So Jin Yiken really did get that academic exchange spot.

While Long Qi was playing around, while people their age were fooling about, he alone, dragging along Bai Aiting, was lying low in a foreign country, quietly working hard, achieving victory in solitude, then returning to this place that once exiled him in such a legitimate and proper manner.

Catching her completely off guard.

But Jin Yiken played this move quite deep. Not only did he not inform Long Qi about this in advance, even after sending a message, he didn’t actively contact her as he used to. Long Qi asked him where he was—he didn’t say. Called him—he didn’t answer. He only sent her one text message, another brief and shocking sentence. Even through the screen you could feel his sky-high pride.

—Busy for two days. Will come find you in two days. If you can’t wait, come find me yourself.

Seems the time he could stay in the country was quite long this time. Even knew to play hide-and-seek with her.

Zhang Muyi’s phone rang in her bag. While getting into Lao Ping’s car she answered, soul not yet returned, absentmindedly asking: “Who?”

“Long Qi, it’s me, Zhang Muyi.”

She was texting Jin Yiken with one hand, saying with her mouth: “Think I’m stupid? Zhang Muyi’s phone is right here with me.”

Then she hung up.

Three seconds later, the phone rang again. She answered again: “Who!”

“Me, Zhang Muyi. Long Qi, this is my roommate’s phone. My phone was left with you.”

Zhang Muyi, afraid she’d maintain her short-circuit state, quickly explained. Only then did she react. Zhang Muyi continued: “Long Qi, if it’s convenient for you, give me an address. You can just leave the phone at your company or neighborhood security office. I’ll come get it myself tomorrow. Sorry to trouble you.”

“Can’t come today?”

“Have something today. Can’t come.”

She was still message-bombing Jin Yiken, saying with her mouth: “Leaving it at the security office isn’t safe. I’ll deliver it to you tomorrow.”

“That’s too much trouble for you.”

“I was going to deliver some donated supplies anyway. It’s on the way. Besides, I was the one who took the phone. Delivering it to you is only right. Let’s set a place.”

“Then tomorrow at noon, twelve o’clock, let’s meet at the coffee shop at the school’s north gate. I’ll send the detailed address to my phone number in a bit.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up Zhang Muyi’s call, Long Qi quickly sent Jin Yiken a message: I’m at the entrance of your residential complex.

But damn it. The instant she sent it, she realized she couldn’t explain why she’d appear at his residential complex entrance. So she immediately recalled it. The WeChat page left a recall reminder that screamed “methinks the lady doth protest too much.” Jin Yiken’s dialog box remained calm. Probably really didn’t see it.

“Why are your hands shaking?” Lao Ping suddenly asked.

Long Qi looked up: “Who’s shaking what?”

“Hands.” Lao Ping taught her to say it.

“My hands aren’t shaking.”

“Shaking.” Lao Ping taught her to say it again.

“You’re so annoying.”

“Fine, pretend I said nothing.”

As it turned out, that whole day Jin Yiken really didn’t contact her. Acting even busier than her. It wasn’t until evening that she calmed down. Might as well also cease fire and ignore him.

What was there to panic about?

Dong Xi had already reconciled with her. A purely friendly relationship. She’d also completely extinguished that fire in her heart. What was there to panic about? Besides, she’d never cared about Jin Yiken’s views on this matter.

She sorted through her thoughts this way.

The next day at eleven forty-five, Long Qi arrived early at the coffee shop at Zhongyu University’s north gate.

Given that she had a good attitude when attending yesterday’s event, all smiles for reporters and sweet-talking, Lao Ping was pleased and gave her the whole day off. Long Qi used the morning to attend a few classes at her own school to understand the progress. At noon she took a car here. After arriving, she used Zhang Muyi’s phone to send his roommate a message. Zhang Muyi quickly borrowed his roommate’s phone to reply: Almost there.

The coffee shop was full of students. Near noon, bustling but not noisy. Long Qi wore no makeup, bare-faced, wearing a wide-brimmed hat. The weather had been cold recently. She finally put on a not-thick-not-thin wide-collar sweater. Her outfit was neither high-profile nor too low-key. Seated in a relatively secluded area, there were students who recognized her, but given the many rumors about her temper, no one rashly disturbed her.

