Tears, breath, and the warmth of Meng Jingnian's body mingled together, making the skin from her cheeks to her neck burn.
She was indeed somewhat upset, but not to the point of losing control. What made her act on impulse was the tone of Meng Jingnian's apology—so gentle and tinged with guilt, as if anything she did at this moment could be forgiven.
Her selfishness hid beneath the guise of sadness, and she felt not a shred of guilt. If only moments like this could break through the impenetrable barrier between them, she would not hesitate to exploit his softness.
She was just that wicked.
But she didn't indulge in this one-sided embrace for too long, because she felt Meng Jingnian's body stiffen, his arms braced against the floor. It took a while before he raised them and patted her back twice in a soothing manner, with a distinctly businesslike air.
She could understand—his response could only go this far, after all, given their positions.
She still didn't want to make him too uncomfortable.
She pressed her palm against his shoulder for support, lifted her head, and pulled back. Clearing her throat and blinking, she said, "Sorry, just for a moment there, my emotions were a bit…"
Meng Jingnian offered a tolerant smile. "Mm. It's fine. I understand."
Lin Qin braced herself on the sofa arm and stood up. "I'll go wash my face."
Meng Jingnian rose and stepped aside, letting Lin Qin pass by him. He sat down on the sofa, watching her figure disappear around the corner of the hallway, then lowered his gaze and let out a silent sigh.
The skin on the side of his neck was slightly damp. He resisted the urge to touch it, feeling as though that patch was burning like fire, continuing to smolder.
After a while, Lin Qin returned from the bathroom.
Meng Jingnian glanced at her. Her eyes were a bit red, but her emotions seemed to have calmed considerably.
"Want to continue reviewing?" Meng Jingnian asked.
"Mm. Tomorrow there's Introduction to Machine Learning, and after the Distributed and Parallel Computing and Probabilistic Graphical Models exams the day after, everything will be done."
"You have this many courses in your sophomore year, second semester?"
"I chose quite a few elective courses."
Meng Jingnian nodded and pointed at the half-eaten cake still on the coffee table. "Are you still going to eat this?"
"I want to save it for a late-night snack."
"Should I put it in the fridge for you?"
Lin Qin nodded.
Meng Jingnian tossed the used paper cup and fork into the trash, picked up the remaining cake, and headed toward the kitchen.
The refrigerator door opened, and cold air rushed out. Fortunately, there were only two more days—once the exams were over, she would move out of here.
Perhaps it was futile, but he had to try, to see if everything could return to its proper course.
/
On the final day of exams, during breakfast, Meng Jingnian kept his promise and arranged with Lin Qin to go to the old city district for dinner that evening. There were only a handful of decent restaurants near the university; for a proper "big meal," they'd have to head back to the old city.
After breakfast, Meng Jingnian and Lin Qin went to the school together. Usually he'd leave a bit later, but today the department had a final exam for one of Jiang Sidao's courses, and the original teaching assistant had called in sick, so Meng Jingnian went to help proctor instead.
After the exam ended and lunch was done, Meng Jingnian went to the department building's laboratory.
In the afternoon, one of the department's large group chats became active.
Teacher Ni Ye posted: Anyone here decent at German? Urgently need help with a one-day translation gig. Paid, and I'll treat you to a meal.
Several male teachers who'd been lurking came out to reply: Does it have to be German?
Ni Ye: A colleague from the University of Munich is visiting Shanghai as a tourist. I'm planning to invite him over for an internal sharing session.
At that point, someone @'d Meng Jingnian and replied: This one's Teacher Jiang's student. Came back from a joint program with MPI. His German is more than sufficient.
Ni Ye: Thanks for the recommendation. I'll message him privately.
Meng Jingnian saw the message in the group chat and was about to reply, but seeing this, he let it go. Sure enough, a moment later, Ni Ye sent him a private message asking if he had the time.
Someone had already announced it on his behalf in the big group, complete with the title of Dean Jiang's student. No matter what, it would be hard to refuse now, so he had no choice but to agree.
Ni Ye: Thanks. You've really helped me out.
Meng Jingnian: You're welcome, Teacher Ni. All in a day's work for the department.
Ni Ye sent a big laughing emoji, then replied: I'll go over the detailed schedule with you two days in advance then.
Meng Jingnian: Sounds good.
He stayed in the lab until five o'clock, then packed up to leave. Xie Heng sent a message: Drinks tonight?
Meng Jingnian replied: I have plans today. Go on your own.
Xie Heng: I've been asking you for a whole week, man. Is it really that hard? Fine, I'll go by myself.
Meng Jingnian didn't bother replying.
Back at the apartment, Meng Jingnian tidied up, then sat in the living room, turned on the TV to watch the news, and waited for Lin Qin to come back from her exam.
Around 5:40, the phone on the coffee table vibrated.
It was a message from Lin Qin: Sorry, little uncle, I forgot a friend's birthday is today. I'll go make a quick appearance, and we can have a late-night meal instead, okay?
Meng Jingnian's finger hovered over the screen for a moment before he tapped the input box and replied: Okay. No rush.
