Before the Golden Melody Awards ceremony, Xu Zhinan dyed her hair again.

Since Lin Qingye’s return, she hadn’t dyed her hair, originally planning to let it grow back to its natural black. But later, she felt reluctant to let it go.

Having had blue hair for so long, she felt it carried something special. The thought of cutting off this blue hair made her heart ache.

She used to frequent this hair salon, and the hairstylist recognized her immediately. “You haven’t been here for quite a while, have you?”

Xu Zhinan smiled at him and responded with a soft “Mmm.”

The hairstylist looked at her hair. “Why did you let so much black grow out before coming back? Been busy with work? Planning to change colors?”

“No, still blue.”

The hairstylist laughed. “You have a fixation on blue hair.”

Xu Zhinan smiled without saying anything.

It wasn’t a fixation anymore. Lin Qingye had returned and transformed back into his former self. Their future path lay clearly before them. She just wanted to hold onto something from the past.

Besides, she had grown accustomed to seeing herself with blue hair.

The dyeing process took an entire afternoon, and Xu Zhinan didn’t return home until evening.

Lin Qingye was already home, standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, making a phone call. Hearing her, he looked over. “Why didn’t you ask me to pick you up?”

“There were too many people there, but plenty of taxis, so it was convenient. I didn’t bother telling you.”

As she approached, Lin Qingye noticed she had dyed her hair again and frowned slightly. “Why did you dye it again? Didn’t you have an allergic reaction before?”

“That was ages ago. I don’t get reactions anymore.” Xu Zhinan tugged at her hair. “I think it looks nice, so I dyed it again. Otherwise, having that section of black roots wouldn’t look good.”

They chatted for a moment before Shi Si’s voice came through Lin Qingye’s phone, complaining loudly: “Captain!!!”

Lin Qingye held the phone away from his ear, frowning. “What?”

“Tell me, am I finished?” Shi Si asked in despair.

“Who told you to drink so much last night?” Lin Qingye laughed heartlessly.

Shi Si: “Do you think she’ll have completely blacked out when she wakes up?”

Lin Qingye checked the time. “It’s seven in the evening now. How could she still be asleep?”

Shi Si: “…”

Lin Qingye: “Besides, whenever you got drunk before, Ji Yan always remembered all your embarrassing moments and would laugh at you the next day.”

Shi Si mumbled, “I’m finished, I’m finished, I’m finished…”

“You’re 27 now. What’s the point of dragging things out after knowing Ji Yan for so long?” Lin Qingye said flatly. “If you keep delaying, you’ll both be 30 before you know it.”

Shi Si scratched his head, crouching down and muttering, “I’m still young.”

Lin Qingye had no interest in being a relationship counselor. After a brief chat, he ended the call.

Xu Zhinan stood nearby and had roughly understood the conversation. “Shi Si?”

“Yeah, he got drunk last night and confessed, and now he regrets it.” Lin Qingye explained concisely, then moved closer to look at her freshly dyed hair. He sniffed it. “Smells nice.”

“Of course it smells nice right after washing.” Xu Zhinan recalled the scene from last night, when Shi Si and Ji Yan had argued while confessing. She asked in confusion, “From Ji Yan’s reaction last night, she seemed to already know Shi Si liked her.”

“They’ve known each other for so many years. She must have had some idea.”

“When did you notice all this?” Xu Zhinan thought back to last night. She had been shocked by Shi Si’s unconventional confession, but Lin Qingye had seemed completely unfazed.

Back in university, she had always thought Ji Yan liked Lin Qingye, but after meeting Ji Yan again following Lin Qingye’s release from prison, she no longer felt that way.

With beauty right before him, Lin Qingye, as a captain, had zero interest in his team members’ love lives.

He stepped forward, pressed Xu Zhinan onto the armrest of the single sofa, leaned down to kiss her, and murmured casually, “Not long ago, just a couple of months back.”

But he had only been back for a few months, so the change must have happened during the two and a half years he was away.

Xu Zhinan was still pondering the relationship between Ji Yan and Shi Si. “So has Ji Yan been pretending not to know Shi Si likes her?”

Seemingly annoyed by her persistent questions, Lin Qingye clicked his tongue and bit her lips directly.

Xu Zhinan felt the pain and hissed, pulling back.

Lin Qingye took advantage of her movement to press her down onto the single sofa.

“Why did you bite so hard?” Xu Zhinan couldn’t help but complain.

“Does it hurt?”

He maintained his position and licked her lips gently, his mouth curving into a smile, his movements slow and tender, mysteriously raising goosebumps along her spine as electricity coursed through her.