She chewed gum, spinning Zhang Muyi’s phone on the table, the other hand rapidly tapping on her own phone’s keyboard, organizing language preparing to harass Jin Yiken again.

She held a grudge about his ignoring her for two days with that insufferable attitude.

A table of girls behind her were chatting, voices sometimes lowering, sometimes gasping in unison, as if gossiping about something unspeakable. The coffee shop door chime rang repeatedly, customers constantly entering. Long Qi glanced at the entrance—all female customers entering.

“I’ve inquired clearly. He has a girlfriend in England, but they’re not very close.”

One sentence drifted into Long Qi’s ears.

“Does Fanfan know?” someone from the back table asked.

“She knows half. Only knows there’s a girlfriend, but doesn’t know how close the relationship is. Found out the first day. With her personality she can’t wait.”

“Send her this intel.”

“I’m saying…” another person interjected, “Can Fanfan succeed?”

“Fanfan is beautiful.”

“But he’s also handsome. My god, the first time I saw him, I felt he’s the type of guy who could make your whole body burn with just one smile. All kinds of wanting to be slept with by him, you know? Not someone who can hang with us. I think Fanfan can’t handle him.”

The girl’s voice deliberately lowered, hiding a trace of laughter: “Fanfan just wants to sleep with him.”

The server brought Long Qi’s coffee. Only then did that table quiet down because of this movement, pressing their volume to where outsiders couldn’t hear. Long Qi finally organized a string of harassing language. Just as she was about to send it, Lin Hui’s incoming call suddenly popped up, blocking her chat page.

She answered.

Lin Hui asked: “Qiqi?”

“Speak.”

“Are you free this afternoon? I want to come find you. Need to talk about something.”

Though Lin Hui’s voice was quiet, it sounded quite serious, without the usual laughter and sweet tone when talking to her. She replied: “Come find me now. I’m at the coffee shop at your school’s north gate.”

“Okay.”

“Is Dong Xi there?” She asked. “If she is, have her come too…”

“She went to eat with classmates.” Lin Hui caught her words, catching them faster than Long Qi’s question.

“Oh,” she said, “then you come.”

After hanging up, the mood to harass Jin Yiken suddenly faded.

Long Qi’s fingers tapped on the table a few times. Finally, with a “forget it, spare his life” attitude, she gave up harassing. Her thumb pressed keys, deleting character by character in the chat box. But precisely at this moment, the phone vibrated once. On the originally blank chat box, a line of text jumped out. Jin Yiken sent it.

—Watching you “typing” for an hour. You’re quite idle.

Mocking her.

He mocked her. Long Qi immediately exploded. Instantly sent a voice message: “Either come see me on your knees now, or get lost back to England!”

The girls at the back table, because she mentioned “England,” sensitively looked toward her, then nudged people beside them: “Is that Long Qi?”

“Long Qi.” Zhang Muyi’s voice happened to come from five steps away. The girls went silent. She looked up. Zhang Muyi had obviously rushed over, looking travel-worn. He stepped forward and took his phone, saying to her: “Thank you. Really inconvenient without a phone.”

“I charged it for you,” she temporarily suppressed her anger, using a normal tone to deal with him. “Full battery.”

“You stayed at Dong Xi’s house yesterday? If I’d called you earlier, I could have had Dong Xi bring it to me. Wouldn’t have troubled you so much.”

“Said it’s no problem. On the way. I bought a few cases of water and daily necessities, left them at the security office,” she stood up. “Come with me to check them?”

But Zhang Muyi stood without moving: “I don’t think we need to check. Long Qi, that you support this fundraising activity, we’re already very grateful.”

She lazily turned back: “You busy?”

He moved his thumb, pointing toward a certain area deep in the coffee shop: “An exchange student came to the department. I need to go say hello. You haven’t eaten, right? Want to stay and have a meal with us?”

“I’m not interested in science and engineering guys, domestic or foreign.” She responded while sending a middle finger emoji to the unresponsive chat window.

Ding—

Somewhere in the coffee shop, a message notification sound echoed from afar.

“Reply to me, you idle person who stared at my chat window for an hour.” She softly recorded a voice message.