He tossed his phone aside and headed into the kitchen to see what ingredients were available.
There was a steak in the freezer. He took it out and set it aside to thaw, planning to pan-sear it casually to take care of dinner.
/
The friend whose birthday it was happened to be Chi Yi.
Two weeks ago, Lin Qin had received his invitation and promptly forgotten all about it.
Chi Yi clearly knew her habits well—he drove straight to the school gate in the evening to pick her up, arriving in a Lamborghini Urus with one of their mutual photographer friends in the car.
The car was an SUV, not as flashy in design as the brand's two-seater sports cars, but the emblem still drew some attention, especially with its bright yellow body.
Lin Qin naturally didn't want to go, but Chi Yi blocked her path with earnest repeated invitations. The car was parked at the school gate, and passersby kept glancing over. When she noticed someone seemingly pulling out a phone to take photos, she really didn't want to linger any longer and attract more attention. If Chi Yi got recognized, she'd be dragged into strange rumors too. So she got in the car just to go through the motions, planning to stay for half an hour and then leave.
Chi Yi had rented out a friend's entire bar for the party, though he hadn't invited many people—mostly just the closest circle in his social group.
As Lin Qin followed him inside, someone leaning over the railing on the second floor whistled. "Not bad, Young Master Chi!"
Chi Yi, worried Lin Qin might be displeased, shot the man a glare and snapped coldly, "Shut up. You're too loud."
There was a private room upstairs, and it was quieter once they entered—just four or five people sitting in a circle chatting casually, with music playing from the speakers that wasn't too noisy.
The others gave Lin Qin a vague "hello," their gazes curious but without asking her anything—perhaps Chi Yi had given them instructions beforehand.
After she sat down, Chi Yi handed her the drink menu and asked what she wanted. She ordered a non-alcoholic beverage.
The others gathered around to play dice, but Chi Yi didn't join them—he just sat beside her to keep her company.
She felt a bit awkward. "…You should go play."
Chi Yi smiled. "I don't have any other task today except making sure you're well taken care of."
"I'm pretty boring. Go hang out with them, don't worry about me."
Chi Yi ignored her and slid the fruit platter closer to her. "Exams over?"
"…How did you know?"
"I have my ways."
"Planted a spy?"
Chi Yi laughed softly. "…Thanks for thinking I'm that well-connected. I just casually asked a student from your department."
"Oh."
Another moment of silence fell between them.
Lin Qin didn't dislike Chi Yi as a person—she just couldn't click with him. Back when she and Ji Wenxi had traveled to a small island in Thailand, Ji Wenxi had suddenly spiked a fever in the middle of the night, vomiting and having diarrhea. Medicine didn't help, and they had no idea how to navigate a foreign hospital, so she'd posted a plea for help on her Moments.
Chi Yi was the first to contact her, saying he had a friend there and had already asked him to find them. That friend had been thoroughly diligent—driving them to the hospital, handling the emergency registration, communicating with the doctors, getting the medication… taking care of everything from start to finish.
Afterward, he never leveraged that favor to ask anything of her, only saying it was no trouble at all.
Lin Qin sipped her drink through a straw while Chi Yi lounged sideways nearby, occasionally joining his friends' conversations, seemingly unbothered by the awkward, dull atmosphere.
After a while, someone knocked on the door, saying the performers had arrived.
Chi Yi stood up. "Come on, let's go check it out."
"I'll pass…"
"Come on, you're already here."
On the first-floor stage, a band was setting up. Lin Qin glanced down from the second-floor platform and was genuinely surprised. It was a niche foreign band she really liked—they'd never performed in China before. She couldn't imagine how much effort it must have taken to bring the whole group over.
Chi Yi glanced at her. "You can request any song you want to hear."
"…Isn't today your birthday?"
"Doesn't make a difference. If you enjoy yourself listening, then my birthday's a good one."
"Chi Yi…" Lin Qin sounded somewhat exasperated. "I've already made myself very clear…"
"That girl last time came to ask me for a favor, and because I refused, she…"
Lin Qin rarely felt her patience reach its limit. "…Do you have to keep talking over me? I told you it has nothing to do with anyone else…"
Chi Yi fell silent. He turned his gaze forward, no longer looking at her, arms resting on the railing as he faced the stage below. He stared down for a long while without saying a word.
Suddenly, he let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Do you think there's something wrong with me?"
Lin Qin was somewhat taken aback, turning to look at him. It seemed like the first time she'd seen this side of him—no longer the slightly annoying, flashy, ostentatious rich boy.
"Tell me, besides pretending not to understand what you're saying and continuing to pester you—do I have any other way to get close to you, Lin Qin?"
Lin Qin was the type of person who yielded to softness but never to force.
The noise was deafening, everyone buzzing with excitement for an unexpected live show, yet the protagonist of the evening stood in the shadows of the lights, looking desolate.
"I'm sorry." Lin Qin sighed. "But I can only say this—I have someone I like. Aside from him, I don't plan on dating anyone else. And aside from him, romance isn't even a required option in my life."
"Who is he?"
Lin Qin pressed her lips together.
