Xu Zhinan paused her chopsticks mid-air and set them down.

Lin Qingye had always been good at inspiring loyalty in his fans, before and now. There had never been anyone quite like him in the entertainment industry—he was unique, and his fans’ emotional attachment ran deeper because of it.

He had disappeared for two and a half years, leaving his fans with no way to know his whereabouts. It was only with Shen Linlin’s song that they finally got news of Lin Qingye again.

Ahhhhhhhh!!!! Is your brother coming back?!!!!

Has sister Linlin met our brother? We miss him so much. Can you please let him post something on Weibo? I’m crying.

Lin Qingye!!!! I love you!!!

The song is so beautiful, when I heard it I somehow immediately thought of Lin Qingye, and when I saw he wrote both lyrics and music I immediately burst into tears.

Oh, I’m having flashbacks to “I Come for Music”! I love it so much! Please collaborate again, first and second place!!

I miss Lin Qingye so much I’m crying, come back soon, please don’t just work behind the scenes! Some people are meant to be on stage!! You’re made for the spotlight!!

I will love Lin Qingye forever!!!

These were what the fans were saying, though of course there were also opposing voices with cruel words.

It was all normal.

Lin Qingye’s character had always been polarizing—it was true before, and after what he’d been through, even more so now.

But Xu Zhinan still needed mental preparation before reading these comments; it was too easy for her to feel heartache.

??? Get lost.

Fans are brainless and used to being mistreated. Do you want a pretty face with no moral character? Have you forgotten how he pushed down and shouted at his fans in that video before he left the industry?

If someone who’s been to prison can still come back to the entertainment industry and make big money, I might as well become a celebrity too. The bar is too low.

Lin Qingye’s fans must be the most toxic and stupid, they can even forgive this.

Has Shen Linlin been kicked in the head by a donkey? After being lifted so high these years, now she dares to help someone like Lin Qingye. I think you should take care of yourself first.

…

Back then, Lin Qingye’s incident had appeared very suddenly.

Fans suddenly received news from media outlets that the rising star singer Lin Qingye had been arrested and was under investigation.

It caused a huge stir.

Because there had already been many critical voices about Lin Qingye before, all kinds of speculation, suspicion, and slander emerged.

Lin Guancheng directly issued an ultimatum to various newspapers and magazines, forbidding further discussion of anything related to Lin Qingye.

Suppressing the news, reducing the heat, minimizing the damage.

So many of the subsequent details were left to people’s imagination.

However, soon after came news that an unsolved kidnapping case from years ago in Yan City had been solved, but the announcement stated that the victim was hospitalized with serious injuries.

Some fans, in order to clear Lin Qingye’s name, tried to investigate this matter.

Previously, when Lin Qingye was accused of school bullying, a girl had given an interview defending him. Although the interview video had blurred both her image and voice, fans still found clues in the school’s online forum, discovering that the girl’s father was the police officer who had investigated the kidnapping case back then.

So fans had always believed that it was because of that video that the kidnapper had made a connection with Lin Qingye.

Based on their trust in Lin Qingye, fans didn’t believe he would have ended up charged with intentional assault without reason, and they believed this connection to the kidnapping case.

But there was no concrete evidence, which also became material for other anti-fans to slander Lin Qingye and mock his supporters.

Xu Zhinan stared at the comments under the trending topic for a long time. There were those expressing heartache, regret, and calling for his return; there were also those with malicious abuse and sarcasm telling him to get lost.

Although she had anticipated this situation before, actually seeing those words directed at Lin Qingye still caused her unbearable heartache.

Her mother noticed her expression and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xu Zhinan couldn’t say “nothing.”

Back when she was still a junior in college, her mother had already brought up that she could start dating, but oddly, even though she’d graduated two years ago, her mother never mentioned it again. Even when neighbors kept trying to arrange blind dates for Xu Zhinan, her mother quietly refused them all.

Xu Zhinan knew very well what this was all about.