Ding—

When it was sent, somewhere far away, another corresponding message-received sound came. This time Long Qi’s ears perked up, and it started registering in her brain. She looked in the direction Zhang Muyi indicated, vaguely seeing a table of male students beyond the partition. While looking, she moved her finger to send two emojis in succession. Over there, sure enough, came two crisp notification sounds together.

“Zhang Muyi…” she instinctively asked, “I only know you’re from the Science Department. Which department specifically?”

“Me? Physics Department.”

—In a few months, my school here and a certain domestic university’s Physics Department have an academic exchange project. Which university I haven’t inquired clearly yet.

—I’ve inquired clearly. He has a girlfriend in England, but they’re not very close.

Two segments of conversation suddenly matched up. Remembering one of the girls’ exaggerated description of him, the more she thought, the heavier her suspicion grew. The heavier it grew, the more those sentences looped in her head. Long Qi frowned and walked toward there. Zhang Muyi asked what was wrong. She turned a deaf ear. Her heart was pounding, thinking heaven wouldn’t be so bizarre as to throw such a coincidence at her. But her feet just couldn’t stop walking there.

Walking into a pit.

After crossing a partition, she saw the table of people sitting here. Five men and one woman.

Vaguely heard British-accented exchanges between them. Four male students had their backs to her. All weren’t from this country, also didn’t notice her. A girl at the side was from this school. She was participating in the exchange in English, speaking while using gestures to coordinate slightly, occasionally smiling, occasionally nodding, with an appearance of “this discussion couldn’t be more harmonious.” Only one person sat at an angle.

He was the only domestic male student present, also the only person outside the clamor. He didn’t need to communicate with his classmates, looked too lazy to communicate with that female student representative. When Long Qi looked over, he was crossing his legs, looking at the laptop on his knees. His phone was on the table, screen still lit from the previous message notification.

Long Qi drew in a sharp breath.

Because suddenly before her eyes burst the figure of Jin Yiken, this character unseen for so long. Dry mouth, parched tongue.

“Long Qi?” Zhang Muyi called her.

When she looked at Zhang Muyi, Jin Yiken followed the sound and looked over.

But Long Qi couldn’t answer with words to Zhang Muyi’s inquiring gaze. The dry mouth and parched tongue feeling grew increasingly intense. When she looked back, she happened to meet Jin Yiken’s gaze directly.

Done for.

Once their gazes met, all her bluffing in the chat box completely collapsed. Jin Yiken had already closed the laptop on his knees. He was quite calm and composed. Clearly she discovered him first, yet he turned it around with a first-mover’s spirit. Not smiling, but in his eyes was a bad expression only she could see. Long Qi was caught by this gaze unable to leave. Her rebellious nature was faintly forced out by him. Zhang Muyi had already greeted everyone seated and also simply greeted Jin Yiken. Looking back at this moment, she finally spoke: “Zhang Muyi.”

“Mm?”

“I haven’t eaten lunch yet.”

With this sentence placed here, Zhang Muyi froze for a moment, then replied: “Perfect then, eat with us.”

And just as Zhang Muyi’s words fell, a chair in front of the table was pulled out by Long Qi. She set her bag on the table, also took a seat, sitting opposite Jin Yiken, staring straight at him: “Introduce them, Zhang Muyi.”

Jin Yiken had no expression change, but she understood. Right now he was operating with a “let me just watch how you perform” calm demeanor. Watching a show.

“Oh, they’re the exchange students I just mentioned to you,” Zhang Muyi reacted quickly, briefly introducing, “all top students from the Physics Department of Weslun University in England. The purpose of coming this time is to cooperate with us on a physics research project.”

Then facing them to introduce Long Qi, using a string of English, didn’t mention her entertainer status, only said she was a friend. Did emphasize supporting the charity fundraiser.

Then introduced the girl at the side: “Fan Funing, a talented woman from our Physics Department, also the host for this exchange activity.”

Saying, words directed at that girl: “Got my phone back. Yesterday was hard on you, Fanfan. Thanks to you connecting in the middle, otherwise would have delayed a lot of things.”

“No problem. Good you got it back.” The girl responded.

Fanfan.