After a while, he laughed huskily, “Still hurt?”

“…”

Lin Qingye didn’t do anything more to Xu Zhinan at this point.

The position was uncomfortable—the single sofa was narrow, with the two of them squeezed together, one on top of the other—but Lin Qingye didn’t move.

He pulled out his phone in this position. “Let’s order takeout today. Too lazy to cook.”

“Mmm.” Xu Zhinan put her arms around him from behind and massaged his shoulders. “Were you very busy today?”

“Not really. Just don’t feel like moving.”

Xu Zhinan was initially going to say that takeout wasn’t healthy and that she would cook since he was tired, but one glance at Lin Qingye’s phone screen made her close her mouth.

What he was ordering wasn’t ordinary “takeout.”

It was more like bringing a top-tier restaurant straight to their home.

“Is there anything you want to eat?” Lin Qingye asked.

She wasn’t picky about food. “Anything is fine.”

After watching for a while, she couldn’t help saying, “If our shop ordered takeout like this every day for lunch, we’d probably go bankrupt.”

“It’s not that extreme. Your ‘value’ is also quite high now.” Lin Qingye smiled. “Besides, my earnings are more than enough for you to eat whatever you want without hesitation.”

This man was really…

Talking more and more nonsense.

“Where did I get a husband from?”

“Right here.” Lin Qingye submitted the order and paid, tossing his phone aside before embracing her again. “You dare to deny it now?”

“We’re not married yet.”

He snorted softly. “It’s just a matter of time.”

“Oh right,” Xu Zhinan changed the subject, not wanting to continue down this path. “When you have time, let’s go fulfill a vow together.”

“What vow?”

Xu Zhinan hesitated, then stammered, “Before you came back, I made a prayer. Now we’re both doing well, and it’s a new year, so we should go fulfill that vow.”

After Lin Qingye’s release, he hadn’t seen Xu Zhinan reading Buddhist scriptures anymore, nor had he seen any scriptures in her former apartment. He thought she had changed from before.

“Alright,” Lin Qingye agreed.

He was busy for the next few days, finally completing the new song for the concert. He even invited Guan Chi, Ji Yan, and Shi Si to the recording studio to re-record a demo version.

Ji Yan and Shi Si had returned to their previous relationship. Perhaps one of them was just pretending, but Lin Qingye didn’t ask further, letting them be.

After finishing the recording, he and Xu Zhinan went to fulfill the vow on Monday at noon.

The temple was in a remote location, at the last stop of subway line 5, a popular mountain hiking spot. The temple sat between two mountains.

Fortunately, the path wasn’t difficult, with stairs throughout.

Being Monday, there weren’t many people—just a few scattered visitors, mostly older folks.

Lin Qingye still wore a mask and hat, carrying a bag of fruits bought at the foot of the mountain.

Entering the temple, Xu Zhinan offered the fruits and pulled Lin Qingye down to kneel on the prayer mats before the deity statue.

She pressed her palms together, closed her eyes devoutly, and silently expressed her gratitude to the deity.

She hadn’t always been this devout. Initially, it was because of Xu Yuanwen, who had died years ago with no trace of the culprit or any clues. When people have nowhere to turn, they need something to hold onto so they don’t lose hope.

Lin Qingye wasn’t as devout as she was. When he opened his eyes, Xu Zhinan’s were still closed.

He turned to look at her, gradually becoming entranced.

The young woman’s freshly dyed blue hair, blue to the roots, was a rather bold and conspicuous color, completely out of place in the temple. Many people stared at her when they entered.

But her features and demeanor were extremely gentle, creating a contradictory clash.

While Xu Zhinan prayed to the deity, Lin Qingye felt that what stood before him now was his deity.

After leaving the temple, they didn’t linger, planning to head straight back.

The path down the mountain was different from the one up. Several black locust trees grew on both sides of the downward path.

Normally, black locust trees would be bare during this season, but perhaps because the temple sat between two mountains with higher temperatures, these trees remained lush and green.

Xu Zhinan unexpectedly caught their scent, frowned, and suddenly felt nauseous. She covered her mouth and dry-heaved.

Lin Qingye quickly supported her, rubbing her back with a concerned frown. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” She took out her water bottle and drank some water, suppressing the nausea. “I feel uncomfortable when I smell these.” She pointed to the black locust trees nearby.

“I’ve never heard you mention this before.”

Lin Qingye then recalled that there were several black locust trees near Xu Zhinan’s dormitory at Pingchuan University, and she had never reacted this way before.

