This time, the kiss didn’t last long.
Before Lan Die could react, He Canglan withdrew from her lips, tucked the books into her arms, and casually took one for himself.
“Go back now!”
“What do you think you’re doing!”
Lan Die’s peach blossom eyes were misty with anger, confusion, and a hint of grievance.
“The doors are about to close!”
He Canglan didn’t look at her. His gaze swept over the top of her head toward the dormitory building behind her.
“Give all my books back to me!” Lan Die tried to snatch the one he had taken.
He Canglan raised his arm high, letting Lan Die, who stood at 165 cm, jump in vain, still unable to reach it.
A faint smile curled at the corner of the man’s lips as he looked at the girl glaring at him in anger:
“Lan Die, next time, I’ll listen to you play the piano. Goodnight!”
The moment the dormitory door closed, Lan Die rushed inside.
The man behind her watched her figure disappear before leisurely returning to his car.
Yi An could tell He Canglan was in a good mood.
Yi An had been by He Canglan’s side since his days on Wall Street.
He was accustomed to this man’s tactics and sophistication in various situations. If someone from this social stratum claimed to have one hundred percent genuine feelings, even God would laugh.
But this time, He Canglan was clearly different.
All the actions Lan Die found inexplicable might have stemmed from a desire to protect her, coupled with an uncontrollable fondness for her.
Even He Canglan himself might not be able to discern exactly what kind of feelings he harbored.
A fleeting novelty was best! Problems that could be solved with money were no problems at all.
What people feared most was falling in love!
“Investigate all of the Lan family’s debts and the sudden bankruptcy of Lan Sheng Group.”
The man in the back seat spoke calmly, his head lowered as he carefully flipped through Lan Die’s book.
Yi An responded promptly, “Yes!”
“How many days is the event in Hong Kong?”
“Five days in total. One day in Shenzhen, three days in Hong Kong, plus travel time.”
He Canglan paused while turning the pages. Five days!
He looked at the elegant, neat notes in the book, written in beautiful, delicate calligraphy.
Raising his head, he glanced at the dormitory building, and as his gaze returned, it met the clear, bright moon in the sky.
The moonlight reflected in He Canglan’s eyes, shimmering with radiance.
The man lit a cigarette. “Back to Qing Garden.”
Cong Yue, who was applying a face mask, saw Lan Die rushing in breathlessly and teased with a smile, “Who’s chasing my little Die? Running like this!”
“No one!” Lan Die caught her breath and noticed Tian Beibei, who rarely appeared in the dormitory.
Tian Beibei had a striking, glamorous appearance and had recently been frequently picked up by a Mercedes-Benz G-Class. It was said the driver was a local Beijing resident whose family ran a business.
“Come over here, both of you! A luxury car is out there!” Tian Beibei called to them.
Cong Yue led Lan Die over.
Lan Die glanced out the window and saw the black Maybach.
Feeling somewhat guilty, she quietly stepped away from the window. On her lips, a faint trace of Pine Scent seemed to linger.
Fragmented clues began to connect in her mind.
Since their first encounter at the exclusive club, her life had started to change.
Yi An’s sudden appearance at the bus stop, thoughtful enough to take her to a private sanatorium for treatment.
At the sanatorium, she had inadvertently overheard the mention of “Mr. He.”
The second encounter at the celebrity gathering, after meeting Kang Jian and Lin Yi, being suddenly carried away and forcibly kissed by him—was his declaration, “This is my woman,” merely an excuse to help her out of an awkward situation?
Then what was the purpose of the subsequent kiss!
The He Canglan mentioned by Kang Jian—was that him?
The expression on his face when he mentioned He Canglan clearly indicated that this was not someone easily accessible to others, let alone someone to fall in love with. What did that imply?
Tonight’s unexpected meeting at the school—was he just there to stroll around the campus? And did he intentionally take her specialized textbook?
Today, she finally saw his true appearance. Someone like him should never lack women around him!
That black card, the monthly salary that kept increasing, the unrestricted spending—it felt like a thorn in her side!
How much self-respect she once had, now matched by how much heartache she felt!
Cong Yue noticed Lan Die’s sudden silence and walked over, quietly tugging at her arm:
“Die’er, could it be that Silver Phantom from last time?”
Lan Die glanced at her, lightly pursing her lips: “I’ll tell you when we go to your place!”
Cong Yue’s eyes instantly widened—looks like there was some juicy gossip to uncover!
“Yueyue, lend me your Broadcasting and Hosting Art book for the next few days,” Lan Die said softly, her eyes unreadable.
Cong Yue laughed happily: “I’m feeling proud! The top student in our major is borrowing my book? I haven’t even copied all the notes from yours!”
“My book was taken!” Lan Die muttered quietly.
Feeling helpless, she knew she had to get the book back as soon as possible—she needed to review the notes in it.
Cong Yue stopped applying her facial mask, tearing it off and tossing it aside. With a mischievous smile and an interrogative look, she gently lifted Lan Die’s chin with her delicate hand:
“Sweetie, say that again! What’s going on?”
Lan Die laughed and pushed her hand away: “Nothing’s going on! Don’t talk nonsense. I need to wash up and rest—I have an outdoor shoot tomorrow.”
While washing up, Lan Die listened to Tian Beibei’s lectures on love experience.
Tian Beibei prided herself as the top “collector” in the broadcasting department, constantly changing partners like a revolving door. No one knew what she had truly been through.
“Looks are useless—material things are what matter most!”
“Don’t worry about age—as long as they’re physically fit!”
“Older men who know how to pamper and care for you are treasures!”
…
Listening to this, Lan Die couldn’t help but laugh. And as she laughed, she suddenly remembered those beautiful phoenix eyes, brimming with moonlight…
She quickly splashed more cold water on her face, ruthlessly extinguishing all the inappropriate thoughts that had arisen.
Given her current circumstances, her daily priority was to earn money, repay debts, and fill various financial gaps. She had no right to dream!
The next day, Lan Die headed to the television station early in the morning.
Dressed in a water-blue silk dress, her long hair tied into a low ponytail, her exposed skin glowed softly under the blue hue, as smooth and pure as the finest mutton-fat jade.
Her gentle, elegant, and breathtakingly beautiful appearance made Station Director Xie Tianhua, who happened to pass by, let out a soft “tsk” of admiration.
“Uncle Xie!” Lan Die greeted him politely.
Station Director Xie Tianhua was a close friend of Lan Die’s late father, Lan Sheng. Many programs at the station had once received friendly sponsorship from the Lan Sheng Group.
“Little Die, you’re here so early! Have you had breakfast?”
“I have!” Lan Die replied with a sweet smile. “I have an outdoor hosting assignment today, so I wanted to come early to prepare!”
Xie Tianhua frowned slightly.
His old friend had passed away, and he had been too busy, neglecting to look after Lan Die properly.
Outdoor shoots sometimes require helping carry the camera equipment, enduring wind and rain—certainly not something a young girl like Lan Die could handle.
“Xiao Die, there’s a high-quality cultural program recording at the station this morning, featuring senior experts from the domestic academic community. Go assist Sister Dong in the indoor studio. We’ll assign someone else to the outdoor shoot!”
“Ah?” Lan Die was surprised, but even more delighted.
She knew about that cultural program—it was a household name and had set cultural trends.
And the Sister Dong mentioned by the station director was the pillar of Beijing Television, an idol for many broadcasting and hosting students.
Working alongside Sister Dong—was her dream coming true? Could she ask for an autograph? ^_^