Long Qi chewed on this nickname in her head, glancing at that girl, happening to also catch this girl’s glance at herself. Long Qi didn’t withdraw. This girl was much more timid than her. Sensing eye contact collision, her gaze immediately swerved to Zhang Muyi, raising her cup to drink coffee in a cover-up manner, ear roots slightly red.

Seems she wasn’t a very straightforward and unrestrained girl either, not quite matching the image from the earlier conversation. But beautiful was true. Her features were even more delicate than Lin Hui’s, just a different type. She had a petite figure, the bird-dependent-on-person type of girl. Her temperament was more like someone studying liberal arts, yet she happened to be in the Science Department. Then in the Science Department with its gender ratio imbalance, undoubtedly she was highly sought after.

Before Long Qi arrived, she carried an air of being accustomed to being the center of attention, a little delicate little proud.

After Long Qi arrived, she seemed suppressed, and she herself seemed to sense the disparity in aura, somewhat nervous.

“Right, you two can get to know each other,” okay, Zhang Muyi began emphatically introducing the person across the table. “His name is Jin Yiken. Since high school he’s been the gold medal winner of various physics competitions in the city. A very impressive figure. For this academic exchange he’s also the only Chinese student. He…”

“Oh,” Long Qi interrupted, “I was wondering why you looked familiar. Turns out I’ve seen you in newspapers.”

That Fan Funing took advantage of her speaking to start looking at her.

Jin Yiken’s response was quite leisurely: “I also find you quite familiar.”

“Oh, it’s like this,” Zhang Muyi made supplementary explanation. “Long Qi is quite famous here. She’s a model, also a very popular entertainer. You might have seen her advertisements.”

Zhang Muyi’s explanation came earnestly. Jin Yiken listened intermittently, looking at Long Qi. Long Qi also looked at him.

After the other finished speaking, he replied formulaically: “Pretty impressive.”

But couldn’t hear any sincere praise at all.

“Muyi,” Fan Funing opened her mouth languidly, “how did you two meet?”

This Fanfan asked right to the point with her question.

But fortunately Zhang Muyi was a person with clear logic. Directly picked the main point to speak: “Long Qi previously paid attention to our school’s Art Week fundraising activity. We got to know each other through this activity. She came here today to deliver some supplies.”

Didn’t mention the phone and Dong Xi matters. Probably afraid explaining would be troublesome. Also because she was on good terms with Dong Xi and Lin Hui, when Zhang Muyi introduced her, he consistently intentionally or unintentionally guided her image in a positive direction.

“So that’s it,” Fan Funing nodded. “Was wondering why your styles don’t quite match.”

While speaking, her gaze drifted toward Jin Yiken.

Zhang Muyi asked Long Qi what she wanted to eat. Here it was mostly pasta and sweets.

“Fruit and vegetable salad is fine.”

“There’s a Chinese restaurant nearby. I suggest you take them there to look. They’re quite interested in Chinese food now.” Jin Yiken leisurely inserted a sentence, then said a few words in English to the surrounding classmates. Those British guys suddenly became more spirited than before, continuously nodding saying “Yeah.”

Zhang Muyi thought it was good, then together with that Fanfan, greeted the four British young men to go to the adjacent Chinese restaurant to “investigate.” Jin Yiken didn’t go. He was lazy. Long Qi also didn’t go. She was even lazier.

Just happened to also need someone to stay here and hold the seats.

However, once people left, Jin Yiken’s gaze began solidly placing on her, saying: “Scared of what?”

“Who’s scared?” She replied instantly.

“Saw me and got frightened.”

“Wow, Jin Yiken, haven’t seen you for months and your wings have hardened. Ignore me then act all righteous.”

“My wings aren’t particularly hard.”

He also replied instantly. However, this sentence seemed like the first half of a sentence. From the tone you could hear there was a second half, but he didn’t say that second half, roguishly looking at Long Qi.

Long Qi understood immediately. Took a piece of chocolate and threw it at him. He tilted his head. Didn’t hit. Quite smug. An expression of “you deserve to be teased by me.”

But he immediately said another sentence: “Dong Xi is also at this school.”

Just like a tactic. The previous moment letting her relax, the next moment enlightening her. Long Qi didn’t respond. He asked her: “Did you know?”