She lowered her head, absentmindedly poking at her rice with chopsticks, and said softly, “Mom, he’s out.”

“What?” Her mother was stunned for a moment. “…That boy?”

She didn’t dare ask too much, not knowing what the current situation was between them, afraid of touching Xu Zhinan’s wounds.

Xu Zhinan’s intermittent illness that had lasted for nearly half a year back then still made her mother anxious.

“Mm.” Xu Zhinan said, “I’ve already met with him, he’s doing well.”

“Oh.” Her mother sighed with relief. “Then why didn’t you bring him back for dinner today?”

“He’s been quite busy lately, so I didn’t mention it to him.”

“What’s he busy with?”

“He had already produced an album before, and now he’s revising it for preparation.”

“That’s good. It’s not easy for someone his age to get back on his feet so quickly. He’s had enough hardship in the first half of his life. You should take good care of him from now on.”

Xu Zhinan nodded and made a sound of agreement.

She was a bit surprised by her mother’s words. Although she knew that Lin Qingye’s past troubles were related to Su Qian, and her mother, knowing the cause and effect, would naturally not oppose Lin Qingye, she hadn’t expected her to say those things without asking anything more.

Her mother was crystal clear about it all: “In the past, I hoped you would find a boyfriend who would cherish you, be good to you, and be steady and reliable. But life is life, however you live it. Your happiness is what matters most. I was just thinking today that you seem to have gained some weight, and our Zhinan seems happier lately.”

Her mother smiled, “No wonder. So he’s back.”

“But one thing,” her voice became a bit more serious, “I haven’t met this boy, but I can guess what kind of personality he has. You need to talk to him properly, keep him in check, don’t let him act impulsively again.”

Xu Zhinan’s eyes grew hot. She blinked quickly to hold back tears, and opened her arms to hug her mother: “Thank you, Mom.”

She hadn’t replied to Zhao Qian yet. Just as she was about to do so after dinner, Zhao Qian called, launching into a barrage as soon as she answered.

Xu Zhinan walked outside and listened to her with a smile: “Mm, he’s back.”

Zhao Qian was indignant: “You didn’t even tell me! When did he come back?”

“Not long ago. I ran into him the day after I helped you try on wedding dresses.”

“So where are you two at now?”

Xu Zhinan paused: “We’re good. He’s been quite busy lately, and he’ll need money for various things coming up. He’s selling his previous apartment, so he’s living with me now.”

Zhao Qian was shocked: “You’re living together?!”

“…”

“Well done, Zhinan! Look at you go! At this rate, you might have a baby before I do!”

“…”

Zhao Qian’s words became increasingly exaggerated, causing Xu Zhinan to blush. She said softly, “It’s not like that between us.”

“Don’t try to fool me, a single man and woman, separated for two and a half years, and especially someone like Lin Qingye—I understand, I understand,” Zhao Qian said with a suggestive look.

“…”

But they weren’t like that.

Xu Zhinan didn’t know how to explain, so she simply didn’t.

Zhao Qian asked again: “So on my wedding day, are you going to bring Lin Qingye?”

Xu Zhinan thought for a moment: “He probably won’t come. His identity is receiving attention again, so it’s better to be careful.”

“That makes sense. But make sure you come, don’t forget your friend for a man.”

Xu Zhinan laughed and said, “I know.”

Shen Linlin’s song topped both the real-time search rankings and play charts on music apps as soon as it was released. At the same time, the official social media account of the “I Come for Music” program from nearly three years ago liked and shared the song.

Everyone’s relationships within the “I Come for Music” program had been harmonious, and most people in the industry were also aware of the true circumstances of Lin Qingye’s imprisonment. Moreover, now that top-tier singer Shen Linlin had taken a stand, they had nothing to worry about, and many helped promote her song.

The message was clear—helping Shen Linlin was secondary; more importantly, they were showing support for the lyricist and composer, Lin Qingye.