“I didn’t have this problem before. It started after your incident.” She paused briefly, exhaled, and spoke softly, “At the abandoned factory, when Su Qian lay in a pool of blood, I smelled the scent of black locust flowers. That triggered this response.”

As she finished speaking, Lin Qingye’s frown deepened.

Xu Zhinan glanced at him and added, “But it’s much better now. I just felt a bit sick when I suddenly smelled it, but I’m fine now.”

“Was it severe before?”

Back then, whenever Xu Zhinan smelled this scent, she would vomit and cry—involuntary physiological tears she couldn’t control.

She suddenly remembered a bottle of perfume at home with black locust notes in its base, which she had bought the day she learned Lin Qingye had been released from prison.

That day, upon learning the news but finding Lin Qingye hadn’t come to find her, she lowered her head and smelled the perfume’s base notes, triggering a severe reaction.

But fearing Lin Qingye would worry and blame himself, she only said, “Yes, the vomiting was a bit more severe.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” His voice softened.

Xu Zhinan smiled. “Because the black locust leaves had all fallen off, so I forgot I had this problem.”

“Ah Nan.” His eyes were full of heartache.

“It’s fine. I think by next year, when the black locust flowers bloom again, I should be completely over it. It’s already much better now.”

Xu Zhinan paused, then said, “Besides, the words ‘black locust’ have a different meaning for you too. I don’t want to have an aversion to it.”

This was also why she had insisted on buying that perfume despite knowing it would trigger her reaction.

The Black Locust Band.

And the Golden Melody Award-winning song “Black Locust.”

Originally, the name “Black Locust Band” was chosen by Guan Chi quite casually, without any special meaning. They formed the band when the locust flowers were in full bloom, and seeing them, he suggested the name on a whim. The others thought it was fine, so they settled on it.

Many people assumed Lin Qingye’s song “Black Locust” was the band’s signature song, sharing the same name with the band, but it wasn’t. It had nothing to do with the band’s name.

“Ah Nan.” He held her face and said softly, “The first time I saw you, there was a black locust tree behind you.”

At that time, Xu Zhinan stood under a dim streetlight, while Lin Qingye sat in the shadows.

She saw someone from a distance but couldn’t make them out clearly. She turned to look, her dark eyes appearing amber in the light.

But she didn’t stay long, quickly leaving with her companion. Lin Qingye stared at that black locust tree for a long time.

Later, when Lin Qingye saw her again in his dreams, his vision fixed on that black locust tree.

That’s why he wrote “Black Locust,” the song that made him famous overnight.

Xu Zhinan was stunned, vaguely understanding: “You mean…”

“Yes.” Lin Qingye said, “The reason ‘Black Locust’ is called ‘Black Locust’ isn’t because of the band name, but because it’s related to you.”

“So, Ah Nan, don’t let that incident cast a shadow over it.”

It’s not just because black locust relates to me, so you don’t want to have an aversion to it.

It’s also because the black locust relates to you.

To us.

By early February, the Golden Melody Awards ceremony arrived as scheduled. The list of nominated singers was published online, with Lin Qingye among them, quickly attracting fans’ attention.

The awards ceremony was broadcast live, held at 8 PM on Friday, but beforehand there were a series of interviews and casual activities, similar to a party.

Such formal occasions required formal attire. Lin Qingye’s stylist brought him a black suit.

Xu Zhinan was with him in the backstage dressing room. When he came out after changing, she froze.

She felt as if she had suddenly been seduced by Lin Qingye’s beauty.

He rarely wore formal attire—at least, Xu Zhinan had never seen him in it.

The suit was tailored perfectly, probably custom-made, outlining his superior broad shoulders. The shirt collar was buttoned to the top with a tied necktie, giving off a meticulous, ascetic air, while the suit pants highlighted his long, straight legs.

He appeared much more mature, different from before.

But it wasn’t just maturity.

Xu Zhinan stared at him for a long time, finally finding the perfect word to describe him now—a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Lin Qingye laughed at her expression. “Stunned?”

“Ah.” Xu Zhinan came back to herself, answering honestly, “You look really good in this.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t look good in other clothes?”

“You look good in everything, but you look especially good in this.”

She spoke with such seriousness, her round eyes glued to him without reservation, giving off an oddly leering impression.

Lin Qingye was amused. He bent down to her ear and whispered, “Then I’ll wear this outfit when we go home tonight.”

His tone was suggestive and mischievous. Though he didn’t finish the latter half of his sentence, what he planned to do at home wearing this outfit was obvious.