After a moment of silence, Long Qi asked: “Does Bai Aiting know you came?”

“She knows.”

She answered the question about Dong Xi: “I know she’s here.”

But only replied this one sentence. Stopping at the right point. Jin Yiken was about to say the next sentence when his gaze suddenly moved from her to behind her. Someone came. That person lightly patted Long Qi’s shoulder.

She turned around.

Not Lin Hui.

Three girls with pretty faces. They stood at one end of the seats, holding a small notebook, saying softly: “Long Qi, really like you. Can you sign for us?”

…

When she was signing, the girls’ elbows pushed back and forth. In the air floated a layer of unclear restlessness. This restlessness didn’t seem directed at her.

After signing and closing the notebook, the lead girl said timidly again: “Can we take a photo with you?”

“Sure.”

The girls specifically went around to the table edge, asking her to turn around: “The lighting here photographs better.”

Front-facing camera pointed at them. The girls behind Long Qi all crouched down, almost hiding behind her shoulders. She specifically asked: “Doesn’t matter if your faces aren’t captured?”

“Doesn’t matter doesn’t matter,” they all waved hands. “Just take it, no problem. You’re too beautiful. We’re too embarrassed to be on camera.”

Jin Yiken laughed from behind.

Long Qi glared at him, but the three girls laughed along, faces quite red. When she looked at the screen again, she suddenly understood.

Oh, crouching down so low was because this way they could photograph Jin Yiken behind. After all, opposite sexes attract. Even a celebrity’s aura couldn’t block the male hormones on this jerk. Three girls used such an impossible-to-guard-against move, even roped her in. Jin Yiken seemed to have seen through this trick early on, leisurely looking at the camera from behind. Long Qi was about to react when the photo clicked and was captured. The three girls shyly thanked her and happily left.

And left their autograph notebook here.

The notebook flipped a few pages, dropping out a Polaroid photo. It was a selfie of one of the girls. On the back was left a string of phone numbers.

Long Qi closed the notebook and threw it toward Jin Yiken. He tilted his head again, still smiling. She said: “Smile again and I’ll break your waist.”

“Save that move for tonight.”

Here he goes again.

His appearance was insufferably arrogant. Every sentence pressed her down hard. Long Qi looked at him for a long while, then changed her tone, replying lightly: “Why wait for tonight? Let’s do noon.”

Air was burning. Throat a bit dry. Palms quite hot. This sentence finally counter-pressed Jin Yiken. He didn’t respond. The two faced each other. But no more than three seconds, his gaze again moved from her to behind.

Zhang Muyi and the others came back.

“That restaurant has quite a few people. We took a number first. Let’s sit here and wait a bit,” he said while sitting down. “How was your chat?”

Fan Funing and the four British guys gradually took seats.

“I don’t have much common ground to talk about with science prodigies,” Long Qi was especially natural, just as if she really hadn’t chatted with Jin Yiken, propping up her cheek, looking toward Zhang Muyi. “So yesterday you had no time to get your phone because you were busy picking people up from the airport?”

Zhang Muyi reacted for half a second to this suddenly intruding topic, nodding: “Right, airport pickup and arranging hotel check-in.”

“Why not stay in dorms?”

“Dorms can only be arranged next week.”

“Oh,” casually asking, “which hotel?”

“Wanhai Hotel, closest to the school. It’s on this street.”

Long Qi listened, fingertips tapping her cheek, then took her phone from her bag, pretending to look at it, then stood up: “Zhang Muyi, I won’t eat with you all. Something came up suddenly. Go move the stuff from the security office yourself. I’m leaving first.”

While speaking, walking backward. Jin Yiken still leisurely crossed his legs. Long Qi cast him a glance. He looked at her with deep meaning.

At twelve twenty noon, a light rain fell.

Outdoor water vapor couldn’t compare to indoor humidity. Indoor humidity couldn’t compare to the damp heat of palms. Jin Yiken arrived at the suite ten minutes later than her, but entered the atmosphere ten minutes earlier than her. Room door tightly closed, curtains half-drawn. Long Qi sat on him twice, but both times was pressed back down by him. Long hair scattered, right hand with ten fingers tightly interlocked pressed under the pillow by him. He was exerting force, also kissing her. Each time he exerted force, she lightly frowned. But her breathing was covered by his intense kisses. This frowning later slowly changed into another frequency of breathing. Sweat between her neck slid onto his arm, gradually becoming fine and dense as the atmosphere progressed, gradually salty and hot.

