After washing up, Nan Zhi left the dormitory.
Freshmen didn’t have many classes, so aside from meals, her daily routine consisted of going to the Music Association, the library, the dormitory, and the teaching building.
This afternoon, Nan Zhi planned to practice piano in the music room. As the first-place winner of last year’s Beijing Piano Competition, she was a highly sought-after presence in the Music Association. Whenever there were off-campus events, she was always recommended to perform on stage.
Sunday marked the centennial celebration of Beijing University, and unsurprisingly, she was chosen as the representative performer.
Although others said her performances were already excellent, Nan Zhi still wanted to strive for perfection.
The music room was located in a building at the very edge of the campus, and she hardly encountered any students along the way.
Suddenly, a sound of something cutting through the air, accompanied by a gust of wind, reached her ears. By the time Nan Zhi reacted, her arm had already been struck.
She gasped in pain, “Ouch—”
Looking down, she saw a flowerpot that had fallen from above.
Nan Zhi looked up, catching only a fleeting glimpse of a figure darting across the third-floor corridor.
She didn’t have time to chase after the culprit, as the lower half of her right arm was already numb with pain. Blood seeped through her black sleeve, staining it a dark red.
Nan Zhi turned and headed to the infirmary.
She was wearing a black blazer that day. With the nurse’s help, she removed her jacket, leaving only a white shirt.
Half of her sleeve was soaked in blood, and the nurse frowned as she carefully rolled it up, revealing a shocking red wound on her fair arm.
The nurse looked at her sympathetically, “Such fair and delicate skin—how did it get injured like this?”
Nan Zhi stared quietly at the wound, “I was hit by a flowerpot that fell from above.”
The fleeting figure she had glimpsed bore a striking resemblance to Bai Wei.
“Classmate, your phone is ringing.”
Mindful of her injury, the nurse thoughtfully handed her the phone.
Nan Zhi thanked her and pressed the answer button. Wan Xiaoshan immediately spoke up, “Zhi Zhi, we just checked with security. They said the third-floor surveillance camera happened to be broken, so no one was caught on tape.”
Nan Zhi wasn’t surprised; she had already guessed who that figure might be.
After the nurse finished treating her wound, Nan Zhi didn’t linger and went straight to the music room.
When Vice President Chen Yuhang saw her bandaged right hand, he was horrified, “Oh my goodness, Nan Zhi, my dear, how did you injure your hand?”
Nan Zhi replied calmly, “It’s fine. I can still play with my left hand.”
“That won’t do, my dear,” Chen Yuhang treasured this exceptionally talented pianist and circled around her, “If you’re injured, you should rest properly. I’ll think of another solution for the centennial performance.”
As he was mentally searching through his limited connections for a replacement, a clear, crisp male voice approached from a distance, “It’s fine. I can take her place on stage.”
Hearing this, Nan Zhi was momentarily stunned. It wasn’t that she had never heard pleasant voices before, but this one was like a rain-soaked pine tree—clean and refreshing, soothing enough to make every pore feel at ease.
She followed the sound and saw a tall, slender young man push the door open and enter.
Unlike Feng Sinian’s flamboyance, this young man had a cool, refined demeanor, with elegant features and a pair of silver-framed glasses perched on his straight nose. The shifting light from the window cast moving shadows, and the faint glimmers beneath his long eyelashes seemed to flicker.
Nan Zhi opened her mouth, “Hello…”
Before she could utter the word “handsome,” Jiang Zhe nodded to her and said, “Hello, I’m Jiang Zhe, the president of the Music Association.”
When Chen Yuhang saw him, he rushed over with tears and snot streaming down his face, clutching his arm and crying out hoarsely, “President, you’re finally back!”
Jiang Zhe calmly withdrew his hand from the entanglement, his somber gaze sweeping over him from behind his glasses before settling on Nan Zhi.
She blinked in confusion. “President?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Chen Yuhang eagerly introduced, “Our president was selected to study abroad as an exchange student in his sophomore year and just returned a couple of days ago.”