"You never say, so I can only assume you're making up an excuse to brush me off." The guitarist below was testing his sound, casually strumming a melody, his exquisite skill drawing cheers from the crowd.
Lin Qin leaned her arms on the railing. "If you promise me two conditions, I'll tell you who he is."
"Name them."
"One, you stop trying to pursue me from now on. Two, you don't go causing trouble for him."
"…Why would I cause trouble for him?"
"I heard you once beat up your ex-girlfriend's current boyfriend…"
"That's because she cheated on me."
"Oh… I see."
Chi Yi laughed in exasperation. "So that's the image you've always had of me."
Lin Qin said nothing.
Chi Yi was silent for a moment. "I accept your conditions. Go on."
"Word of honor?"
After a few seconds of pause, Chi Yi said, "Word of honor."
Lin Qin let out a soft breath. "You've met him. Last time at our school's food street, I was eating noodles, and the person sitting across from me."
Chi Yi turned his face to look at her in shock. "Meng…"
Lin Qin nodded.
"But isn't he your…"
"We're not related by blood."
"…You're not just making up some random person to fool me, are you?"
"If I were going to make someone up, I wouldn't use my own relative."
Chi Yi was silent for a long while, clearly knowing this was the truth.
"Does he know?"
"Of course not." Lin Qin looked at him and confirmed again, "You won't cause him trouble, right?"
"My dad oversees the culture and education sector. I'd have to be out of my mind to offend a university dean and give my dad a headache."
Lin Qin said nothing.
After a moment, Chi Yi extended his hand. "I said I'd keep my word. Let's be friends from now on. When friends host events, just come show your face once in a while."
Lin Qin raised her hand and gave his a light clap.
The moment their palms met, Chi Yi had the urge to grab hold of her hand, but he held back.
The performance below was about to begin. Chi Yi withdrew his hand and slipped it into his trouser pocket. "Let's watch the show. I already paid to get you here—can't let the money go to waste."
"Was it expensive?"
"Better I don't tell you, or it'll scare you to death."
Lin Qin quirked the corner of her mouth.
Chi Yi was stunned for a beat, then quickly turned his gaze downward.
In his memory, he'd never seen her smile. A face weary of the world, yet so beautiful—beautiful without a trace of flattery. He admitted people could be pathetic sometimes, how the unattainable bred a desire to conquer.
But if just being friends could earn him a smile like that… perhaps that wasn't so bad either.
/
That evening, Meng Jingnian did some document organization work. By eleven o'clock, he still hadn't received any message from Lin Qin.
He didn't rush her either. It was a friend's birthday—losing track of time while having fun was a common thing.
At this hour, it was entirely possible she wouldn't come back tonight.
After showering, he lay down in bed as usual, leaving only the reading lamp on. He read for a while but couldn't find any drowsiness. Remembering that the bottled water in the fridge was running low, he got up again.
He changed into going-out clothes and left to buy supplies, taking the chance for a stroll.
The neighborhood had already fallen quiet, with only the occasional rustle from the bushes—whether it was a stray cat out for activity, who could say.
He walked to the neighborhood gate and turned right.
Parked by the roadside was a bright yellow car, its rear window open. The person inside had stretched an arm out, holding a cigarette.
As Meng Jingnian passed by, the person, in a very awkward posture, leaned his head as far as he could toward the window, pulled his arm back in, and took a drag.
This strange behavior drew a glance from Meng Jingnian, and he immediately stopped in his tracks.
He had seen this smoker once before—last time on the food street. Chi Yi.
Looking through the car window, Meng Jingnian's gaze froze.
Lin Qin's head was resting on Chi Yi's shoulder, her eyes closed, seemingly asleep. Her fluffy hair spilled down from her shoulders, a faint flush on her face—whether from the heat or from drinking, he couldn't tell.
Chi Yi seemed to be fighting a nicotine craving, but didn't want to move and wake the sleeping person, which was why he'd resorted to that awkward posture just to take a single drag.
Chi Yi hadn't noticed him yet. After that one puff, he lowered his head again, staring motionlessly at the person leaning against his shoulder.
A focused attention that ignored everyone else in the world.
Meng Jingnian watched in silence for a long moment, then stepped closer and tapped lightly on the car door.
Chi Yi snapped his head around, startled. "Teacher Meng?"
Meng Jingnian's voice was calm, almost impossible to read any emotion from: "Since you've already driven her back, would you mind waking her up? She's been exhausted from exams all day—if she's going to sleep, she'd be more comfortable at home."
Chi Yi narrowed his eyes, sizing him up.
The look was deeply probing. Meng Jingnian felt a flicker of displeasure, but kept it hidden.
Chi Yi watched Meng Jingnian take a step back, stand still, and cast his gaze forward, no longer looking at them.
It seemed to give him space, but the posture was clearly unyielding, and because of that step back, it revealed a hint of arrogance befitting one in a superior position—disdainful of even engaging with the opponent.
An interesting opponent, indeed.
Chi Yi smiled. "Teacher Meng, Lin Qin is already an adult. Surely there's no curfew anymore?"