As the promotional circle expanded, other singers and actors in the entertainment industry who were friendly with Shen Linlin also shared the post.

After all, no matter what happened, Shen Linlin would take responsibility, and helping promote a friend’s work was normal.

Although the promotional scale continued to expand, Lin Qingye’s anti-fans became even more active, with malicious abuse growing louder.

He did indeed have blemishes in his past, and the malice could strike at vital points, making Xu Zhinan anxious as she read.

Today she returned to the rental apartment as soon as the tattoo shop closed. Lin Qingye wasn’t back yet.

Xu Zhinan didn’t ask much about what he had been doing lately, only knowing it was related to the album called “Whispers.”

In the evening, Lin Qingye sent her a message.

[Qingye: Are you still busy?]

[Xu Zhinan: Already home.]

[Qingye: I’m at Uncle Wang’s. I’ll be back late today, go to sleep first, don’t wait for me.]

He didn’t mention a word about the online abuse, and it seemed not to have affected his mood at all.

Xu Zhinan replied with an “okay,” then got up to fill the watering can and went to the balcony to water the plants.

The flowers had been blooming more vigorously lately.

The flowering period also seemed longer than before.

When Lin Qingye returned, it was indeed very late. The living room light was still on; Xu Zhinan had left it on for him.

He entered the apartment quietly. There was a lump on the bed in the bedroom; she was already asleep. Lin Qingye took his pajamas and went straight to the bathroom.

He kept the water flow small, trying not to wake Xu Zhinan.

Today he had gone to the Chuanqi Entertainment Company to discuss the direction of the album with the producers. Listening to it now, he wasn’t very satisfied with the previous version, so he had scrapped some parts and modified others.

He had been busy these days.

Today, while re-recording, he had also played the drums, which was physically demanding and had made him sweat a lot.

He quickened his pace to finish showering, put on his pajamas, and then there were two light knocks on the door.

Xu Zhinan’s voice came through: “Qingye?”

Soft, sweet, and drowsy—he could almost imagine what state Xu Zhinan was in outside the door.

“Mm, what is it?”

“Nothing, I was just checking if it was you.”

Lin Qingye laughed lightly: “Who else would it be?”

Xu Zhinan thought about it and realized he was right, nodded, and went back to sleep.

Lin Qingye finished dressing and came out, going around to the other side of the bed.

“Come here,” he said softly.

Xu Zhinan curled into his arms. Lin Qingye held her, lowering his head to kiss her hair. It smelled nice, like blue waves in the darkness.

“Did I wake you up just now?” he asked.

“No, I was going to the bathroom.”

“So you’re not going now?”

Xu Zhinan suddenly remembered that she still hadn’t gone to the bathroom, but she didn’t want to move anymore, and snuggled closer into his embrace: “Never mind.”

Lin Qingye chuckled: “How can you just never mind this?”

She puffed her cheeks and mumbled: “I didn’t need to go that badly, and now I don’t feel it anymore.”

In the middle of the night, Lin Qingye was in a good mood, thinking that if Xu Zhinan were fully awake, she probably wouldn’t discuss this topic with him in such detail.

He patted her head, letting her be, and said nothing more.

Just when he thought Xu Zhinan must have fallen asleep, she spoke again with her eyes closed: “Don’t take those people’s words to heart.”

“What?”

“Those unkind words.”

Only then did Lin Qingye belatedly realize what she was referring to.

He had been busy all day working on the album, and although he knew about the online situation, he had only glanced at it before continuing with his work, not paying much attention to how people were evaluating him online.

Lin Qingye had never cared much about public opinion.

Xu Zhinan cared for his.

He laughed softly, patted her back, and said with resignation: “You should read less of that.”

Xu Zhinan didn’t answer, having fallen asleep in his arms.

A week passed, and Zhao Qian’s wedding day arrived.

There were six bridesmaids—Xu Zhinan and Jiang Yue were her classmates, and the other four were her relatives, cousins from her family.