Actually, Nan Zhi had heard of Jiang Zhe’s name. It was said that as soon as he entered university, he became the “Top Heartbreaker of Jing University” due to his exceptional academic performance and striking appearance—captivating both women and men alike.
However, rumors described him as distant and aloof, a lofty flower in everyone’s eyes.
Nan Zhi felt an inexplicable sense of reverence toward Jiang Zhe and straightened her back slightly. “Hello, President. I’m Nan Zhi, a first-year law student.”
Jiang Zhe nodded, his voice carrying a subtle, hard-to-detect depth. “I’ve long heard of your name.”
Perhaps it was an illusion, but she seemed to catch a fleeting hint of amusement in his eyes.
Chen Yuhang wiped his sweat, relieved. “Now that the president is back, I don’t have to worry about the anniversary performance anymore. I was almost about to face the school board with my head on the line.”
Jiang Zhe lowered his gaze, his eyes lingering on her right hand for a moment, his expression darkening.
“Since you’re injured, rest well. I’ll handle the anniversary performance.”
Nan Zhi didn’t refuse either, nodding in agreement. “Then I’ll trouble you, President.”
“Wait a moment,” Jiang Zhe called out to her just as she was about to leave. “Yuhang said the song for the anniversary performance has already been submitted. Let’s exchange contact information so we can discuss the details of the piece when we have time.”
Without suspicion, she took out her phone and opened her QR code.
The two added each other as friends before Nan Zhi left.
Chen Yuhang couldn’t help but mutter, “President, you’ve won first place in national competitions. You could probably recite the sheet music for this song backward. Do you really need to discuss it with Nan Zhi?”
Jiang Zhe gave him a sidelong glance, then lowered his eyes to look at the screen.
[I have accepted your friend request. Now we can start chatting.]
He changed Nan Zhi’s contact name to a blue butterfly emoji.
Chen Yuhang was about to ask but was deterred by the cold aura surrounding Jiang Zhe.
He chuckled and took a few steps back. “I won’t disturb your piano practice, President. Farewell!”
The room fell silent again as Jiang Zhe lifted the piano lid, his slender fingers gently gliding over the black and white keys.
Just as Nan Zhi reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard the melodious sound of piano music coming from the music room.
It was a piece she hadn’t heard before, but it was pleasant to the ear. Unconsciously, she stopped and listened quietly.
Her restless emotions gradually calmed, and a slight smile touched Nan Zhi’s lips as her mood lifted.
She opened a music recognition app but found no results.
So, she opened her chat with Jiang Zhe and asked, [Was that you playing just now?]
Jiang Zhe: [Yes, it was me.]
Nan Zhi: [What piece was that? I couldn’t find it when I searched.]
Jiang Zhe: [I composed it myself. I named this piece: Love Poem.]
Nan Zhi: [It’s really beautiful! Could you share the sheet music with me? Once my hand heals, I’d like to play it too.]
Jiang Zhe: [Sure.]
Early the next morning, before Nan Zhi even opened her eyes, she heard Li Zimeng’s exaggerated exclamation, “Holy crap, everyone, get up and look! The sports field is covered in roses!”
The four of them were law majors, living in Dormitory Building 13, which faced the sports field, offering a clear view of the entire grounds.
Hearing Li Zimeng’s voice, Geng Tiantian and Wan Xiaoshan didn’t bother to comb their hair, jumping down from their upper bunks in a few steps and rushing straight to the window.
All the early-rising dormitories in the building had also noticed the scene on the sports field, with exclamations of amazement rising one after another.
The green turf of the field was completely covered with dazzling roses, leaving only the running track bare. Even the goalposts of the football field were adorned with roses.
As far as the eye could see, it was a sea of brilliant red.
Li Zimeng opened the window, and the delicate fragrance of roses immediately poured in.
Girls from the neighboring dormitory spotted Nan Zhi standing by the window and grinned at her teasingly, “Nan Zhi, congratulations! Looks like something good is coming your way!”
Nan Zhi showed no hint of surprise on her face. Instead, after catching a whiff of the floral scent, she frowned and took a few steps back, waving her hand to fan the air. “Mengmeng, close the window. I’m allergic to pollen.”