Although the stylist stood far away and probably couldn’t hear his whisper, they were all in the same room. Xu Zhinan’s ears immediately turned red, and she pushed him away.

Lin Qingye straightened up and pinched her cheek. “After I enter, you’ll wait here?”

“Mmm.”

“It’ll probably take a while. If you get bored, feel free to look around. There’s a shopping mall next door, but there are many fans outside right now, so it’s best to have one of my staff accompany you.”

“It’s fine.” Xu Zhinan didn’t want to burden others. “I’ll just stay here.”

Soon, Lin Qingye had to leave.

He bent down to kiss Xu Zhinan on the lips, then followed the staff out.

The ceremony hall was across a crosswalk, where fans had already gathered.

As soon as Lin Qingye appeared, the fans erupted.

Lin Qingye in a suit not only stunned Xu Zhinan but also drove the fans crazy.

He rarely appeared in public. Not just his fans, but fans of other celebrities craned their necks to see him.

Surrounded by several bodyguards, he passed through the crowd, walking into the venue amid screams and cheers.

Inside, the external noise was blocked out, signaling entry into the broadcast area.

Lin Qingye signed the registration book at the entrance. Just as he walked in, he met Shen Linlin. The two chatted briefly, but Shen Linlin, having debuted many years ago, had many close friends and soon went to talk with others.

Wang Qi, as the boss of Chuanqi Entertainment, naturally came too. He approached Lin Qingye. “Your father is here too.”

Lin Qingye raised an eyebrow, looking in the direction Wang Qi pointed, where several people were gathered. “Why would he come to the Golden Melody Awards ceremony?”

“This venue is provided by your father, so he naturally received an invitation. He usually doesn’t attend activities unrelated to his business.”

Lin Qingye smiled. “I didn’t know he would attend.”

Wang Qi smiled too. “You didn’t tell your father you were nominated. I told him, otherwise how do you think he would have come?”

He slapped Lin Qingye heavily on the shoulder, with an indecipherable meaning.

The father and son had never communicated well before, with a mediocre relationship. Even if they wanted reconciliation now, it would take time.

Lin Guancheng saw Lin Qingye from a distance, excused himself from the person beside him, and walked straight over. “The awards are about to begin. Nervous?”

Lin Qingye chuckled softly. “Not really.”

“Of course. You were never the nervous type, even as a child.”

The two sat down in nearby seats. Occasionally, people came over to chat with Lin Guancheng. Seeing Lin Qingye beside him, Lin Guancheng would introduce, “This is my son, Lin Qingye.”

By now, everyone had heard of Lin Qingye. They enthusiastically exclaimed, “Like father, like son indeed!”

The live broadcast was captured through several fixed cameras with a wide range, so specific voices couldn’t be heard.

Fans were searching for Lin Qingye and quickly discovered him sitting with a man for quite some time, though they weren’t constantly talking, just exchanging words occasionally.

When the camera panned across their faces, everyone discovered that the man and Lin Qingye looked somewhat similar. Despite his age, the man’s features remained handsome.

Throughout, there had been very little information about Lin Qingye online. People treated each discovery like treasure hunting, quickly beginning to investigate.

Soon, on Lin Qingye’s super topic, someone uncovered the secret.

Holy shit, the man next to our brother is Lin Guancheng!!! The chairman of Minsheng Group!!!!!!!!!

His surname is Lin??? Could he be Lin Qingye’s father?

Long ago, I saw discussions on Pingchuan University’s forum, but they were just speculations. No one ever saw Lin Guancheng appear beside Wild Brother back then, nor any other figure who seemed to be his father.

Damn, damn, damn!!! Is he a rich second-generation heir pursuing an entertainment career???

What kind of divine being is Lin Qingye? This face! This talent! And he turns out to be the future heir of Minsheng Group??

Alright, I declare Lin Guancheng is my father-in-law!!!! Hello, Father-in-law!!!!

…

Lin Qingye was unaware of the commotion in the super topic. After chatting briefly with Lin Guancheng, the host took the microphone on stage, announcing the ceremony would begin shortly.

The nominated singers and people like Lin Guancheng and Wang Qi were seated in different areas. Lin Guancheng said goodbye and moved to another section.

Once everyone was seated and the live broadcast switched to the stage, the host announced the official start of the awards ceremony.

Meanwhile, Xu Zhinan sat in the rest area, also watching the livestream on her phone.

Lin Qingye was popular, and the camera frequently panned over him.

The man in the suit lazily smiled at the camera.

Comments scrolled rapidly, filled with “Ahhhhhhh!”