All six bridesmaid dresses were the blue gowns that Xu Zhinan had tried on before.

The wedding was held directly on the top floor of a hotel, without any of those wedding hazing customs.

Zhao Qian’s husband was a programmer, an IT guy. His hair was still relatively thick, and his personality was more reserved, not as lively and boisterous as Zhao Qian—they complemented each other well.

Jiang Yue had already heard about Lin Qingye from Zhao Qian. She linked arms with Xu Zhinan as they stood to the side, saying, “I was originally worried you’d be triggered by the wedding, but now it’s all good.”

Xu Zhinan smiled: “I gave you all enough to worry about before.”

“Good things come to those who wait.”

As the two were chatting, suddenly Xu Zhinan’s shoulder was tapped twice, and a man in a suit stood beside her: “Hello.”

Xu Zhinan turned: “Hello.”

“Are you a friend of the bride?”

“Yes, I am.”

The man smiled: “I’m part of the groomsmen. I noticed you earlier—your hair is quite cool.”

Jiang Yue lightly bumped her shoulder with a knowing look. Xu Zhinan replied politely: “Thank you.”

“How old are you?”

“25.”

“Oh, I’m 27, two years older than you.”

“…”

Zhao Qian also noticed them, said something to the person beside her, and immediately rushed over, holding up her dress.

She had been dating her boyfriend for two years already, and with her outgoing personality, she knew most of her boyfriend’s friends. She directly slapped Zhou Rong on the shoulder, pointing at him, saying, “I caught you eyeing my friend earlier. Let me tell you, she’s both a beauty and rich. If you want to date her, I’m warning you, don’t even think about it!”

Zhou Rong laughed: “What’s wrong with me? Am I that bad?”

“Look at that lustful heart of yours jumping around.” Zhao Qian narrowed her eyes, “She already has a boyfriend.”

“She has a boyfriend?” Zhou Rong raised an eyebrow, “Is he here today?”

“No.”

He seemed to take Zhao Qian’s “has a boyfriend” as an excuse for rejection, and joked, “What kind of logic is that? You invite someone to be a bridesmaid but don’t invite her boyfriend?”

“I’m being serious. Does she look single to you?”

Zhou Rong looked at Xu Zhinan’s face. Indeed, it was completely normal for a face like this to have a boyfriend, but he still felt there was something that kept people at a distance—cool and aloof, not like someone who had a boyfriend.

He gazed at her long hair, unable to imagine what kind of man would be compatible with her if she truly had a boyfriend.

He looked for too long, and Zhao Qian directly stood on her tiptoes and put her hand in front of his eyes, completely like a mother hen protecting her chick, afraid that Xu Zhinan would be tainted by these awful men.

“You’re still staring when I told you not to! You’re not allowed to look!”

Xu Zhinan and Jiang Yue were both amused by her.

Xu Zhinan took the initiative: “I do have a boyfriend.”

Zhou Rong was startled: “Really?”

She nodded seriously: “Yes.”

“Ah, what a pity.”

Zhao Qian immediately retorted: “What pity!”

As the wedding reached its later stages, the elders and relatives had left, leaving behind close friends for the next round, which was less restricted, with provocative conversations and drinking as the main activities.

Whoever the bottle pointed to had to drink.

Xu Zhinan had bad luck and was pointed at twice in a row. By the third time, Zhao Qian immediately called a stop: “No, no, she can’t drink anymore.”

“Hey, no cheating! We all agreed that whoever the bottle points to has to drink. And this is only the third glass—you’re stopping her too early.”

Zhao Qian: “The little girl has done her part. She can’t hold her liquor. I’ll drink this one for her, okay?”

Everyone didn’t push it: “Alright, fine!”

Zhao Qian could hold her liquor well. She downed it in one go, wiped her mouth, and leaned close to Xu Zhinan’s ear: “Do you want to text Lin Qingye to come pick you up?”

Xu Zhinan took out her phone and found that he had already sent her a message ten minutes ago.