Jin Yiken wasn’t very gentle this time.

He missed her too much, also too much wanted her body. This kind of fire ignited at one point, making Long Qi’s whole body weak. At the last second she let out a gasp, digging her nails into his arm. Jin Yiken spoke in her ear, calling out a hoarse “Qi,” rubbing out a hoarse sentence. She couldn’t hear clearly. Later her hand slid from his arm. Involuntarily propping up her body to kiss him intensely, hair slid from her shoulders to her back, condensing with sweat, soaked through.

Room door tightly closed for an hour.

During this period, someone came knocking. He ignored them all. After finishing, showered. Long Qi snatched a can of beer from the suite’s small fridge, pulled the tab with a crack, lay on the sofa, used his phone to order takeout from downstairs, even opened a package of snacks from his room.

At that moment, she asked: “What did you just say in my ear?”

Jin Yiken was unwrapping a tea bag. Water gurgled and boiled in the kettle. He replied: “Let’s live together.”

Long Qi looked at him.

“Live where, here?”

“Not living here. The key to the place is with you.”

Oh, that apartment.

She remembered the vacant apartment he’d previously taken her to. Attention returned to his phone screen: “Didn’t you say dorms were arranged?”

“I’d leave you to have fun and live in a dorm myself?” With this one sentence, Jin Yiken was fully in “do you think I could possibly do something so proper” interrogation mode. Long Qi said she’d think about it. Fingers idly flipping through his WeChat contacts list, looking at his few unread messages.

The latest message came from an account nicknamed “FF,” avatar without a photo. Three unread messages sent, the one displayed was: Are you in your room?

“Who’s this?”

Long Qi directly asked.

Jin Yiken had just finished pouring water and making tea. He took away the cold beer she was drinking, replacing it with hot tea. Glanced at the screen: “Fan Funing.”

Then said: “Open it and look.”

Long Qi without a word opened it. This girl sent three messages today total. One was at eight in the morning, asking: Up yet? Did you sleep well last night? (smile) If not, tell me. I can help you change rooms.

The second was sent at eleven: Eaten lunch yet?

The third was just now: Are you in your room?

Jin Yiken hadn’t replied to any. Moreover, from the message notifications, he hadn’t even read them. Scrolling up, the friend verification was sent at nine last night. After verification passed at that time point, Fan Funing also sent him a “shy” emoji and “sleep early” goodnight.

This girl was quite restless.

“Does she know you have a girlfriend?”

“Knows.”

He just finished answering when the room door was knocked on. He looked toward the sound source but had no intention of opening the door.

Until Long Qi kicked his lower back with her toes: “My takeout.”

Only then did Jin Yiken go open the door.

But as soon as the door opened, Fan Funing’s voice came from outside: “You barely ate anything at noon. I brought you some fresh fruit.”

Long Qi was still researching his chat records at that moment. Turned her head to look at the entrance. Jin Yiken’s reply hadn’t been given yet when the girl continued: “Not washed yet. Let me wash it for you.”

Speaking as she invited herself in.

Her body quickly passed him walking inside. The entrance led directly to the bedroom. The time Fan Funing spent walking to the bedroom didn’t exceed three seconds. The steps taken were no more than five. Long Qi was too lazy to move. Fan Funing discovered Long Qi in the fourth second.

Discovered Long Qi reclining on the sofa munching chips at that moment.

At that time she was bare-legged, wearing Jin Yiken’s T-shirt. In her hands were tea and phone. On her stomach lay an opened bag of chips. Her calves rested on the sofa armrest. Light passed through the curtain gauze, spilling in patches, spilling on her ankles. Her hair was half-wet not yet dry. In the air floated a layer of ambiguous water vapor, coming from the bathroom.

When Fan Funing’s gaze blankly landed on her, Long Qi leisurely glanced at her. Jin Yiken meanwhile went all in, closing the guest room door.