Besides these, various gift animations frequently appeared on screen, creating a dizzying display. The animations increased whenever Lin Qingye appeared on camera, with the coin count in the top left corner rapidly growing, as if it were another channel for fan competition.

Xu Zhinan watched for a while and decided to join this irrational gifting queue.

But when she pressed the rose gift button, a pop-up appeared requiring a payment.

She hesitated, then topped up 100 yuan, and to prove it was her gift to Lin Qingye, specifically changed the bound card from the salary card Lin Qingye gave her to her own.

One rose costs one yuan.

When Lin Qingye’s face appeared on camera again, Xu Zhinan gifted him 100 roses.

Her account had just been created today to watch the livestream, with her name as the ID.

Her name appeared on screen with a rose icon beside it, followed by numbers rapidly increasing to 100.

However, many others were gifting simultaneously, and perhaps because her gift was too cheap, it was almost completely obscured by a large yacht animation, disappearing in an instant.

Her 100 yuan seemed wasted. Xu Zhinan pouted and focused on watching the broadcast.

The entire Golden Melody Awards ceremony was lengthy, with many awards to present, including Best Arranger, Lyricist, Composer, Best Album Packaging, and other behind-the-scenes awards.

These awards were announced first. After more than half the ceremony had passed, they finally reached what the livestream audience was waiting for.

Best Female Singer—

Shen Linlin sat next to Lin Qingye. She had been nominated last year but didn’t win, feeling disappointed. This time, she was unusually nervous.

The host on stage built suspense before finally calling out Shen Linlin’s name, causing her to scream. Lin Qingye was almost startled.

She quickly went on stage to accept the award and give her acceptance speech. When she returned, her demeanor had completely changed. Finally relaxed, she had time to chat with Lin Qingye beside her.

“Next up is Best Male Singer. Nervous?”

Lin Qingye glanced at her sideways and snorted disdainfully. “You think everyone’s like you?”

“Lin Qingye!” Shen Linlin growled in a suppressed voice. “I’m warning you! I’m your senior!”

As she finished speaking, the host on stage, unusually, announced “Best Male Singer, Lin Qingye” without any suspense.

The audience was caught off guard by the host’s unconventional approach and didn’t react immediately until Shen Linlin screamed again, triggering thunderous applause.

Best Female Singer: Shen Linlin.

Best Male Singer: Lin Qingye.

The comments in the livestream went crazy again.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!! This reminds me of “I Sing For You”!!!! The former champion and runner-up are now both Best Singers!!! Ahhhhhh!!!

Who wouldn’t say Lin Qingye is amazing!!!

Best Male Singer!!!!!!!!!!

These two truly have an enduring friendship!!!

Wuwuwuwuwu Lin Qingye truly deserves this! He’s the best in my heart!!!

Lin Qingye went on stage, took the trophy, and kept his acceptance speech simple, finishing in just a few sentences.

Back on the floor, Shen Linlin gave him a thumbs up. “I surrender. With your composure, it’s clear you’ve won awards before. I should be the one calling you ‘brother’.”

Lin Qingye laughed softly. “I’m still a bit younger than you.”

Shen Linlin rolled her eyes dramatically. “Get lost, shut up, you stinking man.”

Lin Qingye took out his phone, muted it, and saw a message from Xu Zhinan: Congratulations.

Lin Qingye smiled and sent her a photo of the trophy.

The camera could sweep over them at any moment, so Lin Qingye didn’t keep his phone out, putting it back in his pocket after replying.

Time passed second by second, and the ceremony reached the final ultimate award—Song of the Year.

This was the most prestigious award, and in the narrow sense, the true Golden Melody Award.

“Black Locust” had won Song of the Year in its time.

Back then, this highly prestigious award was suddenly given to a singer no one had heard of, just 18 years old. Many in attendance were hearing the song for the first time, creating unprecedented attention and sensation.

“Next is our ultimate award—Song of the Year. Let’s see who the winner is!” The host said, opening the final card and raising an eyebrow slightly.

“This winner is very popular now, and it’s not the first time he’s won a Golden Melody Award. By my count, this should be his third Golden Melody Award.”

The audience stirred, unaware of who had previously won two Golden Melody Awards.

The host smiled and added, “One of those awards was received half an hour ago.”

Lin Qingye paused and looked up.

A camera panned toward him.

Simultaneously, throughout the hall, a song played—

That girl, oh

I’ve never so desperately wanted to see her

But she doesn’t speak

Like a silent deity

…

The host shouted, “Congratulations! ‘Murmuring’, Lin Qingye!”