[Qingye: When will it end?]

[Xu Zhinan: It’ll be a while longer. Everyone’s drinking.]

[Qingye: Don’t drink too much, you can’t handle alcohol well.]

[Xu Zhinan: I know, I’m not drinking anymore. Are you already home?]

[Qingye: Yes, let me know when you’re almost done, I’ll come pick you up.]

[Xu Zhinan: Okay.]

Putting away her phone, she belatedly started to feel dizzy.

She had drunk those two consecutive glasses too quickly, and her face was starting to feel hot.

She wasn’t sure if it was because she hadn’t drunk for years and her tolerance had decreased, or if the alcohol content was high, though it hadn’t tasted very strong.

Xu Zhinan thought hazily.

Everyone drank a bit more before ending. Xu Zhinan didn’t want Lin Qingye to wait outside, so she only sent him a message when everyone was getting ready to leave.

He immediately replied: I’m here.

Xu Zhinan was startled and quickly stood up, then swayed from dizziness, and was steadied by Zhao Qian: “Is he here?”

“Yes.”

The group walked to the hotel entrance together. Jiang Yue and another girl lived very close to each other, so they shared a taxi home.

Xu Zhinan stood at the hotel entrance, looking around but not finding Lin Qingye.

She fumbled for her phone in her bag, but feeling dizzy, her bag slipped off her shoulder and landed by her feet. Zhou Rong, standing next to her, picked up her bag: “Are you drunk?”

Xu Zhinan took it and thanked him, answering: “A little.”

“Your alcohol tolerance is low,” Zhou Rong teased.

Xu Zhinan didn’t hear him. As she looked up, she saw Lin Qingye across the street.

He stood in the shadows, just a dim figure, but Xu Zhinan could recognize him with just one glance.

“Qianqian, I’m leaving.”

“Has he come?”

“Yes.”

Zhao Qian followed her gaze.

She also couldn’t see his face. This was the first time she had seen Lin Qingye again after many years. He had changed a lot—at least she could tell he now had a buzz cut, but she could still feel a certain aura, Lin Qingye’s aura.

Very distinctive.

The pedestrian light turned green.

There were almost no cars on the road at this time.

Xu Zhinan walked toward the other side of the road, couldn’t resist, and after just two steps, she couldn’t help but start running. Her steps were somewhat jubilant as she ran all the way to stand in front of Lin Qingye.

Having drunk too much, her movements were clumsy and cute as she tilted her head to look up at him.

Lin Qingye just stood there, leaning against a tree trunk, lazily lowering his eyes to look at her.

There was a meter’s distance between them.

After a moment, he flicked his cigarette with his finger and said lightly, “Who was that just now?”

The words sounded familiar.

As soon as he spoke, Lin Qingye also realized—back when he was a senior in college and saw Xu Zhinan walking too close to a boy, he had pressed her wrist against a store shelf and asked her the same question.

Xu Zhinan might not have remembered.

Or rather, she simply hadn’t heard what Lin Qingye said.

She was drunk.

The alcohol seemed to be reacting in her body, making her head increasingly dizzy.

Her behavior was also out of control, following her heart’s desire.

She suddenly stepped forward, nestling into his arms, her arms encircling his waist.

Soft and crisp, she said, “Hug.”

This, throwing herself into his arms, came so unexpectedly that Lin Qingye was stunned for a moment, only managing to move the cigarette in his fingers away so it wouldn’t burn her.

Coming to his senses, Lin Qingye smiled faintly, tugging at her shoulder: “Little drunk, since when did you learn to sweet-talk people into a good mood?”

She didn’t let go, still hugging his waist tightly, nestled in his embrace.

“Sweet talk won’t work.”

Lin Qingye was ruthless, his gaze falling lightly on the man across the street before moving away, his expression taking on some arrogance, casual and languid.

One hand holding the cigarette, the other coming around to pat her bottom twice, “I’ll deal with you when we get home.”