair, stretched lazily, and then slowly began to pack up her things to return to the dormitory.

After tidying up for a short while, the wind chime on the door rang as someone else entered.

“I’m sorry, I…”

Xu Zhinan’s words trailed off as she saw the young man at the door.

He walked toward her without stopping, taking large strides.

Xu Zhinan immediately stood up. Before she could tell him to leave, he had already reached her.

One more step forward, and Xu Zhinan stepped back, her back against the wall.

He pinned her down.

Up close, Xu Zhinan could smell the strong alcohol on him. His eyes were unfocused, and she realized he was drunk.

“Lin Qingye,” she frowned, disliking their current position. She pushed against him, “Don’t stay so close to me.”

Hearing this, he let out a cold snort. Even drunk, his agility wasn’t affected. He easily gripped both of Xu Zhinan’s wrists with one hand and pushed them forward.

He had drunk too much, his movements not controlled by his brain. Xu Zhinan’s wrists were pushed to her chest. He used too much force, pressing into her flesh.

Xu Zhinan found this action extremely embarrassing; her face instantly reddening. Her breathing also tightened as she struggled fiercely.

Lin Qingye restrained her effortlessly, “Xu Zhinan.”

Only when he spoke did Xu Zhinan realize his voice was extremely hoarse, deep, and raspy.

Lin Qingye usually only called her by her full name in two situations: first, when he was playfully teasing her, and second, when he was angry.

This was the second scenario.

Yet Xu Zhinan had no idea what she had done to upset him.

They were like two parallel lines. Lin Qingye participated in the show, attracting many fans, while she worked hard and participated in the tattoo competition.

“Just a few days away from me, and you already have a boyfriend?” His eyes were bloodshot, but his expression was disdainful. “Eagerly calling him Brother Zhenfan. Do you think that guy is something special?”

They hadn’t had any contact these days, but it wasn’t as if she hadn’t seen him.

With the show’s broadcast, his popularity was high, and she had even seen his name in news notifications on her phone.

Some of the girls who came to her for tattoos were his fans, excitedly discussing him.

He was still radiant, even more so than before.

It was difficult for Xu Zhinan to connect the Lin Qingye in front of her now with the Lin Qingye standing amid the roaring cheers on the show.

After hearing him, Xu Zhinan realized what he had misunderstood.

The Lin Qingye in front of her now was completely different from the one she had known for the past three years.

In her impression, he had always been nonchalant, as if he didn’t particularly care about anything, including her. His attitude was always casual and willful, mischievous yet carefree.

But the Lin Qingye now seemed to have stripped away those masks, showing his most authentic self to her.

Xu Zhinan suddenly thought of the video that had once circulated widely online, showing Lin Qingye hitting someone.

But she didn’t bother explaining to him that there was no other relationship between her and Xu Zhenfan.

“Let go of me. We have no relationship anymore!” Xu Zhinan was also annoyed.

“Then who do you want to have a relationship with?” he asked.

Xu Zhinan just wanted to escape from his restraint as quickly as possible, “Anyone but you.”

He laughed coldly, “You think he likes you that much? He’s just attracted to your face.”

“Not even keeping your guard up. Who wouldn’t like a naive, easily deceived college student like you?” Lin Qingye pressed her firmly against the corner. His facade removed, all the frustration of these days poured out.

Xu Zhinan took a deep breath, her expression still calm, “Who I’m with has nothing to do with you. Even if someone deceives me like you did, you have no right to interfere. You don’t even count as my ex-boyfriend, so what right do you have to come looking for me now?”

This was the first time in Xu Zhinan’s life that she had spoken so harshly.

Lin Qingye’s gaze grew colder, “Do you think I’m pitiful now?”

“You’re not pitiful,” Xu Zhinan said. “You have so many people who like you.”

The previously aggressive Lin Qingye suddenly fell silent.

He slowly lowered his head, his forehead resting on her shoulder.

Due to their height difference, his back was hunched, as if he had finally bowed his head.

“A’Nan,” his voice was extremely low, “Stop this.”

“You’re a public figure now, Lin Qingye. Don’t recklessly come to my place like this anymore,” Xu Zhinan’s tone softened somewhat.

She pulled her hands out of his grip again, successfully this time. Her wrists were marked with red circles from his grip.

Fearing he might lose control again, Xu Zhinan didn’t push him away, letting her hands fall to her sides, allowing him to lean on her shoulder.

“Come back. I’ll be good to you.”

Xu Zhinan pressed her lips together, not saying anything.

He turned his head slightly, his lips brushing against her fair neck, then stopping, his cool lips pressing against her somewhat feverish neck.

Xu Zhinan jerked as if electrified, quickly pushing him away.

Lin Qingye lost his balance, staggering back several steps. The wooden table was bumped and moved, making a harsh scraping sound against the floor tiles.

Xu Zhinan looked at him calmly, “You should go.”

He leaned against the table. The intense anger he had when he entered had mostly subsided. The nameless frustration that had surrounded him after drinking too much quickly cooled down in the face of Xu Zhinan’s current attitude.

Lin Qingye’s lips pressed into a straight line as he looked at the young woman before him.

The incandescent light hung above her head in the tattoo shop. Under the light, her cascading hair was dark and soft. When she looked at him, her chin slightly raised, the lines of her jaw and neck were smooth, like a proud white swan.

The Xu Zhinan before him gradually merged with the image of when he first saw her in high school.

Lin Qingye’s heart gradually calmed, like returning to that bone-chilling night.

“A’Nan, you don’t like me anymore.”

He said.